text:
I was once in an orphans' home
Thank you for your answer. It has helped to clarify those 'ideas' that I asked about. But, in truth, I have to say that this is just downright scary. When someone talks about 'anti' and 'liberal' and 'sound', it doesn't make me think of worshiping my God, but it does make me think that there is some sort of 'politics' going on. This is also scary, to think that God's commands have become nothing more to people that a political stand. And for their own agenda, as well, not God's.
I was one who, as a 14-year-old child, was sent to live in one of those orphans homes you spoke of.
We, the children who lived there, attended the local congregation. I was just a kid, so I have no idea of whether or not they actually supported it as a congregation, but what I do remember is that I did carry away from there, the basic ideas of the teachings of Christ. I was baptized there. And yes, it was the biblical teaching way, immersion.
This children's home was the first time in my life that I found peace. I did not want to go with my family. I was even attending school. A major thing for me. I wanted to live there forever. But it was not to be.
Actually, my mother came in the middle of the night and stole me away. Due to family problems, (very severe ones actually) my father (who was also on his way from his home to steal me away), and whatever else, my teachings ended that night when Mom made me leave with her. It wasn't until a few years later, when again, I was thrown out of the family, and searching for a home. I found one with a family in another congregation in the city where Mom lived. I was 16, and a brand new mother. So my foster family took two in, not one.
I lived with my foster family and attended services with them for the next two years, and during that time, I never really knew about these particular problems. I never heard these words discussed. Anti or liberal or sound. If they did present some point of discussion, it must have been during meetings of the elders and deacons. But at this time, in this congregation, we used more than one cup for the communion, and I was not aware that this seemed to present a problem in worshiping. We also had Bible classes, age-related, and we also had a room used for a nursery, but not staffed. I used the nursery myself many times with my baby.
The building itself was very old, and we were just happy to have it.
My foster family concentrated on teaching me the Bible and giving me a decent and loving home. I applaud them for that. I do know this. That period of time with my foster family was one of the most peaceful, and loving times I have experienced in my life. There has been no other time like that.
Now, after years of wandering in darkness, I want to be with a congregation and have a Christian family again. Soon I hope, maybe God will allow me to leave here, and go find one.
I just hope with all sincerity that I will be able to find one that is acceptable to God. When I said earlier that this is scary, what this means to me is that I want to find a church home that is what God commanded to be. Not a political situation, not a place or group of people who are constantly at odds with others, not a place that becomes more or less, just like my mom and dad's homes, where there is nothing but fighting and upset and crying and hurt. I've had my fair share of that already.
I will keep this message you sent me, and use it to attempt to study with, and learn and understand. And thank you again, for your help.
As I stated previously, the tendency of man to divide is not what ought to exist, but sadly it is what man was ever done. "Truly, this only I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes" (Ecclesiastes 7:29). I tried to sketch out for you how things have come to be in their present situation, but by no means do I approve of it. The only way to achieve unity is to gather around God and live in accordance with His teachings. When all seek God's approval, then division ceases.
The use of orphans' homes was a fad in world history that has faded from popularity in the United States. Today foster homes are the current method for caring for homeless children. I have nothing against orphans' homes, though I think that individual families caring for orphans can be a better method if the home is stable and the children are not bounced from home to home. The only thing I object to is the expectation of some that the church ought to be paying for the care of orphans. The command to care for orphans and widows is given to individual Christians. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27). It is not right for an individual to pawn his duty off on the church and then think that he is doing what God had asked. Besides such ways puts too much distance between the one who needs care and the one who should be caring. The word "visit" in this verse comes from the Greek word episkeptomai, which means "to go see, to inspect, to relieve." Christians are told to see to the care of orphans and widows, not to pay some other group to do it for them. I am glad that you found Christians who did their duty and did it well.
I pray that you will find a group of faithful Christians to work and worship with one day.


text:
A ransomware attack on the operator of non-profit clinics that serve the uninsured in St. Louis led to the breach of information on 152,000 patients, clinicians and employees. The organization says it did not pay a ransom, and IT experts have not been able to unlock the data encrypted by hackers in the September attack.
The incident is yet another reminder that ransomware attacks can affect organizations of all types and sizes.
Click here to read the full story.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Four times in the last month or so, a teammate has pushed me from a sniping spot when I was in my T67. Before you blame the victim, note that 1.) twice this was at the very beginning of the game, and 2.) doing this is against the rules, regardless of the situation.
The T67 has paper-thin armor and a turret lubricated with molasses. While to the untrained eye it may look like a tank, it is decidely NOT one, and should not be played as if it is. Since it cannot take too many hits, it needs to stay hidden (which means setting up its camo net - please do not nudge me!). While hidden, I need to get as many shots off as I can until I am spotted. Once spotted, or if I have no shots to take, I need to quickly relocate somewhere else. YOU do not get to decide that I need to "Get out there and fight." YOU do not need to tell me that I am being a chicken. This is to warn the offenders (probably none of whom is a forum regular, so I'm likely preaching to the choir here) that I am going to take screenshots of this behavior from now on, and I will be submitting a ticket EVERY SINGLE TIME. I am *%#¥*%# sick of it.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.


text:
Partner with UNYDA
UNYDA is always looking to enhance its capacity, reach and impact through strong partnerships with domestic and international partners.
UNYDA is seeking:
- International outreach and awareness raising;
- Fundraising support internationally;
- Capacity building and training for our team;
- Individual and corporate donors – both domestic and international.
We would be grateful to hear from any prospective partner that wishes to work with us and build a stronger, sustainable tomorrow for our beneficiaries,
You can reach us at firstname.lastname@example.com / firstname.lastname@example.com
UNYDA also accepts local and international volunteers for a specified period as per the HR policy. Usually, these provide skills and services to UNYDA on a voluntary basis. Volunteers will normally not be remunerated for the time they spend with UNYDA. UNYDA may give suitable assignments and tasks to such volunteers as per the Volunteers or Internship Policy.
Applicants are required to submit the following documents:
Cover Letter
Current CV
Academic Documents
Recommendation Letter
Please send the application to Programs Manager at this email address: email@example.com


text:
I like travelling, family history and reading books. I am ESL teacher in High Junior school and at University.
Thursday, 23 April 2015
snow in turkey
Weather in turkey is so moody. yesterday it was snow here but in poland was 21c degrees. But today is sunny in turkey but in the morning cold. Mother natuture is really crazy now..
3 comments:
Mother Nature is not acting like her usual self all over the world. You're in Turkey? What fun!ReplyDelete
We are also having crazy weather over here. Started out bright and sunny and by afternoon, thunderstorm and lightning.ReplyDelete
Pleased to read you are having a great time....look forward to your photos when you return to Poland and can post them.....safe journey home.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
BEIJING (AP) So, it's come down to this for Michael Phelps:
The only guys likely to stop him from taking down the ultimate Olympic record are wearing red, white and blue.
Ryan Lochte was gunning for Phelps in the 200-meter individual medley. Ian Crocker was eager to take him down in the 100 fly. Neither has an Olympic gold medal of his own - an omission they'd sure like to fix before they leave Beijing, even it means costing Phelps his historic No. 8.
"Michael has his goals and I have mine," Crocker said. "I don't think anyone should get in the way of what I want. I'm not going to feel bad if I go out and race my heart out and end up winning."
If he's going to beat Phelps, he'd sure better pick up the pace. For the preliminaries Thursday night, Crocker inexplicably came out wearing a jammer - a suit that goes only from the waist to just above the knees - and put up the 13th-fastest time, coming perilously close to missing out on the semifinals.
"He wanted to try it," said his coach, Eddie Reese. "It's a physical and psychological disadvantage."
Not even his coach sounded very convincing when asked if Crocker has a chance to derail history.
"I hope so," Reese said, "but Michael's a human rocket at the moment."
Lochte gets the first crack at Phelps in the 200 IM final, which requires one lap with each of the four strokes. Both easily advanced out of the semifinals, setting up a side-by-side rematch Friday morning of their duel in the 400 IM.
Phelps won that race by crushing his own world record, while Lochte struggled home with the bronze. But the laid-back Floridian was apparently bothered by some sort of stomach problem early in the week; he insists he's feeling fine now.
Still, Lochte faced a huge challenge. Not only does he have to race the world's greatest swimmer, he'll be doing it just 29 minutes after he faces another American juggernaut in the 200 backstroke final.
Aaron Peirsol, the defending Olympic champion, beat Lochte in the U.S. trials and shares the world record with him.
"I just get ready for one race," said Lochte, who has bonded with Phelps over their shared passion of hip-hop music. "The most important thing is being able to separate (the two races) and just most on. I've trained for it. I'm used to it. The biggest part for me is the psychological part."
Kirsty Conventry of Zimbabwe, who's quite versatile herself, can't wait to see how it turns out for Lochte.
"He just loves to get in and race the best, and that pushes Michael, and that pushes Aaron Peirsol," she said. "I think Aaron and Michael both know that he's a threat when he's on, and I think those are going to be two very exciting races to watch."
If Phelps claims his sixth gold of the games in the 200 IM, his last individual race would be the 100 fly on Sunday. Considering Crocker is the world record-holder, this would seem to be a daunting challenge.
But Phelps has beaten the soft-spoken, 25-year-old from Maine at almost every big meet during the last four years, including the 2004 Athens Olympics, world championships and the U.S. Olympic trials.
Crocker sure didn't look too strong in the prelims, his only individual event of the games. He touched in a sluggish time of 51.95 seconds, just a tenth of a second ahead of the final qualifier and at least a full stroke off his world record of 50.40, set three long years ago at the worlds in Montreal.
"That's a swim to get me into the meet a little bit," Crocker said with a shrug. "It's been a long week waiting and watching a lot of ups and downs. Finally, I'm in the meet and I can relax and do my race a little bit better."
Phelps already has five gold medals - and five world records. He's become the winningest Olympian ever, adding to the six golds he won in Athens. He's been dubbed "icon of the games" by IOC president Jacques Rogge, no less.
In the 100 fly, Phelps qualified second overall in 50.87 seconds. He trailed Milorad Cavic of Serbia, who won his heat in an Olympic record of 50.76.
"That was OK," Phelps said. "I didn't have much speed the first 50, but I think I came home pretty good. I just need to put myself out there a little more in the first 50 and I'll be OK."
He sure didn't sound worried.
"It's a prelim. Nothing really counts until finals," Phelps said. "I'll just try to set myself up for a good final and go from there."
The only other event on Phelps' remaining schedule is the 400-medley relay, an Olympic event the Americans have never lost in the pool (Australia was the gold medalist in 1980 when the U.S. boycotted).
Considering the depth of the Americans over all strokes, it likely would take a monumental blunder for them to claim anything but gold in that event, something along the lines of Crocker's botched start that disqualified the Americans in the preliminaries of last year's worlds. It cost Phelps a chance to go for his eighth victory in Melbourne.
Assuming the improbable doesn't happen, the final event Sunday would be the culmination of Phelps' bid to take down Mark Spitz's record of seven golds at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
But nothing is a given. Just ask Americans Katie Hoff and Kate Ziegler, who stunningly washed out of the Olympics in the 800 freestyle preliminaries.
Hoff was 11th overall and Ziegler 10th. Both finished more than eight seconds off their personal best times.
"I don't think many people bet on that," Ziegler said.
The 19-year-old Hoff may have been trying to do too much, attempting a grueling schedule that included five individual races and one relay. She won a silver and two bronzes, but had two fourth-place finishes and wasn't even that good in her final race.
"She gave it everything she had," said Jack Bauerle, head coach of the U.S. women's team. "She was just pretty much out of gas."
Ziegler is world champion in the 800 but hardly looked like it. She felt strong over the first half of the race, then suddenly realized she wasn't going to have enough energy to finish strong.
"Some days, your body just doesn't work," Ziegler said. "My body picked a bad time not to work."
Crocker and Lochte can only hope for some sort of slip-up from Phelps.
"The pressure is on him because he is the one with all the expectations," Crocker said. "We're the underdogs. That's a good place to be."


