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Jasper County animal rescue League
The Jasper County Animal Rescue League and Humane Society provides a haven for homeless animals in Jasper County, Iowa, and surrounding areas.
As a no kill shelter, we strive to save every life possible, utilizing the most progressive sheltering practices and lifesaving programs. Our dedicated staff and volunteers strive to find responsible, loving, and permanent
homes for all of the animals in our care, and to engage the community through education and promotion of a more respectful relationship between human and animal.
We hope you will be part in making the lives of animals better by supporting JCARL's efforts through volunteering, donating, fostering and adopting.
***JCARL Operational Changes due to Covid-19***
JCARL personnel have been closely monitoring the health concerns due to COVID-19 . It is critical to protect the health and well-being of our staff and volunteers, while ensuring our animals continue to receive the quality of attention and care they deserve. With that in mind, we must take action to do what is in the best interest to protect and care for them.
National organizations such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Humane Society of the United States of America (HSUS), the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA), and Best Friends Animal Society have come out with guidelines and resources for shelters during this time.
Based on recommendations from these agencies, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and local health advisory organizations, our shelter will be making the following changes:
-All visits and tours of the shelter are suspended starting Tuesday, March 17.
-We will be conducting adoptions by appointment ONLY. No appointments will be scheduled until an application for adoption has been submitted. It is important to us that adoptions continue for as long as possible, so please consider applying today to adopt your #QuarantineBuddy! Our applications are available on our website, jcarl.org.
-To protect our volunteers and staff, at this time we are suspending applications for new volunteers. Our volunteers are a critical part of JCARL and we will continue to utilize our current volunteers. However, any current volunteers who have recently traveled, been around someone who has or has been ill, we kindly ask that you do not volunteer at this time.
-We will not be accepting owner-surrendered animals except in cases of extreme emergencies. All owners should develop a plan with friends and family for their pets' care should they become unable to care for them. If you need emergency assistance at this time please call us at 641-792-5407 and our staff will provide guidance and support to the best of our ability.
-Animal Control services will be limited at this time. This means it will be all the more important for owners to practice safe pet keeping during this time such as not leaving pets unattended (this includes keeping cats indoors), ensuring all pets are wearing the proper identification, and keeping garages closed and trash can lids tied down to prevent attracting wildlife.
-In kind donations can be dropped off in the donation bin outside the front door of the shelter. If you'd like to make a donation to help our furry friends and staff during this time please consider making monetary donations through our website. You can also order donations through our Amazon wish list.
We know these are trying times and hope to lift these measures as soon as we possibly can. In the meantime, we can promise you that our shelter residents will continue to be cared for by the same standards we've always held ourselves to.
~ JCARL Team
Jasper County Animal Rescue League, a no-kill shelter, has many dogs, cats and pocket pets who are in need of a loving, forever home. Your new best friend may be waiting at the League today!
TO View ADOPTABLE PETS click here.
JCARL MEDICAL FUND: Mason's Story
Considering ADoption
Any pet that you are considering making part of your family – whether it is from an animal shelter or from a rescue organization, is transitioning from the place that he/she called home. This transition time is a very stressful time for any pet. They are in unfamiliar surroundings with people that they do not know. Some animals adjust very quickly. For some, it might take as long as 4 to 6 weeks to adjust to their new surroundings. In any case, we are looking for people who are willing to make a lifelong commitment to our dogs.
Please consider adoption very carefully. Be sure to talk it over with every member of your family. A surprise pet does not make a good gift. Your new pet can be a 10+ year commitment so make sure that every member of the family is prepared to make such a commitment.
Please consider adoption very carefully. Be sure to talk it over with every member of your family. A surprise pet does not make a good gift. Your new pet can be a 10+ year commitment so make sure that every member of the family is prepared to make such a commitment.
5411 Liberty Ave.


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State leaders want answers on lawmaker's settlement money
State Rep. Dan Kirby is caught up in a sexual harassment scandal. The claims have been settled, but many are questioning where the money for that settlement came from.
Kirby resigned over the allegations, and then on Wednesday took back his resignation. But state leaders want answers on that settlement money.
Accusations of sexual harassment were made against Kirby by a legislative assistant, and $44,500 was paid to her and her attorney to settle the claims.
"It's not a grabbing of money where you reach in, and you take money from the public and you just spend it however you want," Democratic State Chair Mark Hammons said.
At this point, that's how Hammons sees it because of the lack of information or answers to questions they've asked -- where did the money come from? How was it approved? And who gave the approval and why?
"The speaker himself can't appropriate funds. It takes a vote of the House, the Senate and the governor's signature for us decide how we are going to expend public money. Sure didn't do it in this case," Hammons said.
Speaker-elect Charles McCall is now calling for an investigation. He sent us the following statement,
"There is simply no excuse for sexual harassment by lawmakers at the Capitol. The House of Representatives should be a safe and professional place to work, free of any form of discrimination or harassment. Voters have given us the privilege of representing them, and it is a high honor with special duties attached. Workplace misconduct by lawmakers will simply not be tolerated under my leadership."
Kirby's office released this statement to KOCO on Thursday,
"After speaking with my family and friends, I sent a letter rescinding my resignation so that I might have an opportunity to clear my name and complete my term. When I was wrongfully accused of sexual harassment, I was told that I should refrain from making any statements to the media. I followed that advice under the assumption that I would be able to deny the allegations at some point in the future. On December 21, 2016, I found out that the claim against the Oklahoma House of Representatives had been settled without my knowledge or consent when I read an article in the Oklahoman newspaper. I have never seen the settlement agreement nor do I have any knowledge of the terms contained in the settlement agreement. I would like to make it clear that the allegations of sexual harassment are untrue and I have no role in settling the claims made against the Oklahoma House of Representatives."

subset: commoncrawl


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RR739 - Testing of ISO-compliant extreme water level calculations using raw wave data
This report describes a study of raw (2 Hz) wave data with relevance to ISO-compliant derivations of extreme crest elevation and extreme water level.
This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.
Assistance in the use of Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our FAQs page.


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Yesterday's palaeoart interview with James Gurney of Dinotopia fame is the start of two big comebacks on the Musings. James is the first of a string of new palaeoart interviews I have lined up. Well it should be anyway, I have a good number of others who have promised their contributions 'soon'. Obviously those will go up as soon as they come in.
The other biggie is the restart of Darren Tanke's Gorgosaurus series. When this wrapped up a few months ago we really didn't know if or when it would (or even could) continue. However, Darren has kindly taken some more time to continue blogging the next stage of preparation and we hope to add at least a few more posts to the Musings starting very soon. The piece has already been cast in Darren's absence but we have been promised photos of the event so that should be covered on here eventually. In the meantime there are a couple of teaser photos on the Tyrell's Facebook page.
Right, I'm off to hassle some artists about promised interviews. More to come!


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There were 6 members attending.
Curtis reviewed what he learned from one potential venue: it appeared to be within the guildlines, but some details may need ironing out.
Treasury is unchanged – still waiting to hear from April about The Case for Mars books we voted to buy last month.
On a related note, Curtis asked about MS Convention t-shirts for this year – (Mark) responded that I'd have to do some homework and would try to figure out something (could use a little guidance on this).
Dan brought his current Readers Digest that had an article about the MER rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.
Jan (teacher visiting past DMS meetings for help with a space themed event she had been planning) came by before the meeting and talked with Dan to let us know how well her event was received.
Curtis mentioned that the librarian from Perry Middle School had emailed him that they will have some type of grant for Space Week next year – there is also a video of Carol's presentation on Perry's web site (couldn't find it, still need URL for this).
Mark (substituting for Kris – hope I didn't leave anything important out)


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Ben Affleck Is Directing New Batman Movie About Batman And Is Called The Batman
Ben Affleck Is Directing New Batman Movie About Batman And Is Called The Batman, simple as that.
It's all over the news that Ben Affleck is 'set to go full Bruce Wayne and take over the Batman Universe'. It now appears that Argo director will have a chance to make his citizen Wayne after all. Warner Bros chief exec Kevin Tsujihara confirmed at Tuesday at that the studio Cinema Con presentation that Ben Affleck will indeed star and direct his own Batman feature film.
I am sure you've heard about new Batman movie and how it is going to be directed by Ben Affleck. The last movie had a lot more talk abouts before the release than useful comments after the movie came out. Something similar is happening right now with the latest title as well. One of the first things people are speculating about is of course the title of the movie. And according to Ben Affleck himself, the movie about Batman is going to be called ... "The Batman" :)
Where the film takes place in the timeline, and what villains or other heros it might include, remains a complete mystery though.
More on this you will find in the video below...
Batman News
- Beware the Batman - Cartoon Network has pulled the show from its lineup
- Batman vs Superman Movie 2016 - Nasty Brawl With Batman Prevailing
- Batman Arkham Knight - Update
- DC Universe Online PS4 - First Impressions
- Holy Gossip! Does Batman Have a Son?
- Batman At Movies - Photo Gallery
- Lego Movie: Is It Worth Your Time?
- Batman The Ride - World's Greatest Bat-Coaster in 4D
- Batman News - December 2014 Recap
- Top 10 Batman Games Ever - BatmanGamesOnly picks
- Googling Batman Stuff - News for May 2015 - BatmanGamesOnly
- Googling Batman Stuff: Batman spotted on Suicide Squad movie set - News - BatmanGamesOnly
- The Bromley Batman - Real-life Batman On The Streets Of London
- Lego Batman 3 Beyond Gotham (2015) - What's New - Batmangamesonly.com
- New Batman Pumpkin Carving Patterns With Instructions


