text:
Special glasses open 'whole new world' for color blind fourth grader
A fourth-grader from Johnston, Iowa, Cayson Irlbeck, has been color blind since birth. He was unable to tell the difference between blues and purples and reds and greens until a few weeks ago.
Home video from the Irlbeck family shows the moment when a special pair of glasses changed his worldview forever.
"It was instant," Cayson said. "I knew right away something had changed (and) how bright everything was."
Cayson Irlbeck's new EnChroma glasses use an optical filter that removes certain wavelengths of light and allows colorblind people to better perceive color.
"That was so amazing," Cayson said. "It was so colorful. It was weird (because) I had never seen those colors before, but I kind of knew what they were. I don't know. It was just awesome."
"Just to be able to see all of a sudden a whole new world opened up for him, obviously it was very emotional," said Aaron Irlbeck, Cayson's father.
The Irlbeck family discovered the glasses after Cayson researched them on the internet. Research indicated the glasses had a 50/50 chance of working, but the Irlbecks said the $300 glasses were worth the investment.
"That day changed my life," Cayson said.


text: Opinion Replay: Americans Abroad American Relaxes amid Hustle of Beijing Commute April 24, 2001 Blending into a new city can be a difficult thing in any country, and foreigners living abroad often need to find ways to decompress. Commentator Shai Oster describes the almost religious experience of the morning commute in Beijing. American Relaxes amid Hustle of Beijing Commute Only Available in Archive Formats. Real Media

subset: commoncrawl


text:
September 2008
1 Christine Rossell, "Magnet Schools: No Longer Famous, But Still Intact," Education Next 4, no. 2 (2005): 44-49.
Donald Waldrip, "A Brief History of Magnet Schools" (Washington, D.C.: Magnet Schools of America, 2003), http://www.magnet.edu (accessed on July 8, 2008).
2 Rolf K. Blank, Roger E. Levine, and Lauri Steel, "After 15 Years: Magnet Schools in Urban Education," in Who Chooses? Who Loses? ed. by Bruce Fuller and Richard F. Ellmore with Gary Orfield (New York: Teachers College Press, 1996), 157.
3 Magnet Schools of America, Directory of Public Magnet and Theme-Based Schools (2007), https://www.magnet.edu/modules/content/index.php?id=106 (accessed July 8, 2008).
4 Magnet Schools of America, Alerts: "-Magnet Schools of America, 2008 Legislative Advocacy Leadership: Key Facts and Legislative Priority Issues" (Feb. 21, 2008), http://www.magnet.edu/modules/news/article.php?storyid=25 (accessed April 23, 2008).
5 Donald Waldrip, "A Brief History of Magnet Schools" (Washington, D.C.: Magnet Schools of America, 2003), http://www.magnet.edu (accessed July 8, 2008).
6 Margaret Weertz, "The Benefits of Theme Schools," Educational Leadership 59, no. 7 (April 2002): 68-71.
7 Mortimer J. Adler, The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto (New York: Macmillan, 1982). See also discussion on p. 38 and note 9.
8 The 1996 Connecticut Supreme Court case, Sheff v. O'Neill, resulted in the creation of a series of magnet schools as part of a strategy for reducing minority isolation and segregation in public schools in the Hartford area. This landmark decision, which determined that racially and socioeconomically isolated students in Hartford public schools were receiving inferior and inadequate educational opportunities mandated desegregation efforts for the urban school system and led to the establishment of eight interdistrict magnet schools.
9 National Paideia Center, Paideia Stories: Successful Schools in Practice (Chapel Hill, N.C.: National Paideia Center, 2002), p. 36, http://www.-paideia.org/content.php/results/resmain.htm (accessed April 23, 2008).
10 Thomas D. Cook et al., "The Development of Occupational Aspirations and Expectations Among Inner-City Boys," Child Development 67, no. 6 (2006): 3368-3385.
Jens Ludwig, "Information and Inner City Educational Attainment," Economics of Education Review 18, Issue 1 (February 1999): 17-30.
Vincent J. Roscigno, Donald Tomaskovic-Devey, and Martha L. Crowley, "Education and the Inequalities of Place," Social Forces 84, no. 4 (June 2006): 2121-2145, http://www.muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/social_forces/v084/84.4roscigno.html (accessed April 23, 2008).
11 John E. Chubb and Terry M. Moe, Politics, Markets and America's Schools (Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1990).
12 In 2002-03, 71 percent of public high schools offered at least one dual-credit course. See Michael Planty, Stephen Provasnik, and Bruce Daniel, High School Coursetaking: Findings from the Condition of Education, NCES2007-065 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2007), p. 5, http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007065 (accessed July 8, 2008).
13 Achieve, Inc., Closing the Expectations Gap 2007 (Washington, D.C.: Achieve, Inc., 2007), http://www.achieve.org/files/50-state-07-Final.pdf (accessed April 23, 2008).
Jennifer Dounay, "Alignment of High School Graduation Requirements and State-Set College Admissions Requirements" in State Notes: High School—Transitions to Postsecondary (Denver: Education Commission of the States, 2006). http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/68/60/6860.pdf (accessed Sept. 12, 2008).
14 Between 1982 and 2004, the average number of course credits accrued by high school graduates increased from 21.7 to 25.8 credits. See Michael Planty, Stephen Provasnik, and William Hussar, The Condition of Education 2007, NCES2007-064 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2007), p. 15, http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007064 (accessed July 8, 2008).
15 ACT and the Education Trust, On Course for Success: A Close Look at Selected Courses That Prepare All Students for College (Iowa City, Iowa: ACT, 2004). This study researched 10 high-achieving, high-poverty, high-minority high schools to answer the question: "What are the components of high school courses that prepare students for successful entry into postsecondary education without the need for remediation?" The study isolates four major characteristics shared by these high-performing high schools that contribute to students' future success both in work and in college: high-level, college-oriented material in core courses; qualified, experienced teachers; teaching that is flexible and responsive to students; and tutorial support.
16 As cited in Daniel P. Mayer et al., Monitoring School Quality: An Indicators Report, NCES 20001-030 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, December 2000), p. v, http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001030 (accessed April 23, 2008).
17 Michael Planty, Stephen Provasnik, and Bruce Daniel, Special Analysis 2007: High School Coursetaking (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2007), http://www.nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2007/analysis/sa04.asp (accessed July 8, 2008).
18 Clifford Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor's Degree Attainment (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, 1999), http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Toolbox/toolbox.html (accessed April 23, 2008).
19 Laura Horn and Anne-Marie Nu�ez, Mapping the Road to College: First-Generation Students' Math Track, Planning Strategies, and Context of Support, NCES 2000-153 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2000), http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/-pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2000153 (accessed July 8, 2008).
20 Daniel P. Mayer, John E. Mullens, and Mary T. Moore, Monitoring School Quality: An Indicators Report, NCES 2001-030 (-Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education S-ciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2000), p. I, http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001030 (accessed July 8, 2008).
21 Ibid.
22 "Family Income and Higher Education Opportunity 1970 to 2003," Postsecondary Education Opportunity 156 (June 2005) as cited in Katy Haycock, "Courageous Choices: Tackling the Tough Issues to Raise Student Achievement and Close Gaps" (PowerPoint presentation) (Washington, D.C.: The Education Trust, Inc., 2007), http://www2.edtrust.org/NR/rdonlyres/A73340DD-62F1-45EE-BB3F-F1C048EBBDE3/0/CONF2K7-ThursdayPlenaryHaycock.ppt (accessed July 8, 2008).
23 Ibid.
24 Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides financial assistance to schools with large numbers of children from low-income families.
25 Florida Department of Education Media Room, "Florida Shows Largest Increase in Student Mastery of Advanced Placement Courses" (press release, Jan. 25, 2005), http:///www.fldoe.org/news/2005/2005_01_25-2.asp (accessed April 23, 2008).
26 Nikola Filby, "Approach to Methodological Rigor in the Innovation Guides," working paper, WestEd, San Francisco, Calif., 2006.


text:
Review and Giveaway: Carolina Pad
Monday, March 29, 2010
I was recently sent the new set from Carolina Pad's new brand Studio C to review. It's called Spring Break and I love it (so does my daughter)!
I used to be a VERY organized person, then a few years ago, I just stopped caring. Now that I've moved, my goal is to be more organized and maintain that level of organization. There were days that I couldn't find my own daughter's birth certificate, and from the day that I received the title to my car, until recently, I didn't know where it was!
Being organized is very important for both adults and children alike - it helps relieve stress because there's not a bunch of clutter around, and if you are looking for something, you are more likely to know where it is, therefore, saving time and energy!
