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Despite the tens of millions of customers that buy Starbucks coffee every year, it still wasn't the highest-rated coffee shop when it comes to how satisfied they are with their cup of joe.
The complaints consumers most often give for why they refuse to drink Starbucks coffee include the burnt taste of its coffee and its higher than average prices.
Although the reputation for selling overpriced coffee isn't completely fair (depending on where you buy it, a small coffee is around $1.75, a not outlandish sum even in relation to its rivals), sometimes it's hard to live down a bad rap, and Starbucks' recent decision to raise prices on many of its hot beverages doesn't help its image.
Still, the coffeehouse has tried to meet some of the criticisms, such as the "blonde roast" it introduced a few years ago to please those of us who prefer a milder taste.
But apparently that isn't enough, because when the American Customer Satisfaction Index released its restaurant report for 2015, detailing how satisfied consumers were with different chains, Starbucks came in 11th place out of 18 limited-service restaurants, with its rating sliding 3% to 74. That also put it in second place for coffee shops.
What have you done for me lately?
The analysts offered up a few explanations for Starbucks' setback, noting that even though it brought premium coffee to the mainstream, it's being challenged by independent coffee shops and high-end coffee roasters, as well as by non-traditional outlets such as McDonald's , which has become almost as well known for its coffee as it is for its burgers.
Starbucks has responded to those challenges both by going incognito with stealth shops and by opening more adult-oriented stores, including Starbucks Evenings and its new Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room.
But McDonald's has deeper problems, and it also fared poorly in the customer-service rankings, actually coming in dead last on the list. The burger chain has only been able to record flat or positive comparable sales growth for the past few years during months when it was offering its coffee for free.
McDonald's coffee remains one of the hamburger stand's strongest selling points, but it's not enough to overcome the other problems the chain has.
It's not me, it's you
Yet virtually the entire limited-service restaurant industry is finding it difficult to please the increasingly exacting demands of consumers.
ACSI found the overall ratings of these chains dropped almost 4% this year to 77 -- putting Starbucks just below average -- and that compared to full-service chains, the gap between them widened to its largest spread in five years.
When viewing all of the benchmarks ACSI used to rank the chains, fast-food restaurants suffered a collapse in customer satisfaction, accuracy of orders, quality of food and drinks, and staff courtesy.
Wake up and smell the coffee
But not everyone rated poorly. In fact, the consumers' top choice for best coffee shop in the 2015 ACSI report was also the only one to record a higher score year to year.
Dunkin Brands ' Dunkin' Donuts restaurant saw its customer-satisfaction rating jump to 78, a 4% increase from the 75 rating it garnered a year ago.
ACSI believes the rollout last year of a new national member rewards program that was tied to its mobile app allowed it to score big points with consumers, even if more accolades are awarded to Starbucks' member program and mobile solutions.
Dunkin' Donuts was the only fast-food chain to score higher customer-satisfaction ratings this year compared to last year.
Perhaps because the doughnut shop is more of a fast-food restaurant than is Starbucks, and loyalty rewards programs aren't as common in the space, customers receive it more enthusiastically.
But CNBC believes it could be because you can get a free cup of coffee faster at Dunkin' Donuts as you can at Starbucks. CNBC found it takes just nine visits at the doughnut shop to get a free cup of coffee in the loyalty program, compared with 12 at Starbucks.
To be fair, CNBC also found that Dunkin' Donuts required you to spend almost $5 each visit to get the free coffee that quickly, while there was no dollar minimum at Starbucks. Further, if you buy just a coffee at the doughnut shop you need to make almost two dozen trips to get the free drink.
America really does run on Dunkin' Donuts
Still, the membership rewards program coincided with the doughnut shop's major expansion plans, and making its coffee available to more people has apparently worked. In 2014, Dunkin' Donuts added 704 net new restaurants globally, including 405 in the U.S., helping to push revenues up almost 5% year over year. Comps, though, only increased incrementally, rising 1.6% (in comparison, Starbucks opened 1,600 stores worldwide and enjoyed a 6% jump in comps).
Customer satisfaction is a very subjective topic. And while Starbucks has its detractors, it has many more millions who are devoted to the brand. Dunkin' Donuts is trying to accelerate growth nationally, and at half the size of Starbucks in terms of number of stores in operation worldwide, there is plenty of room to grow. Starbucks has more than 22,000 stores worldwide to 11,300 Dunkin' Donuts shops, though it has over 7,500 Baskin-Robbins stores, too.
But if it's able to continue satisfying customers as it's been, Dunkin' Brands may yet become the premier coffee shop in sales, too.
Find this article informative?
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The article Can You Guess America's Favorite Coffee Shop? (Hint: It's Not Starbucks.) originally appeared on Fool.com.
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The world of work is more complex than ever before. The demands on a new leader, be it an external or internal hire are exponentially more challenging. The pressure on new leaders to manage change and deliver results is significant:
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subset: commoncrawl


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Today I am pleased to share with you a wedding vendor spotlight for Crumbs Cakery, and it's owner Christine Chapman.
Wedding cakes are one of the few traditions that cross cultural divides, adapt effortlessly with shifting trends, and are loved by all. Why? Because who doesn't want dessert?! I would like to consider myself somewhat of an expert on wedding cakes since eating them was one of my primary motivations for becoming a wedding photographer. I've concluded there are three key elements a couple should consider when deciding on a bakery; aesthetic, taste, and customer service. All three of these things can be found at the Crumbs Cakery on Bainbridge Island.
So much of our sense of taste is really signals we receive through smell and sight. These are especially important on a day when you are celebrating the joining of two people and their families. A couple's wedding cake not only feeds their guests a sweet treat but it often ties together a variety of design elements, and symbolizes their relationship. The tradition of feeding each other is supposed to represent the way they will take care of one another for the rest of their lives.
There are a lot of layers of meaning that go into choosing what the wedding cake will look like. (Yes, that was a terrible pun; totally couldn't help myself.) Crumbs Cakery is well versed in a variety of techniques that go beyond the ordinary. Christine does everything from your traditional to the avant-garde with cake sculpting. Using her skills with fondant, gum paste or modeling chocolate she is able to design a wide variety of things that are not only beautiful but represent the couple.
No matter how beautiful a cake looks, if it's not delicious, it's a bust. Luckily Christine has Austrian family recipes handed down from her grandmother that are full of flavor. Crumbs Cakery also has a selection of gluten free cakes with chocolate, vanilla, banana, and strawberry flavors. Clients rave about the flavors as well. Past customers have said,
"THIS CAKE. everyone at the table was dyyiing & even people who don't like sweets we're going back for more. We are so thankful! We loved it! You are amazing!"
"The cake was fantastic! Everyone said it was the best wedding cake they'd ever had!!"
"The cake was AMAZING!!!!!!! Absolutely delicious!!! Everyone loved it!Thank you so very much for the awesome cake and for helping to make my special day even more perfect then it was."
Customer Service:
When I ask Christine about what a bride and groom should expect she said,
"I ask a lot of questions! I'm interested in learning about the feel of the wedding. Is it going to be a laid back ceremony on a farm? Or a posh gathering in a top hotel? Also what importance has the cake? Shall it blend into the background, is it a part of a dessert table or is it going to be the eye catcher when the guests enter the reception area? I will ask for color swatches, which flowers are going to be used, wedding invitations and so on. After the gathering of details I'll make a few sketches which ill be tweaked until the clients are happy."
Christine understands the values of her customers and enjoys collaboration, using only the best organic ingredients, and taking the time to bake from scratch. Her technique and dedication to her craft is obvious. The Crumbs Cakery services the Olympic Peninsula and Seattle and is excited to help you with your big day!
Contact Info:
You can find Christine and the Crumbs Cakery at the following:
email. [email protected]
website. http://www.crumbs-cakery.com/
facebook. https://www.facebook.com/
8495 Grand Ave Ne.
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
All images provided by Christine Chapman.


