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"It is never too late to return to God" and that faith is necessarily ecclesial, was a main message of the homily Pope Benedict XVI has given in a moving Ash Wednesday ceremony. This was last public homily of his pontificate. This year, the Ash Wednesday ceremony was moved from its traditional location in the basilica of St. Sabina on the Aventine hill to St. Peter's Basilica to accommodate the large numbers of priests, religious and lay people who wanted to participate in Pope Benedict's last public liturgy as he announced his resignation earlier this week.
Vatican Radio brings translation of homily [original text Italian]
Venerable Brothers,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin a new Lenten journey, a journey that extends over forty days and leads us towards the joy of Easter, to victory of Life over death. Following the ancient Roman tradition of Lenten stations, we are gathered for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The tradition says that the first statio took place in the Basilica of Saint Sabina on the Aventine Hill. Circumstances suggested we gather in St. Peter's Basilica. Tonight there are many of us gathered around the tomb of the Apostle Peter, to also ask him to pray for the path of the Church going forward at this particular moment in time, to renew our faith in the Supreme Pastor, Christ the Lord. For me it is also a good opportunity to thank everyone, especially the faithful of the Diocese of Rome, as I prepare to conclude the Petrine ministry, and I ask you for a special remembrance in your prayer.
The readings that have just been proclaimed offer us ideas which, by the grace of God, we are called to transform into a concrete attitude and behaviour during Lent. First of all the Church proposes the powerful appeal which the prophet Joel addresses to the people of Israel, "Thus says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning" (2.12). Please note the phrase "with all your heart," which means from the very core of our thoughts and feelings, from the roots of our decisions, choices and actions, with a gesture of total and radical freedom. But is this return to God possible? Yes, because there is a force that does not reside in our hearts, but that emanates from the heart of God and the power of His mercy. The prophet says: "return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment" (v. 13). It is possible to return to the Lord, it is a 'grace', because it is the work of God and the fruit of faith that we entrust to His mercy. But this return to God becomes a reality in our lives only when the grace of God penetrates and moves our innermost core, gifting us the power that "rends the heart". Once again the prophet proclaims these words from God: "Rend your hearts and not your garments" (v. 13). Today, in fact, many are ready to "rend their garments" over scandals and injustices – which are of course caused by others – but few seem willing to act according to their own "heart", their own conscience and their own intentions, by allowing the Lord transform, renew and convert them.
This "return to me with all your heart," then, is a reminder that not only involves the individual but the entire community. Again we heard in the first reading: "Blow the horn in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly! Gather the people, sanctify the congregation; Assemble the elderly; gather the children, even infants nursing at the breast; Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her bridal tent (vv.15-16). The community dimension is an essential element in faith and Christian life. Christ came "to gather the children of God who are scattered into one" (Jn 11:52). The "we" of the Church is the community in which Jesus brings us together (cf. Jn 12:32), faith is necessarily ecclesial. And it is important to remember and to live this during Lent: each person must be aware that the penitential journey cannot be faced alone, but together with many brothers and sisters in the Church.
Finally, the prophet focuses on the prayers of priests, who, with tears in their eyes, turn to God, saying: " Between the porch and the altar let the priests weep, let the ministers of the LORD weep and say: "Spare your people, Lord! Do not let your heritage become a disgrace, a byword among the nations! Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"(V.17). This prayer leads us to reflect on the importance of witnessing to faith and Christian life, for each of us and our community, so that we can reveal the face of the Church and how this face is, at times, disfigured. I am thinking in particular of the sins against the unity of the Church, of the divisions in the body of the Church. Living Lent in a more intense and evident ecclesial communion, overcoming individualism and rivalry is a humble and precious sign for those who have distanced themselves from the faith or who are indifferent.
"Well, now is the favourable time, this is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2). The words of the Apostle Paul to the Christians of Corinth resonate for us with an urgency that does not permit absences or inertia. The term "now" is repeated and can not be missed, it is offered to us as a unique opportunity. And the Apostle's gaze focuses on sharing with which Christ chose to characterize his life, taking on everything human to the point of taking on all of man's sins. The words of St. Paul are very strong: "God made him sin for our sake." Jesus, the innocent, the Holy One, "He who knew no sin" (2 Cor 5:21), bears the burden of sin sharing the outcome of death, and death of the Cross with humanity. The reconciliation we are offered came at a very high price, that of the Cross raised on Golgotha, on which the Son of God made man was hung. In this, in God's immersion in human suffering and the abyss of evil, is the root of our justification. The "return to God with all your heart" in our Lenten journey passes through the Cross, in following Christ on the road to Calvary, to the total gift of self. It is a journey on which each and every day we learn to leave behind our selfishness and our being closed in on ourselves, to make room for God who opens and transforms our hearts. And as St. Paul reminds us, the proclamation of the Cross resonates within us thanks to the preaching of the Word, of which the Apostle himself is an ambassador. It is a call to us so that this Lenten journey be characterized by a more careful and assiduous listening to the Word of God, the light that illuminates our steps.
In the Gospel passage according of Matthew, to whom belongs to the so-called Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to three fundamental practices required by the Mosaic Law: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. These are also traditional indications on the Lenten journey to respond to the invitation to «return to God with all your heart." But he points out that both the quality and the truth of our relationship with God is what qualifies the authenticity of every religious act. For this reason he denounces religious hypocrisy, a behaviour that seeks applause and approval. The true disciple does not serve himself or the "public", but his Lord, in simplicity and generosity: "And your Father who sees everything in secret will reward you" (Mt 6,4.6.18). Our fitness will always be more effective the less we seek our own glory and the more we are aware that the reward of the righteous is God Himself, to be united to Him, here, on a journey of faith, and at the end of life, in the peace light of coming face to face with Him forever (cf. 1 Cor 13:12).
Dear brothers and sisters, we begin our Lenten journey with trust and joy. May the invitation to conversion , to "return to God with all our heart", resonate strongly in us, accepting His grace that makes us new men and women, with the surprising news that is participating in the very life of Jesus. May none of us, therefore, be deaf to this appeal, also addressed in the austere rite, so simple and yet so beautiful, of the imposition of ashes, which we will shortly carry out. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and model of every true disciple of the Lord accompany us in this time. Amen!


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Monday, February 14, 2005
Findory Favorites
For example, on the BBC page, clicking the "Add Favorite" button at the upper right will put a link to BBC articles in your "My Favorites" list. You can also mark weblogs such as Boing Boing or Gizmodo as favorites.
Reading news on Findory is easy. Read a few articles. Get personalized recommendations. Click on a few sources. Add a few favorites. Read more articles. Get more personalized recommendations. It's a virtuous cycle. The more you use Findory, the better it gets!
Contrast that with a using a normal feed reader. First, you hunt down a few RSS feeds. Manually cut-and-paste URLs into the feed reader. Hunt down more feeds. Manually add them. Skim all your feeds desperately looking for interesting articles. Realize that many of the feeds are boring and useless. Remove those feeds. Laboriously hunt down more feeds. Realize you now have too many feeds and can't read them all. Remove some feeds. Ugh. You spend more time configuring and customizing than reading news.
Customization and personalization are at opposing ends of a spectrum. Most feed readers are all the way at the extreme of customization, requiring readers to do work -- lots of work -- to be able to read news.
Findory is a different. It's personalized and learns what you need. It requires no effort. It's easy. It all just works.
4 comments:
- Seun Osewa said...
Two words: Very Useful. I like the way findory is growing, taking shape.
- February 14, 2005 at 5:12 PM
- Nathan Weinberg said...
This makes Findory one step away from the one feature that will make Findory perfect: unfavorites - sites I don't want Findory to show me, either because I hate them or because I already read them. That single feature will make Findory several times more useful. - February 14, 2005 at 8:33 PM
- Seun Osewa said...
I think many people have mentioned how the ability to tell Findory "i don't want this" would be a good thing, even at the article level. About Findory becoming a blog reader: well, the only problem with that will be the need to have all blogs approved before being added to the 'Findory Ecosystem' - what if your favorite blogs are not approved? What if your favorite feeds aren't really blogs?
- February 15, 2005 at 11:21 AM
- Greg Linden said...
Hi, Nathan and Seun. Great idea on excluding or rating sources. We at Findory tend to develop our features incrementally. I'm sure you can see how Favorites could evolve into a more elaborate feature.
Seun, on the approval process, we do that mostly to keep spam out of the system. It's an interesting idea to allow readers to privately list and read specific feeds or websites. I'll make sure that is on our suggestion list.
Thanks, Seun and Nathan! - February 15, 2005 at 11:37 AM

subset: commoncrawl


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"Mandala Mustang" Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Hot drinks should stay hot and cold drinks should stay cold. This stainless steel bottle can do both, and it will also cheer you up any day. Cool off in the summer and stay warm in the winter, even on the go. The design will stay just as vibrant over time, and this bottle will become a fun everyday essential.
• High-grade stainless steel
• 17 oz (500 ml)
• Dimensions: 10.5″ × 2.85″ (27 × 7 cm)
• Vacuum flask
• Double-wall construction
• Bowling pin shape
• Odorless and leak-proof cap
• Insulated for hot and cold liquids (keeps the liquid hot or cold for 6 h)
• Patented ORCA coating for vibrant colors
• Hand-wash only (dishwasher not recommended due to vacuum seal)
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!