text:
Sevilla have slapped a 25 million-euro price tag on reported Fiorentina target Alvaro Negredo.
The 27-year-old forward, who formed part of Spain's triumphant Euro 2012 squad, is believed to have attracted interest from the Serie A outfit, who are seeking attacking reinforcements.
However, speaking to Spanish radio station Cope, Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido declared that the former Almeria ace will not go cheaply.


text:
Santa Rosa Senior Care
Can you help us find senior care for an active senior?
We can help you find Santa Rosa senior care for an active senior complete with many on-site activities. Elderlink can also refer families to Santa Rosa nursing homes, dementia care and Alzheimer's care facilities, or a Santa Rosa assisted living facility. In short we are here to provide you with options as to the senior services you and your family need. Contact our qualified care counselors or 24 hour helpline to learn more about senior care for the active senior.
Elderlink can find many senior care options for your active senior, as well as other senior services including:
- Santa Rosa nursing homes
- Dementia care facilities
- Alzheimer's care facilities
- Santa Rosa assisted living facility
You've come to the right place for information on the best in Santa Rosa senior care.
Find senior services for the active senior is easy when you use Elderlink. We'll pre-screen and evaluate Santa Rosa senior care facilities and refer the best to you. Be it an active retirement home, a Santa Rosa assisted living facility, or one of the many Santa Rosa nursing homes in the area, you can depend on our referral service for insight into the appropriate care facility for you and yours.
Our referral service is a valuable resource for those seeking Santa Rosa adult care. From active retirement facilities to Santa Rosa nursing homes or a Santa Rosa assisted living facility, we can find the right fit for your loved one. Consult with our experienced professional today. Our free referral service is available throughout California including the cities of:
- Agoura
- Anaheim
- Bay Area
- Beverly Hills
- Calabasas
- Conejo Valley
- Contra Costa County
- Costa Mesa
- East Bay
- Huntington Beach
- Irvine
- Laguna Beach
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Manhattan Beach
- Marin County
- Newport Beach
- Orange County
- Pasadena
Rancho Santa Margarita
- Riverside County
- Sacramento
- San Diego
- San Fernando Valley
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- San Mateo
- Santa Monica
- Santa Rosa


text:
Who said that?
I did.
1. "This is Rose. Won't you give to help her and people life her who suffer from crippling hatred of the President of the United States? Just a few dollars a month..."
A more vivid example of where anti-Trump hysteria can lead than these two tweets can hardly be found. The author is #MeToo activist Rose McGowan, Harvey Weinstein victim, conventional Hollywood progressive. These were her reactions to the unequivocally welcome news that General Qassim Soleimani, head of Iran's elite Quds force and the architect of terrorism all over the Middle East, was killed by a U.S. airstrike at Baghdad's international airport:
When a social media critic correctly pointed out the lunacy of that one, the former "Charmed" actress responded,
Would it be unfair to say that "Please do not kill us" was the message conveyed by President Obama's craven and dangerous nuclear deal with Iran, giving the rogue state billions of dollars in exchange for a (worthless) promise not to pursue nuclear arms capability until later, at which time there would be nothing the U.S. could do about it?
I heard these kinds of sniveling, "Better Red than Dead" protests many times in my youth. They come often from people so young, inexperienced and ignorant that their confusion can be forgiven—a little–but also from older Americans—more frequently women, unfortunately, and make of that what you will—who have somehow reached maturity without learning that everyone, but especially this unique country, has to be ready to defend their values, and just as important, has to be able to communicate clearly that we will defend those values, with terrible force if necessary.
Over the last couple of decades, a large and influential segment of the progressive community has forgotten that. Fortunately, the majority of Americans have not.
2. How it works: The fact that President Trump is at the dead bottom of the cognitive dissonance scale for most Democrats means that anything he does and any result that would normally and objectively be regarded as positive if another President, especially a Democrat and particularly Barack Obama, were responsible drags that event or decision down below the midpoint into negative territory, unless someone recognizes that their opinion is being warped by psychological forces and biases beyond their control, and adjusts appropriately. Apparently none of the Democrats who have shot off their mouths since Soleimani's demise have such wisdom and self-control. Thus they are beginning critical comments with statements like this tweet by Rep. Andy Levin, which was typical:
"There is no question that Qasem Soleimani was an enemy of the United States. I feel no sadness at the news of his death. But I have serious concerns about this President's execution of a potential act of war without authorization of Congress."
"He was a terrible, murderous enemy of our nation and we're fortunate he's dead BUT" is just not a smart message.
The President gave the order that resulted in the death of the Quds Force leader after multiple attacks against Americans and American facilities in Iraq that could be traced back to Soleimani. The Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kata'ib Hezbollah began the exchange with a rocket attack on a U.S.-led coalition base on December 27. A U.S. contractor was killed andmany Americans and Iraqis were wounded. The Pentagon concluded that Soleimani ordered the attack. In response, the U.S. launched airstrikes against the militia, killing 25 militiamen. Members of the militiamen stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, an invasion of American soil. Again, the Pentagon concluded that Soleimani "approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week." After U.S. troops forced the attackers to retreat, the President made it clear that there would be harsh consequences for the episode. There was.
Iran's leader had tweeted that there was "nothing" the U.S. could do. What kind of American does not take satisfaction in what occurred next? My view: only those in the powerful grip of the Cognitive Dissonance Scale.
Here's Joe Biden:
Translation: "Please don't kill us."
Americans prefer strong Presidents (unless they are Barack Obama), and they are wise and correct to do so. The argument that we should avoid antagonizing those who have made it clear that they want to destroy us because maybe if we're nice to them they'll leave us alone is demonstrably false as well as dangerous and irresponsible.
The caterwauling from Democrats that the Presidents should have informed Pelosi et al. before acting is rebutted by the fact that the Democratic Congress is not trustworthy. Members leak for political gain and to sabotage the President. It was in the interest of the nation and American lives not to inform the Democrats, but by all means, let them impeach him over this, too.
3. As President Trump unapologetically described the successful attack as exactly what it was, here's an Ethics Alarms Obama flashback from 2011:
[W]e shouldn't be surprised, only nauseated, when[the Obama White House] tells Congress, as it did this week, that U.S. participation in the Libyan uprising doesn't fall under the War Powers Resolution.
The Resolution requires presidents to get approval from Congress for armed interventions within 60 days of their initiation and to begin ending hostilities within thirty days from the deadline without such approval. Obama needed to obtain congressional approval by May 19 to keep U.S. forces in the Libyan campaign, but didn't; now the thirty days is up.
Confronted by Congress, the Administration argued this week that it didn't require approval under the War Powers Act because the operations in Libya "are distinct from the kind of 'hostilities' contemplated… U.S. operations do not involve sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire with hostile forces, nor do they involve the presence of U.S. ground troops, U.S. casualties or a serious threat thereof, or any significant chance of escalation into a conflict characterized by those factors."
But as the Washington Post correctly pointed out in an editorial, the Act doesn't define "hostilities," so such Clintonian word-parsing is particularly disingenuous. Our planes and weapons are bombing the headquarters and abodes of the leader of Libya; the U.S. Air Force is killing Libyans. That sure sounds hostile to me. I bet the Libyans think that it is hostile:
1. Unfriendly; antagonistic.
2. Of or belonging to a military enemy.
The Post is fair and direct:
"We believe that an honest appraisal of the activities that the United States continues to engage in would put the administration squarely within the purview of the War Powers Resolution. By the administration's own account, these include airstrikes aimed at "suppress[ing] enemy air defense," "occasional strikes by unmanned Predator" drones, and intelligence and logistical support that aid other NATO members in carrying out their strikes."
Yup. Hostilities.
Obama doesn't even have the dodge available to him that Bush did in the torture debate, claiming then and now that he approved waterboarding based on the opinion of the Justice Department. The New York Time's Charlie Savage has confirmed that the President overruled the opinion of both the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel and the Defense Department general counsel regarding what constitutes "hostilities" under the War Powers Resolution, preferring instead the contrary (that is to say, dishonest) conclusion reached by the White House Counsel's office and the State Department.
As Savage reports, presidents have the legal authority to override the legal conclusions of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and to act against its advice, but it happens rarely, perhaps because when it happens, we end up with positions like this one, arguing that the United States military bombing another sovereign nation doesn't qualify as hostilities.
Philosophically, I think the War Powers Resolution is an unwise Congressional infringement on the President's powers as Commander-in-Chief, but the law is the law. I am also in favor of the U.S. action with NATO in Libya, if not Obama's halting, half-hearted, equivocal prosecution of it. (Why Libya and not Syria? Alas, an ethics site cannot discuss such mysteries….) Nevertheless, the Administration's argument that the Resolution doesn't apply isn't even legalistic nonsense—it's just dishonest nonsense of the kind that the President of the United Sates should not indulge in, to Congress, to the media, to the public, to anyone.
Nothing came of this direct violation of the Act, of course, because Obama Good: he was high on the cognitive dissonance scale, and yanked an illegal and deadly act UP into positive territory.
4. And one more Obama note: The Obama administration kept a list of approximately 500 American soldiers who were killed by by Iranian IEDs. The Quds Force, headed by Soleimani, was believed to be responsible for those deaths. Nonetheless, a report released in 2018 says that when Israel was 'on the verge' of assassinating Soleimani in 2015 near Damascus, the United States warned the Iranian leadership of the plan. The incident, the report says, "sparked a sharp disagreement between the Israeli and American security and intelligence apparatuses regarding the issue." The Trump administration, however, reversed the Obama policy, and gave Israel leave to target Soleimani. The report quoted a source in Jerusalem as saying that "there is an American-Israeli agreement" that Soleimani is a "threat to the two countries' interests in the region."
5. Conclusion: if Democrats were not so hypnotized by the Cognitive Dissonance Scale, they would know that attacking the President for a great success, just as the Obama administration led killing of Bin Laden was a success, looks petty, foolish, hypocritical, craven, and hyper-partisan to the majority of citizens not in the Trump Derangement red zone.
But they just can't see it.