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We spoke with A.D. Carson, "professor of hip hop," about his new album "Sleepwalking Vol. 1: A Mixtape Essay for Summer 2017," and Dr. Max Luna, physician and professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and creator of the Latino Health Initiative.
A.D. Carson is an educator and award-winning artist— writer of essays, music, and poetry, and performance pieces, whose work focuses on race, literature, and history. He gained notoriety for his dissertation, a 34 track rap album, "Owning My Masters: The Rhetorics of Rhymes & Revolutions." Today we'll discuss his new work, "Sleepwalking:Vol. 1: A Mixtape Essay for Summer 2017" and how those summer events formed and informed this work.
Dr. Max Luna is a physician and professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He's also the creator of the Latino Health Initiative. We'll speak about the ways the current political environment is directly affecting Latino health and the initiative—is it helping it thrive or is being thwarted? And we'll get his perspective on current discussions about DACA and immigration.
Sleepwalking Vol. 1: A Mixtape
Latino Health Initiative
Apropos of Something Home Page
1. The Apropos Of Something Palette Cleanser music is entitled Mr. Jelly Roll and was purchased and licensed from http://www.purple-planet.com
2. The Apropos Of Something theme music is entitled N35-40-19-800 by the artist Springtide which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License CC BY-NC-SA [ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode ]


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is available for booking Contact Us
Teen model Alyssa joins us from Australia where she is available for booking. Her favorite colors include hot pink and blue. Along with modeling she likes singing and playing guitar. She loves animals and has several at her home including blue tongue lizards!
Alyssa also models with Fashionista Teens
Alyssa is available for booking Contact Us


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Last weekend, I was incredibly lucky to have a guest chef in my kitchen. My lovely friend from South Korea, Ji-hyeon, came to visit and cooked for us! In the mere hour I was watching her prepare and cook the meal, I not only learned two new authentic recipes, but I observed the way she worked with the food, and it was a truly fascinating and educational experience.
You can read all the recipe books in the world, but watching a Korean native cook Korean food in front of your eyes is on a completely different level. I can't wait to start incorporate her style into my own cooking.
I was her assistant frying the tofu
The tofu was drained and pressed, and then seasoned with salt and pepper. The salt also helped dehydrate the tofu, so it was firm enough to not fall apart in the frying pan.
We then stir-fried the tofu with mixed vegetables and Korean spices and sauces
The ingredients for the stir-fry sauce was quite simple, but included branded Korean ingredients that are, for the most part, quite difficult to get in the UK. She used her own high quality Korean soy sauce, red wine, bottled gochujang and premium sesame oil, with my rice wine vinegar, Korean hot pepper flakes, sesame seeds and garlic.
The finished result
A top tip I learned from watching her stir-fry: she added oil, spring onions, garlic and soy sauce to the wok, and leaned it over on the high flame, pressing and infusing the ingredients into oil as it released the flavours and aromas. Something I'd never seen but it definitely made the food taste amazing.
Kimchi fried with sushi rice
The kimchi was cut into chunks with scissors, and fried off with spices before mixing with the Japanese sushi rice. Salt, pepper, sesame oil and soy sauce were added to taste.
A fried egg on top to mix with the rice
And this is the finished result. I've never eaten such perfectly cooked rice in my life. I always make egg fried rice, but adding it to the top like this and then mixing the yolk into the food gives it another element of flavour and texture – a must try!
Authentic Korean food is outstanding, and heavily underrated in comparison with other East Asian cuisines. The flavour is so rich and powerful – any person who loves spice and sesame oil would be in their element eating such fantastically flavoursome food. I can't wait to share more recipes with you soon.
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text: Show & Prove: Your NFL Wild Card Recap Brandon Caldwell January 10, 2011 Sports 2 Comments Wild Card Weekend had its ups and its downs for many of fans across the country. From the defending champion New Orleans Saints to the Philadelphia Eagles, all hopes rested on their quarterbacks guiding their teams to victory. Instead, things turned dark & gloomy as an upstart in Seattle knocked out the champs while a late interception sealed the fate of the Eagles. Although the Chiefs/Ravens game played out exactly how it was supposed to, nobody expected the Chiefs to play motionless on the field. One Jamaal Charles run gave the Chiefs life but after Baltimore kept grinding them down, they were grounded to the point where Matt Cassel made mistakes he didn't make in the regular season. However, the most personal matchup of the weekend proved that in the end – a foot makes the difference. Yes, Rex Ryan finally got his win over Peyton Manning by an ironic field goal. The Jets defense held firm throughout and LaDanian Tomlinson finally brought his regular season legs with him to the playoffs. Looking forward to next week's games you will immediately look forward to the AFC's side of the bracket as it offers rematches of Pittsburgh/Baltimore and New York/New England. Let it be said though, if the football gods were kind they would have given us Atlanta versus Philly in the NFC title game. Highlights of the weekend below, including Marshawn Lynch's Tecmo Bowl inspired run to seal the win against the Saints. "GET OFF ME!" Ed Reed delivering the hit stick on Dexter McCluster. Share this:TweetShare on Tumblr


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Corsair Obsidian Series® 350D Windowed Micro ATX PC Case
Regular price $149.00
The Micro ATX case for high-performance system builds
The Obsidian Series 350D Micro ATX PC case is designed for building compact high-performance systems with Micro ATX and Mini ITX motherboards. The compact size is ideal if space is limited, but there's plenty of room inside for liquid CPU cooling, dual hard drives, dual SSDs, and dual full-length graphics cards.
Like all Obsidian cases, the 350D is designed for fast and neat builds, with tool-free access and drive installation. Smart features like a native 2.5" SSD cage make the most of its small size, and the cooling-focused interior has five fan mounting points, with room for two 240mm radiators.


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All that you need to have your Spa at home!
This kit is presented in a nice re-usable box. It contains 1 Emollient butter enriched with Brazil Nut oil and Murumuru, Cupuaçu and Karité butters. 1 Bath Salts pack of a soft but deep cleaning, bringing a sensation of lightness and relaxation. 1 pumice stone exfoliant to get rid of dead cells and calluses on the feet caused by shoes. 1 refreshing gel that improves blood flow, that relax and melt away the feeling of fatigue.
Product code: PDHR7ZZZZZZZZ


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https://www.keeeb.com/index_1.phpRelated: Final Resolution {PEARL_terna_TREE_ves} • Curation Tools • bookmark • Create Compelling Content • FLIPPER CLASSROOM
Zimilate: Free Website to Save, Organize Web Content, Notes, Images Zimilate is an amazing free online service that lets you save practically any digital content for future reference. You can use Zimilate to save images, notes, links, simple files, and even entire webpages. You can either simply drag and drop files from your computer to Zimilate's web interface to save them, or use the Zimilate browser clipper extension to directly save entire web pages to your Zimilate account. You can save your content to different sections (called spheres), and add tags in order to manage and organize it better. Zimilate lets you create as many spheres as you want, and you can even re-order them to create a hierarchical structure.
DOWNLOAD How To Use Evernote: The Missing Manual Table Of Contents §1 – What Is Evernote? §2 – An Overview Of The Desktop App §3 – An Overview Of The Smartphone Apps What is BlinkList bookmarking tool? BlinkList is a powerful productivity tool that makes is much easier for anyone to share and save their links for later. Save any link in one easy click We give you a browser button to save web pages you like in one click. 6 Content Writing Tools to Boost Your Content Marketing All people rely on the Internet whenever they want to acquire certain pieces of information. Whether it is educational or whether it is about a business brand, all online users would turn to websites. This explains why businesses, organizations, institutions and even individuals would create their own sites and blogs.
StumbleUpon - The One True Simple Way to Organize Your Online Reading Ever heard of StumbleUpon? It's been around for quite some time (you can Google it if you are truly an information freak) and, according to my humble opinion, StumbleUpon's value is underestimated by everyone. Also Read: StumbleUpon for Business: An Introduction The site defines itself as is the easiest way to find cool new websites, videos, photos and images from across the Web. Many consider StumbleUpon to be a "social network" and although I can understand why, I mean it does connect people and information, well, I'm still not so keen to jump on that grenade, even after taking into consideration the platform's long term existence. I think the right thing woul be to refer to it as a "social bookmarking" site.
10 Tips for Using Evernote Effectively Evernote is a tool for keeping track of, well, everything. At least everything as far as digital information goes, or information that can be digitized. Evernote comprises a Web-based service and clients for Windows, Mac OS X, mobile devices, and extensions for Web browsers. Dropmark > gut, aber Tags für 5 Dollar/Mo. You know that feeling where you step out into the world with a fresh new hairdo, ready to take on anything? That's us today. After months of designing, iterating, and beta testing, we're excited to officially welcome you to the brand new Dropmark.
How to Make Cinemagraphs — Still Photos that Move Like Movies! Yup, that picture moves. Nope, you're not going crazy! 'Cause who said photos can only feature "still" life? Inspired by the moving pictures created by photographer and motion designer duo Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg, we set out to make the magic happen. Learn Minecraft Hour of Code Grades 2+ | Blocks Moana: Wayfinding with Code Make a Flappy game Star Wars: Building a Galaxy with Code Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research UPDATE: As of 2015 the GiveAlink project has been archived and the GiveALink.org website is no longer operational. Link analysis algorithms leverage hyperlinks created by authors as semantic endorsements between pages, while social bookmarks provide a way to leverage annotations by information consumers as a source of information about pages. This project explores a novel approach that is a synergy of the two: soliciting annotations from users about the content of pages, in a way that implicitly forms networks of relationships between and among resources and tags. These socially generated relationships are then aggregated to build bottom-up, global semantic similarity networks. Algorithms are developed to construct, analyze, and mine these networks in support of search and recommendation applications, exploratory navigation interfaces, resource management utilities, tag spam detection, and incentive games to accelerate the achievement of critical mass. Project Members
RSS Feed Search Engine Instant RSS Search engine will help you discover RSS feeds on the web around your favorite topics. You may use the tool to search RSS feeds for blogs, news websites, podcasts and more. It is instant search and hence the search results display as you type. You may use any of the Google search operators - like allintitle, inurl, etc. - for more accurate results. 50+ Social Bookmarking Sites : Importance of User Generated Tags, Votes and Links Editor's Note: This post was updated in October of 2016. Is social bookmarking still relevant in 2016? Read this updated post by Anna Crowe to learn more. The positive effects of social bookmarking for publishers of news sites, blogs, and other websites are outstanding.
Top 10 Takeaways After Two Years of Exploring Client Perspectives Greetings, my name is Andy Baker and I'm the Group Creative Director at the National Geographic Channel. For the past two years, I've been running a blog called The Client Blog all about the client's perspective on the creative process — a perspective not often heard or discussed. Here's a list of the top 10 takeaways I've learned over the past two years — a 'Cliffnotes' version of what I share on my wesbite. These top 10 takeaways are not necessarily in order of importance, just the things that stand out to me most, or consistent themes that I've heard and written about. #10: Less Is More One of the themes that I have touched on multiple times is the idea of 'less is more.'


