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How Islam Can SAVE Western Civilization
And argue not with the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), unless it be in (a way) that is better, except with such of them as do wrong, and say (to them): "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our God and your God is One, and to Him we have submitted (as Muslims)." (The Noble Qur'an 29:46)
And yes, though mouths are bound to be agape at such a statement, as a Muslim, I fully submit to the perfection and applicability of Islam for all times and places (including the sort of shameless moral bankruptcy we find ourselves drowning in today). It should come as no surprise then, that at least portions of the truth inevitable manifest themselves to non-Muslims, by the Will of Allah, the Mighty & Majestic. Read on, for a decidedly excellent article by a Mr. Mark Glenn.
And as for the plausibility of Islam reigning triumphant in both the East & the West, as a seeker of truth, I believe it. Don't you?
How Islam Can SAVE Western Civilization
Article by Mark Glenn
It would shock and probably offend most Americans to learn the truth that the reason they are here, their power, their affluence and position in the world is directly because of the Islamic religion and the Arab culture. That's right, the very "ragheads" and "Hajis" (as Limbaugh, Liddy, and some of the others often call them) that the US is now fighting are directly responsible for the preeminence and power of not just the United States, but of the entire Western world in general.
Besides the fact that Western Civilization began in the area of the Fertile Crescent, also known as Mesopotamia (present day Iraq), it is as well an historical fact beyond dispute that it was the learning and sophistication of the Arab culture that led to many of the scientific developments that would later make Europe the cradle of science, learning, and advancement. After the institutionalization of the Islamic religion throughout the Mediterranean region, the extent of Arab learning and culture was such that European Kings, Christian Kings, would send their sons and daughters to be educated in Moslem places such as Cordova and Toledo. Christian Crusaders coming back from the Middle East told of the richness of Arab culture, leading to Europeans' desire for Arab goods, which in turn led to trade routes between Europe and the Middle East. The resulting wealth created from that trade with the Arabs led to the ascendancy of power for European city-states such as Venice and Florence, which became the birthplaces of the Renaissance in Europe. Arab advancements in navigation, from the Astrolabe to the compass to the fast sailing ship known as the Caravel made possible the arrival in the New World of the Europeans. Let's not forget, Spain and Portugal, those two powers who held a virtual monopoly on exploration in the New World for quite a while, were, for 700 years, held by the Arabs.
What will gall Americans even more, especially those who call themselves Christian, is the idea that it may be the Arab and Muslim culture that will be not only the birthplace of Western Civilization, but the savior of it as well.
As evidenced by the nightly news right now, there is a war going on. Superficially, it is about things like "terrorism" and "freedom." There are some who go a step further and blame oil and banking, not to mention "lebensraum" for Israel. And while all these things do play a part, some greater than others, the real war here is between two world views.
During the debates that took place in the UN between the internationalist cabal led by France, Germany, Russia, Belgium, and China on one side and the nationalists led by the United States, Great Britain, (and behind the scenes, Israel,) there was this "tossing around" of phrases in coded language. The nationalist crowd, represented in the debates by Colin Powell, spoke of "Old Europe" in a castigating attempt to portray those opposing the war against Iraq as somehow backwards in their thinking, as opposed to those in the New World, who were enlightened and were here to save all humanity against dangerous men and dangerous ideas. And although we know that the reasons for the internationalist crowd opposing the war against Iraq had little to do with anything other than protecting their own business interests as well as staving off US hegemony in the world in favor of internationalist hegemony, it did illustrate that there is, at least on the part of the "coalition of the willing" a desire to do away with that ethos held by the Old World (meaning the Middle-East) that serves as an obstacle in building that New World Order that Bush the Elder discussed more than a decade ago, even if it means seeing the US leading it rather than the UN.
To the "New World," and by default the New World Order, the Arab/Muslim world is backwards in its values. It prohibits abortion and birth control. They have large families, as opposed to the West, where the average family has only 2 children. It prohibits usury banking, to which the West credits its own economic superiority. Theirs is a "closed" society (read into this no sodomy, pornography, gay lifestyle, et al) Theirs is a "cruel" society (read into this-they do not have people on death row for 20 years). And finally, they will not play the game the way the market wants it played, meaning, they want a just price for their only real source of wealth, their oil, instead of giving it away to the West for a fraction of its worth. In other words, the picture that has just been painted here is, the Muslim world is now what the Christian world once was and should be.
One can already hear the roar coming out of the mouths of many who have not been thinking of this in a critical way, particularly those well-paid mouthpieces on TV and radio masquerading themselves as Christians. "The religion of Mohammed is better than the religion of Jesus Christ?!" No, rather, what is meant here is that the religion of Islam resembles Christianity more than does the Christianity of the West today, because the Christianity of the West today isn't Christianity at all, but a watered-down amalgamation of New Ageism mixed with certain common spiritual attributes that, although called Christian, can be found in almost every known religion. Through decades of destructive influence and propaganda through media and academia, mainstream Christianity in the West has been reduced to one remaining commandment, vague and hard to pin-point which is "be nice."
The fact of the matter is, putting aside all the other reasons surrounding this war that were enumerated at the beginning of this essay, what exists in the Middle East, or in The Old World, as some would call it, is a culture that is still devoted to principles concerning basic moral values, values that have not yet surrendered to the corrupting influence of Western media or Western money. Within the last 50 years, every culture has fallen before this corrupting power that seeks to enslave all men in such a way that the individual is reduced to the value of what he produces and what he consumes, and in pursuit of that method, the individuals behind this program have quietly but decisively removed every obstacle in their way, be it religion, culture, morals, tradition, or world view, through the methods of media, academia, and finance; that is, except the culture encapsulated in the Islamic/Arabic World.
By the description "Arabic/Islamic," it should not be understood as solely a "Muslim" thing. The culture existing in the Arab world is held by both Christian and Muslim alike. There are millions of Christians, who have in essence the same culture with their Muslim counterparts in much the same way as most Americans, regardless of religion, have the same culture. It is those Christians and Muslims alike who reject these "modern" notions such as abortion, birth control, sodomy, pornography, usury banking, and "market value" of services and resources. They still view the family, the traditional family, with all its traditional roles, as the most important building block of their society, and they take very seriously anything that threatens it. They recognize the value of their children, and how dangerous the moral relativism of the West has become, threatening the stability of society directly. They recognize that if their children and society as a whole are subjected to ideas that promote moral decay for an extended period of time, what will eventually and unavoidably be produced is national decay.
One should consider the fact that the New World Order has used and is using all its resources and influence to emasculate and neutralize all opposition to its agenda in the world. The Catholic Church, once a political power to be feared by presidents and prime ministers the world over, has been rendered obsolete. Through mouthpieces such as John Paul II, the New World Order has been openly embraced, and if at times the church gets a little rambunctious and steps out of line, well, the NWO crowd merely runs new stories revealing allegations of pedophilia and abuse. The mainstream Protestant groups, led by influential people on the television and radio, may talk of the dangers of the NWO and the secularization of the West, yet still openly embrace Bush when he pushes through various pieces of legislation that rob us of our freedoms under the guise of protection from terrorism, as well as the practice of conveniently "forgetting" about Bush's caving in to the pro-abortion lobby in various instances. So, with the exception of a few pockets of token resistance, there is no one left standing in the way of the NWO except the Arab/Muslim World.
If by some miracle the Arab/Muslim world is victorious against this onslaught, and the secular/atheistic influence of the NWO agenda is reduced to such a level as to allow the Christian West to regain its foothold where it once stood, it will be necessary to credit the religion of Islam and the Arab world for not buckling under in the face of extermination. And it will be we, the Christian West and Western Civilization, who will be the beneficiaries of "Islamic Extremism."
Mark Glenn is an American and former high school teacher turned writer / commentator. He contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN)
This entry was posted on December 3, 2007 at 4:28 am and is filed under Contemporary Issues with tags Civilization, haqq, Islam, Modernity, Morals, New World Order, Resilience, salafi, truth, Universal Message. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
One Response to "How Islam Can SAVE Western Civilization"
suarakeadilan Says:
December 3, 2007 at 5:09 am
are you a muallaf??? nice….i'm a indonesian moslem and a student of sepuluh nopember institute of technology..i try to practice islam.but there are no difficulties because almost indonesian are moslem…but i can't imagine when i live in a country which there are only little moslem community…can you tell me about your experience as a minority of moslem….i hope you answermy question…sorry..i can't speak english like you…he345X..because i'm a javanese