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How do YOU Dump YOUR Gray Water? (Safely, Easily and Legally – of course)
There were six of us. We were sitting around a campfire sharing stories and talking about most anything that came into our minds. All of us had settled at a Corps of Engineers campground in Southside Virginia for a week of boating, fishing and swimming in Kerr Lake. The campground was nicely laid out and


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Clark County recruit academies are demanding both mentally and physically. Physical fitness is one of the most important aspects of a firefighters daily job. Firefighters must be able to perform strenuous job activities for extended duration and under adverse working conditions.
Typically, physical training is broken up with alternating upper and lower body days with some form of cardiovascular conditioning done everyday. Upper body workouts might include pushups, sit-ups, bicep curls, shoulder presses, pull-ups and chin-ups, or dips. Lower body workouts might include running stairs, step-ups, lunges, pulling hose, or wall sits. Stretching is done before and after each day's workout.
Recruits must understand that fire academy activities will not be limited or put on hold due to the various weather extremes that are prevalent within the Las Vegas valley. Successful recruits must be prepared to perform skills and drills, both in and out of PPE, in temperatures that range from 30F - 120F or higher during live fire evolutions. With this in mind recruits must understand that the fire academy is not the place to get into shape. In order to be truly prepared recruits must be in shape when they arrive on the first day.
Examples of upper and lower body workout:
Other forms of physical training will incorporate PPE familiarization and work hardening such as the Paris Tower walk, Orleans arena walk, or a PPE run. To see alternate conditioning video click here.


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"Poison-proofing your home is important. Taking simples steps such as making sure your houseplants are non-toxic and storing medications in secure areas will significantly reduce the chances that your dog or cat will come in contact with a toxic substance."
In conjunction with Poison Prevention Week, Pet Poison Helpline has simplified the process of identifying potentially poisonous situations by categorizing them by room or area in which they reside. "It is our hope that by presenting the information in this manner, pet owners can easily go through their home and eliminate situations that could result in a very sick pet," said Brutlag.
Pet Poison Helpline suggests protecting your pets by poison-proofing your home, room by room, as follows.
Living Room
- Learn about your plants, since some common household plants can be toxic to dogs and cats. For example, lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis spp.) are especially poisonous to cats, so should be eliminated from bouquets where cats live. Just one or two petals can be fatal! For information on other dangerous household plants, be sure to view our list of top 10 plants poisonous to dogs and cats.
- Keep home fragrance products, such as simmer pots of liquid potpourri, well out of reach. These products may cause chemical burns if ingested.
- Don't spray aerosols or any heavily fragranced products around caged birds. They are especially sensitive to airborne products.
- Keep ashtrays and smoking cessation products such as nicotine chewing gum or patches out of reach. Even cigarette butts contain enough nicotine to cause poisoning in pets.
- Be careful with batteries. Dogs enjoy chewing on batteries and battery-containing devices such as remote controls and cell phones. If ingested, they can cause serious chemical burns.
- Hang up your purse! Pets love to dig through purses and backpacks which often contain potential pet poisons such medications, cigarettes or sugar-free gum with xylitol.
- Be aware of human foods that are poisonous to dogs and cats. Watch out for raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, onions, garlic, unbaked yeast bread dough, fatty foods and chocolate. Make sure to view the Pet Poison Helpline's website to learn about other surprising human foods that are toxic to pets.
- Keep garbage cans behind closed doors. Trash and compost bins can contain many pet toxins such as cigarette butts, coffee grounds, moldy foods and bones.
- Keep alcoholic beverages out of reach, as alcohol can cause low blood sugar in pets.
- Keep medications such as over-the-counter and prescription pills, inhalers and dietary supplements, safely locked up in secure cupboards. Do not leave them on countertops or tables or store them in plastic zippered baggies, which are easily chewed through.
- Never medicate your pets with human products without first contacting your veterinarian. Some common human medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) are extremely poisonous to pets.
- Always check the container before giving medication to your pet to make sure it's the correct medication. Also, it is best to store your own medications separately from pet medications. Pet Poison Helpline receives many calls from people who accidentally gave their own medication to a pet.
- Keep pets away from cleaning products. Keep pets out of the room while using bathroom cleansers or other cleaning products, and close toilet lids to keep them from drinking the water, especially if you use automatic chemical tank or bowl treatment.
Utility Room
- Keep rodenticides (rat and mouse poison) far away from pets and be mindful that rodents can transfer the products to locations accessible by pets. If you need to use rodenticides in your home, consult your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline in order to select one that is safest for your pet.
- When using insecticides in your home or on your pets, read the label carefully. Never use flea and tick products meant for dogs on your cat, as they may cause tremors and seizures.
- Keep glues out of reach. Some glues, such as Gorilla Glue®, expand greatly once ingested and require surgical removal. Just one ounce of glue may expand to the size of a basketball, as illustrated in the side-by-side image below. To avoid this situation, be sure to keep glues out of the reach of pets.
Caption: Pet Poison Helpline suggests that pet owners be very careful to keep glues out of the reach of pets. Shown on the left is a healthy dog's stomach, and on the right is the stomach of a dog that has ingested 1.5 ounces of Gorilla Glue 12 hours earlier. (Courtesy of Dr. Catherine A. Angle.)
- Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) products are extremely toxic and, unfortunately, have a sweet taste that may be appealing to pets. Choose propylene glycol-based antifreeze as a safer alternative. If antifreeze is spilled, clean it up immediately or dilute it with several gallons of water.
- Keep all automotive products, such as windshield cleaner fluid or brake fluid, away from pets as they may contain methanol, a toxic alcohol similar to ethylene glycol antifreeze.
Yard and Garden
- Dogs like the taste of certain fertilizers, such as bone meal or blood meal. Keep bags tightly sealed and out of their reach, and be sure to use products according to label instructions.
- Grub or snail killers—especially those that include metaldehyde—can be harmful to pets. Avoid using them if possible.
- Yard insecticides that contain organophosphates or carbamates can be very dangerous if ingested in high concentrations.
- Keep pets off lawns until commercially sprayed herbicides are dry.
If you think your pet may have ingested something harmful, take action immediately. Contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680. Pet Poison Helpline is the most cost-effective animal poison control center in North America charging only $39 per call; this includes unlimited follow-up consultations. Pet Poison Helpline just released a native app, or a mobile friendly version of its website. If you have a smart phone, be sure to add Pet Poison Helpline's native app to your home screen for pet safety tips and information at your fingertips.


