text:
"But what do you mean you don't know? Don't you think it's important to study the scriptures? You must believe something about the end of days. You mean you haven't thought about it at all? But how can you have faith if you don't know about end times?" She looks alarmed, and genuinely confused by my obstinacy.
"I don't really think God finds it terribly important whether I have correct doctrine about the end of the world. I can't imagine God punishing me for choosing the wrong academic stance on the Rapture, since it's something that I have no way of knowing about anyway. If something like the Rapture does happen, I imagine it will take care of itself, regardless of my opinion of it. I just don't see it as very relevant." I'm talking too fast and I can feel a flush start to creep defensively up my neck, and I know this conversation is starting to get away from me.
"But the Bible DOES tell us what will happen in the end times. How can you not care? It says right here," she flips frantically to John 4:23, "that Jehovah wants worshipers who will worship in spirit and in truth, IN TRUTH, so how can you not be concerned with the truths of the Bible?!" She looks at me in pained frustration, her voice thinning at the top of her speaking range, palms open in helplessness at my appalling lack of interest in eschatology (the doctrines about End Times).
This is a conversation I had several years ago with a family member. Or as near a re-creation as I can manage. Actually, this was pretty much the end of that conversation because my head was starting to hurt from flipping back and forth through at least half the books in the Bible, trying to follow her train of thought around a maze of proof-texts. ("Proof-texting," by the way, if you don't know, is the practice of flipping triumphantly to some particular verse in scripture, usually taken out of context, and waving it in a discussion as if it "proves" your point and makes your position unassailable. It's often accompanied by the phrase "The Bible CLEARLY says." Or that's my definition. Others may have a different experience.)
There are a lot of things I could say about that conversation, but the particular moment described above is the part that has stayed with me for years because it gets at the heart of something I've been trying to name for a long time. It has something to do with what defines fundamentalism and separates fundamentalism from genuine spirituality. It's something that I need to name for myself, as a recovering fundamentalist (first an atheist fundamentalist, then a Christian fundamentalist). I am going to try and write my way around it and make some kind of sense, and I called this post "Fundiementals 1" because I imagine it will take me more than one post to find what I'm trying to say.
Going back to the conversation with my Very Concerned Relative who was so worried about my lack of interest in "biblical truth." Every fundamentalist I have ever personally known (Christian, Jewish, and atheist) was very, very concerned with the Truth. It was/is a central preoccupation of his or her life. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. Everyone should be interested in truth; life is pretty pointless if you're living a lie. Poisonous thoughts can make you (and everyone around you) miserable – this is a basic premise of both theology and psychology. And the spiritual tradition that I now find myself anchored in, the Christian tradition, has some very nice things to say about truth. "The truth shall set you free." "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." "For this I was born and for this I came into the world – to speak the truth. All who are for truth hear my voice." (Okay that last one was translated from Master and Margarita, so I"m not totally sure if it's a real Jesus quote or not and I'm too lazy to look it up.) But somehow when fundies tell me I should be concerned with "truth" (and I have been both the fundie and her hapless victim), the fundie always seems to mean something very different than what I am coming to understand "truth" to be.
When I was a fundie (and I surely have some fundie bits still clinging to my soul – it's a long road out of hell), I was very concerned with having the "right" beliefs. This started with my Randian atheism, and I was encouraged by my father, Ms. Rand, and others, to cling to those beliefs as if I were clinging to reality itself. They were my badge of proof that I was "enlightened," that I was "tethered to reality," that I wasn't one of those poor deluded fools who still believed in superstitious, barbaric, capricious, and bloodthirsty gods, and who clung to their imaginary men in the sky in order to avoid the fear and pain and responsibility of Real Life. I was lucky to have graduated from such silliness at a young age so that I could live my life to the fullest, free of cumbersome and archaic institutions, freed by Science and Reason and Ms. Rand herself.
Then I had a radical encounter with God that I don't think will be undone in this lifetime (although never say never), and became a Christian. I say this like it was past tense, but in fact I still encounter God on a regular basis, and am still a Christian, though not like the Christian I was for the first year or two. For the first year or two, I'd say I was still a fundie. I took my preoccupation with being "Right" and easily transferred it to my new beliefs about my encounter. Like all fundies, I was a purist. It was self-evident to me that all my old beliefs had been false and that I now had the Truth, and it was important to me to talk to people about the Truth because I wanted them to have the same joy I had. It was sincere and well-meant, but still fundie, because I mistakenly believed that it was my new beliefs that had set me free, and that I had to cleave to the new beliefs.
Spoiler alert: it wasn't the beliefs that set me free, it was the Encounter. I'm going to say that one more time because it's worth repeating. It was not my beliefs about my Encounter that set me free, it was the Encounter itself. My beliefs about it were largely irrelevant. I dwell in the Christian tradition, so I call it an encounter with the risen Jesus, and that works for me, but for the purposes of this discussion, let's just call it an encounter with Reality.
Second spoiler alert: Reality is not the same thing as your beliefs about Reality. Reality is this huge, cosmic Thing with so many billions of colors and parts and aspects and characterizations that no one and nothing can hold even the millionth part of it wholly in their minds. No idea, doctrine, philosophy, theology, person, institution, academic institution, or belief system has the lock on it.
I'm going to take that second point first. I went to a workshop once on how to have a true dialogue, and we were given an object lesson on the nature of truth. The facilitator brought out an opaque box, like a large shoe box, and it had two peep holes cut in it – one on the top and one on the side. He asked a volunteer to come and peek through the top hole, and a different volunteer to peek through the side hole. Then he asked them what was in the box. "A triangle," said one, while the other answered simultaneously, "A rectangle." We all chuckled, and the leader asked, "Who is correct? Who has the truth?" The leader then lifted the top and sides off the box to reveal the contents – a triangular pillar. From the top, you could only see the triangle. From the side, you saw the flat rectangular face of the pillar.
The lesson here is obvious, but I'm going to expound upon it anyway. Both volunteers were correct, and neither had the Truth. In the workshop, this was a cute lesson, and it was civil because both participants knew they only had part of the truth. They were still momentarily confused by their different descriptions of the hidden reality in the box. Each briefly suspected that maybe the other was messing with him, or was in cahoots with the facilitator to play a prank on him, or maybe just didn't have kindergarten level geometry, but nobody was up in arms about it, and we all had a good laugh when we saw what was causing the confusion.
Imagine what might have happened if neither of them knew there was a second peephole in the box, and they both got really invested in being "right" about what THEY saw in the box. It's silly to get really worked up about something like that, but that's exactly the kind of silliness that happens between fundies of different stripes all the time. They find a little piece of truth that was laying across their particular path and they get so excited that they start waving it around and mistaking it for the Whole Truth, and then they get really angry and defensive and frustrated when someone else is insisting that they see a triangle in the box when CLEARLY it's a rectangle.
I'm not saying you shouldn't seek truth. Again, living a lie is pointless, and can make you either malicious or ignorant. And I'm not saying you haven't found some truth, or that any of your beliefs are necessarily incorrect (although I'd like everyone to be able to acknowledge the possibility that they might hold an incorrect belief, or two). I believe we are all given at least one piece of the puzzle, and at least one person to love. But even if all your individual beliefs are exactly correct, they still can't help but be incomplete, because of the natural limitations of any one person's experience. So all I'm suggesting is a truce in the War Over Truth. I'm going to suggest that we follow the workshop facilitator's advice – in any conversation or encounter with another human being, assume that their perception and experiences are genuine, and of equal value to yours. In fact, go ahead and assume that they might have some very valuable perspective to share. Maybe they've been farther into the box than you. You don't have to abandon your whole world-view, which is also legitimate because it comes from your experience – just be open to the possibility that this person has discovered some small piece of the puzzle that you haven't, and that you might discover something new if you listen carefully. Listening first is a great way to take the log out of your own eye before worrying about the splinter in the eye of your conversation partner. It also offers your conversation partner the dignity of their honest experience. It's non-violent conversation. It's also a form of humility. I'm sure there is a reason that humility is so often paired with wisdom in the scriptures.
Speaking of listening first, here's what the facilitator had to say about listening. This changed my life. Seriously. If it doesn't change yours, then you're probably much more mature than I was at the time of the workshop. The facilitator explained to us the five levels of listening. (There's a high likelihood that I'm remembering these imperfectly, but this is the best I can do because I've long since lost my notes). They are:
1. Not listening (e.g., checking facebook while you pretend to listen, multi-tasking, completely distracted). I am totally guilty of this on a regular basis.
2. Listening only for your turn (you know the person who only listens for an opening to interrupt and insert their own story/opinion/etc, usually only barely related to the topic at hand? Yeah.) Also guilty.
3. Listening to form a response (you're spending your "listening" moment organizing your response instead of really taking in new information). Still guilty.
4. Related to #3, listening only to agree or disagree (listening so you can evaluate, or form a judgment). Also guilty.
5. Listening with your full attention. At this level, you are not worried about your opinions or response yet. Not that you won't form them later, listening is not the same as agreeing, but you are fully present to what the other person is saying right now. You are receiving their story and perspective to the fullest extent you are able, without being distracted by external noise (#1) or internal noise (#'s 2, 3, and 4). I occasionally achieve this.
Listening at level 5 is extremely important for certain relationships in your life. Your marriage, your kids, your close friends. God. (Meditation is a form of Level 5 listening). Anyone who has been listened to at that level knows it to be a deeply affirming experience. Anyone who has listened at that level knows it to be a shared deeply affirming experience.
Even in more casual conversations with acquaintances about religion or politics, listening at #5 makes the exchange extraordinarily positive in tone, even between people with vastly different belief systems.
And you should be able to allow yourself to do this because at the end of the day, what you think about the nature of the universe is really not that important. Some thoughts and forms of truth are important, and those are coming up in future posts. For example, if someone is getting hurt, if injustices are being perpetrated, etc., by all means make a lot of noise. I truly believe that your opinion of the Rapture does not fall into this category. Your opinion of the Rapture by itself is going to neither make you miserable nor set you free. Your opinion of the Rapture is not that important to your search for meaning and purpose in life.
What's important is Encounter. With your deepest self, with others, with Reality. It has been my felt experience that some people get there through religion.*** And some people get there through science. And some people get there through yoga or meditation or nature. Some possibly do get there by studying the scriptures devoted to eschatology, and to those people, I apologize for treating it lightly here.
Encounters are life-stretching things, and we can use our beliefs to either try to make sense of them, or try to shield ourselves from them. I'm going to give examples from Christianity and atheism here, because those are the two faith demographics that I know most intimately, but I think the principles apply across many religions and belief systems.
To the extent that your beliefs about Jesus give you a framework for understanding your encounters, and your "faith walk" stretches and humbles and awes and challenges you, and you see more love in the universe with each passing season, and you are more inspired and challenged to care about the suffering of your fellow man because of your deepening sense of justice, then you are using your beliefs to make sense of your encounter.
To the extent that your beliefs about Jesus keep you safe and shielded, and reassure you that you are in the winning group, and make you either combative, judgmental, or condescending (hint: if you are often trying to point out to others the error or inadequacy of their beliefs, or "sell" them the gospel, then you are listening at level 2, and it's condescending), then you may be using your beliefs to avoid encounters. You might be putting the cart before the horse.
If you are an atheist, then to the extent that your experiences with science and reason and the world give you a framework for understanding and creating meaning in your life, and your journey stretches and humbles and awes and challenges you, and you experience deeper and more profound love with each passing season, and care more about your fellow man out of your deepening sense of morality, then you are using your beliefs to make sense of your encounters.
If you are an atheist and your beliefs about science and reason reassure you that you are more intellectually evolved than those cretins still attending churches, and you wear the progress of science like a badge of "rightness" instead of letting science deepen and broaden your questions, then you may be using your beliefs to avoid reality.
It's not an either-or proposition. We all live on a spectrum, and we all have some days that are better or worse than others, and some beliefs that we hold in a more fundie way than others. And as I grow, I am still working on excavating the remaining fundie thoughts and practices I still carry around with me. I'm sure it will take a lifetime.
Agh. This post took me weeks to write. And it's only the first of a series. (I started in February.) Next up: Description vs. Meaning.
*** A note here to my more staunchly conservative Christian friends who are going to be very worried for my soul after reading that I think that only some people get to truth through religion, because isn't Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Yes. Jesus has saved, and continues to save, my life in more ways than one, many times, in this life and presumably in eternity. And for me, atheism was a dishonest stance, because I had already experienced the Presence in childhood, and atheism was an intellectual prop to make me feel slightly less miserable about myself. However, I have some good friends who are ex-religious, and for them, religion was the intellectual prop – for them, walking away from religion really was walking away from a false god, something they had constructed themselves, or had received uncritically from people in power over them (like parents), and it is in atheism that they are getting closer to reality. And because I believe that God is the ultimate reality, anything that brings someone closer to reality brings them closer to God, whether we are calling it God or not, whether they describe it as an experience of an external presence or not. Jesus himself said that there would be some big surprises at the end of times about who was really following him and who wasn't (see: the sheep and the goats). So while I am happy to unapologetically discuss with anyone my experiences of Jesus, my love for God, my faith, and the pulsing, furious Love that animates the universe, I don't particularly believe that it's up to me to judge up front anyone's eternal status just because their beliefs about the world are radically different than mine. By all means, share the gospel, tell people how wonderful it is, because a lot of people need it (I did), just strive to be nonviolent about it, because a lot of other people have been deeply wounded by using the gospel as a weapon or a threat (I have).