I've actually won a Carolina Pad prize package from another blog a few months back and this is my first actual review. I've always loved Carolina Pad products and was so excited when I was contacted for this review!
The products I received for this review were as follows:
- 2 Road Trip sprial-less notebooks - MSRP $1.75 each
- 2 Road Trip personal notebooks - MSRP $1.99 each
- 2 Road Trip two-pocket folders - MSRP $.99 each
Going along with the Road Trip theme, I've been asked to write about my favorite Road Trip or spring break memories.
Quite a few years ago, I went on a trip to Florida with my then-boyfriend. We drove from here (Maryland) all the way to Florida. We took about 4 days, I believe, because we kept stopping and seeing various sites. I really enjoyed visiting Myrtle Beach, Jacksonville, and Orlando. I also enjoyed Daytona Beach - we arrived there during Bike Week and there was so much activity! The beaches that we visited in Florida were beautiful and the water was warm! (and let's not forget the sights on the beach too!)
I've only flown once and I'd still choose driving over flying any day! There's so much more to see that way! In my opinion, road trips are the way to go!
Carolina Pad wants to give one lucky reader the same set I received above!
To enter, visit Carolina Pad, then come back here and share with us a memory you have of a spring break or of a road trip!
For extra entries, please view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.
*For this contest only, you can also gain extra entries by becoming a fan of Carolina Pad on Facebook, and by following Carolina Pad on Twitter.
*Use this custom tweet to tweet out this giveaway: Review and Giveaway: Carolina Pad - Road Trip: http://bit.ly/92VmQK @carolinapad @pricousins
This giveaway will end at noon EST on April 12, 2010.
Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!
Disclaimer: I was sent the product named above to review. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.
Posted in Carolina Pad, giveaways, product review, product reviews by Pricousins | 80 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Review and Giveaway: Yoplait Greek Yogurt and $20 Gift Card to Giant
This is probably the 5th review and/or giveaway I've done on yogurt here on my blog! All of you must think that's all I eat, but the truth is that I LOVE it and, YES, I do eat other things!
MyBlogSpark recently sent me 4 cups of Yoplait Greek Yogurt and a $20 Gift Card to Giant. They sent me two cups of the strawberry flavor and two cups of the blueberry flavor. Both of them tasted good, but to be honest, I'll stick with my regular yogurt! I'm not exactly positive about what's the difference between "Greek" yogurt and other types of yogurt that I normally eat (is that known as "American" yogurt?) but I did notice a texture that I wasn't too sure if I was comfortable with...
I do know that Yoplait Greek Yogurt has 0 grams fat and 130 calories, along with 12 grams of protein. (The information I received said that the amount of protein in this yogurt is 2 times that of leading yogurt!)
Yoplait Greek Yogurt comes in four flavors: Strawberry, Blueberry, Honey, and Plain. You can save thirty cents on one cup of Yoplait Greek yogurt by printing this coupon right now!
Like I said above, I prefer regular yogurt to this yogurt, but if that's all there was in the house, I would still eat it. Plus, the amount of protein in this yogurt is quite high and may make me change my mind!
One lucky winner will win a prize pack from MyBlogSpark that contains 4 coupons for FREE Yoplait Greek yogurt, along with a $20 Gift Card to your local Giant grocery store!
To enter, tell me which flavor of this yogurt you'd most like to try.
For extra entries, please view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.
(You can use this custom tweet to tweet out this giveaway: "Review and Giveaway: Yoplait Greek Yogurt and $20 Gift Card to Giant: http://bit.ly/dcCchi @pricousins")
This giveaway will end on April 12th, 2010, at noon EST.
Disclaimer: Yoplait, Giant, and MyBlogSpark provided the product named above for me to review, as well as information for this post and an additional gift pack to give away to one of my readers.
Posted in Giveaway, MyBlogSpark, product review, product reviews, YoPlait by Pricousins | 42 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Latest Winners
Good evening! The latest winners have been drawn!
The winner of the mirra giveaway is:
Life Is A SandCastle
March 20, 2010 6:36 AM
The winner of the Betty Crocker fruit snacks giveaway is:
March 12, 2010 2:39 PM
twitter follow alh1203
The winner of the Mind Over Money by Dr. Brad Klontz book Giveaway is:
March 14, 2010 10:13 AM
The winner of the H&R Block Tax At Home Software giveway is:
March 19, 2010 1:54 AM
folow on twitter under catss99
Congrats to all of you! I'm emailing you all now!
Thanks to everyone who entered and to the sponsors who provided review and giveaway items.
Posted in winners by Pricousins | 1 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
100% Colombian Coffee "See What's Behind the Best" Contest
Saturday, March 27, 2010
If there is anyone deserving of a pick-me-up, it's certainly Moms! With our demanding schedules and sometimes sleepless nights, it's no wonder that some Moms set their coffee makers to automatic brew. If you're one of the many Moms who rely on a caffeine boost to jumpstart your day, you might be familiar with an organization that consistently delivers quality java- 100% Colombian Coffee.
100% Colombian Coffee is found in numerous brands of coffee because demanding consumers the world over are aware of the importance of its origin. So next time you are shopping for coffee, look for the 100% Colombian Coffee logo - your guarantee to the "richest coffee in the world."
Coffee drinker or not, you definitely don't want to miss out on the 100% Colombian Coffee "See What's Behind the Best" sweepstakes. By visiting www.whatsbehindthebest.com, you'll have the opportunity to learn about the philosophy behind 100% Colombian Coffee and enter to win great prizes. The grand prize is $10,000!
There's more! You might have the chance to meet Juan Valdez and his mule, Conchita and taste 100% Colombian Coffee - the richest coffee in the world. They will be embarking on a tour across the United States starting March 2nd in New York City. Click here to see when he is coming to your city!
If you enter, Good Luck!
Disclaimer: I am sharing this contest with my readers on behalf of MomSelect. I was not paid in any manner for sharing this contest, but I was entered into a contest just by posting this information.
Posted in Colombian Coffee, contest, MomSelect by Pricousins | 0 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Ragú® Recipe for a Good Start
Ragú® offers moms hundreds of nutritious, convenient, delicious and affordable meal ideas- perfect for busy families on the go. From making sure the kids get their veggies (Ragú® red sauces contain more than a full serving of veggies in every half cup of sauce) to skip-a-step recipes like No Boiling Lasagna and No Frying Chicken Parmesan, Ragú® understands your hectic lifestyle and desire to feed your family quality meals at a great value.
Now, Ragú® is teaming up with actress and mom Molly Ringwald to promote the Recipe for a Good Start Contest asking moms to share their recipes for a good start for a chance to win a $5,000 college scholarship. By visiting www.recipeforagoodstart.com, you'll have a chance to submit your recipe for a good start in life and your original Ragú® recipe that has the family running to the dinner table! Three first prize winners will be awarded a family trip to New York City where they will compete in a nationally televised Ragú® Recipe Challenge for the chance to win the ultimate prize of a $5,000 college scholarship.
Posted in MomSelect, Ragú® Recipe for a Good Start by Pricousins | 0 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Are you Team Over or Team Under?
I'm pretty much what you would call a "Stickler", in all sense of the word, and one thing I am very picky about it how my toilet paper is on the roll. I know this sounds funny but it's true! I HAVE to have my toilet paper "over" - if it's "under", it drives me crazy! At home, if the kids or someone puts a new roll on and they put it "under", I HAVE to switch it! Of course I don't do this if I'm visiting someone's home but it really bothers me no matter where I am! It just seems like you can grasp and tear the paper better if it's over!
Cottonelle recently had a poll going on at www.RollPoll.com and over 70% of Americans said they "roll over"!
In response to the Roll Poll results, Cottonelle brand developed a new softer, stronger toilet paper, designed to roll with everyone's preferences. As a long time Cottonelle toilet paper user, I appreciate that they understand that quality, softness and durability all matter to many Moms like me. What better way to announce the results of this great debate than to make a product I love even better!
Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Cottonelle and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Posted in Mom Central, product review by Pricousins | 0 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
KinderCare Learning Centers Summer Camp
It's March, but already, many of us have on our minds how our kids will spend their summers. While weekend trips and play-dates with friends can keep our children occupied for short periods of time, we often struggle to develop fun and engaging activities for younger kids or older children who haven't locked into a yearly tradition of sleep-away or sports camps.