text:
Next month is an important month for the NASA space program. It will mark the first visit of a commercial spacecraft to the International Space Station in history. With the Shuttle fleet retired, most of the supplies and visits to the ISS have been performed using Russian spacecraft. In February, SpaceX will send its first Dragon spacecraft to the ISS.
The ISS crew is excited because this isn't only a visit by a new ship; the Dragon will also be bringing supplies like food, clothing, and other supplies for the crew. The Dragon flight is being funded in part by the NASA Commercial Orbiter Transportation Services (COTS). The Dragon is an automated ship and one of the most important things about Dragon's arrival is that it will allow items from the ISS to return to Earth.
The Dragon craft will allow the return of "significant" payloads to Earth. That means broken equipment can be sent home and repaired and samples can be returned to Earth. The first visit by the Dragon ship will be unmanned, but it was designed to carry people as well.
SpaceX expects to launch the Dragon from Cape Canaveral using its Falcon 9 booster on February 7th.
[via space.com]


text:
An Introduction to Healing Stones and Crystals
AmyDeMarco has been studying and working with crystals for many years. Clear and rose quartz are among her favorites.
Our Fascination With Crystals Isn't New
When some people think of crystals, words like witchcraft, New Age and hippie come to mind. While it is true that many pagans and other earthy types collect and use crystals for various reasons, crystals are definitely becoming mainstream. The truth is that utilizing the powers found in stones is nothing new.
Since the dawn of time, crystals have been worn and adorned all over the world. The Ancient Egyptians wore emerald, quartz and lapis lazuli as jewelry. They used the stones for protection against illness, accidents and disease. Romans wore various kinds of stones for protection in battle and to manifest prosperity. The Ancient Chinese used crystal tipped needles in acupuncture. The Ancient Greeks were also in awe with precious stones. They believed that crystal quartz was sacred ice that came from the heavens. Healing crystals are documented in the oldest Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, along with their specific healing properties.
It's quite interesting to see how many different early civilizations embraced precious stones and were keenly aware of their powers.
Where to Find and Buy Stones
These days, finding crystals is pretty easy. Etsy has some reputable sellers. If you have a metaphysical shop nearby, these kinds of stores usually have a wide variety available for purchase at reasonable prices. I've even managed to find crystals at Home Goods and TJ Maxx! Once you open your eyes, you can literally find crystals anywhere.
Some people (like my mom) still believe the best stones can be found along the beach. I have actually found some beauties along the Pacific coast in California. There's something very satisfying about walking along the beach and picking out beautiful healing stones.
How to Use Crystals
Crystals can be used for so many different reasons. I use my stones mostly for protection against negativity, stress relief, prosperity and attraction. There are books that tell you what stones are best for what reasons.
While I go by the books, such as The Crystal Bible, I also go by my own intuition to discover uses for different crystals. I find that smoky quartz helps keep my stress levels in check so I keep a small stone on my desk at work. Amethyst is also a great stone for stress relief but it also helps with insomnia. You can keep a lovely amethyst piece on your bedside table or even under your pillow to ensure a restful sleep. Black stones, like tourmaline, are excellent for warding off negativity. Pyrite (also known as fool's gold) is good for attracting money but an acquaintance once told me that if you don't want to attract attention to yourself, to carry a pyrite in your pocket and you will go about your day unnoticed. These are just a few examples of what some stones can do. I will go into more depth with my future articles.
After you bought that precious crystal, you will need to charge it (exceptions are quartz, selenite). Charging a crystal will clear any previous, unwanted and negative energy from the stone. There are many ways to charge a crystal.
- Sage: My favorite way to clear a crystal is to burn some sage and let the smoke absorb old energies.
- Sunlight: Place your stones on your windowsill or in your backyard under the sun.
- Moonlight: On the night of the full moon, place your crystals on your windowsill or in your backyard.
- Salt: Put your stones in a dark bag and pour salt over them and keep them in the bag overnight.
- Water: Put crystals in a glass of filtered water. I personally don't recommend this method because some crystals will ruin in the water.
All quartz stones (including amethyst) do not need charging. Selenite is another crystal that does not need to be charged. The neat thing about these crystals is that you can use them to charge other crystals, by laying your other stones on them. If you decide to do this, be careful, especially with selenite because it is a very soft, fragile stone. Other stones that touch it may scratch it. selenite also melts in water so make sure to keep it stored in a dry place.
After charging the crystal, hold it in your left hand. Close your eyes and state clearly what you want to get out of this stone. You can say something like "Please offer me protection from negative forces" or "Please aid me in attracting good fortune." Now, this is my method. Some people actually ask the stone what they can do and then meditate as they wait for an answer. You can do that too. Go with what feels right.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
albichi on July 12, 2018:
greetings, Sometimes "Stones" can be far more Valuable!
FairiesDust on July 12, 2018:
i like stones just as much as i do currency
albichi on July 05, 2018:
greetings lottypotty, i have 3 Clear Crystals...1 from the Smithsonian Museum when i was 5yr...1 from Carlsbad Caves Gift Shop when i was 7yr...& 1 from Kmart...all Cleansed, Blessed & Consecrated...they work for me...it doesn't matter where u get them...it's what u Put into them!...peace
Lottypotty on July 04, 2018:
where did you get them from by charlotte Edwards aka lottypotty
albichi on July 02, 2018:
greetings, thx for the info!...i use Clear Crystal as a "Catchalll" Medium...i like ur "Crysstal Prep"...Blessed Be!