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Holiday Music by Framingham high School Show Chorus
Posted by Ken Erdelt on Dec 05, 2016
The Framingham High School Show Chorus, under the direction of Dan Moore, visited our Club and provided a medley of holiday music and dance.
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Though the release date is still a few days away, someone out there got an early copy somehow, and streamed the gameplay onto Justin.tv. Rockstar stopped the stream but there are still some remnants of it lying around. Click here for the whole story.
'[Update]': The video on the page that the link leads to is no longer available. There may be more videos somewhere you'd just have to search for it. Dondingo4 21:50, May 16, 2010 (UTC)Read more >


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The Guess Who? Challenge is posted once a month, and is
a post of an old picture of... well, give your best shot at it!
Leave a comment with your guess of who is in the picture, and the answer
will be revealed a week after the original post.
Ummmmmmmmmmm..............I don't know..........Caleb?ReplyDelete
I say it's Joe. I'll check back on the 15th to claim my prize ... okay, maybe not the prize, but the answer! :)ReplyDelete
Our guess is Joseph!!!ReplyDelete
Oh wait! I've got it! I'll guess that it's either Jon, Joe, or Caleb. There, now I can't possibly be wrong! Right?ReplyDelete
I have to say that's out of bounds! I can tell you that it is one of 12 people, who are all currently in our household...ReplyDelete
Some friends' guesses:
Melody M. - Joseph
Anna M. - Joseph
I guess Joseph!
It was a toss up, so Evvie picked Joseph, and I pick Caleb :)ReplyDelete
My guess is.....Joseph!ReplyDelete