Realizing how much kids crave summer adventures as it enables them to engage in a variety of activities, KinderCare Summer Camp surveyed nearly 3,000 kids to see how they would like to spend their summers. So what exactly did kids want? It turns out they had some strong ideas- they wanted adventures, arts and crafts, and trips- activities which often fall beyond the reach of busy Moms.
KinderCare responded by partnering with teachers to design a nationwide summer camp program to provide kids with new and interesting activities pertaining to their interests. They developed 12 unique week-long day camps with themes including Wild, Wild West, Wilderness 101, Dig Ancient Egypt, You've Got Talent!, Puppeteer Road Show, Gross & Gooey Science, Spectacular Sports, Animal Antics, Science Adventures, Art Expo, Kids' Kitchen, Splish Splash, Surfs Up!, and Everyday Heroes. Whether you have an avid athlete, a budding scientist, or both, they can find something cool within KinderCare's Summer Camps to engage their time. The weeklong timeframe of the camps also gives Moms the flexibility to sign their kids up for as few or many sessions as they'd like.
With approximately 1,700 centers located in 39 states and the District of Columbia, KinderCare Learning Centers, an accredited early childhood provider, offer a range of educational programs and after-school care for infants as young as six weeks old to school-aged children through age 12. Run by specially trained, passionate teachers who fully embrace a balanced approach to learning, KinderCare Learning Centers aim to educate and entertain children within nurturing environment, and encourage strong communication between families and teachers.
When I was growing up, my mom stayed home and my dad worked. It went on like this until I was in my teens. Therefore, I didn't go to Summer Camp, and I don't recall many of the kids I grew up around going either. It didn't ever cross my mind! I wish I had now, though, because of all of the activities that are offered at Summer Camps, especially KinderCare's!
Now that I'm a single mom of 3, summer camps are an essential part of our lives. Summer camp keeps the kids busy and out of trouble. I was fortunate enough to work on our local Army base, so I was eligible to use their Summer Camp, which went by my income. The best part was that the kids had field trips each week, to places like HersheyPark, Six Flags, and Dutch Wonderland for the smaller kids. They also went swimming twice a week and did various other activities during the week. I've never sent them to a KinderCare Summer Camp, mainly because I can't afford most summer camps on one income, but with the weekly themes and activities, it would be great to be able to send them to one! I'm sure that my son would love the Spectacular Sports Camp, and my daughter would surely love the Art Expo, as well as many more of the programs that KinderCare offers!
Have you ever sent your kids to Summer Camp? Did they like it?
Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of KinderCare and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Posted in Mom Central, product review by Pricousins | 0 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Review and Giveaway: Here Comes Peter Cottontail
About Here Comes Peter Cottontail:
Peter Cottontail wants to be the #1 Chief Easter Bunny and everyone in April Valley agrees…except for his archrival, evil Irontail. Hop along with Peter and his friends as they race through time celebrating all of your favorite holidays to deliver the most eggs…and save Easter for children everywhere!
This is a great story with a great storyline! You and your children will enjoy this DVD as much as we did!
On behalf of the sponsor of this review & giveaway, we have three coloring sheets to share with you!
Sheet 1
Sheet 2
Sheet 3
*Please note: When you click on the above links, you can click on the photo itself and the sheet will open in another window as just the coloring sheet that you can print.
One of you will win a copy of this DVD to add to your DVD collection!
To enter, tell me another favorite holiday cartoon or movie!
For extra entries, view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.
This giveaway will end on 4/10/10 at noon EST. Giveaway is open to US Residents only.
Thanks for entering, and good luck!
Disclaimer: This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for The Morris + King Company for Classic Media, who supplied the DVD for review and giveaway.
Posted in Easter, Family Review Network, Giveaway, product review, product reviews by Pricousins | 35 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Easter Giveaway: Bugs Bunny Easter Funnies and The First Easter Bunny DVDs
I remember that when I was a kid, for every holiday that came along, I looked forward to the holiday-specific cartoons or movies that always came on. I actually still do (unless I forget)!
That's why I'm happy to present to you today a giveaway for the DVDs Bugs Bunny Easter Funnies
and The First Easter Bunny!
I've always loved Bugs Bunny (who doesn't?!)! I can't quite remember The First Easter Rabbit, but I'm sure when I receive the DVD, and watch it, I'll remember it!
About these DVDs:
First Easter Rabbit Deluxe Edition Video Clip Name: "The Situation":
You can find both of these DVDs at www.kidswb.com.
There will be TWO winners for this giveaway! One winner will win the Bugs Bunny Easter Funnies DVD and another person will win the First Easter Rabbit DVD!
To enter to win, tell me another favorite holiday movie or cartoon!
For extra entries, view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.
This giveaway will end on 4/8/10 at noon EST. US Residents only, please.
Thanks for entering and Good luck!
Disclaimer: I will be sent the products named above to review. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.
Posted in Easter, Giveaway, product review, product reviews by Pricousins | 34 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Easter Bunnies are hopping to one-stop shopping at Rite Aid
One of my favorite places to shop is Rite Aid! So, I'm sharing this press release with you on behalf of Rite Aid!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any manner for sharing this information with my readers. The photo is linked to my Amazon.com affiliate account, and if someone to purchase this item, I would earn a commission.
Posted in Easter, Rite Aid by Pricousins | 1 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Review and Giveaway: Reach Out by Human Nature
I recently was sent a copy of Reach Out by Human Nature. I'm a big R&B lover, and Human Nature has reprised many old Motown songs on Reach Out, so I knew I would enjoy this CD!
About Human Nature:
"Human Nature are amazing!" - Michael Jackson
"Wonderful vocalists who really know how to entertain a crowd." - Celine Dion
Reach Out I'll be There
You Keep Me Hangin' On
Baby I Need Your Loving
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Get Ready w/Smokey Robinson
The Way You Do The Things You Do w/The Temptations
My Girl
Stop! In The Name Of Love
You Are The Everything
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Uptight (Everything's Alright)
Twenty-Five Miles
Dancing In The Street
Ooo Baby Baby
Barnes & Noble Bonus Track:
River Deep Mountain High w/Mary Wilson of The Supremes
I grew up on most of these songs and I was a HUGE Supremes fan so I've really enjoyed this CD! Human Nature is a great group and this is a feel-good CD that gets me jamming out! You gotta hear this for yourself! Check out their video of "Baby I Need Your Loving":
Connect with Human Nature on Facebook.
To enter, tell me what song of the songs listed above in the track listing is your favorite and if it brings back any special memories for you! For me, these songs remind me of lazy, summer days spent with my grandparents!
For extra entries, view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.
Thanks for entering, and good luck!
Disclaimer: I was sent the product named above to review. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.
Posted in CD Review, Giveaway, Motown, product review, product reviews, R+B, Soul by Pricousins | 16 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Review and Giveaway: Dove Men+ Care
- Brand's first ever product line formulated specifically for men's needs
- Provides the cleansing and refreshment that men want combined with Dove moisturizers to provide total skin comfort
- Built on the Dove brand's heritage in cleansing, moisturizing and care
- Clinically proven to fight skin dryness
- No irritation or tightness
- Dermatologist recommended
- Official site www.Dovemencare.com
- Clean Comfort
- Extra Fresh
- Deep Clean
Disclaimer:This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Dove Men + Care , who supplied the Body Wash and Soap for review. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.
Posted in Family Review Network, Giveaway, product review, product reviews by Pricousins | 43 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
The time has come to say goodbye.... to my Stalker!!!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Oh my... where do I start?! I had to start a new blog called I Attract Stalkers. See, I have this sister, who reads my tweets when they're unprotected and she goes to my blog. She's been blocked from seeing my Tweets and from my blog, so to see my blog she logs out of Twitter, and goes to my blog from the links there.
We don't speak - she doesn't like how I told her how she's selfish and uncaring because she never returns my phone calls (even when I was in the hospital). So we go at it every now and then.
(I guess I'm just supposed to accept how someone treats me instead of speaking my mind.)
Well, I got her IP from my statcounter software and saw that she visits my blog quite regularly. So after emailing her again yesterday to stay off of my blog, I decided the easiest way to keep her off of my blog is to create a private blog for my personal posts, until I can get my own domain and hosting.
If you want to be invited to read this other blog, shoot me an email.
Reviews and giveaways will remain on this blog. Wordless Wednesday and all personal posts will go to I Attract Stalkers.
Posted in general thoughts, private blogs, stalkers by Pricousins | 8 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets receive Circle of Excellence award from Family Circle magazine
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
As you may or may not know, I am a Purex Insider. This means I got to try the new Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets when they came out, and I get various emails to share with my readers here on my blog.