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Protein is found throughout the body is virtually almost every tissue and organ. In fact, 20% of the human body is made up of protein.1 The building blocks of protein are amino acids which carry out many roles such as transportation of nutrients, supporting our immune system, healing and repairing of tissue, and help remove waste. The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 8 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight.2 Beyond that, there's little information on the ideal amount of protein you need from the diet. Generally, the more active you are, the more protein you will need. Athletes or individuals who exercise on a regular basis may even need up to double the amount depending on the intensity, duration, and frequency of the exercise.
Essential amino acids are required to get from the diet because our body does not produce these types of amino acids. If you do not get essential amino acids in your diet, proteins break down, resulting in muscle loss and problems with repair. You can get protein from animal sources and from plant sources. Adding a protein supplement can give the body an extra boost to heal and repair after workouts as well. We will talk more about supplementing protein later on.
Most desirable sources of animal based proteins would be fish, eggs, chicken, turkey, and red meat (if OK'd by your nutritionist). If you have a normal serum ferritin and normal serum iron, then 4-6oz of red meat should be OK for you to consume on a weekly basis. Plant based sources of protein would include beans, seeds, nut, sprouts, and quinoa. Nut butters such as peanut butter, cashew butter, or almond butter are good sources as well. Vegans and vegetarians need to be aware of their protein levels. It is very common for these individuals to lack the appropriate amounts of protein for the body's ability to heal and repair. Chlorella is a good supplement to be taking and is vegan friendly. Chlorella consists of 58% of protein and generally they are about 2 g of protein per 2-3 capsules/tablets.
Proteins to eliminate from the diet include soy protein and whey protein. Many vegans or vegetarians often times refer to soy as their main source of protein. You may not know it, but 80% of the oil Americans consume is soy. If you look on the ingredient list of many foods, especially processed foods in the aisles of the supermarket, you will see ingredients such as "soy lecithin" and "isolated soy protein". Soy lecithin has known effects on reproductive abnormalities and sexual dysfunction. Containing the compound phytoestrogen, it produces similar effects on the body as estrogen. Unfortunately, about 75% of breast cancers are estrogen-receptor positive.3 Soy is also highly genetically modified (MSG). Common side effects of MSG exposure include:
- tachycardia
- heart attacks
- asthma
- headaches
- joint pain
- sterility in females
Types of Soy to Eliminate
- Tofu
- "Soy Protein Isolate" [Isolated Soy
- Protein]
- "Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein"
- "Texturized Vegetable Protein"
- "Soy Protein"
- Soy Protein Supplements
When choosing to supplement with protein for added nutrients to the diet that can help with healing and repairing, you want to be sure to choose wisely. There are many products on the market today which are full of artificial flavoring, colors, dyes, and fillers. Whey protein is one of the most popular supplements however, most are actually harmful. Most whey protein manufactures use a lot of heat for production which actually denatures the protein and makes it insoluble in water. This is why the manufactures add chemicals to restore the flavor and solubility. Also, many whey protein supplements are deficient of the healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals due to the acidic processing as well.4/small> Genetically modified ingredients, such as soy lecithin, are added as well artificial sweeteners such as sucralose (also known as Splenda).
Protein supplements to consider would be egg white protein, pea powder protein, and rice protein. Jay Robb's Egg White Protein Powder (contains no whey, soy, or added sugar). One scoop equals 24 grams of protein. Here are a few recipes to consider:
*Consult your nutritionist before adding protein supplementation to your diet
Adding more protein to the diet has many benefits and is even necessary in many situations. However, before starting any new diet or lifestyle change it is important to discuss your concerns with your experienced nutritionist. By testing a comprehensive blood panel and hair tissue mineral analysis, we are able to determine other necessary vitamins and minerals you may need to optimize your health. Get tested today to find out where you start and to know exactly what to do and what to take for better health!
- http://www.aminoacid-studies.com/amino-acids/what-are-amino-acids.html
- Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). 2005, National Academies Press: Washington, DC.
- Breastcancer.org
- Mercola, Joseph, Hofmekler, Ori, Stroden, Kipp. Not all whey protein is created equal. Food Matters. July 23, 2013
References for this newsletter as well as previous newsletters may be found on our website. The information has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.


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There are two kinds of financial help for people planning to enroll in the online health insurance marketplaces that will open this fall. One could put people at risk of having to pay some of the money back, while the other won't.
That's one big difference between tax credits and subsidies, both of which are intended to help people with lower incomes pay for health insurance through the new health care law.
People with incomes between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($11,490 to $45,960 for individuals in 2013) may be eligible for tax credits to reduce the cost of their monthly health insurance premiums.
In addition, people with incomes between 100 and 250 percent of the poverty level ($11,490 to $28,725) may qualify for cost-sharing subsidies that will bring down their deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. The subsidies also reduce the maximum amount they can be required to pay out of pocket annually for medical care.
Instead of waiting until tax time to claim the credit for the premiums on their return, people can apply to get it in advance, based on their estimated income for 2014. In that case, the state health exchange, or marketplace, will estimate the tax credit and send it directly to the insurer.
But there's a catch. When April 15 rolls around, the Internal Revenue Service will reconcile the amount of the advance payments sent to the insurer with the taxpayer's actual income. If a person's income is higher than the estimate, the taxpayer will have to repay the difference.
But there's some good news, too. If a person's income is lower than estimated, the taxpayer will get a credit.
People who quality for the cost-sharing subsidies won't face the same financial risk. The federal subsidies, which reduce consumers' out-of-pocket costs, will be paid directly to insurers. They could cover thousands of dollars of costs, depending on a person's health care usage.
But with the subsidies, if a person's income changes during the year, he or she won't be responsible for any extra costs.
"It's not a reconcilable tax credit, so consumers aren't on the hook if their income changes," says Christine Monahan, a senior health policy analyst at Georgetown Health Policy Institute's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
So check out both options for cheaper premiums, but be well aware of the differences.
Copyright 2023 Kaiser Health News. To see more, visit Kaiser Health News.


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How Safe Are Your Senior Living Residents When Using Online Technology?
February 6, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C.–With more and more seniors using personal computers and iPads in senior living communities, here's some safety advice, "Five Things You're Doing That Are Compromising Your Online Safety," provided by Dr. Eric Cole that administrators can share.
Just like we work to improve our physical health and well-being, it's also vitally important to improve our cyber health and keep ourselves safe from online danger. Here are five easy fixes to keep yourself cyber safe this year:
- What You're Doing: Clicking in Emails
What You Should Be Doing Instead: Never click on a link or email attachment, ever! Think of email as a text-only method of communication because nothing else about it is safe. It was never meant for transferring files, and links are probably not what they appear to be. Remember that email is the number one method that the adversary uses to get you to do their bidding. Unless you absolutely know that the email comes from someone you trust, don't click! And even if it does come from someone you trust, be cautious if the link appears unusual or out of character for them. It could be an adversary pretending to be someone you know. Think about every click as possible doom.
- What You're Doing: Using Only One Credit Card
What You Should Be Doing Instead: There are many credit cards without annual fees that will be more than happy to extend you credit. I recommend having at least 3 or 4 different cards that you use for different purposes. Ask for a low credit line on each – I'm certainly not recommending that you run up big bills on multiple cards! But having a separate card for different types of transactions reduces your risk and the effort needed if one card gets compromised. For example, have separate cards for online bill paying, online purchases, dining and entertainment, and travel.
Never use a debit card except at the ATM – you have far less fraud and theft protection from your bank than you do from the credit card companies. Finally, enable real time text message alerts on your cards so that you know every time your card is used and don't find out at the end of the month when you see unusual charges.
- What You're Doing: Using One Computer For All Your Cyber Activity
What You Should Be Doing Instead: With the price of computers dropping rapidly, you can't afford NOT to have a separate "high risk" computer for your online activities such as email, web browsing, and shopping. On your "low risk" computer you can minimize online activity to encrypted transactions such as with your bank or credit card company. Unfortunately, it's likely that you'll get compromised in the near future and it could take a long time, if ever, to recover your personal and financial files. That effort and heartache will cost a lot more than a couple hundred bucks for the second computer.
- What You're Doing: Using Pubic WiFi Without a VPN
What You Should Be Doing Instead: Every time you log on to an unprotected public network, everyone else on that network can see your computer or device. It's like running naked through the mall shouting "Look at me!" — you will most certainly get noticed. Cover up! There is a simple type of application called a VPN, which stands for virtual private network. It sounds fancy, but what it really does is create a private tunnel to the Internet that your device can use without being seen. Every time you want to connect to the Internet in public, you fire up your VPN and you become invisible.
- What You're Doing: Using Weak Passwords
What You Should Be Doing Instead: I've always recommended switching to pass phrases where you create a strong password from a phrase that you'll remember but that no one can guess. This is great if you only have a few passwords to remember, because you don't want to use the same pass phrase for multiple sites. But some people have hundreds of passwords for home and work, making it impossible to create unique phrases for each one and remember which is which. In these cases, consider using a password vault that will generate strong passwords for each site you use. You only need to remember the master password/pass phrase to unlock the vault, and then it will fill in your unique passwords as you visit different sites. Remember to lock your vault after each session, or have it time out after a couple of minutes.
Bottom line, be smart about how you handle your online activity. Even if you adopt only one or two of these tips, you'll be taking a big step toward being cyber safe this year and beyond.
Dr. Eric Cole is CEO of Secure Anchor, former CTO of McAfee and Lockheed Martin, member of the Commission on Cyber Security for President Obama, the security advisor for Bill Gates and his family, and author of a new book, Online Danger: How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From the Evil Side of the Internet.