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This is one of those nights where it hardly seems to be worth talking about the game.
The match was utterly dire, a bore of a scoreless draw between two clubs that could not possibly have cared less. The Whitecaps, playing predominantly a first team, came out like they had nothing to play for and knew it. The Toronto regulars were similarly disposed. Less frequent visitors to both lineups, like Philippe Davies for Vancouver and the TFC Academy kids, had a lot more heart and a lot more hustle but less skill. The catastrophic weather, with levels of rain that would make Vancouver blush and a pitch so slippery the Blackhawks and Islanders later skated on it, also inclined the veterans towards conservatism, and so boredom reigned.
I thought Marcus Haber deserved his red card. From where I was sitting at BMO Field, he began the slide after Toronto's player had got rid of the ball, had his spikes up, and was generally launching an utterly reckless sliding tackle from a player who ought to know better. On a level I was relieved because it meant I wouldn't have to watch Marcus Haber any more, but on another level it shattered Vancouver's already slim chances of grabbing a goal. I thought that playing Cornelius Stewart and, later, Randy Edwini-Bonsu alone up front after Haber's ejection was overly conservative on Teitur Thordarson's part. But two records remain standing as a result of that conservatism. The Whitecaps complete an undefeated Voyageurs Cup with no wins, no losses, and four draws, and Toronto FC completes an actually triumphant undefeated campaign where they never conceded a goal.
So rather than talk about the game, let's talk about something else.
As you'd know if you read this site (and if you don't read this site how did you get this far?), I went to Montreal and Toronto for the away legs. In the course of my travels I hit Bar 99 with the Montreal Ultras after that particular disappointing draw. I hit the Duke of Gloucester with U-Sector to watch Canada take on Venezuela, and after this match I was snared by a Red Patch Boy on my way out of BMO Field and went to Shoeless Joe's for a thoroughly enjoyable post-game. With apologies to the North End Elite and Tribal Rhythm Nation, I've spent more time around away supporters than half the supporters do the last two weeks.
And, you know, it's the damndest thing. When I was in Montreal I laughed with the Ultras and talked about how, whatever our differences, one thing we had in common was that we all hate Toronto FC. Down at Shoeless Joe's, I laughed with the Red Patch Boy who brought me in and we agreed that, however many differences we have, we both know that we all hate the Montreal Impact. I can imagine Montreal and Toronto supporters commiserating over a beer and saying that, for all their many disagreements, they know that at least they're not fucking Southsiders.
It's easy to forget for those of us who spend more time trolling the discussion boards than actually meeting with our fellow supporter, but ultimately, we're all coming to matches for the same things. We want to hang out with old friends and make new friends and sing and chant and make a ruckus and cheer our team on to victory, and with all of that common ground the colour of laundry we're cheering for is really a very minor detail.
I don't want to get too maudlin here (although I'm writing this with a fair bit of liquor in me), but I think that we sometimes exaggerate the rivalries forming between us supporters groups. A bit of heat is a good thing. A Whitecaps game, to me, means more when it's against the Impact or the Timbers than it does against AC St. Louis or the Carolina Railhawks, and I wouldn't have it any other way. But that's not an excuse to go around picking virtual fights with the Timbers Army or the Montreal Ultras and generally being an asshole. There are few enough Canadian soccer supporters in this country as it is without dividing ourselves further and driving each other away with a constant avalanche of hostility and abuse masquerading as rivalry.
There's nothing wrong with giving each other the gears, or building those rivalries. When I call Toronto FC supporters "plastics", it's a shot but it's meant in good spirits. When Toronto FC supporters call us Whitecaps fans pot-smoking hippies, I can take it in the same light. Nobody is saying that everybody needs to join hands and sing and dance, or even particularly get along. Just that we can't let the comforting veil of Internet anonymity divide our too-small community and turn us all into complete cocksuckers.
When I whine like this I'm not so much referring to guys at usector.ca talking shit about their opponent du jour, or the pro-Montreal blogs saying pro-Montreal things, or similar internal affairs. I'm talking about the fact that even the Voyageurs forum has, in some parts, become a cesspool for intra-club rivals sniping at each other. I'm talking about the fact that, more and more, the sort of soccer fan you are in this country depends on which of the big three clubs you support, and if you're a neutral (or, God help you, a third-division supporter) then you'd better just get out of the way before you wind up crawling under the bed and sobbing at how stupid a bunch of otherwise intelligent people could be.
It bears repeating. When we actually meet up, be it under the national team banner or because some of us are going to support our club on the road, we tend to get along pretty well. Almost every story you hear about particularly infamous club supporters runs something like "yeah, on-line he's a real asshole but he's pretty cool in person". It's early days for Canadian soccer fandom, and for the most part we don't actually hate each other quite yet.
There is, after all, quite a large gulf between rivalry and hatred, between wanting Dwayne De Rosario to get hit by the team bus and wanting the supporters to get dragged under the wheels with him. I hope that we never bridge that gulf, because one of the best assets of the Canadian soccer community is that, for all the countless differences between us, we are a community. The Canadian soccer world is united in a way that most countries can never be because, ultimately, we're all in the same boat. We're all cheering for a team ranked sixty-third in the world when most of us think that's too high. We all support clubs that are in leagues of dubious stability and we all have a history of watching teams we loved suspended or killed off. Whether you root for the big bad MLS boys in their soccer-specific stadium or the Canadian Soccer League team whose games are sporadically canceled because the pitch has plywood under it, you're an underdog.
The success of Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto is terrific. The future success of Edmonton, Ottawa, and others is something to hope for. But if that success comes at the cost of fracturing the Canadian soccer world and destroying the unity that brought us the Voyageurs Cup in the first place, it'll be of questionable value. For now, I'll rejoice in the fact that when we gather, nobody can celebrate the beautiful game like a Canadian regardless of what colour he wears. I'll cheer for Toronto in the CONCACAF Champions League not because I like them but because they're Canadian and that's what counts. I'll adopt the Red Green philosophy: "remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together."
And next time some opposition fan on some message board says something so stupid and inflammatory it can't help but be destroyed in rhetorical rage, I'll take a deep breath and I'll leave it alone. And I hope you will too.


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American cuisine inspired by food of the French countryside is offered, where no ingredient is repeated in a nine-course tasting menu.
Destination Bottles:
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1969 La Tâche
Screaming Eagle 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)
Château Pétrus 1947 Pomerol
Head Sommelier Dennis Kelly's wine program features nearly 300 offerings in half bottles uniquely suited to pair with French Laundry's vaunted tasting menu, as well as significant depth of vintages for many selections.
For more information about this Yountville, CA, restaurant, click here.
For more Napa Valley restaurants, visit For more Napa Valley restaurants, visit étoile Restaurant, La Toque, The Restaurant at Auberge de Soleil, The Restaurant at Meadowood and Redd.
Hot Chef: Thomas Keller
Wine Enthusiast: How has your cuisine evolved since you opened The French Laundry in 1994?
Thomas Keller: It's more about refining and modernizing dishes rather than changing them. We're not looking for new—we're looking for constant improvement.
WE: Where do you get ideas for your dishes?
TK: We change the menu daily. Therein lies the spontaneity of our food—it's a market-driven menu. We want to be inspired by our ingredients.
WE: What's the influence of the restaurant's garden?
TK: It not only increases the quality of the vegetables, it gets people inspired. When young chefs are engaged in the farm and garden, it brings a different level to the respect they have for their craft and for life in general.
WE: Your dishes present many flavor components. How do you identify the best wine pairing?
TK: Our flavor profiles need to pair easily with wines from around the world. In our lobster dish we have smokiness in bacon, sweetness in beets, richness in tarragon and crème fraîche, and the wonderful brininess of lobster. That works with a rich Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir.
WE: I understand you're a fan of Zinfandel.
TK: I like the youngness and forward fruit of Zinfandel paired with roasted chicken—always one of my favorites.
WE: What might people not know about The French Laundry?
TK: Every great restaurant wants to give guests a full experience—when they leave, they have memories to take with them. It's those memories that establish our level of success. I think that at the end of the day the more memories we have, the more successfully we've led our lives. We want to establish wonderful memories for individuals about a time and a place and the people they've dined with.


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Pittsburgh Astorinos
Dear friends (and relatives?), I was happy to find this forum and am writing to tell you that there are a number of Astorino families here in Pittsburgh.
Ours come originally from Pallagoria in Calabria.My great-grandfather was named Antonio, my grandfather, Cristoforo, and my father, Salvatore. I would love to hear from any other Astorinos out there as my family takes great interest in our roots.Ciao!!!


