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The Workout Series – Mind Over Matter
Most fitness enthusiasts I have meet or worked with, stress on one important factor which the rest of us (who consider our daily workout a necessary evil) miss. That simple but oft neglected factor is this, 'When it comes to real performance, it's a case of mind over matter'. Yes, your mental fitness is as important as, or maybe even more than, your physical fitness.
As Naresh, a regular contributor with us, and a fitness enthusiast who has been running and rowing for over 30 years says, "While running or rowing, after a point your muscles get used to the effort and then it's only a matter of convincing yourself that you can do it, and at times even fighting boredom or laziness".
Now we are definitely not saying that to win a marathon, you can be a couch potato who just needs to believe he can run. Physical training is an obvious factor here as it helps us build strength and stamina while preventing injuries. The difference between making it a lifelong activity and a flash in the pan, or between enjoying a 42k marathon and dragging yourself through a 5k run, is in the mind. Mental conditioning is vital for success in any activity so why should it be any different for physical fitness.
So how what does mental conditioning comprise and how do you do it? The 'what' is pretty simple to identify and has three ingredients. First, you need to be 100% sure that you really 'want' to get fit and perform at a certain level. The reasons for this 'want' can be varied and don't really matter as long as they are strong enough to motivate you. It could start with a desire to look your best at your wedding, or to improve your quality of life while having a stressful career or just another challenge because you are a competitive person by nature.
The second ingredient in mix is convincing yourself that you can do this (whatever your target). This self confidence is, in my limited opinion, the most important aspect, as motivators can change over time but the knowledge that you are capable of achieving a target is non-negotiable for success.
The last item in the pot is a strong filter when negating factors come into the picture, such as, pessimistic influences or easy out options. The former are easy to identify but the latter can slip past your defenses and though this ingredient may have a certain link to the previous two, 'motivators" and 'confidence', it is not the same. Say you are training ardently for a month and it's taking a bit longer to reach your milestones when you come across an advertisement promising the results, that you are working towards so diligently, in half the time. In such a case you don't feel you are giving up but just switching to a more efficient plan. This is the reason I used the word filter and not blocker. There is absolutely nothing wrong with exploring options but the common mistakes to filter out are two.
One, switching too often makes you lose focus, which may result in you not completing any plan, however good, in the long run, which means you have essentially failed to reach your target. Two, not all plans are as good as they sound and it's important to do some research before spending time, money and effort on any one. The second reason I used the word filter is that we need to be open to factors such as illness or injuries, but not so susceptible that even the mention of one makes us fall of the treadmill. This ability to discriminate, while not giving into paranoia or laziness is definitely an element of mental fitness and is affected by both the motivators and the our confidence levels.
So having identified the 'what' factors, we now move on to the 'how'. While, there is no exhaustive list on ways to build mental strength, there are a few simple, commonly used and effective methods that I'll share with you in a three step program:
- Note your Motivation: Make a note (or list, if applicable) of reasons why you want to do this. Read this note (list), maybe even frame it and put it up on your wall.
- Plan: Plan out how you want to reach your target or hit your goal. The plan can be as detailed or simple as suits your requirement and work style, you may even drill down to the level of planning out days / hours / distance to be covered in a certain period of time. Ensure that the plan is realistic, with respect to timing and type pf activity, given your personality and current lifestyle.
- Meditate: I cannot stress the importance of this step enough. I know people who have not done anything else (not even the first two steps above) to strengthen themselves mentally, except meditate, and they are the best at what they do. Meditation will not just build mental strength but will reduce stress and increase your powers of concentration, leading to success in any activity you undertake, be it professional or recreational.
For those of you who are planning to start meditating for the first time, here are three tips:
- Till you achieve a certain minimum level of concentration, make sure you practice in a quiet place, at a time when you have no immediate demands on your time. I usually spend half an hour before I go to bed, after the whole household has settled down for the night. Others prefer to do it in the morning, before they day starts, when and the world as a whole is still in a state of semi-slumber.
- Practice everyday without fail. Calming and strengthening the mind is a simple process but one that requires regular effort. In the beginning even missing a day can make you lose your mojo, so don't give yourself any leeway. Make it a part of your routine and as important as brushing your teeth (please don't tell me if you don't consider that important).
- Enjoy the process, think of it as 'me' time. After all it's supposed to help you relax, not create more stress by adding to your 'to-do' list.
So next time you plan to run a marathon or take part in a mixed doubles tennis competition*, remember it's a case of 'mind over matter'.
*Always check with your doctor before taking up any new physical activity.
About the Author:
Niranjani is an entrepreneur and blogger who believes that good quality, affordable healthcare should be available to all. She occasional puffs and pants her way through a 10k race to feel fit, despite her chaotic life.
Photo Credit: Image 1, Image 2
Copyright 2013 (c) Primex Scans and Labs. Please do not reproduce this article in its entirety without permission. Alternatively, a link to this URL would be appreciated.
I Have a Hot Valentine…
……only it's not another person. I have written off as ridiculous, the pressure to conform to what looks good in the eyes of another person or society. This year my hot date on Valentine's is with myself. From this day on, I will make a fresh resolution. I will do all that makes me feel good about myself, for you see the way my body looks and feels needs to make me happy.
Most of us are pressured by the fact that the media is full of diets and exercise regimes that swear that a person can lose 10 kilos in as many days, or something equally ridiculous. And then there are these interviews with hunky looking film stars that claim that their really muscled bodies are a result of pumping iron a lot of iron and a few tweaks to their diets, and was achieved in a month or 6 weeks. It is enough to give any normal human being a guilt complex. You have been doing your best to eat right since the New Year (more than a month now) and you have been real regular at the gym. Surely the occasional chocolate that you sneaked in, or that one Sunday that you slept in, couldn't make such a difference between your still out of shape body and the ripped look that the cover page film star swears was achieved in a month?
First of all, do remember that a lot of these claims are just that. Tall claims with air brushed photographs that have little to do with reality. Secondly, unfortunately, a lot of the success achieved is due to the use of chemicals that in the long run have dangerous effects on the heart, liver and kidneys (of course that is not something that ever gets reported!).
If you are eating a balanced diet and losing around 3 kilos a month, you are on the right path. The weight loss will be sustained and not regained the moment you get off the diet. As for the ripped muscles, including the six pack, we all have them. It's just that you don't see them right now, because they are covered with a layer of fat. Continue with the diet, make sure you do your regular strength training to tone the muscle, and give yourself steady doses of aerobic activity, be it running, walking or cycling, and it will be just a matter of time before the muscles in your body start showing definition.
The important thing to remember is that all of us have different bodies, with no two being alike in terms to their response to a diet or exercise routine. That being said, if you put in the effort, there is no reason on earth why the results won't show within a reasonable period of time. The only point is that on this one, you are on your own. Your efforts will work on your body in a truly unique way. There is absolutely no pressure to conform and go with the herd. Ultimately it's your body and the way it looks needs to make you happy. Don't forget, you are your own hot date for life?
About the author:
Photo Credit: Image 1, Image 2
Copyright 2013 (c) Primex Scans and Labs. Please do not reproduce this article in its entirety without permission. Alternatively, a link to this URL would be appreciated.
Treasures in the Kitchen
From the beginning of time, Indian cuisine has always been associated with the word "spicy". The word itself rolls of the tongue in a variety of ways – spicy, as in mouth watering and delicious, or else spicy with a tinge of guilt, rather like a forbidden delight, or best of all just as a matter of fact – spicy is how Indian food is. We have eaten it this way for centuries, and it certainly has not harmed any of us, so maybe it's not so bad? Perhaps it's even quite good for us! Now this is where the conversation gets interesting.
In actual fact, most of the common spices found in the kitchen are among the best sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants being, of course, our greatest allies in the war against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer's disease. They can even slow the aging process (let's see anyone say 'no' to that).
Unfortunately, as pizzas and burgers become easier and hipper to eat, the average Indian is consuming large amounts of refined carbohydrates and fat, cooked with very little spice; rather than the traditional Indian fare that includes a lot of vegetables, having large doses of fiber, cooked with hand ground spices. Preventive medicine has clearly established that almost all spices contain chemical compositions that have profound health benefits, which help to protect the body from numerous illnesses and, in many cases, act as effective treatments for established diseases. In addition, some spices also have chemicals that induce a "feel good" factor, with pepper being a great example.
In terms of their preventive health benefits, there are a few spices you don't want to miss. Cinnamon, clove, ginger and garlic are great antioxidants, while mustard, turmeric and black pepper ward off the big 'C', cancer. Fenugreek and coriander are a great help if your cholesterol or triglyceride levels are high, while cloves and cinnamon are a boon to diabetics.
The only time when spices begin to harm you are when they are cooked with too much oil to make a rich curry or biryani. Obviously, the culprit here is the excessive use of oil, not the spices.
The best part about using spices as preventive medicine is that there are absolutely no side effects, and they are not really "medicines". So when someone invites you over for a spicy meal, please accept. You'll be doing yourself a huge favour.
About the author:
Photo Credit: Image 1, Image 2
Copyright 2013 (c) Primex Scans and Labs. Please do not reproduce this article in its entirety without permission. Alternatively, a link to this URL would be appreciated.


