text:
DD vs KXIP 15th Match Vivo Ipl 10 Highlights Ball By Ball Result 15th April 2017 :- Both the sides have done a considerable amount up to this point to shake that off, much amazingly. Be that as it may, heading into their first home conflict of the season on the back of a reverberating win, the Daredevils would hope to turn the warmth on Kings XI when they go head to head in the night round of the Saturday's (April 15) twofold header, at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.
After barely passing up a great opportunity in the main amusement in spite of Rishabh Pant's valiant half-century, Daredevils bobbed back unequivocally to record a monstrous 97-run triumph – their best as far as keeps running in the ten-year history of the competition. Delhi's batting gotten a noteworthy shock in front of the season, when the group was looted of two of their pillars in JP Duminy and Quinton de Kock. The office still remains a work in advance regardless of gloating of IPL 2017's first centurion in Sanju Samson and dangerous players like Pant and Chris Morris in their positions.
Their knocking down some pins has been up to the check, drove by the accomplished Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra. They confined the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a direct 157 in Chinnaswamy, where the batsmen let the group and Pant down. Up next, against Rising Pune Supergiant, when the batsmen made cheerful, Zaheer and Mishra shared six wickets between them to help Delhi open their record in the focuses count.
Gloating of a standout amongst the most intense knocking down some pins assaults in their stores, the Saturday amusement could well be an instance of Delhi's playing against Kings XI Punjab's energy stuffed batting.
Match Details:
Match: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab, 15th Match, Indian Premier League, 2017
Date & Time: Apr 15, 08:00 PM LOCAL
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Check Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab, live scores from:
Hotstar.com online
Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab, 15th Match – Live Cricket Score:
Kings XI bat profound yet separated from Glenn Maxwell and Hashim Amla to a degree, the batsmen have needed consistency. They have all got begins yet neglected to transform it into something generous, which would be a reason for sympathy toward the guests against Daredevils' knocking down some pins. Concerning their own knocking down some pins unit, it hasn't been a mistake either in spite of vigorously depending on neighborhood choices.
Axar Patel have driven the turn office, which may should be expanded at Kotla. Their choices are restricted however – KC Cariappa, Rahul Tewatia and Pardeep Sahu – and for that, they may need to drop both of Mohit Sharma or the neighborhood kid Ishant Sharma.
Will Daredevils transform Feroz Shah Kotla into a stronghold, similar to they so proficiently did in the first season? The appropriate response won't not be accessible immediately, with larger part of their home recreations concealed in May, yet now that they have pivoted their fortunes after a thin misfortune in their competition opener, Zaheer and Co. would plan to convey the triumphant energy forward into this leg of their installations before they are out and about once more, for almost a large portion of a month.
Delhi Daredevils (From):
Aditya Tare, Sam Billings, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant(w), Corey Anderson, Chris Morris, Karun Nair, Pat Cummins, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Zaheer Khan(c), Murugan Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, Shashank Singh, Angelo Mathews, Kagiso Rabada, Ankit Bawne, Mohammed Shami, Jayant Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Carlos Brathwaite, Chama Milind, Khaleel Ahmed, Pratyush Singh, Ben Hilfenhaus
Kings XI Punjab (From):
Hashim Amla, Manan Vohra, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell(c), David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Axar Patel, Mohit Sharma, Varun Aaron, Sandeep Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Anureet Singh, Shaun Marsh, Nikhil Naik, KC Cariappa, Armaan Jaffer, Pardeep Sahu, Swapnil Singh, Eoin Morgan, Matt Henry, Rahul Tewatia, Martin Guptill, Darren Sammy, Rinku Singh, T Natarajan


text:
Determining the right mix of traditional and digital tools to best engage with parents and district stakeholders remains a primary challenge for district communications, according to a new report.
A large part of a school district's ability to implement successful initiatives or pass bonds lies in its communications and its ability to connect with community members.
Now, a new report from Blackboard and Project Tomorrow outlines the different roles district communications officials play in today's schools. The results reflect the increasingly important yet challenging role of communications in today's K-12 districts.