text: An Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard is a poem by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750 and first published in 1751.[1] The poem's origins are unknown, but it was partly inspired by Gray's thoughts following the death of the poet Richard West in 1742. Originally titled Stanzas Wrote in a Country Church-Yard, the poem was completed when Gray was living near the Church of St Giles, Stoke Poges. It was sent to his friend Horace Walpole, who popularised the poem among London literary circles. Gray was eventually forced to publish the work on 15 February 1751 in order to preempt a magazine publisher from printing an unlicensed copy of the poem. The poem is an elegy in name but not in form; it employs a style similar to that of contemporary odes, but it embodies a meditation on death, and remembrance after death. The poem argues that the remembrance can be good and bad, and the narrator finds comfort in pondering the lives of the obscure rustics buried in the churchyard. The two versions of the poem, Stanzas and Elegy, approach death differently; the first contains a stoic response to death, but the final version contains an epitaph which serves to repress the narrator's fear of dying"--Wikipedia, accessed November 15, 2022. |


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A gentle reminder from the California Highway Patrol to pay attention to the road and keep hands on the steering wheel, after a driver leaves the highway in dramatic fashion.
Video releasedby CHP shows a car driving along Highway 99 in the Modesto area veer off the road.
The car drives up an embankment and goes airborne, sailing several feet in the air.
The CHP says the driver is OK and only has minor injuries. The incident happened November 14.


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IP Utils Summary
IP-Utils is a collection of C++ Classes that enable data communication via a simple API for various IP-based networking protocols. Designed as a layered architecture (mimicking the ISO layers), it uses file descriptor reference counting to provide safe copying of networking objects. An application requests either a half-tuple (e.g., TCPConn tcp_connection;) or an entire flow (e.g., TCPSession tcp_session(FRAMING_TYPE);) and communicates data over those objects using a specific message framing (e.g., HTTPFraming). Different message framing is achieved within flows by encapsulating the different framing headers within a single Class (i.e., MsgHdr), which the flow Classes (e.g., TCPSession) interface with. The IP-Util Classes can be used individually, or the collection can be built into a library archive.
Additional utility Classes for error handling, logging, URL handling and file management are also included and used by the networking Classes. Since C++ exception handling is *not* looked on favorably, error handling is done through the ErrorHandling Class, which provides a global structure that Classes can use to initiate and append to *events* for processing by the application. Likewise, logging is done through the Logger Class, which similarly uses a mechanism based on a global object. The Logger object allows Classes to report events by both priority (syslog(3)) and mechanism (e.g., stderr, syslog, file, script), however, logging will *not* be enabled unless the code that links with IP-Utils is complied using the flag "-DUSE_LOGGER". A minimal Class to parse and generate URLs is used by the HTTPFraming class, referred to as URL. And finally, the File Class handles all disk I/O used by the networking Classes, both low-level I/O and streaming FILE* I/O. All four non-networking utility Classes can be used outside of IP-Utils, if so desired. Features of IP-Utils Classes, include:
- – DOxygen comments included in header files.
- – Handles IPv4 or IPv6 communications.
- – Provides TCP or UDP objects.
- – Currently supports *struct-based* and HTTP framing (including MIME-type handling).
- – Code written to Google C++ Style Guide <https://code.google.com/p/google-styleguide/>
The layered design of IP-Utils allows easy expansion. For example, with little work a UDP flow Class could be generated (technically, UDP is connection-less, however, flows can exist nonetheless). Moreover, multiple message framing could be supported by IP-Utils simply by adding the appropriate Class (e.g., SNMP) and adding the hooks within the MsgHdr Class.


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Peter: After listening to such a story from Angeles, you might think she is a difficult act to follow. You might ask, who would want to follow Angeles? And the answer is, everyone.
Angeles and I were once in a gathering, and the afternoon of that session was long. It was long, and it was arduous, and it was full of group process. At the end of the day I said, "How about if Angeles and I design tomorrow morning?" They all said fine. So the next morning we got together, about twenty minutes before the beginning, and we shared a little bit of feeling about the afternoon, and then I said, "Well let's design the morning, Angeles." And she said, "Fine, let's design it." And I said, "Who goes first?" And she said, "I will." And I said, "Design meeting over." So to follow her is a blessing. I am a lifetime follower of hers.
When you hear a story told as Angeles tells it, you reflect on what was so compelling about it? I think it's in the expressions, it's in the eyes, it's in the aliveness, she speaks of what it takes not to be in the procession of the living dead, and then she shows us in the telling. And that to me is what's breathtaking about it.
I also love the repetition she invites us into. It's space for me, to wander on my own. It also is our task is to stay in the experience of her story, rather than think about her telling the story. Another incident in that same session we ended up redesigning by having Angeles go first, she told another story. At the end, somebody said, "Boy, I wish I had a video of that." In other words, instead of staying in the experience of the story, she wanted to memorialize the story, to have it last forever; take it to scale.
Our work now for the next thirty minutes or so, is to stay in the experience of her, and the story she uses as an excuse to show up. I thought, maybe a question for the conversation might be, what part of the experience is still working on you? What's holding on to you?
I also love in the midst of her poetic, Zapata-like way of telling the story; she tells the story, and I feel like the woman on the other side of the room. Throw me the hat. So in her telling of the story, she is that. I love that, and mixed with that is her love of lists; and I always feel seduced when she says, "Ok, there's four things…" And then I go, "Oh no, now I got to write something down. What was the third thing? What was fourth thing? There's two of those, and four of those, I feel like it's a menu. Five of those, two of those, what was third thing?" So I think she's tickling the engineer in me, and saying you can't get away. You can't escape this. So I would say the question is, what is evoked – what experience is evoked in the presence of that?
Finally, the key part of one of those lists about connecting to community, and in this is the importance of the stranger. It is common in some circles to talk about the stranger within. The shadow. To me, the stranger without is more interesting than the stranger within. There is a tendency in this supportive and inward environment to spend a lot of time on the stranger within – well I have spent a lot of time on the stranger within. And the stranger without is much more communally compelling. So look around and you'll always say, "Who in this room do I know the least?" And the second is, when you find that person, don't wait to be chosen. So part of our defense against community is waiting to be chosen – let me sit here, perhaps living the story of the "chosen one". We all have a story about waiting. We are introvert; In FIRO B I'm low on inclusion, high on control, moderate on the third one, which I can not remember. See, I promise lists of three and I only come up with two. This is my tombstone: Here's lies Peter. He gave a lot, but promised much more.
So you say, "I'm not going to wait to be chosen – let me find a person here I know the least." Don't wait to be chosen, ok, got it? And then you create another group of three.
Now the key element, and what makes the small group powerful, is the injunction not to be useful or helpful in any way, to those other two people; because help is always a form of colonialism. It always positions myself as if I know, and you don't. And people are always saying, "Well when I was in that situation…" And as soon as they start to say that, the implication was, it worked out well. I always want to say, "Yea. And looked how it turned out." So my advice, mostly, is littered with things that didn't work that well. But I'm still determined to package what did not work that well and market it again. Resist that and decide that you refuse to be helpful. You choose to be curious instead of helpful. The most curious question in the world is, "why did that matter to you?" And to me, that is just so useful. And when they answer the question, you say, "Why did that matter to you?" And you ask them the third time, and the fourth time. If they get irritated for asking the same question, ask them, "Why are you irritated with me?" And when they answer, you say, "And why did that matter to you?" Got it? So let's do that. Find one or two other people you know the least, don't wait to be chosen, don't be helpful, and sit in a little circle. The question is, "What's holding on to you from the experience that's Angeles just took us through?"