text:
Yesterday, I made a decision: to publish exclusively with eXtasy Books. Please note that my publisher does not know this yet. This was a personal decision. All they know is that I sent them an email asking for them to possibly adopt my self-published books. So far, I've written twenty-one (21) books for them.
Gah! Did I just count that right? *goes back to check*
Wow. 21.
Anyway, back to this rambling mind...21????? Really?
When I first started out writing, it had been my intention to publish a few books with them, and self-publish a few others. Good plan in theory, but it didn't work out the way I'd thought it would. I mean, I really figured it would work because of how others are doing it.
Unfortunately, it seems that I didn't consider the fact that I am in the Philippines and that Amazon would not pay me through PayPal like the others do. When I signed up, I had to go through a whole process of establishing an account with their affiliate. Payoneer. I was okay with it, I mean, the others have their accounts with them, no big deal.
But it ended up as a HUGE DEAL.
Fast forward without having to go through messy details: my self-pubbed books sold. I just could not access my royalties.
Four years later, I've given up. I couldn't think of selling more of my books and not enjoy the earnings. For that is what selling the books is for: enjoyment.
All these years, I've been wrestling with emails and such and lately, no replies. I had WIPs waiting to get finished, but I didn't want to finish them. I was thinking: what if I do finish them and they sell? What then? Given my history with these two companies, I didn't want to risk selling my books through them.
Yesterday, I started the process of pulling out my books from all vending sites. I am not done yet, I have to hunt down my password for PayHip and that's going to be fun. I am not rushing, and yet I am anxious to get this over and done with.
Today, I received an email from my editor who wants to know what Titles I would be submitting so they could prepare the necessary documents. This meant so much to me. That eXtasy Books would trust me to send them my previously published works.
And this leads me to think about the others out there who are hurting after the latest kerfuffle in the MM community.
I am, technically?, a person of color or a POC. In my DNA runs the genes of my ancestors who either invaded or migrated to the Philippines. I have a combination of European and Asian genes in me. At last count, I've got six or is it seven? Anyway, why am I bringing this up?
When I decided to write, I went over too many to mention or remember publishing houses. I spent weeks pouring over submission guidelines, interacted with several authors, bought books from different publishers, just to see their styles. I examined book covers, I even examined prices. My first attempt to submit got accepted in an anthology, but that didn't last long as the small publisher had some issues and they had to close shop. Instead of submitting the same story to another publisher, I self-published that book through Amazon while writing another for possible submission. I finished the book and submitted to another house, Wayward Ink. After submitting, I wrote another book and submitted to another house, which, after three months, sent me a nasty email to the effect that my work was not good enough. I shrugged it off as by that time, I'd submitted to eXtasy Books a short little sci-fi erotic romance and it had been accepted. Compelled. I found out a few weeks after submission that it had been accepted, plus, the editor showed me a review by the one who read the piece. That was an ego boost and gave me the confidence to keep writing. By this time, Wayward had published a short piece in an anthology and I was in the editing process for Hidden: Evils. That books did very well, but my relationship with WIP didn't go so well. While I was still processing my future with Wayward, I decided to submit that horridly received story I'd gotten a rejection for and submitted it to eXtasy Books.
Objectified. It was my first, legitimate, acknowledged bestseller.
I submitted Taboo, at that time a really short 10k, to Wayward. Things got rough and I pulled it before it could be edited and immediately rewrote the whole thing, added 20k++ and submitted to eXtasy.
Taboo overcame Objectified.
The Rise of the Symbionts, Vol. I, I fought long and hard to get off from Wayward as my relationship with them had gone bananas. On December 28th, 2015, I received my rights to the series. I rewrote the first volume of three books by adding several thousand words to each, and the rest, as they say, is history.
What was the difference? Trust.
I learned to trust eXtasy while I learned to distrust the others. Not only that, I could reach out to the staff and the owners without having to suffer through red tape. I didn't have to twiddle my thumbs or bite my nails, or, as in the case of Wayward, suffer palpitations that almost brought me to the hospital.
Editing with eXtasy is not only a learning experience, it is a joy and...I really hate to say this...I look forward to it. The editors and proofers I worked with were not only professional, they had time to teach me what worked or what didn't work.
Oh, don't think it's a breeze. I've had my bad moments with them, their address is not in the Garden of Eden, it's in Canada. The staff is human after all, and so am I. But the differences were dealt with the swiftest and most professional way.
What really struck me was that they treated me as just another author. I was not someone they would bend over backward for because of my ethnicity. I was not someone they would give a pass because of the color of my skin. They treated me as a human being. Period.
Trust is not something I give easily. To anyone.
Although I am skeptical in nature and suspicious to the point of paranoia, I like working with eXtasy. I love their professional manner, especially when I ask stupid questions. They don't give me stupid answers or DUH me. Please note: two publishers DUHed me. That was not a nice feeling. And then there is the artwork. Do I even need to talk about the book covers? No. No words necessary.
Let me end this longish essay to say: Thank you to the wonderful people of eXtasy: Tina, Angela, Jay, Nicki, Laura...and all the rest. You gave my stories a home.
Pages - Menu
Search This Blog
Featured Post
How To Read My Stories So No One Freaks Out
I've been asked a lot about my books, especially the series ones. I have several. The common question is why I write the way I do. I fin...
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Monday, March 12, 2018
Going through the process of removing all of my self-published books from all the vending sites
I have several books that I self-published years ago. As I can't enjoy the fruits of my labor because of some technicalities with a paying affiliate, I will rewrite these titles, get them re-edited, and eventually redistributed through eXtasy Books. Those who follow me know the difficulties I've been having getting my royalties from Amzn. They pay, I just can't touch my money from their affiliate paying thingy. I've given up after staring at the $ and I can't touch it. I'm no masochist, I am hurting, but I don't like not doing anything or giving up. I am going to do something about the whole thing.
So. Watch out! Those titles may be old, but next you see them, they'll be longer, sexier, and a whole lot better. Until then, watch out for future announcements.
So. Watch out! Those titles may be old, but next you see them, they'll be longer, sexier, and a whole lot better. Until then, watch out for future announcements.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Kaleidoscope Is Out! #mm #erotic #romance #suspense #thriller #eXbdd
BUY NOW For Only $4.99
Published By: eXtasy Books
Author: Jo Tannah
Page: 153
Word Count: 45353
Publication Date: March 9, 2018
Series: CyNapse Security, Inc. #1
Heat Level: 3 Flames
Available Formats: Adobe Acrobat, Epub, Mobipocket, Mobipocket (.mobi)
Categories: Erotic Romance, Gay, GLBT, Suspense, Thriller
Letting go doesn't mean surrendering.
Julian Davis has no time for love—everything must be under control. He steers clear of messy emotions or out-of-control passions. This attitude is the key to his success as the VP of CyNapse, one of the world's leading technology companies. When Tarek Kettner is assigned as his lead bodyguard, Julian's life is turned upside down. The baby-faced bodyguard had always been Julian's secret weakness. After one intimate encounter with Tarek, Julian begins to question his life decisions.
Tarek is one of the deadliest bodyguards working for CyNapse Security, Inc. He also wants to show Julian what it would be like to have a meaningful, loving, and trusting relationship instead of one based on physical passion and lust.
Can Julian let go of his apprehensions and embrace Tarek's offer of love when his life is in danger?
Other Books In The Series
The first time billionaire Paul Howell laid eyes on Arjan Kerchner he knew he'd been caught. Paul never expected to fall head over heels in love with a man he'd only just met, but if there was one thing he never questioned it was his instincts.
Arjan was well aware of his perfect face and body but he'd turned his back on modeling to pursue his dreams of becoming a pharmaceutical chemist. Arjan never expected a stranger in a bar to buy him a bottle of water, nor to be courted by one of the richest men in the world the very next day.
It could have all been fun and romantic, but for a stalker who refused to accept that Arjan was not a possession.
Being in a relationship with a billionaire can be nice but restrictive, especially when there are bodyguards around.
Will Arjan learn to live with the choices he makes so he can be with Paul, or will the stalker put a violent end to what is beginning to look like a romance made in heaven?
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Beautiful fresh strawberries abound this season, but I'll tell you a secret—I drive to Davis for mine. Why? Because I discovered, years ago, a teeny little produce stand/shack on Covell Boulevard that offers the most mind-blowing strawberries I have ever tasted. The shack sits directly in front of a strawberry field, and sometimes you have to wait at an unstaffed counter, dust swirling around you, as the owner returns from the field, laden with sun-warmed, just-plucked berries (which he then places on the counter, in front of you, ready for sale). The delicate, perfumey strawberries are picked at their very peak of ripeness—which means that they are best when consumed the day you buy them. Eat them from the basket, scattered on top of shortbread or poundcake, or incorporated into the most delicious homemade strawberry ice cream (or strawberry-rhubarb pie) you have ever tasted. Once you savor these berries' heady, intense flavor, you'll be hooked. Note: the stand also sells a handful of other produce, from watermelons and apricots to heirloom tomatoes.
To get there: Take Highway 80 to Davis, and merge onto Highway 113 toward Woodland. Take the Covell Boulevard exit, and make a left on Covell. Pass over Lake Boulevard and proceed for approximately 1/3 mile. The stand is on on the left.


text:
Id Kill for You
Id Kill for You movie was a blockbuster released on 2018 in United States. Story: The love story of a young man and the singing, suicidal femme fatale who leads him on a topsy-turvy search for his long lost-evil brother. As he gets closer to finding the truth he must decide who to trust and what to believe..
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical,
Actor: HannahTelle, RobertHook, MichaelShaunSandy, EricDavis,
Country: United States
Duration:124 Min
Release: 2018
IMDB Rating: 5


text:
$(document).ready(function(){$("#video-wrapper-NzU=").bind("contextmenu",function() { return false; });});
Rowlett drivers want their tires to last as long as possible. Two ways to extend tire life are wheel balancing and tire rotation.
When wheels are out of balance, they wobble and vibrate. That makes the tires wear in a cupping pattern. If a front wheel is out of balance you'll feel it in the steering wheel. If it's a rear wheel you'll feel it through your seat. To fix this, your technician at Lewis Complete Auto Repair puts weights on your wheels to balance them out.
That brings us to tire rotation. The front tires on a vehicle wear out faster than the rear tires. As they push through turns, the shoulders of the front tires wear down. So rotating front and rear tires allows them to all wear at about the same rate over the life of the tire.
Proper tire inflation will also help Rowlett folks' tires last longer. Underinflated tires wear more on the shoulder and may even overheat. This could cause tire damage or a blow out. Overinflated tires wear too fast in the middle.
Four-wheel-drive trucks and SUV's tend to wear their tires more unevenly so rotation is even more important with them. Give Lewis Complete Auto Repair a call to get our recommendation for your vehicle.
See your owner's manual or ask your service advisor at Lewis Complete Auto Repair for your recommended tire rotation schedule. It's usually every 5,000 to 8,000 miles, or 8,000 to 13,000 km.
Tires are among the most important safety components on your vehicle. Take care of them and they'll take care of you.
Lewis Complete Auto Repair
5110 Grisham Dr.
Rowlett, TX 75088


text:
Adorno and Musical Temporality: Painting with Music in the Mansion Built of Dogshit
This is my undergraduate dissertation submitted at the University of Brighton. The dissertation is an examination of musical temporality as conceived by Theodor Adorno. I argue that Adorno was far from an elitist, although he may have been a snob. Negative dialectics is a system of thinking that refuses to allow for stasis and reification. Because of this, thinking remains in check and is refused the opportunity to see itself as identical to the world it seeks to understand. From here, I examine what art means for Adorno. Art is not supposed to be pleasing, is not supposed to be entertainment. I focus specifically on musical temporality in order to show that way that art can be thoroughly critical without adhering to the desires of outside forces. The final chapter gives a critique of the limits of Adorno's ideas and show that there is still a way to be critical in music while thinking through the framework of negative dialectics. I argue that free improvisation offers a way of thinking about musical temporality that is both critical and artistic.