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Tama Goren – Tel Aviv, Ibn Gabirol Stby thestreetswalker | 10.09.09
Fashion is definitely not only about the clothes, in the same way that chic is not only an external matter. These two rules are beautifully implemented by Tama Goren, who appeared in the blog about a year ago. I usually focus on the clothing that creates the look, but the corrsponding makeup is no less important. Tama is one of the rare people in our city that has understood this. o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
the latest
7 Responses
she really is her own type, no matter of skills! I think shes perfect the way she is. Real life
lana-you must be a very bitter person
Well ..watch me !! it's what I do every day , do not blame humidity missy , i am breathing humidity for lunch and keeping my lines straight allright 🙂
to lana-i want to see you keeping clean eyliner and lipstick in 32 degreesand 70% humidity
her makeup styling is great and totally vintage , BUT , her makeup skills are poor indid .. very crooked lines and liners , keep practice 🙂
Such a silly outfit for such a beautiful face. I enjoy the blog.
Lovely blog! I am your new fan!


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In collaboration with Fokker, I designed a kitchen for in a private airplane. This is something totally new and has never been done before. The kitchen is not just relocated from the house to a plane, but is also adapted to the circumstances of a private jet. The kitchen is in a way foldable. The kitchen can be open and spacious or closed and cosy. The kitchen has the feeling and the warmth of a home kitchen.
I loved working together with a company that provides you with real feedback in this assignment. It felt like something that could happen in the real world. The people from Fokker absolutely loved the idea, because it is so special and has never been done before. If they will start using this in their company, it will really make a statement and make them stand out from the others.


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1 Tim 4:4,5
Prayer is such a vital part of the life of the believer yet it is probably the least understood. At Calvary Chapel Conference Center, we use the gift and the armor of prayer at all levels and in every circumstance. We have literally hundreds of references to prayer throughout the Old and the New Testaments. Prayer is essentially and basically communicating with God. Communication by definition is two-way. Prayer should consist of the two elements of asking and listening. As the late Pastor L.E. Romaine of CCCM used to say "God gave you two ears and only one mouth." If you have a one-way relationship -- well, you know where that goes.
I was in church when God strongly placed this acronym for prayer upon my heart. I was not looking for it or even thinking about it. In obedience though, I simply scribbled the word "Available" down and just as quickly received the words to go with each letter of the acronym. Upon arrival at home, I quickly got on the computer and wrote out this simple devotion.
"A-v-a-i-l-a-b-l-e," an acronym for prayer, will help us to codify some of the qualities and characteristics of a prayer in light of the Word of God and in the life of the true believer. Prayer will remind us that he is GOD and we are not. This acronym is based upon the word "available" which in its basic Websters definition means "reachable."
"Our Father who art in heaven" -- He is the one true God. (Deuteronomy 6:4 -- the Hebrew shema) He is the creator of the universe. (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1) We direct our prayers towards the one and only God. (Isaiah 43:11, 44:6, 45:5-7) We direct our prayers to the God who forgive sins. (Matthew 6:14, Mark 2:5-7, Romans 6:23)
V-Veil/Victory... At the crucifixion of Jesus, the veil to the Holy of Holies in the Temple was torn, giving us access to the Holy of Holies, a picture of our direct access to God the Father. (Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 6:19, Hebrews 9:11-15) We have victory in Christ at the Cross. (1Corinthians 15) HE alone defeated death by resurrecting Himself on the third day. (John 2:19-22) Our victory is our hope in the assurance of the Resurrection. 1 John 5:13 states that we have eternal life.
A-Access/Always/Attitude... Access is somewhat redundant here in as it is a synonym for available; nonetheless it is an important characteristic of prayer and it dovetails well with our command to pray always. For if we were ever denied access, it would follow that we could not obey this command. Vice-versa, as we strive to pray always, we realize that God is only a prayer away. Pray 24/7; pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6) Paul was the ultimate example as verily in every letter he states his constant prayer for them. Paul's prayers were other-centered. Jesus, as well, in John 17 (entire chapter) lays out for us an awesome example of prayer. Our attitude should be an attitude of prayer.
I-Intercessory... prayer on behalf of others. Ezekiel gives us an example of how God is searching for a man in the earth who will stand in the gap for the land and the people. (Ezekiel 22:30) Examples of intercessory prayer can be found in Isaiah 53:12, Hebrews 7:25, and Jesus' in John 17. The (Holy) Spirit in Romans 8:26 is constantly interceding for us. In application, Paul says to imitate him as he imitates Christ -- to selflessly pray for others as our examples have done before us.
L-Life Eternal... dovetailing well with intercessory prayer as souls are hanging in the balance. (Matthew 16:26) Eternal life is at hand as we intercede for those who don't know Him. We pray for the Father to draw the unbelievers to Himself for eternal life. (John 3:16, John 6:37) We pray that "the sheep" would hear His voice and respond to His call to Himself for salvation.
A-All things... are possible with God. (Mark 9:23, Matthew 19:26) With God, nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37) Recently, my 73-year-old dad, a "dyed-in-the-wool" atheist, received Jesus Christ as his Savior. Pray, for the object of our faith is The Creator.
B-Believe... God. Ask without doubting. (John 15:16, James 1:6)
Faith and belief are interchangeable. The Hebrews 11 definition of faith states "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."
Without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Anything that is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)
For prayer to be effective, you must believe and believe that He is a rewarder of those who trust Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Belief (faith) is simply a key ingredient of salvation (Acts 16:30-31). The Philippian jailer asks "What must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas respond, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved!"
L-Love... God is love. (1 John 4:9) Love covers a multitude of sins. (James 5:20) Pray because you love God and want fellowship and a relationship with Him. Jesus said you would know them by their love. He said "if you love me, do my commandments." A sacrifice of prayer is an act of ultimate love. As I cried out to the Lord to save my family, I began to pray for them. A relationship is based on communication and prayer is a vehicle to communicate with God and a vehicle for God to communicate to you.
E-Eternal perspective... If we will view life with eternity in mind, we will weigh successfully the things that are most important and the eternal things will far outweigh the temporal. We will pray more, to God, for others, in fulfillment of the greatest of all commandments, to love God first and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Prayer should help us to focus on eternity. The eternal perspective on life will radically transform your walk with God. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Philippians 3:20-21)
The word "available" means reachable.
GOD is reachable.
Access is 24/7.
We who have been born-again of the Spirit of God have become the children of God. (John 1:12) Our Father, through the shed blood of Jesus has made Himself available to us at all times. All good gifts come from Him. (James:1:17) We have not because we ask not (James 4:2) and Jesus has promised that any thing we ask of Him according to the will of the Father will be done. (John 15:16)
As we have talked about prayer and about the only true God, you may be asking, "How do I get to know this God I just read about? How do I start to communicate with Him?"
The Bible states in Romans 10:9-13, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved..."
If there was ever a day and an age and a time that we needed to pray, these would be the days.
Let's pray, pray, pray, pray, pray.
Lance Roll, Executive Chef


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Damien Goodfellow is an artist and writer and lives in Galway. Damien's first graphic novel, Brian Boru - Ireland's Warrior King, was published in 2011
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"It's no longer about Left versus Right. It's not even about Republican versus Democrat. It's about the past versus the future."
Republican Leadership Press Conference
November 13, 2014
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
NRCC Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR)
Policy Chair Luke Messer (R-IN)
Conference Vice Chair Lynn Jenkins (R-KS)
Conference Secretary Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
Sophomore Representative Ann Wagner (R-MO)
Freshman Representative-elect Mimi Walters (R-CA)
Chair McMorris Rodgers, Remarks as Prepared for Delivery:
"I am excited to be here tonight and congratulate our newly elected House Republican leadership team! It's a team that will listen to the American people. It's a team that stands ready to advance real solutions. And it's a team that will work every day to make life better for the people all across this country.
"We will come together from all corners of America, with different backgrounds and professions and perspectives. But we all believe in the promise of a better America. We believe in growing the economy from the bottom-up, putting more money back in your hands, and giving everyone — moms and dads and college graduates and veterans alike — more opportunities. Because it's no longer about Left versus Right. It's not even about Republican versus Democrat. It's about the past versus the future.
"This team — every single one of us — is here to make the future better for the American people. And now we have a unique opportunity — now, more than ever — to make that happen."


