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What Does it Mean to be "Saved?"July 19, 2018 at 11:24 am | Posted in Salvation | 6 Comments
Tags: Biblical evangelism, eternal salvation, evangelism, Jesus Christ, Salvation, saved, the Gospel
I have noticed that many people have incorrect ideas and general confusion about the term "saved." To be "saved" in the Biblical sense means to be saved from God's wrath. God's wrath is what we deserve because of our sins against Him. To be "saved" is to be "rescued," or "delivered" from a punishment against which we are helpless. We are saved by God's grace, meaning that it is a free gift that we do not deserve. We are saved through faith, meaning that it happens when we believe the Truth about Jesus Christ and His Gospel and place all our trust in Him alone. We can add nothing whatsoever to this salvation. It comes to us through Christ, according to His Word, and for God's glory. For several years I have been asking people if they are "saved" and these are the most common responses:
1. "Yes, I go to church." But going to church does not mean that you are saved.
2. "Yes, I have been baptized." But being baptized does not mean that you are saved. Being baptized is something we are commanded to do AFTER we are saved. Baptism is an illustration of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. It does not wash away anyone's sins.
3. "Yes, I have been saved many times." But this is impossible. Salvation is a one-time-only event for each person who experiences it. Upon salvation you receive eternal life, and "eternal" life, by definition, cannot be lost or taken away.
4. "Yes, I pray to God every day." Being saved may occur during a prayer, but the act of praying itself is not the same as being saved.
Willful WaitingMarch 6, 2017 at 1:58 pm | Posted in Biblical farming, Isaiah | 4 Comments
Tags: Biblical evangelism, Biblical hope, Biblical patience, Biblical waiting, evangelism, farming, Isaiah 40, Lamentations 3, soulwinning
In a comparison between the principles of farming and the principle of Biblical evangelism, we have noted the importance of planting, watering, weeding, and watching, all of which are necessary if we are to see an agricultural harvest OR a spiritual harvest of souls brought to Christ. Now we will deal with possibly the most difficult task for a farmer who is zealous and anxious to reap the fruit of his time and labor: the waiting.
For a farmer, obviously, every day is not harvest day. And, although harvest day is a day of great rejoicing and satisfaction, the experienced farmer will learn the principle of patience while he is waiting for it to arrive. In the same way, those who wait upon the Lord's salvation, rather than getting frustrated, must learn to adopt an attitude of expectancy tempered by contentment. It is also important to remember that Biblical "waiting" is often "active waiting," as paradoxical as that might sound. Waiting upon the Lord is more like the waiting done by a waiter in a busy restaurant than the waiting done by an exasperated patient in the waiting room of a medical office three hours after the appointment time while the doctor finishes a round of golf.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
"Waiting" upon the Lord involves walking, running, and even soaring, as we look forward with Biblical hope (a knowledge-based AND faith-based assurance that He will keep His promises in His perfect timing).
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:25-26
Wary WatchingFebruary 16, 2017 at 4:32 pm | Posted in Biblical farming, Luke, parables, Uncategorized | 8 Comments
Tags: Biblical evangelism, Biblical farming, Ephesians 6, evangelism, farming, Jesus Christ, Luke 12, night watchmen, parable of the wise steward, watchfulness
Usually when we see the word "watching" in the Bible it refers to something more than just idly looking at something. It typically has the connotation that we think of in connection with a night "watchman," someone who is actively trying to stay alert, awake, and on guard, keeping a lookout for some sign that could mean either trouble or glad tidings.
Because the Bible sometimes uses the metaphor of farming in connection with Biblical evangelism, we have already noted that good farmers are concerned with planting, watering, and weeding. It would be nearly unthinkable to imagine a farmer, whose livelihood depended on a successful harvest, planting with care, watering diligently, pulling up weeds with zealous regularity, but failing to keep an eye on his crop, being oblivious to harmful insects, marauders, bad weather on the horizon, or sundry other forms of trouble that might befall his fields of produce. Therefore, we might apply the same principle to evangelism.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Luke 12:35-40 (emphasis added)
No one likes to get caught loafing. Because the Lord has given us a serious responsibility, and because we know the time to accomplish it is limited, and because we know that the day of accounting could come unexpectedly, we need to be serving Him faithfully, diligently, actively, obediently, and warily.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Ephesians 6:18 (emphasis added)
We do well to pray, but our custom of praying with our eyes closed must not be a hindrance to our engagement in the reality of spiritual warfare.
Faithful farmers hope that God sends rain, protection, and favorable conditions, but they also know that He expects them to be on guard, prepared to spring into action at the first signs of infestation, unexpected trouble, or the ripeness that means it's time to harvest.
Faithful Wounds Part 2October 6, 2014 at 11:47 am | Posted in Biblical friendship, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: Biblical evangelism, confrontational evangelism, evangelism, friendship evangelism, Matthew 28, Proverbs 27, Romans 10, soulwinning, witnessing
In response to my post called "Faithful Wounds," which you can read by clicking here, I received the following comments on another forum, and gave the following responses:
Commenter: If the ignorant boy knows the man, and has an ongoing trusting relationship, it's more likely that he will heed the warning without much incident. What I think you have argued is the fallacy of incongruent analogy.
And, would not God be the one doing the chasing, or "tackling", anyway? If the Spirit is not working in the heart of that person, it matters not what variety of message we use. It will be to no avail. So, why not build a bridge?
Me: The boy in the analogy wasn't just ignorant – he was dangerously ignorant. And, being completely oblivious to the danger and running out of space before he met an ugly end, there wasn't time to build a bridge of relationship. We could argue, I suppose, that the man should have built a relationship with the boy a long time ago, but the (made-up-for analogy) "fact" that he didn't build one before, doesn't make the analogy incongruent.
I agree that God's Spirit does the chasing and the tackling in one sense, but I also believe He uses loving Christians as His instruments many times. God is powerful enough to supernaturally implant the Gospel message into a person's brain, and He is powerful enough drop a blockade from the sky that would keep everyone from racing into traffic, but the fact is, for some reason, it pleases Him to use redeemed sinners to declare His Gospel, and to form relationships, and even to, once in while, roughly shake someone we love into his senses before he hurts himself.
Commenter: You are saying that God's Kingdom is built by hateful and rash behavior.
Me: That's not what I said. I said the man who tackled the boy "appeared" hateful and rash, but that he actually acted out of true active love. I do not believe the Bible condones rash hatred, and did not mean to imply it.
Commenter: You are crazy. Someone needs to tackle you, mate.
Me: I'm sorry you think I'm "crazy." Hopefully you are just joking and not being mean-spirited. Name calling is purportedly not helpful to building a bridge of relationship.
If you truly do think I'm crazy though, I guess I'll have to live with the label. They said the same thing about Jesus (Mark 3:21) and the Apostle Paul (Acts 26:24). Anyway, "crazy" can be pretty subjective. Older Christian men will tell you that, several decades ago, it was pretty common for people to tell people right to their face that they God loved them, and that they could be saved from the consequences of their sin by trusting Jesus. They say that these people weren't considered "crazy" at all. However, I admit that the standard has changed. These days, forcefully confronting someone with the Gospel when they don't want to hear it is often described as "crazy," while it is considered not only sane, but worthy of adoration, to wear a "meat dress" or to dance around in underwear on a stage while people scream out that they would die for you. "Crazy" can be sort of a relative term.
As far as someone tackling me, you're a little too late – it's already happened both in the literal (when I tried to stop a bigger person from beating up a smaller person, and his friends didn't like it!) and in the figurative sense – many years ago – when a stranger who loved me enough to tell me the truth told me that, according to the Bible, I had sinned against God and needed His loving Son to save me. The Holy Spirit also "tackled" me at that point, opened my willfully blind and oblivious eyes, and showed me it was true. That Truth is something wonderful that I want everyone to know – even the ones who think they don't want to hear it. That might appear hateful and rash, but it is not being hateful or rash.
Commenter: The primary flaw with your analogy is that anyone can by force save the boy from his path of destruction – in fact against his own will. Your analogy seems very similar to the comedian-magician Penn Gillette's words, that "If you see someone about to get hit by a truck, there comes a point when you tackle them." But what we are dealing with here is a soul's choice to accept or reject the Gospel. It would be more accurate to say that one man prayed and pleaded and begged the boy to turn aside, and that the second, more forceful man, shouted and harangued and yelled at the boy to turn aside. But neither of them could do anything other than speak to the boy. The path of his own life or destruction – of any soul's – is ultimately their own decision.