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Oh my oh my, you guys are quick, what gave Nin007 away... The fact that I always write about these 2. I'll try to update as often as I can, don't expect a pattern ;) I'll warn you all right now, this story will have vaginal bleeding and many many references to sexual pleasure. If you all are okay with it, then read on. I'll let you know what chapters have what. This one is mild in comparison to what is to come. Enjoy ;)
Welcome to Sexy Satin, the most delicious sex slave and master forum on the web today. That was the line Sakura overlooked when she signed up for membership on the Sexy Satin website. Sex Slave for beginners was another line she missed, only reading beginners when she clicked on the link. It wasn't until she started reading the posts did she fully realize what she had gotten herself into; and by then, she was already hooked.
She never realized how horny she could become just by reading people's entries. The visual porn had done nothing to her, but these people's posts, made her imagination go wild with excitement. For 2 weeks she hadn't posted a thing. She knew she could never be a master, not with her quiet nature and virgin knowledge. So she slowly thought about it, and thought about it, and thought about it, and so on and so forth; until she got the nerve to actively look for someone to be her master.
"What the hell am I suppose to put? Hi I'm a virgin looking for someone to control my sexual experiences and desires… Yeah, I'd get every pedo on the site! Well, I doubt I'd come across someone like that. The site promises complete privacy if you so wish it. But really, what the heck am I suppose to write!"
Although it took Sakura 2 weeks to get the nerve to actually post something, it took her 4 days to think up what to write. In the end, her post went like this:
Subject: Looking for a patient master
I'm new to this sort of thing, but my curiosity has gotten the better of me and I am dying to try this out. I'll admit, I'm a virgin, but I still want to experience sexual pleasure. I'm looking for a patient master that wouldn't mind a slow, but eager slave.
Preferences: Someone young (The site was supposed to be restricted to 18+, Sakura had lied about her age)
Sakura's face was full on blush when she posted the entry. She didn't expect anything right away, or actually anything at all; so when 2 days later, she got a reply, she about fell out of her seat.
Nin007: A first timer and a virgin, not a combination I've seen a lot on here. Many masters won't be looking for someone like you. But if you are willing to take a little test, I'd be willing to help you out. Private message me if you are interested.
Petal257: Test? What kind of test are you thinking of?
Sakura had lost to her curiosity and had pmed him.
Nin007: A picture test. If you can take the pictures I ask for, then I'll know if you are the slave I'm looking for.
Sakura blushed when she read the message after coming back from school. It so happened that her parents had given her their "old" (Barely 6 months old) camera in replacement of a camcorder they had purchased when the twins had been born. Even though the camera was a few years old, it was still a very good camera. Until this moment, she hadn't used it much, but she was dying to see if she could past this man's test. She charged up the battery, downloaded Skype like he asked (For easier communication) and told him she'd try his test.
His first request sent Sakura flying from her chair.
'Picture of your boobs'
-Like a naked picture-
'Well one with clothing isn't really fun to look at'
Sakura had never ever, never ever ever taken a picture of her bare chest, let alone send it to a guy. Curious about whether she could bring up the courage to do it, she took off her pink striped shirt and white laced bra and went to the bathroom.
She had never really fondled her breasts before, what girl needs too; she thought. She turned to the left and looked at them and turned to the right and looked at them. She bent over to see them sway as she rotated her hips. She jumped up and down to see them jiggle and then she pulled on her nipple.
She stopped. She sort of liked that. She did it again.
After the second time, her nipple became a little perky.
"I guess since I don't" she paused, not being able to bring herself to say anything vulgar. "I guess since I don't touch them very often, they are highly sensitive. Well I guess if I make both nipples perky, that would make for a better picture."
So Sakura played with both nipples till they were perky and a nice deep pink color. She held the camera out in front of her and took several shots. Choosing the best one out of the group, she went back to her computer to send it to her 'hopefully' future master.
'Very nice! Did you play with them a little before taking the picture?'
Sakura blushed, and then realized he couldn't see her.
-Yes, was I not allowed too?-
'Oh no, by all means, whatever you need to do to take the picture. I'm just surprised you did it without me asking you too, very good Petal'
She had told him to call her Petal, after her screen name. He told her to call him Nin for the meantime, until of course, he became her official master, and then it would be strictly Master, and nothing else.
'Okay then, for the next picture. I want a picture of your legs, propped up against the wall'
Oh this one would be so much easier, until she realized she would have to take off her pants.
"Well, he didn't say to take off my underwear, so I think I can probably leave that on."
So after taking off her dark navy denim pants, she looked for the best place to take the picture. Lucky for her, her bed was pressed up against the wall.
Then Sakura realized her dilemma; no matter what angle she tried, she couldn't get a good picture of her legs. She didn't want to give up, that might make him decide she wasn't worth being a master to. Then she realized the timer on the camera.
She pulled over the TV stand she had at the side of her desk and set her camera on there. Sure enough, with only a few tries, she got a great picture; it even had her breasts in it.
'Oh, a double whammy! You sure mean to please don't you?'
-Does it please you, Nin?-
'Oh yes, pleases me very much.'
-Does this mean you will be my master now?-
'Just a few more, then yes, I will be. That is, if you can do it.'
-I'll try!-
'Next, I want a picture of your pussy'
Clonk - definition – Sakura's head hitting the desk at high speed, knocking her keyboard to the floor.
"HE WANTS WHAT!" She screamed, because she knew she could.
Sakura was doing paces around her room, with only her pink and white panda bear panties on. Ding. She looked over to her computer screen.
'And make sure you spread it wide. I want to see all of it'
"THAT SON OF A BITCH, IF HE THINKS" She stormed over to the screen and began to type out.
-No way in hell ass…-
She stopped and erased her message. This is the internet, was the thought that came through Sakura's mind. If she never showed him her face, he would never know who she was. And even if he did see her face, he probably doesn't even live in the same state as me! (Note – Skype shows you were a person lives)
All these thoughts went through Sakura's head as she took off her final piece of clothing and put her back on the bed. Spreading apart her vagina with one hand, she held her camera over her opened thighs and snapped a few shots.
"Wow, it looks like that?"
Sakura, utterly bewildered by the sight of her own vagina, almost forgot what she was suppose to be doing, until she heard another ding from her computer.
'Can't do it?'
Sakura could almost hear Nin's sarcastic tone in the message. She quickly picked the one she thought was best, uploaded it and sent it to him. For what felt like hours to Sakura (only a span of 5 minutes) ticked by.
'Very very nice. Such a cute color, just like your nipples.'
-Thank you Nin- Was all she could bring herself to say.
'So I'm going to assume you are now completely naked?'
Sakura looked down, she hadn't even realized she never put back on her clothes; she was sitting her in desk chair completely nude.
-Yes Nin, I am-
"No point in lying, if he wants a full body shot, I'd just have to take the clothes back off"
In fact, that's exactly what Nin wanted.
'I want to see your naked body. I want to know what I'll be controlling'
-Full… Like head to foot…-
'Lol. If you don't want to show your face I understand, neck down is fine for me. Do this, and I will be your master'
Sakura was actually starting to get giddy with excitement. She set up her camera with a timer again and took a picture of a sexy position she saw in one of the fail porn she had seen before. She sent it and waited for his response.
'Mmm, so lovely. No more Nin for you, my dirty slave.'
Sakura squealed!
-Yes Master-
'Now the first thing I want you to do, go out and buy yourself a sex toy'
*Clonk* (refer to definition above)
Sakura tried to change his mind, gently, not wanting to anger her new master. But he wouldn't budge on the order.
'I'm sure you can find one' He had said, before logging off for the night.
Sakura didn't even know where to look for Adult toys. She assumed her town probably had a few shops catering to that type of business, but where in the world was she suppose to look.
"Ooo, Google! Adult Toy Stores, XXXXX (Zip code, make one up)"
She actually wasn't that surprised to find so many in her area when the list and map came up. But no matter how close or far away from her they were, she just couldn't bring herself to go to one. How exactly was she suppose to get there anyway?
"Can't really walk up to Mom and say, Hey, can you take me to an adult toy store! Yeah, that would go over well."
Then she stopped looking through the addresses and went back to Google. If I can't get to one, why can't I have it sent to me; was her thought as she looked up sex toy websites. After looking at various choices, she picked one she thought had the biggest selection. Her master had left it up to her on what to buy and she thought a small dildo would be the best.
"I doubt I could take one of these monsters now."
Another reason she chose the site, her parents would never know. The packaging, the billing, all of it was private. She could claim she ordered more chemistry dishes or new strings for her cello. She could always count on her parents to not ask questions.
"Thank you little brothers" She sung as she confirmed her order and sat back in her chair, arms folded behind her head. And then the blush hit.
She, Sakura Haruno, Straight A, Honor Roll student, had just ordered a sex toy online.
It only took 3 days for the toy to arrive. She was thankful her parents had dropped the twins at a sitters (she claimed she had another test coming up and couldn't watch them) and had gone out for a date night. She put the small dildo on her desk, looked at it, then looked up at her screen when she heard a ding.
'Did you get it?'
-Yes Master, what do you want me to do now?-
'Strip, and then we'll start.'

subset: commoncrawl


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Some days in my "Creative Cave" (AKA the garage) are better and more productive than others. Sometimes I pick up a bead or length of wire and begin threading or wrapping to see what happens.
One such necklace came from this process, but it's not all it's cracked up to be. Let me explain. The bead stringing started as a stretchy bracelet but then it occurred to me I might as well make a necklace. So, from the get-go, I wasn't stringing the beads the way I think I should for a necklace…meaning I think I would've hooked a clasp on one end before stringing the beads. So I wasn't sure where this was going to end up, but I liked the way the colors were coming together.
On one of my several visits to a craft store with Jules I picked up some buttons that were on clearance and have been using them in my wire-wrapped cuff bracelets. One particular button matched the beads so I wanted to somehow work it into the piece.
I decided I would add the button to the end, and once the necklace was closed it could be worn with the button hanging like a pendant, hidden in the back or somewhere along the side.
But now came the time to add a clasp, because I wasn't sure the necklace was long enough to be stretched over the head. What I was working with was a length of beads on stretchy string with a button at the end. I added a magnetic clasp, but as you can see I went off track somewhere. Oh, the clasp is on there but there are no breaks in the necklace.
A photo of the finished product will be posted once I break my bad habit of getting frustrated at a piece of handmade jewelry and putting it aside for another time.
Don't forget…I welcome blog post comments and hope you visit and like my Facebook page and Pinterest site.


