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Let's talk about this notion that cloth diapering is "cheap." In our previous post we talked about how cloth diapering is affordable, if you think of it as an investment that pays you back over time.
While cloth diapers are reasonably priced for the average, middle class family – between $15 – $25 per diaper – beware of going into cloth diapering having a "cheap" mentality.
First, cloth diapers do require an invest upfront. You have to spend about $200 if you want to buy a stash of cloth diapers to last you a couple of days between washings as well as a few diapering accessories like a reusable diaper pail and diaper sprayer. These costs are difficult, given that the first year of baby's life can cost a family $7,000+ more! (According to "Baby Bargains" by Alan and Denise Fields).
Second, cloth diapers often require some costs over time. It requires cloth diaper manufacturer approved laundry detergent as well as electricity to wash diapers every few days. This can create wear and tear on your washer and these are "costs" to consider as well.
Now, however, we'd like to address the notion about "cheap" diapers. Sure, there are "cheap" brands out there . Many moms who bought "cheap" brands and knock-off cloth diapers were burned. Why? Well, the quality of many "cheap" cloth diapers are unknown and the diapers may not have lasted for years and years like many of the leading brands do. Anecdotally, many of these moms ended up having to replace low quality diapers eventually, costing them even more!
Also, many "cheap" brands don't offer a warranty (always check the manufacturer's warranty – treat your cloth diapers like an investment!). However, even with a warranty, buyer beware. If the company goes out of business, your warranty is rendered useless! That's why we recommend you work with long-time, trusted brands.
In the end, we believe cloth diapering is affordable, if viewed as an "investment" that will pay off over years and years of diapering several children. That said, it is not cheap to get started and we warn against moms buying "cheap" cloth diapering options that may end up costing them more in the long run. Remember, you always get what you pay for.
Note: We do recognize that some families may not be able to afford diapers to begin with and purchasing these "cheap" diapers are their only option. For families on extreme budgets we'd like to share a post from our friends at Cotton Babies with tips on how to diaper your baby when you can't afford the initial investment. You may also find this post by The Eco Chic helpful as she shares tips on how to cloth diaper for $50.
To continue the conversation about "cheap" cloth diapers and how to cloth diaper your baby on a budget be sure to visit us on Facebook and Twitter. To save money on the purchase of your cloth diapers we are always offering sales and discounts on your favorite brands at our DiaperShops.com family of stores, including Kelly's Closet.


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Click here to download the Application Form
New deadline: June 1, 2012
The G20 Legal Defence Fund has opened its fourth and final application round. The Fund is now accepting applications for requests for financial assistance from G20 defendants, both current and past. If you have incurred legal or associated costs as a result of criminal charges you faced following the G20 in Toronto, please consider applying for assistance from the Fund. If you previously applied to the Fund, you can reapply for costs that may not have been covered previously.
The G20 Legal Defence Fund exists to hold and give out funds raised to support the legal defence of people facing charges stemming from the June 2010 Toronto G20 Summit – this includes legal fees for criminal charges, bail hearings, bail variations, trial preparation, pre-trial meetings, constitutional motions, trial preparation, legal fees for G20-related immigration and child custody issues, and travel costs.
We believe that building movements where we support each other strengthens the struggle for social justice. The fund is run based on the following principles:
1. All accused are presumed innocent.
2. No discrimination against accused people based on their charges, or on the outcome of their charges.
3. Money will be disbursed based on the criteria of risk, and financial need, with the recognition that some groups face oppression, prejudice, and disproportionate challenges when engaging with the criminal justice system.
The application form and submission instructions are available here.
All applications will be kept completely confidential.
If you have legal aid, you can still apply but your need for funds will be less, so your application will be considered taking that into account.
The application and all supporting documentation must be received by JUNE 1, 2012.
The application form and all supporting documentation must be mailed (fax and email submissions will not be accepted) to the following address:
G20 Legal Defence Fund
c/o Paul Copeland
Copeland Duncan
31 Prince Arthur Ave
Toronto, ON M5R 1B2
If you have any questions or would like any additional information please email us at email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi mate > > (Note: If the NM applies for DD status, he can become a DM after FD > > approval) > > Is "an NM process" different from "the NM process"? > > If the last item would require the applicant to apply for NM-ship and > not be rejected from this process, it would help those in the NM process > waiting for one thing or another. It should be required that the applicant > is maintaining a package already as well, though. Meant is "the NM process". Of course, parts like T&S are up to the AM. The AMs might use a reduced set of questions for the NM to become a DM (therefore, the most important parts ...). In the end FD has to check for completeness though (which is atm damn fast). In order to get an AM, the applicant has to have contributed in some way and this is checked by the FD as well, therefore the point "must have a package or contributed $foo" is looked after. Cheers Steffen
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Thursday, April 26, 2018
Wright (6'1, 178), a product of Mesa, Arizona, was listed by the Pats during the 2017-18 season.
"Garrett is a good young player," said Pats Head Coach and GM John Paddock. "We are really excited he has chosen the Pats and the WHL to continue his development as a hockey player."
He played 32 games with the Anaheim Junior Ducks 16U this season, scoring 17 goals and adding 12 assists for 29 points to go along with 40 penalty minutes.
Garrett's father Jason played in the USHL and then the NCAA with Michigan Tech. He went on to play five seasons as a professional in the ECHL, CHL and the BISL.
The Pats continue preparations for the historic 100th Mastercard Memorial Cup. Two ticket packages are available at mastercardmemorialcup.ca.
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Leaving the principal's office, Steven looks at his new schedule; it all looks the same, sauf the second period class. Steven was in his second week of school and had to be removed from his French class as the class reached its maximum numbers. He didn't think this would be that big of a deal, the only thing that changed was his classroom. In fact, the new classroom was literally right below the old one. Steven wondered as he wandered, "how will this change affect me?" He decided it wouldn't, it was a simple change, a singular variable. The teacher was great (he heard that it was Mr. Casey 😉 ,) and half his class was moved to this new room as well.
As the days start to pass, Mr. Casey notices that Steven has been late every day for class. "What is wrong with this kid?! Does he not like my class? This is second period, how is he late when he's been in school since 830a?," Mr. Casey ponders frustratingly. He follows the same basic routine as other teachers, that is, he asks Steven why he's always late, calls home, assigns detentions; nothing seems to help. When asked, Steven explains that "I try my very best to get here. I promise, there's just not enough time to get here."
Finally, Mr. Casey decides he would investigate, hoping to catch Steven trying to grab a smoke between classes or something. He checks with the office to get his period 1 class. Steven's classroom is surprisingly not far from his previous French classroom –just a couple doors down. He waits in hiding as the period 1 bell rings. Covertly, Mr. Casey follows Steven as he leaves his classroom. Steven takes a quick right, which surprises Mr. Casey a little as the nearest staircase was a stone's throw to the left. Nonetheless, a simple detour to the main staircase should not make him late for class. Mr. Casey continues to pursue as he starts making mental notes on how Steven can cut his travel time to class down. Steven makes his way down to his locker, and again, Mr. Casey is shocked to find Steven's lockers is steps away from his classroom door. Steven switches out his books, shuts his locker, and heads back towards the main entrance of the school. "Ah-HA!," Mr. Casey mentally shouts. "This is it!," he thought, "Steven's heading back to the entrance to get his smoke or something. I knew it, I've got him!" Mr. Casey follows Steven to the front doors with a sense of pride and excitement as a detective would walk on his way to the courthouse after making the plot turning discovery. Then, Steven does something Mr. Casey would have never guessed, Steven didn't leave the school. Steven wasn't smoking, doing drugs, selling smack, running tricks, or playing Pogs. He turned to the staircase and walked back upstairs. Puzzled, Mr. Casey followed Steven with caution. Steven walked past his previous period's class, past his old french room, and then down the north staircase. "What?!," Mr. Casey tried to deduce the rationality behind what he had just saw. He hollered down the stairs to Steven. Catching up with Steven, he asks "Steven, where are you going?!"
Steven, puzzled, replies "…to class…?"
"Where did you go, before class?
"…to my locker…?"
"Why did you go back upstairs?"
"…because I had to go to class…?"
"But your classroom and locker are both downstairs, why go back upstairs?"
Steven shrugs his shoulders and starts to search the floor for an answer with a math-induced puzzled expression on his face. "I don't know. That's how I've always got to class." Steven was right, it was. The principal had taken special care to make sure Steven understood the class change, as she knew he had a disability and was not good with change. She only told him, however, about the classroom change. Steven never learned that his pathway to his locker would now change. Mr. Casey started to see this pattern of behaviour unfold in front of him. He would spend the next few days helping Steven change his routine to avoid walking all around the school to get his new classroom.
Everyday life situations can be very stressful for people with disabilities. Whether it be someone with a wheelchair being unable to visit his new friend's house because he can't get his chair up to the front door, or someone with autism having to brush their teeth with a blue tooth brush instead of a pink one, barriers exist. Steven's obvious conflict with his chosen pathway was formulated from past behaviours that never changed. Routines are one of the most important goals for success with many people that have disabilities. Routines help us to overcome barriers consistently/automatically, to avoid forgetting things, or to just create a safe place for ourselves. These routines, when left unchecked, can create some conflict. In Steven's example, his routine was a good habit prior to his classroom change, but became a bad habit once his situation changed. His old habit was no longer accomplishing what it needed to (that is, getting Steven to class on time with all his books.)
My own life has seen many similar situations turn up. We all will deal with change to our routines in different ways, depending on who we are. Myself, I see change, I understand it, I just don't like to adapt to it. When I find a successful routine, I strive everyday to maintain my routine, tooth and nail. When a variable changes, I get upset and frustrated. No matter the situation, no matter how big, nor how small, it physically disturbs me. I need that "Mr. Casey" to come and help me out of my "rut." My parents tried to be that help when I was young, but struck with a lack of information, they never cracked my code.
The most challenging part of these routine changes, is that they happened all the time. It wasn't the big, life altering changes that drove me nuts, but the little unimportant ones. When I graduated high school, I was more disturbed with having to go back for a 6th year than I was when I finally started university. I spend 5 years understanding and preparing to move on past high school, but a 6th year was a change to my plans more than actual university. When my brother started high school at another school, I had to change my morning routines as my ride left earlier; still not that big of a problem. My mom had the day off one day, and it was the end of the world for me. Despite the fact that nothing was actually hindering my morning routine directly, having my mom home was enough of a change that I would shut down that morning and be unable to function properly. Now that I think of it, this explains plenty why my mother and I were always at each others throats' those mornings. Man, change sucks!
But change is necessary. Years later, and many research projects ago, I learned how these routines affect my life. Today, I am able to articulate, understand, even predict when these changes will disturb my life. My wife is my rock. Don't get me wrong, she absolutely hates how "stubborn" and "obsessed" I get with small things, but she understands me. I've told her plenty of times why I can react like I do, and she helps me to relax and adjust. I never use my disabilities as an excuse for bad behaviour, but I do use it to understand my behaviours. When I start to get upset about a change, my wife is great at walking me through things. She knows that just explaining the changes and how they will affect/ not change my life at all is enough to calm me down. My wife isn't a psychologist, therapist, mother, or has ever dealt with people that have disabilities. She has come from a place where it's accepted to see people with a disability as burdens to society, rather than individuals that succeed differently (we are all changing our views on disabilities everyday, only some places adjust at different tempos.) For the record, since having moved here, and understanding more about me, her opinions have greatly changed.
The point being (sorry, stray tangent,) you don't need a fancy degree or life experience to be a helping hand to someone. We do it everyday for our friends. We see our BFF sitting in the hallway crying about being dumped or cheated on by his GF, and we sit down with them, console them, and try to get them back on their feet. The challenge is that people with a disabilities are different. We need different help, and many of us do not know how to help. Most of the time, it just takes some investigative work. My favourite example is the "lazy" student. A student doesn't finish his work, many teachers say he's "lazy." When you do some investigation, it turns out that reading about some love story that happened 40 years ago is not only extremely unmotivating for a teenage boy, but when you also have problems reading you'll never get to the point where you can complete your work. "Lazy" is an excuse to not care, as are many other words that allow us to say, "I've done all that I can."
If you have a child with a disability, I'm sure that you can identify the conflicts and struggles that come with it. If you have a disability, I'm sure that you know you struggle, as did I. We all need to take some time to do some investigation. Our society has become better and better at doing this, yet often we continue to avoid finding answers. Organizations like the LDAO and developing programs in our local school systems are there to help. Ask your teacher for resources, ask your principal, your student services teacher, call the LDAO, anything. When you are at your witt's end with a teenager that has a disability, whether it be socially, behaviourly, or academically, sublimate your own stress and find an answer. You'll make your life easier, the life of others around you easier, and you'll find that understanding someone leads to success. I found it in my life, I see it everyday as a teacher.