text:
A proposal to reform the U.K.'s electoral system looks like it's headed for defeat, the Guardian reported Friday.
An estimated 18.6 million citizens voted Thursday in a referendum on whether to ditch the first-past-the-post process in favour of the alternative vote (AV) system.
Under the AV method, voters would rank candidates according to preference, and could rank as many or as few candidates as they wish.
The Guardian website reported at 7:17 p.m. local time that early voting results indicated about 68 per cent of voters are opposed to making the switch.
The Community team asked you whether you believe Canada's electoral system needs reform. As of Friday 2 p.m. ET, more than 4,300 votes were cast in our online survey. About 88 per cent of respondents said we do need reform and should do away with first-past-the-post.
But what should we replace it with? Readers weighed in with numerous suggestions on what reforms they want to see.
One of the most popular suggestions was for Canada to switch to a type of proportional representation voting system.
"Canada needs to adopt proportional representation or mixed-member proportional representation, as well as democratizing the Senate with one of those systems,"
marcperrot wrote.
Selidor thinks the AV system proposed in the U.K. referendum "would be a pretty good option."
Facebook user Kerry McKeown agreed. "It's a majoritarian system that allows voters to rank their preferences and ensures the winner has a majority of support."
bdu1148 offered a few recommendations.
"To work the way it was designed, the Canadian Parliamentary system needs:
1) A lower house in which the elected representatives look after the concerns and wishes of their constituents, NOT the desires of the powerful within the party caucus, and
2) An upper house (Senate) with an equal number of elected representatives from each province to oversee/advise/suggest modifications to the bills presented to them by the lower house based on regional concerns, not party lines.
3) An electorate who are actually taught how our system is supposed to work (primarily that we elect the best representative from our riding, not a prime minister).
Meanwhile, Norfin would like to see recall legislation to all provinces and territories. "I'm sure Quebec would be in favour!!"
We received other electoral reform suggestions and we've compiled them in an online survey. Let us know what kind of changes you want to see or if you're satisfied with the electoral system as it is.
(This survey is not scientific. It is based on readers' responses.)
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Meet the Community Team
CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman
If you're part of the CBC News community, you're likely to meet one of us: we're the folks working to produce and promote your stories. Read more about us.
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Highlights of Election Expenses of MLAs from the Assam Assembly 2016 Elections:
Dear Friends,
According to Section 78 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, every contesting candidate has to lodge a true copy of his election expenses within 30 days from the date of declaration of result of election, with the District Election Officer in all States and Union Territories.
Assam Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analyzed the election expenditure statements submitted after the Assam 2016 Assembly Elections for 126 MLAs. The expenditure limit for the candidates during the Assam Assembly elections was Rs. 28 lakhs. Please find below a detailed analysis:
Summary and Highlights of Election Expenses of MLAs from the Assam Assembly 2016 Elections:
1. Less than 50% of the Limit: Candidates have constantly claimed that the election expenditure limit set is very low. However, based on the election expense declarations of all 126 MLAs analysed from the 2016 Assam Assembly elections, 65 MLAs (52%) have declared election expenses,
less than 50% of the expense limit in their constituency.
2. Average Election Expenses: Based on the election expense declarations of126MLAs from Assam Assembly, the average amount of money spent by them in the elections is only about Rs 14.78 lakhs, which is 53% of the expense limit.
3. Party-wise Average Election Expenses: The party wise average election expenses shows that the average spending for 60 MLAsfrom BJP is Rs 15.11 lakhs (54% of theexpense limit), for 26 MLAs from INC is Rs 16.98 lakhs (61% of the expense limit), for14 MLAs from Asom Gana Parishad is Rs 14.04 Lakhs (50% of the expense limit), for 13 MLAs from AIUDF is Rs 10.24 Lakhs (37% of the expense limit), and for 12 MLAs from Bodoland Pepoles Front is Rs 14.75 Lakhs (53% of the expense limit).
4. Top 3 MLAs with highest Election Expenses: The maximum expense of aboutRs27.29 lakhs (97% of the expense limit) has been declared by Nandita Das of INCfromBoko(SC) constituency followed by Rekibuddin Ahmed of INC fromChaygaonconstituency with an expense of Rs 26.47 lakhs (or 95% of the expense limit) and Utpal Borah of BJP from Gohpur constituency with an expense of Rs25.88lakhs (or 92% of the expense limit).
5. MLAs with lowest Election Expenses: Nijanur Rahman of AIUDF fromGauripurconstituency has declared election expenditure of Rs. 3.81 lakhs followed byAnanta Kumar Malo of AIUDF from Abhayapuri South(SC) Constituency with election expenses of Rs. 4.80 lakhs and Suzamuddin Laskar of AIUDF Party from Katlichera Constituency with election expenses of Rs. 5.11 lakhs.
6. Percentage Breakdown of Funds Received by MLAs:
Summary and Highlights of Election Expenses of Ministers from the Assam Assembly, 2016
1. Less than 50% of the Limit: Based on the election expense declarations of all 11 Ministers analysed from Assam Assembly 2016, 3 Ministers (27%) have declared election expenses of less than 50% of the expense limit in their constituency.
2. Average Election Expenses: Based on the election expense declarations of all 11 Ministers from Assam Assembly 2016, the average amount of money spent by them in the elections is only about Rs 17.33 lakhs, which is 62% of the expense limit.
3. Top 3 Ministers with highest Election Expenses: The maximum expense of aboutRs 25.26 Lakhs (90% of the expense limit) has been declared by Sarbananda Sonowal of BJP from Majuli(ST) constituency followed by Atul Bora of Asom Gana Parishad from Bokakhatconstituency with an expense of Rs 22.44 lakhs (or 80% of the expense limit) and Himanta Biswa Sarma of BJP from Jalukbariconstituencywith an expense of Rs 22.09 Lakhs (or 79% of the expense limit)
Ministers with lowest Election Expenses: Rihon Daimari of Bodoland Peoples Frontfrom Udalguri (ST) Constituency has declared an election expenditure of Rs. 10.75 lakhs (38% of the expense limit). He is followed by Sri Parimal Suklabadya of BJPfrom Dholai (SC)constituency who has declared election expenditure of Rs. 11.25 lakhs (40% of the expense limit), and Pallab Lochan Das of BJP from Rangapara Constituency with election expenses of Rs. 13.08 lakhs (47% of the expense limit).
Percentage Breakdown of funds received by Ministers:
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Crackdown on mining of rare earth
– China will continue to crack down on illegal mining, processing and sales of rare earth elements, experts said on Monday.
In the 13th Five Year period, from 2016 to 2020, Chinese ministries and departments will enhance cooperation, increase inspections, and take a zero-tolerance approach toward illegal mining of rare earth metals, said Zhou Changyi, head of the department of raw materials under the Ministry Of Industry and Information Technology.
A tracking system will also be implemented to trace the source of rare earth elements to curb illegal mining, he said.
"The next few years are an important period for the overhaul of China's rare earth industry and promoting its healthy development," he said.
China is the world's largest rare earth producer and exporter, but the industry is beset by numerous problems, such as illegal mining, smuggling and a lack of competitiveness due to weak research and development. Excessive exploration has also caused environmental damage.
"Illegal mining is the principal reason for gloominess in the industry," Zhou said.
During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, 14 illegal rare earth mines and 28 companies were closed. More than 36,000 tons of illegal rare earth products were seized, and 230 million yuan in fines were imposed, according to statistics from the Ministry Of Industry and Information Technology.
Monitoring systems have been created in key mining districts such as Baiyun Ebo in Inner Mongolia, Ganzhou in Jiangxi Province, and Maoniuping in Sichuan Province. Xenhua
Champion custodian Edel Bete comes to FC Pune City
Pune, 8thAugust 2016: – The Rajesh Wadhawan Group and Hrithik Roshan co-owned Indian Super League club FC Pune City signed up one of Indian Super League's most decorated goalkeepers Edel Betefor the 2016 edition of the league.Bete, a top-notch custodian, last season played with 2015 champions Chennaiyin FC and was a part of defending champs Atletico de Kolkata in the inaugural season of the ISL.
FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwelwas excited with the new signing, "Bete has a towering presence in front of the goal. He is one of those rare goalkeepers who can read his opponents mind early enough to anticipate and make a difference. The fact that he has been a crucial cog for both the sides that won ISL in the first two seasons (ATK in '14 & CFC in '15) says enough and more about his abilities."
Bete has once been a member of French giants Paris Saint-Germain. The 30-year old born and raised in Cameroon, has dual nationality,but represented Armenia at U-19, U-23 and senior level. He also represented multiple times Israeli champions Hapoel Tel Aviv from 2011-2013.
Head coachAntonio Habaswas delighted to have his former ward join forces at FC Pune City, "I've worked with Betein the first season and let me tell you he is gifted with amazing reflexes and better anticipation. Rival strikers have never found it easy to score against him. For me, he is the finest keeper in ISL's short history."
Representing his third club in third ISL season, Bete said. "My experience playing in India has been memorable to say the least. I've won the title with two different teams and am looking forward to win it with my third team, i.e. FC Pune City. I am thankful to FC Pune City for providing me a new challenge and work with Habas again."
Co-owner Hrithik Roshan welcomed the addition of the star goalkeeper."Bete has been a proven performer and his addition to our club makes us a strong unit. I welcome him to the FC Pune City family."
You are cordially invited to attend the awards program
(to felicitate the North Indian Beauticians for the first time)
(to felicitate the North Indian Beauticians for the first time)
Time : 7 p.m
Date : 9th August, 2016 (Tuesday)
Venue: PRIDE PLAZA HOTEL, Asset 5 A, Hospitality District, Aerocity, Indira Gandhi International Airport
You are requested to send correspondents/photographers/camera crew for the Awards program.
Shailesh Giri
Shailesh Giri
Indo-European Chamber of Small & Medium Enterprises
Today at 14:29
Dear Shri Sagar Ji,
As you must be aware that Indo-European Chamber of Small & Medium Enterprises (IECSME) has been working with many States of India and European Countries, whose aim is to promote & develop the exchange of information, experiences, methodologies to help integration among-st Indian and Foreign companies. IECSME helps in the stimulation of the birth of partnership to collaborate in the sector based projects. The purpose of IECSME is to promote, design and realize International and National projects & infuse social development. IECSME is helping SME's of North Eastern region and other parts of India to help them in finding right partners in Europe and rest of the world under the guidance of Dr. Kamal Taori, IAS-retd., Former Secretary, North-Eastern Council, Ministry of DoNER, Former Secretary to Government of India, Chief Advisor, Indo-European Chamber of Small & Medium Enterprises (IECSME) and CEO, Alternative Action & People's Planning, Policies Commission (AAAPCOM), Her holiness Mahamandaleshwar Gayatri Devi (Emy Blesio) www.theworldcommunity. com, Shri Vijay Tiwari, President (India), IECSME and Mr. Giovanni Scacciaferro, President(Europe), IECSME.
IECSME provides an opportunity to partner, network and strengthen with the SME's of India and Europe.
We have proposed a plan to Shri Narendra Modi ji, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India to make India a Global Leader and Vishwa Guru by involving following –
SIIP : State Inclusive Investment Planner
DIIP : District Inclusive Investment Planner
BIIP : Block inclusive Investment Planner
WIIP : Ward inclusive Investment Planner
VIIP : Village Inclusive Investment Planner
CBI : Community and Cast Based Institutions
SBI : Spirituality based Institutions
PRI : Panchayati Raj based Institutions
ABI : Extra-based Institutions (CA, Cost accountants, MCI)
IECSME has been organising and supporting various programs under "Yog Vidya Jagriti Abhiyan -International Holistic Health Movement" a program initiated by Dr. Kamal Taori Ji, IAS (Retd.), in February 2005 in association with North Eastern Council, Ministry of DoNER and Yog Confederation of India while he was Secretary NEC. Under this program following have been organized annually without any Government funds with the support of our members and associates –
1. Maharishi Patanjali Week Celebrations at the birth place of great Yogi at Bhopal Madhya Pradesh, last year was the 6th year.
2. MITICA INDIA, International program to promote YOG, Ayurved, Indian culture, in Europe and other parts of the world, we just concluded our last edition in Sri Lanka.
3. National Women Excellence Awards on 25th November every year to honor 51 women from various fields, this year it will be 9th edition.
4. Pride of India Awards, last year we organized this program in Hotel Oberoi, New Delhi with Nidhi Foundation.
5. Last year we initiated a program called Developed Village – Developed Nation, dedicated to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ji, former President of India focusing on the Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojna – SAGY, villages adopted by Hon'ble Member of Parliaments.
6. We have also been working with states of North East, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Assam for their development in various sectors.
7. It is important to mention that we have been instrumental in making International Yoga Day as we have been celebrating this for many years in Portugal on 21st June in association with International Yoga Confederation, The World Community for Indian Culture and Traditional Disciplines and Portugese Yoga Federation.
8. Apart from above we have been organizing various National and International Events\Seminars\Conferences in various parts of India and World with our associates and members.
We have been working with many states of India and have lot of scope in these projects. If we can get interested companies with financial backing then we can provide all the support from the State and Central Government within their policy framework and if need arises then we can propose to a particular state or the central government to look into the matter.
We have one recent proposal from Odisha for Food Parks, Solar Parks and Tourism Industry. Similarly we are also working with other states, please find enclosed in the attachment the minutes of the meeting of the Government of Odisha with IECSME.
We have a very good opportunity to work with the Government of Odisha and other states of India. We can also provide you support in Europe and other parts of the world for your specific Industry or Company based needs.
Looking forward for your early and positive reply, you can call us for one to one meetings.