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Hospitality Division
In January of 1996, the South Dakota Restaurant Association merged with the South Dakota Retailers Association. That merger resulted in the formation of the Hospitality Division of the South Dakota Retailers Association.
Nearly 900 restaurants, hotels, motels, resorts, campgrounds, bed and breakfasts, coffee shops, bars and tourist attractions are members of the SDRA Hospitality Division.
Through the Hospitality Division, food service and lodging establishments can participate in programs designed to meet their special needs, while taking advantage of the full range of SDRA member services.
Some of the services offered through our Hospitality Division:
Restaurants who become a member of the South Dakota Retailers Association automatically become a member of the National Restaurant Association® (NRA).
NRA is an outstanding organization, which provides information on issues of concern to restaurants, and offers valuable resources to help with daily business operations.
Together, SDRA and NRA represent the restaurant industry in the State Legislature and Congress. Both organizations will provide you with timely and informative publications on trade, legislative, and regulatory issues.
Our monthly newsletter, the Retail Prophet, includes a Hospitality News section which keeps our members up-to-date on laws and regulations affecting the hospitality industry, state and national trends, and articles with suggestions to help our members do a better job of serving their customers. In addition, each issue of the Hospitality News includes a calendar of upcoming food service and alcohol training programs sponsored by SDRA.
South Dakota requires licensed food service establishments to have at least one person on staff who has passed an 8-hour food service training and certification program. SDRA holds training on a regular basis to provide nationally-recognized ServSafe® certification.
We also offer 4-hour state-recognized programs which may be used for recertification. The short courses are also suitable for training all food service personnel. Learn more about our foodservice training.
SDRA offers convenient online ServSafe® Alcohol training. This course is designed for on-sale businesses, but off-sale may also use the program. alcohol licensees.The SDRA Alcohol Training Program is a national training program that is recognized by the South Dakota Department of Revenue. Through these programs, your alcohol sellers go through online training and testing at their own pace, anytime and anywhere. Learn more about our alcohol training.
SDRA coordinates the ProStart® program in South Dakota. ProStart® is a nationwide project which provides a two-year business management curriculum for high school juniors and seniors, and involves class time, lab time, and an optional internship program. While it is geared toward the food service industry, many aspects of the curriculum pertain to all types of business environments, including business math, cost planning, sales control, labor costs, and customer service.
This joint effort also involves the South Dakota ProStart Advisory Committee, the South Dakota Department of Education, South Dakota schools, and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation®. Find out more about ProStart in South Dakota.

subset: commoncrawl


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I think people are always shocked when I tell them I eat a strict paleo diet (mine is actually a little more strict than paleo but not quite AIP). They are baffled really and I'm sure are picturing food akin to cardboard and styrofoam. I assure you that's the furthest from the truth. We actually eat very well. In fact I've even cooked for unsuspecting family members who have no clue they are eating a paleo meal and rave about the food and dessert. Yes, I said dessert. Now have I found a recipe for waffles or pancakes that taste like the real thing? Sadly, no. And that's ok because I'd rather go without than have a substitute. And, if I really want a waffle I will have one and suffer the consequences. And because of that it is a pretty rare occurrence.
I've been meal prepping for the week and thought I would share some of my meals. I have to tell you that since I got my Instant Pot, life has been much simpler. Why did it take so long to open the box?!! Anyway, back to meal prepping tips:
- An organized kitchen – make sure you have all the staples you need and set your pantry or cupboard up in a way you can easily grab what you need. In an earlier post I shared some pantry staples such as almond and coconut flour, arrowroot powder, raw honey, coconut milk… that way you will always have the basics at hand.
- Before meal prepping for the week, plan a list of what you plan to make for the week and then create a grocery list with any fresh ingredients you need. I never shop without a list and a plan. Never.
- Once you get home from the store, dice and chop what needs it and then measure any snacks you want into the proper servings and put in ziplock bags, containers, etc. Makes for easy grab and go. Remember, it's all about making the week as easy as possible.
- Start cooking. I usually cook everything I can ahead of time. That way, when I get home from work, I can just reheat vs. spending my evening in the kitchen. Who wants to do that after a long day? This also prevents you from eating crap or grabbing fast food because you have fast food waiting for you at home. There's no excuse! I also mix and match leftovers for lunches.
Below is a photo of my fridge with everything prepped for the week and ready to grab and go.
And what did I prep for the week?
I made shredded buffalo chicken, fried chicken meatballs (yes, fried chicken meatballs – and they were delicious), swoodles (spiralized onion, sweet potato and carrots with bacon courtesy of Nom Nom Paleo), applesauce, hardboiled eggs in my instant pot because we run and I always like to have protein on hand, a large salad great for lunches and dinner, two dressings: paleo ranch and honey mustard vinaigrette, sautéed spinach and Danielle Walker's "cornbread." My husband and I are at the gym at 5 a.m. so I made an egg bake and banana bread oatmeal so that we can have a healthy breakfast once we get to the office and I made chocolate zucchini muffins for when we want something sweet. However, remember… a carb is still a carb.
See links below for recipes:
During the week I'll post photos of our meals so you can see how well we eat. It's so easy. Really. If I can do it, so can you!


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Summer is here which means more spur of the moment trips to the beach or poolside with family and friends. The first two thing every woman needs is a great tote to toss her bathing suit, cover-up, towel, sunglasses and suntan lotion in and a beachwear top to have it ready at a moments notice.… Continue reading Canvas Tote – Beachwear Top
Month: June 2017
Double Walled Insulated Hand Blown Glasses
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Thermomax Stackable Lunchbox
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Catch and Learn Giveaway
Amanda said, as a mother of a first grader, the time has come to embark on learning basic math skills. To teach children, it is always best to make it fun for them, at least in my experience since I have four other older children. Sure, the schools do what they can, but as a… Continue reading Catch and Learn Giveaway
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REAEON160 XL Gel Pen Set Giveaway
One of the fastest growing hobby is coloring for adults. Though, adults do not color with crayons they want the bold and vibrant colors that gel pens offer. Gel pens apply the color smoothly around the paper unlike the a regular marker or crayons. Surprisingly is the color quality and variations that gel pens offer. Another… Continue reading REAEON160 XL Gel Pen Set Giveaway
Summer Cool Down Giveaway!
Summer Cool Down Giveaway! Sponsored By: eLuxurySupply Hosted By: Freebies Deals & Steals The Summer Cool Down Giveaway is being sponsored by eLuxurySupply! Listed as one of the fastest growing small businesses in the U.S. eLuxurySupply is a Veteran owned and operated company out of Evansville Indiana and is well known for their exceptional customer… Continue reading Summer Cool Down Giveaway!