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Mahogany Naturals Extraordinary Conditioning Hair Detox
Product Claims
- Gently cleanses and deep conditions your hair. This will leave your hair remarkably soft and silky.
- Suitable for curly and kinky curly hair.use weekly
- Apply to damp hair and cover with a plastic cap for 40 minutes or steam for 25 minutes.rinse well and proceed with styling
- Contains Moroccan Rhassoul, (Anthocyanidins) Hibiscus, marshmallow root, ( Aloe Barbadensis) aloe Vera gel, ( Cocos nucifera ) raw coconut powder, African black soap,orange essential oil, sea weed, raw honey, vegetable glycerine, (Ricinus communis ) castor oil, conditioning emulsifier
This product is less creamy, so it's best to apply it in the bathroom because the application can be messy.
After applying the the product i covered my hair with a plastic bag and left it for 45 minutes and rinsed my hair with a conditioner. It took me a long time to rinse of the product
After spending so long rinsing off the product, the result was amazing, my hair was soft and bouncy. I love the way my hair felt and it makes it easy to style my hair afterwards.
It's a 2 in 1 product which cleanses and conditions the hair so you don't have to do another deep conditioning treatment after applying this product.
It leaves the hair very soft and bouncy
It can be very messy, because of the consistency of the product
It takes a long time to rinse off all the products properly
Because of the texture of my hair i can't use it weekly
Overall Review
It i a very good product and i love using it every 3 weeks and I've had a lot of use out of it and i have got a lot of hair.


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OPUS, a must see
Story: With only a few days to rehearse Beethoven's Opus 131, a world-renowned string quartet struggles to prepare for their highest-profile performance ever. Their rehearsal room becomes a pressure cooker as passions rise, personalities clash and the players are forced to confront the ephemeral nature of their life's work.
Few months back I ran into an acquaintance of mine, Jorge Cousineau, the Sound Designer for the Arden Theatre who told me with great enthusiasms how he recorded students from The Curtis Institute of Music for this production. It is worth mentioning that The Addison Quartet, formed in 2004, includes Johannes Dickbauer, José Maria Blumenschein, Lily Francis and Nick Canellakis. They sound great!
Adren extended the show by popular demand so see it now if you can.
Join PrivateLessons.com I Syndicate Feed I Contact Me


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I had two projects for the weekend; needless to say, I did not get into the woods and use my new knowledge and the chainsaw!
I did tie dye socks though! I am going to a bazaar on July 4th, where I will try to sell these wild things! I didn't use the rubber bands; just squirted dye to my heart's content. I don't care if I sell a single one; they'll be too much fun to wear!
My other project was to make a wedding card. A very sweet lady got married and I couldn't resist making an embroidered card for her.


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I finished one of the books from my list, Judy Greer's "I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star" is a real look into life as a co-star in Hollywood. Judy is from Michigan (gotta support girls from the Midwest!) and she talked about her upbringing as an only child and how she got into acting.
She recalls funny stories of the things people say to her on the street when they recognize her but aren't sure what she is from. I personally loved her in 13 Going on 30, The Wedding Planner, and Arrested Development.
One thing I really liked about this book and the tone of it is how down to earth she is. She recalls her first time to the Oscars and her experience there with her dress falling apart and her hanging out alone while she looks for her costars. She also shares funny pictures from her childhood.
When Judy got married she gained two stepchildren and she talks about what it's like for her to be a stepparent which a lot of people can relate to. She's a real girl's girl and I enjoy hearing her voice through her writing.
If anyone else has read it, I'd love to hear your opinions too!


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Week 7 brings us to Prague
Next week Emily goes to meet the guys' families, so this is the week that really separates the men from the wolves. That's right, I think it's obvious that Wolf is not going to get to take Emily back to meet the pack.
-Arie gets the first one-on-one date. Their date is just walking around Prague. I get it. And in old timey European cities that can be pretty entertaining. But come on, Emily. ABC is at your disposal. Where are all the helicopter rides and high-adventure experiences?
Chris Harrison addresses the tv audience to drop this bomb: Arie had a "very brief" relationship with a producer of the show many years ago. Emily thinks he should have told her, and she isn't happy about it. Emily keeps asking him "Are you trustworthy? Do you have any secrets?" and he really isn't getting the hint. He fesses up that he got another girl's name tattooed on his body, but not to the relationship with the producer. They had an off-camera conversation about it. That is absolute horseshit. What the fuck, Chris Harrison? I imagine that we missed a pretty great throwdown
Now we're back on camera, it is night time, and Emily and Arie are making out. I call bullshit on this entire date. They edited out the confrontation, the fight, the make-up, the aftershock fight, and the part where the producers forced her to pretend that it didn't matter so that she can still send Wolf home later. This is a low move, even for ABC.
-Now Wolf gets a one-on-one. think he has a worse shot with Emily than he did with Liam Neeson.
They go on a date walking around prague, SURPRISE! They vandalize some wall to fight communism, then struggle to put a symbolic lock on a fence, which Emily sees as a metaphor for their relationship. Finally. It had been a few weeks since something on a date was a metaphor for the relationship, I was getting worried.
Emily has a thing for dungeons, because I think this is at least the third time she's had dinner in one this season. Has she been reading too much 50 Shades of Grey? I don't know if there are any dungeons in 50 shades of Grey, but if there aren't then maybe there should be. Last week Wolf discussed his dead grandparents to gain sympathy, this week he discussed having his heart broken by someone that he loved. Next week's dinner conversation with his parents will be about the near extinction of the grey wolf in the 20th century. Nah, he's not coming back next week.
–Sean runs around the streets of Prague and happens upon Emily on the way home from her date with Wolf and makes out with her. Wolf, let me introduce you to the Alpha.
-Next up is a group date with Doug, Chris, and Sean. Chris is frighteningly angry that he is on a group date instead of a one-on-one. They're taking a carriage ride to an old castle. Hey, Emily, I wonder if it has a dungeon?
During his alone time, Doug continues to act like he's afraid to touch her, so she sends him home.
In their alone time, that appears to be in a dungeon, both Sean and Chris seem to do well. Chris tries his best to screw it up by whining about not getting a one-on-one. Sean gets the rose, Chris melts down in private. It seemed like Chris was doing ok, but if he can't hide his growing insanity then he won't be around long.
-Jef gets the final one-on-one, and they're going…..WALKING AROUND TO SOME SHOPS. They reenact their love in puppet form and then make out. They lay on the floor and talk about how in love they are (basically). There was no doubt about it, Jef killed it.
-Emily decides to forgo the pre-rose ceremony cocktail party. Chris melts down and interrupts the rose ceremony. He gets the rose eventually. I think he would have anyway, but now he's exposed his mental instability. Everyone says goodbye to Wolf
Best Moment: Jef says to Emily- "I want to date you so hard and marry the fuck out of you." TEAM JEF
Worst Moment: Emily walks Doug to the gates of the castle and explains to him that it just isn't happening, that she's been waiting for a spark, and it never showed itself. So, clearly, she is about to send him home. Doug decides that this is the perfect time to lean in for a kiss. Emily doesn't skip a beat and continues sending him home. This show has many painfully awkward moments, and this one puts them all to shame.
Power Rankings:
4. Chris (Psycho, 25)
Chris melted down several times this week, a few of them in front of Emily. I think she likes him, but between his lunacy and the fact that some other guys are really stepping up their game, he has a ton of ground to make up.
3. Arie (Race car driver, 30)
I think Arie is still in the mix, but the weirdness with the producer this week has to keep him out of the top tier. He also annoys the hell out of me with the voice he talks to Emily in. He raises the pitch of his voice. Listen and you'll hear what I'm hearing.
2. Jef (Entrepreneur, 31)
It is hard to keep Jef out of the top spot this week. They had a great date and he did what he had been failing to do in previous weeks by really taking the initiative when it comes to showing his feelings and affection. I think he is a cut above Arie and Chris, and is just a sliver out of the top spot right now. #TeamJef
1. Sean (Insurance agent, 28)
Even if he hadn't pulled his "hunt Emily down in the streets of Prague like she's an unwitting American backpacker and he is the guy from Hostel" move I think it'd be hard to keep Sean out of the top spot. She's definitely head over heels for him and they have a lot in common, and then he goes and seeks her out after Wolf's date and basically has a date with her himself. Like I said, I don't think he is that far ahead of the field, but he's the force to be reckoned with until proven otherwise.
BOLD PREDICTION: Emily only has to send one guy home next week. But she hasn't been shy about eliminating guys the instant she knows she is done. Two weeks from now will probably also be "meet Ricki" week and I'll bet she doesn't want any more guys than necessary for that week. I think she'll send an extra guy home and we'll only have two guys heading into the final stretch.