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California Court of Appeals, Fourth District, First Division
July 31, 2013
CRESTA BELLA, LP, Plaintiff and Appellant,v.POWAY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, Defendant and Respondent.
APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County No. 37-2009-00103450- CU-MC-CTL, Lisa A. Foster, Judge.
McNeill Law Offices and Walter P. McNeill for Plaintiff and Appellant.
Best Best & Krieger, James B. Gilpin, Tyree K. Dorward and Matthew L. Green for Defendant and Respondent.
Poway Unified School District (the District) imposed school impact fees on Cresta Bella, LP (Cresta Bella) for a residential development project involving the demolition of an existing apartment complex and construction of a new, larger apartment complex. Cresta Bella petitioned for writ of mandate in superior court seeking a partial refund of the fees based on a claim that it was improperly charged for the entire square footage of the new apartment complex, rather than only for the increased square footage created by the development. On the same grounds, it also alleged an unconstitutional taking and requested declaratory relief. The court denied the mandate petition and entered judgment in favor of the District on all claims. Cresta Bella appeals.
We hold that under the statutory scheme applicable to school impact fees, the fees should not be imposed for the square footage already in existence at the time of the new development project, absent a study that reasonably supports that reconstruction of preexisting square footage increases student population. The District's school impact fee study did not make this showing. Accordingly, Cresta Bella is entitled to a refund of the portion of the fees derived from the preexisting square footage in its project. We reverse the judgment and remand the matter to the trial court with instructions to grant the mandate petition and order the refund. Given our holding providing relief under the mandate petition, we need not reach the constitutional taking and declaratory relief claims.
To pay for the construction of school facilities necessitated by student population increases, school districts are authorized to impose school impact fees for new residential construction. The fees are subject to statutorily-defined maximum amounts for each square foot of the new residential construction. (Ed. Code, § 17620, subd. (a); Gov. Code, § 65995.) There are several alternative statutory formulas for calculating the maximum fee per square foot (Gov. Code, §§ 65995, 65995.5, 65995.7), which are commonly known as Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 fees. Relevant here, in July 2008 a consulting firm retained by the District prepared a district-wide school facilities needs analysis (SFNA) in which it calculated that the maximum Level 2 fee for the District was $3.89 per square foot of new residential construction. Based on the SFNA, in August 2008 the District passed a resolution which adopted a school impact fee of $3.89 per square foot, and which applied the fee to the entire square footage of a development project, including preexisting square footage (i.e., existing footage that was demolished and reconstructed).
Cresta Bella owned an apartment complex consisting of 248 units and 258, 169 square feet. It demolished this complex and built a new apartment complex consisting of 368 units and 371, 612 square feet. Thus, the new apartment complex had 120 more units and 113, 443 more square feet than the complex being demolished. The District charged Cresta Bella school impact fees based on the entire square footage of the new apartment complex (i.e., 371, 612 square feet multiplied by $3.89, totaling $1, 445, 570.60).
In June 2009, Cresta Bella paid the school impact fees under protest. Cresta Bella argued it should not have to pay fees for the preexisting square footage in the project because the District did not evaluate whether preexisting footage in new residential construction impacts school facilities by increasing student population. It claimed the District had improperly charged fees for the entire square footage of its project, resulting in $1, 004, 277.40 in excess fees.[1]
After exhausting its administrative remedies, in May 2010 Cresta Bella filed a petition for writ of mandate in superior court seeking a refund of the alleged excess fees. It also pleaded causes of action alleging an unconstitutional taking and requesting declaratory relief. To refute Cresta Bella's challenge to the imposition of fees for the preexisting square footage, the District argued there was no improper fee calculation because in an attached exhibit (Exhibit H) the SFNA considers the impact of preexisting units in new residential construction.
After considering the parties' evidentiary presentations and arguments, the trial court, citing Exhibit H of the SFNA, concluded that the District had not imposed an improper or unconstitutional fee. Accordingly, the court denied the writ petition and entered judgment in favor of the District on all claims.
To review Cresta Bella's challenge to the school impact fees, we first summarize the statutes and case authority governing school impact fees. We then set forth information in the SFNA and other matters relevant to the District's imposition of the fees and the trial ...
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text:
Things change rapidly in the world of IT, so keeping up with those changes can be challenging.
BITS offers one-on-one and group training to help your staff take full advantage of the technology they are using. Learning should be fun and tailored to each group so that they learn what they need to know based on their level of computer literacy. Our staff can train and help your staff customize:
- Microsoft Office Products
- Social Media Applications
- Smartphones & Tablets
Speaking & Events
Does your organization or business need a fun, educational, and engaging speaker for your next meeting or event? The BITS consulting team is available to speak to your members or staff and will make the experience memorable. From 30 minute mini talks to half day training sessions, we speak on any of the topics listed below or customize a topic for your group. Some of our topics include:
- Social Media 101
- Outlook – More than Just Email
- The Windows 7 Experience
- What Happened to My Office? – Exploring the Office 2010 Changes
- Mom Was Right! – How to Provide GREAT Customer Service
- Remote Access – How Your Business Can Follow You


text: In week 2 of Coding Rock Stars students aged between 5 & 11 began making their EtchaSketch from the previous week into a game by adding 'baddies' and a goal. Already inspirations and creations are taking this engagement far beyond the original idea. A 'PowerUp' was added by one student to increase the chance of success in the game! This idea is featured in the the tutorial below:


text:
Ta'leemul Haq (Teachings of Islam) is a basic Hanafi textbook on the laws of taharah, salat, janazah, haj, etc, used widely throughout the Islamic schools of England and South Africa.
The Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom Deoband Hadhrat Mahmood Sahab (Rahmatullah Alayhi) wrote about this book,
"Glory be to Allah and Salutations on the Holy Prophet Mohammed, (S.A.W.) Masha-Allah this publication called 'Talimul Haq' has been written on a very good pattern. In it, the basic beliefs, practices, character and devotional aspects (of a Muslim's life) have been explained.
If children read, understand and practice accordingly then Insha-Allah their lives can be moulded according to the Sunnah and they will be safe from ignorance and being led astray.
May Allah reward the writer and accept his service and grant as many people as possible the ability to have benefit from the publication."
Hadhrat Maulana Yunus Patel Sahab (damat baraktuhum) from South Africa writes in his foreward about the impact and success this brook brought to the Muslims of his time and area:
"Sezela is peaceful little village on the South Coast of Natal. The magnificent sugar mill here had brought people of different faiths to this little village. It was the late Hajee Ebrahim E. Patel who drew up Hajee Shabbir Ahmed's attention to the lack of any Islamic Mission work in this area. In the year 1968 it was at Sezela that Hajee Shabbir Ahmed, son of the late Soofi Ebrahim Desai of Umzinto commenced an effort to impart basic Islamic knowledge to both the adults and the chileren of the area. This effort proved a great success and within a short time other villages and towns like Lawson Estate, Malagazi, Renishaw, Park Rynie, Ixopo, Umkomaas, ets., could also boast of having a little Madrase for their pupils."
Unfortunatly Muslims today are stick lacking basic knowledge of Deen, although you see almost everyone discussing complex Fiqh & 'Aqidah questions. This authentic compilation on the fundamentals of Islam is really a must read for every Hanafi walking on this planet, no matter if men, women or children.
You can support the publishers by buying it HERE or you can read it online.


text: Home Projects New Wear Crossing New Wear Crossing TIME CONSTRAINTS AND QUICK DELIVERY WERE ESSENTIAL FOR THIS PROJECT'S SUCCESS The New Wear Crossing is the first new bridge to cross the River Wear in Sunderland in 45 years. It is a three span cable-stayed bridge with an A-frame pylon rising to 105 metres. ByrneLooby was instructed to produce a Foundations Work Risk Assessment for the structure's piled foundations and to get approval from the Environment Agency (EA) to install piles. The North Side structures sit atop the Permian Sands aquifer, which is considered by the EA to be highly vulnerable to contamination. ByrneLooby reported on the risk of creating a water path between the uppermost contaminated ground and the aquifer below and ensured the report satisfied the EA's criteria. Time constraints and quick delivery was a concern for the client so it was essential that the EA reports were created, delivered and approved in the quickest time frame possible. ByrneLooby addressed each of the EA's concerns for every pile location individually and had ongoing discussions with the client, in order to obtain approval on time. This resulted in the works successfully being approved and ensuring the client could progress without delay. STAFF INSIGHT "This was my first time assessing the risk of potential ground contamination and it proved to be a valuable learning experience. The project required me to carry out research to understand the potential contamination risks of concern to the Environmental Agency and to assess those that existed on this site. After working on this project and learning how to carry out a contamination assessment, I feel it has prepared me for similar issues if they were to arise on projects in the future." Pablo, Design Engineer ByrneLooby Project Photos


text: That's right. Now many cinemas are serving food and I don't mean just popcorn and snacks. Many cinema critics have been little more than very cold toward serving even snacks. The feeling is that it distracts from the movie. I on the other hand feel that the popcorn, mini mints, and soda add to the enjoyment. Why not? At home I love getting in my favorite chair with a snake and drink to enjoy a movie. And now it is more than a snack we are talking about. The mini-gourmet hamburger has hit the silver screen and just might be the next movie star. Seven of AMC's 375 theatres have foodservice operations, with the possibility of expanding to 35 more in the next three years. I can't wait till it comes to a theater near me. A full night out with food, a movie, and sitting next to the one I love. Now if we could just pause the movie for an occasional rest room break. There would be all the comforts of home. Give your thoughts on this subject.