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Curran And The Farmer
A farmer attending a fair with a hundred pounds in his pocket, took the
precaution of depositing it in the hands of the landlord of the
public-house at which he stopped. Next day he applied for the money, but
the host affected to know nothing of the business. In this dilemma the
farmer consulted Curran. Have patience, my friend, said the counsel;
speak to the landlord civilly, and tell him you are convinced you must
have left your money with some other person. Take a friend with you, and
lodge with him another hundred, and then come to me. The dupe doubted
the advice; but, moved by the authority or rhetoric of the learned
counsel, he at length followed it. And now, sir, said he to Cumin, I
don't see as I am to be better off for this, if I get my second hundred
again; but how is that to be done? Go and ask him for it when he is
alone, said the counsel. Ay, sir, but asking won't do, I'ze afraid,
without my witness, at any rate. Never mind, take my advice, said
Curran; do as I bid you, and return to me. The farmer did so, and came
back with his hundred, glad at any rate to find that safe again in his
possession. Now, sir, I suppose I must be content; but I don't see as I
am much better off. Well, then, said the counsel, now take your
friend with you, and ask the landlord for the hundred pounds your friend
saw you leave with him. It need not be added, that the wily landlord
found that he had been taken off his guard, whilst the farmer returned
exultingly to thank his counsel, with both hundreds in his pocket.
Curran And The Banker Curran And The Informer


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All hair services include shampoo, conditioning, blow dry, and style.
Womens Haircut $45+
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Conditioning Treatments $35+
Ethnic Press and Curl $55+
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Ethnic Vigin Relaxer $75+
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Speak with Stylist for prices for a Brazilian Blowout, Keratin Smoothing Treatment, or Hotheads Extentions.
Studio RM uses LYCON wax formulated with the finest natural resins, bees wax, and sensuous aromatherapy that delivers superior results.
Eye Brow Design and Maintenance $18-$20
Chin or Upper Lip $10
Sides of Face $15
Under Arm $15
Half Arm $25
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Back $25-$50
Chest $25-$50
Half Leg $30
Half Leg w/ Bikini $50+
Full Leg $55+
Bikini Line $25
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Completely Bare $40+
Eye Lash Tinting $25
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This signature C-ESTA Anti-Aging Facial is patented skin rejuvenation treatment that incorporates the latest in medically based skin care technology.
90 minutes – $110 with hand treatment
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Elizabeth E. Brault
Sociology - Criminology
" [T]o understand fully the nature and level of crime in a society, therefore,
it is essential to consider the distinguishing features of that society,
particularly its distinctive cultural imagination."
- Messner & Rosenfeld,
Crime and the American Dream
I am a Graduate Student and Ph.D. Candidate at Louisiana State University. I graduated with honors from the University of Montana in 2013 with a B.A. double major in Sociology-Criminology and Psychology Research. I continued my education by starting in a Masters-Doctoral program at Louisiana State University in the Autumn of 2014.
Master's Degree
My Master's empirical paper combined two literatures in an analysis on the county level. I incorporated religious ecology -- using religious traditions as proxies for bridging and bonding capital -- with the recently developed literature regarding institutionally disengaged youth ('floaters'). Specifically, I examined floaters' mediating and exacerbating effects on bridging and bonding capital's impact on the homicide rate. I successfully defended my Master's Degree in August of 2016. A portion of this paper was published at
Deviant Behavior.
My comprehensive exams focused primarily on juvenile delinquency, mass incarceration, Risk-Need-Responsivity tools, and general quantitative methods.
I am currently working on my dissertation, which explores the relationship between recidivism and social capital at three levels of analysis: the county, the neighborhood, and the individual.
I have been an active mentor for incoming graduate students (and beyond!) in my graduate department, truly enjoying building connections and helping them find their place in the crazy world that is academia. I also serve as an ad hoc reviewer for
City & Community
Social Problems
I was honored to be a finalist for the
Roland J. Pellegrin Outstanding Graduate Student Award
in 2015, 2017, and 2018.
Spring 2019:
Methods of Sociological Research (SOCL 2211) at LSU.
: Introductory Sociology (SOCL 2001) at LSU.
May 2016 - May 2017
: I served as a Program Evaluator focusing on the
Rise and Recover
Federal Parole & Re-Entry Court of Eastern Louisiana.
January 2015 to August 2018:
I served as a Research Assistant on a Federal Department of Justice grant in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. We developed a new Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) tool for Louisiana. This tool evaluates and recommends programming and treatment for every offender in Louisiana's Department of Corrections, including all returning citizens on probation and parole. I spearheaded the formulation of the Needs assessment validated for our Louisiana population to help address Criminogenic and non-Criminogenic needs in an effort to help parolees successfully reenter their communities.
Valasik, Matthew,
Elizabeth E. Brault,
& Stephen Martinez. 2019. "Forecasting Homicide in the Red Stick: Risk Terrain Modeling and the Spatial Influence of Urban Blight on Lethal Violence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana."
Social Science Research
. doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2018.12.023.
Gibbons, Joseph, Michael Barton, &
2018. "Evaluating gentrification's relation to neighborhood and city health."
13(11):e0207432. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0207432.
Brault, Elizabeth E.
& Edward S. Shihadeh. 2018. "Religious Ecology, Floaters and Crime: The Links Between Social Capital, Institutional Disengagement and Homicide."
Deviant Behavior.
Brault, Elizabeth E. M.
2017. "European Population Decline and Refugee Policies: An Analysis of Resettlement by Nation."
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology.
16:69-84. doi:10.1163/15691497-12341421.
Barton, Michael S., Matthew Valasik.,
Elizabeth E. Brault
, & George Tita. "'Gentefication' in the Barrio: Examining the Relationship of Gentrification and Gang Homicide in East Lost Angeles."
Criminal Justice and Behavior
Gibbons, Joseph R., Tse-Chuan Yang,
Elizabeth E. Brault,
& Michael S. Barton. "Evaluating Residential Segregation's Effects on Neighborhood Spatial Health Inequality."
Barton, Michael S., Matthew Valasik, &
Elizabeth E. Brault.
Disorder or Disadvantage: Investigating the tension between neighborhood social structure and the physical environment on local violence.
Brault, Elizabeth E.
"Montgomery v. Louisiana: Considerations for Mid-Twentieth Century Juvenile Offenders Re-Entering in a Digital Age"
Brault, Elizabeth E.
, J. Carlee Purdum, & Keith B. Nordyke. "Parole Decisions and Victims' Race: Revisiting Baldus."
Brault, Elizabeth E.
& Maretta McDonald. "United to Hate: Bridging and Bonding Capital`s Implications for Racially-Motivated Hate Crimes in America."
Stroope, Sam, Michael S. Barton,
Elizabeth E. Brault,
& Rachel Bacon. "Social Structure, Culture, and Crime: The Neglected Role of Religion in Institutional Anomie Theory."