I received this email today:
Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets have been chosen to receive the first-ever Circle of Excellence award from Family Circle magazine! Their editors and moms put this new laundry innovation to the test; and as a result, Purex was awarded the seal because of its quality, value, and overall performance – exceeding efficacy standards in the laundry room.You can still get a sample of the 3-in-1 sheets at trypurex.com. Check out their new advertisment here.
The full list of award winners will be announced in the April 17th issue of Family Circle – out on newsstands March 23rd - but we wanted to give the early scoop.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any manner for sharing this information with my readers.
Posted in Free Sample, Purex, Purex Insider by Pricousins | 0 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Blockbuster Express™
With Blockbuster Express™, you can rent DVDs online for only $1 per night at blockbusterexpress.com and you don't even need a membership to do it.
Through the rent online feature at blockbusterexpress.com, you can create a favorites list, browse available movies at your preferred kiosk, complete the rental of up to three movies at once online and then pick up the DVDs from the kiosk at your convenience. Now you can spend less time renting and more time enjoying your DVDs with your family.
Start planning your next movie night tonight! BLOCKBUSTER Express offered a special Rent One Get One Free coupon code for MomSelect members to use and share with all of your friends, family and followers. The coupon code is 555G13B.
When you rent a movie at the regular price using the code in the banner above*, you'll receive the first night's rental on the second movie FREE. This offer expires on 3/31 so make sure to take advantage of it soon and encourage your friends to do the same!
So what are you waiting for? Head on over to blockbusterexpress.com to check out their great new releases! From family friendly features like The Princess and The Frog and The Blind Side to date night picks like Twilight: New Moon and Did You Hear About the Morgans?, there's sure to be a title for even the pickiest movie watcher!
For all of the latest news on BLOCKBUSTER Express you can follow them on Twitter and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for posting this, but by doing so, I have been entered into a contest to win a $250 Visa Gift Card. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.
Posted in Blockbuster, DVDs, MomSelect by Pricousins | 0 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Winners: McCormick Spices and LadybugsNButterflies
Because I love you all each as I love my family, and I know you are sitting with bated breath, waiting to find out if you won a giveaway, I'm taking time out of my hectic and busy life to post some winners today!
Congratulations to the following winners of the following items!
McCormick Spice Giveaway - Cindy, aka @getalonghome AND Peggy Gorman, who always wins here because she always enters!
LadybugsNButterflies Giveaway - Mframe
Congrats ladies! I'm busy today so I'm going to tweet you and let you know you've won!
Thanks to everyone who entered!
And don't forget - the mirra giveaway ends today and check out the other giveaways on my left sidebar!
Have a blessed day!
Posted in winners by Pricousins | 2 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Happy birthday to my daughter
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Today my youngest daughter is 11! Happy birthday baby girl!
The photo above is from a couple of weeks ago, when she was trying on my shades! Cool gal!
Birthday photos coming soon - the party is this weekend!
Posted in birthdays, family life by Pricousins | 8 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
I'm on a brief blogging hiatus
Monday, March 22, 2010
Good morning!
As you know from my recent posts, I have to move. I started moving on Friday and was hoping to be done yesterday. Due to lack of help (just my kids and I and a friend) and the use of a truck only one day, I wasn't able to get it all done. So... hopefully I'll be done today or tomorrow. When I can post some winners, I will, and I have some more giveaways to post!
Stay tuned...
Posted in general thoughts by Pricousins | 7 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Hershey's Better Basket Blog Hop
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Last night, I had two of my blogging friends contact me about a Hershey's Better Basket Blog Hop. I'm totally into this because for every blog post, Hershey's is donating $10 to CMN. This starts on Thursday, March 18th and ends April 4th.
Here's the rules for the Hop:
* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
* Create a blog post of giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger - you
can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them
a Basket.
* Leave your link at http://betterbasket.info/bloghop/ where you can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop and more information about Better Basket with Hershey's.
* Hershey's is donating 10$ per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog
Hop to Children's Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written
by April 4th, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.
Andrea at Moody Mama Says left me a virtual basket and I'm giving one to the following people:
Erin at Pyle of Love
Stacie at The Divine Miss Mommy
Leigh at C Cubed
Kayla at The Eclectic Element.
While you're here, please stop by and see Connie Roberts' story on what she did to Pay It Forward!
*Even if I didn't tag you, you are welcome to take the above graphic and post this post on your blog and tag whomever you'd like - we'd love to have you participate for a great cause!
Posted in Better Basket Blog Hop, Blog Hop, Easter, Easter Basket, Hershey's, Pay It Forward by Pricousins | 2 commentsLinks to this post Email this post
Stop by The Game Review Network to win a copy of Scene It? 80s
In conjunction with a review I posted the other day on Scene It? 80s, you can win a copy of Scene It? 80s for yourself over at The Game Review Network! This giveaway will end on 3/27 so hurry! And Good luck!
Posted in Scene It? Games, The 80s, The Game Review Network by Pricousins | 0 commentsLinks to this post Email this post


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Our key publishers:
Enables colleagues or clients to interrogate and analyze Snap generated surveys, without the need to purchase a full license of Snap.
Other product variants may be available, please contact us or
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Over 70% of our customers are already doing online surveys. Online surveys are quick and easy to deploy. However, it is important to ensure that your surveys look professional. In Snap, you can include images, multimedia and a range of different visual questions (controls) such as slider bars and image maps to deliver engaging surveys that really can increase response rates. Robust analysis and reporting also enable you to get the most from your data.


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LAS VEGAS and Milpitas, Calif. March 31, 2014 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced four new additions to its CloudSpeed Serial ATA (SATA) product family: the CloudSpeed Extreme™, CloudSpeed Ultra™, CloudSpeed Ascend™ and CloudSpeed Eco™ Solid State Drives (SSDs). The new CloudSpeed SSDs are designed to deliver business-critical performance for the mixed-use, read and write-intensive application workloads that have become increasingly prominent in today's enterprise data centers and cloud computing environments. By combining its flash management Guardian Technology™ Platform with industry-leading memory technology, SanDisk becomes the first vendor to ship 10 full drive writes per day (DWPD)1, 19nm-based enterprise SATA SSDs. The CloudSpeed products thus provide customers with longer-lasting drive operation at a better value. The announcement was made at the Interop and Cloud Connect IT Conference and Expo taking place March 31-April 3 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"Organizations in every industry are turning to SSDs to meet the challenges faced by growing volumes of data," said John Scaramuzzo, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Storage Solutions at SanDisk. "However, finding a solution that meets the performance and cost needs of your individual environment can be difficult. The CloudSpeed SATA SSD product family was designed to meet the needs of applications across the read-write spectrum, meaning organizations and server designers no longer need to make tradeoffs between system performance and cost."
An estimated 90 percent of the world's data has been generated within the last two years2, effectively catapulting the enterprise into the era of 'Big Data'. Traditional hard disk drive-based data centers are struggling to keep up with increasing performance demands because they lack the throughput, consume a lot of power, and are not as reliable as solid state drives. As a result, organizations are searching for new ways to structure their data centers in order to quickly manipulate and analyze large pools of information and drive better business decisions.
"We are only at the early stages of becoming a data-driven society that wants instantaneous access to our information," said Jeff Janukowicz, Research Director, at IDC. "To deliver real-time or near real-time insight to drive business decisions, organizations worldwide will need to consider high performance storage solutions, such as SSDs, thereby driving demand for these solutions in the coming years."
The new CloudSpeed SATA SSDs provide the necessary performance and reliability to meet the demands of various enterprise application workloads—such as Online Transaction Processing (OLTP), Virtual Desktop Infrastructures (VDI), Analytics, High Performance Computing (HPC), Web 2.0 Content Repositories and Media Streaming. This enables enterprise IT organizations and system vendors to simplify design efforts when developing data center systems for multiple applications.
The SanDisk CloudSpeed Serial ATA (SATA) product family offers the following range of endurance and performance capabilities:
SanDisk's proprietary Guardian Technology™ Platform, comprised of FlashGuard™, DataGuard™ and EverGuard™ technologies, work in concert to provide the data protection and endurance suitable for demanding cloud and enterprise data center applications. The CloudSpeed family of SSDs also offers customers the highest reliability and industry-leading data integrity by employing a combination of powerful error correction and detection technology, full data path protection, thermal monitoring, and data fail recovery of up to 1 NAND flash erase block. Additionally, SanDisk manufactures its own NAND and has direct control over the design, controller firmware, assembly, testing and supply chain, which delivers innovative products, enterprise-grade quality control and supply assurance.