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Begin Your Grimoire
The practitioner and true student of magic always keeps an exact record of his / her operations in a grimoire; which is a living document. There is really nothing special about the format a practitioner chooses because the content is the important and truly value-added substance of the grimoire. It can be as simple as a notebook or as elaborate as a document that is bound in the traditional sense of publishing. Some are bound in fine leather and transcribed onto parchment paper or fine stationary.
The important thing is you should accurately record the results of your workings. It is just as important to record failures (although failure really does not exist for the practitioner) as to record the successful operations and workings. The secret to magic is the ability to "create or achieve a certain result with consistency"ψ. Without this valuable asset, you will not be able to move to the higher Satanic magic practices, since they are predominantly based upon consistent results of lower level processes. Competent Occult Magicians simply rearrange or "cluster" effective processes to achieve the desired foundation, which adequately supports the higher level magical operations and processes.
Cook Up Some "Witchy" Code
A grimoire is somewhat like a recipe book; "open to page 42 for the secret Satanic brew". 🙂 You will record your potions and perhaps parts of your practice of alchemy, along with personal notes and impressions in some type of encoded text. This is where the Witches Alphabet really adds value because you can easily encode your writings and decipher just as easily when desired. All you truly need is cover from the passive reader and if you can do that, you will surely have your workings coded; 60% of 'dabblers' do not know anything about the Witches Alphabet!
Another technique that is popular for those who are bilingual is simply writing your entries in another language. If you speak Spanish and English, perhaps mixing those two with other elements will certainly make your grimoire personalized and preclude the ability of anyone without your skill-set being able to decode your messages.
It is not mandatory that you write your entries in any type of code; some practitioners are satisfied by adding an entry in English or other language and that is fine; there is nothing wrong with that at all. The reason why you might want to encode your work is simply so the work cannot be used against you in the future. If there is a remote possibility that your grimoire may fall into the wrong hands, you certainly want to take a precaution and encode your messages by the method of your choosing. If you are not concerned about your potions, spells or rituals falling into the wrong hands to be used adversely against you, there is certainly no reason to turn your words into a riddle.
Analyzing the Methods and Results
The true value of a grimoire is the ability to analyze the results of workings long after the event(s) happen. Just as a chef will adjust a recipe until he / she arrives at the perfect combination of ingredients, you too must do the same while practicing magic. Knowing what works and what does not work, what proportions and chronological order will certainly provide value as you travel along your magical journey.
Another value is recording the events that led up to the manifestation of a demon or other being; knowing the steps that lead you to that event is certainly going to be valuable. If you know how to travel to a destination, you can repeat the "travel" over and over; traveling the same way each time. You know what to expect, the time involved, risks which need to be mitigated and how to prevent "missing your turn into the destination". Your grimoire will certainly be useful for this endeavor. In your magical practice, if you can tie three consistent operations together, always resulting as you desire, it will be very easy for you to make longer chains of these consistent 'events'. The longer the chain, the more complex the ritual or operation and GREATER the reward.
If you 1) string letters of any alphabet together, you can 2) create words and those words can 3) form sentences which accurately 4) articulate your thoughts. The same is true with magic. If you 1) string small elements together, they can 2) form larger operations which can be assembled together in a chronological order, 3) forming a magical statement and several magical statements place together will result in a 4) magical operation that fulfills your desires……consistently!
If this sounds confusing, do not worry! As you travel along your magical journey, you will grow more and more familiar with these concepts of magic. Diligently record everything in your grimoire so you can review and analyze the results of each and every operation and ritual.
If you are practicing magic alone or with a group, the grimoire provides just as much value. For the lone practitioner, taking a few moments after the ritual to decompress and gather your thoughts is a wonderful way to come down from a huge magical high while writing down your observations! When working in a group, always discuss the event afterward while each person records his / her recollection in the individual's personal grimoire.
I sincerely hope you will consider my words and begin recording in your personal grimoire. I am confident you will find it helpful!!
Until next time, Satanic Blessings!!!


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The level of customer service that is provided at MidPhase Hosting is very high. MidPhase Hosting will provide you with real responses in a very timely manner.
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How reliable is MidPhase Hosting?
MidPhase Hosting has a high level of reliability.
They also offer uptime statistics readily available via their website which anyone can access, whether or not they are a current MidPhase Hosting customer.