text: Help us spread the word by sharing these Energy Day materials on your website, social media outlets and other communications! We are also happy to share 18"x24" posters. 2017 English Marketing Materials 2017 Spanish Marketing Materials 2017 Energy Day Sponsorship Options 2016 Energy Day Recap Energy Day Logo CEEF Logo CEA Logo Letterhead


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Here in Kashmir there is always a cool atmosphere
Here in Kashmir there is always a cool atmosphere
"Work is worship"
good one
Ok, this is actually the first poll I've "Closed" here on the site. But after the fantastic response to this edition of "The Great Debates", I felt that people needed some closure!
After a week of voting, more than 80 people voted and our discussion ran over 125 comments. The result was EXTREMELY close. This was an even match, a hard-fought battle, a well-earned victory…
For one of them.
Click through to see who won!
View original post 184 more words
Birthday Present
Great Gray Owl – Dunrobin, Ontario, Canada – Jim Cumming – Featured Photographer
Today is our grandmother's 81st birthday and she loves owls of all kinds. So we thought today would be appropriate to feature Jim Cumming. Jim is passionate about photographing wildlife in and around Ontario and it shows. He has several great owl photographs and he truly is the deer whisperer. Please check out his portfolios http://www.redbubble.com/people/darby8 and http://500px.com/JimCumming/photos after you read about his wonderful owl in flight photo.
Take it away Jim:
I had heard there was a Great Gray Owl located in Dunrobin, Ontario, Canada and not far from my home in Kanata, Ontario so I ventured out one weekend morning to hopefully find and photograph it. Driving down a country road I noticed a handful of photographers in an open field so I stopped to inquire what was going on…
View original post 138 more words


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This past Wednesday, after about a week of on-again-off-again page planning/design and shopping to collect supplies (like paper, embellishments, and adhesive), I finally assembled my first scrapbook page. Not for my personal use, this page will (hopefully) brighten the Sign In Area of our homeschool support group meetings. I plan to create a page for each month, September 2011 through June 2012. If I am really inspired, I might add pages for July and August 2012 as well. Of course, that would only be if the group decides to meet next summer.
Being related (by marriage) to a scrapbook entrepreneur and having a best friend who has worked as a scrapbook page designer for a website, I really should have caught the creative memory keeping bug long ago, but I didn't. Why I caught it now, I cannot say. I guess I just wanted to give a warm welcome to the families in our homeschool community and creatively preserve some of the moments we share together. Or maybe in my old age (I will turn fifty soon), I have softened to the idea that there is some purpose to "frivolous" decoration: that of making people comfortable and letting them know you care enough to make their environs pretty. Whatever the reason, I have finished my first project and am moving on to another: October holidays. No Halloween, though. I have decided to focus on three other celebrations. Can you guess what they might be?
Inspired by a little-known picture book from the pen of Bethany Tudor, this is a diary, of sorts, where I document some of my thoughts, activities, and ideas as I explore the challenges met by the characters in the story: hard work, the care and nurture of others, housekeeping skills, life changes, charity, community, and cooperation, among others. Like Samuel and Samantha, the ducks in the tale, I struggle and succeed, cope and celebrate, work and play, handling the tasks that come my way. I invite you to join me on my journey.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
My First Scrapbooking Project
Posted by Plush Duck at 9:00 PM
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from 2/1 to 2/15 2,913 yards of which 1,468 was from my stash.
from 2/16 - 2/28 1,815 yards of which 1,049 was from stash. Total 4,728 yards for Feb or 2.68 miles
Pattern "Hogwarts Express" from Shibu Yarns purchased from Loopy Ewe made for Ravellenic Olympics
"Thistledown" design by Boo Knits, Yarn Faery Wings by Fyberspates.
"Cobweb" design by Boo Knits, Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy "Orchid" purchased from Loopy Ewe
Tutu Skirt in lace yarn with beads for the Granddaughter Love the finished project but....didn't enjoy the pattern since it was for me a little boring.
February was also busy since we went to Sacramento for a big deal car show. Saw the Daughter, SIL, GD, and GS which was awesome. Drove home and now we are relaxing.


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The Malings is a 'modest-looking' housing development built by Igloo next to the Ouseburn to a design by the architects Cany Ash and Robert Sakula. The design distributes the houses in five fingers, four of which have been built. Most are three to five storeys high and run up a slope from the riverside. There are small back gardens and a number of eco-friendly features including a rain garden at the bottom of the slope. Each property, regardless of type, has an entrance to the street, plants and a seating area. Some are reinventions of the Tyneside flat, with homes placed above each other in a terrace of houses, where each one has a front door on to the street.
See the review by The Observer's architecture critic Rowan Moore: http://gu.com/p/4dyyv/sbl (Nov 1st 2015)


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About Us
We would like to introduce ourselves...
Mill's Pride Kitchens is your online Kitchen Cabinet wholesaler with a vast array of styles colors and selection. We offer a Selection of Home Depot replacement doors solutions like Mill's Pride Kitchen Cabinets Doors, Distinctions Cabinetry, Premier Cabinetry, and All Wood Cabinetry. We are not associated with Masco Corporation or Home Depot. Our products consist of mostly Mill's Pride original stock sold by Home Depot and products that we produce.
Our agenda is simple: "Best Products, Best Service, Best Value" and we work really hard to fulfill this agenda on a daily basis.
Best Products means that we use state of the art technology, to ensure that you will get the best craftsmanship and the best materials. In fact, we are so confident in the quality of our product that we offer 1-year warranty on our all wood kitchen cabinets and vanities including our Mill's Pride doors.
Best Service means that we always think of you and our company is always revolving on customer expectations and pricing.
Best Value: Simple, if you find a better deal Mill's Pride Kitchens Kitchen Cabinets and Vanities with the same quality as other wholesalers like Kitchens Pro at the best possible price.
Our prices are simply the best and if you find a lower price we will try to beat it. (some restrictions apply)
What is the Mill's Pride Kitchens different?
Most importantly: We provide all of the door styles and cabinets produce by Mill's Pride Company originally sold thru Home Depot.
Mill's Pride Kitchens offers a replacement doors for Mill's Pride, Distinctions Cabinetry, Premier Cabinetry, and our own brand of Cabinetry.


text:
Odoo Help
Odoo is the world's easiest all-in-one management software. It includes hundreds of business apps:
CRM | e-Commerce | Accounting | Inventory | PoS | Project management | MRP | etc.
How to manage Internal invoicing?
Is there a way or a module to manage internal invoicing? For example, I have a mother company and 2 child companies. Child A buys products to Child B, which should not create a usual invoice as the 2 companies are in fact in the same company. It should create an internal invoice.
Thank you.
About This Community
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Birthday poem
Today is happy
It most certainly is
Shake a pop
And make it fizz
Fly a kite
Or take a nap
Slap a knee
And pat a back
Run or skip
Without a care
Or fly a plane
If you dare
Swim or skate
Take your pick
Hit a mailbox
With a stick
Fall or trip
Laugh or play
Do whatever
Its your Birthday
Happy Birthday!!!
Birthday Quotes
Birthday Quotes
1. May u grow to be toothless!
2. Hey, u r 1 year older now, 1 year smarter now, 1 year bigger now, and now u r 1 year closer to all your wishes. Happy Birthday
3. Happy birthday pighead may you fart, fart and fart whole day.
4. Happy b'day 2 u happy b'day 2 u happy b'day 2 u my dear ……….. happy b'day 2 u hope this day become the most memorable day of ur life and ur all wishes comes true. so enjoy today with joy.
5. May the good lord bless you with excellent health and defend your life from the evil one! see many more years happy birthday
6. On ur b'day, some words of wisdom… …smile while u still have teeth. Happy B'day
7. When you turn thirty, a whole new thing happens: you see yourself acting like you parents.
8. Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words.
9. All of us are joining in to say, that May the year which your birthday begins, brings all the special things, that mean the most to you!
10. A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip!!!
- January 2012 (1)
- November 2008 (2)
- August 2008 (5)
- October 2006 (1)
- September 2006 (5)
- August 2006 (16)
- July 2006 (23)
- June 2006 (26)
- May 2006 (48)
- April 2006 (19)
- March 2006 (15)
- February 2006 (14)
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If you were on a desert island and all you had to look at was a chart of ag index prices ( https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AwyOBL4BETo/TW-SK-a0y2I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/EXBprDiso4o/s1600/0303rja.PNG ) and energy you might guess there was inflation. Of course, we know that is not true - the government tells us so.
What we do know is there has been inflation of these indexes. Of course it appears we may be in for a temporary reprieve and get a short term pullback in these. Take a look at energy:


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|Orange County
You're rich, pretty, and living a charmed life. (Or you seriously wish you were.)
From Disneyland to Laguna Beach, you're all about living the California dream life.
Just make sure to marry rich - so you don't have to work for it!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Crack me up.... but not surprised.....
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
No surprises here....
Are You Left-Brained or Right-Brained?
Although one side of the brain is generally dominant over the other, we should strive to utilize both halves. A balanced brain makes a balanced person - combining sequential thinking with a holistic approach, or linear thinking with intuition, enables us to fully comprehend issues and solve problems. Left-brainers can dramatically improve their problem solving abilities by learning to "follow their gut," while right-brainers can improve the execution of their creative efforts.
Realizing your dominant half is the first step in becoming balance-brained.
Your percentage score for the left brain is 55%.
Your percentage score for the right brain is 45%.
You are more left-brained than right-brained. Your left brain controls the right side of your body. In addition to being known as left-brained, you are also known as a critical thinker who uses logic and sense to collect information. You are able to retain this information through the use of numbers, words, and symbols. You usually only see parts of the "whole" picture, but this is what guides you step-by-step in a logical manner to your conclusion. Concise words, numerical and written formulas and technological systems are often forms of expression for you. Some occupations usually held by a left-brained person include a lab scientist, banker, judge, lawyer, mathematician, librarian, and skating judge.
Your left brain/right brain percentage was calculated by combining the individual scores of each half's sub-categories. They are as follows:
Left Brain
- Linear
- Sequential
- Symbolic
- Logical
- Verbal
- Reality-based
Right Brain
- Holistic
- Random
- Concrete
- Intuitive
- Nonverbal
- Fantasy-oriented
I just have to wonder if I need any special expertise to be a "skating judge".... ya know?
Have You Seen Her?
Today, the WNBA announced an expansion team in Atlanta. This brings the total WNBA teams to 14.
Everything that annoys you about professional sports? The egotistical players, the high salaries... all that? It's not there in the WNBA. Salary parity is a long way off... these women play as hard (and it is a physical game) and do so year round (playing in Europe in the off season). But it means tickets are affordable and you can take the whole family.
We are season ticket holders for the Sacramento Monarchs and win or lose, we have enjoyed every game. We can take our girls and while they still aren't big basketball fans, they are Monarchs fans.
If you live in the Atlanta area.... get your First Season Season Tickets. No. It isn't the same as the NBA. In some ways....it's better.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Blogthings Day
|You Scored an A
You got 10/10 questions correct.
It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors.
If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.
As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human.
And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.
|You Should Be a Joke Writer
You're totally hilarious, and you can find the humor in any situation.
Whether you're spouting off zingers, comebacks, or jokes about life...
You usually can keep a crowd laughing, and you have plenty of material.
You have the makings of a great comedian - or comedic writer.
|Your Brain is 47% Female, 53% Male
Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female
You are both sensitive and savvy
Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed
But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve
|Your Movie Buff Quotient: 52%
You are well on your way to becoming a movie buff.
You've seen many of the great films, and you have even probably developed an expertise in a few genres.
|You Are 80% "Average American"
You are average because you live within three miles of McDonalds.
You are not average since you have (at least) a college degree.
|You Are 5: The Investigator
You're independent - and a logical analytical thinker.
You love learning and ideas... and know things no one else does.
Bored by small talk, you refuse to participate in boring conversations.
You are open minded. A visionary. You understand the world and may change it.
At Your Best: You are sharp, inventive, and creative. You have the skills to lead the world.
At Your Worst: You are reclusive, weird, and a bit paranoid.
Your Fixation: Greed
Your Primary Fear: Being useless or incompetent
Your Primary Desire: Being competent and needed
Other Number 5's: Bill Gates, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Bjork, and Stephen Hawking.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
For Thought
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum today unveiled an important new addition to its collection—a personal photo album containing 116 pictures taken between May and December 1944 chronicling the life of SS officers and other officials at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The rare images capture SS guards and Nazi officials relaxing and enjoying time off—hunting, singing, trimming Christmas trees, and more—all while Jews were being murdered at rates as fast as anytime during the Holocaust. The album was created and owned by Karl Höcker, an adjunct to camp Kommandant Richard Baer.
"It's hard to fathom the kind of people who ran these camps and one always struggles to understand who they were and how they saw themselves," says Museum Director Sara J. Bloomfield. "These unique photographs vividly illustrate the contented world they enjoyed while overseeing a world of unimaginable suffering. They offer an important perspective on the psychology of those perpetrating genocide."
The 116 new images represent a significant increase in the number of known pre-liberation images of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Previously, only about 320 images existed of the camp before it was liberated by the Soviet army on January 27, 1945. (This figure does not include photographs of prisoners as they were processed into the camp for forced labor.)
The album complements the only other known collection of photographs taken at Auschwitz, published as the "Auschwitz Album" in 1980. Those images specifically depict the arrival of Hungarian Jews at the camp in late May 1944, and the selection process that the SS imposed on them. Some of the images contained in the new album were taken just days later. In contrast to documenting mass murder, they focus on the daily lives and recreational pursuits of Nazi officials, and no prisoner appears in any of the images.
Images in the new album include:
- Photographs of Dr. Josef Mengele in uniform on the camp grounds; some of the only known photographs of his tenure at Auschwitz-Birkenau
- A funeral for Nazi officers most likely killed in the accidental December 26, 1944, American bombing of the camp
- A sing-along featuring an accordion player and approximately 70 SS men, including Höcker; Dr. Josef Mengele; Birkenau Kommandant Josef Kramer; former Auschwitz Kommandant Rudolf Höss, who was brought back to oversee the murder of Hungarian Jews; and Otto Moll, the gas chamber supervisor at Auschwitz-Birkenau
- Höcker trimming Christmas trees in December 1944, weeks before the Red Army would overrun the camp
- Female SS auxiliaries eating blueberries and then mockingly crying and posing with empty bowls turned upside down when they are gone
- Numerous hunting trips and portraits of Höcker's favorite hunting dog
Remarkably, many of the album's pictures were taken when the camp's gas chambers and crematoria were operating at and above capacity as Hungarian Jews were arriving and being murdered.
"The Holocaust is recent history, and much more remains to be learned," says Teresa Swiebocka of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. "We know there are many more hidden collections like this. They need to be found and preserved to help transmit the memory of the Holocaust to future generations. Some of these new, unique images will enhance our new permanent exhibition."
An online exhibition of the collection can be found on the Museum's Web site at www.ushmm.org.How the Museum Received the Auschwitz SS Album
In December 2006, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and former member of the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) wrote to the Museum archives. As one of its many tasks as a military intelligence agency, the CIC conducted investigations of Nazi perpetrators for U.S. prosecutors in the Judge Advocate General's Office after World War II. While stationed in Germany in 1946, this officer found a photograph album in an abandoned apartment in Frankfurt and took it home with him. In 2007, he donated the album to the Museum, but wanted his donation to remain anonymous.The Fate of Karl Höcker and His Photograph Album
After the Germans evacuated Auschwitz-Birkenau in mid-January 1945, Höcker accompanied Baer to command Dora-Mittelbau. He fled that camp before it was captured by the Allies and was eventually captured by the British. Not recognizing him, the British released him in 1946 and he reentered civilian life as a banker. Not until the Eichmann trial of 1961 did anyone attempt to locate him. In 1963, he finally faced charges at the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial. Baer was also a defendant at the trial, but died of natural causes while in custody.
During the final year of the Holocaust, Höcker was stationed at Auschwitz I, a labor camp. Although witnesses, including other Nazi officials, testified that he would have been aware of the gassing operations and was an administrator of the killing operations at Birkenau, a few kilometers away, prosecutors could not produce a witness or any evidence directly linking him to the killings there. Höcker claimed that he was ignorant of these activities. Yet, many pictures in his photo album show him socializing with Höss, Mengele, Moll, and others intimately involved with the killing process. It strains credulity to suggest he would have been unaware of their crimes.
Höcker was sentenced to seven years in prison, but time served was deducted and he was released on parole in 1970. He returned to his banking job, and he died in 2000 at age 88 in Germany.
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was created to inspire leaders and citizens to confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity and strengthen democracy. Federal support guarantees the Museum's permanence, and donors nationwide make possible its educational activities and global outreach. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.


text:
You simply have to see Ip Man (2008): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ip_Man_(film)
It is the semi-autobiographical story of Wing-Chun Kung Fu Grandmaster Ip, who, by the way, was Bruce Lee's teacher.
Set during the Japanese occupation of China, the film has some of the most incredible Martial Arts choreography I've ever seen. The cinematography is lovely and the story is great. This one's got it all folks.
Definitely one of best films I've seen this year.