The new CloudSpeed SSDs have begun sampling with select customers and will be available through channel partners in mid-Q2 2014. For more information about SanDisk's CloudSpeed SATA SSDs product family, please visit http://www.sandisk.com/enterprise/sata-ssd or visit booth #1367 on the Interop show floor. Additional insights on the new CloudSpeed SSDs can also be obtained by viewing this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCHGdWTkJPk or visiting the following blog post: http://itblog.sandisk.com/new-cloudspeed-lineup-eliminates-costly-one-size-fits-all-approach-to-storage-infrastructures.
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is a global leader in flash storage solutions. For more than 25 years, SanDisk has expanded the possibilities of storage, providing trusted and innovative products that have transformed the electronics industry. Today, SanDisk's quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the world's largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smart phones, tablets and PCs. SanDisk's consumer products are available at hundreds of thousands of retail stores worldwide. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.
Interop® is the leading independent technology conference and expo series designed to inform and inspire the world's IT community. Part of UBM Tech's family of global brands, Interop® drives the adoption of technology, providing knowledge and insight to help IT and corporate decision-makers achieve business success. Through in-depth educational programs, workshops, real-world demonstrations and live technology implementations in its unique InteropNet program, Interop provides the forum for the most powerful innovations and solutions the industry has to offer. Interop Las Vegas is the flagship event held each spring, with Interop New York held each fall, with annual international events in Mumbai, London and Tokyo, all produced by UBM Tech and partners. For more information about these events visit www.interop.com.
© 2014 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. CloudSpeed, CloudSpeed Eco, CloudSpeed Ascend, CloudSpeed Ultra, CloudSpeed Extreme, Guardian Technology, FlashGuard, DataGuard and EverGuard are trademarks of SanDisk Enterprise IP LLC. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their holder(s).
1 Warranty/DWPD - The lesser of 5 years from the date of manufacture of the product or the date on which the product's relevant endurance thresholds set forth in the product specifications are reached.
2 Source: Science Daily, "Big Data, for better or worse: 90% of world's data generated over last two years," SINTEF, May 22, 2013.
3 Warranty/DWPD - The lesser of 3 years from the date of manufacture of the product or the date on which the product's relevant endurance thresholds set forth in the product specifications are reached.
* 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user capacity less.
** Up to stated speed. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon drive capacity, host device, OS and application. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes.
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for markets, products and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: the market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations or our products may not be available in the capacities that we expect or perform as expected, or the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and our annual report on Form 10-K. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.
Media Contact:
Siobhan Lyons
SanDisk Corporation


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All right folks. I said that I was going to give this online discernment ministry thing up. The first reason was that there were too many false teachers and doctrines to keep track of. The second reason was that based on my interactions with those following these false preachers even after their unBiblical scandalous doctrines and behavior had been exposed that folks were going to believe what they choose to believe anyway. The third was that I had felt that I had adequately addressed the issue with the 3 years of blogging that I did dedicate to the topic. The fourth was that I felt that the best way to combat error was with the truth, so I decided to take this site in a more exegetical direction. And the last of those was also chosen for practical reasons: I no longer have the time to answer comments and interact with people that I did back when I made exposing false teachers so writing about scripture's meaning and application seemed to be a superior use of time (and yes I do need to get back to writing about the Bible).
But the T.D. Jakes issue is timely right now due to Jakes' recent appearance at a respected evangelical event of some estimation where he was "interviewed" by Mark Driscoll, where the topic of Jakes' rejection of the Holy Trinity was discussed. Now I don't mean to attack anybody, but one Christian blogger quickly proclaimed Jakes's statement satisfies me that he is a Trinitarian and that we should celebrate that Jakes has joined the Trinitarian camp. (Which, er, makes all his time as a false preaching modalist heretic and the people that he deceived during that time "ok" I guess. The truth is that at best he was an unregenerate false teacher when he was in the pulpit before, and even if he believes in the Holy Trinity NOW and is born again NOW, he has no business in the pulpit. His previous experience and service is worthless, and he needs to take his place in the pews learning from an actual Christian pastor. Otherwise, we can go get Jewish rabbis, Catholic priests, Buddhist monks, Muslim imams, and liberal "Christians" who perform homosexual "marriage" ceremonies and put them into the pulpit immediately after they say a salvation prayer.)
Another Christian blogger made a similar – though more guarded – statement: "By far, the session that was most anticipated was the one in which T. D. Jakes was asked to clarify his position on the Trinity. Thankfully, he did so – though perhaps not in a way that would satisfy all of his critics. I believe we should celebrate his affirmation of the truth that there is one God in three Persons."
The problem with doing so: Jakes own words on the Holy Trinity in the past and present. Now, here is a link to the transcript of the Elephant Room session, judge Jakes for yourself. But what follows is MY evaluation.
Part 1: I used to follow T.D. Jakes. Now … not so much. Without calling him a liar (while actually, you know, calling him a liar) allow me to propose that just because Jakes says something does not make it so. So … just because Jakes says that he believes "One God three Persons" DOES NOT MEAN that we should take it at face value. Jakes has been "less than forthcoming" on many issues in the past, so he does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. Just because Jakes is in the pulpit and calls himself a Christian does not mean that we should believe what he says. So no, listening to what he says and being "satisfied" requires a presumption that he is telling the truth, a presumption that he does not merit. Does that sound harsh, the bitter words of someone who has "church hurt" as it is called? Well keep reading.
Now in one context I can be SYMPATHETIC to Jakes' views because I don't like the wording or terminology used by the Cappadocian fathers myself. But this unease with the Cappadocian formulation needs to be addressed by someone other than Jakes. Why? Because Jakes has been known to be less than honest with the truth, and not merely on this issue. Recall that when Jakes was first challenged on the Trinity doctrine by Christianity Today, he submitted a modalist doctrinal statement that he insisted be accepted as Trinitarian!
Do not take my word on this: another ministry came to the same conclusion, that Jakes was dishonestly trying to pass off modalist heresy for orthodoxy. When challenged on it, he dissembled, claiming that his views on the Trinity were adapting and growing, that he was studying and learning more about it, and how Christians need to stop all this infighting and arguing about such things as minor differences in phraseology and get to the weightier matters of the kingdom, and such excuses for retaining and defending heresy as "these things are too mysterious to be comprehended or explained." Jakes even resorted to race-baiting, stating "Christians will never agree on every theological issue any more than the colors of our skin will all suddenly match." So, if Jakes was a liar and a demagogue on this Trinity issue in the past,why should we presume that he is any different now? What has changed to make us presume that Jakes has changed? Especially since he is still preaching heresies in other areas, such as the prosperity doctrine and trying to pass off ecstatic babbling done by mystics in many false religions as "speaking in tongues"?
Part II: From the transcript, it really does appear as if Jakes is fine with "persons" in his Trinitarian statement so long as "persons" is synonymous with "manifestations." Basically, he says, "well, so long as I can call a 'person' a 'manifestation' then I am Trinitarian." He says "My doctrinal statement is no different from yours except the word" – and Driscoll finishes his thought – "manifestations." What he says next is a amazing.
"Manifest instead of persons. Which you describe as modalist, but I describe it as Pauline. When I read…let me show you what I'm talking about…when I read I Timothy 3:16 – I didn't create this, Paul did." And then he goes onto the time-honored modalist lying techniques from the pit of hell: "I think it's important that we realize that our God is beyond our intellect. And if you can define Him and completely describe Him and say you are the end-all definition of who God is, then He ceases to be God. Because the reason Paul says it is a mystery, is that we deify the fact that God does things that don't fit our formulas. And because people's formulas and understandings of a description of an unbiblical God did doesn't make them demonic."
Let us go to his abuse of I Timothy 3:16. Yes, the King James Version that many oneness pentecostal liars claim is the only translation – and I used to be KJV-Only myself, and still today am KJV-Preferred, but not because of the translation itself but the texts used to produce the translation, as I believe text criticism used to produce the new manuscripts is a false science – reads "manifest" as its rendering of the Greek word phaneroō. But other versions translate phaneroō to be "appeared" and "revealed!"
Another thing: phaneroō's definitions: "to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way." So, rather than being a "mode" or "state" or "relationship" after the doctrines of the oneness heretics (for example, as water has a liquid, solid and gas manifestation as water, ice and vapor) phaneroō' in this context merely meant how God was shown to men! That is revelation, after the same manner that the Greek word apokalypsis was used in Revelation 1:1. Paul could have just as easily used apokalypsis instead of phaneroō!