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Carrot Pineapple Muffins with Beer Glaze
Nothing like sweet tender carrot muffins to get you in the mood for Easter. Today I'm sharing some amazing spring muffins with a surprising glaze topping. Plus fantastic Free Easter Printables!
When I was a little girl, my mom used to hide vegetables in all sorts of dishes to make sure we were getting our daily intake.
From vegetable casserole and lasagna to vegetable muffins, she was (is) a sneaky girl.
Nowadays I do a little veggie stuffing of my own. The difference is, I don't try to hide the veggies in my dishes. I try to showcase them.
Carrot Muffins are a marvelous way to showcase the sweetness and versatility of carrots.
The fresh earthy sweetness of carrots pairs well with a variety of flavors, from curry to pork fat.
You can almost use carrots in any dish!
Here I've paired them with sweet tangy pineapples and fresh grated ginger to give the carrot muffins extra sweetness and zing, then I added an element of surprise…
I topped the carrot muffins with beer glaze!
Why the beer glaze?
I promise I'm not trying to be irreverent on Easter.
If you're not a fan of beer, you could always substitute pineapple juice in the glaze. However, I find a touch of light wheaty beer compliments the heck out of the carrot, pineapple, ginger combination.
It adds that little extra something that make these muffins really shine!
These carrot muffins are moist, hearty and unique.
I highly recommend them.
And if you like the muffin wrappers I used in the photos (and the cute little toppers) feel free to print them and use them for Easter.
Carrot Muffins
Yield: 4 muffins
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
For the Carrot Muffins:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup crushed pineapple in juices
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 Tb. fresh grated ginger *optional
- 4 Tb. melted butter
For the Beer Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tb. beer
- 1 1/2 Tb. heavy cream
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper muffin liners.
- For the carrot muffins, mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the egg, vanilla, pineapple, carrot and ginger. Stir in the melted butter last, mix well.
- Scoop the batter evenly into 12-14 muffin liners. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin, comes out clean. Cool completely before glazing.
- Place the muffins on a wire rack. In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, beer and cream together. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Making this recipe? Why not take a quick shot and share it on Instagram! Make sure to tag it #ASpicyPerspective so we can see what you're cooking!
More Veggie Muffins
Zucchini Nutella Swirl Muffins
Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins – The Kitchen Paper
Sweet Potato Muffins – The Noble Pig
Pesto Spinach Muffins – The Candid Appetite


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Rugged Maniac – Oklahoma City
About the event
From the organiser
You could spend your Saturday running errands or binge-watching TV, but wouldnt it be more fun to do something absolutely insane with your friends?!
Picture this: You arrive at Remington Park on June 8th with a carload of your most adventurous friends. As you step out you notice the people around you admiring your groups coordinated Avengers-in-bathing-suits costumes and your on-point Hulk-green body paint. In the festival, people are already riding the mechanical bull and playing beach volleyball (Rugged Maniac is definitely more than just a mud run), but youre more interested in the stein-hoisting contest on the main stage. You make a note to sign up for that and the pie-eating contest after you run. You see obstacles in the distance mud-covered people jumping over fire, bouncing on trampolines, rocketing down a huge water slide and your surging excitement confirms what you already knew: Today is going to be awesome!
Stop daydreaming. Grab your friends and get your tickets now!


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Accommodations near ExCeL London are listed below in the order of their distance (closest first). Explore our hotels to find accommodations near ExCeL London (ExCeL London) for your upcoming individual or group travel.ExCeL London is located at London Docklands 2 Festoon Way. We show the best lodging close to ExCeL London so you can review the available ExCeL London accommodations below and securely reserve the perfect hotel. Need hotel rooms for a group/meeting? Search for a ExCeL London group discount
How should we direct your call?


text: How did I overwrite a file to in "tar" file. For example I have file "backup.tar" in my home directory, which contains two file "x.sh" and "y.sh" I made some changes to one of the file "x.sh" and want to update the " backup.tar" I use tar -uvf, but this appends at the end of the tar file, but what I want is replace the file. The only way, I know of right now is, delete the file by issuing the following command tar --delete --file=backup.tar x.sh and then adding the file again using tar -uvf backup.tar x.sh Is there a better way of doing this, on a single command. Thanks in Advance -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/attachments/20051020/05133799/attachment.html>


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© 2012 Head Banger Productions. All rights reserved.
Please direct any questions or comments to email@example.com.
Girls of Sunset Place - The official site of the show Girls of Sunset Place.
Starring Ella Milano, Briana Blair, Natalia Rogue, Shawnae Belvedere, and Meyers Mary Ward.
Featuring episode synopses, cast bios, photo galleries, and video previews.