Me: You might believe that the analogy makes a point that you do not happen to like, believe, or agree with, but I respectfully submit that, in the scenario of the analogy itself, the point was not that anyone could stop the boy by force – the point was that only one person was willing to stop the boy by force. Someone had already tried more polite methods and they didn't appear to be working.
I don't know much about Penn Gillette, and I can't really tell if you are agreeing with his statement or not, but on the surface (without knowing the context and without agreeing with him on other things) it appears to make sense. If I'm about to get hit by a truck, I would like someone (even someone who doesn't particularly like me) to tackle me. As stated above, someone did that to me, spiritually speaking, several years ago, and I love him for it. Even more, I love the God Who I believe authorized and empowered him to do it. I have done it to others, and they have testified that they are grateful for it, too. I would argue that there is evidence in the Bible of evangelistic "tackling in love" and that it is portrayed in Scripture as the God-ordained thing to do in certain circumstances.
You state, "It would be more accurate to say that one man prayed and pleaded and begged the boy to turn aside, and that the second, more forceful man, shouted and harangued and yelled at the boy to turn aside. But neither of them could do anything other than speak to the boy." Well, you are free to make up your own analogy I suppose, but to say that mine is less "accurate" kind of misses the point. The boy and his tackler landed just shy of the path of a speeding truck! Are you suggesting that the haranguing and yelling would have been worth the risk considering the magnitude of the harm averted? Everyone is free to dislike the analogy, but I would hope it wouldn't be judged internally inconsistent, just like I would hope the tackler's motives wouldn't be mischaracterized as hateful and rash, when they are clearly stated to be otherwise.
You state: "The path of his own life or destruction – of any soul's – is ultimately their own decision." I want to give you credit (and I'm not being sarcastic) for the boldness of your convictions on this point. I would agree that each soul's decision plays a part, but I would also argue (I think I can support it from Scripture) that other people who encounter a person also play a part in determining that person's path, and that certainly God Himself plays a part in determining our path. To say that the person himself is the "ultimate" determiner, instead of God, is where we disagree.
Is it Wrong To Ask for an Overt Response? (Part 2)July 26, 2010 at 9:09 am | Posted in Bible Studies, II Corinthians | 6 Comments
Tags: 2 Corinthians 8, 2 Timothy 2, Acts 2, altar calls, Andrew, Biblical evangelism, decisional regeneration, decisionism, God's sovereignty, Luke 13, Luke 16, Matthew 11, monergism, Romans 16, Romans 2, sinner's prayer, synergism, total depravity
In a backlash against what is perceived as the "manipulative altar call," I have heard it said that, "The old preachers used to instruct their listeners to go home and get right with God."
Maybe so. But before the old preachers did that, the even older preachers demanded an overt response by commanding men to repent and be converted.
In Luke 13 Jesus responds to the questions of the Theodicians by telling them to repent, or else they will perish. Maybe He told them to go home first, before they got right with God, but the Bible doesn't say that. In fact, later in the same Chapter He says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate."
If people are being told that a formulaic prayer is the thing that saves them, then I would say that formulaic praying that makes the prayer itself the object of faith is unbiblical. However, demanding an overt response from the hearers of the Word of God (even lost hearers) is clearly Biblical.
Stating that leading lost sinners in prayer, or calling hearers to an altar for prayer or counseling, somehow means that God is too weak to save during these events is unbiblical. Folks who were regenerated by God as they said a "sinner's prayer" are God's Own children, redeemed by Him, predestinated from the foundation of the world unto salvation, elect, secure, and irrevocably bound for Heaven.
Try to catch the Biblical view of God's sovereignty and power.
For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
II Corinthians 8:3-5
God is powerful enough to make men speak of "their" power and them being "willing of themselves" while it is still "by the will of God." If you can acknowledge that men respond, then you are just a short step away from admitting that God wants men to call other men to respond actively and overtly.
Men are totally depraved and without hope, apart from Christ. Regenerated saints are called to preach the Gospel to these depraved sinners. When God opens the eyes of lost sinners, and shows them their sinful condition, the regenerated believers are to try, in the power of God's Spirit, to bring these lost folks to Jesus. That's what Andrew did. We don't know if he ever preached a sermon or taught a lesson, but we know he brought people to Jesus. Why did the people go with Andrew when he said, "Come with me to meet Jesus?" Why did they "respond?" Because God ordained it and because God made them want to come. You can call it "monergism" or "synergism" or whatever – I don't care – neither of those words are in my Bible. Andrew bringing people to Jesus, the Apostles demanding a response, people responding, and God saying it is all of Him – those are all in my Bible.
According to the Bible God saves people in His Own power, and He is the One Who keeps them saved, and His Own power empowers them for service. The same principle is at work both in God calling lost sinners to repentance and in God calling His saints to service. I chose II Corinthians 8:3-5 because of the close proximity between God's will and men "giving of themselves" to the Lord in the same passage of Scripture. I could give plenty of examples of this in the Bible. I believe these Verses are talking about true Christians, not lost unregenerate people, but it's the same principle, the same God, the same power. I hear people say, "Lost people can't give themselves to God," and it's true – unless God calls them to do it (and He does.) But by the same token, saved people can't give themselves (or anything else) to God without God's power, either. God's will is for people to respond. God calls whom He will to respond. He calls us to call people to respond. And some of them do respond. You can't get more overt than that. These folks in II Corinthians 8 weren't just raising their hand or praying a prayer – they were giving money! (Or at least material possessions.)
"How do we get a dead sinner to respond actively and overtly to the Gospel?" is the wrong question. We don't "get" them to. We command them to – we tell them to – we even "beseech" (Bible word) them to.
We are commanded by God to deliver the Good News with reverence and passion, and the people who hear it from us, spiritually dead though they may be, are responsible for responding.
We are to demand that lost sinners repent, believe the Gospel, and be converted "right there on the spot." If they walk away, we are to keep praying. (I would argue it's okay if we even chase after them – certainly Paul covered the same ground more than once in his missionary journeys.) But if God has quickened them, and they say, "I want to know more about this repentance, this belief, this conversion" then we can either say, "Sorry, God will have to do a work in you, I've preached and now I'm packing up my box of 'death to the sinner's prayer' and 'death to the altar call' quotes and leaving." Or we can say, "Good, I would be glad to show you from God's Word more about the salvation of God, and, by God's Spirit, I will even (gasp!), help you in prayer to call upon the Lord to be merciful and to regenerate you." One time, the Apostles demanded a response to the Gospel "right there on the spot" and about 3000 souls were saved in that same one day.
Concerning the 3000 who were saved in Acts 2:41, whose Word did they receive? Was it the Apostles' or God's?
It was both.
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Romans 2:16
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Romans 16:25
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
II Timothy 2:8
God is amazing enough to cause men to be stewards of His Word, and to even inspire men to call it their own.
Were the folks in Acts 2:41 saved because the Apostles demanded them to do so?
Yes, it was "because" the Apostles demanded a response, and it was because God ordained it. Not only that, He proclaimed it in the Old Testament, and He decreed it from the foundation of the world. Every one of us has a very finite view of cause and effect because we're not God. God has an infinite view of cause and effect. This is the Truth as God explains it in the Bible, not the way it is popularly explained in the words of men when they rail against "sinner's prayers" and "altar calls" and "decisionism."
God has commissioned His church to preach the Gospel and press hard for a response. Death to canned prayers? Amen! Death to sinners praying that God would be merciful to them? Not amen. The Bible condones sinners praying that God would be merciful to them. Death to calling for an overt response to the preaching of the Gospel? Not amen. Jesus and the Apostles called for an overt response to the preaching of the Gospel.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Matthew 11:12
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Luke 16:16
They responded and they acted. If God approves of sinners "pressing," He surely approves of them praying as they press.