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Our asset Partner Quintis is a successful and listed company headquartered in Perth, Australia, and has approximately 200 permanent and 400 seasonal employees.
It is the world's leading Indian sandalwood plantation management company with plantations throughout northern Australia and it benefits from a fully vertically integrated value chain, which includes the world's largest distillery for sandalwood oil and the US biotech firm Santalis Pharmaceuticals which develops sandalwood-oil based drugs especially for dermatological applications.
Quintis has won many awards for its management's corporate social responsibility role and is ISO certified for its quality management, employee safety and its commitment towards the environment.
In the 1980s, the forestry department of Western Australia started cultivating Indian sandalwood on state-owned research plantations in the Kimberly region. Inspired by this project, Frank Wilson founded the company Tropical Forestry Services (Quintis) in 1997 and in 1999, Quintis planted its first own Indian sandalwood plantation.
Today, Quintis is a successful, publicly listed company with approximately 200 permanent employees. It is the world's leading Indian sandalwood plantation management company with a fully vertically integrated value chain.
Learn more
In less than two decades, Quintis has grown into the world's leading Indian sandalwood manufacturer and a publicly listed company. From its beginnings, Quintis has invested heavily in areas such as forestry, oil distillation as well as pharmaceutical product research & development. The results of these intense and focused efforts were and continue to be the drivers for the Quintis' ongoing success.


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Our February schedule is out! We're showing The Notebook on the 17th and The Emperor's New Groove on the 24th! More information is listed on our events as well as our website: cactusdrivein.com. Tickets are $15 per car!
One randomly selected person who shares this post will receive free admission and a reserved spot in the front row for all of March!


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SPHIS Home » News » Students host Public Health Professionals Panels with SPHIS Alumni
Students host Public Health Professionals Panels with SPHIS Alumni
The UofL Chapter of KPHA supports career development and professional growth among its student members. Student leadership convened two Public Health Professionals Panels during the 2017-18 academic year in support of this mission. Several SPHIS alumni participated in these panels and met with undergraduates and graduate students in public health. They discussed what led them to their current positions, including their educational backgrounds and volunteer experiences. These open forums were designed to show students the "faces of public health" and give students a deeper understanding of what career opportunities are available.
The first session was a lunchtime event on Oct. 24, 2017, on the Belknap Campus. The alumni panelists were:
-- Tania Condurache, MD, MSc, FAAP, Director of Global Health Education & Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the UofL School of Medicine. (MSc in Clinical Investigation Sciences, 2012)
-- Taylor Ingram, MPH, Health Program Analyst, Louisville Metro Department of Health & Wellness (Master of Public Health, 2013)
-- Priska Ndege, MPH, Quality Improvement Coordinator, Louisville Metro Department of Health & Wellness (Master of Public Health, 2014)
Two alumni panelists participated in the second panel held in the evening of Feb. 22 at the SPHIS building on HSC:
-- Caroline Chan, PhD, MPH, Environmental Scientist V, GIS & Data Analysis Section, Watershed Management Branch, Division of Water, Commonwealth of Kentucky (Master of Public Health, 2007; PhD in Public Health Sciences – Environmental Health, 2012)
-- Maryam Ahmed, MPH, Operations Coordinator, Office of Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods, Louisville Metro Government (Master of Public Health, 2014)
Below are a few insights that Caroline and Maryam shared with students on being a successful student and future public health leader:
- Your journey is unique. Trust that you will end up where you are meant to be.
- Network. Say yes as much as possible. Seek opportunities and meet new people.
- Develop your skills and apply them to your passion.
- Pay attention to detail and review your work. You get better through practice.
On behalf of the students, we want to thank our alumni for taking the time to come share their experiences and words of wisdom. We also want to recognize the three undergraduate students who organized these events. Brianna Rogers, KPHA President, is a senior and will be graduating this May. Gabrielle Farley, Vice President, is a sophomore and Aliyah Bailey, a junior, is KPHA Secretary.


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Starbucks Wi-Fi Gets Sweeter
Page 1 of 1
In what wireless analysts describe as a savvy customer loyalty program, AT&T is tying its Wi-Fi services onto the Starbucks bandwagon, adding 7,000 'hotspots' to its current 17,000 in play. In return the coffee seller gets to tap 5 million of AT&T's remote access business customers, as well as 12 million broadband and Internet service users.
The business hookup could very well be a determining factor for enterprises choosing that next mobile services provider, say analysts, as a secure remote connection is exactly what every road warrior, and every IT leader, wants when it comes to mobile device use.
"It's quite possible that IT managers will view this as a good value-add in making AT&T their next device vendor," Carmi Levy, senior vice president of strategic consulting at AR Communications, told InternetNews.com.
Starbucks had partnered with T-Mobile for wireless services, and according to published reports the switch to AT&T was purely a business decision that had nothing to do with service quality levels or issues.
The new partnership brings a slew of connectivity options for AT&T customers. "Qualifying" AT&T broadband and U-verse Internet customers get unlimited Wi-Fi access. According to AT&T this includes subscribers to any of AT&T's broadband services with downstream speeds of more than 1.5 Mbps.
[cob:Related_Articles]Approximately 2 million of this 12 million customer base are from the small-and-medium business segment. AT&T's 5 million remote access services business customers will also get free access.
Non-AT&T subscribers who use Starbucks cards for purchases are provided two hours of free Wi-Fi daily, and those paying cash can purchase connectivity for $3.99 a session. A monthly subscription can be had for $20 and includes access to any of AT&Ts 70,000 hot spots in 89 countries.
AT&T clearly expects a business-side customer influx from the deal.
"The transition of mobile users from legacy dialup to wireless broadband connection (Wi-Fi and cellular) continues to grow significantly. The users are sales, technical support, and executives who require seamless connections from any place at any time," Jenny Parker, an AT&T spokesperson, told InternetNews.com via email.
Users of AT&T's Business Internet Services, VPN Tunneling Service, and the vendor's Network-based IP VPN Remote Access who are authorized for Wi-Fi use, will have access to any Starbucks Wi-Fi spots at no additional charge.
Companies not currently authorized for use can contact AT&T to have that service added to their service contract. Business Remote Access customers will have the option of usage billing for the infrequent user or including AT&T Wi-Fi into their fixed rate plans.
"We certainly expect that, by partnering with a popular and well-known brand such as Starbucks, the profile of our Wi-Fi footprint will be raised and more customers will have convenient, everyday access to hotspots," Parker stated.