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"There is nothing new under the sun," the old adage goes. Sculptors disprove that every day. Consider these objects: large "shields" covered in red pigment, sharing the same basic shape although each is in a different position, as if at various stages of a leisurely stretch. They are disc-like forms with a diameter of approximately four feet. One leans against a pillar, fully extended so that the full form is visible. Another is bent over at the middle, saddle-shaped, with its outer edges curled under as if to lift it up the last few inches off the floor. The third lies almost flat, slightly arched as if it is trying to inch its way across the room.
What are they? One approach is to ask, what are they like? Well, they're like shields, like sand dollars, like human torsos. Yet they are manifestly one of these things. They are neither images nor representations. Weighted ith poetic possibilities, they aren't symbols either. They're beings in and f themselves, autonomous objects that occupy space - in the room and in the viewer's head. Sculptures, in short.
When I was a student at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design we talked about sculpture "activating" space. An object succeeded or failed based on its thing-ness, on whether or not it seemed true, seemed necessary. The conceptual, expressive or poetic content followed - if the object didn't hold together it didn't matter what sort of rationalization you tried to hang on it.
Vanessa Paschakarnis' exhibition, Sculpture and Drawing, set up a dialogue between how these two sorts of human activity are perceived. Paschakarnis' drawings occupy an infinite space, that of the imagination. The differences in how these pieces are made - the labour, the manipulation of materials - are not that marked. The perception of them, however, is vastly different. The difference between the two halves of the exhibition is the basic dichotomy between image and object. Objects are of the world; images are of the mind.
The term "sculpture" ... underwent a semantic expansion to include more or less anything in the universe. This was possible because of its objecthood; a picture is always, in some sense, a picture of something. But a sculpture is just an object. [1]
As the art of reality, sculpture has become the predominant art of the postmodern, Thomas McEvilley claims, because it is convincing in an age of "radical doubt".
Red Shields convince - these are things in the world, they belong. They are more than merely utilitarian, but they share with their more prosaic counterparts a physical and material logic. Like a hammer, a coffee cup or a telephone, they make physical sense. Where sculpture differs is in its resistance to being consumed. Tools are made to be used, to be consumed through use. How do you wear out a sculpture?
The source of these sculptures is naturalistic - the sand dollar familiar to anyone who has spent time on Maritime beaches. But that source is subsumed under the forms. These works aren't representational in any sense. The physical effect of Red Shields, for they do have a notable physicality, is akin to the feeling of walking into a room full of strangers, to the bodily awareness one feels when under scrutiny by unknown eyes.
Vanessa Paschakarnis uses the object to create an effect on the viewer, a physical effect rather than emotive or conceptual. The meaning of this work is not in any notion of "content," but in the presence of the object itself. More than activating space, these objects fill it, crowding the viewer.
The relationship between perceiver and object is rooted in desire. The viewer wants to make something of the things they perceive, to categorize them into something they can use. We see the world as a collection of tools. Tool-culture is driven by desire, by the belief that we can fashion a world over which we have control.
Paschakarnis understands this relationship between perceiver and perceived as a fundamental human need. "This identity of the unknown in an object reflects on our urge of self-definition. . . This essence seems to be desire - the human desire to interact with inhuman form." [3]
This isn't virtual reality, that realm pioneered by painting, but, to borrow a concept from Plato, real reality. Real reality is heavy, awkward to store, fragile, messy and resistant to easy categorization. Image and object, material and idea, it is Paschakarnis' fusing of these recalcitrant antagonists that powers this work. So stand back, there's sculpture in the house.
[1] Thomas McEvilley, Sculpture in the Age of Doubt (New York: Allworth Press, 1999), p. 45-46
[3] Vanessa Paschakarnis, Works 1993-1999 (Halifax: exhibition cataloque, self-published, 1999), p. 14


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Guys, guys! Did you see that GoodReads has finally added a re-read feature? There are no words for how excited I am! They are rolling it out gradually but it is already showing up for my account. I don't even reread much, but it's good to know I can now revisit a series before the new installment is released, for example, and still have it count towards my yearly reading challenge. I am a slave to the GoodReads Reading Challenge.
It's time for WWW Wednesday! This blog hop hosted by Sam over at A World Of Words. Link up with us by commenting on Sam's post for this week, and just answer the three questions.
What have you recently finished reading?
I finishedThe Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket, book 2 in the Series of Unfortunate Events. It wasn't quite as good as the first, but I still want to keep going and get into all the mystery stuff that I remember from the later books.
I also finished Beauty Queens by Libba Bray just this evening, and it was my first five star read of the year! 😀 The audio book is incredible and if you have the time to commit to 14 hours of it, I really recommend it. I ended up downloading the ebook and splitting my time between the two because I was only four hours into it and it was due back tomorrow.
I only posted on review this week, of Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan. Click here to read it.
What are you currently reading?
I've been flitting between things over the past week, so I've got a couple of things on the go at the moment.
I started the ARC of Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton, with the hopes of finishing it in time for the release date last Thursday, but that came and went and I'm still going. I was having trouble reading off my tablet over the weekend because my eyes were aching, so that put a bit of a dent in my reading plans.
I also started The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith, another ARC (the book was released yesterday). It's cute so far but some of the writing feels a bit clunky. Still, it's fairly short, so I should get through it fairly quickly.
What do you think you'll read next?
Well, there's Heart of Brass by Felicity Banks, which I have on hold and really should pick up again. There's also The Fearless Traveler's Guide to Wicked Places by Peter Begler, which I would like to try to review sometime around the release date of March 1. I probably should also review The Devil's Prayer by Luke Gracias before too long.
Not to mention Adverbs by Daniel Handler and Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris are both waiting for me to pick them up from the library tomorrow. Oh, and I still havethe four books of the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carringer on loan from a colleague, and another colleague today brought me in the rest of the Series of Unfortunate Events books.
So, um, yeah. It'll be one of those, I guess.
What are you reading this week? 🙂
The other blog hop for this week is WIPpet Wednesday. If you're a writer, you are very welcome to join us in this one by posting an excerpt from your WIP that somehow relates to the date. You can click the blue guy on the right of this blog to be taken to the link up.
Before I go any further, I wanted to announce that I have finally settled on a new title for the story-that-was-until-last-Thursday-known-as Operation: Sugarplum. This WIP is now known as With Memories and Magic, which is way more fitting now that the plot has completely diverged from its original form as a retelling of The Nutcracker.
My maths is easy this week: two paragraphs for the second month. This actually follows on from the WIPpet I shared a few weeks ago. Max has now arrived and is confronting the people pursuing Clara. He's also brought back-up.
"I see you have two traitors with you."
"You mean Derek and Ivo?" Max motioned to each man as he spoke his name. "They're not the ones trying to persuade the Queen to return home so she can be enslaved by a dictator."
Boy has a point.
I'm on the downhill run with the first draft of With Memories and Magic, and my subconscious has decided to go and get all antsy about it. I'm not getting down anywhere near the number of words I was each night a couple of weeks ago, and I'm far more angsty about the words I am getting down. I'm still hoping to finish this draft by the end of February, though. Cross your fingers for me!
I've been continuing with Fictional Flashback February. I'm hoping to write a few more little stories to go with my pictures like I did on the first few days, but some days it has just been easier to do one sentence with an image.
That's it from me this week. I'm off to do my nightly writing and beta readings, and I'll catch you all soon.


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Personal (one on one) Coaching
Sales Doctor Coaching – One-on-One with Brian Azar
If you're serious about a strong start in sales or in business, this is the package for you. Sales Doctor Coaching is offered in a 10-hour Strong Start Package or on a monthly contract. During the program, the coach stays with the client to:
- Implement the plan of action, working through the inevitable changes and any obstacles
- Maintain a healthy balance between your personal and professional life
- Keep looking ahead to take advantage of opportunities which are just now formulating
- Bring out your personal best, keeping focused on your needs, values and vision.
Teleclasses & Teleconferences
I Hate Cold Calls! (One Day Workshop).
Create a prospecting program guaranteed to generate the kind of attention you need to get in front of the "right types" of companies and decision makers!
Future Selling: The Ten Step Interview Process (One Day Workshop).
This is a must workshop for anyone who has to sell, market, promote or negotiate products of services.
Building Your 21st Century MasterMind.
This three-night teleclass is designed for those professionals who want to have a group of like minded, positive and supportive colleagues, similar to a board of advisors, to help them grow and maintain their business practices. It is a hands-on "Real World" experiential teleclass, a must for all sales people, entrepreneurs, business owners or anyone who wants to start a business or project.
QuickStart Program. Learn how to make a New Year's Resolution that you'll keep. Experience concentrated analysis of the past, present and future, combined with techniques that can jump start any individual or organization as we enter a new year of challenges and opportunities.
Reengineering Your Life.
This interactive course will focus on the resources and knowledge of experts, as well as the utilization of tools such as Brain-Change and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) — the way we communicate with ourselves.


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Jen Hatmaker
Co-Founder & Chief Outreach Officer
Jen Hatmaker is the author of New York Times bestsellers "For the Love" and "Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire", along with twelve other books. In addition to starring in the popular series My Big Family Renovation on HGTV, Jen also hosts the award-winning For the Love podcast, is the delighted curator of the Jen Hatmaker Book Club, and leader of a tightly knit online community where she reaches millions of people each week. In addition to all of that, Jen is the co-founder of Legacy Collective, a giving community that grants millions of dollars toward sustainable projects around the world. She is a mom to five kids and lives happily just outside Austin, Texas in a 1908 farmhouse with questionable plumbing. You can learn more about Jen and follow along with her at www.jenhatmaker.com.
Call or Text (512) 920-3755
Legacy Collective is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our tax identification number is 87-1730864. You can find us on Guidestar here


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Katherine Pryde was a woman of great confidence. She had spent most of her twenty-three years on this earth dealing with one crisis or another. Her parents' marriage ended in divorce while she was still young, and when she hit puberty, she discovered that she could walk through walls, literally. Like Jubilation Lee before her, she was drawn into the X-Men, and also, like Jubilee, she had been mentored by the mysterious Canadian mutant known as Logan. Her career with the X-Men has been diverse to say the least, at one time; she switched places with a future version of herself to prevent a modern day Holocaust. During her time as a member of the New Mutants, she became the dear friend of a demon sorceress and while she lived on Muir Island, as a part of Excalibur, her closest companions were a celestial avatar and a miniature dragon. Still, Kitty, as she was known, had her fair share of tragedy. Both Ilyana and Rachel had been taken from her long before she was ready to lose them, further casualties of the conflict that formed so much of her life.
The past year had been no better. She had returned to the X-Men for a while when Excalibur disbanded, then left when she finally realised that Xavier's dream was doomed to fail, unless something changed. Kitty had enrolled in the University of Chicago, majoring in Literature, with a minor in Politics. It had been two months into her first term when she had learned that Moira MacTaggart, the woman who had been like a mother to her, had been killed in a terrorist bombing. She returned briefly to Westchester a few months ago, when she had received word that her friend and one-time lover, Piotr Rasputin, had also died. Kitty's heart had been heavy and sorrowful for many weeks, the shock of more death weighing heavily on her soul. Her friends in Chicago did not understand what she was going through but they tried their best to support her, a fact that touched Kitty's heart.
She had managed to put most of the grief behind her when she discovered that Pete Wisdom, the man she had once loved, had been murdered. Peter's death had been the last straw; Kitty had retreated again into seclusion, operating in a zombie like state, until Jubilation Lee came to stay.
Jubilee had been living in Los Angeles for several months with a former classmate, Angelo Espinosa, until circumstances forced Jubilee to consider her life there. Kitty found Jubilee in a chatroom one night and invited her to come and live in Chicago with her. Jubilee was on the next flight out. That had been two weeks ago now, and Kitty was starting to mend slowly, having a friend that truly understood her past and the situation she found herself in.