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Applegarth Academy is part of the STEP Academy Trust (Striving Together for Excellence in Partnership) which is an inspirational and ambitious organisation, committed to improving the life chances of all children. As part of the Trust, there will be opportunities for career progression and excellent CPD. We encourage a collaborative approach throughout the School and the Trust.
An opportunity has arisen to join the Senior Leadership Team at Applegarth Academy as an Assistant Headteacher. This is an exciting time in which to join our school as we continue to build on the strengths of our Ofsted inspection in March 2015, where we were judged to be a 'Good' School.
Applegarth is a two form primary school, with a Nursery and Enhanced Learning Provision. We serve a diverse community with a higher than average number of children with English as an Additional Language, and the number of children with SEN or eligible for Free School Meals is also much higher than average. Applegarth promotes a highly inclusive culture throughout the school, enabling all children to achieve their best.
The successful candidate will be an outstanding classroom practioner, who will join a motivated and committed team working together to continue the journey to become a centre of excellence for teaching and learning.
We actively encourage you to visit the school to discuss this leadership post and to see our values in action. To arrange a visit, or if you have any queries, please contact the Office Manager, Samantha Talbot on 01689841528, or email: email@example.com.
Please also take a look at our website, where you will be able to find out a lot more about Applegarth Academy and the STEP Academy Trust. To apply please complete the application form and send to: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Closing Date: Wednesday 13th May 2015 at 12 noon
Interviews: Wednesday 20th May 2015
Tenable: September 2015
Salary: L7-L11
Applegarth Academy, Bygrove, Fieldway, New Addington, Croydon, CR0 9DL
The STEP Academy Trust believes that its workforce should reflect the local community and that all groups within the community should have equal access to the Trust's employment opportunities. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
The STEP Academy Trust is committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. The STEP Academy Trust is an equal opportunities employer.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Hello ladies and gentlemen,
It's been a while since I produced content for ManaDeprived.com. In fact, it's been 4 or 5 years since I produced any MtG content at all. However, the recent Modern unbannings made me theory craft a lot about the future outlook of the format and the respective influence of Jace and Bloodbraid Elf. So much that I decided to write an article on the topic in my free time!
It is hardly a secret that Jace's unban is probably going to warp the Modern format substantially. In fact, coming back from GP Toronto, members of our car talked about the possible bans and unbans that could take place on Monday. One thing we were adamant about was that Jace was not a safe unban. However, I do think that most people are wrong as to why Jace is potentially format-warping. The current article will explore where Jace will be at its best (hint: it is not as a finisher in a clunky UW control deck), and what cards in the format will get better or worse because of the MtG poster boy.
1) The first obvious implication of having Jace legal is that high-costed creatures without any come into play effects are going to get worse."Yeah, such insight Seb, you really nailed it out of the park with this one…"
The important and not necessarily obvious part is that delve creatures are going to get much worse. Believe me, having your Gurmag Angler bounced by Jace will be a nightmare, the same being true for Tasigur. This means that Jund or 4C Death's Shadow builds will probably get the edge over Grixis ones. It was already starting to be the case, but Jace's unban will probably cement that fact.
P.S. No, Jace is not a good inclusion in DS decks, which only play 17-18 lands.
2) Concerning removal, we may see Lightning Bolt become the 1 CMC removal of choice again over Fatal Push, as answering Jace will be a big game. If black ends up giving space to red (I don't think that will be the case, however, as discard is too important), it could also mean that creatures that die to Push but not Bolt will get better; think of Knight of the Reliquary or Courser of Kruphix.
3) Decks that play efficient 1 mana spells will now have a good way of going into the late game without getting out-card advantaged. Without Brainstorm to convert excess lands in spells (see Legacy), decks full of 1 mana spells (e.g., Death's Shadow) often found themselves empty handed versus opponents with 3 or 4 cards in hand in the late game. This was often the case in Death's Shadow vs. Jund or Abzan matchups.
Jace promotes the use of efficient 1 mana spells to clear the way for him. Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek ensure that he will resolve through counterspells or that a bigger threat (e.g., Karn Liberated) won't come after you tap out for Jace. In turn, Fatal Push, Lightning Bolt, and Path to Exile ensure that he will resolve on a clear board. In exchange, Jace rewards you by ensuring a steady flow of cards going into the mid-late game. Then again, mana development will also be of consideration: current configurations of DS decks play too few lands to support Jace, even if their game plan theoretically fits with him.
Speaking of which… You know what creature pairs really well with efficient 1 mana answers? Yeah: Snapcaster Mage. These two will certainly make a formidable team in the near future.
4) Jace does not pair well with clunky control spells. Sure, it offers control decks a better than average finisher, but it is not where he will shine the most. Do not think that UW Control with Cryptic Commands, Detention Spheres, and Supreme Verdicts will all of a sudden become fantastic just because Jace has been unbanned. These kinds of deck struggle up to the last minute for board control, and dropping Jace and having it survive is nearly impossible to do in most situations. Leaner control decks like Grixis with plenty of cheap interaction and discard should be able to better capitalize on Jace than UW. Jeskai would be in the middle of these two, being clunkier than Grixis but less than UW. So, where will Jace be fantastic if not in a control shell?
5) Jace will be busted as a maindeck or sideboard option for decks with mana acceleration. Why? Because, obviously, turbo-ing out Jace is fantastic: it enables you to play mana accelerants and offset their inherent card disadvantage by brainstorming and fetching away excess lands or mana dorks. But the most interesting aspect is the following: it enables any aggro-tempo deck to have a fearsome diversity of threats. It is easy for control decks to answer creatures. It is also easy for them to answer big spells from Tron with a bunch of Negate effects, especially post-board. What is very difficult for them to do is answer creatures and Jaces from the same deck in the right order. Open a hand with full of counterspells: get wrecked by early Noble Hierarchs and Knights of the Reliquary. Open a hand full of removal: get wrecked by Jace. This is why Mardu Vehicles is the bane of control decks in Standard: it plays basically all of the hard to answer threats (Heart of Kiran, Hazoret, Chandra, Scrapheap Scrounger), which control decks have to answer in the correct order not to die. Vraska's Contempt is very good against Hazoret, but terrible against multiple Toolcraft Exemplar starts.
Another example can be found in Eldrazi Tron or Lantern, which often dedicate maindeck or sideboard slots to Pithing Needle effects. Against pre-ban UW Control, Needles were very good because they stopped mana denial from Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin and answered planeswalkers or Colonnade beatdowns in advance. The adoption of Jace by control decks will change nothing to the fact that Needle is excellent against them. But what about Jaces from Bant Knightfall, or Sultai tempo lists? Pithing Needle is terrible against a deck with 20 lands, 10 removal/discard/cantrip spells, 16 creatures, and 4 Jaces. Do you want to take the chance of siding in needle effects when they are only effective vs. 5% of the opponent's deck? Again, you can open a hand with 2 Pithing Needles and get stomped by a turn 2 accelerated Geist of Saint Traft or Knight of the Reliquary.
6) Jace will give a better fighting chance to black midrange decks versus Tron or Valakut. Beforehand, the plan was to stall Tron/Valakut with discard spells in order for an aggressive threat to quickly close out the game. Death's Shadow was very good at that, but clunkier creatures such as Tarmogoyf often failed to do so in time. Now, Sultai builds will have a clear path to victory: put a hole in their game plan by thoughtseizing them and ensure they never recover by fatesealing them with Jace. By the way, Wurmcoil Engine from Tron just got a lot worse (see point 1).
With that said, how would I build Jace decks? First, here's a list of the already existing decks that could integrate Jace in the main or sideboard:
– Jeskai, Grixis, and UW control: Jace as a maindeck finisher.
– U/R Storm, G/U Infect, U/R Pyromancer, Merfolk: Jace as a sideboard card against control and midrange decks.
– Bant Knightfall, Bant Counters Company, Temur Tempo, Jeskai Breach: Jace in the maindeck and/or sideboard as an alternative win condition that smooths out draws.
Despite these viable options, I would be more tempted to build a Jace deck from the ground up. I would gravitate towards a Sultai shell, as it could contain all of the best elements outlined above, namely:
1) Discard spells into fateseal to KO combo and big mana decks.
2) Noble Hierarchs to turbo out Jace.
3) Tarmogoyf to protect Jace, present a diversity of threats, and clock other Jaces/the opponent.
4) Snapcaster Mage to take advantage of the insane 1 CMC spells in Sultai colors.
Here's a sample of what the decklist could look like (warning, this is completely untested and based only on theory crafting!):
Creatures (11)
3 Noble Hierarch
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
Sorcery (14)
4 Thoughtseize
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Serum Visions
4 Thought Scour
Instant (8)
4 Fatal Push
1 Dismember
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Spell Pierce
Planeswalkers (7)
3 Liliana of the Veil
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Manabase (20)
20 lands including 2 Twilight Mire and 2 Creeping Tar Pit
Sideboard (15)
3 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Negate
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Creeping Corrosion
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Ceremonious Rejection
3 Collective Brutality
Ultimately, the color requirements of the above decklist might mean that Birds of Paradise is a better choice than Noble Hierarch, or that mana dorks (and green) should be dropped in favor of Grixis colors. Corey Burkhart's love affair has much to gain from the presence of Jace.
Brewing with Jace does seem like a lot of fun, even if playing against it probably won't be as exciting!