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The third letter details whether one tends to base one's decisions chiefly on logic or chiefly upon one's personal values; whether one decides with the head or with the heart. People who prefer to use Feeling will often adopt an appreciative and accommodating attitude when interacting with others, which is why some researchers also refer to Thinking/Feeling as skeptical/agreeable.
People who have a strong preference for Feeling generally take pride in seeing themselves as empathetic, considerate, friendly, generous, and helpful. Some Feelers even experience such a strong sense of concern and involvement with regards to the problems of others that they can feel compelled to drop what they are doing and offer their aid to the other. Conversely, people who prefer Thinking more often take pride in being critical, logical, insightful and truthful. Taking a darker, less optimistic view of human nature than their Feeling counterparts, they are also less prone to spontaneously help people who are not their close friends or where they do not see a 'rational' reason to do so.
Some of the most widely-known descriptions of Feeling tend to depict Feelers as unanimously goodnatured 'happy puppies' (this is true of Keirsey's book in particular). Many Feelers take issue with these portrayals, feeling that such descriptions portray them as overly gullible and one-sided. Consequently, many authors have attempted to portray 'the dark side of Feeling' as an 'ability to socially manipulate people' and an 'egocentricity beyond what is reasonable'. These may very well be true of a given Feeler, but they are most likely NOT traits that are specifically pertinent to Feeling. Rather, what appears to be the true 'dark side of Feeling' is a propensity to internalize conflict and make it personal beyond what most Thinkers would do. One could perhaps say that as Feelers tend to take generosity and consideration as their starting point, they do not expect conflict, nor do they feel that it is reasonable that conflict be brought upon them.
|T / Thinking
Logic over sentiment
More men than women are Thinking
|F / Feeling
Sentiment over logic
More women than men are Feeling
It is a striking fact that while all of the other dimensions explained here are gender-neutral, Thinking and Feeling are unevenly distributed amongst the sexes so that most men are Thinking and most women are Feeling. Precise figures are unreliable, but a generally accepted guideline is that 65% of males are Thinking while 65% of females are Feeling. This tendency is observed in all cultures and is backed up by every other system of personality out there.
Philosophers like Judith Butler and Simone de Beauvoir have traditionally blamed culturally defined gender roles for this occurrence: "A woman is not born, she is made." However, in recent years, scientists have turned the problem upside-down, speculating instead that over the generations women have been sexually selected for sweetness and caring, causing more critical and strong-willed women to hit an evolutionary dead end. Similarly, scientists have speculated that since women have traditionally been entrusted with childcare, they may have developed Feeling traits as these are speculated to be helpful in nurturing a child.
While Thinking women may experience some difficulty relating to groups of women that are exclusively defined by Feeling, particularly in adolescence, Thinking women are generally accepted, and even cherished, in today's liberated and knowledge-based society.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said where Feeling males are concerned: Society viciously expects men to be tough-minded, logical, and in control of their emotions (save perhaps rage and anger). Some Feeling males, particularly of the ESFJ type, simply just 'get it' and have little trouble fitting in. (Sometimes they may overcompensate and become 'macho'.) Such males frequently do well with the police or in the military.
Other Feeling men, however, are not as lucky: They tend to take an interest in aesthetics and interpersonal relationships that is not shared by other men. Throughout life, Feeling men may have a hard time relating to other men, and while they may have an easier time forming friendships with women, there is always the danger that women think of them as 'friend material' and not 'date material' if they are conditioned by social norms. Rather than try to reform their personalities, such males need to have confidence in themselves and in that it is okay to be different. If friends and acquaintances prove intolerant, a change in friends and social scene may be the only cure, though it may seem like an excessively drastic step, given the Feeler's propensity to sympathize with those whom he knows.
When Jung first defined Feeling around 1915, he referred to it as 'rational'. Unfortunately, this has caused a great deal of confusion for both newcomers and seasoned typologists alike. By 'rational', Jung meant that the output of Feeling is 'internally consistent', which appears to be untrue. In terms of internal consistency, Feelers are generally more likely to hold contradictory views, often on the same topic. A negative view of this tendency may be found in the work of psychologist Drew Westen (himself a Feeler) who posits that our Feeling faculties stem from an earlier evolutionary stage than does our Thinking. Conversely, a more positive view of the same matter may be that the only ways we have in which to measure contradictions all rely heavily on formal logic, which is naturally attuned to Thinking rather than Feeling. It may well be that our current ways of measuring contradictions are simply too formalistic to encompass the subtleties of Feeling. As the poet Walt Whitman said: "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes."
To make matters worse, Jung also referred to certain kinds of Feeling as 'objective', by which he meant 'oriented towards the external reality', which again is not really an appropriate descriptor of the trait. In fact, neither Thinking or Feeling are especially 'objective' in themselves. The deciding factor with regards to objectiveness, as Jung defined it, is extroversion, which orients itself by what is objectively present.


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What is doxoPLUS?
doxoPLUS is a subscription service that allows you to pay up to $3,000 a month in bills for one low monthly fee.
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|Article number:
|In stock
Whether you use this Lavender Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a dressing or a marinade or as the secret ingredient in your own recipe, you'll love the subtle, complex flavor that it brings to your cooking. And if you are looking for that perfect gift for someone who loves trying new tastes in the kitchen, combine this lavender EVOO with a bottle of our Lavender Balsamic Vinegar for a distinctive gift set. Add in our Lavender Infused Honey for additional interesting marinade and dressing combinations. 249 ml.


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Category: Buddhist temple
December 31, 2016
The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword & Buddhism
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The Pancake House first opened their doors in 2010 to provide Riyadh with all-day breakfast options and endless made-to-order pancake varieties. From there, we took pride in ensuring all customer were satisfied at all times of the day and The Pancake House now serves complete dining options for every hungry tummy!
We continue to put smiles on Riyadh-izens with ever-changing menu options and consistently good food!
The Pancake House offers a casual dining experience and prides itself on customer service and satisfaction. Our ingredients are sourced from top quality local fresh products ensuring the highest quality of food.


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This digital sketch depicts a cruise through a bank of cloud banks in Jupiter's upper atmosphere.
This image was made using Photoshop and a Wacom Intuos Pro Medium. Approximately 90 minutes.
The intention of color sketches like these is to eventually develop finished versions for my own projects. They are also exercises in color, atmosphere, and theme.


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An altercation involving several homeless men and a security guard at the El Capitan Hotel concluded with calls to police and paramedics. One homeless man was carted off on a stretcher wearing a neck brace and ferried to the hospital.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. in the parking lot area of the El Capitan Hotel in the 2300 block of Mission Street. Four men said a security guard approached them, where their possessions and a mattress were set up in the lot and adjacent to the driveway onto Mission, and demanded they leave.
Victor Juarez, one of the four homeless men, said he had been resting when the security guard came into the underpass and rousted him and his colleagues. When one man failed to respond, Juarez said the guard lifted that man up, slammed him into the pavement, and then tossed him to the sidewalk. Juarez said he knew the guard from prior incidents, claiming the guard harassed them at least twice before.
The injured man was known as Otonil by his friends, and appeared dazed as he was loaded into an ambulance.
One witness said he had been smoking near the area when he heard lots of yelling, then saw a pressure cooker fly out from the underpass connecting the lot and Mission Street. Then he saw Otonil also fly out of the underpass and land on the sidewalk.
It is unclear if the pressure cooker was thrown at the guard or, as the homeless men said, was tossed by the guard towards the sidewalk.
Nancy Pili Hernandez, an educator who works in the area, said she had been walking past the El Capitan when she saw the security guard picking up one of the men. She said she approached him and asked him to stop being aggressive. She said the guard began tossing the homeless men's possessions onto the sidewalk following the physical altercation.
"I did see him be hella overly aggressive to someone who was passed out sleeping," Hernandez said.
The security guard declined to comment.
Police said they were investigating the incident, and were seen loading the pressure cooker into the back of a squad car.