"Front lines of district communications officers" includes responses from 500,000 K-12 students, parents, educators and community members.
District communications officials said the three priorities that drive their strategic planning include nurturing their district's brand and reputation and development (69 percent), engaging with the community (62 percent), and managing information dissemination (50 percent).
The report reveals that parents and communications officials place value on different traditional and digital communications tools.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You land an interview with your outstanding resume. So now what? How do you prepare for it? Here are a few tips that will help you make the best first impression of yourself that will land you a job.
Look at the company's blog posts and its website
At Pyramid's annual meeting, CEO Sanjeev Tirath informed internal staff and stakeholders that our progressive, strategic investments in 2017 will focus on long-term growth and enhancing customer experiences.
There were so many mouthwatering submissions for the Holiday 2016 Recipe Challenge that we simply couldn't pick just one winner! This year, we have selected three category winners for Classic Cookin', Recipe Rookie and Diversely Delicious.
Classic Cookin' - Suzanne Frew and her Macaroni & Cheese
Reuters reports that U.S. online sales from Cyber Monday 2016 are set to surpass initial expectations by hitting a record $3.39 billion. Unfortunately, the report also concluded that the rate of growth on Cyber Monday was slower than Black Friday and Thanksgiving, when sales grew 21.6% and 11.5% respectively.
A trend is emerging in today's technology landscape. The evolution of businesses now relies on combining Security, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud (SMAC) technologies to compete in globally competitive commerce. The integration of these SMAC technologies engage customers and influencers through a multi-channel network of engagement on the full variety of tech devices.
Pyramid Consulting, Inc. is excited to announce our achievement in joining an elite and selective group of companies recognized by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) as a Corporate Plus® member. Less than 1% of all certified Minority Business Enterprises achieve this prestigious distinction which recognizes our continued commitment to excellence in delivery and customer service. We are extremely honored to receive this recognition.
1996 is remembered as the year Mark Waugh triumphed in the Cricket World Cup, the year the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX, and the year the Spice Girls released their hit "Wannabe." It was even the year that IBM made a leap for A.I. when the computer 'Deep Blue' became the first computer to win a game of chess against a human and the first version of the Java programming language was released.
And on February 23, 1996, Pyramid Consulting, Inc. was founded by three innovative and pioneering young technologists.
88% of CPOs stated that they would decrease the total number of suppliers they will work with in 2015. This leaves many companies asking how to find balance between a manageable supplier base and an increasingly diverse pool of job requirement skills and technologies. For Java, in particular, there are important success strategies to consider when selecting your top tier suppliers.
Through direct hands-on experience working closely with the coolest person they know (their dad), two school-aged daughters of Pyramid Branch Director, Rajiv Kandukuri, were able to creatively depict Pyramid's core competencies as an IT Staffing partner of choice.
The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century (as defined by Harvard Business Review) is the Data Scientist. What makes this and other jobs in the rapidly evolving world of Big Data so attractive? It could be the opportunity to position yourself as a technological pioneer on one of the highest-profile technologies of this decade.
© 2015 Copyright, Pyramid Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved


text:
Haiti 2018 :)Sunday, September 9th, 2018
I would like to say thank you to everyone that donated and prayed for my mission trip I appreciate it a lot. I am happy that I was able to go on this trip it was a great experience, and I will go to another one.
When I was on the plain I thought it'll look so different, but when I got there it reminded me of Puerto Rico a little bit, but it is different if I compared it to Florida. Anyways I was surprised that it was a little similar and I was surprised that they still need help with building. I saw half a store, a part of a home, and cement blocks in a pile. This made me wonder why haven't there been a change.
Now when we got to the house, we were going to see which beds were ours but before we could do that the missionary went over some rules, then the pastor told us that we are going to be divided into groups and we are going to have shifts so everyone can have a turn doing something. Then she also said that we have to learn some dances. I am not a dancer, but thankfully those were easy. You might be wondering why did you have to learn some dances well that's because throughout the whole week we had to do a vacation Bible school for the kids and the dances help gets the kids attention and get them involved.