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Keep Paddling Upstream
Do you really believe that you need to watch over your mouth? Most believers don't. You can tell that just by listening to their conversations. They profess, for example, to be trusting God concerning their health. But you're likely to hear them say something like this: « I'm just sure I'm going to get the flu. I get it every year. I'll be sicker than a dog too, you'll see…. »
Do people like that have what they say?
Oh yes! Check with them a few weeks later and they'll be quick to tell you that they got just as sick as they said they'd be. But, odds are, if you try to tell them there's any connection between the words they spoke and the illness they suffered, they'll look at you as if you were out of your mind.
Of course, if they'd dig into the Word of God and find out what it has to say about the subject, they'd realize that the words they speak have a tremendous impact on their lives. They'd see that it quite literally determines their future. If you're a born-again believer, you've already experienced the most powerful example of that. You believed with your heart and confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus and you changed the eternal course of your life. You know firsthand just how powerful your words can be.
Yet, even so, if you're like me, you still find that speaking faith-filled words consistently is tough to do. I've been at it myself for many years now and, despite all the time I've spent on it and all the experiences I've had, it's still something I have to watch all the time.
You see, the world around you is in negative flow. Like a rushing river, it's always pulling at you, trying to get you to flow with it. Living by faith and speaking words of faith is like trying to paddle upstream. You can do it–but it's a great deal of work. And there's never a time you can afford to take a vacation from it. If you relax a little bit you'll just start drifting right back down the river.
Make the decision right now to set a watch over your lips. Determine to consistently fill your mouth with the Word of God. « Attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings » (Prov. 4:20). Let God's Word be your watch and everything you say will take you a little further upstream!
Lecture conseillée: Romans 10:8-17


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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Mayday! And It's Not Even May Day.
22 comments:
- Unknown said...
Love your stuff Rany. How long till you use the numbers to compare Escobar to Yuni? His range seems insane and he rarely makes a bad throw. But I want to see the numbers. Make it happen
- April 30, 2011 at 3:11 PM
- mark said...
"Dance with the one that brung ya".
No offense but Kila didn't bring the Royals anywhere. If Hosmer is the better player today and Omaha is just a holding pen for him, why not bring him up. I actually like Kila, but your argument for him is basically sunk cost. If Hosmer isn't ready the question is moot, if Hosmer is ready then the Royals should get a new dance partner. - April 30, 2011 at 4:10 PM
- chrisc said...
Great post and thanks for the commentary on Clint Robinson; it puts things in perspective. I just wish one of those guys Kila or Clint would Kevin Maas or even Bob Hamelin their rookie season. After all, it looks like we only need a season or less from those guys given the performance of Butler and Hosmer. - April 30, 2011 at 4:51 PM
- Michael said...
If Kila starts hitting, he'll be good trade bait this summer. With the glut of 1b/dh types we have, someone has to go. I'm hoping that is what happens.
Mark-The other reason to keep Hosmer down right now is service time, and the fact he doesn't even have a full season above A-ball yet. If he's still raking come June and July, then bring him up. - April 30, 2011 at 7:25 PM
- Jermaine said...
Potentially significant improvement that doesn't require bringing up future stars: Move Crow to the starting rotation. Thirteen innings a month is not enough!
- April 30, 2011 at 8:27 PM
- Olentangy said...
Alex and Billy homered tonight, as the season does look to be interesting. To me, I can't see Cleveland keeping up what they are doing, so as long as the Royals stay ahead of the other 3 teams in the division, I think they are still in it.
- April 30, 2011 at 9:57 PM
- Michael said...
At some point, one of those three teams will get hot and push us for second place. I hope we respond better than we did when we played Cleveland for first place.
- April 30, 2011 at 11:15 PM
- Antonio. said...
Service time considerations have passed. Now it's Super Two status...which I don't really give much of a crap about. It's going to send the guy to arbitration early if he hits well enough. That's it.
- May 1, 2011 at 2:23 AM
- KHAZAD said...
I agree with you on Dyson. I felt if they were going to keep 5 outfielders they should have kept Blanco and let Dyson get PA's in AAA. If they were to trade Cabrera and Francouer at the deadline, Dyson could come up with Cain and fill out a speedy outfield. His future is as a 4th OF, designated runner, but he still needs some everyday hitting.
I think people are just curious about Clint Robinson. They want to see if they are missing something. He is hitting at his 5th different level, whatever round he was drafted in. Whenever Hosmer comes up, be it next month or next year, Kila, Clint and Betemit will be trade bait. (As players whose main position is at 1B or DH) Add in a possible trade of one or both of our 1 year outfielders, and there is some stocking you could do at other positions. (like catcher) - May 1, 2011 at 5:20 AM
- Michael said...
Super Two status is determined by service time Antonio, not how well he hits when he gets up. That's what I meant. It is nice to see him and Moose doing well in AAA though. Last year wasn't a fluke! :)
- May 1, 2011 at 5:41 AM
I agree that rushing Montgomery of Duffy to the majors is a bad idea, but why not replace an under-performer with Vin Mazzaro?
- May 1, 2011 at 12:17 PM
- John said...
You the man, Rany. 99.8% of the time, disagreement with you is pointless: you anticipate, and crush, most counterarguments. Anyhow, better just to enjoy your insights.
Now, if only we had our David DeJesus back, we could dream a little bigger, a little sooner . . . - May 1, 2011 at 12:19 PM
- Antonio. said...
To qualify for Super Two, I'm pretty sure you have to perform at a certain level in relation to your peers with similar service time. Okay, I looked it up and from the MLBPA website:
Q: When does a player become eligible for salary arbitration?
A: A player with three or more years of service, but less than six years, may file for salary arbitration. In addition, a player can be classified as a "Super Two" and be eligible for arbitration with less than three years of service. A player with at least two but less than three years of Major League service shall be eligible for salary arbitration if he has accumulated at least 86 days of service during the immediately preceding season and he ranks in the top 17 percent in total service in the class of Players who have at least two but less than three years of Major League service, however accumulated, but with at least 86 days of service accumulated during the immediately preceding season. - May 1, 2011 at 1:20 PM
- Antonio. said...
You mean our .222/.297/.256 David deJesus?
- May 1, 2011 at 1:23 PM
- Michael said...
I can't believe I'm saying this, but if we still had Dejesus, we wouldn't have one of either Melky or Francouer, and at least to this date, that would be a downgrade.
And no, there is no production evaluation in regards to Super Two status. - May 1, 2011 at 1:46 PM
- First Baptist Church, Stephens said...
Trying to pu Kila's season in perspective:
He had an 11-game slump (from Apr 5-17) where he hit .125.
Other than that (with him being 1-2 today when I write this), he's hitting .306/.419/.556.
That's 11 games of bad, 11 games of good. I think he deserves to show us which of those 11 game stretches is more true of him. - May 1, 2011 at 2:31 PM
I feel like everyone wants Robinson up because he is Kila 2.0 but Kila didnt work out. So lets just roll the dice again. How many times does this "patience" thing work any way?
Wouldnt Rany's argument also be to leave Hosmer in AAA and bring up at least Duffy because the Pitchers are as good as they will ever be, and hitters develop at a consistent level. - May 1, 2011 at 2:50 PM
And we gotta hurry with out Kila/Robinson experiment because Hosmer is gonna discredit the whole thing unless we put him in right.
- May 1, 2011 at 2:53 PM
"Brett won the starting third base job in 1974, but struggled at the plate until he asked for help from Charlie Lau, the Royals' batting coach. Spending the 1974 All-Star break working together, Lau taught Brett how to protect the entire plate and cover up some holes in his swing that experienced big-league pitchers were exploiting. Armed with this knowledge, Brett developed rapidly as a hitter, and finished the year with a .282 batting average in 113 games."
from wikipedia, but you guys know who that sounds like."holes in swing" - May 1, 2011 at 3:40 PM
- kcghost said...
I have no problem with giving Kila 300 PA's before making a decision on him. His value is not for future Royals teams but as trade bait. If he could get rolling we might be able to trade him for something of some value when we have to bring Hosmer up.
If living with Davies means not bringing up Duffy and Montgomery too soon then I can live with it. It's not like one pitcher is going to turn this club around. Until you replace the whole starting staff you will always be a suspect team. - May 2, 2011 at 10:47 AM
- KCDC said...
Hi Rany,
Please keep posting non-iTunes links to your podcasts. I love the content, but would rather avoid the bundle of crap Apple adds to you computer when you download iTunes. - May 3, 2011 at 9:34 AM
- Adrian said...
I just noticed that Hochevar, Davies, Francis and Chen are 4 of the 6 oldest pitchers on the Royals' 40-man roster! Patience!
- May 3, 2011 at 1:26 PM


text:
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EFL Statement – Season suspended indefinitely
Yesterday afternoon a statement was released by the EFL updating fans on the status of the ongoing 2019/20 season in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. This followed a Premier League statement promising financial help to EFL clubs. The Premier League statement can be seen here and the EFL statement is below.
Brentford FC released an open letter from Chief Executive Jon Varney, Chairman Cliff Crown and the Board updating on how we are operating through the Covid-19 pandemic yesterday afternoon. This referenced the indefinite suspension of football in the EFL statement, which came out a few moments before ours. The Brentford FC letter can be seen here.
As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the EFL, Premier League, FA and Barclays FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship has today collectively agreed to postpone its football competitions until it is safe to resume. Football is committed in supporting the Government's efforts in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak and the staging of football matches in this country. It is clearly something that simply cannot happen at this time. The thoughts of everyone associated with the EFL and its member Clubs are with anyone currently affected by the Coronavirus.
The situation will be kept under constant review with matches only returning at an appropriate point and based on the latest guidance provided by the relevant Government departments and health authorities. The EFL also notes and appreciates the decision taken today by the Premier League in respect of the short term financial relief it is to provide EFL Clubs through the advancement of solidarity payments, parachute payments and Academy Grants. These actions will have a positive impact on individual Clubs across our three divisions at a difficult and uncertain time.