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DIG: How do these laws relate to the Ten Commandments? To the sovereignty of God? To where you live? How are the Israelites different, or holy, compared to the pagans around them? On what basis is the LORD entitled to the firstborn (12:24-30; 13:1-2 and 14-16)? How are justice and mercy related here?
REFLECT: Even though you live in a sinful world, how can you seek to live a more holy life this week? How do justice and mercy compare to the typical way you "do business" or "live and let live?" How can you show justice and mercy to fellow workers, students, customers, family, or strangers because of what God has done for you?
This is a very long section that has one common theme, evil practices or crimes against humanity. Social justice was as important to God in the TaNaKh as it is today. All these commandments were part of the 613 in the Torah.
This first group of commandments are an extension of the seventh commandment: You shall not commit adultery (20:14). After the cases of stealing property, Scripture proceeds to deal with stealing from the heart. Unmarried and unbethrothed daughters in Israel were considered part of their father's property; consequently the loss of a daughter's virginity diminished her value and therefore compensation was due to the father.427 If a man seduced a virgin who was not pledged to be married and slept with her, he had to pay the bride-price, and marry her. The bride-price was a gift, often substantial (Deuteronomy 22:28-29), given by a prospective groom to the bride's family as payment for her (Genesis 24:53), a custom still followed in the Near East.428 If her father was so angry that he absolutely refused to give her to him, he still had to pay the bride-price for virgins that was considerably more (22:16-17). The specific amount of the payment is not stated. But in a parallel passage in Deuteronomy 22:29, it was set at fifty shekels of silver.
According to the Torah, if two people had sexual relations prior to betrothal, they were required to get married. The seriousness and severity by which the Torah regards the act of pre-marital intercourse ought to give us pause in the community of believers today. We live in an age where sex before marriage is not only commonplace, but appears to be the norm. God is not pleased or honored with such activity. The message of abstinence must be proclaimed to a world that has believed the lie of Satan.429
A sorceress was not allowed to live (22:18). The LORD was very serious about idolatry (Deuteronomy 18:10, 14; First Samuel 28:9; Isaiah 47:12-14). According to the belief system in the ancient Near East, all true power in the world was magic. The god who displayed the greatest magical feats was considered the most powerful. Ancient people also used magic to manipulate the gods to their own advantage. Of course, the Israelites were greatly exposed to such practices in Egypt. In fact, the term for sorcerers is used in 7:11 of the magicians of Egypt who contended with Moses and Aaron. Magic was said to be evil by Hebrew law, because it attempted to triumph over ADONAI's will who is supreme over all the earth.
Anyone who had sexual relations with an animal was put to death (22:19). Bestiality (also see Leviticus 18:23, 20:15-16; Deuteronomy 27:21), although forbidden among the children of Israel, was common in both Baal and Canaanite worship. The practice seemed to be accepted in countries around the Eastern Mediterranean sea-coast. Hittite law was the only code in the area that discouraged against it. But even they did not condemn it in every case. Their laws said that people were exempt from punishment if they had sex with a horse or a mule! God's word, on the other hand, allows no exceptions, because bestiality is simply an abomination (Leviticus 18:23, 20:15-16).
Whoever sacrificed to any god other than ADONAI was destroyed, because at that point he or she became cherem, or devoted to destruction (22:20). There are several examples of this kind of judgment in the TaNaKh (Numbers 31:15-17; Deuteronomy 7:2, 26:16-17; Joshua 10:11 and 11:12; Judges 21:11; First Samuel 15:3 and 27:9-11; Jeremiah 25:9). Probably the best-known example is that of Achan. The entire city of Jericho was declared cherem, or devoted to destruction by God Himself. That meant everything in Jericho wasn't to be touched. But when Achan kept a beautiful robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, the Israelites were unexpectedly defeated in their next battle of Ai because of his disobedience. Because Achan had touched that which was cherem, he personally became devoted to destruction. As a result, Joshua, together with all Isra'el, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor and stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them (Joshua 6:18 to 7:28). The same fate waited anyone who sacrificed to foreign gods.
The fundamental principles laid down in the Ten Commandments, our blue print for living, which are reflected in the Book of the Covenant, still apply to us today. That is, idolatry is wrong and an evil activity. We are not to participate in it.430
Next, God protected the underprivileged and the needs of people low on the social scale are discussed (22:21-27). Grain was to be left behind for widows and orphans during the harvest (Deuteronomy 24:19-21), including the edges of fields (Leviticus 19:9-10). They were to be given special hospitality at feasts (Deuteronomy 16:11-14), they received a special tithe every third year (Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 16:12-13), and to be allowed to plant crops in others' fields during the sabbatical year (23:11-12). Therefore, the LORD said: Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt (22:21). Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to Me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children orphans (22:22-24). The punishment was measure for measure.
A Jew could not lend money to another Jew with interest. They could lend money to Gentiles and gain interest, but not Jews (Leviticus 25:35-37; Deuteronomy 15:7-11, 23:19; Nehemiah 5:7-12; Job 24:9; Proverbs 28:8; Ezekiel 18:13 and 22:12). Generosity in such matter was extended even further by Yeshua (Luke 6:34-35). If you lend money to one of My people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender and charge him interest (22:25). If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate (22:26-27).
Some churches often tend to be hesitant in dealing with the needy with whom they come in contact. Part of this certainly stems from a desire not be characterized as a "social-gospel" group of believers, that is, mainly interested in social causes. Many churches consequently bend over backwards to make certain their theology is right, and that they are diligently proclaiming the Gospel. That is good, but it should not be at the expense of helping the indigent and needy. Good theology and social activism are not mutually exclusive, but should work together. A proper understanding of the Gospel is that it has social ramifications. Old Covenant believers had no choice. They were commanded by God to care for the alien, the widow, and the orphan. We must do the same.431
Next, God deals with commandments concerning those higher on the social scale (22:28-31). They deal with an expansion of the Third Commandment: You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God (20:7). The basic theme is not using the LORD's name thoughtlessly or lightly.
Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people (22:28). The word blaspheme means to take lightly. The emphasis here is not to treat the LORD in a light-hearted way. Two examples of people doing this are found in Leviticus 24:10-13 and First Kings 21:1-16. The word curse means to despise another. They were to honor God and those who He had placed over them.
The Israelites were reminded that their best belonged to ADONAI. Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats (22:29a). Literally this verse says: Do not hold back from your fullness and your dripping. This probably meant the firstfruits of the field and of the vine. The message was clear. Don't hold back, give the best that you have to the LORD. The same held true for the firstborn of Israel's sons. You must give Me the firstborn of yours sons. We have already seen in 13:1-16 that the firstborn belonged to God, which meant that they must be sacrificed (of course that meant that they were to be redeemed, or substituted, with a lamb). Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to Me on the eighth day (22:29b-30). There is a clear parallel here with circumcision on the eighth day (Genesis 17:12), another type of dedication to ADONAI. This time likely represents a period of completeness after which the subject is adequately prepared to be given to God.432
Animals killed by carnivorous beasts were not to be eaten by Israel, because eating meat torn by wild beasts made them unclean (Leviticus 17:15 and 22:8). You are to be My holy people. One of the signs of being a people who have been set apart was obeying strict dietary commandments. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts. Throw it to the dogs (22:31, also see Leviticus 7:24). Israel's inward holiness was supposed to be accompanied by her being physically separate from every form of uncleanness.433
Not only does this section expound the Third Commandment, but it also reflects the teaching of the Fifth Commandment. It demands of us that we honor those in authority over us, whether it is God or man. It forbids us to despise them. When Paul stood before the Sanhedrin, he was seen rebuking one of the priests. After he was told that the priest was the high priest, Paul backs off by saying: Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written, "Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people" (Acts 23:4-5).434 We also need to honor those in authority over us (Romans 13:1-7).
The final cycle of laws pertaining to social responsibility focused on matters of legal justice. Most of the commands that follow are expansions of the ninth commandment: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16). Therefore, do not spread false reports in a court of law. No one was supposed to act in collusion with an evil person who was attempting to avoid the rules of justice. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness (23:1). Violations of the basic principles found here are also written in Deuteronomy 22:13-19 and Proverbs 25:21.
Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. Much heartache in life could be avoided by obeying this commandment. Usually, the crowd isn't bent on doing much else! We should only follow truth and justice. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit if he is in the wrong (23:2-3). In other words, he shouldn't be able to get away with a crime just because he is poor (Leviticus 19:15).
Part of the teaching of this section of the Torah was, that believers were not to follow the crowd when the crowd was determined to do evil. Believers are also to stand against mob rule and against the will of the majority when it is wrong. But someone may say, "I am in the minority." Yes, but praying people are in the minority. People who love God's Word are in the minority. Honoring God's day in His house is an exercise for the minority. But do not be discouraged! For we serve a conquering King who leads the minority!435
This section continued with the basic idea that justice was to prevail. And that justice was to be unprejudiced, that is, to apply to all people in Israel. If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. In this regard, the enemy is treated like a friend or neighbor (Proverbs 25:21).436 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there. Be sure you help him with it (23:4-5). The word enemy's and someone who hates you, probably means a legal adversary. The Israelites were to be kind even to the animal of someone with whom they had a legal dispute.437
Denying justice to the poor, giving false testimony in court, and accepting bribes were common problems in the ancient world. Therefore, God commanded the Israelites: Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits (23:6). This is the other side of the coin of 23:3. There, it forbid favoring them in court; here, it prohibited any form of bias against them for being poor. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death (23:7a). Judges needed to be very careful not to put an innocent person to death. And if that meant that occasionally a criminal might go unpunished, there was no need to despair, because God would eventually judge them Himself. He said: For I will not acquit the guilty (23:7b).
ADONAI commanded: Do not accept a bribe under any circumstances, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists or perverts the words of the righteous (23:8). Someone who was blinded and perverted to justice was, and still is today, a very dangerous person. Taking a bribe became a symbol of individual corruption for the Jews. A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice (Proverbs 17:23; also see Deuteronomy 10:17; First Samuel 8:3; Second Chronicles 19:7 and Psalm 15:5).
Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt (23:9). This command was already given in 22:21. But here, it is given in a judicial context. The alien was vulnerable to injustice because his rights were not the same as a Jew. As a result, the judge was not to oppress him. Having experienced oppression first hand in Egypt, they were to turn it around and reflect the LORD's love for all. This final verse serves as a fitting conclusion to 23:1-9.
The people of God today, like those of old, are to seek justice for all. And this old poem gets at the heart of it.
Though the heel of the strong oppressor may grind the weak to dust,
And the voice of fame with loud acclaim may call him great and just,
Let those who applaud take warning and keep this motto in sight:
No question is ever settled until it is settled right.
Yes, believers are to have compassion and mercy on the weak, needy, and helpless. But we are also to seek justice in the world, and not show partiality to anyone. Truth must be the ultimate goal.438
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Want all the social profiles of your competitor's LinkedIn fans?
Then to turn their fans into yours?
In this guide, you'll learn how to get their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter profile URL.
Then you'll learn how to auto-engage with them on those platforms.
Are you ready?
Let's go.
Step 1. Extract Your Competitor's Audience from LinkedIn Posts
Find your competitor's posts on LinkedIn.
Then copy the link to one of the posts and paste it in a new tab. The URL will change formatting. Here's an example URL structure: "https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6397459313320869888/"
Next, use Phantombuster's LinkedIn Post Likers API by clicking on the three dots under Console.
Then input one of the post URLs into the "Post URL section." After, follow their step-by-step instructions for grabbing your session-cookie by clicking on the question mark.
Hit "Launch" under "Console."
Depending on how many profile URLs you're looking to retrieve, this process can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to a few hours.
Take all the outputted LinkedIn URLs, then upload them to a new Google Sheet.
Once you hit launch, you'll be taken to this screen below.
When all the LinkedIn profile URLs have been searched, you'll have the ability to download them into a CSV. Import this CSV into a Google Sheet.
Hook this Google Sheet up to the Phantombuster LinkedIn Profile Scraper API. To do so, make sure your Google Sheet is editable:
You'll then receive all the data from these LinkedIn profiles with an output like below:
Now you have a ton of data on the people engaging with your competitor's content.
Step 2. Use Phantombuster to Extract Social Profile URLs
The fun part begins – grabbing all the social profile URLs.
First, hook up the same Google Sheet to Phantombuster's Instagram Profile URL Finder API. Do this by selecting the three dots under Console. You'll then have this popup below appear. Fill in the fields.
Make sure to put in the editable version of your Google Sheet URL in the Spreadsheet URL field.
Hit Launch.
The same process works for Twitter.
Plug in the relevant Google Sheet URL, then fill in the appropriate column title.
The only difference is you're using the Twitter API.
Hit Launch to get the Twitter Profile URLs.
Next, you want to find the Facebook Profile URLs.
Plug in the relevant Google Sheet URL again, then fill in the appropriate column title.
The only difference is you're using the Facebook API.
Hit Launch to get the Facebook Profile URLs.
Now that you have all the social profile URLs of your competitor's fans, you want to engage with them. The good news: you can automate it.
Step 3. Automate Engagement
Instagram + Twitter:
For Instagram and Twitter following, favoriting, and commenting, I recommend Followliker. It's the best automation tool online for these platforms. In a few minutes, you can import your custom URL lists to auto-follow all your competitor's fans while engaging with their content on an ongoing basis. That's an easy win.
For LinkedIn, I recommend using the tool, Linked Helper. At BAMF Media, we use a custom tool just for this purpose as pictured below:
A tool like this one above only costs a couple hundred dollars to outsource.
I recommend Facebook friending your competitor's fans at scale.
First, download this Chrome extension.
Upload your exported list of Facebook URLs into this plugin.
Then click the play button.
The Results
When I started building my brand years ago, I did this process manually. It's the same process I've used to help bootstrap two companies to millions in ARR. That's why I've created these systems to help you save the hundreds of hours that I had to go through building traction channels.
The process should take you no less than a day to set up.
The power is in your hands.
Make it happen.