text:
As part of module H818 – The Networked Practitioner, that I am taking with the Open University, we have been asked to engage with Assumptions and Challenges of Open Scholarship by George Veletsianos and Royce Kimmons. Specifically, we are required to examine the assumptions listed in table 1 and relate them to our own experience where possible. As part of the exercise, we have been encouraged to blog our thoughts on the article, so here are mine!
The first assumption presented is:
"Open scholarship has a strong ideological basis rooted in an ethical pursuit for democratization, fundamental human rights, equality, and justice"
This is a narrative I have heard a number of times from individuals and organisations involved in academia. It has been passed down and promoted by many librarians I know in relation to open access publishing and it is a message I have propagated myself.
However, on reflection, I have also encountered engagement with open scholarship for non-ideological reasons. For example, in my job I support academic engagement with HEFCE's open access policy for the next REF and have seen how the policy has increased the number of publications being made open access. Granted, the policy itself may be driven as least in part by the values defined above but I would confidently guess that most of the deposits making up this increase were directly motivated by the necessity of having to comply with the policy rather than ideology.
Indeed, institutional repositories themselves are at least partly driven by reasons apart from this ideological basis. Not only are they used to ensure compliance with HEFCE and other funding body policies but they are often seen as a"shop window" that should be used to promote universities and researchers for their own benefit.
Scholars are often presented reasons for being open that are based on self-interest. A standard line in promoting engagement with open access is that it will increase the amount of people who read and cite scholars' work.
Furthermore, there are commercial actors involved in the open access landscape, including numerous large traditional publishers who pre-exist the modern notion of open scholarship. These companies are concerned with making profit in addition to (and perhaps instead of) any ideological concerns.
The second assumption is:
Open scholarship emphasizes the importance of digital participation for enhanced scholarly outcomes
I agree that open scholarship does emphasize the importance of digital participation and that you need certain digital skills to get the most out of it. For example, I have seen evidence that an ability and willingness to promote open access research via social media can mean that it is downloaded more often.
It does need to be acknowledged that different scholars may need to participate digitally to different degrees, at least in terms of self-interest. For example, a well established figure whose work already appears in popular and prestigious publications may feel that digital participation enhances their outcomes less than an early career researcher who is trying to build their career.
However, what would interest me is an investigation of open practices that exist outside the digital realm today and any that pre-exist the current notion of open scholarship. This is something I'll have to research!
The third assumption is:
Open scholarship is treated as an emergent scholarly phenomenon that is co-evolutionary with technological advancements in the larger culture
As with my comments on assumption two, I would be interested to look into what open practices were already taking place before "open scholarship" as we now know it. I can imagine its possible to put a case for technological advancements as having simply allowed people to scale up and increase participation in existing practices rather than providing a complete paradigm shift.
Whilst the flat relationships provided by social media may be "incompatible with how relationships are structured in educational settings and other contexts offline" in some cases, I imagine that most people can differentiate between the relationships they have on social media and face-to-face e.g. that a student can be 'friends' with a tutor on Facebook and still accept their authority and have an appropriate relationship with them in the physical classroom.
However, I can certainly relate the issues of homophily and "the echo chamber" that the authors raise, having seen them in action in my own professional circles, and my gut feeling is that I agree with this assumption and the challenges to it that are provided.
The final assumption is:
Open scholarship is seen as a practical and effective means for achieving scholarly aims that are socially valuable
The authors believe this assumption is challenged by the fact that digital tools and open ways of working introduce problems for scholars as well as efficiencies.
I agree with them.When reflecting on my own practice, I can identify "new dilemmas" that I have encountered, such as the distractions inherent in the layout of my work email client and the need to cultivate my Twitter in such a way that it continues to benefit me. I sometimes feel the information overload Veletsianos and Kimmons refer to and want to make more of an explicit attempt to manage it via the identification of a few trusted information sources (e.g. blogs, Twitter accounts) which will act as filters on my behalf. It is also worth acknowledging that increased connectivity can make it harder to escape from our jobs and, for some people, increase stress (it is worth listening to the radio series Oliver Burkeman is Busy to hear this and other relevant ideas explored).
I'm going to avoid drawing any overall conclusions in relation to this article for now as I have a couple of other thoughts but I think they'll need a bit more time to mature before I write them up.
However, do take a look at the article yourselves and let me know what you think.


text:
Honoring and Celebrating our Scholars
By Henry Street Settlement
Above, L-R: Scholars Tyler Correawhite, Derek Hernandez and Alexander Torbov, with counselor Rhea Corson-Higgs.
Over 120 scholarship recipients were honored at the 15th annual Youth Scholarship Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 7. The rising and current college students, along with their proud families, gathered at 301 Henry Street to celebrate their impressive academic achievements. Scholarships were awarded from the Abrons/Aranow Scholarship Fund, the Tannenbaum Scholarship Fund and the Sobie Scholarship Fund.
Matt Phifer, Deputy Program Officer for Youth Services and Workforce Development, welcomed the students and guests. He acknowledged that the scholars were attending college during a tumultuous time, but said, "younger generations have always initiated change in our society. I'm very encouraged to see what you will do."
Above: Matt Phifer addresses the crowd.
David Garza, Executive Director of Henry Street, said to the crowd, "Our scholarship ceremony is very special – a place where our past meets the present meets the future." The past, he explained, refers to the Settlement's rich 124-year history, particularly evident in the story of Louis and Anne Abrons, lifelong Henry Street supporters and the namesakes of the Abrons/Aranow Scholarship Fund. The present refers to our funders, who are currently providing the support for our scholars. The future, Garza said, are our scholars. "Henry Street's mission is to open doors of opportunity. Tonight, we are opening doors to college."
Above: David Garza leads the audience in a round of applause.
"You can certain that if you give me a microphone, I'm going to light it up a little!" said Garza, before diving into one of his signature raps, inspired by the scholarship ceremony*. (See below!)
The Settlement's Expanded Horizons College Success Program works with 9th through 12th grade students to get them into college, and with college students to ensure graduation in four years. Students from all levels of the program's eight-year model spoke about their experiences. The first two years focus on issues of social justice Ninth grader Makai Bryan said it "has broadened my horizons to real world problems and thoughts about solutions to change society. Topics like income inequality, gender roles, and racism allowed me to debate, engage and have deep conversations with others in hopes of teaching my peers about the system that surrounds us."
Tenth grader Nicole Gutierrez echoed the sentiment, saying that Expanded Horizons gave her the ability "to brainstorm solutions and imagine a future where justice and fairness are true. This program has given me great advice about how to solve problems with family and friends and how to navigate the world as a young Latina woman."
In 11th grade, the program focuses on the college application process with campus visits and SAT preparation. Iyayi Aiyevbomwan, a junior, said "I am grateful for the chance to dig deep to think about the type of college that would best fit for me."
Above: Tenth grader Nicole Gutierrez, addresses the crowd; 9th grader Makai Bryan looks on.
The class of 2017 lauded the program's impact on their high school career and role in getting them into college. Tyler Correawhite, a rising freshman at Cornell University, said, "After all this support, I can say that I am now a woman who will continue to expand her horizons even after I graduate from Cornell University in four years. I cannot find words to express how grateful I am for the time you all have invested in us. All of your collective love and support has made this program feel like a second home."
Derek Hernandez, who will attend Colby College in the fall, told his peers, "I believe that we all deserve a round of applause for completing the college process and getting into college. For me, and for many of us, this would not have been possible without Expanded Horizons; they held our hand and, at times, dragged us to the finish line."
Throughout the scholars' college careers, Expanded Horizons maintains one-on-one contact to ensure that our scholars are thriving in their new environment. Alexander Torbov, who graduated this year from CUNY Baruch College, said, "I am so happy that I have had Henry Street Settlement by my side. I can easily call Henry Street my second home. Finding Henry Street Settlement was a blessing for my academic, career, and personal development."
*From the one to the two to the three to the four,
Tonight you'll get a scholarship to open up the door
Expanding your horizons to beyond what you can see:
College, grad school … universi-ty.
School's out for summer and that's a fact
But class ain't over, so don't sit back.
On your toes, head up, make sure you stay woke,
If you don't apply yourself, just might end up broke.
Life's a million dollar check, and you have the pen
Just for hitting the books again and again.
And it's not just measured by your back account
Integrity and compassion are paramount
To a life well-lived and to be considered wealthy,
So keep your body, mind, soul, and your spirit healthy.
This verse is from the heart, it's not just talk,
I spit it, don't forget it, I walk the walk.
The world is your oyster so open it up.
Life can be hard … but don't give up.
Lean in, lean out, lean on me ,
Ask for help…. because that's the key.
Success is a path, not a destination,
So congratulations, on your graduation.
A-B-C as easy as 1-2-3
You are tomorrow as far as I can see.
So get up, stand up and take a bow
Because you are the future and the future is now!