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Contractor awarded two infrastructure jobs in Jeddah
Contractor Vinci UK has won two jobs worth a total of £110m for the Saudi Arabian National Water Company in Jeddah.
The contractor has been awarded the contracts to build a reservoir and treated effluent lifting station in a joint venture with the Al Muhaidib Contracting Company (AMC).
The joint venture will have to design and build the 1.5 million cubic metre Briman Strategic Water Reservoir over a two year period, and design, procure and build the Al Khumra lifting station in 12 months.
It will also operate the two facilities for twelve months under the contracts. The work is part of a £3.4bn investment by the Saudi Arabian National Water Company to improve water and waste-water infrastructure in the country.
Ivan Norris, managing director of the Gulf region for Vinci Construction UK, said: "We are delighted to be working with AMC on the two National Water Company initiatives. These projects play a crucial part in the water infrastructure in the country and we are pleased to use our expertise to deliver the projects."


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Here at the Keg & Brew in Sydney, we're so passionate about craft beers that we're always following the trends in the industry here in Australia, so we can bring you the finest craft beers on tap. In this article we've outlined the 2018 predictions for some of the most popular types of Australian craft beers:
Many people associate the term 'craft beer' with ales however lagers are also increasing in popularity in the Australian craft beer space. Craft beer snobbery has died down significantly in recent years and many beer-drinkers who've historically drunk mainstream lagers have converted to craft pale lagers for a different taste as well as the desire to support smaller, local businesses.
The above point doesn't mean the popularity of traditional craft IPA's is going to slow anytime soon, however. Australian IPA brewers will get more experimental with different fruits including lime and grapefruit for example. While these new flavours may be slightly more polarising than traditional IPAs, we're excited to serve them up to our customers here at the Keg & Brew.
While the Guinness family won't be panicking just yet, dark beers such as porters and stouts will creep upwards in popularity in 2018. 2017 saw some big wins in prestigious craft beer awards ceremonies for Aussie stouts and porters predicting growth in these areas over the next 12 months.
Like any industry which grows in popularity, the corporate heavyweights are swooping in to acquire craft breweries. Global powers Lion and SAB control over 50% of the craft beer market in Australia and Coca Cola have recently purchased brands like Blue Moon and Yenda.
These are just some trends expected for the Australian craft beer industry this year. While some may prove more accurate than others, two things are certain; it won't be a dull year in the craft beer space and the Keg & Brew in Surry Hills will continue to serve the best Australian craft beer available!


text: Architectural Review Board Meeting Suspended for April 8, 2020 due to Covid-19 Precautions 04-08-20 6:00 PM - 04-08-20 7:30 PM City of Glendale Glendale City Hall Auditorium 424 Sappington Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122, United States [{"latlong":["38.589725","-90.386178"],"location":"424 Sappington Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122, United States","zoom":"21","infow":"424 Sappington Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122, United States<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/label>\n\t\t\t 04-08-20 6:00 PM04-08-20 7:30 PM <\/span>\n\t\t <\/div>","google_map_url":"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/424+Sappington+Rd%2C+Kirkwood%2C+MO+63122%2C+United+States\/@38.589725,-90.386178"}] The Architectural Review Board (ARB) meets every second Wednesday of the month, at 6:00 pm in the Glendale City Hall Auditorium, 424 N. Sappington Road. The submission deadline for meetings is the first Monday of the month. You may find the annual schedule on the website under the link titled Architectural Review Board. Click Here to Subscribe to Our Events! General Information Glendale City History Churches Schools Newsletters Phone #'s & Web Links Local Businesses City Maps Events Calendar Glendale Aquatic Center Service Organizations Departments Administration City of Glendale Fire Department Glendale Public Works Glendale Police Department Glendale Municipal Court Mayor & Board Mayor & Board Board of Aldermen Meeting Minutes and Agendas Permits and Applications Budget FAQ Quick Links Accessibility Architectural Review Board Board of Adjustment Glendale Tree Board City of Glendale eBill System City Ordinances Look up Court Case Recycle Electronics Electronic Recycling Events Trash and Recycling Guidelines Bank Draft Authorization Permanent Household Hazardous Waste Community Development Block Grant Missouri State Highway Patrol – Traffic Fatality Tracker Fire Station, City Hall, and Police Department Updates © 2020 ‐ Glendale The City of Glendale, Missouri


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Members of the Dream Team are fickle and opinionated when it comes post-ride coffee shops. So when we find one we all like, it must be good to keep these grumpy old men happy.
But how do we decide whether we like a coffee shop or not?
It really comes down to understanding the individuals and their idiosyncracies. So this is an attempt explain our unwritten rules in the vain hope someone out there may find this remotely useful. I have then used these criteria to review a few coffee shops we frequent.
This is not a robust approach, but it's novel. And for that I'll give myself a pat on the back. It's also not an exhaustive list of coffee shops. It's a start to which I intend to add to over time. So feel free to send me your favourite coffee shops in Eastern Suburbs and the Dream Team will (try to) make a visit and I'll add to this review.
Criteria 1: Quality of the coffee
One Shoe and Glorious are happy if the quality of the coffee is good. For One Shoe, if it's Toby's Estate, then he's content and we avoid his 30-minute diatribe on the state of the world's coffee production.
Glorious is more exacting. The coffee should not be too strong or too weak, sort of like pasta being done al dente. This means exactly the right amount of coffee beans need to be ground to make the perfect strength coffee. His pallet is finely calibrated, so he knows whether the barista has used too many or too few beans (to within two beans). The milk must be freshly heated and not reheated or mixed from different milk jugs. Failure to do so ruins his day. It also ruins everyone else's around him.
Criteria 2: Price
Pant's is driven purely by cost. His mood after a cycle is directly correlated to the price of a bacon and egg roll and coffee. He has an emotional benchmark of around ten dollars. Under it, and he is very chirpy. Around ten dollars and he is on a knife-edge. If he pays slightly above, storm clouds gather overhead. The further you get from the magical ten-dollar mark, the closer he is to going on a killing spree like Michael Douglas in Falling Down, especially if he hasn't brought enough money with him. The sweat beads dripping down his face is an early warning sign he is about to blow like mount Vesuvius.
Criteria 3: handling the sauce and egg test
I am happiest when my egg is soft and runny and without sauce. Pants likes his egg decimated and loves sauce. One shoe likes tabasco rather than the typical tomato or barbecue sauce. Glorious changes his mind between muesli and fruit compote or bacon and egg roll, and then switches sauce choice, often when the waiter is taking down the order. Ass likes barbecue sauce. This causes much confusion for the egg and bacon chef in the kitchen. It takes a lot to get it right. If they do, then they have a loyal set of customers in the Dream Team.
Criteria 4: Location
The perfect coffee shop to meet this criteria would be this:
- First put a cross on a map to show where each of us live.
- Then draw a line from every house to every other person's house, so you get 36 intersecting lines.
- The most lines crossing in the same place is the middle.
- Walk to that point on a map. Spin yourself around 10 times with your eyes closed. Look up and walk in that direction until you come to a coffee shop.
- This coffee shop is the best. It doesn't have to be a pretty location; it just needs to be as close as possible everyone's house. The less time to travel home, the more time we have for coffee.
The review
So it's not a surprise we tend to move around a bit. Saying that, we do have favourites and below are a few, rated using the Dream Team Coffee Ratingstmsystem.
- Eq = emotional state of Pants, based on price
- Q = coffee quality
- L = location
- SE = sauce and egg test
1. Café Japon, La Perouse Road, Randwick
Café Japon, as its name suggests, has a Japanese feel to it. Accompanying the traditional brekkie menu are Japanese dishes. They also exhibit artwork and have poetry nights. It has a very different feel to your standard eastern suburb coffee shop. The downside is that it's situated on a roundabout. This is our current favourite.
- Eq: Pants has a nervous twitch in his right eye. The price is slightly over a tenna
- Q: high, it's Toby's Estate
- L: on the border of Ass and One Shoes tolerance level
- SE: never get the sauces wrong; egg can be hit or miss
Overall Dream Team score: 7.5/10
2. Sugar café, Bondi Junction
This little coffee shop is tucked away down a side street next to Bike Bar Bondi. This is a favourite amongst cyclists because of its proximity to Centennial Park.
- Eq: Fruit toast needs a mortgage to pay for it. Pants acts and looks like Walter Kurtz, the green beret gone mad in Apocalypse Now
- L: much closer to the Ass and One Shoe's home. Not that close to anyone else
- SE: can't afford a bacon and egg roll, let alone the sauce
Overall Dream Team score: 3/10
3. Malabar Beach Café, Malabar
This beauty is on the roundabout right on the bay of Malabar. The views are amazing and on a clear day, you really appreciate the best of Sydney. The service is also great.
- Eq: Pants on a knife's edge, but the views seem to calm him down
- Q: good
- L: too far away for Ass and One Shoe, so we only go when they are not cycling
- SE: no problems with potential sauce confusion, egg hit or miss
Overall Dream Team score: 8.5/10
4. Spot Espresso, La Perouse Road, Randwick
Picked this place because it's about half way between where Glorious lives in Maroubra and Ass lives in North Bondi. It's right next to the Royal pub in Randwick.
- Eq: chirpy – do a cheaper bacon and egg wrap option, so Pants is jumping up and down like he's won the lottery
- L: 100 yards closer to home for Ass than Café Japon
- SE: ALWAYS put sauce in mine. And the default is sickly brown barbecue sauce. I need an adrenaline shot to keep me alive
Overall Dream Team score: 6.5/10
5. Billy's Bar Espresso, Pacific Square, Maroubra
A new one for midweek rides. So new, only a couple of us have tested it and no one has tasted the bacon and egg roll. It's on the route from La Perouse back to Maroubra and Randwick. Under new management, Glorious has given it the seal of approval for the standard of coffee.
- Eq: Pants hasn't been to this one, but coffee cost alone is average
- L: perfect for midweek rides for those going to La Perouse
- SE Test: not tried yet
Overall Dream Team score: 6/10
6. Centennial Park café
We go here if we've been lazy and did a few laps round the park. The deck-like flooring around the coffee shop and restaurant is a disaster zone for cyclists wearing cleats if it has been raining. If there has been rain, watch cyclists walk like puppets out of Thunderbirds as they collect their coffees.
- Eq: Pants is a bit twitchy and rocks backwards and forwards in his chair as he pays slightly over his tolerance level
- L: it's the perfect middle point for all of us
- SE Test: used to cook them fresh, but now they're pre-done and put in a grill to warm up. Twice cooked egg not my cup of tea
Overall Dream Team score: 6.5/10
And the winner is…
Although Malabar has the highest score, we only go when the boys from the Bondi end of town aren't riding. Café Japon ticks most of the boxes for most of us. The service is good and so is the coffee. It's a central location, which makes it convenient for all of us to get back after a ride. You don't want to be riding too far after a relaxing coffee.