Further, according to the definition, what can phaneroō "reveal" or "manifest"? A PERSON! It is right here in definition 1d in a common Bible lexicon placed online via BlueletterBible.com:
1) to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way
a) make actual and visible, realised
b) to make known by teaching
c) to become manifest, be made known
d) of a person
1) expose to view, make manifest, to show one's self, appear
e) to become known, to be plainly recognised, thoroughly understood
1) who and what one is
Jakes is exposed as a liar by exegesis of the very text that he used to claim that he was telling the truth! In this Jakes fulfilled the prophecy in Psalm 10:2, which reads "The wicked in [his] pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined."
Now the dictionary entry makes the Cappadocian utilization of "Person" more justifiable in my mind and it who knows, the Cappadocian fathers might have relied heavily on 1 Timothy 3:16 when they formulated their Trinity doctrine (which would make Jakes' abuse of that text still more ironic) because that text refers to the revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ and not the mere exhibition of a mode of existence or relationship (and moreover this revelation refers to Christ's existence being shown to the world; for phaneroō to have the meaning that Jakes claims that it does, THE TERM WOULD HAVE TO REFER TO HIS INCARNATION IN THE WOMB OF MARY, NOT HIS EXISTENCE AND WORKS BEING WITNESSED BY MEN, WHICH IS THE TRUE CONTEXT OF 1 Peter 3:16 AS WELL AS REVELATION 1:1, WHICH AGAIN IS WHY APOKALYPSIS COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN USED INSTEAD) but I confess to still uneasy with it. But the difference between me and Jakes is that JAKES IS LYING. That is the bottom line.
But you know what? This is not truly about Jakes anyway. The reason is that anyone who goes and clicks on the T.D. Jakes category on this blog will know why no legitimate Christian pastor should touch Jakes with a 10 foot pole, unless that pastor has been instructed by God to smite Jakes with it. Instead, it is about the people that are embracing him. It is one thing for the decadent TBN (who has their own tag) Pentecostal abomination to embrace Jakes, and please recall that it was TBN who made Jakes into an international figure. TBN is run by a man who paid off a TBN employee with whom he had a homosexual encounter with, and has since been sued by another man making the same charges. These charges and the many other scandals are commonly known by those who patronize that network anyway and … well now you see why I felt that there were better uses of my time than exposing people who have already been exposed because people simply do not care!
But now, TD Jakes is being embraced by the "more respectable" corners of evangelical Christianity as represented by (ironically named) The Gospel Coalition, which includes some of the most prominent pastors and theologians in evangelical Christianity today. Now of course, there was significant "debate" over inviting Jakes. The fears of those objecting were quite founded, as it resulted in Mark Driscoll, himself a very troubling personality, doing very much to rehabilitate Jakes, largely because of Driscoll's own desire to push his false anti-cessationist doctrines into the Reformed/Calvinistic evangelical movement. Also, those who would have challenged Jakes rather than accommodate him were not allowed to participate. But the fact that there was even a debate at all shows how far gone the evangelical landscape is! Having Jakes in the Elephant Room should have been as much a nonstarter as having Richard Dawkins or Pope Benedict!
And that brings us to the real issue: further evidence that the evangelical church in America is veering off the rails. (It is such times that even people who MILDLY stand against Jakes and his lies are the ones to be mocked, opposed and condemned.) Is the great apostasy, the great falling away of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 upon us? This event is prophesied in scripture, and will come to pass. It is a very tragic development in and of itself, but 2 Thess 2:3 tells us that the great falling away is a precursor to – or more accurately a precondition for – the coming of the beast, the anti-Christ, the man of sin, which occurs during the great tribulation. It is my position that the church will experience this great tribulation, and not be raptured from or otherwise escape it, as many pastors and teachers propose. So as difficult as things are now for the church as evidenced by its willingness to not only suffer but endorse and promote such false teachers as Jakes, it is only paving the way for even tougher times to come. Christian, watch and discern the times. Pray. Be strengthened and encouraged in the Lord so that you will not be deceived, that you will resist temptation, and stay in the faith.
For those of you not in the faith, realize that the proliferation of false doctrines and those who gain wealth, fame and power by teaching them does not undermine Christianity, but rather is evidence that the Bible is true, for Jesus Christ Himself and His apostles predicted that such a time as this would come thousands of years ago; Christ referred to men such as Jakes as ravening wolves in sheep's clothing. That many will follow such people is evidence that narrow is the gate that leads to salvation, and wide is that which leads to destruction!
Enter into the narrow gate. Be saved in the Name of Jesus Christ. Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ. Follow
The Three Step Salvation Plan
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...


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Sarcocystis lindemanni
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus.
a genus of coccidian protozoa parasitic in birds, reptiles, and mammals, including humans, cattle, horses, sheep, swine, and rabbits and other rodents, occurring as elongated cylindrical bodies (sarcocysts) in the host's muscles. They have an obligatory two-host life cycle, involving sexual reproduction in the definitive host (a carnivore) and asexual reproduction, including schizogony and sarcocyst formation, which occurs in the intermediate host. Infection is transmitted by ingestion of the sporocysts in the feces passed by infected animals. See also sarcocystosis.
Sarcocystis boviho´minis a species for which cattle are the specific intermediate hosts and humans the definitive hosts; it causes intestinal sarcocystosis in humans. It was formerly considered to be combined with S. suihominis in a single species, S. hominis (Isospora hominis).
Sarcocystis lindeman´ni a species causing human infection, most cases of which are asymptomatic, although it may cause polymyositis sometimes associated with eosinophilia.
Sarcocystis suiho´minis a species for which swine are the specific intermediate hosts and humans the definitive hosts; it causes intestinal sarcocystosis in humans. It was formerly considered to form a single species with S. bovihominis, called S. hominis (Isospora hominis).
Sar·co·cys·tis lin·de·man·'ni
a protozoan species described on rare occasions from the striated and heart muscles of humans, probably as an infection due to various species, possibly from domestic dogs or other final hosts from which infective oocysts or sporocysts were passed to humans in water or through direct exposure; in these instances humans serve as an intermediate rather than a final host.
Sarcocystis lindemanni
A species infesting the muscles of humans, causing myositis, eosinophilia, and fever.
See also: Sarcocystis
a genus of parasitic protozoa in the family Sarcocystidae. The definitive hosts are domestic and wild carnivores in which they appear as a form of coccidiosis. Birds and reptiles are also infected (depending on the species). It appears to be part of any prey-predator system, e.g. snake, rat, owl, mice, etc. The effects of their intermediate stages are manifested as the disease sarcocystosis.
Sarcocystis arieticanis
has a dog-sheep cycle.
Sarcocystis bertrami (syn. Sarcocystis equicanis)
has a dog-horse cycle and produces cysts in muscles but without clinical disease.
Sarcocystis bovifelis
see S. hirsuta (below).
Sarcocystis capracanis
has a dog (coyote, fox)-goat cycle; not pathogenic.
Sarcocystis cervi
cysts found in deer.
Sarcocystis cruzi (syn. Sarcocystis bovicanis)
has a dog (and other feral canids)-cattle cycle; causes fever, anorexia, anemia and weight loss in cattle but the microscopic cysts found in dogs are not pathogenic. See also sarcocystosis.
Sarcocystis cuniculi
cysts found in wild and domesticated rabbits but without apparent pathogenicity in rabbits. It has a cat-rabbit cycle and the macroscopic cysts in cats are pathogenic.
Sarcocystis equicanis
see S. bertrami (above).
Sarcocystis fayeri
has a dog-horse cycle but appears not to be pathogenic to the horse.
Sarcocystis fusiformis
has a cat-buffalo cycle but appears not to be pathogenic in the water buffalo.
Sarcocystis gigantea (syn. Sarcocystis ovifelis)
has a cat-sheep cycle; the cysts in sheep are very large and visible with the naked eye but are not pathogenic.
Sarcocystis hemionilatrantis
has dog or coyote-mule deer cycle and the disease in young deer may be fatal.
Sarcocystis hericanis
has a dog-goat cycle.
Sarcocystis hirsuta (syn. Sarcocystis bovifelis)
has a cat-cattle cycle and is not pathogenic in cattle.
Sarcocystis hominis (syn. Sarcocystis bovihominis)
has a human-cattle cycle, the enteric infection in humans causing diarrhea, and the cysts in the muscles of cattle having no observable effect.
Sarcocystis kortei
the definitive host is unknown, the intermediate host is the rhesus monkey but the cysts in its muscles appear to cause no disability.
Sarcocystis levinei
has a dog-buffalo cycle but causes no illness.