text: Justin Bieber at the Opening Ceremony show after Party NYC by jbz 9/09/2013 | 2:46 15 Posted in News Justin with designer Humberto Leon and designer Carol Lim at the Opening Ceremony (OC) show after party during Spring 2014 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at SuperPier 25 on September 8, 2013 in New York City. Tags:carol lim, fashion week, humberto leon, mustache, nyc, stash Related Bieber News Justin Bieber Interview with KTU's Cubby and Carolina Morning Show -VIDEO Justin Bieber Presented with Guinness Record plaque for Billboard Hot 100 on Today Show -VIDEO Justin Bieber Performs "What Do You Mean?" on the Today Show concert series in NYC -VIDEOS Justin Bieber & Hailey Baldwin spotted leaving Up and Down nightclub together in NYC Comments Gaia JB 10/09/2013 | 7:05 I love JB is the better in the world i love you JUSTIN Reply Mariah Bieber 9/09/2013 | 7:08 Such a chessy smile! Lol he look cute! Luv u Justin:P #Belieber4life Reply imanixa justin 9/09/2013 | 6:23 i love you justin bieber so much pls came to morocco pls <3 Reply #swaggybelieber 9/09/2013 | 5:55 He still got that line across his face lol Reply Belieber 9/09/2013 | 4:11 Hope he had a good time. I love his smile! Reply Nicki 9/09/2013 | 3:47 I hope that you had a goodtime. I luv you 😀 Reply kidrauhl's girl♥ 9/09/2013 | 12:22 Justin looks amazing like always and soo cute and adorable He is the best 🙂 Reply Kelvin 9/09/2013 | 11:05 He looks hot……i wanna be there with u justin Reply Krista 9/09/2013 | 10:58 Omb your style is so amazing i lve you Reply Barasha 9/09/2013 | 9:09 He is sooooooo cute.i love u justin ! Reply ♥belieber&jelenator♥ 9/09/2013 | 8:05 aww i hope he had a great time and i'm happy he didn't shave yay Reply Jakob Gonzalez 9/09/2013 | 3:38 Your very nice and I hope that u make new music 🙂 Reply Pheonix 9/09/2013 | 3:38 I dig ur style dude nice outfit but loose them shades Reply Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Name * Email * Website Current ye@r * Leave this field empty


text:
Last week, the Riverman and I went to Wabasha, MN, where a friend has a cabin on the backwaters of the Mississippi River. We arrived Wednesday evening and had planned to canoe on Thursday and Friday. The weather, however, had other plans. We did get to spend some time on the deck of the cabin – enjoying evening cocktails and morning coffee and birds, birds, birds!
Because of the slope from the cabin to the river, the deck feels like it's actually IN the tree tops. I had the distinct feeling of being in a tree house! It was so restful. And, the bird watching (and bird listening) was fantastic. We counted several birds from the deck and several more from the canoe when we were able to get out on Friday morning.
The most amazing bird encounter was when a mature Bald Eagle swooped directly over our canoe. It was so close I actually ducked! From the tree house, we saw a Wren, who was busy building a nest near the deck; a Blue Jay, who chased a squirrel in a nearby tree; several Woodpeckers; several Orioles; some Red Winged Blackbirds; and a yellow Finch. And, on a hike we did Thursday afternoon, we saw several Bluebirds!
I did have my camera, but wasn't quick enough to capture digital images of these winged creatures so I will need to be content with the vivid images in my memory.


text: Spending my lessons fishing around on tumblr looking for something new to dream of having in my wardrobe. This Zimmerman blouse definitely topped the list. Regardless of the colour blocking trend recently overtaking stores, I still have an endless love for the creams and whites for summertime. I love the symmetric cutouts and the uniqueness of this top. Lets hope I get this for Christmas!


text:
Calcutta High Court sets aside order on Nano dealSeptember 26th, 2008 - 9:52 pm ICT by IANS
Kolkata, Sep 26 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court Friday set aside the order of the West Bengal information commissioner directing the state government to make public its agreement with Tata Motors for setting up the Nano plant in Singur.Giving the directive, Justice Dipankar Dutta also asked the information commissioner to hear the case afresh and give Tata Motors a chance to represent its case.
The information commission was asked by the court to hold the hearing within eight weeks.
Tata Motors had moved a writ petition against the information commission order for uploading sections of the Nano agreement to the state government website.
The commission, working under the Central Information Commission, was set up by the state government with a chairman and member nominated by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the leader of the opposition in the state assembly Partha Chattopadhyay.


text:
So for like the past 24 hours I've been bloated! I dunno if it was the full on dinner I made last night but srsly! It's got me feeling all kinds of baby bump. Got me thinking; maybe there's some kind of asian herb (in my kitchen) or a simple stand-on-your-head remedy. ?!?!?!?!?
Anyway, so I went to drop a self diagnosis session with my GP, Dr. Google. Optimistically typed in 'bloated' to my fav search engine and up comes a thousand professional sounding responses, they even have comments from other bloaters (my peers) and what they did to shoot out their phantom pregnancies. Basically Dr. G says I've got a life threatening cross combination of everything from swallowing too much air when I eat to irritable bowel syndrome. Ulcers of the intestine variety are also a very real possibility.
'Joe from Gilbert' says peppermint oil is the answer. Sadly Joe didn't say how much to drink so I've just swooshed a sprig of thyme (had no p'mint) around a bowl of olive oil and drunk the lot. Now I'm listening to Miley Cyrus and waiting for my bump to go down. Tick Tock!


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Good Evening:
Typical San Francisco Civic Center. You go to work in the morning, and it's bare. Come home from work at 5:00 p.m. and you see these:
Maybe the artist(s) will finish the exhibit tomorrow
Which brings me to my latest picture puzzle! To those of you new to the fun, the rules are simple: first, I present an overall picture of an object:
Now some extreme closeups:
And all you have to do is locate the closeups on the object itself. Normally, I do not design my puzzles to pose too many problems, but this time I could not resist having a little fun:
Which of these closeups did not come from the sculpture itself?
Vonn Scott Bair
PS–My collection of plays The Genuine Show! opens Thursday at the Exit Theater. Tickets here.


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The mantle has not come simply.
No one else wanted the job he took in 2014 to lead the BC NDP as official Opposition.
The province did not clearly elect the NDP in 2017 to lead B.C.
The subsequent skirmish to build an alliance in a minority government was neither easy nor elegant.
But John Horgan persisted, consulted, reflected and became B.C.'s 36th premier. He is the Business in Vancouver Newsmaker of the Year for 2017, a clear choice considering the political sea change he has conferred.
The landscape for his work might be shifting, but the MLA for the Vancouver Island riding of Langford-Juan de Fuca will say he has not been changed as much as he has come back to his truer, dominant self – the "hopeful, optimistic" self, not the Angry John holding government accountable.
"I'm pleased that I'm able to be myself every day and be accountable for what I do and what I say, rather than speculating and commenting on what someone else is doing."
The John Horgan of today is surprised and touched, first and foremost, through this "12-month blur" by "the generosity of people" – the well-wishers, including those who didn't vote for his party in a province often polarized by politics.
He could see a breakthrough coming, he said, when the BC Liberals misread the public's need to make life better and campaigned on the status quo. In particular, they were not making any commitments on a "woefully inadequate" education file.
While Liberals in May elected more MLAs – 43 to the NDP's 41 – the three-person BC Green Party caucus held the balance of power and needed to be courted. Horgan feels the Liberals' approach was transactional, rather than about values.
"Rather than talk about what I can give you, we talked about what we could do together," he said.
A confidence covenant was created that aims for a four-year relationship.
Minority governments might not always be optimal, but they have to operate more nimbly. It's proving to be a good thing, Horgan said.
"I believe I'm doing a better job and my colleagues are doing a better job because we have to be mindful every day within every decision [on whether] it's going to have a negative effect on our relationship with other people.
"Majority governments don't have to do that. Over time they become smug and arrogant – regardless of whether they're Liberal, NDP, Conservative or Green. It's almost an inevitability."
His toughest call to date? "Site C, without a doubt." The decision this month to proceed with the massive hydroelectric project confronted divisions across generations, even families.
"My wife had a difference of opinion on the question," he noted.
But the deliberation by caucus effected a maturity and recognition that governments have to be for the broadest possible interests of the people served. He knows, though, there are difficult relationships to mend in the time ahead.
"There was no easy answer."
Nor were these the easiest times to take the job. Despite a government surplus of $2.7 billion, Horgan walked into the province's most devastating wildfires – $600 million in suppression costs alone, much more than that in economic damage to tourism, forestry, agriculture and community life, with pressure to make sure the province is ready when the fires inevitably return.
Horgan, 58, possessed some bona fides in business before he became premier, having served as an opposition critic on energy and mines. As he was ascending to the premier's job, he sought what seems an unlikely source.
"I reached out to Jimmy Pattison … and asked him for his advice."
He recognizes that the business community can be inherently suspicious of left-of-centre governments and their interventionist tendencies. But in his many presentations and discussions with business groups in his first few months, he sees a more positive sign as he reaches out.
"I've been trying to be present and available to people, to give them comfort that I have purpose – and that purpose is to continue the prosperity in British Columbia. And I can't do it if the captains of industry are not onside."
He sees government's role as threefold for business: develop a skilled workforce, ensure modern infrastructure and nurture a health-care system upon which people can depend.
There are, and will be, obvious headwinds.
"The softwood lumber deal profoundly disappointed us – that such a narrow, narrow group of individuals and companies in the United States could have such a profound impact on Canada and the U.S. and our relationship."
The challenges ahead: the North American Free Trade Agreement, housing affordability, education – "I could go on. The list is long."
The regrets?
He would have preferred to have been in the legislature as it discussed amendments to the proportional representation law to reassure doubters. He intends to do so in the new year.
The style he wants is of a leader who is an open book with challenges.
"My approach to things has always been: address them when they arrive, deal with them openly, be candid and up front with people as to why you're making decisions."
And, just as his Grade 3 arithmetic teacher would demand when he had an answer but did not demonstrate his process: "show your work."
The next few weeks will include deliberations on the government's first budget, and it would be fair to say there remain some apprehensions on how the NDP will deliver change without upending the economy. Horgan offers no real hints of what's ahead, except that he took the job obviously believing government can make a difference in lives, particularly in any times of distress.
By this time next year, "I would hope people would see a government working for them." •