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Hen Party Packages
For Hen parties Lough Gara Country Pursuits is the place to spend a few hours in the fresh country air, having great craic and laughing with (or at) your fellow hens.
We can tailor a package to suit your group.
We can also tailor a mixed package where half the group do one activity and half do another activity.
The horse Riding is in a roofed arena on quiet well schooled horses, we can cater for beginners or experienced riders.
We use subsonic cartridges for the clay shooting for hen parties so there is very little recoil from the shotguns
Horse Riding €25
- alternative activity for girls who don't want to ride.
Cow girls €30
- Air Rifle shooting
- Archery
- Air soft shooting
- Bottle feed the lambs
- brush the pig
- Groom the miniature pony
- Cuddle the rabbits
- Horse Ride or Falcon
Clay pigeon shooting €35
subsonic cartridges can be used


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The Wild
Sidra Natural
7.5% ABV, 500 ml
Meet The Wild; so named for its wild-fermented, unusual character. A Spanish-style cider called sidra natural, The Wild is produced using wild yeast and bacteria and hands-off techniques that result in a dry, tart flavor profile that fans of sour beer and kombucha, in particular, will appreciate. After it ages 10 months in neutral oak barrels, it is bottled without filtration or pasteurization. A light body and slight effervescence make The Wild a perfect pairing for spicy or smoked foods, vegetarian dishes, and seafood. If listening to Spanish guitar on a plaza in Oviedo were a drink, this would be it.
The Wild is similar to the sidra natural style that is produced in the Asturias region on Spain's northern coast. Sidra natural has a millennia old tradition in Spain, particularly in Asturias where references to cider and pear wine go back as far as the first century BCE, and production techniques have changed little over time. Customarily, Asturian bartenders pour sidra with the bottle raised overhead and the glass held at hip level to promote aeration. (Watch a video of this incredible feat here.) We would say, "don't try this at home," but we know the urge is hard to resist. Full disclosure: We've tried … with poor results. For now, we'll stick with pouring close to the glass and enjoying our sidra, rather than mopping it off the floor.
Product Highlights
- Flavors of tart apple, lemon, and saddle leather with floral notes.
- Light body.
- Aged in neutral oak barrels for ten months.
- Made of 100% Gravenstein apples, which is a unique heirloom apple variety that originated in the 17th century.
- All source apples used in our products are grown, picked, crushed, and pressed by us.
- Wild fermentation and no intervention results in some funky and unusual flavors that fans of sour beers will love.
- Completely dry flavor with zero residual sugar.
- Unfiltered, unpasteurized, produced and bottled with no intervention.
- Mostly still with slight effervescence
- Pairs well with spicy and smoked dishes, seafood, and pork.
The Wild Lore
Stories surround us. Read on for a short fiction piece inspired by The Wild.
The humid air thick with breath and evaporated sweat should have felt oppressive, but instead it was exhilarating. Dancers twirled, sprang apart then hurtled together, their hair, clothing, hands and feet blurring together in a swirl of color like an expressionist painting. Sweat trickled down their temples, dripped off the tips of their noses. Once perfectly-coiffed hairdos had gone feral with a zealous, eager fervor.
A young man observed from the periphery, his mind buzzing with the percussive, yet melodic staccato of dueling acoustic guitars; the fevered, yet clammy skin of the other onlookers pressed against him; the surreal light from lanterns turned low that illuminated the smoke in the air, the steam rising from the dancers' bodies. He felt intoxicated, not by the tart sidra washing over his tongue, but by this moment that enveloped him, consuming him completely and engaging every one of his senses.
It was not long before, inevitably, the pent up sensation demanded expression. It welled up like a tempest inside him, a thrilling torrent accumulating in his breast. As if magnetized, his gaze was drawn across the room and beyond the teeming mass of dancers where it fell on a woman standing opposite him at the edge of the circle of observers. Their eyes locked and she smiled. They came together on the dance floor and without speaking, took on another into each other's arms.
Time passed — either an eternity or just a half hour, who's to say? — and they came to know one another through music and movement. The delicate triangle of hair pointing down the nape of her neck. The smooth cup at the base of his throat. The way her hips seemed to move independently of the rest of her body. The tautness of his upper body as he held her even in the most tender, relaxed moments of the dance. Holding one of her hands, he spun her close into his body and then out again. He gently pulled her back toward him, but she was already pulling him in the opposite direction. He surrendered. She looked back and smiled.
Sparks of laughter, a sea of radiant smiles and shirts soaked through with sweat — he was moving through the crowd, gently guided by the woman and spurred on by her occasional backwards glances and smiles. Before he realized what was happening, they had passed through the exit and out into a glowing courtyard. She dropped his hand and turned, walking backward, an invitation and a challenge writ across her face. She turned and jogged ahead, kicking off her shoes and he followed with a surge of euphoria, a laugh of total abandon ringing out into the night.
Red, flowing dress swirling, she spun into the darkness on dancing, tripping, skipping feet. Just as she passed beyond the reach of the lanterns' glow, a clatter of antlers struck like lightening and she froze, the hem of her dress settling like dust around her ankles. Stopped short, they shared a glance laced with a hint of uncertainty. Her face resolved into its former impish look and she put a finger to her lips. He took her hand and slowly, silently, they advanced. They climbed a short rise and peered over. There, on a landing below, were two stags, their antlers locked in combat. Steam rose from flared nostrils and the primal stench of rut filled the air.
Holding one another close, the couple observed the conflict until the larger animal shoved the smaller back into the trees where it subsequently turned and ran. The air was cold, but neither the man nor the woman seemed to feel it. They scrambled down the rise and ran halfway back to the glowing courtyard when she pulled him up. Throwing her head back, she howled toward the full moon overhead. Puzzled, but amused, he laughed and followed her lead. Moments later, a nearby pack of coyotes joined in.