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Free At Last - Wild Horses By Terry Doughty
By Terry Doughty
Free At Last - Wild Horses by Terry Doughty is available for sale as a Signed And Numbered Limited Edition of only 250 Giclee Canvas prints with a 20 x 30 Image Size and is for sale for $295 unframed. The prints are in mint condition and have never been framed. Painting of a herd of wild horses running with a golden eagle flying overhead painted by Wildlife Artist Terry Doughty. Order your canvas today. All artwork is professionally boxed and insured and guaranteed to arrive in mint condition. Wisconsin Wildlife Artist Terry Doughty painted some Wildlife and wild horses in Art Prints for sale.
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text: Vedic Maths Online Classes Share with Your Friends :Organized the Complete 60 Days Online Vedic maths Classes (Total 40 hrs) on Vedic Mathematics which is organised By Vedic Math School. Thank You. Courses Workshop Related Items Vedic Maths 4 Days Workshop: DHS, HPWorkshopZoom Vedic Maths Workshop DLF Public SchoolWorkshopZoom Vedic Maths Two Days Wrokshop BBV PilaniWorkshopZoom


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My Next Fifty Years
By Kathrese McKee | Feature
Listening to Tim McGraw sing his song, "My Next Thirty Years," made me stop and consider my future. In his song, he implies that he's just turned thirty. Given that I've crossed the Human Date Line of fifty years, I've decided to look ahead to my next fifty years. See? I do listen to […]Continue reading


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Practice Areas
Many of us think of dogs as very friendly or even members of the family. This has caused some people to either forget or not think about the fact that sometimes dogs can bite or attack and cause serious injury. If the victim is elderly or a child, the injuries are more likely to be catastrophic. The sad truth is that a lot of these attacks are the fault of the owner, who was negligent in restraining the dog to prevent it from injuring others. When these kinds of injuries happen, the victims may not know about all their rights under state law and the compensation they may be entitled.
Our Gresham dog bite lawyers understand what dog bite victims go through and want to help. Under state law, you may have the right to take legal action against the dog's owner and we can manage the entire case on your behalf. We will explain what you can do to help us along the way. There will be no legal fees unless you receive compensation, and you are under no obligation to take legal action when you meet with us a free legal consultation. We take cases involving dog attacks that happened in Gresham and the surrounding areas in Multnomah County. Our firm has a track record of recovering favorable compensation for personal injury victims.
Schedule your free legal consultation right now or call us at 503.245.5677.
Dog Bite Injuries That Often Occur
Dogs can often be friendly, but when they attack they can seriously injure you. Victims may suffer a wide range of injuries that require medical treatment, including:
- Puncture wounds from teeth
- Fractures, particularly in the arms and legs
- Excessive scarring
- Crush injuries
- Disfigurement, particularly to the face and head
- Damage to the nerves
- Rabies
- Pasteurella
- Sprained ligaments and tendons
- Damage to the organs
- Neck injuries
- Tetanus
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Lacerations
- Bruising
- Abrasions
Physical injuries from a dog bite are one thing but there can also be emotional injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, which occurs when you relive the events of the attack or feel anxiety in situations that remind you of the attack.
If you are permanently disfigured from the attack you could also have psychological issues, such as depression or anxiety in social situations.
Treating these injuries could be very expensive. You will not only need treatment right after the attack to deal with bleeding, broken bones, possible infections, and sprains and other soft tissue injuries, you will also need ongoing care. For example, you may need follow-up appointments with doctors who specialize in the areas of the body where your injuries occurred, as opposed to doctors who you see in the emergency room or your primary care doctor.
You may also need blood tests, x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, surgical procedures, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medical equipment to help with mobility and possibly other treatments.
You may also need to meet with a therapist for counseling to deal with the emotional effects of going through such a traumatic experience.
Our Gresham dog bite lawyers understand what victims of dog attacks go through. We are prepared to represent you as you pursue compensation for the effects of your injuries. Compensation is the law's way of attempting to put you back into the position you were in before you were a victim of negligence.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form today or call us at 503.245.5677.
Proving Negligence for a Dog Bite Injury
You cannot recover compensation unless you can prove the attack was a result of negligence. However, negligence in dog bite cases is a little bit different than in other personal injury cases.
Oregon law (Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 609.115) says that dog owners are strictly liable for economic damages from an attack if they knew their dog was dangerous. This means you simply need to prove the owner had a dangerous dog and knew it to be able to recover economic compensation (medical expenses, property damages, etc.).
According to ORS 609.035, a dangerous dog is one that does any of the following:
- Without being provoked, menaces someone, provided the dog is not on the premises from which the owner can lawfully exclude others
- Without being provoked, causes a person injury that is less severe than a serious physical injury
- Injures or kills a domestic animal without being provoked while off the property where the owner can lawfully exclude people
Under the law, menacing is defined as any behavior that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety:
- Lunging
- Growling
- Snarling
- Similar behaviors
It is important to note that trespassers will likely not be able to hold the dog owner liable for injuries suffered from a bite or an attack. You also cannot recover compensation if you provoked the dog into attacking, such as by teasing, throwing things at the animal or doing something else to anger the dog or cause it to come after you.
These laws may seem straight-forward, but it can be difficult to prove the owner was negligent, particularly without the help of a qualified Gresham personal injury attorney experienced in these cases.
Call our Gresham dog bite lawyers right now at 503.245.5677.
Deadline for Filing a Dog Bite Lawsuit
As with other personal injury claims, dog bite claims are governed by Oregon's personal injury statute of limitations. You can think of this law as a deadline for filing a lawsuit. Once the deadline passes, you lose your right to pursue compensation through a lawsuit.
Oregon's statute of limitations is just two years from the date of the injury. Once the injury occurs, the clock starts ticking away. Two years may seem like a long time, but you know that time can go by very quickly, particularly when you consider all the time you will spend meeting with doctors, receiving treatment and dealing with the rest of your life.
You should know that it can take a long time to build a strong case about a dog bite injury. That is why it is best to contact our Gresham dog bite attorneys as soon as possible to review your legal options. This will give us the most amount of time to build a case and get things filed before the statute of limitations passes us by.
For more information on filing a claim, contact our attorneys today for a free legal consultation.
Contact a Gresham Dog Bite Lawyer Right Away
Your dog bite injuries could be severe and affect you for a lot longer than you think. You may need and deserve compensation for the damages you have suffered, from pain and suffering to medical expenses and lost wages.
Unfortunately, the legal process can be very complicated, difficult to understand and time-consuming. This is particularly true for those who are dealing with a serious injury and are in a financial crisis because they cannot work and have less income coming in.
The Gresham dog bite lawyers at Rizk Law understand this and can handle your legal action on your behalf. This allows you to focus on your health and recovery. Your consultation is completely free of charge, and if you move forward with your case, you will not be charged unless you receive compensation.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form or call us at 503.245.5677.


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What happens next after my application/nomination?
Timeline and shortlisting process
The Alumni Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of alumni and showcase the impact and value of a UK higher education. Award winners and finalists are leaders in their fields who have used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities, professions and countries.
Timeline and shortlisting process
Raise your global profile, extend your professional networks, and share your success with the world.
Read the inspirational stories of Study UK Alumni Award winners and finalists and how they're using their UK education to make a difference.
Meet the judges for the Alumni Awards.


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Once AGAIN!!!.....Dan Savage tells it like it is!!
"GOProud isn't a pro-gay rights organization, they're an organization of gay quislings and useful idiots that help to window-dress the Republican party which is really still rabidly anti-gay to it's core. It's a little window dressing, a little gay window dressing, that allows them to appeal to moderates perhaps and independents as being less bigoted than the Republican party actually is."


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EPC for Summerfield Close, Wisbech, PE13
Three bedrooms
Close to town centre
Gas Central Heating
Pets Considered
Utility Room
Off Road Parking
Large Rear Garden
Two Toilets
Newly Fitted Kitchen
PERFECT FAMILY HOME! Dream House are delighted to offer this three bedroom house located just a stones throw from the town centre. Internally the property offers an entrance hall, lounge, kitchen breakfast room, family bathroom, utility room, W.C room and three bedrooms. Outside offers off road parking, a large rear garden and wonderful views of the green to the front of the property. CALL US TODAY ON 01945 585555 OR LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND SEND US A MESSAGE!
Descriptions of the property are subjective and are used in good faith as an opinion and NOT as a statement of fact. Please make further specific enquires to ensure that our descriptions are likely to match any expectations you may have of the property. We have not tested any services, systems or appliances at this property. We strongly recommend that all the information we provide be verified by you on inspection, and by your Surveyor and Conveyancer.