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A statutory test of employment status for tax purposes is being considered by the UK government, which is asking for views in a consultation document.12 Feb 2018
The consultation also considers a statutory test for employment rights purposes and whether the test for tax purposes should be aligned with the test for employment law purposes. It also explores whether the current test should be simplified and whether 'workers' should be subject to employment taxes.
"An employment status test which is easier to apply will be welcomed by employers," said Chris Thomas, an employment tax expert at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com. "Many employers find themselves on the wrong end of HM Revenue & Customs employer compliance reviews just because they haven't properly understood or applied the current tests or because the inherent 'greyness' leads to different interpretations."
The consultation follows the Taylor review, which made recommendations in July 2017 for changes to employment laws and practices to better reflect modern working patterns. The consultation on employment status was published alongside the government's response to the review, with three other consultation papers exploring how best to give effect to the review's recommendations.
One of the Taylor review's recommendations was that the government should "replace the minimalistic approach to legislation with a clearer outline of the tests for employment status."
"If the government decides to change the test for tax purposes, it is not clear whether or how this would apply in relation to existing employees. It could cause havoc in some sectors if employers have to reassess the status of all their existing staff based on new tests. If not, then running two parallel systems would be complex," Chris Thomas said.
For employment rights, there are two main employment statuses: employee and worker. All employees are workers, but not all workers are employees and workers who are not employees have more limited rights. These include paid holidays and to be paid the minimum wage but workers do not have other employment rights such as the right to maternity leave or the right not to be unfairly dismissed. Recent 'gig economy' cases in the courts, such as that involving Uber drivers have centred around the distinction between workers and the self employed, who have no employment rights.
For tax purposes the only relevant distinction is between employees and the self employed, with workers who are not employees being treated as self employed, so that tax is not deducted under the PAYE system and their engager does not pay employer's NICs.
There are currently separate pieces of legislation defining employment status for employment rights, income tax, and national insurance contributions (NICs). In each case the legislation ultimately relies on whether a 'contract of service' exists, but this is not defined and so over the years the courts have interpreted the legislation and developed tests to determine employment status. The case law is sometimes interpreted differently for tax and employment purposes.
The document asks for views on whether the main principles should be set out in legislation and whether this would be appropriate for both employment rights and tax purposes. It also asks whether mutuality of obligation, control and personal service should be the main factors codified in the legislation and what these mean in the modern labour market. These three factors have been regarded by case law as key considerations for determining employment status.
The consultation document asks whether additional factors should be codified in the legislation. These include the financial risk taken by the individual, whether the individual is 'part and parcel' of the organisation, whether the individual provides equipment and what the parties intend their relationship to be.
The consultation also considers whether the test should be more precise, perhaps focusing on objective criteria such as length of engagement, or whether it should incorporate a range of criteria, like the statutory residence test. It says that the test could be made less complex test by reducing the number of factors to consider. This is the approach taken by the US and Germany.
"Any attempt at simplification will inevitably give rise to its own distortions and if concepts such as 'control' are retained, which they probably need to be to have a well-rounded and equitable test, the simplification may not be that simple," Chris Thomas said.
Some commentators have suggested that the employment and tax definitions of an employee should be aligned as having the same terms meaning different things across employment rights and tax can be problematic. However, others have pointed out that the two systems are trying to achieve different objectives, with one deciding who is entitled to certain employment rights and the other determining the tax regime that applies to the income they receive. The document asks for views on alignment of the tests.
Chris Thomas said: "There is certainly merit in aligning the tax and employment law tests, as the minor disparities between the two increase confusion, so one statutory test should make it easier for businesses".
The Taylor review recommended that the tax regime that currently applies to employees should instead apply to individuals who are either an employee or a worker or 'dependent contractor for rights'. The consultation asks for views on this, "while recognising the significant challenges that this approach would pose and respecting the clear commitments the government has made".
"It sounds as if the government is lukewarm about the idea of extending the boundaries of employment tax to include workers. They are consulting on it, but seemingly more for completeness rather than with the expectation of making changes," Chris Thomas said.
"There is certainly a case for alignment as in the modern age there is no obvious reason why different groups should be taxed differently and it creates incentives to misrepresent status. But it seems unlikely that they will proceed with this, given how controversial it would be and the potentially far-reaching implications," he said.
The Taylor review also recommended that the difference between the NICs of employees and the self-employed should be reduced, but the government ruled this out as part of the 2016 Budget.
Legal Director


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Register today to save your spot and receive early registration discounts. Early registration ends on February 22, 2018. For more information, visit http://ofof.sare.org.