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Happy EMS Week! We want to give a special shout out for all that you do to help your patients and communities. We thank you for your dedication - this week, and every week! Enjoy these deals on popular items before they are gone!
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No one that I've encountered over the last two years has been prepared (or willing) to argue that retail is not being disrupted. I also think most people would agree that the source of that disruption is based primarily in technology.
We've seen it on the customer side, with the rise of online shopping and then mobile. But not the source of disruption is less from consumer technology, and more from the impact of enterprise technology. Things like AI & machine learning, microservices, and cloud computing.
In general (there are exceptions), retailers have not kept up, truly, with either side – customer or enterprise transformation. There are a lot of good reasons why. Retailers live and die by the customer experience, so it means taking on a lot of risk to start messing with that experience. A lot of that risk comes from operating a highly distributed store-based model, where rolling things out is expensive. Whatever tinkering needs to be done to a customer experience that is primarily delivered in stores, that tinkering better be perfect and done once, because if you have to go back and fix some mistakes halfway through rolling it out to stores, you've got a huge mess on your hands.
Retailers also have a tendency to want to customize everything they buy or implement, in order to make it unique and differentiating. That's understandable too. A lot of retailers rose to prominence on a message of "we have all the best brands", but even before Amazon, that was a tough brand promise to keep. When you sell national brands in particular, you've got to have something unique and differentiating to stand out from the next retailer who has all the same brands. That leads to a natural bias against implementing "the same thing as everyone else".
Retailers also have to deal with enormous volumes of data, long before the idea of "big data", and they have to manage that data in, again, a highly distributed environment. Truly, the idea of, for example, centrally managing unique prices by location or zone has really only been possible in the last 2 decades.
I used to think it was ironic, but now it's just scary: retailers, who have historically only invested in technology as a cost-saving opportunity for back-end operations must now invest in technology to be successful at anything – most especially including selling stuff. They can no longer effectively attract customers without a digital strategy. They can't count on selling anything without at least some sort of digital presence. And they can't retain customers without a digital component to customer communication, whether via email or through social media.
Focus On The Enterprise
The last 20 years, and most especially the last 10, have been about retailers struggling to adapt to the digital nature of consumer engagement. They're still not there. But there is at least some progress and a recognition that there is more work to be done. On the enterprise technology front, however, there has been very little activity. Again – there are exceptions.
The problem is, if the consumer side has been hard, the enterprise side is even harder, mostly because it's easy to justify investments in customer-facing digital because you at least will have the expectation you're going to sell more stuff, which will help with the ROI. But there is most likely not a near-horizon business case for investing in an enterprise technology foundation.
I believe retail is at a point where it is ready to acknowledge that past technology investments actually cost more than what they thought they did when calculating the ROI, because they didn't truly calculate either the total cost of ownership, or the opportunity cost of how they chose to implement their solutions. Customization (as opposed to configuration) and point-to-point integration equal "no future" for a solution. No upgrades, increasingly difficult and expensive maintenance, and increasingly expensive new capabilities because of the cost of even more point-to-point integration.
Sadly, it's all the things that have made retailers successful that are now getting in their way. Things like customer experience perfection, a focus on technology for cost-saving, fear of relying on technology scalability or technology in a highly distributed environment. And most especially the instinct to want to customize everything.
Worse, as the customer-facing side of the business has felt pressure to keep up with evolving consumer demands, there has been a business-driven revolt to take control over IT spending away from IT departments. It's come out of a feeling of necessity, that something needs to be done to meet consumer needs and the business simply can't wait for the "department of No" to get around to adding the need to an already-lengthy backlog. But many of those investments have also been made without the discipline (or know-how) to get to an integrated upgradeable experience.
We're reaching the point where the customer experience can't get any better without taking care of the supporting enterprise foundation – and that means investing in technology for technology's sake. Retailers need to invest in IT to create a more solid foundation, and to enable future speed and flexibility.
That's why I believe that 2018 will be the beginning of technology for technology's sake in retail – and that it is a good thing. Everyone may be tired of hearing about microservices or cloud, but the reason they're being talked about is because they are needed. Now.


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Black Spider. Another great spider pattern for use in the early season coloured water, great teamed up with the Pearl Spider as a searching pattern. The brightly coloured red body and silver tungsten bead really stands out in those early season rivers.
This fly is available in either size 14 or 16.
Choose your size and then click "Add to Cart", you can adjust the quantities in your cart.


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- Cauz For Pawz
Reuse in New York City
From non-profit organizations to city-funded programs New York City is home to many reuse initiatives aimed at utilizing one of our most valuable resources-- the materials we already have at hand...
New York City Funded Reuse Programs and Resources
NYC Stuff Exchange
The NYC Stuff Exchange is a quick and simple online tool, from the Deptartment of Sanitation's Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling, that helps residents easily find out where to donate, buy, or sell gently used goods in NYC. Hundreds of listings are searchable by zip code, borough, or citywide. The Stuff Exchange Website was launched in 2007 and now you can view Stuff Exchange on your mobile device with the Stuff Exchange iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch app.
re-fashioNYC, launched in 2011, is a public-private partnership between the City of New York and Housing Works to make clothing donation as easy as possible through convenient in-building drop-off service. For more information on re-fashioNYC and to inquire about having a clothing bin placed in your residential building, take a look at the re-fashioNYC webpage.
NYC WasteMatch
A major program of NYC MEDP is NYC WasteMatch, a free online materials exchange and referral service. NYC WasteMatch matches generators or donors of valuable commercial "waste" and surplus materials to users or recipients. In doing so, NYC WasteMatch keeps valuable resources out of the waste stream while offering clients an opportunity to save money and lower their environmental impact. Learn more about NYC WasteMatch and link to the website from our NYC WasteMatch page.
Highlighted Local Reuse Programs
- Furniture Distribution Program [NYCHA]
- Free Synagogue of Flushing Thrift Shop
- Maspeth Thrift Shop
- Arthritis Foundation Thrift Shop
- CancerCare Thrift Shop


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IoT Monkey > Editorial > SenZations 2014: things & thoughts
SenZations 2014: things & thoughts
The SenZations summer school is over and after spending 24 wonderful hours with my family in Milan, I am already on the train to Lerici, Italy. There I will attend the Internet of Things and Smart Cities Ph.D. school. Now that the train departs from the gorgeous Milano Centrale, I have couple of hours to draw some conclusions regarding the past week.
Little bragging, as well as a clarification first – IoT Monkey has been awarded as the most prolific and complete source to follow live the SenZations 2014 event. I would like to stress out that I would have drawn the very same conclusions, no matter if that happened or not. If you have followed the website and the IoTMonkey's Twitter feed the past week, you will probably find out that I have earned this award with a lot of hard work and dedication.
I am starting my SenZations story with couple of words about networking. Expanding your network in the area which you try to develop into is crucial to your success. I have reconfirmed this yet again. At SenZations I have met wonderful people, ranging from lecturers, engineers, investors, mentors and last, but not least – the participants. Spending a week together allowed us to create very solid bond which we will absolutely rely onto in the future.
No doubt, all the people on the event possessed different skills set, however when we put them together combined – as we proved on the final presentations – miracles do happen and crazy ideas turn into reality (or in our case, prototypes). Shout out to you, crazy IoT veggies team and your weirdo Selfie Police thing.
Even though we have been competitors, we have been assisting each other without any rivalry. We simply cared for the others, wanting them to succeed as much as we do. This is, I believe, a key component in the world of young engineers we all participate into and want to be part of.
We not only networked, but exchanged tons of first-class knowledge between us. Be it engineering one, be it knowledge on programming or how to write that damn business plan – we have always had one-hop connection to ask. And when we asked others – we have been given precise, complete and definitive answers. It is simply amazing how people can cooperate on various projects when they are put in informal environment.
The lectures which gave us daily talks.. I probably do not have enough words to describe these amazing people, but I will try. Stunning. Outstanding. Inspiring. Probably there are more adjectives to put, but I bet you get it.
All of them, people with enormous knowledge in various areas – ranging from real-time computing, through sensing and networks, to the finest elements in negotiating your business overseas and writing business plans. They were among us all week long, participating in the creation of that very strong bond I am mentioning above. We never felt any kind of separation – we have been sleeping in the same rooms, having meals on one table, hanged out together by the pool. Informal environment – this, I truly believe, was the key to the connection we have created.
Last, but not least – dear event hosts – dear Srdjan, Alex, Konrad, Gordana and Martina – the event was simply outstanding. We have been very well taken care of and we missed nothing. The selection of lecturers for both tracks, the topics – they were top notch. The trip to Kornati – it was a stunning experience you gave us, as well as in the very right time – we have just been started to feel a little overwhelmed with the lectures and the amount of knowledge we have to process.
When time to part our ways has approached we thought of numerous ways to extend the school with at least a week more. Alas, none of our agendas allowed us to do so, however we have made promises to gather together next year and bring new people to the event. No wonder why the attendee rate for SenZations is climbing higher and higher each year – you cannot attend it once, without coming back again and bringing a friend over the next year.
SenZations is just too good to keep it only for yourself! If you are in doubt whether to attend it or no – read this article again.