After we've learned how the week is going to go and we learned our dances we did worship together. I loved worship and prayer so much it felt different than when we are back home. I think it was because it was a big group that was seeking God every night till it's our bedtime. I felt like it was genuine and when we were done, we would do our devotions on our own time.
Going to our destination, we were all cramped but very excited. We saw many people along the way and some animals too. When we got to the village and onto the property, we saw so many kids waiting for us. We weren't allowed to let them in yet till after we were done praying over the place. When we opened our eyes we could see the kids going over the cement wall to come and see us, so we opened the gate for the rest of them to go in. Everywhere you look you could see the kids from 3-18 trying to talk and play with us. It was so awesome to see.
For the week we helped build the school, we painted the classrooms and the gate, we also continued the vacation Bible School. On this trip, some so many people grew from this, and I am proud and happy for them. Some had doubts about their ability to translate, and some thought that what they do wouldn't matter, and some had concerns about them being there in the first place, but by the end of this mission trip they've realized that they can do whatever they put their mind to and that they do belong in the mission trip and what they do matters.
Going to Haiti I have learned that I really love being with the kids I grew so attached to them, and we don't even speak each other's language. I've learned that I also enjoy doing work. I enjoyed helping to make the school and paint it and being evolve with the lessons of the day for the kids I even enjoyed clean the school grounds. This trip opened me up, and I honestly believe that more people should be involved in missionary trips it's a great experience.


text:
Imagine it's your day off so you go see a movie, or have lunch and do some shopping. But everywhere you go, you keep seeing the same person.
A disturbing 5 On Your Side investigation uncovered that you might not be imagining things. You could be a victim of geo-stalking, the latest high-tech crime.
The investigation started with an experiment. We walked into a St. Charles coffee shop, ordered a pumpkin spice latte, sat down with the coffee, snapped a selfie, and posted it on twitter.
How many times have you done something similar? The problem is that you've just set yourself up for any stalker or crook to find you.
The experiment was an alarmingly quick success. Ethical hacker Dave Chronister found me in minutes.
"I could figure out where your home is, I can figure out where your work is," he said.
He shared the details with NewsChannel 5 back at his hacking headquarters, Parameter Security.
"You have to remember that your phone has a GPS device in it," he said. "When you make a post on most social media, you actually embed geolocation."
Take the coffee tweet. In seconds, he pulled up the GPS coordinates embedded in it, and then found every place I had ever tweeted from.
"This software actually creates a heat map, so the more you tweet from a particular location, I can actually start to see exactly, maybe this is where she lives, maybe this is where she works," said Chronister.
Your location is also attached to the very pics you post. It's called EXIF data, short for "Exchangeable Image File", which is extra information embedded in the image.
Chronister didn't even need to know my twitter handle to find me.
He offers a common scenario: "Maybe I was sitting at a table and I saw that maybe you were taking Instagram photos with people." He can search by location, date and time, and pull up all the social media taken there.
"It becomes very eye-opening once you start to realize that strangers have the ability to figure out who you are," he said.
Jess Cowl is Assistant Director of Crisis and Prevention at Safe Connections, which operates a domestic abuse hotline.
She says what's called "geo-stalking" is on the rise, making it harder for victims to stay safe.
"We're definitely seeing an increase," Cowl said, "especially with the younger generation."
Just ask this St. Louis woman, who was electronically stalked by an ex-boyfriend. She chose to conceal her identity for that reason.
"It's not easy to hide," she explains, "I moved four times in about six months, and he always seemed to know where I was."
Deleting her social media accounts didn't help.
"He would still be able to find me using other people's photos or posts," she said.
In the end, she says she developed PTSD, and the geo-stalking even impacted her wedding day. Guests were not allowed to post anything online about the ceremony.
"It was depressing," she said, "You want to tell everybody you're getting married, but at the same time, everything had to be hush-hush."
This stalking victim finally got justice when she was introduced to St. Louis Detective Mark Kurkowski, who specializes in these sorts of crimes. With his help, her stalker was charged and convicted.