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Indie Development Awards
Game Connection Indie Development Awards
The Game Connection Indie Development Awards have a history of recognizing and promoting independent game projects in any stage of development. For the last 15 years, they have been the place for studios to showcase their creativity and originality and to be recognized by their peers.
The contest is open to console, mobile, social, casual and online games with no restriction on genre, platform or distribution method. All submissions are assessed by the Judging Committee of international experts.
Should you need any information about the Indie Development Awards, please contact Katarina.
The projects are currently being reviewed by the jury, and the ceremony will take place in Paris during GCE22.
Past editions


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The life of a Jewish dwarf who miraculously survived the Holocaust is the inspiration for a new motion picture project.
The Lilliput will illustrate how Abraham Kerber was able to defeat the odds of surviving the war by using his weaknesses as strengths. This dark fairy tale, which is being shot in Gabin and Lodz, Poland, promises to be one of the most moving new films being produced about the Holocaust.
American stage, television, and movie actor Mark Povinelli will star as "Umchik," as Abraham was affectionately called. Povinelli was one of the seven dwarves in Mirror, Mirror, and a regular on the television show Are You There, Chelsea?
More after the jump.
The film will take us back to Poland in 1938. Umchik survived the war by hiding in tiny places that the Nazis did not think to search. He concealed himself in garbage cans in the rail yards and underground in the sewers.
Umchik was a photographer and an ardent Zionist. His best friend was Esther, a Jewish woman who converted to Christianity to marry a gentile. Her family and community disowned her for making this choice, and Abraham remained her only friend. As the war progressed, Umchik and Esther supported and understood each other as no one else could.
When the war was over, Umchik moved to Israel. He settled in Kiryat Tivon, and worked as a journalist and photographer. He died on April 19, 1978, and was buried in Kiryat Tivon. The names of his relatives who perished in the Holocaust were etched on his tombstone. The final inscription reads, "G-d will avenge their blood."
The script was written by filmmaker, screenwriter and producer Minna Packer. She is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, the Pratt Institute, and a Fullbright scholar at the Lodz Film School. She previously directed and produced the documentary Back to Gombin.
For more information, a preview of the movie, and an opportunity to contribute to this project, go to the film's website.


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Georgetown Heritage, a non-profit established to restore and improve the canal, has issued an ambitious proposal to do just that. Call it the High Lineification of the canal, if you will, but it is nothing if not dramatic.
The plan itself divided the canal through Georgetown into eight distinct sections: The Aqueduct, the Bend, the Walls, the Groves, the Locks, Rock Creek Confluence, Rock Creek and Mile Marker 0. Here are some of the more significant alternatives with each of these sections.
The Aqueduct:
The Aqueduct section runs roughly from the old Aqueduct abutment to 34th St. The primary focus of the proposals for this section, not surprisingly, concern the Aqueduct abutment itself.
The plan puts forward two proposals for improving the abutment: Alternative A and Alternative B. In both alternatives, the abutment would receive significant improvements to provide more safety and a finished look to what is currently essentially a ruin. The biggest difference between the two alternatives is that Alternative B proposes the construction of a decorative trestle, meant to evoke the structure of the old Aqueduct Bridge:
The Bend:
The Bend section runs from 34th St. to 33rd St. The work would include restoring the towpath and adding new seating and gathering spots. Alternative B for this section would include a rebuilt 34th St. bridge over the canal, including new ramps and an elevator for accessibility:
The Walls:
The Walls section runs from 33rd St. to Wisconsin Ave. This name is appropriate because this stretch of the canal has a distinctive canyon-like appearance due to the tall walls that stand close to the canal's edge. Iterations of the plan would dramatically change the shape of the walls in order to create gathering and/or performance areas:
The above rendering depicts a proposed staircase descending from the back of Dean and Deluca down to a catwalk above the towpath. It is unclear what impact this plan would have on the access to the underground parking garage located there.
A similar proposal is suggested for the section of the walls just west of Wisconsin Ave.:
In both of these renderings you can also see the appearance of the proposed elevators. These will greatly increase the accessibility of the canal towpath to people with disabilities or those with strollers, and the law may require them.
The Grove:
The Grove consists of the stretch between Wisconsin Ave. and Thomas Jefferson St. Few significant changes are proposed for this section beyond improving the landscaping:
Here it would also would be appropriate to discuss some of the proposals for the path itself. As you probably know, the current towpath is in terrible shape, and threatens to collapse into the canal at some points along the way. The proposal would shore up the path significantly. Beyond that, the plan offers several options of how to rebuild the path, in increasing size.
First, here is how the path appears for much of the way:
It is quite narrow at spots and presents serious accessibility issues. To address those concerns, here are the proposed options:
The first option would generally refinish the current path with level hardscape across the entire width of the path.
The second option would install a cantilevered edge on the side to give enough room for a 9 foot wide path and maintain vegetation with an occasional bench.
The last option would expand out the wall's edge to maintain the current look with vegetation along the side. The expanded space would still provide room for a 10 foot wide path and vegetation with the occasional seating on the north side.
The Locks:
The next section of the canal is the Locks and it stretches from Thomas Jefferson St. to 29th St. This section obviously features the canal locks themselves. But another prominent feature of this section is the National Park Service's visitor center and the mule yard between Thomas Jefferson St. and 30th St. This space has been essentially abandoned ever since the canal boats stopped running several years ago. One proposal includes a new ticket kiosk:
Rock Creek Confluence:
The next section is the Rock Creek Confluence and runs from 29th St. to the intersection of the canal and Rock Creek. The plans float several possible footbridges to connect the shores:
Rock Creek:
The next, and second-to-last, section is Rock Creek, and it includes the area surrounding where K St. crosses Rock Creek. One significant proposal for this section includes a new bridge to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections from K St. to the Rock Creek Parkway path:
As you can see it would also include a new elevated boardwalk above Rock Creek, running underneath the K St. ramp. The proposal offers this as a visual example of what the boardwalk could look like:
Mile Marker 0:
Finally, the last section, Mile Marker 0. This section includes the point at which Rock Creek (and thus the canal) enters the Potomac. The proposals for this area primarily involve the construction of new landscaping and the construction of a foot bridge.
In one option, the foot bridge merely crosses the old tide lock:
In the other proposal, the bridge crosses all the way to the Rock Creek Park Trail:
Phew. That's a lot to take in. Public comments are invited until December 11th. Submit them here.


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Incomes to Moldova's Public Budget SURGED in Q1
foto: Publika.md
The incomes to the Moldova's Public Budget, managed by the Tax Service in the first quarter of 2017, increased with 1.0737 bn lei, or 16.7%, year over year.
The total amount of incomes is MDL7.49211 bn. That is also MDL329.3 mn, or 4.66%, more than planned.
3,5436 bn lei were poured into the state budget, that's 668.6 mn more year over year, up 23.3%, and 9.3% more than planned.
The local budgets took in 701.4 mn lei, that's 6.3 mn less than in Q1 of 2016.
The Social Insurances Budget took in 2.4746 bn lei, that's 341.9 mn more, year on year, up 16.0 %, and 2.6% more than planned.
The Medical Insurance Budget got 772.5 mn lei, up 9.9 % year on year, and 99.9 % of what was planned.
budget, incomes, public budget, taxestoate TAG-urile