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In our society, many consequential decisions are group decisions. Group decisions are subject to many of the same possible errors in the decision making process as individual decisions. An effective group decision will hopefully be a better decision than an individual decision. Haven't we always been taught that: "Two heads are better than one"?
However, the research shows that group decisions are often worse than individual decisions. One of the culprits that contribute to this phenomenon is "groupthink". Groupthink is the term for the tendency of a group to make an erroneous decision due to group loyalty and social cohesion. [i]
Examples of decisions made through groupthink are President Kennedy's Bay of Pigs decision, President Johnson's decision to escalate the Vietnam War, and President Nixon's Watergate decisions.[ii] The decision to launch the space shuttle Challenger during cold weather, resulting in its demise, has also been identified as an example of groupthink.[iii]
Janis (1982) identified three major causes of group think. The first is overestimation of the group. The group thinks of itself as more righteous, more intelligent, or more powerful than others resulting in overconfidence. The second major cause is closed-mindedness of the group as the group rationalizes away any challenges to their thoughts. Outsiders (those not considered part of the group) with other views are dismissed as inferior and not worthy of regard.
The third major cause is groupthink is group pressures for uniformity. Individuals self-censor any of their concerns or dissenting views to maintain group uniformity. The individuals do not want to stray from the prevailing view of the group. Although there may be individuals who harbor concerns or dissenting views, there exists a shared illusion of unanimity. Dissenters are pressured to conform to the view of the group. Within the group, may exist a self-appointed "mind-guard" who keeps information that may challenge the group's decision from the group.[iv]
Preventing groupthink requires a group leader than encourages dissent and criticism.[v] Many in society have been taught that we all should get-along with others, and they are not comfortable being involved with what can sometimes be a bit of rancor during a clash of ideas. But constructive dissent and criticism, not involving ad hominem attacks, are essential to making any good decision.
Group leaders should not state their preferences early in any discussion.[vi] The statement of a preference of a group leader, especially if the group leader is considered an authority, is a sure way to stifle dissent and criticism. Most people will not see any benefit to them in questioning the idea of the leader.
Multiple groups can be set up to make the same decision and then the groups can have a more open discussion of any differing ideas. Group members can discuss the deliberations of the groups with others, and then share those conversations with the group. Also, groups can ask outside experts or others to attend the group meeting and provide input to counter the insularity of the decision making process. Finally, a devil's advocate should be appointed whose role is to challenge the groups ideas—an especially effective procedure.[vii]
I have been involved in groups throughout my lifetime, and rarely has a group not exhibited aspects of groupthink. Groupthink may not make much difference in a decision involving where to hold the group's annual banquet, but can lead to catastrophic failure in more important decisions.
[i] Janis, I.L. (1982), Victims of Groupthink (2nd ed.) Boston. Houghton Mifflin.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Esser, J.K. & Lindoerfer, J.S. (1989). Groupthinkand the space shuttle Challenger Accident: Toward a quantitative case analysis. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 2, 167-77.
[iv] Baron, Jonathan, 2008, Thinking and Deciding, 4th Ed.,, NY, Cambridge University Press, p.225;Plous, Scott, 1993, The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making, N.Y. McGraw Hill., p. 203.
[v] Ibid. p. 203
[vi] Ibid. p. 204.
[vii] Ibid. p. 205.


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Lovecases now stocking sat nav cases
Lovecases, the popular online case provider, have announced that they are now going to be stocking robust cases for popular sat nav systems. Tomtom, Garmin, Navigon, Navman and more device cases are now available from the website, made by brands like Case logic, Krusell and Hama. Sat navs have..Continue Reading →


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Ways to stay fit in flu season
Ways to stay fit in flu season, As cold and flu season approaches, giving up junk food for more healthy options would help maintain a strong immune...
As cold and flu season approaches, giving up junk food for more healthy options would help maintain a strong immune system. Dr Ara DerMarderosian, professor of pharmacognosy for University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and an expert in nutraceuticals and natural foods, have provided guidance to change how you eat and break habits that pack on the pounds and compromise immunity.
Don't play 'food police'
Be conscious of what and how much you eat, but don't overdo self-monitoring to the point that a healthy lifestyle shifts from being a choice to becoming overwhelming, pushing other activities away and interfering with relationships.
Pay attention to true hunger
Listen to your hunger signals and refrain from eating when you're not hungry. Eating when your body doesn't need food can cause you to overindulge.
Eat slowly
Eat like a gourmet - enjoy each bite to have, chewing methodically, and truly enjoy the taste of your food. Eating slowly gives your body time to break down the food, which can prevent post-meal indigestion and feeling bloated.
Focus on eating
Do not watch television, read or work while you eat. When you're not focused on eating, it's unlikely you'll notice how much is going in your mouth.
Avoid eating when stressed
Stress is a well-known cause of overeating and digestive issues, such as heartburn. A relaxing atmosphere, enjoyable company and conversation, and not feeling rushed for time makes for a healthy meal.
Everything in moderation
Eating food is pleasurable, so enjoy a few morsels of candy, but limit the quantity.


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Man with rifle arrested after crashing car, running on I-75 South
The Knox County Sheriff's Office allows people to anonymously submit tips on crimes they may have witnessed. Here are several ways you can submit a tip to Crime Stoppers.
A man who fled on foot with a rifle after crashing his car early Tuesday has been arrested following search that lasted several hours, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office.
KCSO, along with Knoxville Police and Tennessee Highway Patrol, spent the morning searching for the man following a single-vehicle crash on I-75 South near Emory Road after he ran from the scene around 3 a.m. Police say he was armed with a rifle.
The suspect is described as a white male in his late 40s. He has gray hair and was last seen wearing a blue pullover.
This story will be updated as more details become available.


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Hands-On-Health Australia is a charity organisation. Our mission is to improve health and wellbeing for all and to tackle inequality and empower in partnership with other organisations, people and their communities. Through our community clinics, we provide and deliver integrated allied health and mental health community support services. Many of our participants are marginalised from many mainstream health and other services. We endeavour to tailor services through our Community Clinics and programmes to the individual need and the community demography. From the inception of the opening of our first clinic at the Sacred Heart Mission in 1988, we have understood the interrelationship between social disadvantage, isolation, diversity, mental health and trauma. Our journey began as a response at the grass-roots level; we now understand that trauma is an inextricable component of the human condition. Most individuals are exposed to one or more traumas during their lifetime, but there is great psychological and neurobiological variability in how people respond to these events. Through our Community Clinics and programmes, we assist by providing care that will help both the individual and family to manage chronic conditions that interfere with their capacity to function with in their family and social systems.
We are committed to continuing to deliver health centred care; we are a leading community service organisation, that has been supporting vulnerable individuals and families at risk of poor health outcomes for over 30 years. Our work is guided and driven by community need.
The demand for our services has increased manifold…….your support will help us establish new clinics and programmes. Please Give!
All donations within Australia are tax deductible. HoHA has Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR1) status with the Australian Tax office.
You can make your donation go even further.
Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com to set up a monthly payment direct from your credit card.
Donations to overseas project are not tax deductible.