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This blog documents my life in the Mormon church, my escape from it, and my transition into atheism. This is a place for ex-Mormons to share their thoughts and experiences, to discuss current Mormon issues, and for those people in the church who may be doubting their faith or feeling that something is not quite right. Comments are welcome from all points of view.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Another Mormon Funeral
The family has a pre-funeral gathering/viewing where they pray and whatnot. As I am not family of the deceased, I waited outside in the foyer. As the mourners gather in an LDS meeting house, they wait in the chapel until the casket is brough in followed by the family. At this point, I joined my friend and sat with her for the funeral, hoping that the family did not mind that I walked in with them. She assured me that they did not.
I bought a white shirt for the occasion and I am sure I looked just like a Mormon with my recent hair cut and tie. Before the funeral started as I was waiting in the foyer, a man came into the building from the January weather wearing a ski jacket and shorts. His legs were heavily tattoo'd. He obviously didn't fit into the Mormon mold. He walked down the hall out of sight for a moment but promptly returned and left the building.
Another man waiting in the foyer came up to me, assuming I am Mormon, and asked me if I had noticed "that guy" and made a comment resembling, "I wonder what he wanted." Good old Mormon judgments at it's finest.
We presently found ourselves seated on the extremely uncomfortable wooden pews in the chapel. They are not designed in the slightest to give comfort to the poor behind that has to park on them. The cushion on which I was steated was not very thick and the back rest had no padding at all. Throughout the nearly two hour service, I was constantly shifting around trying desperately to get comfortable to no avail.
The service was opened with a prayer offered by a son-in-law of the deceased. He approached the podium and stood there very quietly for several minutes before beginning. His prayer was five minutes long and my butt was already getting numb by the time he finished. He rambled on and on about the power of the gospel and how true it all is and how families can be together after death if they all cling desperately to LDS gospel prinicples.
The prayer was followed by a congregational hymn (#97 in the Mormon hymn book, which I now forget the title of) which hardly anyone sang. Or if they were singing, it was barely audible.
This was followed by a euligy offered by the deceased's sister which was funny and entertaining. She talked about growing up together and read passages out of her journal in which she had recorded the very brief meeting, courting, and marrying of her husband.
The 8 grandchildren in attendance then sang the song "Love Is Spoken Here". As they gathered, the podium was lowered and a grandson lowered the microphone. Then they did the traditional turn-your-head-and-look-at-the-pianist-to-make-sure-she's-there gesture. I have never seen a musical number performed in church where this is not done.
The music of the song itself is quite beautiful and the lyrics are equally as enchanting to the young Mormon mind. They go as follows:
I see my mother kneeling with her family each day.
I hear the words she whispers, as she bows her head to pray.
Her pleas to the father quiet all my fears.
And I am thankful, love is spoken here.
Mine is a home where every hour
Is blessed by the strength of priesthood power.
With father and mother leading the way,
Teaching me how to trust and obey.
And the things they teach are crystal clear,
For love is spoken here.
The girls then sing the first verse together with the boys singing the second, and when done properly, sounds very nice. However, the boys were all tone deaf and it sounded just awful. But no one cares because the spirit is so very strong at this point.
This musical number was followed by a son of the deceased who thanked everyone on behalf of the family for the kind support from everyone and then shared favorite moments of his memories with his mother and siblings. He made sure to throw in lots of preaching and quotes from church leaders.
This was followed by a daughter-in-law who sang a song which I have never heard. The family all seemed to enjoy it, but to me it honestly sounded just like screeching. I felt embarrased for the poor woman. Obviously, it's not easy to preform a musical piece while you are at the height of your emotions, so I tried not to be too critical.
The presiding bishop then made a few short comments (thankfully) and it was time for the closing hymn and prayer.
The five-minute closing prayer was offered by another son-in-law and, naturally, he too paused before he began the prayer, and he made a deliberate attempt to make his prayer even more righteous-sounding than the opening prayer. The words "in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen." have never sounded so sweet. It meant I could relieve the pressure on my posterior and allow blood flow to return to the area, which was now feeling nothing.
During the entire funeral, the grandchildren were crying and the atmosphere was sad as funerals usually are. This heightened sense of emotion is used by the church at funerals to envoke powerful feelings of helpless dependence on the gospel. It is clearly preached that they will all be reunited with the deceased someday IF they all stay strong in the gospel.
It is sad but true that a Mormon funeral is not used to honor the deceased but to create a stronger emotional attachment to "revealed precious gospel truths". This particular funeral, while preachy, did actually give me a good sense of what this person was like during her life.
In mentioning the opening and closing prayer givers, it became obvious to me that there is real competition among the priesthood holders to project the most righteousness. Image is everything in the church, and the person who can offer the most humble yet powerful prayer is highly regarded by everyone. The feeling of Mormon superiority is futher demonstrated by the comments that were made before the funeral about the improperly dressed man who made a short appearance.
That was about all the Mormon preaching I can handle for a long time. And my ass is screaming at me to never go there again!
26 comments:
- Andrew Hall said...
Religion loves to co-opt every life transition.
- January 26, 2013 at 8:17 AM
- Mormon411 said...
Especially death.
- January 28, 2013 at 6:51 AM
LOL! Seriously, what is wrong with you man? I sincerely get a kick out of your posts. Never in my life have I seen someone try to conjure up issues out of something that has no issues. It was a fricking funeral and you are acting like they were doing something wrong.
Haven't you done anything hard in your life? I was raised on a cattle ranch, and worked on it from age 0 to 18, then spent 4 years active duty as an infantryman in the US Army. This whole thing about "Mormonism is so awful" sounds so lame to me.
Seriously, what is so cool about the whole Neanderthal rather than God thing. So we moved into Europe and beat up on Neanderthal Man and interbred with him. So we have 2 or 3% Neandertathal DNA in us. Neanderthal Man believed in a Supreme Being, so did Modern Man. In fact you have had Hundreds of Thousands of ancestors (perhaps Millions) believe in a Supreme Being, what makes you so special that now you show up in the 20th Century and say: "Stop the press everyone, I've got it all figured out, God does not exist and now I am going to make an entire blog changing everything Western Civilization has ever taught. I'm even going to make fun of their fricking funeral service!"
- January 28, 2013 at 1:15 PM
- Heather said...
Every Mormon funeral I've been to since I left has about the resurrection of Christ and his atonement, not much thought about the person who had just died. My grandfather lived to be 94 and his life sketch was 10 minutes long, but the churchy talks were over an hour. THE MAN LIVED TO BE 94! His life meant more then 10 minutes!!!!
I feel bad for the guy in shorts and tats. Had he stayed he would have gotten looks, pointed at etc. A funeral is a celebration of life and those who were able to share in that persons life. so sad he didn't feel welcome enough to stay....
- January 28, 2013 at 3:51 PM
- C. Marshall said...
That your life is so very empty that you have nothing better to do but criticize others and how THEY choose to mourn their loved one is pretty darn pathetic. If mormons bug you this much, then for heavens sake, stay away from them. I am sure they would appreciate it. Is it totally lost on you the absurdity of you posting your snarky judgements of them for their (supposed) judgments of others. I have lost my only two siblings in the past nine months. Their funerals were a deeply sad and vulnerable time for me and my family. Our family carefully planned out both services with a mind towards what they would want. Who are you to say what someone should have at their own dang funeral?! The thought that someone would come to such an event with that spirit in their heart literally makes me sick. Stay home next time, Please!
- January 29, 2013 at 1:02 AM
- C. Marshall said...
Tell you sorry butt to stay home too!
(I just re-tortured myself by reading over your silly post again.)
- January 29, 2013 at 1:11 AM
- C. Marshall said...
re-tourtured. That is what happens when you get so mad you start making up new words.
- January 29, 2013 at 1:14 AM
- Mormon411 said...
Weston, the bandwagon fallacy is the argument that since everyone believes it, it must be true. Nice try. For a very long time everyone believed the earth was flat. Did that make it true?
Where did I make fun of them? I attended the funeral and gave an honest review of it.
Have I done anything hard? I grew up on a potato farm hauling heavy sprinkler pipes through mud up to your waist. I did 8 years in the military. I went on a Mormon mission. The hardest thing I've ever done, by far, is see the truth about religion and have the strength to walk away from it. You choose the quick and easy path. "Everyone believes it so I will too!"
Thank you Heather. A funeral is meant to honor and remember the person. Many churches, not just the LDS church, make a funeral service into more propaganda. It's sad.
Marshall, I do stay away from Mormons. They are the ones who keep knocking on my door and sending me monthly news letters at an address that I NEVER gave them! I am no one to say how a person should have their own service presented. But I wrote a post about a man I knew who died a few years ago who wasn't even Mormon and for some reason his service was at a Mormon church at it was all just preaching and preaching. He was not a religious man and he WOULD NOT have wanted that.
What is so hard about the concept for you, Weston and Marshall, that the purpose of a funeral is to remember the person? When I come along and write a post on how THEIR services were nothing but preaching, you two throw a fit like it's the end of the world!
All I am saying is talk about the PERSON at their own memorial service! And you attack me for that like I am a beast with horns. You are actually defending the idea that a person SHOULDN'T be talked about at their own service. I'm embarrassed for both of you.
I do stay away from the Mormons and if the two of you hate me so much, then why do you keep coming here? Why don't you stay away from me and my evil influence? I clearly stated at the beginning that I only went to the service to support my friend. It had nothing to do with wanting to go and bash them. But I figured that since I had gone, I would write a review.
Why don't the two of you find a more worthy cause to throw a fit about like global warming or world hunger?
- January 29, 2013 at 9:40 AM
- Mormon411 said...
BTW, Weston, it wasn't a funeral...
It was a two hour preaching session.
- January 29, 2013 at 9:44 AM
You must admit that using a funeral to take pot shots at Mormons is in very bad taste. It just is. Using a funeral to take pots shots at ANY religion would be in bad taste. You are obviously a very liberal person so I will put this in terms you can relate to. What if I came from a Navajo funeral and posted; "Those Indians are so dumb, they think they came right out of the ground and were created by some Earth Mother God, when we all know they came from Asia!" It's one thing to take pot shots at how many wives Brigham Young had or Kolob or whatever, but to take pot shots at a funeral?
I come here because this is part of my religion big boy: Proclaiming the Gospel, Perfecting the Saints, Redeeming the dead (and because you are one of the very few Anti-Mormons who will let me post). Why aren't you out fighting world hunger?
I don't believe in God because everyone else does, I believe in him because he exists, I have learned this after many many years of struggling and inactivity.
I'm gald you served our country, what branch were you in? Thanks for letting me post. Believe it or not I do have respect for you, I just think you are on the wrong path.
- January 29, 2013 at 12:13 PM
- C. Marshall said...
DUDE! Do you not get that it is just in bad taste to attend someones funeral to be "supportive" of your friend and then turn around and write a post criticizing said funeral. I am sure your mother raised you better than that. Do you really think your friend would feel supported if they read your blog about it. I sure would not. As far as I see funerals have two purposes. 1. to memorialize and remember the departed. 2. To comfort their loved ones left behind. Maybe the person who passed was not religious, but their loved ones were. Maybe having a religious funeral for that person gives their loved ones some much needed comfort. If what you believe is true and there is just oblivion for us at the end of this life, why would a person begrudge the people they cared about most comfort when they are grieving? Also, I think it is pretty arrogant for someone to assume they know how religious a person was unless they were very close to the person. My brother died last April. He had spent the last ten years in and out of prison. Many who came to his funeral were friends he made during that time. I am sure they would not consider him a religious person. However, I read the journal he had been keeping, I saw his dogeared, much highlighted scriptures he had by his bed, I read what he had written about his belief in God and his testimony in the gospel. He was a believer. Should our family just have ignored that fact and had a service that was more in line with the life he showed to the outside world or the one that matched what he had in his heart? Again, as you were an outsider, I ask who are you to pass ANY judgement at all on someone elses funeral who you were not very closely connected to. If this is who atheists are you are really giving them a black eye. Why don't you let me know next time you experience a major life tragedy so I can stop by and "review" you and the dumb things I think you are doing to cope with it. I don't know why you asked me why I keep coming here when I hate you so much. First of all, I came here for the first time yesterday by way of a pinterest crock pot chicken recipe. I don't hate you, or think you are evil. I don't even know you. I do think your blog post made you appear to be very mean spirited, bitter and small minded though. If that was your goal, then "nailed it".
- January 29, 2013 at 11:44 PM
- Mormon411 said...
Weston, the Dalai Lama said, "People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they are not on your road does not mean they are lost."
I did 8 years in the Army National Guard. Granted, it was just the one weekend a month deal, but it was still service. It really wasn't that bad, but I wasn't fond of it.
I'm surprised to hear you say that more ex-Mormons don't let you post. I believe if we have to shield ourselves from the opposition, then our own convictions are very weak.
All animosity aside, I would sincerely like to know the reason why you claim to believe because he exists. How do you know he exists? The problem is that you truly don't know. You think you do, because of strong feelings and maybe an experience or two.. But how do you explain people of different religions having the same convictions in their own gods?
I respect that you have done your homework and have arrived at your conclusion. The problem is that most people who do their homework, usually come to the opposite conclusion. People who study the history of religion, study myths, read the Bible cover to cover.. most of them end up not believing. So I'm curious how you came to your conclusion. Are you sure it's not just wishful thinking?
You admit in your comments that we have Neanderathal DNA. That means we couldn't have been created the way that the Bible claims. You admit that Native Americans are of Asian descent. That means the Book of Mormon account is wrong. How do you justify these things in your mind? It seems like you have compartmentalized your brain, one area for your religious beliefs, and the other for established facts. How do you have these two conflicting ideas in your mind and believe both of them? I don't understand it.
The much more logical thing to do, is give up on the made up stories (bad ones at that) and accept reality. The moment "god" shows up in all his power and glory, then I'll be the first on my knees. But until then, it's just a story. And I am not afraid of a god in a story book.
Lastly, I wasn't meaning to take "shots" at the Mormons. I simply went to the funeral and wrote about it from an outsiders point of view. That's all. If it is considered taking shots, then maybe you need to learn to be less offended at other people's opinions. My main observation is simply that MOST Mormon funerals are 90% preaching and 10% talking about the deceased. If they want it that way, fine. It's just an observation.
If I went to an African country and wrote an article on the things I saw the natives doing, would that be taking shots? No, it would just be reporting what I saw. That's all I am doing here.
- January 30, 2013 at 10:12 AM
- Mormon411 said...
Marshall, I thought I had recognized your name from past comments, so I wasn't aware that you were a new visitor. My bad.