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The getfacl command is used to obtain the filename, file owner, file group owner, and its Access Control List or ACL. It will display the ACL for a regular file or a directory. Here are some examples of its use.
On a file
# getfacl newcron
# file: newcron
# owner: esoft
# group: staff
group::r-- #effective:r--
On a directory
# getfacl MyDir
# file: MyDir
# owner: root
# group: other
group::r-x #effective:r-x
This blog covers Unix system administration HOWTO tips for using inline for loops, find command, Unix scripting, configuration, SQL, various Unix-based tools, and command line interface syntax. The Unix OS supports tasks such as running hardware, device drivers, peripherals and third party applications. Share tips/comments. Read the comments. But most importantly: Read Disclaimer - Read Disclaimer.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Get the Access Control List on a File or Directory
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Sometimes ago the giant search engine Google introduced the all new Google Chrome Browser. Most recently has been found that Google is approaching ads automatically in the Chrome Browser. Although Google is doing it in a modest way through a yellow box at the top of the page some users are already afraid that it Read more
Archive : Google Chrome
Google Upcoming Plan To Replace Javascript By Dart
Google has announced a new programming language early this morning at the Goto Conference that held in Denmark. The programming language is called Dart. The programmer of the new programming language has revealed that Dart is believed to replace the functionality of JavaScript with its more efficient work ability. For the sake of the users Read more
Google Chrome Remote Desktop Beta Released
Here presents great news for people, who are afraid and do not feel comfortable to believe third party vendors to connect two computers. Google has a gift for them. Google is associating Google Chrome Browser with a feature that allows setting up connection between two computers. The Remote Desktop Connecting feature is no doubt a Read more
Windows 7 Still Leading in Corporate Market
Windows 7 still market leader According to Forrester, Windows 7 held 20.9 percent of the corporate computer market while Windows XP held 60 percent of the business computer market at the end of March 2011. The share of Windows XP has declined from 69 percent last year. The Forrester study included over 400,000 client computers Read more
Mozilla And Microsoft Continues With The Chrome Mystery
Present stats of the browsers Recent stats show that Mozilla's Firefox users are growing and that of the Internet Explore continues with the same strength. Internet Explorer is continuing with the same loss. As per the latest stats for the browser market share, Firefox is up by 0.081 % and is presently on 21.71%. Internet Read more


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THE Land Commission on Tuesday expressed concern over the mushrooming of slum settlements during a tour of some farms in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North, which were acquired by government for urban expansion.
By NQOBANI NDLOVU
The Justice Tendai Uchena-led commission, investigating the sale of State land in and around urban areas, toured Rangemore, Woodvale and Mopani farms as well as Hlalani Kuhle in Cowdray Park on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Commission visited Doelfontein and Judds farms in Gwanda where private property developers are suspected to have acquired land under controversial circumstances.
Justice Uchena said the commission was worried about the slum settlements witnessed during the tour, and which are now a permanent feature across the country.
"Things which we saw should never been encouraged, where people just move in on land with no sewer and water. It raises health problems when there is an outbreak of disease," he said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed the six-member commission to clamp down on land barons controlling and allocating vast tracts of land in and around urban areas.
The commission, which reports to Mnangagwa, will be in Matabeleland till November 23.
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Bulawayo City Council's acting deputy engineer, Wisdom Siziba, told the commission during the tour that illegal structures were straining the local authority's capacity to deliver adequate services to residents.
"If the rate at which illegal structures are mushrooming in the city continues, we are likely to have serious problems. The council will definitely not be able to provide enough water and sewer systems for the city," said Siziba.
During the tour of Lot 27 at Lower Rangemore, the provincial physical planning officer for Matabeleland North, Raymond Nyandoro, blamed the mushrooming of illegal settlements on land barons and bogus private land developers.
"Out of the 32 private land developers in this area, almost half are bogus. We have problems with land developers who have developed and constructed structures without valid permits. They just draw their own maps without the approval of the Department of Physical Planning," Nyandoro told the commission.
He said most of the houses in Rangemore have been completed, but did not have basic services such as water, sewer and electricity as a result.


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Within the panorama of contemporary painting, the work of Fabio Hurtado (b. 1960) typically represents the resurgence of form and figurative painting and its associated disciplines. Viewing the artist' s works is akin to embarking on a journey through time in his search of the parallel elements which often underlie the past and present. This images aim to recreate, in an almost cinematographic way, scenes which are set in the past even though with a contemporary approach.
His exquisite drawing skills and harmonious sense of color are complementary to the overall sense of mystery surrounding his stylish and elegant characters and the roles they play in his paintings. There' s an implied interaction between the spectator, the paintings and the artist who encourages the viewer to use his imagination in unravelling and participating in the narrative of the work. This intimate interaction suggests different possibilities for a single image…an effective strategy to keep the work alive.
His paintings are both subtle and intelligent. Imagination and technique are in harmony resulting in a poignant statement of the timeless unchanging realities of the human condition.
Tony Pontone (curator and gallerist at Albemarle Gallery)


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The Low Sun Festival was created by the Greek hard gothers Mosquito, with the aim of establishing it each year and hosting bands & Dj's of the general Goth/Darkwave sound. A celebration where the Dark Element will have its honor. This year the second Low Sun Festival was hosted once again at club Death Disco with the lineup consisting of Grey Gallows, Cold Remembrance and Mosquito.
First up were darkwavers Grey Gallows. They presented a set with old and new songs. They began with "Fading" from their first album "Tears", continuing with the newer songs "Last Day On Earth" and "Fuel For Rage". Then the singer Fay Byrd joined the duo on stage for the song "She Ends Herself". Another new track "On The Dancefloor" was played, followed by the better known "Ice". The band gave a great performance and are becoming better with every live appearance. They finished with their dynamic cover of "Alice" by The Sisters Of Mercy.
Next up was the goth metal band Cold Remebrance who after an intro they plunged into "Memories Remain", "Angel" and "Aurura Autumn" from their 2017 debut album "Visions From A World Apart". Apart from the two covers "Billet Doux" (The Wounded) and "My Darkness, Darkness" (Bessech) they played the new songs "Fallen Star", "Forever And A Day" and "The Manikin", with which they ended, that will be included on their new album. Their songs where enriched by Romanos deep emotional voice and by the keyboards that brought a more atmospheric tone to their goth rock/metal tunes.
The night ended with Mosquito. This five-piece hard goth band delivered a dynamic set. They began with a newer song "Lost Victories" and then with "Indirect Kiss", "Y", "C(h)esspit Queen" and "Deeper Outlook" from their debut album "Interlacing Eternity" that was released on Brazilian label Deepland records in 2017. In-between they played other new songs like "To Infinite", "Vainess, Ever-Changing" and "Morena" that will probably be included on their next album. Their frontman Lupe gave a dynamic performance backed by the band and their new member, John Morris on bass, who has become a permanent fixture.
Categories: LIVE REVIEWS


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Srinagar: In view of the prevailing situation with restrictions in place due to outbreak of COVID-19, the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in Srinagar will be provided free foodgrains for as long as the situation remains as it is.
The distribution of foodgrains for the current month starts tomorrow and will be completed within two weeks.
Under this initiative around 30 thousand quintals of foodgrains will be distributed free of cost amongst over 1.4 lac BPL families in the district.
The initiative will benefit just under 6 lac persons who will be provided 5 kilograms of rice per person per month.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary who is also the Chairman District Disaster Management Authority Srinagar said the initiative is a recognition of the need for support to and an attempt to reach out to impoverished residents of the district. (KNO)


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The Bushmen have appealed to Prince William
The Bushmen of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve have appealed to Prince William ahead of his visit to Botswana this month.
In a letter to the prince, the Bushmen's organization, First People of the Kalahari, said,
'Last week, police and soldiers came to our lands with guns and forced some of our brothers and sisters out of their homes in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This brings back terrible memories of when the soldiers forced our people from their homes in 2002.
It has been over three years since we won our court case against the government. The court told us that the government had acted illegally in moving us from our land, and that we have the right to return home. But we fear it is starting to happen again.'
In 2006 Botswana's High Court ruled that the government had acted unconstitutionally when it evicted the Bushmen and said they had the right to return to the reserve. Hundreds of Bushmen have since gone back home.
However, last week, army trucks with armed police and soldiers entered the reserve, which Survival International believes was to intimidate the Bushmen off their land.
On 9th June, the Botswana High Court is due to hear a Bushman application to gain access to a borehole which they rely on for water in the reserve. The government has banned the Bushmen from accessing the borehole, forcing them to make up to 480 km round trip journeys to fetch water and leaving them to face what the UN's top official on indigenous peoples has described as 'harsh and dangerous conditions'.
The Bushmen have urged the prince to help them, saying, 'Please help us. Your godfather [Laurens van der Post] was a friend to us so we know that you are a kind man. Some many years ago he took two Bushmen to meet the Prince of Wales in Scotland - they always remember this meeting. He made our story known to millions of people around the world, and would be very sad to know how we are being treated today.
Gama, the creator, made us the Bushmen and he made the animals for us. The CKGR is our place - it is where we hunt, where we dance and where we talk with the spirits of the ancestors. Our lives and those of our children and grandchildren are rooted in this land.
We are crying and ask for your help. We know that if you speak up for us, people will listen to you.'


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Fandominoes Shizaya
Series: Fandominoes, Durarara!!! | Date Added: 2015-02-24 | Character(s): Orihara Izaya, Heiwajima Shizuo
From my big Room 801 project this year, Fandominoes - the domino-style game where instead of matching numbers, you match two halves of our favourite anime couples! Of course, this being a yaoi and yuri convention, these sets focus on same-sex couples (though the art is tame enough for younger fans too).
Okay, so I kind of got in late drawing these two - they were sort of 2011's favourite yaoi couple - but still love their show and I still think they have some hella sexy foeyay going on. Izaya would probably do it, too, that crazy bastard.
Media: Flat Colour | Rating: General | Character Type: Canon
Tags: male, chibi, bishounen, waistcoat, knife, shounen-ai, foeyay


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Southern California's Trusted
Garage Door Specialists.
On Trac Garage Door Company is Southern California's leader in garage door installation and repair. Since 1994, our family-owned and operated company has been committed to solving your garage door needs with honesty and integrity. We install a wide selection of the industry's leading products and our expert staff of technicians are trained and certified to the highest standards in our industry.