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HOOD'S HAPPENING'S is about us two "older" (getting there) folk, and what ever we may be doing with life. Most of our time is taken up with our little girl, Miss Mindy. She has become the love of our life! You will see a lot about her here!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Crochet Hook Handles, Mom Blogging
12 comments:
- Unknown said...
They are brilliant Gloria. How clever are you! We love Miss Mindys' spooky pic. Looking forward to more. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
- October 19, 2012 at 7:14 AM
- Gracie and Bobbi said...
Oh My!! Careful Miss Mindy!
- October 19, 2012 at 7:56 AM
- Jill said...
This is just a great idea! They are not only beneficial but so pretty.
LOL! Miss Mindy! I can't wait until the 24th!
- October 19, 2012 at 8:25 AM
- Mollie said...
They are fantastic Gloria, you are so talented :) You could do one as a prize and let me win..lol Love the picture and can't wait to see more xx00xx
Mollie and Alfie
- October 19, 2012 at 8:39 AM
- Bassetmomma said...
I love these handles and sure could use handles like this too! Can't wait for all the scariness!
- October 19, 2012 at 9:08 AM
Those are some beautiful hooks. That is one pretty nice prize!! We are ready to be spooked really good too!
- October 19, 2012 at 10:01 AM
- My Mind's Eye said...
Hi Mindy your mom is a very talented and creative lady AND she made you look purrty spooky
Hugs Madi your BFFF
- October 19, 2012 at 11:08 AM
- 2browndawgs said...
Those crochet hooks are very pretty. I can't wait until next week to see what you have for us! Have a nice weekend!
- October 19, 2012 at 11:52 AM
- Chatty Crone said...
Oh my goodness I LOVE that last picture of you! So cute.
- October 19, 2012 at 10:57 PM
- Mollie said...
Our compawters been on the blink as waz worried wez has missed a post or two xx00xx
Mollie and Alfie
- October 22, 2012 at 4:51 AM
- Remington said...
Those are SO awesome! Very creative!
- October 22, 2012 at 12:29 PM
- Unknown said...
What a great idea, those are so cool! Im just learning how to sew since im having a baby - figured it was a good reason now :)
I cant knit or crochet to save my life lol.
- October 23, 2012 at 8:30 AM


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Dear Audy,
I have felt so very lost lately. I have had a lot of adjusting to do, in most aspects of my daily life and well, that sort of adjusting takes up a lot of time and brainpower.
Symptom wise, I am not doing particularly well. My ability to function has been declining severely with the shifting of the seasons. I've had increased CRPS pain all over my body, with the lower regions of my limbs being the worst affected areas. My hands and feet have been putting on colourful displays with more frequency than I have seen before. The flares aren't really receding, just fluctuating about at different amounts of high-intensity.
Here is my hand being pretty after I determinedly walked the dogs earlier. This picture is unedited:
Centrally, my system is kind of flipping out. I've had an increase in general pain, specifically a burning/tingling sensation that seems to exist between my skin and my flesh. It's everywhere, however it is notably more painful in my limbs than the rest of me. The sensation is particularly strong overnight and starts to rise immediately upon waking. Coping with it is a challenge that I must face every morning, sometimes several times a morning if it's been a restless night.
It's not easy you guys, it's really not, but I'm doing it.
I don't have a choice about the pain, but I can choose whether or not to cry and that's a start. I can choose to keep training myself to not view physical pain is something that needs to upset me. This training, this militant monitoring of thoughts, is like exercising muscle. The more I practice the stronger I get. The stronger I get, the easier the practice. The easier I make the practice, the more I can progress towards healthier ways of thinking and perceiving.
Logic can be a great motivator, It's the hardest thing in the world to argue with.
It's really a good thing then I've been building up coping strength, because my nervous system is really ripping out the big guns this Spring… (I wish I was done describing symptoms)
Along with the aforementioned joys of CRPS, I have been having a lot of trouble with my jaw. The left side has hacked away at its joint socket so much over the last few years that my jaw doesn't really fit into my face on that side anymore. This isn't a big deal, until you factor in that all of the other symptom increases tend to exacerbate jaw tension and clenching, which leads to an increase in neck and shoulder pain, which leads to an increase in arm pain, which brings us back around to the first paragraph of Caf's exciting symptoms.
So, um, there's a nice little circle for you. It's nice to notice things.
Separate to the pain side of things, I found myself faced with increased sensitivity to everything. Everything. Temperature, light, sound, scent, pressure, chemicals, even people. My body does this thing now where it forgets to stop cooling down at night. I start to get sleepy and go to bed and then just get colder and colder and shiver uncontrollably (and painfully) unless I have an external source of warmth, like a heatpack. Good times.
I react to all of the chemicals in everything. Food, cleaning products, hygiene products…everything. I keep getting nauseous and I'm not even sure what's causing it; my diet is pretty clean these days. I even react to myself, apparently. I deduced this from the fact that the other day, having given up on deodorising at all, I still managed to score a new and exciting armpit rash. Good times.
It's not easy you guys, it's really not, but I'm doing it.
I'm coping.
Most of the time.
When all I can do is keep rearranging my thoughts to find a way that I can be okay with whatever's going on, then that's what I do. I have been trying ever so hard to resist the urge to vent and complain. I don't want my brain practising those thought patterns. Every single time we go over something in our minds, we strengthen the thought patterns associated with that thing. I don't want to strengthen the patterns that perceive my challenges as negative, powerful, or beyond my control.
Everything that we think or perceive is only possible because of patterns created by our brains and nervous systems. Every single thing. Thankfully, through focus and practice, these patterns can be changed. Permanency is just an illusion when it comes to the natural state of the healthy human body.
It's not a magical thing that takes all of your bads and makes them goods. Positive thinking is a process of redirecting thoughts through observation and attention.
In order to cope with everything that has been on my plate lately, I have had to remain acutely aware of what's going on in my mind and whether it's a thought pattern that is going to help or hinder me. This practice is especially important on both ends of my physical pain management strategies. I need to be able to get past any negative thinking patterns in order to get motivated to move through the pain and I also need to be able to keep my mind as peaceful as possible if I have exhausted all of my management strategies to no obvious benefit.
Most of the time, stuff helps, but sometimes the sky has other plans for me.
The actual sky, not the metaphorical kind. A lot of the challenges that I've been dealing with are the result of my body not coping with changes in weather.
I need my mind to cope even though my body can't. Positive thinking is as simple as that, really. I've read a lot of lamentations from people living with chronic pain who are tired of being told to think positively because doing so will not take away their physical pain. Maybe it will and maybe it won't, but that's really not what it's about.
Logic can be a great motivator, It's the hardest thing in the world to argue with.
Love & Pressing On,


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Short chapter books
The Apple Spy by Terry Deary
One of Deary's World War II tales. If you're more interested in World War One, you may like The Pigeon Spy.
Junior novels
Uprooted: A Canadian war story by Lynne Reid Banks
An interesting well-written story, based on the author's own life, about a mother and daughter who were sent away from the UK to live in Canada during WWII. It's a fascinating read.
Carrie's war by Nina Bawden
Carrie and her brother Nick are billeted with a bible thumping bully when they were evacuated to Wales in WWII. This classic has been in print since 1973, and was made into a film too since it's such a brilliant read.
When Hitler stole pink rabbit by Judith Kerr
A moving semi-autobiographical story by German born Judith Kerr, documenting her family's flight from Germany before WWII, is the first part of her trilogy Out of the Hitler Time. Part 2 is Bombs on Aunt Dainty and part 3 is A small person far away.
The tin snail by Cameron McAllister
Just aching to be made into a film, this exciting book opens in 1930s Paris before evacuating to "La France profonde", where work on a revolutionary car design can continue not quite under the noses of the Germans. It's an adventure with colourful central characters, a moving story of courage and inventiveness, a warm portrayal of a father and son relationship, a gripping tale of invention and engineering and another way to look at life during WWII.
Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
If you haven't read this yet, and it's heart-achingly brilliant so you won't want to miss it. We also have the TV special of Goodnight Mister Tom, starring John Thaw not as Inspector Morse.
An eagle in the snow by Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo sets many of his books in wartime — his newest war story, is set in the 1940s. Stranded after their house in bombed, a stranger tells Barney and his mother a story about a World War One soldier.
Listen to the moon by Michael Morpurgo
This well-balanced story set on the Scillies during WWI was shortlisted for a Costa Book Award in 2014. It features a fishing family who find a girl with no memory, washed up on a rocky shore.
Billy's Blitz by Barbara Mitchelhill
Billy's father has gone off to war, and his mother doesn't want her children to be evacuated from London. During a bombing raid, the tube station they sheltered in and much of their neighbourhood suffers a direct hit and their mum remains unaccounted for. Billy and his little sister fall into the hands of the evacuation officer, and their subsequent adventures take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. It's a superb book, and an atmospheric portrayal of London life during the blitz.
Paradise Barn by Victor Watson
Set in East Anglia during World War Two, a group of evacuees investigate a murder.
Picture books for older readers
The best Christmas present in the world by Michael Morpurgo
A World War One soldier's experience is brought to life with a letter. Illustrated by Michael Foreman, author of War boy.
War boy by Michael Foreman
Michael Foreman grew up in Pakefield during WWII. One of his earliest memories is of the night the village was bombed, and the consequences of those bombs and that war coloured the following years. This gem of a book is his personal record of a wartime boyhood in Suffolk. His beautiful water colour illustrations glow through the book.
Young teen
The boy at the top of the mountain by John Boyne
A powerful and disturbing book about a boy who, after he was orphaned, came to join his aunt in Hitler's mountain top hideaway. This book deals with anti-Semitism, bullying and fear.
Winter's bullet by William Osborne
Amsterdam, 1945 and 15 year old Tygo is working as a locksmith for a German officer, helping him to loot empty houses and hoping to rescue his sister from the Nazis. He lives in fear of his life from both the Germans and the Dutch Resistance. It's a gripping page turner, as was his previous novel Hitler's angels. Brilliant.
The big lie by Julie Mayhew
Set in an imagined UK dystopia where Nazis won the war and are in power.
The earth is singing by Vanessa Curtis
A Jewish Latvian teenage girl, Hanna, experiences the Nazis invading her country.
The escape by Robert Muchamore
The first title in the action packed WWII spy series, Henderson's Boys.