text:
Thanks to her modern design and building technologies, the First 27 SE is a true high-performance planing sailboat, which easily achieves thrilling double-digit speeds and delivers an incomparable sailing experience.
Her superb seaworthiness, which has crowned the boat with a category B rating, is thanks to meticulous boat design, cutting-edge building technology, and many safety features: three separated insubmersibility chambers, a swinging keel system in case of grounding, and increased bow volume with crash box.
The One Design racing calendar comprises of events from fully crewed windward-leeward races to adventurous long-distance double-handed or solo challenges. Whichever you choose, you can count on the friendly community that will put your skills to the test.
Thanks to her hydraulically-operated swinging keel, light structure, light carbon mast, and a beam just below the width limit, she is entirely trailerable, making her convenient for various races and sailing adventures.
Planing at double-digit speeds is easier than ever. The First 27 SE promises a thrilling and pure sailing experience. She sources her performance from a modern hull design and a light but stiff vacuum-infused hull construction. She has a hull with very high initial stability, a deep lead-bulb keel, an easily-handled carbon rig, and a large square-top mainsail without a backstay or runners. Smart cockpit ergonomics and a balanced twin-rudder steering system all empower her sailors to handle her with confidence. No matter if you're sailing solo, double-handed or fully crewed, the First 27 SE will reward you with an astonishing sailing experience and pure joy under the sail.
The First 27 SE is the only Category B trailerable 27ft boat on the market with a fully functional interior. What might look minimalistic is a extremely weight-sensitive interior, where all components are also functioning as part of the boat's structure. She can accommodate up to 6 adults, 2 in a separated bow cabin, and 4 in the salon. Thanks to innovative magnetic doors, the mid-section of the boat can be converted to house a proper marine toilet, or used as a front cabin extension or "wet-room" for sail-changes. She also offers crew bags for personal belongings, a fridge, a foldable table and a sail-locker. Combined with other practicalities, these make her the ultimate adventure cruiser for sailing connoisseurs. Lastly, everything is modular so that the weight can be adjusted for racing endeavors.
The International Owners Community and events calendar enable owners to challenge themselves in long-distance races.
The First 27 SE has placed or won in notable races as the Chicago-Mac and Silverrudder, and offers the opportunity for sailors to challenge themselves in a wide variety of environments and racing grounds.
360° Walktrough
First 18 SE
First 14 SE
The First 14 SE delivers the excitement, speed and fun of high-performance racing skiffs in a modern, accessible, safe and really easy-to-handle sport dinghy. The build quality and the high-tech materials allow you to push the boat in stronger winds, additional sail area options will also guarantee thrills in even the lightest of airs. Her removable wheels and overall weight – which allow her to be transported on the roof of a car – make it the ideal answer to an active lifestyle.
First 24 SE
The First 24 SE is a modern high-tech sport cruiser, capable of delivering thrilling performance in a versatile package that is easy to use and maintain. She is of course trailerable, and her smart mast-raising system allows a single user to launch and go, giving her access to a wide variety of cruising and racing grounds, from international one-design regattas to coastal adventure races. And at the end of the day, she will welcome you with a basic but smart interior, offering all basic cruising amenities for four people. No matter the mode, she is a pure sailing sensation.
First 18 SE
The First 18 SE is a modern and fun gateway to keel-boat sailing. A wide, flat and stable hull, ballasted swinging keel, gennaker snuffer system, furling jib, and minimized deck controls all facilitate an easy-to-handle yet lively sailing experience. Easily dismantled and trailered, she'll surely fulfill racing ambitions in international one-design classes as well as adventurous sea-camping.


text:
Finally, the Lady Gaga video for "Born This Way" that we've been waiting on for what seems like forever. Especially after Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" gave us less than what we hoped for. Thoughts on Gaga's clip?
Last 5 posts by Hillary aka Steely D
- DJ Kalkutta's 'Boy Talk': THROWBACK! - July 10th, 2011
- Marc Jacobs & Emily Browning in Black And White - June 24th, 2011
- Estelle Feels Up Omari Hardwick in 'Break My Heart' Clip - June 24th, 2011
- Gay Marriage Vote Delayed, Queen Latifah's Trainer & Kelly Rowland's Ab DVD, Casey Anthony Case, Christian Lacroix Re-Emerges, Lone Woman Charged for Rwandan Genocide - June 24th, 2011
- Lindsay Lohan Fails Drug Test, Hulu For Sale?, Global Fashion Week, U2 In-Fighting, Whitey Bulger Caught, Lil Wayne Covers XXL - June 23rd, 2011


text:
Baltic OB company Levira will build what they claim is the largest and most advanced outside broadcast vehicle in the Baltics. Provisionally dubbed the Levira HD OB2, the double expanding 16-camera HD OB truck will be constructed by Lithuanian coachbuilder and systems integrator TVC.
Levira's new OB vehicle has the operating capacity of up to 16 LDX80 cameras and up to four eight-channel SloMo servers. The truck will be equipped with Ross Carbonite Black HDTV Vision mixer, Lawo Mc2 56 Mark II audio console, 5.1 Dolby Digital audio system, Imagine Platinum routing system, fully digital Riedel intercom and VSM Virtual Studio Manager for configurations.
This is Levira's third OB truck, and will be aimed primarily at medium and large productions. The truck will be designed with manoeuvrability in mind, accommodating productions in locations with limited access, such as the narrow streets of Tallinn and Riga Old Towns. The first big productions with the new truck will be the broadcasts of KHL matches in Riga, the Luge World Cup in Sigulda and the EuroBasket group stage in Helsinki.
New cameras, lenses, stands and other audio and video equipment have been delivered to Tallinn, and the new OB vehicle is expected to be fully operational by autumn 2016, when Levira and the constructor TVC will showcase it at IBC2016 in Amsterdam.
"This cost efficient, modern and ergonomic vehicle will help us fulfil the growing needs and expectations of our clients, especially in Scandinavia," said Kulno Kägu, head of TV productions at Levira. "There will be a lot of very complex and demanding live broadcast productions and Levira will be fully prepared for that as well," Kägu said.


text:
Ausyfish Pty Ltd ABN 69 010 810 670 Aquaculture approval number 2005BC0681 Terms and conditions.
Opals In My Pond
Australian native fishes have been almost secretively admired by an ever increasing number of ornamental fish keepers world-wide. The most famous of these are the Rainbow fish. Australia is famous for it's opals and the Australian Rainbow fish is the opal among the world's aquarium fish. Like the opal the colours of these Rainbow fish are sometimes bold, and sometimes beautifully subtle.
One of Gunther's pictures. Melanotaenia duboulayi - Oyster Creek.
184 pages and over 300 images. All fish are shown in prime condition with expanded fins.
Click to see rainbows being harvested
Australian rainbows are also ideal for mosquito control. It is possible to cause the extinction of one of our rainbows by stocking your garden pond or farm dam with the wrong colour morph, even if it is the correct species as advised by authorities.
Click here to find out more, and how to catch your own colour morph for yourself.
A wide variety of Australia's native fish are suitable for use as aquarium fish. Many of our Grunters, Gudgeons, Blue-eyes, and Hardyheads make ideal aquarium specimens.
The smallest of these are the Blue-eyes, ranging from a little over a centimetre to around 4 centimetre. The Grunters best suited for the large fish enthusiast. The Silver Perch being one of the best known of the Grunters in some parts of the world. However the Coal Grunter, a smaller species, known by a lucky few, usually only reaches about 15 cm in the aquarium. This fish shows a beautiful gold and black chequered pattern as a juvenile, gradually changing to a gold /black sandy appearance as it matures.
Below left a one year old coal grunter, right baby coal grunter.
Commercial culture techniques for Australia's aquarium fish are as wide ranging as the types of fish. Some fish will simply reproduce in small ponds, while others require hormone induction. Many of the Rainbows are quite co-operative and a small pond of around 10 by 20 meters will produce thousands of 5cm fish. Other varieties of Rainbows need to be spawned in aquariums, or a hatchery. The Grunters are the most difficult, most needing hormones to induce spawning. The beautiful small Blue-eyes will also breed in aquariums, but after some trial and error these too can be coaxed into reproducing in earth ponds.
Click here for rainbow breeding information.


text:
Schedule An Appointment
Are you ready to hear better today? Schedule an appointment today and find the best hearing devices and technology to fit your lifestyle and needs!
The Spring Valley Hearing Center, incorporated in 1989, is a small welcoming private practice Audiology Center that provides a complete range of diagnostic and rehabilitative services, including the latest in hearing aid technology. Elise Ney, M.A., CCC-A was prompted to open her own practice after working in the public sector for 5 years due to a desire to offer more individualized care and service. A great deal of technological changes have occurred in the last 35 years, but what has not changed is Ms. Ney's compassion and motivation to help her patients.
Find out what The Spring Valley Hearing Center can do to treat your hearing loss!
Make informed decisions on the purchase of your next hearing aid device!
Take our hearing health survey and start your journey to better hearing!
Ready to treat your hearing loss? With an extensive selection of hearing technology, The Spring Valley Hearing Center will find the right devices to fit into your lifestyle, budget and needs!
Elise Ney, M.A., CCC-A is certified in both audiology and hearing aid dispensing with over 30 years of experience. She is an active member of The American Speech Language Hearing Association and The American Academy of Audiology. It has been her mission over these last 30 years to offer her patients the most personalized, knowledgeable and unhurried care to help improve their overall quality of life.
As an independent private practice facility, not a franchise, Ms. Ney is able to work with several different hearing aid manufacturers allowing her to prescribe the most appropriate technology for each individual hearing loss. Towards that goal a detailed hearing history is obtained, video otoscopy is performed and a complete diagnostic evaluation is performed to arrive at a complete picture of your communicative needs and how best to address those issues. We are also fully aware that hearing aids are an investment, so continued follow-up care and maintenance are vital for continued success and optimal performance of the instruments.
"It is my hope and guarantee that you leave my office feeling confident that you have received the best care possible."
- Elise Ney, M.A., CCC-A
The Spring Valley Hearing Center provides hearing evaluations, treatment options and a diverse collection of today's top hearing technologies. Schedule an appointment today!
4910 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Suite 29
Washington, DC 20016
Email: [email protected]
Please answer the question below to the best of your ability. After you choose your answer, the next question will appear. At the end of the survey, you will be provided with a score, and you may send this score to us so we may discuss any hearing loss issues you are having.
Are there situations in which you find it difficult to hear clearly?
Do you have to strain to understand conversations?
Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?
Do you have trouble following a conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time?
Do you have trouble hearing conversations in a noisy background such as a restaurant or a group gathering?
Do you have dizziness, pain, or ringing in your ears?
Do family members or coworkers remark about you missing what has been said?
Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high?
Do you find it hard to hear someone when they talk in a soft voice or whisper?
Do you find understanding women and children particularly challenging?
You received a score of