My friend and I have had religious discussion in the past and she is very aware of my views. She knows I am an ex-Mormon and an atheist. She knows I consider all the preaching at the funeral to be rubbish. However, she was still very grateful that I went. So this particular friend I honestly don't think would mind what I wrote, but you do have a point that most people probably wouldn't like it.
In my view, funerals are completely for those left behind. Yes, if death is the end then the dead have no idea or cares about what is said at their funerals and it ultimately doesn't matter. That's not the reason I wrote the post. I wrote it because I believe the LDS church uses the high emotions people feel when someone dies as a way to further sink the hook. I view it as a way to make sure they stay paying, praying, and obeying.
I didn't know the guy real well that I mentioned, but well enough to know that he was not religious at all. He was a heavy smoker and drinker and very open about his views.
Let me ask you this... Do you deny that Mormon funerals are mostly preaching? That's my point. It's not a "judgment" or "criticism". It's simply an observation. Do you deny it?
If it's a black eye against atheism, I don't care at all. My beliefs, or lack of them, do not require you to believe. I get zero bonus points for converting new atheists. Everyone already thinks we worship the devil and sacrifice children, so this is a pretty minor black eye, if it is one at all.
And as far as mean spirited, don't Mormons view all those who leave the fold as deceived by the devil and full of hate and anger? So no matter what I say, you're already convinced that I'm hateful and bitter. I write a review about a funeral and that means I'm mean spirited... OK. You're entitled to that opinion but it is very, very wrong.
- January 30, 2013 at 10:40 AM
- Mormon411 said...
Reading briefly through the post, I honestly don't see where I have taken any "shots" at anyone. I gave an account of what happened. This person spoke, that person sang. If that is offensive, then wow. That's all I have to say. Wow.
BTW, Weston, I have briefly visited your blog. I will write a post about it. My one concern is how you lump all ex-Mormons and anyone who disagrees with Mormons into a group of "Mormon-Haters". That is a huge turn off. I do not hate Mormons. They are my family and friends. It is an offensive term. The target audience of your blog is people who are looking for evidence for the church. Therefore, most of your readers probably aren't LDS. To stereotype like that will make any serious non-LDS reader immediately turned off. It makes you look defensive and makes it hard to take you seriously.
- January 30, 2013 at 11:01 AM
- C. Marshall said...
I appreciate you acknowledging that most people would not be excited about someone "reviewing" their funeral the way you did. It gives me hope for you. I am still a little puzzled at how you seem to not grasp the idea that when people talk of their religious faith in the afterlife that it is simply a tool of comfort for the grieving. This is not a particular feature of the mormon church. I have been to baptist, catholic, jewish and quaker funerals and they all contained this element. That you want to attribute it to a diabolic or mercenary motive is really an idea of your own creation.
In attending funerals of those I love, it gave me strength to be reminded of my faith and what my hopes are for the future. I am going to believe what I believe whether it is spoken or not. It is reassuring to hear it though. If some random person who showed up felt "preached" to, well, I just don't care. So I do deny that mormon funerals are all preaching. What you take as preaching I take as reassuring and comforting the bereaved, which as you agreed with, is pretty much the entire point of the funeral.
At my fathers funeral my sister read the words to a Johnny Cash song. Should the people there who did not like country music feel preached to, or think that johnny cash is just trying further sink his hook in? Sounds pretty silly to me.
It seems to me that you have some serious paranoia issues. You feel as if every action done by a member of the church is meant to either disrespect you (or other non-believers) or drag you back to the fold kicking and screaming. I think what you want is just to be left alone to follow your path. I am 100% cool with that. That is all I want. My experience has been that people ebb and flow in their spiritual lives. We are all at different points all the time.
What I am getting at is that I just wish you would offer to mormons the thing that you want. Just let them be. Respect their choice as you want them to respect yours. I do not think you can honestly claim to not be taking "shots" at people when you use words like, cling desperately, screeched, tone deaf, sounded just awful, helpless dependence etc. These are not exactly value neutral statements.
Yes, maybe they are going to send you annoying newsletters or sing badly at funerals, but you are going to dedicate an entire blog to mocking pretty much everything they hold dear. Some of them might think you are evil, but you in turn are thinking what gullible idiots they are, so how are you any better? You remind me of that old saying about how people can leave the church but they cant leave it alone.
I do appreciate you letting me speak my piece here though. It is good to be forced into some good old self examination sometimes. thanks.
- January 31, 2013 at 1:15 AM
Those would be very long answers. Entire books have been written on the subject of "Why I believe in God".
Last time you made a post about me you hammered me pretty good. I expect full-power hammering on this one, and I will be very dissapointed by anything less, heh heh. So long as it is truthful.
- January 31, 2013 at 4:17 PM
*Disappointed* Let's see what you got;)
- January 31, 2013 at 4:20 PM
- Mormon411 said...
I do understand that the words spoken help the mourners to cope. And that's all fine and good. I wouldn't reasonably expect there to be no religious talk or mention of an afterlife at a funeral. If I gave that impression, I did not mean to. I just think it's sad that it is made mention of so much that there's hardly any time left to remember the person.
And yes, I have been to funerals at other denominations and they talk afterlife and Jesus just as much.
Church should be for preaching and reinforcing religious beliefs. A funeral should be for remembering the deceased.
Your Johnny Cash comment would make more sense if that all they did... quote Johnny Cash and talk about how wonderful he is the whole time. What if they had done that at your father's funeral? What if they had talked about and praised Johnny Cash so much that your father only got briefly mentioned? You'd be upset by that, and that's my whole point here.
Oh, I know that members don't intend to disrespect me. But when a Mormon is nice, I always have to question their motive, because often times, getting you to go to a church function is their motive.
Mormons love to quote that saying, "they leave the church but they can't leave the church alone." In response I say of the Mormons, "They leave the world, but they can't leave the world alone." As soon as they stop knocking on doors and trying to recruit the whole world, I'll never write another post here again.
I still don't consider it taking shots. I do tend to get excited when I write. However, the term "cling desperately" really means the same thing as "endure to the end". I word things that way just to get my readers thinking outside of the box a little. And as far as screeching, it really was awful. Even if I had attended the funeral as a believer, it still would have been screeching.
I know they hold the church dear and I don't force a single person to read my words. I don't knock on their doors and try to convert them away. I only discuss it with them when they come here, so I am leaving them alone. The only time I discuss religion with them is when they come here and talk to me first.
I write this blog for LDS members who may be feeling surpressed or doubting like I was. Yes, I consider them gullible, but do I think I'm better than them? No. To the person who feels like they are under the boot of the LDS church, like I did, that is who I write for. I'm trying to be a support to those who lose their faith, because Mormons and most other religious groups certainly aren't.
Anyone is always welcome to come here and say anything they want. I don't care if they agree or disagree. I just ask that it be kept respectful as much as possible, and I believe we are accomplishing that. If I have made you think, then I have done my job. In the end, if you further evaluate your beliefs and still stay with them, then at least you have done it for you and for no one else.
I fear that all too often, it is done for everyone else.
- January 31, 2013 at 8:10 PM
- Mormon411 said...
Weston, long books have also been written on why "I don't believe in god". The reason I don't believe is simply because there's no evidence of a god. I'd rather say "I don't know" than make up a good sounding story. And in my opinion, religion is nothing but a good sounding story.
I don't remember writing a post about you. I'll have to go back and see. I'll be honest in this one, as I'm sure you have no doubt, but I will try to make it objective. Hopefully I can get to it before Saturday.
- January 31, 2013 at 8:17 PM
"Really Bad Mormons" was kind of about me. Religion is a good sounding story that has been going on for a LOOOOOOOOOOONG time, that's what I want you to understand. Most religions are 90% the same. They almost all believe in an afterlife, doing good to others, a Supreme Being, a spirit world, etc. Billions of human beings have believed in religion. I'm just trying to get through your head how unusual it is to believe in nothing except what your 5 senses experience. I know there are millions of atheists out there, but for every atheist out there there have been millions of believers. I just want you to place yourself in the right perspective in the big cosmic plan.
I say this to you because I really do believe that one day you will die and say, "Well what do you know, there IS something after that life after all." I want you to be ready for that moment. It will be here before you know it (even though I hope your life here on earth is very long and happy).
- February 1, 2013 at 9:21 AM
- Mormon411 said...
Are you the Screaming Nephite? Must be.
Yes, religion has been around a long time and believers greatly outnumber non-believers. I have never argued that.
However, just because 20 billion have believed/do believe/will believe in a supreme being, doesn't make him real.
Death is coming for all of us. And when my time comes, I will be pleasantly surprised if there is more. And even if I am wrong and it turns out there is a god, I'm sure he won't be so shallow that he'll damn me to hell just because I didn't believe in him.
- February 1, 2013 at 6:56 PM
Remember what Jesus said to Thomas. Something along the lines of, "Blessed are you for believing what you see, even more blessed is he who believes without seeing."
The dog belives in something once he smells it, his eyes might deceive him. A shark believes something is there once his sonar tells him so, his nose and eyes might deceive him too. Senses are weak and fluctuating, your spiritual sense is more constant. You know you have a 6th sense, we all do.
I have been many names. I used to keep reinventing myself because all the antis would block me. But now I use my name and nothing but my name. I was the Screaming Nephite, the Lone-Danite, Spider-Rico, and a plethora of other akas.
I wont comment on this post after this one and will let you get the last word. God is waiting for you, he is waiting for you with outstretched arms all day long. He loves you and believes in you even though you don't believe in Him. I've never seen him before with my physical eyes, I don't need to.
- February 4, 2013 at 9:29 AM
- Mormon411 said...
Yes I am aware of that saying. IMO, that just makes a virtue out of taking everything blindly without question. I don't see that as a virtue. I see it as gullibility. If a person's reward is based upon believing without seeing, then any infinite number of things COULD be true.
It could be the truth that a random rock is the true path to heaven and only by belief in the rock can one make it. Granted, a far fetched idea, but hopefully you can see my point. When something is taken on faith and belief without seeing, it makes your chances of being right very, very small.
I disagree that senses are weak. Yes, they can be misled. Yes, they can be misinterpreted. But, science is based solely on what can be directly observed and tested. And look at all the wonderful things that science has done to better our world.
I believe in a "sixth" sense as far as a conscience or a knowledge of right and wrong, but to use feelings as the only factor in decision making is a bad idea. Sure, some things you just get a bad feeling about. That's your instinct. There is no evidence that such feelings are linked to a holy spirit out there in space somewhere. And often times, even in Mormon culture, decisions made based upon such feelings are often wrong. I have blogged about that very thing in the past.
The post prior to this post was written beautifully by an author who talks about the subject of emotion being communication from god. If you haven't read it, I suggest that you do.
I'm sorry to hear that you have been blocked. Not cool at all. The only time I would block you is if your comments were offensive and insulting. But even then, I might just not block them.
Please keep commenting if you'd like. I'm not trying to get the last word in. I am willing to explore your arguments if you are willing to explore mine.
One thing though that I mentioned a few comments ago. The idea of grouping everyone opposed to the church into "anti" or "hater" groups really is wrong. Those tags are really a very small minority. If I was a true anti-Mormon, then I would try to bomb temples and meeting houses. Please try to move away from referring to people like me in that regard because it simply isn't true.
I like where this is going. Please do keep commenting.
I will publish a post about your blog soon. Maybe a few.
- February 4, 2013 at 7:46 PM
- Todd Doty said...
What a pathetic narcissist. I have never understood people like you. If you don't like someone or something, stay away. But you can't stay away. Instead you offered "support" for your friend by giving a critic of how they said goodbye to their loved one. You complained about a 5 minute prayer and yet you spent way more than that creating your prayer of criticism and how you were put out in your "support" for your friend. I'm sure glad you are not my friend.
- April 15, 2013 at 4:14 PM
- Mike Williams said...
You are very self-centered. It's hard to believe you were more concerned with your physical discomfort, family members singing off-key, and thinking about those speaking at the funeral as having ulterior motives instead of giving them the benefit of the doubt that they may just be doing their best to comfort those attending the funeral. Funerals are to give eulogies, comfort those attending the funeral, and show your respect for the deceased. Some focus on one of those aspects more than others, but all you were focused on was yourself and finding fault in others. You didn't approve of the man who wondered what the person who entered the building briefly wanted, but most likely he was wondering since the man was clearly out of place. The man obviously wasn't there to attend a funeral. However, you criticized grieving family members and those there to help comfort them. You are far more judgmental than the Mormon man. Think about it. I'm not a Mormon, but it's easy to see that you are the one with the problem. I'm not an Atheist either, but I would guess that other Atheists would argue that not believing in God doesn't mean that Atheists don't have compassion for others and lack common courtesy. It also shows poor character that you went to the funeral just for show. If you didn't go to pay your respects and you didn't go to offer comfort to the family, then why didn't you simply send a card and some flowers? It's obvious you have a chip on your shoulder about the Mormon faith. The polite thing to do would be to simply move on and respectfully let others worship how they choose without being judged by you since I'm sure you expect them to respect your decision not to worship and would like them not to judge you.
- August 2, 2014 at 12:04 PM
- Mormon411 said...
To both Todd and Mike,
You are certainly free to your opinion that I am a low-life scum bag that is unworthy of any friends. The fact of the matter is, I went to the funeral to support my friend. That was the purpose. But seeing as how I author a blog that disucsses Mormonism and my views on it, I figured I would also turn it into an opportunity to share the experience as seen through the eyes of a non/former Mormon. If you don't like that, no one is making you stick around, are they?
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Our firm specializes in representing Georgia consumers is Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases. Unlike large law firms where junior associates rotate from case to case, the attorneys of Saedi Law Group, LLC are seasoned professionals who handle every aspect of a case. We deliver unparalleled representation because of our thorough knowledge, experience and understanding of all aspects of bankruptcy law in Georgia. Our lawyers possess superior legal experience and have successfully represented a variety of clients in the Northern District of Georgia.
Our staff possesses high academic credentials, maintains strong community ties, and is committed to the pursuit of excellence. We communicate effectively and demonstrate the strictest personal and professional ethics as well as the utmost concern for our clients. Our firm prides itself on our integrity, expertise, and knowledge. We always keep in mind the best interests of our clients when seeking resolution to their legal matters. This requires diverse skills such as aggressive advocacy and compassionate negotiation, and the wisdom and discernment to know when each is appropriate. We always remain flexible and tailor our approach to the individual client and circumstances. We keep in mind these matters are integral to our client's lives and futures, and seek the most efficient and cost-effective resolution that meets our client's needs.