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Inspired by A Pair & A Spare. Been putting this project on hold cause it's so difficult to find the PVC sheet. Got it off Taobao straightaway after chancing upon it, cost about SGD12 per yard (shipping included). Shall not leave the steps down, 90% similar to what Geneva has done & I used her dimensions as well.
Just two major differences:
#1 Used nuts & bolts instead where you can get from any hardware store, it has the same effect & cost cheaper. Got a whole box of them at just SGD2.50.
#2 For the opening I used a magnetic closure. Took it out from one of my old clutch. Total cost = SGD0 (Recycle!)
Some tips:
- Buy a good multi-hole punch. This project's a fairly simple one but I took longer than expected cause it's so difficult to punch through the PVC with my not-so-good equipment. Wasted a lot of energy too.
- The holes are actually symmetrical, thus it'll be better if you punched all the holes on one side, fold your PVC into half & gauge the holes for the other side.
Don't be deceived by its look, able to carry my Olympus Pen which is the most important factor. Now it's waiting for me to bring it out for visiting.


text: Everybody collects something: be it stamps, rare coins, partners or autographs. Humans need something they can value, identify themselves with and own in extend. It's common and not spectacular at all. But if one nation collects others' debt and almost owns the greatest nation of our time, it is worrisome. Continue reading


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Week in review
Sat., March 5, 2011
Spokane Valley Fire Department – Commissioners discussed a pilot study that will help assess post traumatic stress in firefighters. They also voted to name the conference room in the new administration building after Chief Mike Thompson.
Fairfield City Council – The town has revised the plans for the Main and Ticknor pedestrian bridges at the request of the Department of Transportation. The council voted to approve them. The project will go out to bid later this spring. Members of the Tree Board spoke about their plans to plant trees in Hart Park. (Source: Town clerk Cheryl Loeffler)
Rockford City Council – Bids were opened for the town's water reservoir project and the council awarded the bid to Mountain Crest. Construction is expected to begin around April 15. The council also discussed how to improve drainage in the park and the need for more electrical service at the fairgrounds for vendors.


text:
I had a collections from Enhanced recovery show up on my credit report. I contacted them and they can not find my info in their system, they said that it would be removed but it is still there. I have contacted them a few times, and I get transfered around and around and no one can help me because they cant find me in the system, and I never had a comcast account, they had me fax in a copy of the report and my drivers license and a letter telling them that it needs to be removed. How do I get ths taken off? What should be my next steps?
From your post, I gather that the OC never reported to the CRA, and you never had an account with the OC.
Now a debt colletor is seeking payment of the alleged debt.
First, when the debt collector sent you a dunning notice, did you DV them? In response to a DV, they must "obtain" verification from the OC.
They apprently will not be able to do that. However, unless you live in Texas,they can sit on your DV request and not respond.
So, the DV process is the first step, but to compel response, I would also dispute.
If you also dispute, I would not suggest disputing through the CRA. I would file a direct dispute with the debt collector, bypassing the CRA, and ensuring all of your supporting documentation is received by the debt collector.


text:
Writing is writing, right? Wrong. Writing for the web includes much more than just plain old writing. Think of all the different types of words we see in a day. With each different type of writing, expectations change. You wouldn't anticipate the same information presented in a website as you would a billboard. Although I recognize the difference in information presentation, I never really thought about the different styles of writing that accompany medium. Each must be tackled from a different angle.
Magazines – When I sit down to read a magazine, I'm usually doing so on a weekend during some spare time. I like a combination of quick, easy-to-read blocks of information with an occasional essay here and there for interest. I like the completeness of finishing an entire magazine in about an hour. Anything longer and I will probably move on to something else.
Websites – A good majority of my time I spent on the internet is done so with intent to find information. If I'm looking for something, I want to find it quickly. If I am not on my way to clearly finding what I need within about 5 seconds of entering a website, I will just find another one that is quicker. I don't have time to search for information when I can just as easily find it somewhere else. I want bold headlines with short informational bits to guide me through each page.
Brochures – In looking at a brochure, I want fast information in small, easy to read sections, similar to websites. I read brochures the same as reading websites, usually with the intent to find information. If I want a large section of body copy on a certain subject, I'll just purchase a book.
Billboards – A billboard better be bold, humorous or poignant, or most people will fly by at 40 mph without so much as a second glance. If a car needs to slow down or almost crash to read the billboard, it's not getting the job done. The information should be easy to read and pretty large. Where is the next Arby's? Exit 34A on the left. That's the most important information.
Books – When I curl up on my chair or in bed with a good book, I don't want to see big headlines or small blocks of text throughout the book. I expect to see a nice line of text that continues from page to page, just as my imagination continues along with the novel. It should feel stable and not rushed. I'm usually not reading for immediate information, but to unwind. Time is much less of an issue when reading a good book.
While each set of wording may have different presentation and information expectations, there are some elements that never change: punctuation and grammar. Yes, I am one of those nerds that pays attention to grammar in all forms of writing. If your new sign has a word misspelled, I will notice it. If you post a grammatically incorrect status update on Facebook, I will notice it. If your company has a lighted sign with a letter burnt out, I will point and laugh. And I will probably tell all my friends and we'll have a good laugh at your expense. This is not "word-of-mouth" advertising. When I choose a business, I want someone who is smart and knows their business. I have seen this done intentionally to catch the reader's attention, but it is a rare occasion. Incorrect spelling, punctuation and grammar can make a company look lazy, unintelligent, or sometimes worse. Perhaps even deepen an old college football rivalry.
[Now that I've made the great claim for grammar and punctuation, I bet you will all scrupulously edit my blog.]


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I read a number of other blogs and often stumble on things other people have written that, instead of putting my own spin on it, I feel compelled to share with my blog in their original form. I have shied away from doing this much in the past but because I can't really say why, I am going to begin passing along the gems that either I really relate to or ones that make me think differently.
Today I read a blog by George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.
In it, he talks about the benefits of cruising. I have cruised four times, including my most recent trip from Boston to Bermuda. While cruising is not for everyone, I think there are a lot of misconceptions out there about cruising and more people might try it if they understood more. Last night I met with some women from church who were asking my mother, a first time cruiser, about her experience and was surprised that it wasn't widely known what a great value cruising is; you can often find fares under $500 for a week, which includes food, lodging, and entertainment. Many people fear the motion of the boat but I assure you that you are rarely aware of any rocking. Finally, this article makes a good distinction: the cruise industry has created some specialization so you can choose the cruise line that suites your personality or interests in a more predictable way than you can select just-the-right airline for you or just-the-right hotel for you.
Check out this post. Have you ever cruised? Would you consider it? What holds you back?
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
To Cruise or Not to Cruise?
Posted by moedawg at 12:57 PM
2 comments:
I am so glad you posted this. Just this past weekend Peter and I decided to look into taking a cruise with the kids for Spring Break in March. Neither of us have done it before but we've wanted to for years. I'm going to share the article and your post with him to further convince him that cruises are awesome and can be an affordable way to travel!ReplyDelete
I think they would actually be great with kids, too. Different lines have different options in terms of child programming and child care but there are definitely ways to have both family time and alone time=ideal!!ReplyDelete
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I'm certainly not a seamstress, so it took me a bit to figure out the surprisingly detailed process on the tutorial and to machine sew each little decoration onto the removable "wall."
|Secret clothes storage space under the floor (can be easily removed by the little blue tab in the back, right corner of the first picture).
I think Ella will be surprised when she opens it on Christmas morning. Don't you?


text:
Our time in Cape Town was so awesome. We had a little over two weeks there, and we packed in a whole lot of catch up time with friends. The community we were a part of there is so amazing, and we miss everyone terribly. It was so wonderful to visit with everyone, and pray together.
While we were there, we were also a part of a leader's retreat. It was so encouraging and challenging. The speaker talked a lot about obeying God even when it looks risky. He talked about being like Caleb, and trusting in God more than having fear of giants. He told story after story about crazy, and sometimes terrible things that happened in his life, but how God's kingdom came through those things. It was beautiful and challenging. To place value on the kingdom coming above the things we view as our rights. I am not sure yet what things God might ask of me, so I am still waiting and asking.