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My News and Reviews
Last week at Experiments in Manga the winner of the Kuroko's Basketball giveaway was announced. The post also includes a list of some of the tournament and competition manga that has been licensed in English. As per usual these days, there wasn't much else from me, but there is some other very exciting Manga Bookshelf news: The Manga Critic is back! Be on the lookout for some great content from Kate Dacey. Last week I also read Makoto Yukimura's eighth Vinland Saga omnibus which was, as expected, excellent. (I highly recommend the series as a whole.) However, you won't find a quick take of it below because I'm going to try to write up a full-length review of it instead. We'll see how it goes!
Elsewhere online, The OASG has started a new series called How Fans Can Help the Anime & Manga Industries Grow in which industry folk share their experiences an thoughts on the subject. So far, the responses from Charlene Ingram, Viz Media's senior manager of marketing, and Charis Messier, lead translator at Cross Infinite World, have been shared. Another interesting read courtesy of Sakuga Blog is a translation of a roundtable with three manga editors (Tatsuya Kusunoki, Katsuyuki Sasaki, and Ryouji Takamatsu) discussing the growth of the yuri genre. As for boys' love, Khursten at Otaku Champloo takes a closer look at the Dangerous BL Manga list for 2017.
Quick Takes
Firefighter! Daigo of Fire Company M, Volumes 2-10 by Masahito Soda. I enjoyed the first volume of Firefighter! well enough to seek out the rest of the manga (while the entire series is now available digitally, most of the individual volumes are well out-of-print) and I am so incredibly glad that I did. I'm only halfway through, but Firefighter! is fantastic. It has exciting action, compelling drama, and engaging characters. The titular Daigo is a rookie firefighter who, although he seems to have good instincts, has a lot to learn. Each rescue he's a part of is more audacious than the last and he frequently ends up in the hospital as a result. Daigo hasn't lost anyone yet, but his unorthodox ways, disregard for direct orders, and tendency to go overboard puts his own life and the lives of other rescue workers at risk. It seems like it's only a matter of time before tragedy will strike, but no one can deny that he has saved people who would have otherwise died. Firefighter! is intense and thrilling, but it actually has a fair amount of humor as well. (For all his bravery, Daigo is kind of a goofball.) I'm definitely looking forward to reading the series' second half.
Horimiya, Volumes 2-4 written by Hero, illustrated by Daisuke Hagiwara. While I wasn't quite as taken with these few volumes as I was with the first, I am still enjoying Horimiya a great deal. After accidentally discovering each other's secrets, Miyamura and Hori have developed a close friendship which is slowly evolving into something more. It takes some time, but eventually they're able to recognize their feelings and actually act on them. In large part, Horimiya is a manga about relationships of all types. Friendship and family are just as important, and are sometimes even more important, than the series' romance. It's also a manga which excels in depicting the characters' multifaceted natures, showing how they behave differently depending on who is present. As more characters are introduced (including Hori's father and some of Miyamura's friends from middle school), the social dynamics in the series naturally change. Horimiya isn't a manga that has me on edge desperate to know what will happen next, but the characters are tremendously endearing and I do want to see things work out for all of them.
Warning! Whispers of Love by Puku Okuyama. So far, only two of Okuyama's boys' love manga have been released in print. I had previously read and wasn't overly impressed by the more recent Caramel despite liking some of the manga's individual elements (in fact, overall I can't really say that I enjoyed it much) but I already had a copy of Warning! so I figured I should at least give it a try. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed Warning! much more than I did Caramel. It's a collection of rather silly boys' love stories ranging from the subtly amusing to the overtly goofy. They tend to be fairly cute as well and generally any physical intimacy that is shown is limited to a few kisses and chaste embraces. Most of Warning! is devoted to the story of Hajime, a first year at an all-boys school, and the incredibly awkward relationship that develops between him and an upperclassman who seems to want nothing more than to clean the wax from Hajime's ears. It's easily the most ridiculous setup in the entire volume but it can be legitimately funny–all the boys' love tropes and jokes that would typically be applied to sex are applied to ear cleaning instead and it's surprisingly effective.
Wandering Son directed by Ei Aoki. Takako Shimura's manga Wandering Son is an incredibly important series to me personally, so I was greatly saddened when Fantagraphics stopped releasing it in English. Initially I wanted to read the entire manga before watching the anime adaptation but, seeing as the rest likely won't be available any time soon, I finally gave in. The Wandering Son anime is a lovely series. It's not an exact adaptation of the manga, but it is faithful to the original story and characters. In general, the narrative style of the anime tends to be a little more linear than that of the manga. However, both series provide an empathetic exploration of gender identity, following a group of middle school students who are learning who they are. It's a fairly realistic portrayal, meaning that society isn't always the most accepting which can be absolutely heartbreaking. However, seeing the characters become more confident in their selves even when that goes against what is expected of them is exceptionally validating. The anime only adapts a portion of the manga and doesn't provide much of a resolution (though it does go beyond where Fantagraphics left off), but it is still very well done and well-worth watching.


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6 Effective Habits of Vocational Recruiting
6 Effective Habits of Vocational Recruiting
Newspaper Cites the Eucharist and Dads Among Key Secrets
NORTH HAVEN, Connecticut, 6 FEB. 2006 (ZENIT)
Dioceses reporting successful rates of vocational recruitment have something in common, says the National Catholic Register.
In a summary of reporter Tim Drake's article "Vocations Surge" in a recent issue, the Register compiled a list of "six habits of highly effective dioceses."
The first habit was putting the Eucharist at the center of vocational work.
In an editorial the newspaper explained: "Eucharistic adoration is especially effective because it draws sharp attention to the great gift that makes the priesthood so extraordinary and so needed — we have the priesthood to thank for God's real presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
"And the dynamic of silent Eucharistic adoration inevitably leads to the question, 'What do you want me to do, Lord?'"
According to the newspaper, the Web site Vocation.com worked with American bishops to deliver Vatican monstrances to dioceses to promote adoration in parishes.
"Program leaders like David Craig have been astounded to see parishes produce their first vocations ever after Eucharistic adoration was introduced," the editorial stated.
The second habit cited by the newspaper was the invitation. According to a U.S. bishops' survey, 78% of those being ordained began considering the priesthood after an invitation to do so from a priest.
Third, seminaries must be faithful to the magisterium in order to attract candidates. The Register editors mentioned three seminaries that are booming: St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland; St. Vincent in Latrobe, Pennsylvania; and St. Gregory the Great in Seward, Nebraska.
Seminaries are not the only element that needs to be faithful. Candidates to the priesthood also come from faithful families.
The editorial cited a key role played by fathers, explaining: "There are beautiful exceptions, but the rule is that priests come from committed Catholic families in which the father is an active player in the family's faith."
Youth Day
The fifth and sixth habits reported by the Register are interaction with priests and attendance at a World Youth Day.
Youth need to meet and interact with priests or "it may never occur to many young men that the priesthood is a life that would appeal to them," the article explained.
Key among the venues for this interaction is altar serving: "For many priests, serving at the altar was the first place they first came to know men who had been called and understood what the call entailed."
And the "World Youth Day factor is very real," the editorial said. It explained that these events give young men the chance to see that they can have "a big, positive impact on the world — one that lasts for eternity."
This article has been selected from the ZENIT Daily Dispatch
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Many people struggle at work. There are always distractions while working, and often the mind simply wanders off. Sometimes it's just overwhelming and impossible to concentrate.
This CD is ideal if you are searching for a way to do your best work with minimal stress.
The brain looks everywhere to find patterns. Birdsong is high and unpredictable. There are no patterns. This puts the brain on alert and is a great sound to have in the background when you need to stay focused.
Bird song and water are some of the healthiest sounds you can listen to. The low frequency sounds of the water discharge the nervous system and create the relaxation response in the body.
Uplifting birdsong coupled with soft water sounds offers you a highly focused mind and a relaxed body – with no effort. Just play it in softly in the background whenever you need it.
Or simply enjoy an afternoon in the woods, relaxing to the sounds of a bubbling brook and birds.
Run time: 01:01:20


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Thank you for your enquiry
Here's what will happen next.
Step 1: Check your email
You'll receive an email confirmation from us regarding your enquiry.
Step 2: Speak to an advisor
Our advisors will be in touch to give you all the information you need.
Step 3: Submit your application
Ready to apply? Great! Simply let your education advisor know and we'll sort everything out for you.