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A cross-section of the queens singing the Club's anthem at the launch
The Power Queens Club of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has commenced the celebration of its 30th Anniversary.
Power Queens Club was initiated by the late Human Resource Officer of ECG, Joana Neizer, with assistance from the company's Public Relations Manager at the time, Kwamena Longdon.
It was officially registered and inaugurated on September 24, 1988 with the motto, 'Unity and Love."
The club was formed at a time when ladies in the electricity company were mostly junior staff.
The women accordingly thought it wise to form a vibrant mouthpiece to articulate their concerns which could promote their general wellbeing and advancement of the company.
As part of its achievements over the last three decades, the Club presently boasts of a female Director, General Managers, Sectional Managers, and a significant number of senior staff within their ranks.
Speaking at the launch of the celebration on Monday in Accra, National President of Power Queens Club, Rosemond Asamoa-Frimpong, said "the inception of the Club came at a time when the ladies in the company, mostly junior officers, felt that their interests, concerns and expectations were being relegated to the background."
According to her, "From humble beginnings 30 years ago, and within the backdrop of myriad of challenges, our membership has risen from over 100 ladies to a significant 1,500 plus and still counting."
She explained that "as we continue to chart a course to grow our club and its members, we are buoyed by the expectation that the best is yet to come for Power Queens."
She indicated that the club would make donations to the Children's ward of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and some other major regional hospitals nationwide.
Founder of Salt and Light Ministries, Dr. Joyce Aryee, who unveiled and auctioned the anniversary's souvenirs on the occasion, lauded the club.
Commenting on the theme for the anniversary: "Facing Change, The Role of The Queens," she urged leadership of the Club work hard to transition ECG through power compact agreement.
By Melvin Tarlue