"Most of our cases involve some form of that technology," Kurkowski said.
He said it's not just stalking cases that involve geolocation technology.
"We also see other types of crimes being committed: burglaries, crimes against children, things like that," he said.
Recent examples include the Pokemon Go! robberies and the Kim Kardashian jewelry heist.
That family picture you're posting from the beach? That means it's perfect time for burglars to visit your home.
"If you're going to use the technology, it's about using it safely and wisely to make sure your personal information isn't getting out there," Kurkowski said.
Here's how you can stop sending out your location from your device:
On an iPhone:
1. Go into Settings.
2. Scroll down to Privacy and select Location Services.
3. Disable all Location Services by swiping the slider at the top, or scroll down to disable location services for specific apps, e.g. twitter, facebook and Instagram.
4. Select System Services to deny location data from specific features, such as Frequent Locations.
On an Android:
1. Open the App Drawer and go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap Location.
3. Scroll down and tap Google Location Settings.
4. Tap Location Reporting and Location History, and switch the slider to off for each one.


text:
If I don't tell my kids and grandkids about their ancestors, who will?
Before he died, we would bowl with Pop Pop every Saturday. He would tell us stories.
What are you doing with all your memories?
You know, the ones that are tucked away that you haven't thought of in a long time? The ones you think you might want to share with your kids and grandkids but secretly you're afraid they won't be interested? So you don't tell. You don't want to bore anyone, afterall.
Let's capture your stories ... together, on video.
Your children and grandchildren will be so appreciative. Especially when you're no longer here to tell them the old stories in your special way.
Business Marketing
Web Videos
Websites used to be all about words and pictures. You marketed to your customers with descriptions and photos of your product line or service, threw in a few keywords and your work was done. Sadly, those are gone forever. Certainly the few words it is suggested you use today are still important, but nothing you do is going to get your customer to pay more attention to what you are selling than a short, great video that includes you explaining what you do and why, and selling in and of itself is not a good enough reason.
People want to see what you look like. They want to look into your eyes; see if your smile is genuine or 'forced.' Do you portray energy and enthusiasm when you talk about how you got started in business? Are you excited and convincing when you talk about your company and products? Your customers will form a decision about you and your company based on how likable you are in your video. read more
Every child born into this world comes with an established history and DNA of those who lived before. We call it the gift that goes on giving.
Lucky for the child to the left, his family video tapes every major event happening in their world.
His grandparents have been journaling for years and before his great great grandmother died, an audio tape was made of those memories she could recall.
Having your grandparents or an aged relative still alive ... read more


text:
The Arts Organisations Program provides funding to vibrant arts organisations that contribute to a sustainable and thriving arts culture in South Australia.
Annual or multi-year funding is available for small to medium arts organisations to support Creativity, Success, Artistic risk, Ambition, Reach and Access.
Annual funding provides between $50,000 and $100,000 per annum. Multi-year funding provides more than $100,000 per annum.
Applications made in 2018 are for funding from 1 January 2019.
Organisations receiving Arts Organisations funding may also apply to:
- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Arts Development
- Community Arts & Cultural Development Project Funding for Organisations
- Contemporary Music
- Independent Makers & Presenters:
- Public Art & Design
- Richard Llewellyn Deaf & Disability Arts
Click here to download the 2019 Arts Organisations Program Public Report.
Click here to see the list of Arts Organisation Program Peer Assessors.
All organisations applying to this program must:
- be currently funded through the Arts Organisations Program, or be recognised by Arts South Australia as having a recent, three-year track record of successful peer assessed projects funded through this or other Arts South Australia programs. It can also include peer assessed project funding through Carclew and Country Arts SA
• be legally constituted (e.g. as an incorporated association or a company).
All applicants to the program must meet with Arts South Australia to verify eligibility and provide a copy of the organisation's 2016 or 2015-16 signed audited financial statements.
Applicants must have acquitted outstanding Arts South Australia grants.