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Official language: Vietnamese
Time zone: UTC +7
Currency: Đồng (VND)
Be sure to go to the Municipal Puppet Theater on the Water. The tradition of puppet shows in Vietnam dates back to a thousand years, and puppets most often depict folk scenes and fragments of legends.
It is worth mentioning the interesting custom of local students. They want to improve their English, which is why they often offer tourists a tour around the city, in exchange for the opportunity to talk.
The highest located cafe in Hanoi is the one at the top of the Lotte hotel. From the perspective of the sixty-fifth floor, the city looks great, and the coffee tastes even better there.
Hanoi – the city which currently is rebuilding its beautiful face after the wars. The capital of Vietnam where you can find delicious food and a lot of scooters. This city is also associated with the possibility of accommodation in luxury hotels with good prices and with the residents who are very proud of their origin.
One of the most interesting places in Hanoi is Ngoc Son, which is a Buddhist temple, located on a tiny island, near the Hoan Kiem lake. Visit this place, join the crowd of Vietnamese, who spend their time there each day and try to find a turtle living underwater. They believe that this animal is over one hundred years old and is an incarnation of its ancestor. According to legend, it emerged from the lake and helped General Lê Lợi to drive out the Chinese out of the country.
However, the surroundings of the lake attract people not only because of the turtle. The park located near the lake is one of the favorite places to practice tai chi or even to dance for the residents of Hanoi. You can also buy the local products there - fans or ornaments with the image of the legendary creature mentioned earlier. This place is also worth seeing due to the presence of the local community and their habits. The place looks particularly beautiful in the morning when the fog rises over the lake, and after dark, when the bridge is illuminated by a red light.
While visiting the city, you won't be able to resist local food. You can find many small bars which can be visited only by a few people at the same time. You can feel the smell of Asian soups and spices, and mainly, the aromatic coriander. You have to try the pho soup that the Vietnamese eat at any time, spring rolls, many types of pasta and rice fried with vegetables. Try also a local hoi boi beer – almost half a liter of beer costs only half a dollar.


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OSCAR LILI Bridal
30 Comiston Road
La Novia Bridal Boutique
6 York Buildings
Queen Street
Unlike the privacy policy on most websites, this one isn't copied from a generic template; it's been written from scratch by humans who have considered what modern websites do, how most people interact with them and what most people are bothered about when it comes to online personal data.
We've avoided legal jargon and covering every minute detail down to the nth degree. Instead, we've focused on what we consider to be the essential stuff and answering some of the real world questions you might have.
We respect your right to privacy and will always do our absolute best to ensure we conform to not just the laws at the time, but also our moral obligation to you. That's why we will never knowingly allow anyone to use any data about you that we hold unless legally required to do so, and we will always keep it secure and (where possible) will remove all trace of it at your request.
We usually only hold names and email addresses you provide us, but at times we may hold other identifiable data about you, gathered with your consent, to carry out our day to day business with you. For instance, you might supply us with data as part of an enquiry, or as part of a purchase, or a booking process for a service, etc. In all instances, this data is destroyed once it is no longer relevant or required or held securely if it forms part of a service agreement with you or there is a legal requirement for us to retain. In which case we can hold data for up to seven years. Like most websites, this site uses cookies (read more about them below) and also like most websites this site may share your IP address (read more about them below) with some online services. By continuing to use the site, you agree to this. We don't do either of these things because we're evil, it's just for a modern website to work the way most people want them to work, you have to! DON'T PANIC though, for the majority of users you're not directly identifiable by these actions. Big Brother isn't watching!
Cookies are tiny files that are added to your computer as you use and interact with websites. They are used mostly for good: To improve your experience, sometimes for bad: Search engines, Social sites etc. may use them to track what a computer (the computer, not the person) is looking at. Many like Google will use them to target you with adverts and for analytics, which results in them being able to build a profile of what you do online. You will get these cookies added to your computer when you land on certain websites, like Google, Youtube, Facebook etc. This site makes use of Cookies, mainly so we can be sure to only show you certain content once, for example, popups or reminders.
Cookies can sound a bit Orwellian and "Big Brother", but mostly they're pretty harmless and unless you land on a website that requests your data and you offer it, the data they hold is mostly anonymous, they don't have your name and email address etc. You can clear out your cookies by clearing your browser history. However, as we said this site from time to time will use cookies (never for data gathering or advertising). It is generally good practice to install a cookie manager so that you can see what websites install what cookies, as most have them but few admit to it.
Cookies generally fall into three categories: Session, 1st Party Persistent & 3rd Party. A fuller explanation of these is at the bottom of this privacy policy.
An IP address is a unique number that identifies your computer on the internet; it is in the form of 111.222.333.444. Lots of services, like YouTube, Facebook etc., requires that websites send them your IP address before they allow sites to display things like embedded video, or Facebook elements, and so on. In reality, your IP address isn't personal data, as 99% of the time, you can't be identified by it. Regardless, some consider do consider it as such, so to keep ourselves in the clear we've added this bit to our privacy policy: On occasion, your IP address may be shared with some service providers. Emails Emails are typically kept until our inbox is full and we have a clear out and delete or archive all the old ones. We never use addresses obtained from emails for anything other than responding to the emails you send us. We don't harvest these emails for other purposes. Once we clear out our inbox and delete old emails from you, your details are gone.
If we have one, our newsletter sign-up process is distinct from other areas of consent when it comes to your data and uses a double opt-in/2 step verification confirmation that complies with all the latest regulations (GDPR, etc.). It includes a clear indication from you that you wish to be added to our newsletter list. There is no ambiguity in our signup process; you can't sign up by mistake nor can anyone signup with your email address due to the double opt-in/2 step verification. We record the location, time and place that you signed up. Removing yourself from our newsletter list is easy: Just click the unsubscribe link in the newsletters we send or use the Unsubscribe feature on our website.
We don't share our newsletter lists with anyone else, other than the service we employ to send out our newsletters.
If you have any questions about our privacy policy and your data, or would like to know what data we hold about your you can contact us using the details on our regular contact page, making the subject of any emails "FAO: Data Protection Officerâ€. We will then forward your email to our DPO who will respond accordingly.
In most circumstances, we will respond within 30 days.
If we suspect any abuses of this requirement (multiple requests in a short space of time etc.), we reserve the right to refuse.
For most requests to be processed, we will need you to provide proof as to who you are and that you have a lawful right to access the data.
Session cookies are added to your machine as you surf websites. They are only retained for as long as your browser remains open. They allow a form of memory to exist between your browser and the websites you visit, such as pages visited, shopping cart contents, last viewed items etc. These cookies will remain after you leave the website but will be deleted once you close the browser (fully close it, not hide or minimise it).
"Persistent cookies" remain on your computer even after you've closed the browser. 1st Party cookies can only relay information back to the website that placed them on your computer. Typically they're used to store site preferences to save you from having to re-enter information on future visits. They may also be used to track your activities (links clicked, pages visited etc.) while visiting a site. Persistent cookies remain on your computer until you remove them, normally by using the browsers clear history feature, although other methods exist.
"Persistent cookies" remain on your computer even after you've closed the browser. 3rd Party cookies are typically used when a website has part of its content delivered via a third party, like embedded videos, maps etc. Websites featuring advertising commonly use 3rd party cookies to deliver the adverts; Over time 3rd party cookies will build up a profile your online habits (websites viewed, links clicked etc. so they can deliver targeted adds. 3rd party cookies have other purposes too, for more information on this we suggest you search the internet for "what do 3rd party cookies do?". We try to avoid third-party cookies as much as is possible. However, we may, from time to time utilise third party content and cannot guarantee that such content does not have third-party cookies delivered with it. Persistent cookies remain on your computer until you remove them, normally by using the browsers clear history feature, although other methods exist.
You are welcome to change your privacy preferences here.