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The sixth trumpet judgment concludes the first half of the Great Tribulation and followed by a temporary lull in the judgments being poured out of heaven. But it does not mean that the earth is at peace. As soon as the antichrist has his image set up in the Most Holy Place of the tribulation temple by the false prophet and declares himself to be God, he will start a systematic genocide of the Jewish race as seen in Chapters 12 and 13. The nations will be in chaos as the antichrist continues to gradually take over the political, economic and religious systems of the entire world.
So many things will happen at this point it is impossible to put them in any chronological order. Therefore, the following is more of a logical order. The length of the first half of the Great Tribulation and the length of the second half are exact. Each have 1,260 days or 42 months (11:2-3). So technically, there is no middle. But here, the Tribulation enters into the proverbial eye of the hurricane. Like the battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War, or the battle of Midway in World War II, this will be a turning point. Some of these events may leak from the end of the first half, and some may bleed into the beginning of the second half, we cannot be sure of the exact time frame. But one thing we can be certain of, is that all these events will happen somewhere in the middle of the Great Tribulation, Chapters 10:1 to 14:20, and 17:16.284
This whole section is parenthetical. Chapters 10 through 14 add some necessary details about the events in the middle of the Great Tribulation, and they also show why the bowl judgments will be so necessary.
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Reflecting on Urban Form from an Aerial Perspective
With the majority of social activity within a city occurring at the ground level, it is no surprise that urban design and statutory planning focus on the visual interests, protection of amenity and aesthetic presentation of built form and landscaping from the ground level. However, the form, siting and layout of cities, towns and/or precincts can become eye catching spectacles when viewed from a birds eye perspective, although these views are often rarely seen unless you are flying over a city. Technological advancements in the industry has seen drones become increasingly popular and accessible, as the ability to view and explore cities takes a new form and provides us with the opportunity to views cities from a new perspective.
This article seeks to explore cities from a birds eye to view to appreciate and reflect trends in urban planning and development of societies. Viewing cities from an aerial perspective provides the opportunity to identify trends, learn from mistakes, appreciate the aesthetic form, improve functionality of cities. It is also interesting to see how some of the more aesthetic cities perform on a practical level.
Citadel of Palmanova:
Initially built as a fortress during the late 16th century, the star shaped town provides a geometric urban form. Palmanova strived to implement the ideal city based on utopian ideas of the time which stemmed from the concept that beauty strengthens the shape of society.
The town of Palmanova although being quite eye catching to look at, did not perform so good on a practical level, with the fortress like walls located on the perimeter of the star being a barrier to its success and integration with surrounding cities/towns.
|Palmanova - Italy. (Source: dailyoverview.com)
Delray Beach Florida:
The art of urban sprawl (if there even is such a thing) is demonstrated within Delray Beach, Florida. The layout and form of roads, lakes and cul-de-sacs presents a level of interest at first glance, however this residential development would fail the practically and connectivity test, reflecting a high level of car dependence and limited walkability.
|Delray Beach - Florida (Source: dailyoverview.com)
La Plata – Buenos Aires
Founded In 1882, the City of La Plata was built with the intention of being the provincial capital of Buenos Aires, possessing a strong grid pattern with diagonal roads connecting parks, public spaces and districts of the city. The city adopts a linear and fairly symmetrical layout which can contribute to a visually aesthetic form while providing practical and predictable trends and movements. The City and urban form is said to have traits of freemason symbolism. Around the time it was built, the city won awards for "the City of the Future" through the rationalist concept of urban form.
|La Plata - Buenos Aires (Source: dailyoverview.com)
L'Eixample – Valencia, Spain
Constructed in the early 19th to 20th Century the term L'Eixample is Catalan and translates to "Expansion".
At the time of construction the city focused its layout and design on transport, light and ventilation, however has now become well known for its long straight streets, wide boulevards and chamfered corners.
The communal courtyards located within the grid form have become an iconic urban fabric seen throughout Spain.
|L'Eixample - Valencia, Spain (Source: dailyoverview.com)
It is evident from some of the photos I've shown above that a cities layout and form can contribute to a visually aesthetic urban fabric (from an aerial perspective), as different periods of time, objectives and ideologies shape how these cities functionally perform and are enjoyed by society. Although cities are often developed through a master plan which anticipates future growth from an aerial view, what translates from paper into the urban fabric can change and trends develop over time , providing an opportunity to evaluate the functionality, successes and failures of cities.
Some questions worth considering:
- Do you think a thorough investigation into cities from a birds eye perspective can reveal unexplored concepts in the evaluation and assessment of a cities performance?
- Are we currently providing a harmonious balance between the visual interest of a city and practicality?
- Although a symmetrical city can provide visual interest from an aerial perspective, does this also provide for functional and connected urban centres?
- What are some of your favourite cities from an aerial perspective?


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HD photographs of Le Reve du Poete monument in Jardin de la Nouvelle France - Page 329
It was while we were within the 8th Arrondissement of Paris that we took these high definition photos of a statue called Le Reve du Poete by Alphonse de Moncel, which is located in the garden of the Grand Palais and is dedicated to Alfred de Musset.
Map of Paris Statues
This first HD photo shows the full large scale statue in marble, which is actually in a garden area called the Jardin de la Nouvelle France, formerly known as the Vallee Suisse, and it is situated on the western side of the Grand Palais in the 8th Arrondissement.
Now, this monument is dedicated to a poet, dramatist and novelist called Alfred de Musset, and hence the name Le Reve du Poete, which translates in English to The Dream of the Poet, and in this image you can see a part of the composition designed with ancient ruins as the columns that are on either side of the setting.
And in this photograph you can see another statue group carved in a different section of the monument, but out of the same large block of marble, which was first presented by the sculptor Alphonse de Moncel at a Paris Salon for French artists back in 1905.
This next image shows the right hand side of the monument The Dream of the Poet with another statue group carved out of the marble, and this was designed to represent Alfred de Musset with his muse, and this complete composition was again presented at another Salon in 1907.
So this high definition photo shows a statue group to the left of Le Reve du Poete, representing love with two people embracing, and eventually this was realised as a memorial statue to Alfred de Mussat who often focused on the theme of love within his works.
And Alfred de Mussat was born in Paris in December 1810, and one of his works called La Confession d'un Enfant du Siecle, which translates to The Confession of a Child of the Century, is a novel he wrote based upon his love affair with George Sand that has even been made into a film, and his passion for romanticism stems from early childhood when he used to act out parts from stories he had read.
Now this image shows another part of the monument close up with a statue of an owl perched on a ledge, and eventually following an order of the City of Paris and the French State, this was placed within the Jardin de la Nouvelle France in 1910, which is a romantic and unusual garden, befitting of a monument to Alfred de Mussat.
Yet here you can see the large scale of this statue group, which was made in three parts, two of those being the sides with their ancient ruins and the third part, is the marble in the centre, which Alphonse de Moncel carved out of a single piece of marble.
And in this last image, it shows a different view of The Dream of the Poet statue group almost hidden amongst the greenery, which was produced by Alphonse de Moncel who was born in 1866 with a full name of Alphonse Emmanuel de Moncel de Perrin, and becoming a French sculptor and engraver, he passed away in 1930.
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Quito hotels search:
Patio Andaluz Hotel
Located in the historical Old Town.
A charming boutique hotel filled with elegance and comfort.
Hotel Patio Andaluz is located in the heart of the historic Old Quito, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978. Surrounded by churches, museums and national monuments, the hotel is an official National Treasure and holds centuries of history within its walls.
Hotel Andaluz also houses a restaurant, a cava bar, and a library, and the thirty-two rooms and suites are fully equipped with amenities to make your stay as comfortable as possible.E-mail usUSA: 1 877 4367512Contact us
Services and Facilities
- Restaurant El Rincón de Cantuña
- Tapas Bar Marqués de Jerez
- Library & Guayasmin Lounge
- Artisan shop Folklore Olga Fisch
- Laundry/dry cleaning service
- Multi-lingual staff
- Concierge service
- Crib/rollaway bed
- Fax service
- Wi-Fi
- Medical assistance available
The rooms are a harmonious combination of colonial Quito and modern luxury that the guest will appreciate.
In total, Hotel Patio Andaluz offers:
- 11 suites fully equipped with amenities.
- 21 standard rooms fully equipped with amenities.
Rooms are equipped with:
- Voicemail
- Wake-up call
- Television
- Hair dryer (upon request)
- Iron and ironing board (upon request)
- Historical and cultural trips in Quito and beyond
Local Attractions
- The historical centre of Quito, with colonial architecture, attractive churches and fascinating museums
- La Mariscal, the commercial and financial district of Quito, with facilities to meet all your needs
- The equator at the 'Middle of the World'