In addition, Multi-year applicants must also:
• identify strategic investment partnership/s and/or funding for the funding term (cash and/or in-kind) which supports organisation's business and operations. This may include:
- Australia Council for the Arts - Four-year Arts Organisations funding
- Multi-year project funding
- Local Government
- Collaborations with other organisations
- corporate partner
- sponsorship, philanthropic/donor.
• demonstrate diverse income sources and work towards a minimum 30% income which is derived from sources other than Arts South Australia
• demonstrate that the organisation's base level of 'earned income' is achievable and can be sustained
• nominate one national and one international organisation as aspirational benchmarks of artistic quality and business practice.
Organisations receiving Arts Organisations funding may also apply to:
• Independent Makers and Presenters:
o Building Pathways
o Project grants (for international touring and expansion of markets only)
o Artists in Residence
o Major Commission
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Arts Development
• Contemporary Music
• Public Art and Design
• Richard Llewellyn Arts and Disability
• Community Arts & Cultural Development Project Funding for Organisations
Annual and Multi-year applications will be assessed on the organisation's ability to meet all the following criteria:
- Artistic Merit
• Viability
• Engagement
• Development.
Artistic merit may refer to:
• innovation, originality, quality, creativity and ambition
• the track record, creative achievement and skill of the artist or artists involved
• the context in which the work is being undertaken
• the potential contribution to the development of the art form
• evidence of experimentation, risk taking and bravery.
Viability may refer to:
• the planning and resources required to achieve the potential of the proposal
• the ability of the applicant to meet the logistical challenges of the proposal
• evidence of strong financial and operational management, including a realistic budget and timeline
• evidence of additional resources and support, including other sources of income and in kind contributions.
Engagement may refer to:
• the potential to grow audiences and their critical understanding of the art form
• the development of new markets, locally, nationally and/or internationally
• the development of new ways to engage with those markets
• the potential to provide a broader range of people with opportunities to participate in arts experiences, through strategies that increase access, social inclusion and cultural diversity
• evidence of deeper engagement with, and the involvement of, particular communities and/or audiences and the delivery of artistic benefits to them.
Development may refer to:
• the development of artist and art form practice
• the potential to enhance the skills and/or professional reputation of the applicant
• the capacity to forge new pathways for artist and sector development
• the capacity to develop new networks, collaborations and partnerships
• the contribution to South Australia's reputation as a centre of cultural leadership at a national and international level, and the resultant economic benefits.
Application Advice
In addition to completing the application form all applicants must address the following three areas:
All applicants must address the following three areas:
- Your vision
Multi-year applicants please tell us about your vision for the next three years (2018, 2019 and 2020) and how this funding will help you achieve this. Max 1 A4 page.
Annual applicants please tell us about your vision for the next year (2018) and how this funding will help you achieve this. Max 1 A4 page.
- About your organisation
All applicants are to provide a brief summary of your organisation's purpose, core activity and the role you play in the arts and cultural sector including the material benefits you are providing to South Australian artists (e.g. artists' and creatives' fees, performance income, employment, exhibition and publication opportunities, career development and learning opportunities). Max 500 words.
- Achievements
Multi-year applicants please tell us about your key achievements over the past two and a half years (since 1 January, 2015) and provide an update on the 2017 January to June activities (including how you have engaged and built audiences and community participation). Max 500 words.
Annual applicants please tell us about your key achievements over the past year and an update on the 2017 January to June activities (including how you have engaged and built audiences and community participation). Max 500 words.
Multi-Year Applications
Organisations applying for Multi-year funding are required to provide the following information as part of the application:
- a completed Multi-year application form
- a response to the Application questions
- a detailed artistic program and activities for 2018 and program outline for 2019
- a 2018 budget
- a three year Strategic Plan including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs 2018–2020). KPIs must include the following:
• goals that link to Arts Organisations Program criteria
• working towards a less than 5% variation between budgeted and actual result
• employment of South Australian artists, creative or industry professionals.
- completed Quantitative data summary template
- evidence of strategic investment partnership/s and/or funding (e.g. confirmation of partnerships and/or funding for the funding term).