Sarcocystis lindemanni
humans are the intermediate host but the final host is unknown.
Sarcocystis medusiformis
has a cat-sheep cycle.
Sarcocystis miescheriana (syn. Sarcocystis suicanis)
has a dog (raccoon, wolf)-pig cycle but no known pathogenicity.
Sarcocystis moulei
has a cat-goat cycle.
Sarcocystis muris
has a cat-mouse, rat, vole, etc., cycle but the cysts are not pathogenic.
Sarcocystis nesbitti
rhesus monkeys are the intermediate hosts but the muscle cysts are clinically silent. The final host has not been identified.
Sarcocystis neurona
causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis.
Sarcocystis orientalis
goats are the intermediate host but are unaffected. Dogs are probably the final host.
Sarcocystis ovicanis
see S. tenella (below).
Sarcocystis ovifelis
see S. gigantea (above).
Sarcocystis porcifelis
has a cat-pig cycle and is pathogenic for pigs, causing diarrhea, myositis and lameness.
Sarcocystis porcihominis
see S. suihominis (below).
Sarcocystis rileyi
cysts occur in the muscles of many species of domestic and wild birds without appearing to cause any ill-effects.
Sarcocystis suihominis
has a human-pig cycle without pathogenic effects.
Sarcocystis tenella (syn. Sarcocystis ovicanis)
has a dog (coyote, fox)-sheep cycle and causes mortality in lambs if the infection is a heavy one.


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Because residential networks connect such precise and complicated machines as computers, the networks that connect them must be built to exact standards.
Manufacturers agree upon those standards and every piece of equipment in the network must also conform to the standard requirements. Otherwise, the network will not work. Thus the cabling and associated devices must be installed according to the standard, with very little margin of error.
In this lesson, we'll focus first on the primary network cabling standard, EIA 568 and basic networking concepts. Then, we'll cover the new residential cabling standard EIA 570.
One of the most common terms you'll encounter when designing any type of data network is structured cabling. Structured cabling generally refers to a network cabling system that is designed and installed according to pre-set standards. The expected benefits of structured cabling are the following:
1. Buildings, new or re-furbished, are pre-wired without needing to know future occupants' data communication needs.
2. Future growth and re-configuration accommodated by pre-defined topologies and physical specifications, such as distances.
3. Support of multi-vendor products, including cables, connectors, jacks, plugs, adapters, baluns and patch-panels.
4. Voice, video and all other data transmissions are integrated.
5. Cable plant easily managed and faults readily isolated.
6. All data cabling work can be accomplished while other building work is taking place.
By far the most commonly used standard for structured wiring systems is EIA/TIA-568, or 568A. This standard is important even for residential networks because it is the source document that the Residential Cabling Standard (ANSI/TIA/EIA-570-A) is derived from.
Some of the parameters of EIA/TIA 568 are the following:
90 meter horizontal distance limit between closet and desktop
4 pairs of conductors to each outlet all must be terminated
25-pair cables may not be used (crosstalk problems)
May not use old wiring already in place
Bridge taps and standard telephone wiring schemes may not be used
Requires careful installation procedures
Requires extensive testing procedures
Category-rated cable is used for high-speed data transmission, and is increasingly being used for other communications uses. For several years Cat. 5 cabling was the primary cable being used for networking. Recently, many installers have begun using Cat. 5e (e for extended) and Cat. 6 cabling. There is a standard for Cat. 5e cabling, but at the time of this writing, there isn't a standard for Cat. 6 cabling. (A problem we have covered elsewhere.)
In order to accomplish high-speed transmission, category cabling requires very tight design characteristics. In particular, the conductors in these cables must be very tightly twisted. Furthermore, this tight twist pattern can not be altered during installation. Even at terminations, no more than 13 millimeters (about inch) of conductor can be unwound. While working with a large number of cables terminating at one block, this can be difficult.
The minimum bending radius for Cat. 5 cables is typically four times the cable diameter. This is not especially difficult for installers, although it can be difficult in tight areas. When being pulled into place, not more than 25 pounds of tension can be applied to the cable. One easily missed hazard of Cat. 5 cabling is that the use of tie-wraps can damage the cable's performance. When tie-wraps are cinched down tightly on these cables, they deform the pattern of the twists, and can permanently damage the electronic characteristics of the cable badly enough that it will not handle high frequency signals.
Cat. 5 compliance ensures application independence. It defines transmission performance for all pair combinations for both the RJ45 connector interface (mated plug and jack) and the associated cable. Finally, Cat. 5 provides a platform for implementing new high performance LAN technology regardless of the pair combination required.
Here are a few of the devices commonly used in local area networks:
A repeater receives and then immediately retransmits each bit. It has no memory and does not depend on any particular protocol. It duplicates everything, including the collisions.
A bridge receives the entire message into memory. If the message was damaged by a collision or noise, it is discarded. If the bridge knows that the message was being sent between two stations on the same cable, it discards it. Otherwise, the message is queued up and will be retransmitted on another Ethernet cable. The bridge has no address. Its actions are transparent to the client and server workstations.
A router acts as an agent to receive and forward messages. The router has an address and is known to the client or server machines. Typically, machines directly send messages to each other when they are on the same cable, and they send the router messages addressed to another zone, department or sub-network.
Baseband network. A baseband network is one that provides a single channel for communications across the physical medium (cable), so that only one device can transmit at a time. Devices on a baseband network, such as Ethernet, are permitted to use all the available bandwidth for transmission, and the signals they transmit do not need to multiplexed onto a carrier frequency. An analogy is a single phone line: Only one person can talk at a time if more than one person wants to talk everyone has to take turns.
Broadband network. A baseband network is in many ways the opposite of a baseband network. With broadband, the physical cabling is virtually divided into several different channels; each with its own unique carrier frequency, using a technique called frequency division modulation. These different frequencies are multiplexed onto the network cabling in such a way to allow multiple simultaneous conversations to take place. The effect is similar to having several virtual networks traversing a single piece of wire. Network devices tuned to one frequency can't hear the signal on other frequencies, and visa-versa. Cable TV is the best example of a broadband network, with multiple channels transmitted simultaneously over a single cable.
10Base5, 10BaseT, 10Base2, 10Broad36, etc. These are the IEEE names for the different physical types of Ethernet. The 10 stands for signaling speed: 10MHz. Base means Baseboard; broad means broadband. Initially, the last section as intended to indicate the maximum length of an unreported cable segment in hundreds of meters. This convention was modified with the introduction of 10BaseT, where the T means twisted pair, and 10BaseF where the F means fiber.
10Base2 10MHz Ethernet running over thin, 50 Ohm baseband coaxial cable.
10Base5 10MHz Ethernet running over standard (thick) 50 Ohm baseband coaxial cabling.
10BaseF 10MHz Ethernet running over fiber-optic cabling.
10BaseT 10MHz Ethernet running over unshielded, twisted-pair cabling.
10Broad36 10MHz Ethernet running through a broadband cable.
Driver. The software that allows an Ethernet card in a computer to decode packets and send them to the operating system and encode data from the operating system for transmission by the Ethernet card through the network. By handling the nitty-gritty hardware interface chores, it provides a device-independent interface to the upper layer protocols, thereby making them more universal and easier to develop and use.
In October 1999, the EIA/TIA approved a formal standard for residential networks. The title is ANSI/TIA/EIA-570-A Residential Telecommunications Cabling Standard. As mentioned above, this standard is derived from the usual EIA/TIA 568 standard for structured cabling systems.
Following are several of the EIA/TIA 570 standard's key points:
Daisy chaining of telephone circuits long the standard is out. Instead, each outlet must have its own home run. This is called a star topography.
The 100-meter link length is carried over from EIA/TIA 568.
Two grades of cabling, jacks and distribution devices are specified: Grades 1 and 2.
Grade 1 cabling may be Cat. 3, which will not likely be used. Grade 2 cabling must be Cat. 5, with Cat. 5e recommended.
Grade 2 distributive devices are required to be larger than Grade 1 devices.
Grade 1 outlets terminate one 4-pair UTP cable and one 75-Ohm coax cable. Grade 2 outlets terminate two 4-pair UTP cables, two 75-Ohm coax cables and provide for an optional optical fiber termination.
At least one outlet must be provided in each kitchen, bedroom, family/great room and den/study. It is recommended that one outlet be provided for each 12 feet of unbroken wall space.
The eight-position modular jack is the only UTP jack allowed for the outlet and it shall be wired in the A configuration. The six-position RJ-11 is not allowed. Additionally, splitting of pairs is only allowed with an external adapter; not behind the outlet.