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Face Cream
Hydrating Facial Silk - 50ml
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This plastic-free facial silk created by Eve of St. Agnes contains jojoba oil, macadamia nut oil, and cocoa butter, which helps maintain soft and silky skin. The hyaluronic acid keeps the skin hydrated all day long and plant actives including spilanthes acmilla provide anti-aging benefits.
The hand-blended combination of bloody orange, champaca flower oil, and frangipani make is smell simply divine.
Packaged in an aluminium tin, this cream was awarded gold at the Green Parent Awards 2017.
To use, simply apply to your face and neck after cleansing morning and night. It can also be used as a night cream only for this that don't suffer with dry skin.
Aqua (Water), Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Simmondsia Chinenis Seed Oil, Macademia Ternifolia Seed Oil*, Cetearyl Olivate, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctarius Seed Oil*, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Chitosan Succinamide, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed* (Blood), Benzyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Salicylic Acid, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Michelia Champaca Flower Oil, Plumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linalool**, Limonene**
* Organic ingredient
** Occurs naturally in essential oil


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"…in the footprint of the Buddha…"
Samatha Concentration & Vipassana Retreat
With Sayalay Dipankara
September 4-17, 2020
Columbine Inn, Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
This retreat has been cancelled by the teacher. We hope to reschedule for late September 2021. Please stay tuned!
A Message from Sayalay Dipankara's assistant Amatanandi
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
As the condition (coronavirus) is worsening and becoming widespread worldwide, Sayalay Dipankara has decided to cancel all overseas retreats till October this year. We regret to inform that all retreats in Canada/USA/Mexico will be cancelled too.
Hopefully Sayalay would be able to come to conduct the retreats next year.
We sincerely apologise for all the inconvenience caused.
Thank you very much for your kind invitation, support and preparations done for the retreat so far.
May you and all be well and happy in the Dhamma always.
This two week Samatha Concentration & Vipassana retreat is for experienced Dhamma students (see prerequisites below). Guidance will be offered for the development and nurturing of deep concentration leading towards Jhana in the lineage of Burmese meditation master Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw.
All meditators are encouraged to observe the 'Eight Training Precepts' but observing the 'Five Training Precepts' is also acceptable especially for people with medical issues. Please indicate on your application form which you would like observe. The retreat will be held in Noble Silence, and will consist of alternate periods of sitting and walking, instructions, Dhamma talks and individual practice interviews. The small group size at Hermitage retreats (a maximum of 15 students for this one) helps to create a more intimate experience and easier access to the teacher.
A scholarship fund has been established to offer financial aid to those who would otherwise not be able to attend. There is no fee for monastics.
Applications and deposits are requested by July 15, 2020. Late applications will be considered on a space available basis. All yogis will have a single room with private bath. Space is limited to 15 yogis – applications are necessary. Printable forms are at the bottom of this page.
Practitioners must have sat a minimum of three week-long or ten-day retreats with a recognized Buddhist teacher and/or a longer period of intensive practice with a recognized teacher.
Details of the qualifying retreats, including teachers' names, dates, location and length of the retreat, must be documented on the application form.
Sayalay Daw Dipankara Theri was born in 1964 in Myanmar.
At a young age, Sayalay started meditation practice without external instruction. As she matured, she continued her practice but with guidance from various great meditation masters. She accomplished the practice within a very short period, under the guidance of her skillful teacher, Ven. Pak-Auk Sayadaw.
In 1990, she was ordained as a Buddhist nun at Pak-Auk Tawya Monastery, Myanmar. Since then, she was trained to be a meditation teacher. Sayalay Dipankara is experienced in teaching any of the 40 Kamatthana as mentioned in the Visuddhi Magga (e.g. Anapanasati, Four Elements Meditation, Metta, Buddhanussati, Asubha, Marananussati and 8 Samapatti (1st to 8th Jhana), Kasina meditation, etc) and Vipassana Meditation.
In 1996, she was invited to Sri Lanka by the highly respected Mahathera, Venerable U Ariya Dhamma to assist her teacher, Ven. Pak-Auk Sayadaw in guiding the yogis. Since then for 25 years till present, she has been invited by various Buddhist Centres to conduct talks and intensive meditation retreats in different countries such as USA, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, England, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Australia, Vietnam etc.
In 2000, Sayalay founded Cakkavala Meditation Centre in Singapore and is the spiritual advisor of the centre till the present.
In 2006, Sayalay founded Brahma Vihari Meditation Centre (Myanmar) to conduct longer meditation retreats for local and international meditators. Sayalay is also the founder and abbess of three other international Brahma Vihari Meditation Centres in Muar (Malaysia), Penang (Malaysia) and Subang (Indonesia).
On 20th March 2019, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture (Myanmar) and the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar conferred upon Sayalay Daw Dipankara Theri the hononary title of "Great International Meditation Master" in recognition of her extensive Dhamma teachings worldwide for the benefit of all.
Besides the teachers, the staff of this one-week Hermitage retreat will consist of a resident retreat manager (the point of contact in case of any difficulties) and a retreat cook. There will be three nutritious vegetarian meals per day and options available for those who would like to abide by the 'Eight Traditional Precepts.'
The general retreat schedule will consist of group events such as meals, Dhamma talks, and guided sits plus a suggested schedule of sitting and walking practice.
5:30 a.m. – Group sit and Metta chant
6:30 a.m. – Breakfast
7:15 a.m. – Work period
8:15 a.m. -Refuges & Precepts – Group sit – Instructions or Dhamma reflection
9:15 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Walk & sit alternate hours- Practice interviews as scheduled
12:00 Noon – Lunch
1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Walk & sit alternate hours
5:30 p.m. – Tea
6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Sit & walk
7:15 p.m. – Dhamma talk, guided meditation, or Q & A as scheduled
8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Walk or sit
The Columbine Inn, in Taos Ski Valley, is a comfortable timber-frame lodge situated among tall pines at 9200 feet elevation in northern New Mexico's beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Mountain Hermitage will have exclusive use of the Columbine Inn during the period of this two-week retreat, enabling us to provide the privacy, quiet, and sense of harmony most conducive to intensive practice.
There is a lovely meditation hall, indoor and outdoor walking areas, and a large dining hall. All of the rooms at the Columbine Inn include 2 queen beds, private toilet, shower/tub, mini-fridge, microwave, and hair dryer. Many of the rooms are spacious enough to allow for sitting and walking meditation for those wishing to practice in a more secluded setting. Linens and towels are provided.
Information about transportation and what to bring will be sent to those accepted into the retreat in time for making travel arrangements and packing.
Fees are on a sliding scale to allow you to pay according to your means. Our actual cost for this 2 week long retreat per person is $1745. A portion of our scholarship fund is being allocated for this retreat to allow us to offer the low range on the sliding scale. Please pay as much as you are able, in order to allow others to attend who need to pay less. Any amount above the actual cost will be gratefully received and treated as a tax-deductible donation.
Sliding Scale Fees
$1545 (low) $1745 (actual cost) $2182 (benefactor)
If you need more scholarship support, some additional funds are available. Please fill out a scholarship application form and send it with your application form, specifying how much you feel you are able to pay. There is no fee for monastics.
The Mountain Hermitage will gratefully receive donations to our scholarship fund to enable those in financial need to attend this retreat. Donations are tax-deductible and should be marked 'Scholarship Fund'.
The retreat fees only cover basic expenses and operating costs. The teachers offers the Buddha Dhamma without any set fee, and totally depends on DANA – on the generosity of their students and benefactors – for the support of their daily life needs.
DANA, an ancient Pali word meaning generosity, giving, or gift, is central to the 2,600-year-old tradition of Buddhism. The teachings of the Buddha have been offered freely since the time of the Buddha. There was and is no way to put a price on the teachings of the truth – they are valuable beyond any fee one could set.
At the end of the retreat, envelopes will be provided for you to offer Dana to the teachers. Giving to the teacher from the heart, whatever feels appropriate, is the practice of Dana. You may also wish to offer Dana to the staff or to the Hermitage itself to support operating expenses or future scholarships.
Another way to support the Hermitage is to donate all or part of the cost of a meal during the retreat.
Your fees for the retreat will be used to pay for: rental of the Columbine Inn and attached expenses; other general retreat expenses; a retreat cook; a small stipend for the retreat manager; a small parsonage to the teachers to help cover ongoing home expenses for the duration of the retreat; teacher transportation.
Please send your deposit with your application. The deposit is $400.
The deposit will not be banked until your registration is confirmed and will be applied to the total fee for those accepted to attend. The deposit will be returned in full to those not accepted, or to those who are on a waiting list at the time that the retreat begins.
The full deposit must accompany your application, even if you are requesting scholarship funds. No monies will be banked until you are accepted on the retreat. The balance of the retreat fee is due when you arrive for the retreat, or you can mail the balance to us in advance. If possible, we appreciate you paying the full fee (deposit plus balance) at the time of application or on acceptance, as this improves our efficiency. However this is not necessary.
Please pay by check or money order in US funds, drawn on a US bank. We cannot accept foreign cash or bank drafts, but we can accept international money orders in US dollars. Sorry, but at this time we are unable to accept credit cards.
Checks/money orders should be made payable to THE MOUNTAIN HERMITAGE.
Cancellation fees apply to all confirmed registrations.
Cancellations received on or before July 28, 2020: your deposit will be returned minus a $50 cancellation fee.
Cancellations received on or after July 29, 2020, including non-attendance at the retreat: your deposit cannot be refunded. If you have already paid the balance, then that balance will be refunded minus the $400 deposit/cancellation fee.
CANCELLATION FEES WILL BE APPLIED TO THE MOUNTAIN HERMITAGE SCHOLARSHIP FUND (after the cost of the retreat is covered).
In the event of specific, unusual emergency circumstances, the cancellation policy can be discussed with The Mountain Hermitage Office Manager after the retreat is concluded. If you attend the retreat but for some reason decide on your own to leave early, the deposit and balance you have paid cannot be refunded to you.
Anyone interested in attending the retreat must have read this document. Then, complete the Application Form and Waiver of Liability, attach your deposit, and mail to: The Mountain Hermitage, PO Box 807, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557.
Applications and deposits are requested by July 21, 2020. Late applications will be considered on a space available basis. Applications will be accepted only by mail, not by phone, fax, or e-mail, because they must be accompanied by the appropriate deposit.
Incomplete registrations, including those without sufficient deposit, will be returned for completion.
Each application will be carefully reviewed. In some cases, a personal or phone interview will be conducted with the teacher prior to determination of suitability for this type of practice. All applications are processed by date received. We will respond within two weeks from receipt of your application.
If your application is not accepted for this retreat, your deposit will be returned.
Places are limited to 15 practitioners, so early application is advised. Once the retreat is full, you will be notified and placed on a wait list, and we will contact you if a place opens up. If it does not, then your deposit will be returned.
If you are placed on the wait list and you then cancel your registration before a space has become available, your deposit will be returned.
If you are placed on a wait list and are unable to attend the retreat, please let us know immediately. As long as your name remains on a list, we assume you wish to attend. If a space becomes available, we will automatically confirm your registration. Once you are confirmed for a retreat, you are liable for applicable cancellation fees if you subsequently cancel.