Financial information
- 2018 budget (refer Arts Organisations Program budget template)
- signed audited financial report for 2016 (for organisations in calendar year operations) or 2016-17 (for organisations in financial year operations
- financial statements as at 30 June 2016.
Please note that Organisations that receive less than $100,000 per annum through the national Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy (VACS) may be considered for Multi-year funding with Arts South Australia.
Annual Applications
Organisations applying for Annual funding are required to provide the following information as part of the application:
- a completed Annual application form
- A response to the Application questions
- a 2018 budget
- a detailed artistic program and activities for 2018
- statistical data – a completed Quantitative data summary (please use the Quantitative data summary template).
Financial information
- 2018 budget (refer Arts Organisations Program budget template)
- signed audited financial report for 2016 (for organisations in calendar year operations) or 2015-16 (for organisations in financial year operations
- financial statements as at 30 June 2017.
What may be funded:
• core costs of the organisation, including salaries and on-costs, administration (including rent, insurance, telephone and power), marketing and promotion and the provision of member services
• artistic activity, such as creative development, production and exhibition expenses, publications, payment of artists' fees/salaries, or freight and travel costs.
What will not be funded:
• applications that do not involve professional artists or emerging professional artists (artists in the first five years of their careers) in either process or outcome
• competitions, prizes, awards, or award exhibitions.
Application Documents
- Arts Organisations Program application template
- Arts Organisations Program budget template
- Quantitative data summary template and Glossary
- Strategic Plan (Multi-year applicants only). Please note: Multi-year applicants may use the Australia Council for the Arts' Strategic Plan Framework to develop its strategic plan. This Strategic Plan Framework outlines key areas for a strategic plan.
All documents must be submitted on the appropriate Arts South Australia templates.


text:
U.S.-China trade: Implications of U.S.-Asia-Pacific trade and investment trends
Statement to the U.S. International Trade Commission
By Peter Morici
My name is Peter Morici. I am an economist and Professor of Business at the University of Maryland. Thank you for this opportunity to participate in these hearings. I wish to devote my remarks to developments in China and how those affect the growth and structure of the U.S. economy.
Chinese Industrial and Trade Policies
Since economic reforms began in the late 1970s, China has enjoyed dramatic growth and modernization. Important structural changes have included a much greater role for town and village enterprises, private businesses and foreign-invested enterprises, and a smaller, though still major, role for large state-owned enterprises. Exports, in particular exports to the United States, have played a key role in driving growth.
China has sought to foster industrialization through both export driven growth and import substitution. Growth in these sectors has been accomplished, to some extent, by sacrificing progress in domestically oriented industries and rural development.
Specifically, in addition to exploiting areas of international comparative advantage in labor-intensive manufactures, China has aggressively applied a variety of industrial policies, trade barriers and regulation on foreign investment to steer investment and ensure the rapid development of industries where it lacks the comparative advantage or resources to effectively compete.
Important examples include the steel and auto sectors. In steel, China lacks adequate metallic resources and capital equipment must be purchased on global markets; its only advantages lie in lower labor costs. Yet, it exports steel even when the transportation costs to destination markets are greater than total labor costs in those markets. Though the analysis would be more complex, China should be importing many more automobiles than it does; and foreign firms should be playing greater roles in its financial sectors.
When China entered the WTO in 2001, it agreed to scale back and remove many of these policies, and to undertake legal and regulatory reforms that would open its economy to wider foreign investment. China has failed to act as promised on many counts. Consequently, the United States has begun WTO complaint processes regarding both China's use of various subsidies—which include various corporate income, value-added and employment tax exemptions, and low interest loans awarded by China's state-directed banks—and lack of adequate intellectual property protection.
Perhaps, the most significant industrial policy has been China's intervention in currency markets. For many years now, it has intervened in foreign exchange markets, consistently buying dollars, U.S. Treasury securities and other reserve currency assets, to maintain an undervalued yuan.