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Acer Acer Aspire 4520 Bottom Base Assy, Acer 60.AHS07.002.
* We have limited quantity of 60.AHS07.002 in stock. Our inventory changes constantly and quantities listed are based on available stock. This item comes with our 100% Money-Back Guarantee.
I purchased a battery for my Gateway cx2610 laptop from Code Micro. I was very happy with the produ...
Jason G.
Great NorthWeb
Our department needed two discontinued drive modules for our servers. Code Micro delivered on time. ...
Mark E.
Citi Corp


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Diane's Special Interest Section
and Her Lighter Side
and her best friend Debbie . Photo was taken at Lake Meade where Diane and Debbie
take time out of their schedule to relax at the lake.
Mark is a very special friend of
Diane's, and also Debbie's son.
Another shot of Diane and Debbie at the LIWA
99 Convention in Las Vegas.
Diane poses with Gerald at LIWA 99.
Teacher & Student reunite at LIWA 99
poses with her tag team partner, Violet Flame at LIWA 99


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QQ Catalyst2.3916666666667
QQ Catalyst is a new concept in cloud-based insurance agency automation. It's fully Web-based and uses the latest cloud computing technology to enable you to work securely anywhere! Catalyst works on any device with a modern browser, including PCs, Macs, iPads, tablets and other mobile devices. There's no software to install! Catalyst incorporates such cutting edge features as guided workflows to make your everyday agency tasks fast, easy and error-free. It's beautifully intuitive, visually engaging and incredibly easy to learn and use.
Contact Information
QQ Solutions
350 Fairway Drive
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441
Phone 800-940-6600
Fax 800-940-3299
E-Mail firstname.lastname@example.com
Web: www.qqsolutions.com
13 Customer Reviews
I have been a 10 yr loyal customer and the thanks I get started within a couple of months of Vertafore take over with jump in my bill but the worst part is that they no longer support my version so we want to find another system. They have charged me for a copy of my data (499) and the copy is not any good. When calling (you won't believe this) the person that handles the problem we are told does not have a phone extension and he refuse to answer an email. Robbed of our own data!
Overall Rating Customer Service Ease of Use Value for price
I have been a QQ customer for nearly 10 years. QQ Catalyst by Vertafore is not the same product it once was. Sadly Vertafore has killed what was once the leading mgmt system. We are now plagued by downtime and extreme slowness almost weekly since 1/1/18. It's sad to see a product be murdered in slow motion.
Overall Rating Customer Service Ease of Use Value for price
If you are looking for an expensive way to just save your clients contacts, By all means get QQ. If not maybe try a regular CRM service. The interface for QQ is very tedious, You need to enter information multiple times, You can not customize fields to your specific needs. We havent been able to fully use their QuickBooks because it is not practical. So dont think you will be able to use any of the accounting features, nor commission tracking like they say. Try to get some bugs fixed but they say its a "programming issue" but the issue seems to remain in the system for ever. Do your research fully before commiting to QQ.
New customer of QQ catalyst. The concern is that the company has been unable to provide a current user in my area of Long Beach Cal so that I can ask them questions about the QQ or go and observe it's use. If its at all possible to ask questions about this product please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com
I just went with QQ catalyst. We have had our policies downloaded and we are about to begin training. My concern is that my rep at QQ seems unable to provide me with another user in my area of Long Beach Cal. That concerns me. I have many questions and wish that before we begin training I can talk to someone who has used the system. If that is at all possible please contact me. email@example.com. Thanks.
This system while user friendly has some major flaws. forget it if your agency does health business. I liked the company BEFORE Vertafore purchased it… now it is awful NO customer service to speak of. I am going to change management systems.
Overall Rating Customer Service Ease of Use Value for price
Lets see where to begin. They incorrectly have things linked. The accord 140's do not load all of the mortage companies you assign to each property, it stops after the second prop. Um, can't add COIs, EOIs, and such as attached in emails.. the email function for attaching accord forms only loads the history.. called in to warn them about all these obvious issues, they lied to my face saying "working as intended" which I know for a fact it is not, HINT HINT, I can code CSS, JS, and HTML with SQL query and Jquery. The flow is great, they do NOT think about the customer, they have an issue with actually fixing the broken crap before adding new.. then the email system they add, CANT EVEN PRINT THE EMAILS, everyone in the insurance business knows, backups of everything.. period. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND anyone to consider this as an option, fork over the money for a proper one.
Overall Rating Not Rated Customer Service Not Rated Ease of Use Not Rated Value for price
Catalyst is ABSOLUTELY USELESS for commercial agencies. Do not waste your time even considering. It is less expensive than other software for a reason.
Our agency tested QQ Catalyst about 8 months ago, but there are a several things the software doesn't do that we need. If you finance your commercial policies premium and take customer payments to forward to the finance company, the system doesn't allow this. It will only take payments for the carrier, but if you need to take a payment for Capital Premium, for example, you have to create invoices to trick the system, otherwise it will show that you took a payment for the carrier. If you collect credit card payments that get deposited into your bank account, you have to create invoices as well to trick the system into believing that the Agency is collecting the money rather than believing that the credit card payment was processed directly through the carrier. There are limitations to selecting multiple payment types. If the insured pays the agency directly with cash and credit card, you can't take this simple payment – you need to create an invoice first because there is no option "Credit Card to Agency", per se. We did like the user interface, especially the Stack option to leave a policy and come back to the same spot later. And other simple features that are used regularly, like memos, letters, images.
what is your split between commercial and personal lines?
I heard that this QQ was more for commercial lines agency
can you let us know what you think after over a year using the QQ system??
Overall Rating Customer Service Ease of Use Value for price
I do not like Catalyst. Mostly because they make the spouse listed as an additional insured. The to do list is also clumsy and does not flow for a CSR. Too many steps needed to log client activity and suspense.
Dear Debbie,
We just finished our first demo presentation with QQ Solutions.
We were very impressed. We are on AMS Prime and need to move to another system by end of this year. We have 5 full time employees and one part-time. We are 90% Personal Lines and 10% Commercial. I would like to schedule a call with you to talk about your experience. My phone number is 225-644-8406.
Overall Rating Customer Service Ease of Use Value for price
Before we decided on QQ Solutions/Catalyst I did as much research as time allows over about a 3 month timeline. Every vendor touted theirs to be the best of course, but not every system meets the same needs for all agency managers due to many considerations. So do your homework and read users reviews and make phone calls to users who have nothing to lose by telling you the truth. I almost went with the Cadillac (so I'm told) in the industry till I talked with a tenured user who shared with me her experience. She has to renotiate her pricing each year and each year it goes up, keep in mind it's already at the limit for most agencies budgets especially in the beginning. She also was the only one to tell me that unless I had direct appointments with carriers I need not worry about the download capability because you can't do downloads unless you do have a direct appointment – not one single vendor had every asked to explore that situation to ensure their product was a good fit for me.
I finally decided to go with QQ Solutions/Catalyst because it seemed to have all the factors we needed without the unnecessary fluff that would have demanded a lot more employee training, no doubt a lot more frustration, which tends to keep employees from utilizing complex systems. We were able to get on board immediately with very little ramp up time. The plethera of YouTube videos which are available on demand are available to answer almost any questions that arises – thus far we've found one to address every issue and they are delivered in an easy to understand and follow fashion.
So while we are still new in the system, my employees have embraced the system, they love it's ease of use and navigation, and we can access the data from any pc in the office (very unlike our previous system with multiple limitations).
Part of what led me to QQ in the first place was their no pressure sales – try it if you like it great, if you don't we won't hold your data hostage (unlike most competitors), and you can quit at anytime, we don't hold you by contract. That speaks volumes when you deliver the product and service that makes customers WANT to stay rather than stay because they had to donate a kidney to get the system initially and then they are bound for life because their data is captive.
So thus far I could not be more pleased with our decision. The customer service has been fabulous and especially by comparison to our previous vendor, we love love love the system and all the new features we have at our disposal now to help manage our clients, renewals, commissions, and data.
Thanks QQ! I'm more than willing to answer any question from any prospective client – I don't have a dog in the hunt and I would be more than happy to share my in depth research among the multitude of vendors for a totally unbiased opinion of why I made this choice and how it's working for us.


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Commercial fishermen and women are known for their steely secrecy. Ask them where they catch their fish and they are apt to give you a vague answer like, "In the ocean!" When you come to Ketchikan, we want you to catch fish, so we're more than happy to fly you out to our secret fishing spots, including great fly fishing streams, trout lakes, and other productive remote locales!
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We often think that salads are for summer and avoid making/ having them during fall/winter. The truth is that salads can be made and had during any season. It is the ingredients in the salad that change with the season. Summer means more cooling salads with a variety of seasonal summer fruits while fall/winter calls for salads with root vegetables, squashes, beans and corn. Today I am sharing with you one such salad that is protein-packed and filling. This is a salad that could be had for any season. Here, even though it is fall, afternoons are still warm( make it hot), while mornings are chilly. Coming back to the salad, this salad has been spiced with some peppers. The spiced part is of course optional. Not everyone can handle the chillies. Spiced or not, this salad is absolutely delicious! It is super-easy to make and enjoyable by most people. Can be eaten whether you are fasting or not..
Servings: 4-6 ( serving size: 2 cups per person)
Cooked Chickpeas: 2 cups
Tender green peas: 2 cups
Corn kernels: 2 cups
Broccoli florets: 1 cup
Celery: 1 stalk, chopped
Avocado: 1 medium size, chopped into medium pieces.
Spicy red pepper: 1, small, deseeded and chopped ( any kind can be used). ( OPTIONAL)
Dill leaves, chopped: 1 tbsp
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Lime juice: 2 tbsp
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: a pinch ( optional)
Blanch the broccoli , green peas and corn in hot water. Drain it completely and keep aside .
Take all the other ingredients to the salad bowl. Add in the blanched and cooled broccoli, corn and green peas.
Mix well. Garnish with a few sprigs of dill. Serve chilled.
I am bringing these goodies to Throwback Thursday #10, Fiesta Friday # 90 and Saucy Saturday. At the Fiesta,Effie @ Food Daydreaming and Lindy @ Lindy Mechefske are co-hosting this weekend.
Cooking made easy:
Each time I make a salad, I say this: use what is available. It is a salad. You can add anything that you have on hand. You can add nuts, cheese cubes, feta or cottage cheese.. Pretty much anything as long as they go with each other.
For the easy way out, you can use canned chickpeas, green peas and corn. Of course, I don't recommend canned stuff. But, in a pinch it is ok.
Tip for healthy living:
While canned vegetables and beans is a easy way out, it is not the most healthy way to eat vegetables and beans. Remember, for something to have a long life, it has to be preserved somehow.Sodium is often used to enhance flavor and the increased amounts of sodium in canned items can take a significant toll on the human blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease. The BPA present in the inside lining of the can may also be a concern as it leeches into the fluid present in the can.
Food for thought:
Inhale the future without any expectation. Hold the present and exhale the past without regret.