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Climber Business Development
Climber Collaboration: Climber believes in creating strong, lasting relationships with organizations where we are able to serve the needs of our clients and partners simultaneously. Through strategic collaborations, we continue to build upon our reputation as an innovator in the career services industry as well as provide advanced marketing platforms for potential partners.
Business Development Opportunities:
- Diversified Creative Packages
- Conversion Revenue
- Lead Generation
- RSS Feeds
- E-mail Integration
- Advanced Partnerships
Job Feeds: Interested in seeing your companies jobs on Climber.com?
- Individual Job Postings
- Multiple Job Postings
- Continuous Job Feed
Contact Information:
Mike O'Brien |
619-618-4201 |
email@example.com |


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Why Vision Screening is Not Enough
Did you know that your child needs to master 17 different visual skills to succeed in reading, learning and sports? Basic vision screening results don't test for any of these skills and therefore are not sufficient to rule out all vision problems possibly impacting your child.
The purpose of pediatric vision screenings is to detect refractive errors and eye diseases, not to identify a lack of vital vision-related skills. Undiagnosed vision problems, including reduced vision skills, cause one in ten children to experience learning difficulties and can impact other areas in life, such as sports.
Provide your children with the care and tools needed for better vision and successful learning. Contact Dr. Reuter Hanna for a functional vision exam to assess their full range of vision functionality and determine the adequate treatment options needed to improve your child's school and sports achievements.
Vision Screenings Don't Reveal Much
Basic vision screenings, such as those offered at schools, usually test only for visual acuity — the sharpness of vision in each eye. Some may include additional tests such as lazy eye, eye coordination and color blindness. Though your child may pass all vision screening exams with flying colors and may excel in seeing the vision charts, he or she may still struggle with visual-motor skills, eye tracking skills, have poor peripheral vision, or have other undetected vision problems.
Following a vision screening, many questions may remain unanswered: does your child have sufficient control over eye movements? Are both eyes properly aligned when focusing? How is your child's depth perception? These are but a few of the skills that play a critical role in learning and functioning at our best in this fast-paced world.
What Symptoms Should You Look Out For?
As a parent, it is critical that you remain alert to any behavior that could signal a vision issue. Keep an eye out for any of the following symptoms and ask teachers to do the same.
- Reading below grade level
- Spelling or comprehension difficulties
- Slow completion of tasks (homework etc.)
- Messy handwriting
- Quickly becoming tired when reading or avoiding reading tasks
- Using fingers to track words while reading
- Often skips words or lines when reading
- Frequent falls or bumps into things
- Experiences difficulty catching a ball or aiming
- Struggles to stay focused
- Experiences headaches at school or working on the computer
- Squints or tilts the head when concentrating
- Frequently rubs, covers or closes an eye when focusing on a target
Any of these could point to a deficit in certain visual skills required to perform well as a student, in sports or in every-day life.
The Impact of Undiagnosed Vision Issues
Vision quality can significantly impact the development of a child's personality. Weak vision skills not only interfere with learning but can also reduce the child's self-confidence and self-esteem.
The Importance of Visual Skills in Learning
About 80% of learning activities are based on vision. Both reading and writing, whether in a notebook, a chalkboard, whiteboard, or a computer, require complex visual skills. Simply seeing letters clearly in a book or on the board is not enough to enable a child to read and learn and thrive in school. A child has to be able to accurately and easily interpret what he or she sees in order to make sense of it. The eyes need to work together, focus simultaneously, track letters in a line and frequently refocus from near to far. Functional vision tests will assess any undiagnosed visual problems and track the course of improvement during vision therapy.
If your child has an undiagnosed vision problems or reduced visual function, he or she risks facing substantial obstacles in school, social interactions, sports and life.
However, these vision skills can be improved through vision therapy. Contact The Vision Therapy Center at Gold Coast Optometric Vision Performance today to learn how vision therapy can help you or your child develop these essential vision skills.
Vision and Sports Performance
One may think that for children with reading difficulties these would not have any impact on playing sports. The catch is that in sports, visual skills are equally important.
For example, reaction time, which is crucial in all ball games, depends on how fast the brain receives visual input and how accurate it is. This requires control over eye movements, proper depth perception and simultaneous focus, followed by hand-eye coordination to carry out the desired action.
Other sports call for high-level peripheral vision, visualization skills, color perception and other visual abilities.
Therefore, in the absence of well developed and strong visual skills, the child will also be unable to perform to their potential in both sports and academics.
Vision Problems and Confidence
Underachieving is frustrating, and as the child grows accustomed to failure, it can cause him or her to become further demotivated over the years. This explains why undiagnosed vision problems can lead to a child avoiding social activities, due to their lack of confidence and low self-esteem.
Moreover, children with undiagnosed visual issues are often misdiagnosed with a variety of ]behavior]-related syndromes, such as ADD/ADHD and dyslexia. In certain social environments, they may even be labeled as unintelligent or misbehaved, all of which can adversely impact their social status and emotional state.
Which Eye Conditions Lead to School and Work Difficulties?
Amblyopia "Lazy-Eye"
In this condition, the brain "prefers" one eye over the other and disregards the image of the neglected eye. As a result, the brain supports the strong eye, causing the lazy eye to become weaker.
Developmental optometrists, such as Dr. Reuter Hanna, use vision therapy to improve visual skills. This includes a variety of ocular exercises, prism glasses and special software to correct amblyopia in children and adults.
Convergence Insufficiency
To achieve clear vision, both eyes need to function in coordination with each other at all times — a process called binocular focusing. Convergence insufficiency refers to the inability to maintain a binocular focus at a near distance. This causes objects to appear in double, have a halo or blurry outline, or "float" on the page.
This condition cannot always be detected through vision screening, and therefore a more in-depth eye examination is required. Furthermore, glasses or surgery cannot correct this convergence insufficiency. It can only be improved using vision therapy which uses a series of tools and techniques to improve eye coordination abilities.
Focusing Problems
A person may have perfect vision while focusing, but what happens when the eyes can't maintain their focus? What if changing the focus continuously, from distance to near and back, is challenging? If you have ever tried to adjust a camera lens manually, you will understand what it takes. Imagine having to constantly readjust your focus within milliseconds.
The ability to establish and sustain simultaneous focus is crucial for reading or copying from the board, as the eyes need to adjust from near to far, and back again. These problems can usually be successfully treated with vision therapy.
Eye-tracking skills are essential for carrying out a number of common visual actions, such as following a moving object, directing hand movements and scanning for information. All of these can be highly challenging when eye movements are slow or irregular.
Because eye tracking problems don't just disappear with age, it is important to treat the condition as early as possible. Designated eye exercises and vision therapy can help enhance these skills.
Strabismus "Crossed Eyes"
Strabismus, also known as an "eye turn" or "cross-eye", is a condition characterized by the improper alignment of the eyes. One eye may look straight ahead, while the other turns inward, outward, upward, or downward.
Only in severe cases do the eyes actually "cross" or point to the nose. It's more common for the eyes to point in different directions to focus, a deviation you may not even notice. However, it can lead your child to experience difficulty reading or concentrate on near tasks, resulting in exhaustion after homework or reading and headaches.
Depending on its cause and severity, vision therapy can effectively correct strabismus. In cases where surgery is required (due to weakened eye muscles), the two can be combined.
Good Vision is Much More Than 20/20
Clear '20/20′ vision does not guarantee good vision. Find out if your child is equipped with the vision skills needed to thrive. Early detection through a functional vision exam at The Vision Therapy Center at Gold Coast Optometric Vision Performance will enable your child to have better odds at success and a more positive, happy outlook on life.
Make an appointment today! Serving patients from Oyster Bay, Glen Cove, Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor and throughout New York.