text:
doses of a teen-ager *slash* student and a crazy Fangirl's insanities.
Sunday, August 24
Well. Anyone does aspire for a CHANGE. In whatever unique aspects it may be. Having no nerve, out of the blue, I just wanted for some change. Ask myself, yes, I look forward to a change. But what kind of change? Ask myself again. Nevermind.
By the Way, I just did this stuff. I made a mockery out of my
picture. Imagine that. Damn! :)) Simply placing all those stuff and
brushes. Hahaha^^ Laughing at my own self. :]]
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After Ben's freakout on Sunday, thanks in part to the comments of a friend, I began pondering whether his back might be bothering him. It shouldn't be, given how little work he's been doing for lo! these many months, and the ideal life of puttering about the fields he leads. Still, he does have kissing spines, which flare up painfully once in a while, and the last time he had the injections for that was well over a year ago. Plus, when I ran my fingers down his back near his spine yesterday, he flinched.
So today Ben got a visit from Lael, his massage therapist, who hasn't worked him over in almost a year -- after all, he wasn't being ridden much, so he didn't need the regular maintenance he used to get. And whaddaya know? He had knots of ouchy tenderness here and there about his body, primarily in the areas of his right wither and left croup. It certainly wasn't as bad as he's been in the past, but it was more than Lael expected from the life he leads.
We checked the fit of the Aussie saddle, on his bare back, with the usual saddle pad, and with the pad plus a contoured foam pad I used to use on him but hadn't lately. The saddle was snug with no pad and didn't rock, seemed to fit fine -- but wait. Under the left panel up in front, if one slid one's hand beneath it in the dip just behind the shoulder/wither, one could feel it pressing a bit too tight. Tight too, though not as much, on the right side. Put the cloth saddle pad on -- about the same. Add the foam pad, and it lifted the tight part just high enough to relieve most of the pressure.
Verdict: Saddle needs restuffing to fit the grazing-enlarged Ben. Till that can be done, he can be ridden as long as I use the foam pad.
Verdict on the Sunday explosion: He's been in greater discomfort than this before without blowing up, so the soreness isn't the whole story; but if he was upset for other reasons, then any nagging ouchiness would just move him that much closer to the edge of losing it.
Meanwhile Commander has decided he wants to go naked -- no more shoes! He's pulled his left front shoe off, taking some hoof wall with it, three times in the last two-three weeks, the first time because he was mucking about in the bed of the creek that runs alongside his fields. That's been fenced off now, but still he's managed to remove that shoe from his increasingly chipped-away hoof. The third shoe expungement happened sometime between Saturday midday when I rode him and Sunday late morning when Rick was grooming him and discovered his oh-no-not again! bare foot. Since he seemed perfectly sound on it, and we were going to be riding entirely on grassy fields, we decided to go ahead -- and Commander was fine for the whole ride, not ouchy at all.
Which led me to wonder, well, instead of asking my poor farrier to reattach the shoe yet again (nailing into what? Is there anywhere in that hoof wall that's still solidly nailable?), maybe Commander could go shoeless? This is always a dicey question with a horse who's foundered in the past. Still, his single bout of founder was four or five years ago; he lives out on grass; what limited riding he gets is on the fields; and watching him move about with both shoes gone, he appeared be be quite comfortable, only taking one yikes! step when he put his newly bare right foot down on a stone.
So I talked it over with my farrier, the pros and cons, and we're going with no shoes for now. Ken will trim his feet tomorrow, to tidy them up, and we'll see how he does. I may put some Venice turpentine or other hoof toughener on his soles. Come winter he may well need to go back into front shoes (he does great with no hind shoes), but if we can give him at least a couple of months to grow out his hooves, perhaps he'll hang onto his shoes when they do go back on.
Sigh.............. It's always something with these critters, isn't it?


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Summary: Bestselling author Ravi Subramanian, a master storyteller of financial crime and winner of the Golden Quill Readers Choice Award, returns with his most gripping thriller yet.
Bankers build their careers on trust, or so everyone thinks, till a series of murders threaten to destroy the reputation that the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) has built over the years. Who is behind these killings, and what is their motive?
When Karan Panjabi, press reporter and ex-banker, digs deeper, he realizes that he has stumbled upon a global conspiracy with far reaching ramifications a secret that could not only destroy the bank but also cast a shadow on the entire nation. With only thirty-six hours at his disposal, he must fight the clock and trust no one if he is to stay alive and uncover the truth.
In the racy build up to unraveling the mystery, stranger than fiction characters emerge, faith get shattered and ivory towers come crashing down. Bankers build their careers on trust, or so everyone thought – till the day the truth within GB2 gets revealed. Is the banker at GB2 fast turning into a Bankster? Or was he always one?
Spinning an intricate web of lies, deceit and treachery, bestselling author Ravi Subramanian is back. A master storyteller of financial crime, this is his most chilling thriller yet.
Buy it here – Amazon | Add at Goodreads
My View: I had heard so many good things about this book that I had high expectations from it even before I picked it up.
The book takes a slow start and later gathers pace. The author has made a big, complicated plot and then goes off to bring it out in this book. The settings are varied from Angola to Kerala to Mumbai but there's a connect between it all, which is revealed at the end.
This is my first banker read. I was surprised when comparisons were drawn with John Grisham since he writes lawyer mysteries/thrillers but the comparison further heightened my curiosity. I am not sure if the comparison does justice but oh well…
There are a lot of characters in there so make sure you're reading one book at a time unlike me. Though I did went on a start to finish schedule reading of it for entirely different reasons.
Let me tell you what I liked. I did like the complicated plot, it has substance. I could identify with the characters, they are made out well. And though disappointed with the initial pace of the book, I was glad when it picked up around the middle.
Now what irked me? A couple of things. Even though there is link between the different cities and what goes on there, it is revealed only in the end. So having flitted between all three throughout the book does seem unnatural at times and sort of broke the flow for me.
I have a limited memory, so I don't do well with a lot of characters. Secondly, having mostly foreign (read English) names in a book which is for the most part set in India and even has lots of Hindi words thrown in surprises me and doesn't fit in with the characters. I believe naming a character is extremely important part of a book and needs to be done accurately.
At times, I felt some of the key things in the books were missed as they were supposed to be natural to the reader but I don't think it worked out that way. The relations between a lot of characters whose names were mentioned but their roles weren't , felt incomplete to me.
Once I finished reading the book, I realized that even though the plot was new and complicated, it didn't personally satisfy me as a reader. I was looking for so much more. I'm not sure if these were my feelings in general or a case of high expectations which didn't turn out that well.
Lastly, I felt that editing the book by a lot of pages would make sense.
Overall, you may pick this up if you want to read what a banker mystery reads like. Personally, it didn't fit with my reading style.
This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!
About the Author
Ravi is an alumnus of IIM-Bangalore, batch of 1993. In a banking career spanning close to 18 years, he has worked with various multinational banks (Citibank, ANZ Grindlays Bank and HSBC) and at present lives in Mumbai with his wife and nine year old daughter.
An author of five books, THE BANKSTER, If God was a Banker, The Incredible Banker, Devil in Pinstripes and I Bought the Monk's Ferrari, Ravi Subramanian's maiden fiction venture, "If God Was a Banker" was published in 2007, establishing itself as a National Bestseller. The book has sold over 260,000 copies and has been widely appreciated by readers across genres and age groups. The book also won the prestigious Golden Quill Award for Readers Choice for the year 2008. His second book, "I Bought the Monk's Ferrari" followed shortly after also setting the bookshelves on fire and is a bestseller in its category. Devil in Pinstripes was his third book which released in 2009.
His last book, The Incredible Banker, which released in September 2011 has been on various bestseller lists ever since the launch. In fact it has been on the crossword book store best seller list for 40 weeks of the last 48 weeks.
As a result of his extensive background in foreign banks, writing about banking comes quite naturally to Ravi. Each one of his books thus far have been set in the backdrop of a foreign bank. The Wall Street journal has referred to Ravi Subramanian as the John Grisham of Banking.
Find Ravi – Website | Twitter | Facebook