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The rain drummed steadily on the wings of the aircraft while we taxied to the runway. There was no sun visible under the dark gray sky. Moments later, after being carried above the cloudy ceiling by that magical machine, my face was bathed in the bright sunlight that came through the small window on my left. The sun never left its place in the solar system and I never doubted that it did! It was shining all the while. I just could not see it when I stood under the overcast sky.
That came to mind on Sunday as our worship team led us in that beautiful anthem of faith – "Good, Good Father." We affirmed our hope in His goodness, singing this line – 'You are perfect in all of Your ways.' I was not rapt with joy, however. Instead, my eyes were wet with tears, my heart in turmoil with grief. With my hands lifted to Him in surrendered worship, I prayed "Lord, I want to believe that You are a good Father, perfect in all of Your ways, but my wife was taken from me, her life ended far too soon from where I stand. It does not seem to me that Your ways are perfect." My prayer was not bitter, but a cry for deeper faith.
And, then I thought of standing in the rain, under dark clouds, knowing all the while that the sun continues to shine brightly. My heart's grief was not instantly erased. I am still torn but my choice is to trust – even when I cannot see the Son's face shining on me. Someday He will lift me up above the clouds and I will, I believe, discover in that moment the 'whys' of His ways that I cannot know right now.
Isaiah, moved by the Spirit, wrote the words of God to the broken people whose Temple lay in ruins, whose future was apparently gone. The 55th chapter offers promise and invites faith. Look! "Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:6-9, NLT) And what is the result of this kind of faith that pursues the purposes of God? "You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!" (Isaiah 55:12, NLT)
Let us remember that even Jesus was conflicted! In the Garden as He prayed, He struggled to embrace the goodness of His Father, crying intensely, so stressed that He sweat droplets of blood. As He hung on the Cross, suffering not just terrible pain in His body but anguish in His soul, the words "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?" poured from His lips. Had God really disappeared? No, but in that moment Jesus felt the separation from the Father that all who sin know. He became sin for us, that we might know peace with God. When we struggle to live with faith, when it seems that the Lord has left us, we can look at that moment and know that we are reconciled to our Father, secure in His favor because the Savior made a way for us to go Home to His embrace.
Look to Jesus! Hope in Him! Hold onto His gift of life!
One last thought today. Sunday afternoon, as the news of the mass murder in Orlando spilled all over us, splashing us with fear, with grief, with pain – many asked if God had forsaken us. Why would He allow such horror? I cannot fully answer that today. What I do know is that the sun is still shining behind the clouds that sin spreads over this present world. Philosophers work mightily to offer a reasonable answer for the absurdity of evil. Some choose to deny that God exists, leaving us to be little gods desperately attempting to manage our world. Others wrongly conclude that God is less than we had hoped, unable to control the world He created. I wait to see the Son shine again.
The salvation of the Lord is complete for me, though not yet fully realized in my present existence. Evil still stalks, the Devil still destroys, but we trust in the Name of the Lord. In the words of the Apocalypse of John we discover that God will reign on the earth, that His kingdom will come, and that all our questions will find answers. So we pray, may Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Take hope from these words that promise the fulfillment of the hope of all the ages.
"Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder: Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints. …
Then I saw Heaven open wide—and oh! a white horse and its Rider. The Rider, named Faithful and True, judges and makes war in pure righteousness. His eyes are a blaze of fire, on his head many crowns. He has a Name inscribed that's known only to himself. He is dressed in a robe soaked with blood, and he is addressed as "Word of God." The armies of Heaven, mounted on white horses and dressed in dazzling white linen, follow him. A sharp sword comes out of his mouth so he can subdue the nations, then rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the raging wrath of God, the Sovereign-Strong. On his robe and thigh is written, King of kings, Lord of lords." (Revelation 19:6-8, 11-16, The Message)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come!
I've heard a thousand stories
Of what they think You're like
But I've heard the tender whisper
Of love in the dead of night
You tell me that You're pleased
And that I'm never alone
You're a Good Good Father
It's who You are
It's who You are
It's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am
It's who I am
It's who I am
I've seen many searching for answers
Far and wide
But I know we're all searching for answers
Only You provide
Because You know just what we need
Before we say a word
You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways to us
Love so undeniable I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
Into love love love
You're a Good Good Father
It's who You are
It's who You are
It's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am
It's who I am
It's who I am
Good, Good Father
Anthony Brown | Pat Barrett
© 2014 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Common Hymnal Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055


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S! TV SHOWBIZ: Katie's new job is her most controversial yet
SHEmazing! TV is here to deliver your round-up of all the Showbiz News.
Today's highlights include:
• Justin Bieber's luck may be running out. The star might be going to jail
• Katie Price has a new job. Will she be given the freedom to say whatever she likes?
• Find out why Mini Me is not happy
• Steve Martin sets the record straight about Father of the Bride 3
• Anna Kendrick has bagged herself an exciting new role
Emma Power reports.