text:
Brand Direct: Value Driven Action Lifts Topline
Branding and direct response have long been cornerstones of successful marketing campaigns. On their own, each contributes an important piece of the marketing puzzle. Brand establishes position, generates awareness and builds preference for a company. Direct response is actionable. It gives people a reason to connect with your business and moves them into the sales cycle.
The wall between branding and direct response is coming down. It has to! The pace of marketplace change—technological advances, generational diversity and product commodization—demands an integrated, efficient approach that drives topline results. Effective marketing means opening up a dialogue with consumers and carefully tracking the conversation. Companies large and small are doing it and, they are seeing sales increase and their brand equity enhanced.
Brand direct is a way of combining the emotion evoked from brand advertising with the workhorse tools of direct response. A balanced approach means consistent communications that encourage interaction from prospects and promises a more meaningful customer experience. Here, direct response marketing tactics (data-driven segmentation and in-market learning supported by a strong call-to-action) take advantage of general advertising tactics. Using this model you get marketing for all media that is measurable and tied to specific sales goals—it's where strategic thinking and persuasive creativity come together.
For brand direct marketing to achieve the best blend of
branding and direct response, consider these three guiding principles:
All communications impact brand, so make sure your communications have brand impact. In other words, don't think of brand or image campaigns as being separate and distinct from direct response. Awareness is only the first step. Every campaign should be designed to build your brand while eliciting a specific response from your target audience. The key is to educate prospective customers while pre-selling your product or service. Then, show them how to navigate the purchasing process to start a long-term relationship with your company.
Customers and prospects are always telling you something about themselves…listen. New tools and technologies are giving marketers access to an unprecedented amount of data about consumers. Turn this data into intelligence that helps you understand how and why your customers buy. Discover who are your biggest promoters…and most pesky detractors. Listening enables you to refine and replicate the purchasing process for prospective customers. By effectively profiling and segmenting your target audience you can deliver the right message at exactly the right time and in the right place.
Be ready for the next big opportunity. Today's marketing environment is dynamic and fast-paced. It means your business is constantly evolving due to the constant flow of useful information—sales statistics, click streams, response analysis, competitive intelligence and more. You can use this knowledge to maximize your marketing performance, tweak messaging, adjust creative approaches and evaluate new media outlets. This allows for better opportunity analysis, plus newfound agility when it comes to:
- Addressing competitors head-on in sales situations.
- Articulating customer preferences and perceptions.
Smart marketing can no longer depend on traditional silos. Brand direct marketing effectively leverages the value of your brand with proven direct response tactics. It enables a company to call for immediate action, initiate a customer relationship and then maintain an ongoing, one-on-one dialogue creating loyal followers. And, brand direct produces powerful, measurable results.


text:
(CNN) - Charles Freeman, the Obama administration's choice for National Intelligence Council chief, has withdrawn following controversy over his nomination.
The former Pentagon official and diplomat had faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee over his lack of intelligence experience, and some prior headline-grabbing remarks, particularly with regard to Israel. He also drew controversy over a statement that he believed the Chinese government did not crack down quickly enough on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananment Square in 1989.
Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair defended Freeman today on Capitol Hill, telling Sen. Joe Lieberman at a Senate hearing that Freeman's comments had been taken out of context. He also said he felt he would do a better job if he were "getting strong analytical viewpoints" like Freeman's to "sort out and pass on" to Congress and the president.
Screw Israel. They're behavior towards the Palestinian people in Gaza is abhorrent and it's way past time for us to start living up to our claims of being a nation that defends liberty, equality, democracy, etc., and tell Israel enough is enough. Stop stealing their land. Stop killing their people. End your apartheid. Give them the right to vote or let them be their own country...there is NO in-between. Our aid to Israel shoudl stop until they comply...as should the stream of weapons we send them, which they turn around and use in a grossly excessive manner in response to homeade rockets that have an overwhelming chance of hitting absolutelly nobody. we complain that 5,000 of our troops have died in 7 years in Iraq. Israel killed 1,000 of that many Palestinians in 7 days...yet we applaud? Shame.
Good...this gut was a pig.
Do over.
Try again....amatuer.
WHY don't these appointees step up on day one, if they KNOW they have issues that will affect their appointment, they should have DECLINED the appointment before it became official. WHY are they wasting the White House's time with this BS??
I mean this is getting pretty foolish. If YOU know you have something in your background or you have a "criminal record", don't you think you should REFUSE the position outright and NOT wait to be officially appointed by the President?
I don't blame President Obama, he CAN NOT read these people's minds, nor can he "baby-sit" a bunch of grown ups who should know better. Both the White House and the appointee KNOW the vetting process and yet this fools remain "mum" about their backgrounds.
With the job market in the toilets, you would think these self-fish folks who are being OFFERED a job, don't have the balls to speak up about their backgrounds!!! Hell, if they DON'T WANT THE JOB, give it to the NEXT PERSON in line who DOES want the job!!!!
Another great pick from Jesus, i mean Obama. The whole country will soon see what a phony this guy really is.
Again, seems like the one elected is able to nothing but campaign. Then they have the gall to look into the faces of the war broken and say "pay us" and we will say to them "no"
O-Blame-O is in WAY over his head.
"Tiananment" Square? Come on, CNN, show some integrity as journalists... did an intern write this? What's next, Czechoslovakia?
So how's this hope and change thing working out?
Chasman, well said. The 25 jobs saved in Ohio are probably the only jobs that will be saved or created by the stimulus. With a total stimulus spend of $ 700 billion, that works out to a low cost of only $ 28 billion per job. How's that for efficiency!
Does Obama just not know people with integrity? Everyone he knows or nominates has something very bad in their closet. Remember when it didn't matter that he hung out with Ayres, Wright, and others? Is anybody understanding why it mattered yet? Probably not
McCain's nomination process would have most likely brought forth the same conclusions – as would have Hillary's selections.
It is not a Democratic nor is it a Republican problem.
Many of the people we elect to represent us lose something along the way – And all hope is lost once we re-elect them. How much more of their soul do they sell to live another term in office? Quite a bit, I would say.
It's the human element that will always stand in the way of many of our elected officials actually fulfilling their service to the people who elect them; that being the basic human need for wealth, power and influence and the price to pay to attain this.
I pay my taxes every year. Maybe that's why I'll never be a politician.
@WeThePeopleOfVA March 10th, 2009 5:34 pm ET
Just think about it . . . these were the same people that worked to get this guy elected. Whatever virtues Obama brings to the job, his people appear to be morally bankrupt.***Cheney and Rove slipped thru the SYSTEM!!!
Does anyone even check those who might be picked, even before vetting them? What skeletons are in his closet? Taxes??...What.???... Silence comes the reply.
Must have been a tax thing as usual.
Lack of intelligence has never stopped the Democrats before.
ConsDemo – You clearly don't have a clue as to why we regard our relationship with Israel so highly. You need to get informed buddy.
Why would lack of intelligence experience be a problem for Mr. Freeman? It didn't stop Obama from installing Leon Panetta as head of the CIA.
the Isrealy Lobby control washington and anybody that speaks about there crimes and harsh treatement to palesitinians will never make it in washington!!! freedom of speech doesn't exist in washington!!!
This is what happens when a true babe in the woods like Obama tries to bring in a person with no background under the umbrella of "Change."
We need experienced people. Obama needs experienced people. Thank heavens that he has shown general good sense in simply recreating the Clinton Administration.
Now, we'd REALLY be in good shape if we had Hillary Clinton and the Clinton administration instead of Obama and the Clinton administration.
So far, the Clinton administration people are showing Barry how it's done, and he's taking all the credit for it.
How very predictable is Mr. Obama...
This is not obama's mistake. Starting from Chicago days, he was able to brush anything bad. Obama is doing the same thing with the nomination. If the nominess have some problem, it has nothing to do with obama. If the British prime minister was humiliated, it was his staff and it has nothing to do with Obama. If the wall street keeps going down, it has nothing to do with Obama's policies. Will he own anthing?
Another one bites the dust.
Matthew, Detroit, after what your man Bush did, how in the world can you make such ignorant comments! Obama has only been in office for about 7 weeks! Bush was in office for 8 years, and never once let anyone say anything about his choices for anything! Horse show bozos... Scooters... Brownies... trying to appoint his HOUSEKEEPER to the Supreme Court! And you want us to believe that Obama is a poor President. Go back to that rock you have been under for the last 8 years!
Hold on... only Rush Limbaugh could say something that stupid! Come on, Rush, give it up! 🙂
it is crystal clear that they should all be thrown out and a new start begun as soon as possible. Crooks the whole lot of them. Not a worthy man among them.
A lot of you sound like you're new to politics. This happens during new administrations. It just wasn't publicized as it is now; and quite frankly, people didnt care to pay attention. Obama has changed politics forever. Behind all the rhetoric, even the GOP is following his lead. They are now all about change, diversity, twitter, facebook, etc... Undisputable evidence that Obama is the man.
There is a subcommittee whose sole purpose is to review all nominees' tax records. In this case, the nominee's tax records are audited from the January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2008 time frame.
That is how the tax bills, discrepancies, and/or questions arise; the income tax committee reveal their findings.
President Obama nor any members of his vetting team have no way of knowing of tax delinqencies or non payment thereof until the nominees' tax records are reviewed.
Get some knowledge of the process before you accuse the President of knowing about someone else's tax problems and issues.
Do you all know your neighbor and friends tax issues? No, you don't.
President Obama will be fine; this Country will rebound. You naysayers can only sit back and call him names because you still cannot get beyond his black heritage. Well, get used to it because he is no going anywhere for EIGHT years.
When President Obama and the current administration succeed, you naysayers will find something else negative to say.
Just keep right on drinking your Limbaugh kool aid; you will be as obese as he is; full of hate and animosity.
Lilly P – Actually, you can thank God for that.