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Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Wild speculation
Blue house syndrome - seeing one person paint their house makes you paint yours then others do it, then others, then others, so on.
Jack the Ripper was really multiple people seeing the first murder and figuring "hey, I can do that", creating multiple copycat attempts and making a sport out of killing prostitutes.
The Total Eclipse - an event hidden by the occurrence of a larger incident.
The presses focus on the Jack the Ripper slayings resulted in another brutal killer going unnoticed. Whitehall. Pinchin.
Life imitates art - a fan takes things one step too far.
The incredible performance of Richard Mansfield in the Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde inspired a failed surgeon to re-enact the events of the play on the streets of London.
History of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper, also known as the Whitechapel murderer or the Leather Apron, was one of the most notorious serial killer of all time. His vicious slaying terrified London's east end for the better part of four months during the winter of 1888. The ripper would select his victim, generally a prostitute, lead them into an alley and strangle them. After which he would gently place them on the ground, slit their throat and proceed to mutilate them. His obvious skill with a knife and impressive knowledge of anatomy led investigators to believe he might have been a trained surgeon.
The exact number of ripper victims is unclear with numbers ranging from four to as many as twelve, but often five victims are acknowledged as being the work of jack the ripper. Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. These canonical victims have been directly attributed to Jack the ripper, resulting in the string of other murders at the time to be marked down as isolated incidents, hoaxes, or copycat slayings.
Jack the ripper was never caught. This lack of resolution has given birth to many theories regarding who he really was, some ranging from the mundane, a simple madman who got over hyped, to the extraordinary, a rogue Freemason performing secret rituals in the streets of London. Even a member of the royal family is suspected to have been the ripper. Over the years it's become harder to differentiate actual documented evidence and the opinions put forth by the public and various researchers.
Perhaps the biggest influence on the case, it was the actions of the press that shaped the myth, turning a string of grisly crimes into one of the greatest mysteries of all time. The Whitechapel murders gave rise to tabloid journalism, sensationalized stories intended to sell papers as the primary means. News agencies would take to publishing whatever they could get their hands on in order to hype up the story, dozens of letters supposedly written by the killer surfaced during the winter of 1888, and it was from one of these letters that Jack the Ripper took his name. Most of the letters were discounted as hoaxes but some are suspected to be legitimate. The interference of the press was so extreme that there exists the possibility that each of the ripper slayings were actually unrelated events tied together in the form of a story.
With all the mishandling of evidence, individuals placing or removing it as they saw fit, the true story was lost in the muddy waters of mystery.
• Introduce, etc. (Roles?)
• We're doing Jack the Ripper
• Adam: History of Jack the Ripper: Who he was, victims, etc.
• As you follow the game, Journalist collects more and more newspapers.
• Henrik: Talkabout finding clues, pointing and clicking, how you explore the world "through"the newspapers and can only access the areas that are mentioned in them.
• Story element: He finds a clue to a possible murder scene.
• Anya: How the Ripper murders were much more than just violent attacks, how the story was exploited by the media.
• Why the newspaper style is important.
The Alley
• Puzzles and how they don't break the suspension of disbelief with out of place puzzles. (Like a giant sliding puzzle in the middle of the London skyline… Lolwhut?)
• Flowchart of one puzzle. (The wall puzzle)
After Effect
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Flowchart Background.
Final First Layer
Some Puzzles - more to come maybe?
The puzzle itself… something to do with a door. You have to choose the right key, perhaps? There could be a shed… out the back of the house. With tons of keys. You have to choose the right one. Maybe the keyhole can match the key.
Once in the house, you encounter one of the murders. (Which would have been played out earlier.)
The Letter Puzzle: Three of the letters you acquire share a similar pattern. When laid over the top of each other, the letters on the page form an icon – this icon would lead the player somewhere. (A building that shares the same icon on it somewhere perhaps.)
Robbing from the Police: Journalist, wanting to solve the mystery for himself, steals evidence from the police. In order to do this, the journalist must do the following:
• Spy through the window and see where the evidence is hidden.
• Find where the key to the evidence drawer is and get it.
• Distract the police in the evidence room and cause them to leave. (This step must be performed last, otherwise the police could come back before you finish all the steps.)
If the steps are not completed, the journalist will simply not go into the room.
Writing on the wall: One of the letters you receive bears the same message as the one that was written on the wall. The writing on the letter has four mysterious circles drawn over it. The circles on the letter correspond to certain bricks on the wall. Each of the bricks come loose. In the first compartment there are two matches, the second compartment there are three, in the third there is one and in the fourth there are four.
(Somehow this is a sequence for something, what, I don't know.)
Code puzzle?
TO DRAW – Room with flowchart in it, sequence murder
Monday, 1 June 2009
Face of the Ripper
NOTES - will be updated
Project Mc Ripper
Gender: Puzzle Adventure
We Must: Explain the concept VERY WELL
Flash Presentation that moves inwards, zoom in on an element for next screen.
GOAL 5 – Layers
Needed Images:
Jack the Ripper
The Murder
Third Person view of journalist. In-game
Chasing jack Image first puzzle
The newspaper room
Layer 1:
Introduction: Jack The Ripper
Layer 2:
News Paper room (History Lesson) – Adams
How the news paper is a part of the whole Jack the Ripper universe.
Layer 3:
Gameplay, Puzzles
The game takes place entirely inside a newspaper world. You control xxx in third person and walk around a very surreal version of London. The city will be drawn in Illustrated London Style with LETTERS texturing the space (Line in the Opening Image). You're able to go to different location and unlock more areas (A bit like jumping inside a painting in Mario). The player will be able to talk to people (In the newspaper world these would be interviews).
The different locations are quite linear NOT OPEN WORLD, you're only able to access a fragment of the areas that would be found in illustrations. The puzzle mostly involves connecting information from the articles & Interview and pieces them together with other articles to access more areas.
The new Paper room will look like a mad mans collection of news articles posted on the wall red lines drawn from one location to the other. This room will work as an Overworld map of London and will in end look like the professors room from the movie A Beautiful Mind. Making the player question of mentality xxx.
Puzzle Notes 1/6 -09:
The Chase = Maybe
Layer 4:
Animation (The death)
Layer 5:
Final (Lo-Fi Prototype) – The presentation itself is a low-fi version.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Research #2
Detective games:
- 1888 wiki category
- 1888 article styles
- Jack the Ripper article scans
- Jack the Ripper newspaper collection
- Evening Star 1888 (for sale)
- Newspaper resource library
- Obituary search site
- Serbian library (1888 newspapers)
- Online newspaper
- Historical text archive
- Paperless archive
- Palace journal 1889
- Article 1
- Falsified research
- Jack the Ripper
- 19th century London
- Whitechapel
- Whitechapel society
- Study guide
- Criminology: misconceptions
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Research #1
- Famous criminals
- Wiki
- Casefile
- Timeline
- Jack the Ripper.org
- How stuff works - Ripper murders
- Case study
- Case study 2
Conspiracy theories:
- Wiki list
- Masonic suspects
- Masonic rituals
- Masonic conspiracy list
- 10 Suspects
- Painter ripper
- Female ripper
- Several rippers
- Media hoax
- Media hoax 2
- Media hoax 3
- Ripper profile
- Theory pieces
- Ripper conspiracy site
- Yahoo!answers: getting away with murder
- Weird conspiracy theories
- Buried in Brisbane
- Moved to Melbourne
Henrik: Flasher
Anya: Artist
What the game is about.
Single genre.
Puzzles should be presented as a flowchart.
Prototypes… Point and click? Powerpoint, maybe…
Gameplay charts.
Journalism in 1888 Londons, how newspapers were printed in the times. How illustrations were done. http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardandgill/878699886/sizes/o/
Capital punishment in the UK 1880s.
Jack the Ripper: Possibly a doctor.
Conspiracy theories.
Gameplay elements include:
Investigating crime scenes and following clues.
Play as a journalist. This journalist wants to discover the identity of Jack the Ripper because: He has a personal agenda, related to prostitute, wants to get fresh evidence to sell newspapers, etc, etc. (Haven't decided.) This could also be the reason why the mystery was never solved.
Everyone also loves an anti-hero. (Journalist steals evidence from police, perhaps?)
As well as investigating crime scenes:
Talk to people, interact with publishers.
Play as a prostitute at the beginning of each chapter.
Letters are sent to the media and police, as someone who wants to discover the murderer's identity, you have to work out which are hoaxes and which are authentic.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Some stuff...
According to John H. Kim: "In my opinion, the difference between a token and a role-played character is this: Hypothetically, a person watching the game looks over your shoulder and suggests a move, and your reply is "No, my character wouldn't do that." If this happens, or is capable of happening, then at some level you are playing a role-playing game. This simple distinction puts a world of difference between RPGs and other games." In this respect, do you guys think this game would be a RPG? Will the player decide not to do something because it wouldn't fit the way a journalist should act?
I definitely don't think we should immediately discount the FPS elements which could easily be incorporated into the game. A little bit of danger could be good. And they had guns back in the 1880s.
Perhaps this could be… a combination of a puzzle, RPG and FPS?
Game could have multiple paths, depending on the player's actions?
Art style includes: Story told with newspapers.
Important events in Ripper story:
Many letters were sent to police and newspapers, could be an interesting long term puzzle. (Working out which of the letters are authentic, following the clues they leave.)
Letters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Hell_letter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saucy_Jacky_postcard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Boss_letter
Writing on the wall, same deal as above. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper#Writing_on_the_wall
Physics: Help add realism 'It's all about interactivity and immersiveness.' – Dr. Steve Collins, CEO of havoc.com
Stretch Panic (Freak Out) – Game with an unusual physics engine.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Research materials - 1888 newspapers
Illustrated London News ^ about Jack the Ripper


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That's not a tornado cloud
GI Joe and Sally, take cover. That is not a tornado, it's the Social Democrats blowing wind again. You got it, Obama & Friends Ltd., the latest in fine Lies, Deceit and corruption, state they are going to "Help" VA Veterans. Hang on to your shorts. I am sure they will do the same fine job, they are now performing, while restructuring our "PC" Military.
Hire, Fire and Clean House
Did you hear the joke about the Democrat controlled US Senate, doing anything worthwhile to benefit the Vet and VA? The joke is, that it is a joke. Speaking of bad jokes, who is that evil Joker, in the corner? That would be the VA Government Employees Union, that's not a joke. They have the Dem's, in a place, where their hearts and minds will follow .... United checkbooks, active campaign workers & a highly disciplined block vote.
Foul Ball Incorporated (FBI)
"The most effective PR organization on earth"
The FBI is under the total control of the DoJ. How many VA Union Members will be sent to jail? Just a wild guess, ZERO. For voter purposes, a few non-union folks will retire or be transferred within US Government.
For what it is worth, The Veteran's Wrongful Death and Suicide rates are a national sin. The Administration and their pawn Mr. Shinseki, turned their backs on our Dead & Dying for years. General, for how much did you sell your soul? In my opinion, you are not worth the five enemy paid for our POW. Was it that you rose to your level of incompetence?
Turn on the lights after the newspapers stop selling.
The simple but impossible answer, transform VA into the US Military Medical Corps. The Democrats would fight it to the last Dem standing. Notice no one has brought this idea, to the National level .
Don't worry, no Republican U.S. Senate, no real change at the V.A. We lose again.
Good night .... Joe & Sally.