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Library wins award for work with top website
The co-founder of the world's fifth largest website — Wikipedia — has presented the National Library of Scotland (NLS) with an award in recognition of its support for the sharing of information and knowledge.
The Library received the Wikimedia UK 'GLAM of the Year' award from internet entrepreneur Jimmy Wales at the annual Wikimania conference, held this year in London. GLAM stands for Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums, which Wikimedia is working with to maximise the public impact of their collections.
NLS appointed Scotland's first ever Wikimedian-in-Residence last year to explore how its collections and knowledge can be used to broaden content on Wikipedia and sister projects. The award recognises the important role played by Ally Crockford, who was appointed to the post.
In presenting the award, Jimmy Wales said: 'The residency has established a self-sustaining and long-lasting relationship between the Library and the Wikimedia community, and has encouraged the growth of the Wikimedia community in Scotland more generally. This award is to thank the National Library for placing their trust in the open knowledge movement — without their enthusiastic support, open culture in Scotland would not be where it is today.
Wikipedia, which is run by the Wikimedia Foundation, gets more than 20 billion page views a month and is the fifth most visited website in the world after Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Facebook. It is a free, online encyclopaedia updated by the Wikimedia community of editors.
The residency has resulted in:
- 509 Wikipedia articles containing images originating from NLS collections
- 1,100 images from the Library's collections released on to WikiCommons, with more planned
- Eight edit-a-thons held in Scotland, involving 115 participants
- 75 new Wikipedia editors trained.
Gill Hamilton, Digital Access Manager at NLS, who received the award, said: 'This has been a very successful partnership which has allowed us to share the richness of our collections with a global audience. It has also influenced how we can provide free and open access to the wealth of information held within NLS.'
See also:
- Related news story
- 'Images added to Wikipedia' media release (22 July 2014)
15 August 2014


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The Eastlake Community Council is co-sponsoring a Lake Union cruise to see the opening night of the Christmas Ships on Thursday, Dec. 1.
The trip will be on the historic icebreaker The Islander. Boarding begins at 5:30 p.m. at 1611 Fairview Ave. E. and the ship departs at 6:45 p.m. The boat returns to the dock by 9 p.m.
The cost is $15 (kids are free up to age 4). Your ticket gets you a spaghetti dinner (vegetarian with a meatball side option), Caesar salad bar, garlic bread, cookies and fruit punch. There's a no-host cash-only bar.
Bring a food item or cash donation for the University District Food Bank.
Tickets are available online at BrownPaperTickets.com or you can get them at the site's office at 220 Nickerson. More information is at email@example.com or call 206-329-5824 or 206-322-5463.


text:
As the leading distributed solar installer and financier in the United States, SolarCity has been adept at shifting to market conditions. While the company was a pioneer of third-party owned solar, it has also taken a leading market share among consumer-owned solar that is financed with loans.
Today SolarCity unveiled a new loan product to replace its MyPower loan, which will be available in 14 U.S. States, as opposed to only 8 for MyPower. The company notes that its loans feature new options including fixed payments and a 10-year term offering as well as a 20-year loan.
Monthly payments start as low as $50 per month, with rates as low as 2.99% for the 10-year product. Additionally, the company notes that customers can pre-pay some or all of the loan with no fees or penalties. Customers who use SolarCitys loan product will also retain the value of tax credits, which can be an important advantage of direct ownership over third-party solar.
SolarCity says that it is working with multiple lenders to make this loan product available, a move which has been criticized in investment publication Seeking Alpha as undermining the share of value which the company will receive.
However, SolarCity retains key aspects of the customer relationship, including providing its 20-year warranty, production guarantee, continuous monitoring and service offerings. Additionally, the company is providing Nest Thermostats at no additional cost to certain customers.
SolarCitys new loans will be available in all of the largest distributed solar markets, including California, Massachusetts, Arizona, New York and New Jersey, as well as in Texas. Texas has not been a very large market to date, but the states raw size and population – the second largest in the nation – give it great potential.


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As part of a small, passionate, and accomplished advanced development team, you will be an architect of deep space systems such as propulsion elements, propellant depots, spacecraft, landers, habitats, and various surface systems that support both human and robotic missions. You will help lead small and multi-disciplinary teams to align these system architectures with company strategies, products, and technology maturation plans. You are versed in the challenges, technologies, and solutions that address the space environment, and have knowledge in several disciplines such as propulsion, power, fluids (including cryogenic and storable propellants), avionics, thermal management, mechanisms, navigation and control.
You are adept at managing to a plan, comfortable adjusting it in response to evolving requirements or external constraints, and prioritizing efforts all the while infusing and facilitating creativity and innovation. You are able to clearly describe the vision for proposed architectures to internal and external customers and inspire a team. Ideally, you have direct experience in the development, integration, and flight of a deep space system such as a spacecraft, rover, or lander. Your contributions will directly impact the history of space exploration, and your dedicated commitment and attention to detail will further the cause of safe, affordable spaceflight.


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|Morning, not totally awake yet
We had had a baboon free night but Stef met a man from one of the other sites this morning and the baboons had been a problem for them. What they had done we are not really sure but Stef was given the feeling that it was pretty bad. The main reason people come here is to go walking in the hills. There are two separate trails, one 10km the other 17km, which lead you up the side of the mountain and on to the plateau above. Neither of us was really in the mood for walking so we decided to head on to Sesriem instead.
At the camp office they called ahead to see if Sesriem had availability which they did but we were told it would on be on their overflow site. We were able to transfer the extra night we had planned to spend at Naukluft to Sesriem and we were soon on our way. The road out of the park came and went and we turned right back onto the D854 down to Sesriem. It was a relatively short journey but on the way we passed a couple of nice looking lodges, again making me want to ditch the tent in favour of being clean and dust free.
Our welcome at Sesriem was a bit beyond belief. Rather than welcoming us to this national park, the parks admin woman gave me a grilling. She was really rude in the way she spoke to me growling as she asked why we had changed our booking and barking at me that we had wasted money as we couldn't get a refund on our park entrance fees. It wouldn't have achieved a huge amount but I felt like barking back and using a popular expletive of a four letter word followed by "off". Instead I just kept calm, let her get on with it and walked out without saying thank you.
We were not in a proper campsite but were also not really on the overflow site which is a large open field by the entrance. The proper sites all have a large area enclosed by a low stone wall with space for a couple of cars and a campfire. Our spot was simply under the trees next to the ablutions block with a few stones in the sand for a campfire. Having checked it out it was still early enough for us to go out and about in the afternoon so we headed down into the next national park, renowned for its sand dunes.
The dunes were amazing. The sand here is red and the light plays off the dunes producing warm glows of reds, ochres and golden yellows. We stopped at Dune 45 and went for a walk up the ridge of the dune. I was in my sandals and soon had to turn back because the heat of the sand was burning my feet. Stef carried on up further but had much more fun bounding down the dune than he had climbing up it.
|Enormous red dunes of the Namib desert
A road has been laid through this part of the park which leads down to the main attractions, Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Dunes line the road one either side creating on huge row of sandcastles all melding and merging in with each other. You could see the wind whipping the tops of the dunes as we went. It is about a 60km drive from the main park camp to the vlei's. Normal cars can only go so far and from there a 4x4 shuttle service takes you the final few kilometres. No knowing what the road would be like, and not really wanting to get stuck in sand without knowing how to get out again, we decided to take the shuttle service. We had to wait until they could fill up the car, which only took a few minutes as a German tour group arrived not long after us.
It was a sandy track, deep sand in places, for those last few kilometres. Our driver dropped us at the car park for the Dead Vlei, telling us how to get there and saying that he would pick us up again in about an hour and a half at Sossusvlei. Without the benefit of aircon or the wind created by the 4x4 we soon began to feel the relentless heat of the sun as there was no shade on the walk to the vlei. We again bumped into the South African couple who we first met in Twyfelfontein. The chap was bounding up the dunes and was soon walking along a ridge. The lady was more cautious, having only recently come out of a plaster cast on her leg.
The chap seemed to be able to see the way from the top so we followed his instructions. This turned out to be a dodgy move as he led us up a very high dune before we realised we weren't really going in the direction we wanted to. From the height we reached we could just see over a further dune that looked more like a dam. Beyond that was the flat expanse of the vlei. We slithered our way back down the dune, walked across a dried out pan and then made our way up the dam like dune to reach the vlei.
If you wanted to make a film that was based in the future when the world had almost run out of water this would be a potential candidate for the set. In the wet season the vlei is probably full but today it was bone dry. The gnarled and shrivelled trunks of trees stuck up from the ground looking as if they had been burnt. Beneath our feet, the ground shifted from hot sand that was hard to walk on to a solid and firmly dried out mud flat with splits and cracks a centimetre or so deep. There was a very other worldly feel to the place and had it not been for the South African couple we could have been the last people on earth.
This illusion was soon shattered. As we made our way back to the road a backpacker style tour group was coming the other way, obviously short on time to make it to the vlei and back again based on the speed with which they were walking. Fortunately for us, the 4x4 chap who was picking us up had seen us coming and stopped to wait for us on the road before carrying on round to Sossusvlei to pick up the Germans. He was a very welcome sight. Walking across the sand, and especially up the sand dunes, was not easy going and with the sun beating down on us too it was also very hot work.
|Chilled at Dead Vlei
We made our way back to the campsite, parked in our very sandy spot and Stef went to work getting a fire lit. There was no hope really of having a braai so we cooked our steaks on the gas stove, no meant feat because it was very windy and we had to stand stratigically placed so that the stove didn't blow out. The Germans that we'd shared a 4x4 with at the vlei were in the site next to us but frustratingly they chose to walk through our site to get to the washrooms rather than walking around the outside. It gave Stef a few minutes of pleasure though as he rearranged our site to block as much of their direct route as possible.
They were quite a large group, 23 people in all, and were staving in a Rollende Hotel. We had seen one of these before, I think in South America. During the day they all travel in a high sided coach which pulls the hotel behind it. The hotel is little more than 8 rows of triple height bunk beds which are divided so that each bed is its own little cubby hole. To me it seems like a claustrophobic way to spend a night, particular as some of the nights here have been very hot. A kitchen folds out of the back and a canopy rolls down and out to provide a bit more private space. Amazingly there was a real mix of ages travelling this way, one lady was over 80 years old. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves and there was a pretty convivial atmosphere.
We had planned to spend this evening starting to think about our next country, South Africa, but the combination of hot sand, rude women at reception, a steak dinner washed down with a bit of wine took its toll. Instead we spent the evening playing gin rummy before sleep got the better of us and we headed for bed.