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Corn Dog Tater Tot Bake
Combine corn dogs and tater tots topped with cheese for a one dish meal that will satisfy the whole table.
Corn dogs, sticks removed, sliced into 1-inch rings
Tater tots
|3 slices
Colby jack cheese
|1.2 cup
Diced onions and bell peppers, frozen
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place 12 of the tarter tots on a parchment lined baking sheet. Lay a piece of cheese over the tots.
Place the corn dogs over the top of the cheese. Lay another piece of cheese over the corn dogs.
Place the other 12 tarter tots on top of the second slice of cheese. Sprinkle over the top with onions and peppers.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from heat, let rest for a minute or two prior to serving.


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Well – it's THAT time of year again. I get to find out what my diabetes results are.
I know I've been a good boy (for the most part) and my logical mind tells me that everything will probably be OK – but the human body is a strange machine, and sometimes whether you want it to be healthy or not, it often makes up it's own mind.
The only thing I can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Sometimes I'm not sure whether I continue to do this through obsessive habit, a love of exercise or a fear that if I don't everything I love about my life now will just fall apart.
Truthfully it's probably a bit of all three – however when I'm with a friend in a place of outstanding natural beauty then it's definitely a love of life that keeps me putting one foot in front of the other.
On Wednesday I was once again in a place I adore with a superb twalking companion and was busy making absolutely sure that both of us got a good workout.
First thing in the morning it was tough sell mind you. The house was warm when I woke up – and it was a very cozy place to be as I stared at the ceiling from my pillow under a toasty duvet.
Outside I could hear cars crunching along the road over frozen puddles and people chipping frost from their windscreens. When I finally ventured out I had to forcibly yank my frozen car door open to reach my ice scraper.
Once it was in my grasp I needed a whole 15 minutes to hack all of the (really thick) ice off my car before I could drive over to pick my friend up.
The journey after this was a nice one though – and the roads were well gritted with no accidents to impede our progress. By the time we arrived at Malvern the sun was out and the sky was a lovely blue.
Despite this the frost was far from melted.
As potentially treacherous as this makes walking around this area it's undeniably beautiful – and even with a serious nip in the air it's a really nice place to eat breakfast – which in my case was as Slimming World friendly as possible.
Wednesday represented probably the 2nd best day for weather in Malvern that I've ever seen from this vantage point – and as the morning wore on the views just got better and better.
The absolutely wonderful thing about my life at the moment is (maybe unlike some who might have always been fit and healthy) I never cease to be amazed by what I can do and how far I've come.
When I look at the total elevation my friend and I accomplished during our day of walking I'm amazed that not only did I find it relatively easy – but that it represents well over two thirds of the total height of Snowdon (3500ft).
By the time Wednesday had finished we'd managed (according to Apple Watch) to climb 186 flights of stairs.
The very first time I attempted walking around this region (at around 22.5 stone – having lost over 12) was February 2017 (link).
Since then things have changed quite a bit.
It's pretty insane what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it – and it never ceases to amaze me when I look at my past and current photos what the human body is capable of recovering from or adapting to.
My swimming is no exception to this – and whilst I've not said much about it lately I'm still regularly pounding out lengths in my local pool. This morning (completely unplanned) proved to be another example of what I can do now vs what I was previously (in)capable of.
I mean that in both a physical and self confidence sense – because whilst I may have previously been able to paddle back and forth I did not previously possess the mental fortitude to step into a swimming costume and try.
Now I do.
I decided after a few lengths that I was up for trying to do two and a half kilometres (100 lengths of my local 25 metre pool) and irritatingly I would have done it if I'd only started ten minutes earlier.
The schools locally start to come in on a Friday at 9.30am and I ran out of time before I ran out of stamina.
How crazy is that?
I mean – it's totally nuts when you think about it. I've changed from being a 35 stone moribund lump of a man into one that's capable of climbing huge mountains, and swimming continuously for almost 2.5km.
How on earth is all of this possible?!
Honestly at times I have no idea. Somehow I've just ended up inhabiting the body and mind of someone who is both driven and focused.
I'm not perfect though – because despite all of this exercise (and maybe sometimes as a consequence of it) I can still overeat.
I've been quite good with the types of food that I've consumed however, and have been preparing meals as I always do. My slow cooker has been churning out chicken soup practically on a daily basis lately (it's so nice to come home to on a cold day) and my usual standby meal (I flipping love a chilli) has been consumed with gusto on a number of occasions.
However – regardless of these good choices when I stood on the scales for the first time in two weeks last night (which in itself this represents something of a personal success because I can get quite obsessive about this) I realised that I've moved a few pounds outside of my new target range.
Whilst I've mentally committed myself to going to group tomorrow to keep my head in the game I doubt that I will stand on the scales while I'm there.
Thankfully as a target member I only need to weigh in every 8 weeks – but I still need a visit to group to keep me focused.
I may weigh in at one of Angie's Monday groups instead (I can't on Saturday next week) but we'll see. I'm not putting any pressure on myself because the truth is that I don't really need to.
Whilst I used to hate the phrase 'naturally thin' this is one of those moments that I feel it's really relevant.
I've always wanted to be the sort of person that can deviate a little to the left or right of the correct path in life, but who will always find my way back to the right course. So far for the last 11 months I've proven that I'm capable of this.
I've moved both above and below target weights – and I've come to accept that none of this represents either success or failure. All it represents is life and how things will always change from time to time.
Gradually I've recognised that judging yourself harshly based on small weekly deviations on the scales is an empty and pointless pursuit that will ultimately accomplish nothing but emotional corrosion.
Sure – if you're trying to lose weight then the overall trend needs to be downwards, but the point is that beating yourself up over a misstep or two will do nothing but provide a reason to carry on with the self destructive behaviour that you are trying so hard to avoid.
It's much better to accept that no-one is perfect, life is just life, and that tomorrow is just another day where you will probably feel stronger and more capable than you did the day before. You can only be the best that you can be at any one given moment in time – and thinking that anyone else is any different is pointless and damaging.
We all struggle and we all fall over – and accepting that you're just as normal as anyone else is key to long term success.
The wages of this kind of ongoing attitude can be seen in my diabetic results – which yesterday I held in my hand, in black and white.
My current HbA1c level of 26 is still way below what would be considered pre-diabetic.
My cholesterol is great, I've been assured that my blood pressure results are perfectly normal and 'low', my overall health is 'tip top' and all of the usual tests (sensitivity in my extremities and diabetic retinopathy results) show that I'm still holding diabetes at bay.
By making continually more positive than negative choices in life I've not only turned things around, but I'm proving to any casual observers that my continued health outcomes are not only possible but completely sustainable – even with an occasional mis-step.
Despite many many social media voices stating that everyone following Slimming World as a plan is destined to put all their weight back on I intend to stand proudly as an example of what's possible long term.
Success in this area is not magic though.
It's all about mindset.
The reality of it is that all of this is just continual hard work combined with an ongoing willingness to re-frame the negative internal voices that we all have.
Whatever mountain you have to climb internet, it's all do-able.


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Rainbow Drops MV Teaser for "Whoo"
Update February 12 KST:
"Whoo" MV Teaser Revealed
Update February 11 KST:
Take a listen to Rainbow's highlight medley for their upcoming album, "PRISM."
Original article:
The girls of Rainbow have released teaser photos for their upcoming comeback album, "PRISM"!
On February 5, each of the members of Rainbow uploaded their individual teaser photos to their personal Instagram accounts. Their agency, DSP Media, previously announced that the title track from the album will be titled "Whoo."
In the individual teasers, each member wears a jumpsuit in the different colors of the rainbow. In one group teaser photo, all of the members wear black jumpsuits, while another group teaser shows the girls wearing edgier outfits.
"Whoo" will be the group's first comeback song since "Black Swan," which they promoted in February of 2015.
Are you looking forward to Rainbow's comeback? Check out the teaser photos below!