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If you have made the decision to move forward with an alcohol intervention, you may find yourself feeling anxious, angry, scared and stressed. Confronting a loved on with a dependency issue is not only frightening, but down-right uncomfortable, involving a serious amount of effort, planning and investment. But if you're serious about obtaining help for your friend or family member, it's a process that must be administered with care. In this article, we will walk you through a few tried and true tips and tricks to help make your addiction intervention a raging success with us.
Put yourself in an addict's shoes. By nature, an alcohol or drug intervention is designed to catch the addict by surprise. Consider what it must be like to have an issue with alcohol consumption and how it would make you feel to walk into a room of people that you presume are trying to send you away. Though not all addicts will response in a harsh or aggressive manner, it will behoove you to approach your intervention in such a mindset.
To begin, you'll want to find yourself a qualified intervention specialist who has experience dealing with alcohol abuse patients. What do you know, you've come to the right place! Our intervention specialists will be able to help you through the planning process while acting as a moderator and guide during the actual intervention.
Next, we will look into potential treatment programs to consider in case of a successful outcome. Alcohol treatment programs exist in most every area of the U.S. We will find a facility that specializes in alcohol abuse and find out whether they specialize in any additional areas.
Once we have the ducks in a row, the next step is planning a pre-intervention. A pre-intervention is a meeting that includes all participating members of the intervention party, save the individual whom the intervention is for. In this meeting your intervention specialist will walk each member of the party through what to expect during the actual intervention. Participants will be asked to write letters to the individual in question, outlining their love, concerns and the potential consequences if the addict decides to refuse treatment.
When the big day arrives, remember to breathe. Whether or not your loved one accepts the treatment being offered, you need to know that your life will be changed for the better. Head into the intervention with a full heart, open mind and all the love you can muster. Speak to the addict in a loving and caring manner, making certain to avoid any harsh or aggressive tones. If the addict sees that you're committed to helping them, as opposed to forcing them into something, they'll be much more likely to respond in a positive fashion.


text: ConcernsOwner How do I upgrade my old fireplace with something new and efficient and have a warm and comfortable home? What do I have? The easiest way to know what you have is by looking behind the control panel at the bottom front of your fireplace. If you remove the cover you can usually see a manufacture name plate with model and details. (image below shows some samples) Otherwise, if your fireplace is open or has vents where it draws air into the burning area, it's a B-Vent. Or give one of our retail locations a call and they will be happy to help you. Old B-Vent Fireplaces What are some names of manufacturers I might have? Here are a few of the larger manufacturers that made the B-Vent fireplaces. Monessen Archgard Montigo Regency Firesong Valor Will my venting be ok for the new fireplace? As long as your vent pipe is 5″ or greater you have nothing to worry about. We will configure the piping to your vent size. In some cases, there are some building built with 4″ venting which can't be converted, but in most cases, they are larger. Will I have to do any renovations to my fireplace area? Simple answer is no. We have designed the ABR19 to fit into the existing hole where we cut out the old fireplace. Once we add the surround onto the front of your fireplace it will cover any open spaces that are left. before After However, we have found some people want to change the entire look of their fireplace area which is totally fine. Will I need power? Yes. The new fireplace has a built-in fan to maximise heat output so you will need to have power there. Hopefully, this has answered most of your questions, however, should your have more please call you local retailer for more information.


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We are in Copan! Today, we said our goodbyes to Tegucigalpa, and flew to San Pedro Sula. From there, we took a bus to Copan. After we reached the hotel, we were served a delicious lunch, followed by dessert and coffee. So far, so good! Next, we journeyed to a local tea and chocolate lounge, via Tuk Tuk! My friends and I enjoyed this ride even though it felt more like a roller coaster instead of safe driving. After braving the Tuk Tuk, we were immersed in the culture and nature of Honduras through learning all about how they prepare chocolate and tea. I tried the cold chocolate, which is not sweet at all just to let you know. But, I was glad I could try it because it was prepared in the traditional Honduran way. We learned all about tea, local plants and how they can be used as treatments and as preventative measures against illness. We got to eat leaves! They were Moringa, and it is actually very good for your body. I love trying new things, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity to visit a place so authentic and genuine.
As we rest and prepare for a fun day tomorrow, I can't help but think about what we left behind in Tegucigalpa and Choluteca. We had to say goodbye to one of the kindest people I have ever met, Leslie, our HOI representative. Even though I have only known her for two weeks, it is plain to anyone that encounters her that she chooses to lead her life with love. She is humble and hardworking. When people talk about serving others, we often say something about how we are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are His boots on the ground, his workers and warriors. Yet, I never truly met anyone that embodied and encapsulated this lifestyle like her. I could so clearly see Jesus through her. It made me realize that this was the effect we can truly have on people. We can choose to love them, to help them and serve them. The opportunity is all around us, all we have to do is be willing.
R. Sukumar
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In South Carolina there are different types of alimony such as permanent periodic, rehabilitative, and lump sum alimony. Unlike other states South Carolina has no formula for calculating alimony. There are many considerations when seeking spousal support; fault grounds for the divorce, disparities in income, the length of the marriage, how many children there are.
Different types of situations require expert knowledge. By considering all the factors such as misconduct or fault, mental conditions, and financial status of the marital assets, we can help you fully protect your assets and your rights.


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In the event the floor dulls, consider buffing instead. Be sure the protective sheeting you use is made of timber flooring. Warm beautiful wood floors throughout your house are increasingly among the most well-known purchases in the industry now and highly encouraged. For top-notch hardwood floors in Covington, LA, rely on our team.
For the time being, let's discuss the three chief kinds of hardwood floors to examine. Hardwood floors are offered in a variety of constructions, which determine the sort of subfloor it could be installed over. If you're looking for solid hardwood flooring to last as long as your house does, decide on a thicker plank.
Knowing when to refinish your hardwood floor isn't as straightforward as it appears. Hardwood flooring can decorate your property, but like any wood item, they need to be correctly cared for so as to keep up their luster and elegance. Strong hardwood floors are easily cleaned, and a daily cleaning routine is vital to have the ability to guard the floors from grit and dirt which are most damaging difficulties.
When it's absorbed more slowly or not at all, you don't have to refinish the floor straight away. If you intend to install your hardwood floor yourself but have limited expertise in laying flooring, you will likely wish to think about employing an engineered wood which could be glued or floated. Strong hardwood floors are made from planks obtained from the single parcel of timber.
As soon as you've learned how to refinish hardwood floors, you won't ever have to engage a professional. Polishing a hardwood floor isn't an arduous endeavor and can be carried out with a minimum quantity of effort. Perhaps you've discovered hardwood floors under the carpeting or you need to boost the general value of your residence.
Hardwood Floors
At this time you are prepared to stain the ground. A hardwood flooring that's left without refinishing can seem ugly and diminish your house's value. Hardwood floors are among the amenities that home buyers often search for when purchasing a home. Strong hardwood strip floors are the most frequent flooring choice, although engineered flooring has gotten very popular as a consequence of its low price.
When you inspect the ground, make certain it does not require any repairs. Polishing your floor each month or two is an excellent way to wash hardwood flooring. When you have determined your floor truly needs refinishing but doesn't need different repairs, you can begin your work. Searching for skilled assistance when you wish to do hardwood floor refinishing will provide you with confidence in the choices you make along with the anticipated final outcome. Beautiful hand-scraped hardwood flooring is extremely costly.
Bamboo flooring is often thought to be a type of wood flooring, though it's made from bamboo than timber. If you're considering installing engineered flooring, it's far better to inquire regarding the thickness of the wear layer. Strong wood flooring comes in three big types.
Great stuff if you're looking for flooring. Hardwood flooring also raises the value of your residence. If you're debating whether to install hardwood flooring in your house, first look into the advantages and disadvantages. Oak hardwood flooring tends to seem old and worn out over the past few years. It is available in different wood species. If you feel as if your hardwood flooring is attempted and you must get it restored, learning a couple of insider secrets will be certain that you get the kind of job that you deserve. Our collection of pre-finished fantastic hardwood flooring provides you a number of finishes, widths, and choices to match your style, from rustic to modern.
Each sort of wood has a exceptional color and swirl pattern related to that. He is one of the most frequently used materials in the world and very common in Kenya, and virtually any type of wood can be used to build furniture. The next step is choosing what kind of wood you want. If you are searching for a reddish wood, look at using red oak or beech. Moreover, cork flooring is a wonderful flooring type utilized in relieving foot pain and joint strain too. Natural cork flooring has many benefits also.
Hardwood Floors – What Is It?
Due to the organic patterns, no 2 hardwoods are going to be the exact same, offering you an exceptional product it flooring or furniture. It's a gorgeous flooring choice that can be used to create any appearance which ranges from traditional to contemporary. Solid hardwoods may require a bit more upkeep than engineered wood flooring, but they could stay re-sanded and refinished.
Kids furniture isn't merely a miniature model of adult's furniture. By way of example, your furniture needs foot and clearing traffic ought to be redirected. It's lightweight, very reasonably priced and perfect for furniture as it blends nicely with unique woods, however, it's not as long-lasting as other hardwoods like maple and oak. Hardwood furniture is extremely common in Kenya.