text:
Douglas McQuaid
Washington Supreme Court
Position 2
Legal/Judicial Experience: Associate/Partner: Aiken, St. Lois & Siljeg, P.S., Seattle, WA (10/74 - 4/94); Sole Practitioner: West Seattle (4/94 - Present); Practiced full-time as general practitioner in most areas of the law in the state of Washington.
Other Professional Experience: Owner/manager of private businesses (1996 - Present).
Education: University of Washington: B.A. in Business Administration - Finance (1967); Willamette University College of Law: Doctor of Jurisprudence (1972).
Community Service: Numerous hours devoted to pro bono legal services; Volunteer in self-help organizations for drug/alcohol addicts (2006 - Present); I belong to numerous community and charitable organizations.
Statement: As a true Washingtonian, I was born, lived and worked my entire life in this state. I interrupted my legal education to serve as a combat infantry soldier in the Vietnam War (1969-1970) and was awarded numerous combat medals. Upon return from the war, I completed my legal education at Willamette and came back to my home in Bellevue and began my legal career. I have 40 years experience practicing in most areas of the law in the state of Washington.
Based on my long and varied legal career, I am the best qualified candidate to hold the position of Supreme Court Justice. I am not an advocate for any individual cause or person. I will be impartial, unbiased, independent to serve all the people of this state equally with dignity and respect. Money, politics and justice don't mix. I will not solicit donations or endorsements from any organization with a special interest as it could appear to corrupt the independence and non-partisanship of the office.
I will be rigorously honest in deciding all cases coming before me and apply the Constitution and laws strictly as written to the facts of each case.
|Campaign web site:
|Opponents: Susan Owens,
Scott Stafne
Candidate ratings:
Important note! Each of these organizations uses its own standards and rating terms when evaluating candidates; please check their pages for further information. We do not have ratings from all organizations for all candidates, and the reasons vary. Some evaluations may still be in process, or we might not have received them yet; some candidates may not have been offered an opportunity to participate, or they may have declined to participate. Again, please check the organizations' pages for further details.
Newspaper endorsements (click paper for details):
Finance report:
See individual contributors:
Media stories:
VotingforJudges.org, P.O. Box 1460, Silverdale, WA
As the election approaches, Votingforjudges.org will include ratings and endorsements from numerous organizations. We provide this information so that voters will be better informed about the candidates. We do not rate or endorse any candidates; the ratings and endorsements of organizations included at this site reflect the views of those individual organizations and not necessarily the views of votingforjudges.org or its sponsors.


text:
SAN SEBASTIAN — In one of the banner deals at this year's San Sebastian, Vicente Canales' Film Factory Ent, the sales agent on "Wild Tales," "The Clan" and now Argentine Oscar entry "El Angel," has pounced on world sales rights to "La Llorona," which stars the female leads of Bustamante's Berlin awarded debut "Ixcanul."
Deal was struck at this year's San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum, where "La Llorona" walked off with one of the top prizes, the EFADs-CACI Co-production Grant, adjudicated by Europe and Latin America's powerful state film agencies, from the BFI to France's CNC, Mexico's Imcine or Argentina's INCAA, a sign that "La Llorona" is the kind of film that these government film funds want to encourage.
Backed by French investor George Renard, who will serve as associate producer, "La Llorona" is scheduled to shoot from this December, Bustamante said. If ready, Canales aims to present some first images at next February's Berlin Festival, he said.
Whether some conservative forces in Guatemala would agree is another matter. Written by Bustamante and Lisandro Sánchez, who also heads up distribution at Bustamante's Guatemala-based La Casa de Producción, the film's narrative recasts the original Llorona myth in a story which starts during the Civil War. Alma, a young mother, sees her children drowned by soldiers in an attack on her village, "If you cry, I'll kill you," soldier says.
Unable to hold back her tears, she is murdered while being held back to stop her from trying to save them. Thirty years later, Enrique, now an ex-soldier, is tried for genocide. But alleged errors in the trial soon see him walking free.
"This is when the wandering soul of La Llorona mingles with the world of the living," the synopsis says. "At night we hear her sobs. Nobody realizes that Alma, the new maid, has arrived with the intention of obtaining justice her own way."
"This film combines the narration of killings during the armed conflict in Guatemala, the genocide conviction against ex-president Efraín Ríos Montt, the Sepur Zarco case for crimes against humanity, the domestic and sexual slavery of native Indian women, misogyny, classicism, religiosity, mysticism and magical realism," Bustamante wrote in a director's statement.
He added: "All of these ingredients create a syncretism of suspense and horror which surpass the actual legend."
Rios Montt was sentenced to 50 years of jail in 2013 for genocide and crimes against humanity. The sentence was overturned on judicial technicalities, however,
Maria Mercedes Caroy, the young lead of "Ixcanul" who has gone gone on to play a featured role in Julianne Moore-starrer "Bel Canto," plays Alma and María Telón, her mother in that filmwho was in Israeli Canneseries award-winning TV series "Miguel," the housekeeper at the same home.
Looking at women, Alma is able to influence psychologically, Bustamante said: "She begins to open the eyes of women, who are always victims in some way in wars because wars are always phallocratic."
He added that "La Llorona" is not a shock-fest. Its justice-seeking vengeance theme, targeting the most heinous criminals of a high-command, will in some ways recall "Inglourious Basterds."
In the original legend of La Llorona, the Weeping Woman drowns her own two boys in fury at her estranged husband's infidelity then, regretting her actions, drowns other children to replace them. Bustamante called the legend "super-misogynistic." "My Llorona" is a woman who battles for justice. When the justice of the live no longer works, it must come from the dead."
"'La Llorona' has arthouse beats, but is highly attractive for international buyers given their combination with elements of genre," said The Film Factory's Vicente Canales.


text:
GOP PrimaryRevealed: Romney Contributed $10,000 to Radical Gay Group: RWN
Panicked GOP insiders land in bizarro world: Wolf
Why Romney Can't Seal The Deal In Florida: Riehl
For Santorum: Malkin
Backlash: Reaganite FL Cuban Leader Backs Newt, Blasts Mitt: Riehl
FL Tea Partier should scare GOP old guard: Ricochet
NationMeet the SEIU hack running Obama's reelection campaign: LUR
White House "Fury" Over Michelle's $50K Shopping Spree Story: JWF
Reagan: "These Voices Don't Speak for Us": Bruce
Allen West Redistricted: Romney Involved?: MagNote
Did Obama Launch The 10th Crusade?: Wolf Howling
Is This the Kind of Judge a President Christie Would Nominate?: NRO
Economy$189,000: Post
CBO Study on Federal Pay: Cato
Oakland's idiot mayor flummoxed by violence she once praised: WZ
White House backs Park Police in Occupy Conflict: BigG
U.S. Gets Tougher on Debt Collecting: WSJ
Another Trillion (or Two) Euro LTRO Coming Next Month: Mish
SEIU Confirms DSA Marxist Connection: NoisyRm
This is Europe's scariest chart: ZH
Obama: "Interesting" That Your Unemployed Husband Can't Find Job: RCP
Scandal CentralEric Holder's False Testimony Warrants Impeachment: IBD
DHS Secretary: "Mistakes were made" on Fast and Furious: Hot Air
DOE-Backed Green Energy Company Amonix Lays Off Two-Thirds of Workforce: ConCom
Climate & EnergyWhen Global Warming Freezes Over: IBD
California Issues Clown Car Mandate: IBD
Bitter cold records broken in Alaska – all time coldest record threatened: Watts
MediaRomney: "I Feel Sorry For Debbie Wasserman Schultz": RCP
Our dysfunctional media: ""My friends know more about the Kardashians than who's running for president.": WaPo
Photos: Compare Obama Supporters With Osama Supporters: Glob
DNC: We Never Used Extreme Rhetoric When Bush Was President: RCP
The Rookie's Rough Guide to CPAC: Sundries
NBC, AP Avoid 'M-word' in Report About 'Honor Killings': NB
Rick Santorum in Missouri: Full Speech: Scoop
Hardball: Diane Sawyer Quizzes Obama on the Super Bowl and Singing: NB
Juan Williams Finds Racism in Candidates' (and Others'?) Use of 'Constitution' and 'Founding Fathers': NB
WorldCarney Says Obama In No Rush To Make a Decision On How To Deal With Iran Nuke Program: WZ
Gingrich's Fresh Hope: Glick
Obama Defends Drone Use: WSJ
No More Leading from Behind for America: Santorum
Iranian Supreme Leader: Islamists' Rise Is Part of Battle Against "Cancerous Tumor" Israel: WZ
Norway Embraces Islamist Tyranny: Bawer
Sci-TechHow Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think? ed by John Brockman: review: Telegraph
Windows 8 Tablets Will Probably Launch WITHOUT A New Version Of Office: Insider
P&G To Lay Off 1,600 After Discovering It's Free To Advertise On Facebook: Insider
CornucopiaOnly 246 Fans Jilted At Last Year's Super Bowl Agree To Attend This Year's For Free: Consumerist
Cedartown resident among those filing lawsuit against Obama: Cedartown
Obama Celebrates Mardi Gras: Morlock Revolt
Image: Artist's Depiction: Agent Provocateur sales boosted by US First Lady Michelle Obama (NSFW)
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Save Allen West's District!
QOTD: "Dutch satirist Johan Vlemmix has decided not to perform his latest hit 'Do the Burqa' onstage following death threats. The song, a carnival parody to the music of Van McCoy's Do the Hustle, is a huge success on YouTube, so much so that the video provider has switched off the comments facility. Too many people were posting angry reactions saying that they had been insulted.
The images show a woman wearing a T-shirt which can be instantly converted into a burqa, albeit one that does not cover the breasts." --BigFurHat