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Baruffaldi Sfericum goggles in red (BRF015)
Product InformationBaruffaldi is one of the oldest and most prestigious makers of goggles and protective glasses in the world. The company opened its doors in 1932 and created goggles for racing drivers, Alberto Ascari and Tazio Nuvolari. Today the company is very much focused on two wheels and creates a wide range of styles that have been designed with motorcycle helmets in mind. They are beautifully made by hand from the very best materials and of course, the lenses are true optical quality. The Baruffaldi Sfericum goggles incorporates the most advanced technical detailing with an adjustable bridge, interchangeable lenses and a flexible temple piece. These goggles features leather padded cushioning around the eyes for optimal protection and an elasticated strap suitable for wearing underneath your helmet.
- Adjustable bridge
- Interchangeable lenses
- Flexible temple piece
- Leather padded cushioning around the eyes
- Elasticated strap suitable for wearing underneath your helmet


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Unbleached Occident Flour
Be the first to review this item
Unbleached Occident Flour is milled from cleaned, sound, hard wheat. It is perfect for making white pan breads, specialty pan breads such as wheat, raisin and multigrain, hamburger and hot dog buns, dinner rolls, coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, tortillas, pretzels and croissants.
Ing: wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, potassium bromate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid. Contains: Wheat
Last Changed: 3/26/2013


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Running Your Girl Scout Troop - "Numbers and Shapes"
Girl Scouts has phased out the Try-its. You can no longer get this Try-it patch. That does not mean it is not a worth while meeting to have for your girls. If you really want a patch, you can get a fun patch for the back of their vest. .
Mix and Match
This Try-it can be done all at one meeting, in two meetings or you can ask the girls to do one requirement on their own to bring to the meeting. So Mix and Match to fit your troops style. If they love the outdoors you'll want to do two meetings.
Below I will give you ideas for the 1st four requirements right away. If you just do those in one "station" meeting you will be done. Another option is to let the girls do a little something on their own to bring to a meeting where you'll do three requirements. The last requirement I will explain will be for a second meeting. If you choose one of the last two options, you only have to choose three requirements at your "meeting". This should all make sense once you read the whole hub.
Station Meetings
- Running Your Girl Scout Troop - Brownie Try-Its
One of the things this HUB explains is how to run a station meeting.
One Meeting/Four Requirements
Requirement #1: The book calls this requirements "Math Shapes" It is really a very cool game called Tangrams. You can use the pattern in the Try-it book to make your own or buy a few sets for the girls to use at this station. You will need a pattern book or cards too. The girls have to make the shape in the book or on the card using all the tangram blocks. It's not as easy as it sounds.
Requirement #2: Origami - If your lucky you know someone who can do this. If not, find someone who does or get a book and special paper to learn yourself. Remember, Girl Scouts are about empowering the girls to try new things. That means there are times we need to show them that we try new things too. The person in charge of this station may want to make some samples ahead of time to show the girls and to familiarize themselves with how to make different pieces.
Requirement #3: Mobius Strips - The Try-it book explains exactly what to do. You just need to gather your supplies. The person in charge of this station may want to make a sample ahead of time to show the girls and to familiarize themselves with how to make the Mobius.
Requirement #4: You can go to your local craft store and buy blank jigsaw puzzles for the girls to make themselves. Depending on the time of year you are doing your meeting them could make them into a holiday cards by writing a message on them, breaking them up, putting them in an envelope, and sending them to someone. When the person gets the "card" they will have to put the puzzle together to read the message.
Journaling Supplies
Origami Idea
Mixing It Up A Little
If you would rather mix things up a little you can ask the girls to do a little work on their own and/or have a second meeting. Read on and decide what would work best for your troop.
Requirement #5: To complete this requirement the girls will have to work on their own for a month watching the moon. Some girls will love doing this. You can make this as creative as you would like. Have the girls record what they see in a way that means something to them and they enjoy. Drawing, taking pictures, or writing a story. This "personal" interpretation is what they will bring to a meeting to share with the troop in place of one of the first four requirements. If this is something the girls enjoy you can talk to them about our moon and the moons of other planets. It could be a jumping off point for other Try-its such as, Earth and Sky or Space Exploration. So pay attention to where the girls want to go.
Requirement #6: If your troop likes the outdoors go on a nature hike! I love bringing my troop outside. What is nice about this requirement is you don't have to make a formal reservation at a nature center. You and a co-leader can just take them on a hike/walk. That way you don't have to pay to have someone take you unless that is something you wanted to do. Make sure you bring paper and pencils for drawing. Check with your council for the proper safety supplies needed. You can prep the troop with questions just before you start your walk. "What types of things do you think we will see?" What types of things do you want to see" Do you think we need to use math and/or numbers while we are on our walk?" Write down the questions and answers before the walk and after the walk. See how close the girls come to what they thought would happen and what actually happened.
Choices, Choices, Choices
So you have some choices to make with this Try-it.
Option 1: You can have one 4 station meeting and choose from the first 5 requirements. (Just leave time for the girls to do the work for requirement #5) This will get the Try-it done in one meeting, in small groups, but will leave the least amount of time for each station.
Option 2: You can have one 3 station meeting, choosing from the first 5 requirements and a nature walk/hike. It will take two meetings to complete the Try-it, the groups will be slightly larger, but you will have more time for each station. The girls will have a chance to be outdoors.
Option 3: You can have a 2 station meeting, choosing from the first 4 requirements, and a special night hike meeting. It will take two meetings to complete this Try-it. This will give you two large groups at a 2 stations but will give more time for each station. Choose wisely for your stations. You can plan a special night hike for the second meeting. Besides going on a hike to look for shapes in nature, complete requirement #5. Have the girls share what they did for this requirement and show them the moon at night. Talk about the moon. Tell stories around a campfire. You might want a nature center guide to lead this meeting.
Space Products
Moon Phase and Star Map Links
- Earth\'s Moon
- StarChild: The Moon
- The Moon's Phase
This link shows the phase of the moon on a specific date.
- Interactive night sky map - AstroViewer
For the adventurous, this link has maps of the stars.
- Free Sky Map Planosphere - Astronomy Games For Kids - KidsAstronomy.com
This is another star map site but it is for kids and includes games.
- StarChild: The Moon
A Learning Center for Young Astronomers
- Earth\'s Moon
This link gives some basic information about our moon. It may help you answer questions your girls have.
- StarChild: The Moon
- Earth\'s Moon
- StarChild: The Moon
- Earth\'s Moon
- StarChild: The Moon
- Earth\'s Moon
This link gives some basic information about our moon. It may help you answer questions your girls have.
- StarChild: The Moon
A Learning Center for Young Astronomers
- Earth\'s Moon
This link gives some basic information about our moon. It may help you answer questions your girls have.


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Assad pounds rebels after mosque blast
Mar. 23 - Syrian forces increase attacks on rebels as more and more refugees face the trauma of being separated from their families. Sunita Rappai reports.
Heavy shelling in Homs as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vows to rid the country of rebels following the death of a leading Sunni Muslim cleric and ally. Assad made the pledge in a message of condolence over the death of Mohammed al-Buti - killed alongside dozens of worshippers by an explosion in a Damascus mosque on Thursday. Several videos uploaded to a social media website - which Reuters cannot independently verify - purportedly show the effects of government action against the rebels. Assad has used air strikes, artillery barrages and Scud-type missiles in an effort to dislodge the rebels, who control swathes of eastern and northern Syria. The humanitarian impact of the crisis was highlighted in a film by United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, which shows the increasing number of families torn apart by the fighting. This family with its few possessions is amongst thousands seeking to escape the violence by crossing into Jordan. Intisar, her daughter-in-law, two daughters and grandchildren were forced to leave after heavy shelling in their village. Her son, pictured here on the left, who accompanied his mother on the journey, heads back to Syria to protect the family's home and possessions. The growing crisis was highlighted on Friday during U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Amman, where he announced an extra $200 million dollars to help Jordan cope with the influx of refugees.


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Rooibos (Organic)
$ 4.19
$ 10.99
For our adventurous at-home blenders, organic rooibos can provide you with endless herbal blending possibilities! This tisane, grown in South Africa, is naturally sweet and lends itself well to blending with fruits and nuts and pairs well with desserts. Naturally caffeine free!
Origin: South Africa
Serving Amount: 1 teaspoon/8 oz. serving
Temperature: 203-212 degrees
Steep Time: 4-5 minutes
Serving Size: 1 oz. of tea will provide 12-15 single cup servings
Sourcing: Outside Blender