The standard specifies a Distribution Device (DD) for each residence. This device is a panel of sorts, functioning as a type of service entrance panel for the telephone, cable TV and broadband services to the home.
Location, space and electrical power requirements are provided in 570: The DD must be located in a centralized, accessible location in the tenant space, if practical. This is to minimize the length of outlet cables and to allow for easy maintenance and configuration of the DD.
Space allocations for the DD are provided based on grade and number of outlets served. The recommendations are provided based on the spacing between wall studs. A non-switchable 15A duplex outlet is required at the DD for Grade 2 systems and recommended for Grade 1. The standard also makes recommendations for multi-tenant dwellings and backbone-cabling infrastructure.
The required testing for residential networks is not as rigorous as that for commercial networks. Commercial systems go through a difficult testing process called certification: home cabling systems go through a less difficult process called verification. Verification assures that the cabling system is continuous (that is, it has no shorts or open circuits) and that the correct terminations have been made. Verification, unlike certification, does not measure the information-carrying capacity of the link. This is considered unnecessary because residential links are nearly always considerably shorter than commercial links and suffer much less from attenuation a significant factor in a link's capacity. In the shorter links, near-end cross talk (NEXT) and far-end cross talk (FEXT) are a much-reduced concern.
The primary test for residential links is the wiremap test, verifying the pin connections on both ends of the link. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with doing a complete certification with the much more expensive Cat. 5 tester; but it's not necessary for normal residential links.
This discussion of residential LANS, hard wired, will be continued in our next installment of the Iowa State Residential Networking Course.
Home Networking
Attention Readers:
CEE News has launched a new department on home networking. Do you know of an interesting project or home networking business opportunity? E-mail your story ideas to Amy Fischbach at [email protected].


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Trainers for Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios had to be separated after an altercation in Macau this morning, ahead of their scheduled fight.
The fighters are sharing a gym in the basement of the Venetian Hotel, site of Saturday's bout. Rios's training sessions was scheduled to end at 11 a.m. so Pacquiao could move in, but Rios's camp stayed late to conduct interviews. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach confronted Rios's trainer Robert Garcia and strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza.
It stayed verbal, with lots of "piece of shit"s and "get the fuck out of here"s, until Ariza—who used to work for Pacquiao—mocked Roach's speech patterns due to Parkinson's disease. Roach approached Ariza, Ariza kicked Roach, Roach called Rios camp member Donald Leary a "Mexican motherfucker," Ariza rushed Roach, called Roach a "faggot," and this is what passes for prefight hype these days.
Meanwhile Rios is just chilling on an elliptical machine in the back the entire time.
Here's another angle shot by Elie Seckbach, who once again managed to become part of the story.
After the scuffle, Garcia said Roach had called Seckbach "a fucking Jew." Roach explained it this way:
"I said, 'Are you the Jewish reporter,' and he said, 'What, are you a racist?' And I said, 'No. I just don't know your name.'"
Both Rios and Seckbach have a history with Roach. Before a Pacquiao-Margarito bout three years ago, Seckbach—who's notoriously close to Rios's camp—filmed Rios and Margarito making jokes about Roach's Parkinson's. Seckbach then edited out those jokes before publishing his video.


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LAS VEGAS--The company that developed the technology behind the Kinect for Xbox 360 says it sees on-board cameras and gesture control replacing touch on all consumer devices.
Israel's PrimeSense developed the sensor for the Kinect and says the potential for gesture control technology is huge--extending beyond the loungeroom into digital signage, medicine and other mobile devices.
"Everybody knows touch. What we want to do is bring [our technology] into all consumer devices," said Tal Dagan, PrimeSense's vice president of marketing. "Think of going back before touch. It's crazy. So we think this is the next phase."
The PrimeSense sensor features a HD camera in conjunction with a infra-red camera and is able to recognize 3D body movements as well as facial recognition.
Dagan said that gesture control was "natural" and a logical way to "improve the UI [user interface] and really how you interact with devices.
Dagan added that companies including Asus have licensed the technology for products releasing in 20121 and that there were more to come.
Despite helping popularize gesture control in your lounge room, Dagan says he doesn't see the TV replacing mobile devices for web use.
"I don't think [the TV] will become a giant iPad, it won't. If you want to read emails you'll read them on your iPad," Dagan said.
"It turns out that 85 percent of the people when they're watching TV they're actually doing other stuff. In many places they talk about a dual screen strategy where you control your TV with your iPad," he said.
Dagan added that the usage model for television had changed and that on-board cameras such as Kinect will be useful for enabling Skype and social media.
"Up until now the TV was a family device. Perhaps now that it becomes a personal device, people will say, "OK now I can use Skype" I can have my contacts. If my wife opens the TV she won't see my contacts," he said.
Kinect has been on the market for 12 months, and at CES 2012 Samsung unveiled a technology very similar to PrimeSense, but with a single camera instead of two. Dagan said legal action wasn't a consideration.
"We have the only product which is mass-market. We think we have a unique product and a unique advantage. I think there's dozens of companies trying to do it, which is good. Competition at this stage is good," he said.
reading•Gesture control is the new touch: Kinect inventors
Jan 4•Failed CES trends and products (photos)
Jan 13•CNET UK at CES 2012
Oct 15•Dell's first ultrabook laptop, the XPS 13
Oct 15•Toshiba 14-inch ultrabook prototype
•See All


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The AAAOM is the oldest and largest national membership organization of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) practitioners and supporters that serves to advance the profession and practice of AOM. The mission of the AAAOM is to support our members and the AOM community through education, occupational resources, media support, and legislative advocacy in our commitment to facilitate access to the highest quality of healthcare in the United States.
As members of AAAOM you get access to great things like a listing in our national directory, community forums and practice management blogs, discount codes to our affiliates, and access to the American Acupuncturist Journal.
Upcoming events
Blog posts
Recent forum updates


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Media Options
- Read Case Study (PDF - 958 KB)
- Watch Video (4:53 min)
- View Infographic (PDF - 1.25 MB)
BYOD Case Study: Brunel University
Brunel University, in the United Kingdom, wanted to help ensure a consistent bring-your-own-device (BYOD) experience for students, staff, and visitors across its Uxbridge campus.
- Cisco BYOD Smart Solution with Cisco ISE 2600 overlaid on existing network
- Solution integrates with customer front-end portal, enforcing security policies on all user groups
- Helped ensure a consistent, campuswide wireless experience
- Expanded from 340 wireless access points to 1070
- Network in place within 12 weeks, two weeks quicker than scheduled
- Network performance improved from 120 Mbps to 1 Gbps
- Now supports 5 TB of wireless traffic per day (up from 140 Gb per day)
The validated design of the Cisco ISE means the solution has already been stress tested, making it faster to implement. We were able to put it into place over the summer break.Network and Data Center Manager
Brunel University


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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Ashlan Village Fired Women for Complaining About Harassment, Federal Agency Charged
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Ashlan Village, Inc., doing business as Ashlan Village Retirement Community, a retirement and assisted living facility located in Lyman, S.C., will pay $40,000 and provide non-monetary relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
The EEOC had charged in a lawsuit that from around September 2008 through around December 2008, Leah Pyhala, the marketing and activities director at Ashlan Village, was sexually harassed by her male supervisor, who was the facility's executive director. The lawsuit said the harassment included unwelcome e-mails with sexual content, sexual comments and unwelcome touching. Pyhala and a coworker, Holly Black, who was the facility's director of resident services, complained about the harassment to Ashlan Village's owner. The EEOC said that Pyhala and Black were then terminated on the same day by the executive director, shortly after they complained about the harassment.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Ashlan Village, Inc. d/b/a Ashlan Village Retirement Community, Civ. No. 7:10-CV-02551 in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Spartanburg Division) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
In addition to monetary damages, the consent decree resolving the lawsuit includes injunctive relief prohibiting the company from further discriminating on the basis of sex, and from engaging in retaliation for resisting or complaining about it. The decree also requires the redistribution of the company's sexual harassment policy and annual training on sexual harassment and retaliation for all managers, supervisors and employees. Finally, the company must report complaints of sexual harassment to the EEOC throughout the decree's term.
"Employers are required to prevent and correct sexual harassment in the workplace," said Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney for the EEOC's Charlotte District Office. "Punishing employees who complain about harassment further violates federal law and only makes a bad situation worse. We are pleased that Ashlan Village has agreed to provide adequate training to its employees, and has committed to preventing harassment and retaliation in its workplace."
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.