text:
Old Style PorterMarch 1, 2009 Suffolk, England
St. Peters Brewery
Suffolk, England
Imported by: Eurobrew
Ashland, MA
Available: nationwide
St. Peter's Brewery opened in an ancient country hall in the east of England just over a decade ago. The beers are packaged in distinctive oval bottles copied from one from Gibbstown, near Philadelphia, which dates from around 1770.
Color: 80-100
Bitterness: 35-39
Original gravity: 1051
One sip and I'm transported to a dark, woody British corner pub. This porter seems like it should have been served at my imaginary pub for at least a century, although the brewery has only been around for a dozen or so years. Even the (green) bottle and labeling have an "old world" feel to them, having been inspired by a bottle used by a brewery in Philadelphia around the time of the Revolutionary War. The color is a deep mahogany, with a very fervent head that eventually settles down a bit to a lacy, tan skiff. Aromas of coffee, cherries, chocolate and toffee greet the nose, but don't hint at the very agreeable bitterness that comes at you at first sip, joining the dance with flavors of dark fruit, coffee and confections. This is, indeed, an old English porter, with some decidedly new-world flair. PS—Try using the Old-Style Porter to deglaze the pan while caramelizing onions for a burger. The onions come out deee-lish!
- Lisa Morrison
This light-ruby-colored creation comes from a brewery based at an ancient country hall in the east of England and it is aptly named. It's a beer that leads porter back to its roots—the brewers take a young ale and blend it with one that has been aged for some time. What turns out is a mellow, sweetish, smooth beer with milky cappuccino and nutty, bitter grain flavors that drinks rather light for its strength. Some of the creaminess lingers on into the dry finish, where burnt grains provide a firmly bitter conclusion. Smooth and very enjoyable.
- Jeff Evans
Lisa Morrison
Morrison, aka the Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever and wherever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Jeff Evans
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and one of Britain's best-known beer writers.
Comments are closed here.


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She was also a member of the gold-winning U.S. team at the 2011 World Championships. While many have focused on Gabby's nickname "the flying squirrel" and the controversy around her hair, the former secretary of state believes she is a hero. "I'm proud of their team gold and thrilled for Douglas and her momentous accomplishment as the first African-American to win the individual all-around gymnastics title," said Rice.
Read more: Black Enterprise


text:
Consumer Reports has released its hospital safety ratings for 2013, and while the publication has nearly doubled the number of hospitals rated, many hospitals received low scores for their performance on readmissions, complications, communication, overuse of CT scans, and infections.
These measures are among the issues studied by INQRI-funded research teams investigating the role of nurses in improving the quality of patient care. Several of these studies have shown that nursing has a significant impact on reducing readmissions and infection rates, for instance.
The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center scores hospitals on a 100-point scale. This year, the average score for the 2,031 hospitals included in the ratings was 49. Two-thirds of the 258 teaching hospitals in the U.S. received scores that were below that average.
Several hospitals have contested their low scores, pointing out that that data used for the scoring was more than two years old.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Hospital Compare site also provides hospital ratings. The Health Compare ratings are based on more current data but for an expanded list of measures, some of which are different. Those measures include: timely and effective care for several conditions; readmissions, complications and death; use of medical imaging; a survey of patients' hospital experiences; number of Medicare patients; and spending per Medicare patient.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Consumer Reports' 2013 Hospital Safety Ratings Show Significant Room for Improvement
Posted by INQRI Program at 12:39 PM
Labels: Consumer Reports, hospital safety
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text:
Sunday, January 16, 2011
This tattoo design kick butt by the way, very nice detail, and the color is
Beginning in the late 1990s the lower back tattoo became popular,
the skull tattoo.
pacman-butt-tattoo-design (400 x 300).jpg
cat butt tattoo
Online Womens Tattoo
This has got to be one of the manliest, badass tattoos I've ever seen.
View Original Size Theres no such thing as a good butt tattoo. butt,
Posted by Miss Smile at 5:26 pm Tagged with: butt tattoo
got Wicked Woman Mermaid tattooed on her butt! All hail Mary! Fan Page. \
Posted in Tattoo | No Comments �
Cheryl Cole rose tattoo on butt.
Monkey butt tattoo
I promise that the "Bad (Not Bad Ass) Tattoo" feature is not devoted to the
A little known fact, but Duke Nukem has a tattoo on his butt that
After the butt tattoos!
(more at horrible tattoos). Post a comment | Trackback URI
Because replacing your eyebrows with tattooed dots is so much more. Butt Tattoos
wraps around my whole upper leg on to my butt cheek Leg Tattoo
that Colin seems to have to get this kick-ass tattoo. That's wicked !
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O' Christmas Tree
Posted by PintofStout on December 9, 2007
I usually try to avoid the hum-drum posts about my everyday workings and activities, but yesterday was such a fine day that I thought I'd share and do some speculating. The choice of activities had something to do with the quality of the day, but the people we met while pursuing these activities elevated everything beyond pleasant to exhilarating.
The day went something akin to Rockwellian (Norman, not Lew). We arose from bed and got dressed warm to go find a Christmas tree. With coffee in hand, we set out toward a farm where we had cut our own tree four years ago, unsure if it was open or even selling this year. It turns out they weren't peddling trees, so we ventured back to our fall-back, the volunteer fire department (selling trees for charity). Unfortunately, they didn't open until noon, which was 1 hour and 45 minutes from then. In route to the fire department we saw a sign for "cut your own trees", so when our fall-back fell through we followed the signs.
We found the farm selling trees, but still had half an hour to wait before they opened. So we went to a tiny local coffee and pastry shop for some breakfast. The food was delicious and the kid that waited on us was pleasant and easy-going. The 30 minutes passed in easy conversation and we left to find us a tree. We pulled in the driveway and didn't see anyone around, so we wandered up the hill towards a barn where we found some bow saws and continued up the hill. At the top of the hill was an extremely nice man with his equally nice (and nearly as large) german shepherd and cute-as-a-button young daughter who seemed to fall into the snow every few minutes. He pointed us in some general directions for the trees we were looking for and set off into the pristine blanket of snow among the green fragrant pines.
So we wandered around looking for a tree, the most perfect tree we could find. The reward wasn't the tree itself, though. The reward was in the looking and the time spent in such an environment. Any tree coming out of this could have been the best tree ever. (An analysis of what makes a good tree follows at the end of the post.)
We picked and cut our tree then chatted with the owner as he drug it to our car, even though we offered to drag it ourselves. He loaded it into our truck far enough that it wouldn't move and we were off. The whole experience was such that we will go there first next year. On the way home we took a detour to follow signs to a gun store we had never visited near our house. The store, a building behind the owner's house, was small and neat. Again the owner was very nice and willing to chat some, and he was very informative about the guns we were asking about. When we left to drive home, we reflected upon all the great people and kindness we met this fine, sunny morning. Of course, the background of all this was a morning spent with my lovely wife. We talked and joked and do all the stuff we do together with the synchronicity of dancers on the dance floor. Hand, meet glove. I am still and ever more hopelessly in love with her.
About a Tree
The finer points of finding a good Christmas tree are deeper than I had initially expected. Some if it comes down to personal taste such as size and shape. Some people like rounder and fatter trees while some prefer the taller, slimmer, more isosceles-like trees. We prefer the isosceles trees that are just the right height for our room.
Texture is sometimes an issue. I don't know why, but some folks like decorating the tree to hurt…a lot. I guess it just doesn't feel like Christmas unless there are new blood stains on the ornaments. Texture, though, is about trade-offs. Too soft a tree doesn't have the fortitude to hold ornaments or survive the season gracefully. Too stiff and prickly a tree will hold ornaments – heavy ornaments – and survive the season, but makes the hanger regret every light and ornament hung.
These are some of the things to think about while picking out a tree. The most important thing to think about though, is that the whole thing isn't about a tree.
5 Responses to "O' Christmas Tree"
December 9, 2007 at 9:09 pm
How poetic, dude
December 9, 2007 at 10:44 pm
It was a fine tree.
December 10, 2007 at 11:49 pm
It was a fine tree. Sturdy and strong, it had seen many a snowy winter. But no longer. It was destined for the living quarters of an agreeable couple and a formidable cat. Now, in this unnatural habitat dappled with light it bears the burden of sparse glass orbs. And we know its fate. Twenty days of thirsty suffering all for their amusement.
December 11, 2007 at 1:39 am
Nicely said.
My boy chopped ours down with a hatchet. Not an ax, not a tree saw, a hatchet with a 12″ handle. I figured he'd get half way and call for Dad and the tree saw. He was determined. Because Real Men fell their own trees. Wish he was as determined with his math. 🙂
December 13, 2007 at 3:01 pm
I still remember you telling me at the good ol' Crandall house how you'd found "the one" when you two first started dating…