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Forage Paper Co. is a NYC-based stationery and gift brand created by Christina. Her hand-painted illustrations are inspired by the simple beauty of everyday life. The brand officially launched in 2015 on foragepaperco.com where she offers greeting cards, art prints, notepads, gift wrap, and other paper goods.


text:
– Our Government Greed Makes All Ghanaians Lose. Fellow Ghanaians,
I wanted to let this class action law suit lie idle for some time till we had enough people with their paperwork and ready to pay the Attorney's fees. However I received a letter today that makes me react again (I hide the identity of the writer). From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 2:22 PM To: [email protected] Subject: import duties in Ghana Hi Mr. Danso
You recently published some articles about the import duties fiasco in Ghana especially on cars. It first seems that the government was going to do something about it but the problem still lingers. I wanted to send a vehicle home, now the vehicle itself is worth $7,600.00 USD but guess how much it will cost me in duties in Ghana, $8.700.00 USD base on 34.5% duties levy. I am not saying that I should not be charged duties I just want them charge the duties base on the vehicle's current worth not base on its price at the time of manufacture. Could please publish a rejoinder to your article on the subject again, please, please, if I may be of any help, do reply. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear xxxx, Thanks for your mail.
We need to work together and use the rule of law to stop this nonsense of over-taxation of those who are supposed to be the "haves". Ghana is losing a lot of potential jobs because damaged or salvage cars is now a big business going to some third world countries where labor is cheap. In one unplanned shopping, I picked up an insurance company salvaged 1998 Mercedes for only $3,700 at an auction in December 2005 when I accompanied my nephew to find a car. I decided to pay to have it repaired here in California instead of go through the hassle of sending it to Ghana. The work was completed last week and if I did not tell anybody, they could not tell it was not a new car! If I had shipped this to Ghana and paid say $500 to government [which my friend from Afghanistan told me they pay when they ship such cars], it would provide a job for say 5 mechanics [and parts salespersons] in Ghana. Multiply that by 3,000 vehicles per year and you have 15,000 people employed and 3,000 doctors or other professionals who would be happy to be able to afford a nice decent car. The government collects $1,500,000 [$500 x 3,000]. As our system is now, government gets nothing! Zero because this industry is stifled by our governmental greed!! Professionals in Ghana are unhappy with their salaries; our oil refineries are virtually being run and sold to foreigners, just as the other state owned enterprises (SOEs). And the people in the car repair, body work, car paint business, auto sales people, all lose! Our uncles in leadership have disappointed all of us! Common sense is not common anymore!
Owning a car should not be regarded as "for the rich only" any more, but for every middle class person. Anybody who has completed a University or technical school beyond Secondary school deserves to and should be paid enough to be able to afford a car! In the example above, if I had shipped the car for say $1,500 and paid $500 to government and made a small profit of $1,000, the new-looking Mercedes would cost $6,700 [$3,700 +$1,500 + $500 + 1,000]. At a financing rated of say 15% for 60 months, the car payment would be $159/month. Most managers, professionals, university lecturers in Ghana can afford that. With the current government system as it is where values are determined from a book irrespective of negotiated price, the duties on the car would be an additional $8,000, leading to a price of $14,700. The monthly car payment for a 60 months financing at 15% modest interest will be $350/month. The later is beyond the means of most people, including even Ministers. Ghana was never like this when some of us were growing up! In the 1960s Secondary school teachers were able to afford cars. Today, medical doctors, engineers and accountants are not able to afford a car on their bare income alone unless they make some deals [another name for corruption]. This has turned even decent professionals into thieves who would not mind robbing supplies meant for hospitals or schools, or tools and supplies for a government contract job. Why? It is because of the GREED of a few in our government. The only logical conclusion one can draw is that this group in government were not creative enough to solve the inflation and economic problems starting in the 1970s! Robin Hood taxation is their answer to social income distribution! It is a lose-lose for all!
I offered to lead the class action law suit through GLU but we don't want to take money from external financiers on this one, but ourselves. We need to learn to stand on our own for what we believe in. Some of the Ghanaians who have never gone through this don't feel the pain until it gets to them, and a couple of people are even criticizing that we don't have to sue government. As an organization of people, I am afraid we are not learning from those ahead of us and from the mistakes and lessons from other nations. Hence we have an impeded growth in organizational knowledge. Ghana Leadership Union found a lawyer to file a class action law suit, and the cost was C18 million (only $2,000). So far not many people have offered to share in the cost. One or two of us don't want to bear this burden alone since after all, if we were to look at it in individual personal basis, we have already paid our dues. I paid C140 million on 2 vehicles, and I don't need to ship another car. BTW I know some Ministers in the government who went through this pain also, but once in government, their duties on cars may be free, and/or they get free government paid cars or car loans which they don't pay back [Now you know why it is reported to cost so much money to get a nomination of any ruling got s Parliamentary seat! (smile)]. I initiated this class action law suit to set precedence for our democracy, for people to stand up for their right against unfair taxation using the courts. That is the essence of democracy! In this case it is unfair assessment of vehicles, which ignores the original sales price. The benefit is for the generation behind us. People need to pay a little for their rights! We need to make sacrifices for our future, and not think only of ourselves for today, but instead for a better Ghana under fair and equitable taxation. We need to remove this Botchwey's Robin Hood taxation bequeathed to the new government [which the NPP also don't want to change]!
BTW, I have not given up yet, and as soon as I get a commitment of about 10 people willing to pay $200 each or 5 willing to pay $400 each, we will file. Lawyers need to make some income! (smile). I am not a superhero, and my last name is not Gates. I work for my living just like all of us and my time in fighting for our society, plus moneys to set up GLU will be my contribution if the younger ones want to continue. Please stay in touch and if you want to join our discussion forum, write to [email protected] Better still send in your commitment for the law suit.
Cheers, Kwaku A. Danso, President, Ghana Leadership Union, Inc. (NGO) www.GhanaLeadership.com Fremont, Ca.94539, USA /and East Legon, Accra, Ghana Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.


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Context is speaking. There is no such thing as context, context is personal, and malleable. You can make up your own context. Positive thinking was supposed to be a context, but it devolved into stupidity.
One of my favorite contexts to make up… because you make up your context, invent it, design it, because it is up to you: is that it's my soul correction whatever is happening to me is part of my growth.
Victor Frankl calls it meaning in his amazing and effective logo therapy… logo comes from Greek: logos=word, speaking… you always make it up with words… and your life transforms as a result.
Context is the background against which all is happening in your life. It is where meaning comes from, it is where the interpretations come from.
In my newest article I use the analogy of a movie screen that is plastered with pictures of what you know and what you decided about life. When the movie starts, the pictures are already there. Instead of seeing the movie per se, you see a filtered version of it, at best, and none of the actual movie, only your already always pictures alighted by the movie projector's light.
Either way, your relationship to life is predetermined by your context, the myriad of pictures plastered on your movie screen.
Continue on https://www.yourvibration.com/terms/context/


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The Federal government offers technical assistance and a myriad of funding supports for entities seeking to deploy FTTH. The requirements for each program are very specific and some programs depend upon the agency's focus over a particular planning period. Good places to start are the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration which provides both grants and assistance with scoping out proposals and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Assistance - which provides the same plus loans for rural communities. Brief descriptions of each agency and their various programs follow below with links to more specific information. Certain aspects of your planned network and/or your network partner may be eligible as well for what is known as Universal Service. The rules surrounding the receipt of Universal Service are discussed generally below.
Department of Commerce - Economic Development Administration
The Economic Development Administration gives grants for broadband to support regional and local economic development and assistance in scoping out those proposals.
Department of Agriculture - Rural Development USDA Rural Development
Rural Utilities Programs provide a variety of loans and grants to build and expand broadband networks. Loans to build broadband networks and deliver service to households and businesses in dual communities provide a necessary source of capital for rural telecommunications companies, broadband, wireless companies, and fiber-to-the-home providers. Grant funding is reserved for communities with the highest need that lack access to broadband service. Eligible applicants include for-profit and non-profit entities, tribes, municipalities, and cooperatives. The agency particularly encourages investment in tribal and economically disadvantaged areas. Through low-cost funding for broadband infrastructure, rural residents can have access to broadband service that will close the digital divide between rural and urban communities, that is sustainable over time, and this crucial for economic development.
Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program
The Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program provides loans, for all types of technologies, for the costs of construction, improvement, expansion and acquisition (some restrictions apply) of facilities and equipment to provide telecommunications services in rural areas.
Farm Bill Broadband Loan Program
This program provides loans, for all types of technologies, for the costs of construction, improvement, expansion and acquisition (some restrictions apply) of facilities and equipment to provide broadband service to eligible rural communities.
Community Connect Grant Program
The Community Connect Grant Program provides grants to eligible applicants for broadband access to rural communities that are currently without broadband services. Priority is given to areas where development of new broadband services will improve economic development and provide enhanced educational and healthcare opportunities. The program serves the most rural, lowest income communities that do not have existing broadband access.
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program
This program provides grants for distance learning and telemedicine in rural areas through the use of telecommunications, computer networks, and related advanced technologies to be used by students, teachers, medical professionals and other rural residents. Grants are awarded based on rurality and economic need through a competitive process and maybe used to fund telecommunications-enabled information, audio and video equipment. Funds are provided to entities providing education and medical care via telecommunications, including corporations or partnerships, Indian tribes or organizations, star or local governments, consortia, and private for - or non-profit corporations. Individuals are not eligible.
The Universal Service Fund USF) is governed by federal statute, the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. It operates under rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and administered by the Universal Service Administrative Agency (USAC). It was originally created by the FCC at the time of the break-up of AT&T in the early 1980s to subsidize voice service in higher cost areas and was subsequently expanded to assist low income customers. As part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Congress codified the USF, established requirements for the high-cost and low-income funds, and created a new Schools and Libraries program.
The USF's four programs fulfill these goals:
- The High-Cost program
- The Lifeline (low income) program, including initiatives for Native Americans
- The Schools and Libraries program, commonly referred to as E-rate
- The Rural Health Care program
State Funding Resources