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Migrating Printers 2008 R2
Migrating printers is straight forward with a few gotcha yas to watch out for. When migrating between servers which when we think about it would be a huge task but Microsoft has a built in feature to assist with this called print manager in roles area of Windows server 2008 r2.
When running this we caught error do to disk space and ultimately had to clear space by getting rid of old logs and old terminal server user profiles. The tool still would not run from source to target from the source server. We had to run the tool itself from the target server and point at the source after the space was cleared. This was found to work after much trial and error.
Bottom line seems like the tool need to have plenty of space and of course depending on the number of printers you are migrating. In our case above 1 gb of space needed and we have more them estimating 40 printers.
One thing of note that you before you start this process add a printer and share it and load up some drivers as for some reason the tool works better once this initial printer is in place.
Printer Server Move 2008r2
talks more about it.
Good luck and have a great day in tech.


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This highly versatile Sand and Water Picnic Table from Plum® does as the name suggests. It can be used as a picnic table in the garden for outdoor eating or for drawing and playing games, lift up the centre wooden panel to find a sand pit and water compartment neatly contained within the base of the table - which will entertain your children for hours! Let their creativity run wild, digging, building, splashing and playing in the sand and water.
A multi-purpose item with a small footprint makes it ideal for compact gardens or for patios. Made from premium FSC® certified timber with rounded corners for added safety.
Features and Benefits
· A highly versatile picnic table which will give your children's hours of fun outdoor play
· Practical yet fun – a winning combination
· Made from premium FSC certified timber with rounded corners for added safety
· Can be used as a picnic table for outdoor eating or remove the centre wooden panel to reveal a sand pit and water table
· Multi-purpose item with a small footprint ideal for compact gardens
· 12 month manufacturer's warranty against wood rot and insect damage
· Supplied flat packed and pre-drilled with easy assembly instructions
· Easy to assemble in 1 hour with 1 adult
· Recommended age: 18 months +
· Sand not included
· Weight of sand required: 10 – 15kg
· Assembled size: L1.05 x W0.89 x H0.49m
· Internal dimensions sand area: W0.376 x W0.322 x H0.085m
· Internal dimensions water area: W0.376 x W0.322 x H0.085m
• Always cover the sand pit when not in use
• Regularly check sand for impurities and sharp objects
• Use washed play sand suitable for use in children's sand pits
• Adult supervision recommended at all times
• Adult assembly required
• Minimum user age 18 months
• Maximum user weight 50kg
• Outdoor use only
• Only for domestic use
This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 13 June, 2012.


text:
Place you order before 12:00 PM (local time) for same-day despatch*
* Excludes Weekends, Public Holidays and orders placed during November & December
Subtotal: $0.00
Perform fun magnet games and experiments and learn the science behind this invisible force. Make a Super Power Horse Shoe Magnet or a Magnet Wand and have fun making a levitron racer, super magnet racer, mysterious dangler and much more! Everything you need to perform 10 fun experiments and games is inside this Mangnet Science pack as well as detailed game and assembly instructions with facts that cover essential principles of magnetism.
Ever played Snakes and Ladders? Well it now comes in 3D! The climbing, sliding, spinning action game can now be enjoyed by the whole family. With its twists and turns you make your way from start to finish all the while avoiding dangerous obstacles such as the slippery slides and spinning wheels. But if you're lucky these obstacles can become your best friends and advance you towards the finish line. A game for young and old, this game will be sure to be the talk of the day.


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PR Grouch explains what journalists really mean
PR Guru 2 minute read
Us PR folk are famous for our silver tongues, although no one has ever praised me for mine for some strange reason. Journalists, on the other hand, are better known for being brusque. Yet some can be quite charming. In fact, they can be so charming, you might get the impression you are their friend.
But let's be honest. Journalists need us, but they don't like us. Sometimes I get fooled by a fantastic lunch with a journalist, only to realise afterwards that I have been taken for a ride. They obviously enjoyed the venue, the food and spotting celebrities, but having to share it with a PRO was a drawback. The clues for this are that they never reply to any of my subsequent emails or calls and the client news they said was "fascinating" was never used.
I'm not saying you should NEVER trust a journalist, but here are some phrases to watch out for:
"I'll get back to you"
No, they won't.
"Off the record"
Once you've told a journalist, of course it's not off the record!
"I'll confirm when this story will run later"
It's never going to run.
"I just have to check this with the editor"
Another way of saying "no thanks".
"I would love to meet for lunch, I'll email you some dates"
And then they'll "forget".
"Could you call me back tomorrow, as I'm on a deadline now"
They won't answer their phone tomorrow as the day after deadline is go-to-the-pub day.
"I didn't make that mistake, it was the sub-editor"
Judging by the amount of blame that journalists put on sub-editors, they must all be incompetent scoundrels! Why does anyone employ them?
"The story was dropped at the last minute due to space restrictions"
They never put the story through.
"My email system has been playing up"
They deleted your email without reading it (again).


text:
130 Sir Donald Bradman DriveHILTON, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5033
Exclusive SA Dealer For
The heart of the Malibu line. It's also the best-selling towboat ever.
"The wakes are non-existent, and because they are so flat, they do not impede the skier in trying to gain direction across the course. The lack of wake allowed me to gain angle and width to get cross course at 41 off without interruption or loss of leverage, and that was key to my ability to set a new pending world record."
- Regina Jaquess, Malibu team athlete.
Priced from $84,990 excluding on-water costs
For more information regarding this product please submit an enquiry below
Copyright © 2019 Elite Ski Boats. All rights reserved.


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Discussion in 'Mapping Questions & Discussion' started by 00000000000000000000000, Mar 11, 2009.
The edges of my light spots look pixelated:
Does anyone know how to fix this?
mess with the inner and outer cone angles to soften the edge of the cone, and/or bump up the lightmap scale on the walls.
Oh, I forgot I read about lightmap scales somewhere. Thanks.
Down, actually. Smaller lightmaps = more detailed.
Also it looks like you may have a leak, so you might not be getting any light bounces in VRAD.
I made the lightmap scale 4 and it still looks pixelated:
It may not look that pixelated but I did scale the picture down. You can especially notice it when you are standing in the edge of the light and the light on your weapon looks pixelated.
Another problem is that the light just cuts off, I want it to light the entire room, but there are dark patches.How do I check for leaks again?
Leaks are easily spotted in the compile log -> load pointfile if they are found.
And if I'm not mistaken "pixelated" light is pretty unavoidable (the size of the pixels can change however ). I supposed you should adjust your lights to have wider arcs.
looks like you have the angles backward. you have:
inner (bright) angle 30
outer (fading) angle 26
try inner 20, outer 40. see how that goes. you need to get the hard edge out of the lights themselves. you probably didnt really need to bump up the lightmap at all, just soften the light cone a bit.
That seems to have fixed it, thanks
The angles are related to you wanting them to light the whole room too. General lighting light_spots will often have an outer cone of 70-85 or so to throw soft light all over the place.
Separate names with a comma.


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