text:
How is it possible, that after I've started using my treadmill (2 days in a row!), my clothes are TIGHTER than they were before?
Seems Auntie Fat Thighs is taking her time leaving town.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Posted by kk at 8:37 AM
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text:
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United States District Court, W.D. Tennessee, Western Division
January 28, 2015
LESLIE D. COFFEY, Plaintiff,v.PAULA SUE COFFEY, Individually; ELIZABETH HILL, Individually; KATHLEEN OVERTON, Individually; RICK RUSHWORTH, Individually; ANGELA MORGAN FORBES, Individually; ANNA JONES LEDFORD, Individually; TOBY LEDFORD, Individually; PATRCIK, BEARD, SCHULMAN, AND JOCOWAY, PLLC; HAMILTON COUNTY TENNESSEE SCHOOL SYSTEMS; HAMILTON COUNTY SHERIFF JIM HAMMOND; HAMILTON COUNTY TENNESSEE; CITY OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, TENNESSEE; RANDY BOWDEN, in his Official Capacity as Chief of Police of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee; CITY OF CHATTANOOGA TENNESSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT; and WILLIAM E. (BILL) YOUNG, ADMINISTRATOR OF COURTS FOR THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, Defendants
Leslie D. Coffey, Plaintiff, Pro se, Trumann, AR.
For Elizabeth Hill, Patrcik Beard Schulman and Jacoway PLLC, Defendants: Michael Alan Anderson, Patrick, Beard, Schulman & Jacoway, P.C., Chattanooga, TN.
Kathleen Overton, Defendant, Pro se, Hixson, TN.
For Rick Rushworth, Hamilton County Tennessee School Systems, Defendants: David Scott Bennett, LEITNER WILLIAMS DOOLEY & NAPOLITAN PLLC-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN.
For Angela Morgan Forbes, city of Chattanooga Tennessee Police Department, Defendants: Phillip Noblett, LEAD ATTORNEY, Chattanooga City Attorney's Office, Chattanooga, TN; Keith Jay Reisman, Office of City Attorney, Chattanooga, TN.
For Jim Hammond, Hamilton County Sheriff, Hamilton County Tennessee, Defendants: R. Dee Hobbs, LEAD ATTORNEY, HAMILTON COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, Chattanooga, TN.
For City of Lookout Mountain Tennessee, Randy Bowden, In his official Capacity as Chief of Police of the City of Lookout Mountain Tennessee, Defendants: Edward J. McKenney, Jr., LEAD ATTORNEY, HARRIS SHELTON HANOVER WALSH, PLLC., Memphis, TN; William J. Wyatt, Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh, PLLC, Memphis, TN.
On November 24, 2014, the plaintiff, Leslie D. Coffey (" Coffey"), a resident of Trumann, Arkansas, filed a pro se complaint against the above-listed defendants alleging deprivations of rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and violations of the American with Disabilities Act (" ADA"), 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (Compl., ECF No. 1.) This case has been referred to the United States Magistrate Judge for management and for all pretrial matters for determination and/or report and recommendation as appropriate. (Admin. Order 2013-05, Apr. 29, 2013.)
Now before the court is the motion filed by defendants Elizabeth Hill (" Hill") and Patrick, Beard, Schulman & Jacoway, P.C. (collectively " the defendants") to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and for improper venue. (Mot. to Dismiss, ECF No. 32.) Coffey responded to the motion on January 21, 2015. (ECF No. 47.) For the reasons that follow, it is recommended that Coffey's complaint be dismissed in its entirety for improper venue.
This complaint arises out of Coffey's custody battle with Paula Sue Coffey, the mother of his children. Coffey alleges that defendants Paula Sue Coffey, Hill, Kathleen Overton, Rick Rushworth, Angela Morgan Forbes, Anna Jones Ledford, and Toby Ledfords " committed several ongoing acts of civil rights violations by interfering with the custody of [Coffey's] children, taking of false warrants for [Coffey's] arrest, numerous ex-parte Temporary Protective Orders, filing false police reports, making false and slanderous statements, abusive litigation and harassing [Coffey]." (Id. at 5.) According to Coffey, the defendants Hamilton Schools, Jim Hammond, Hamilton County, City of Lookout Mountain, Randy Bowen, the City of Chattanooga Police Department, and Patrick, Beard, Schulman & Jacoway P.C. assisted in the civil rights violations described above. (Id. at 5-6.)
Further, Coffey alleges that the Sheriff of Hamilton County, the State of Tennessee, and the Court denied him access to the legal system in violation of the ADA. (Id. at 4-5.) On January 30, 2014, Coffey filed a notice with the Hamilton County Circuit Court that due to his medical condition he was unable to attend future hearings in a civil matter before the Hamilton County Court Division III. (Id. at 4.) Coffey requested that he be allowed to attend a hearing set for February 10, 2014, by phone. (Id.) Nevertheless, Coffey alleges, the court made no efforts to provide Coffey with access to the hearing and held the February 10, 2014 hearing without him. (Id.) Coffey states that ...
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LRC, Inc. About Us


text:
Welcome to my humble Quester's Log. Feel free to kick your feet up.
By way of introductions, I've been playing video games (responsibly, honest!) since picking up those Pong paddles in the early 80's and thought it was high time that I created a place where I could share my thoughts on the games I was playing, news, exciting announcements, concept art…whatever. I know there are plenty of blogs out there for just that, but I know I always enjoy reading yet another good one so hopefully this will be a place that you can stop by and relax for a few moments and shoot the breeze.
Japanese RPG's and SRPG's are my favorite genres, so likely those games will see a little more air time here, but expect to see everything from Ace Combat to Ratchet & Clank to Mega Man, Metroid and in-between as my interests run the gambit.
Consider this a Quester's Inn as much as a log. Glad you stopped by.
*Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel's of the Starry Skies concept art courtesy of The Dragon's Den, a long running fan-site where you should definitely consider hanging your hat if you're a fan of the Dragon Quest series.


text:
Hello, everyone. Welcome to "Korean Folktales." This Monday corner takes you into the world of interesting Korean folk stories. I'm Jinny Na.
Once upon a time, there lived a poor scholar. One day, his wife told him to sell hemp cloth she had woven and get some rice in return. His wife was a skilled weaver, so at the market, he sold the hemp cloth at a good price. The man felt happy at the thought of buying rice and other things as well. While roaming around the market, he happened to see an old man begging for food. No one paid attention to the shabby-looking beggar, but the scholar felt sorry for him. After some hesitation, the kind man gave the beggar all the money he had just earned by selling the hemp cloth, thinking that his wife could weave more.
The beggar said, with a smile on his face, "Thank you, sir. In return, let me give you some tips. First, do not proceed in a dangerous situation. Second, dance cheerfully if you're scared of something. And lastly, crawl if someone welcomes you. Please remember these three things."
On his way back home, the scholar tried to board a boat to cross the river. It was difficult to climb aboard because the small boat was already packed with people. The man was suddenly reminded of the word "dangerous" that the beggar had mentioned. So he decided not to board the ferry. Before long, a flurry of wind knocked the crowded boat over and the passengers fell into the water. Watching the scene from a distance, the scholar was astounded at the beggar's prediction.
Before reaching his house, the scholar felt down as he imagined how disappointed his wife would be. He could not bring himself to tell her that he had given all the money to a beggar. He decided to gather some firewood and make up for the loss. So he turned back and went to the mountain. While collecting firewood deep in the mountains, he sensed someone approaching him from behind. When he looked back, he screamed in terror. A huge monster stood there, staring at him. The man was frightened to death, when he recalled the beggar's advice, "Dance cheerfully if you're scared of something." He plucked up his courage and began to dance. To his astonishment, the monster also danced with him. Even more surprisingly, the monster became smaller and smaller and soon turned into a handsome man. He bowed to the scholar and politely said, "I was a gatekeeper of the heavenly king. I did something wrong and the king turned me into an ugly monster. The king said I could become his gatekeeper again only when a human danced with me. Thanks to you, I can return to my rightful place. Please dig under a rock over there and you will be rewarded." With these words, the monster-turned-heavenly gatekeeper rose up to the sky and disappeared. The scholar dug under the rock, as instructed and he found wild ginseng. Again, the man was amazed at the beggar's marvelous prediction.
When he returned home, his wife ran to greet him. Upon seeing his wife, he remembered the last tip—"Crawl if someone welcomes you." He bent his knees and began to crawl on the ground when he saw a thief who was hiding in a narrow space under the floor. The thief knew he had been discovered and so he quickly rushed out of the house.
The scholar told his wife about the beggar and his three remarkable predictions. They sold the rare and priceless ginseng and made a fortune, all thanks to the man's generous heart.
That's it for today's "Korean Folktales." I hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you for listening. I'm Jinny Na. Goodbye, everyone.