text:
Name: Sheena
Age: 29
Family Status: Mother of 1 child and in a relationship.
Occupation: Credit Associate
Location: Jericho, New York
Height: 5'1″
Starting Weight: 255 pounds
Current Weight: 162 pounds
Pounds or Inches Lost: I lost 93 pounds! I used to fit into size 18/16 jeans. Now it's 8/10!
Sheena's Weight Loss Story!
When did you become unhappy with your weight?
I've been overweight what feels like most of my life. I've tried several diets but always quit.
What made you decide to lose weight?
I was tired of wanting it. I spent over a year following others on Instagram who transformed themselves and it inspired me to start documenting my own journey.
What were the most important changes you made to lose weight?
I changed the way I thought about losing weight, I was mentally ready for this journey. I started off with small changes and learned a new lifestyle.
What was most challenging about losing weight?
Binge eating. Sometimes I would want to eat just to eat. A few months ago was a hard time for me because my father was diagnosed with liver and lung cancer. Trying to stay positive and not use that as a reason to give up was big for me. I used it as a reason to push forward.
How long did it take you to start to see results?
Probably about a month. I took lots of pictures and compared them.
How long did it take for you to reach your current weight?
It took 1 year to get almost 100 pounds down.
How long have you maintained your weight loss and how do you do it?
I just reached 1 year on my journey.
What keeps you motivated to continue your weight loss success?
Documenting my journey, inspiring others and being able to run and play with my 3-year-old. Also, my large support system and participating in different races. I fell in love with the lifestyle. It's important to remember it's not a "diet".
How has your life changed now that you've lost weight?
I'm a new person! A year ago I would do a race once in a while and now I'm making a schedule for races in 2015. I'm an active person and I enjoy going out and doing things that I never wanted to do before.
Do you have any advice for others who are trying to lose weight?
Don't be too hard on yourself! Take lots of pictures and video. Make goals other than pounds lost. Believe you can do it! When in doubt, drink more water! Wake up with determination and go to bed with satisfaction!
How did ShapeFit help you reach your weight loss goals?
I enjoy reading ShapeFit's weight loss success stories. ShapeFit.com is a great place to find inspiration.
Sheena's Weight Loss Tips!
Weight loss tip #1:
Make it a lifestyle change not a diet.
Weight loss tip #2:
Work on changing the way you think.
Weight loss tip #3:
Drink water all day long.
Weight loss tip #4:
Find fun ways to stay active.
Weight loss tip #5:
Take lots of picture and videos.
Sheena's Weight Loss Eating Plan!
Smoothie: spinach, oatmeal, frozen fruit, banana, chia seeds, flax seeds and water. Hard boiled eggs and turkey bacon.
Chili: ground turkey, peppers, onions and mixed vegetables.
Quinoa with chicken, black beans, peppers, onions and corn.
Snacks or Mini Meals:
Rice cake with peanut butter and a banana.
Nutritional Supplements:
I currently don't take any supplements.
Sheena's Weight Loss Workouts!
Weight Training:
I like using different machines at the gym. I do 30 day challenges on different parts of my body.
I like doing the elliptical machine, Stairmaster and treadmill.


text:
Maintenance Request
Inform Us of a Maintenance Issue
Maintenance Request
Inform Us of a Maintenance Issue
Maintenance Form
Maintenance Form
Simply fill out the Maintenance Request form to the left and we will address your maintenance issue(s).
IMPORTANT - COVID-19 Notice:
The State of Georgia has issued a "Shelter in Place" for everyone in Georgia due to the COVID-19 virus. As a result, we are taking precautions to protect our Tenants and Maintenance Technicians during this period. All Non-Emergency Maintenance Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If your Maintenance Request is approved, we will require an email from you on the day of the repair stating you are not showing any symptoms of the COVID-19 Virus as indicated by the CDC (i.e., Fever, Cough, Shortness of Breath) before we will send a Repair Technician out to address the repair. You are also required to wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth while the technician is on site and to stay at least 6 feet from the technician. The Repair Technician is required to do the same. Please note: It is Tenant's discretion to allow entry of the Repair Technician and Tenant assumes all risks associated with Technician's entry into their home.
If you are having a life threatening emergency call 911 immediately.
If you have a maintenance emergency that requires immediate attention, please call our office at 404-575-1975. For maintenance emergencies after 6pm M-F, or on the weekends, call our office at 404-575-1975 and press "3" on the menu to leave a message for our on call Maintenance Technician.
Please understand, repairs or damage caused by your negligence or misuse is your responsibility. In such cases, repairs will be made, but you will be charged for the cost of the labor and materials. Damages or plumbing stoppages caused by your negligence or misuse will be paid by you.
Release of Key
I understand that if I do not authorize a release of a key to a vendor, I will need to be available to give the vendor access to the property.


text:
Upcoming installments of Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer franchise will use a modified version of Kojima Productions' Fox Engine, according to an article in the latest issue of Edge magazine.
Konami's PES series has lagged behind sales of Electronic Arts' FIFA series in recent years. The engine switch was result of Konami's desire to overhaul its existing engine — an upgrade of the engine it has used since PES on PlayStation 2 — but inability to do so while creating annual entries.
"We couldn't overhaul our old engine in the yearly development cycle," creative producer Kei Masuda told Edge. "The schedule was too demanding. We reflected on the difficult transition, and could see the next-gen coming. We needed to make a new engine."
The modified version of Fox Engine is designed to add new features to PES and streamline the production process across devices, including next-gen consoles, tablets and mobile devices, Masuda said.
"We needed to make a new engine."
Hideo Kojima spoke at length about the Fox Engine last September at PAX Prime, where he also debuted footage of the engine powering Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, an upcoming entry in the tactical espionage action franchise.
Kojima Productions has spent the last few years developing the cross-platform engine to add efficiency to its game development process. Part of that efficiency, Kojima said, is its ability to be applied to games beyond the Metal Gear franchise.
"You can use it to make an FPS, an adventure game like Uncharted, or something on rails," he said.
Later this month, Kojima will speak at the 2013 Game Developer's Conference, where he'll discuss Kojima Productions' development of the Fox Engine. GDC will take place from March 25-29 in San Francisco, and Polygon will be in attendance to bring you all the news.


text:
BlueCity CEO Recognized on INvolve' 'OUTstanding 100 LGBT+ Executives List'
Baoli Ma named for building a truly inclusive and forward-looking culture within BlueCity, and leading the company to its historic NASDAQ listing in 2020
BEIJING, Jan. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Baoli Ma, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of BlueCity, a world-leading LGBTQ community platform providing a full suite of services to foster connections and enhance the well-being of the LGBTQ community, has become the first person from the Chinese mainland recognized on the 'OUTstanding 100 LGBT Executives List' from INvolve, a global network and consultancy championing diversity and inclusion in business.
INvolve highlighted Ma's efforts "to build a truly inclusive culture internally, including introducing gender neutral toilets, applying the marriage leave policy to same-sex couples although gay marriage is not yet recognized by law on the Chinese mainland, recognizing overseas marriages and self-initiated marriages, and introducing a three-month parental leave policy for same-sex couples."
It also focused on the company's historical move as the world's LBGT -focused social network to list on Nasdaq in July 2020, which Ma sees as not only a milestone for BlueCity, but also for the global LGBT community his company proudly represents.
"I'm delighted to be named among the Role Model Lists, which underline the amazing achievements of LGBT people in global business," said Ma. "I believe that our vibrant, welcoming workplace allows more than half of our 700-strong team to be their true authentic selves, which ultimately creates a more innovative, creative company."
Notably, Ma became the first person from the Chinese mainland to make the LGBT Executives List, but he's also joined by Frank Chen, Head of Taiwan Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs and Jay Lin, CEO of Taiwan-based entertainment company Portico Media. They featured among a larger group of global LGBT executives from companies as diverse as Dell, Google, Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, Adidas and HSBC.
First launched in 2013 and supported by Yahoo! Finance, INvolve's OUTstanding Role Model Lists "showcase and celebrate the global business leaders who are driving change in the workplace and inspiring the next generation of diverse talent."
43-year-old Ma was formerly a closeted policeman known online only by the alias "Geng Le," who founded one of China's first and most influential LGBTQ online forums, Danlan, the predecessor of BlueCity back in 2000.
After coming out in 2011, he resigned from the police force and wholly dedicated himself to raising awareness for the LGBTQ community, founding BlueCity in the same year along with the launch of mobile app Blued in 2012. Blued now connects about 58 million people worldwide with nearly half of them outside China.
Ma's personal mission is to promote social equality for and the wellbeing of the global LGBTQ community, with his work winning him several accolades over the years. Business Insider named him among 2020's 100 People Transforming Business in Asia and named as a "Global Thinker" by the U.S. magazine Foreign Policy in 2017.
About BlueCity
BlueCity (NASDAQ: BLCT) is a world-leading online LGBTQ platform providing a full suite of services that foster connections and enhance the wellbeing of the LGBTQ community through its portfolio of brands. BlueCity's mobile app Blued enables users to conveniently and safely connect with each other, express themselves and access professional health-related and family planning consulting services. Available in 13 languages, it has more than 58 million registered users worldwide and is the largest online LGBTQ community in China, India, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. BlueCity's portfolio of brands also includes Finka, a leading gay social networking app for a younger generation in China, and LESDO, a leading lesbian social networking app in China.
For more information, please contact BlueCity Holdings Limited at:
Vincent Tang: email@example.com
Cassius Wortmann: email@example.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3d6a64e-7aa3-44d0-9777-7bf484521f58