In 2006 Chinese monetary authorities purchased more than $200 billion in U.S. and other foreign currency and securities—these purchases were about 8 percent of China's GDP and 21 percent of its exports. The resulting subsidy on exports distorts global trade by boosting Chinese exports and stunting Chinese imports, and contributes importantly to the large U.S. trade deficit, as well as the trade deficits of other countries. The Chinese people are consuming about 8 percent less than they produce to finance China's large trade surplus and trade deficits in the United States and elsewhere.
Given rapid productivity growth and foreign investments in China, we would expect the dollar value of the Chinese currency to rise with its development progress. However, in 1995, the Chinese government began pegging the yuan at 8.28 per dollar.
In July 2005, China adjusted this peg to 8.11 and announced the yuan would be aligned to a basket of currencies. However, the yuan still tracks the dollar quite closely and is rising in value quite slowly. Currently, the yuan is trading at about 7.74. (March 5, 2007)
Since 1995, the annual U.S. trade deficit with China has grown from $34 billion to approximately $233 billion in 2006. The annual overall U.S. current account deficit has grown from $113 billion to about $860 billion. In contrast, when China was granted most-favored-nation status by the Congress in 1980, the U.S. bilateral trade and global current accounts were in surplus at $2.8 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively.
Other nations in Asia are compelled to follow similar strategies, lest they lose competitiveness in the vital U.S., Canadian and EU markets. Overall, U.S. trade with Asia accounted for about 60 percent of the U.S. non-oil trade deficit in goods.
Consequently, reduced sales and layoffs in U.S. import-competing industries caused by Chinese competition have not been matched by increased sales and new jobs in U.S. export industries at the scale a market driven outcome would require. The free trade benefits of higher income and consumption to the U.S. economy have been frustrated by currency market intervention.
Consequences for the U.S. Capital Markets and Economy
Massive foreign government purchases of U.S. securities affect U.S. capital markets, trade flows, industrial structure and productivity, and investments in R&D.
In particular, foreign government purchases of U.S. securities sustain the value of the dollar against the yuan and other Asia currencies, reducing sales and precipitating layoffs in U.S. import-competing and exports industries. This deprives the U.S. economy of many of the benefits of free trade.
In theory, increased trade with China and other Asian economies should shift U.S. employment from import-competing to export industries. Since export industries create more value added per employee and undertake more R&D than import-competing industries, this process would be expected to immediately raise U.S productivity and GDP. These are the essential gains from specialization and comparative advantage increased trade should create.
Instead, growing trade deficits with China and other Asian economies have shifted U.S. employment from import-competing and export industries to nontradable service producing activities. Import-competing and export industries create about 50 percent more value added per employee, and spend more than three times as much R&D per dollar of value added, than the private business sector as a whole. By reducing investments in R&D, a study published by the Economic Strategy Institute indicates the overvalued dollar and resulting trade deficits are reducing U.S. economic growth by at least one percentage point a year, or about 25 percent of potential GDP growth.
Importantly, this one percentage point of growth has not been lost for just one year. The trade deficit has been taxing growth for most of the last two decades, and the cumulative consequences are enormous. Had foreign currency-market intervention and large trade deficits not robbed the U.S. economy of this growth, U.S. GDP would likely be at least 10 percent greater and perhaps 20 percent greater, than it is today. GDP and tax revenues would be higher, and other things remaining the same, the federal budget deficit would be smaller.
Individual industries are particularly hard hit. Since 2000, U.S. manufacturing has shed about 3 million jobs. Judging from past business cycles, it should have regained many of those jobs during the recent recovery.
Financing Trade Deficits
Finally, these mounting deficits have to be financed. For example, in the third quarter of 2006, U.S. investments abroad were $233.8 billion, while foreigners invested $400.2 billion in the United States. Of that latter total, only $44.1 billion or 11 percent was direct investment in U.S. productive assets. Most of the remaining capital inflows were foreign purchases of Treasury securities, corporate bonds, bank accounts, currency, and other paper assets. Essentially, in the third quarter, Americans borrowed more than $350 billion to consume 6.8 percent more than they produced.
By purchasing these paper assets, foreign governments in effect loaned Americans $80.8 billion or 2.4 percent of GDP. That well exceeded net household borrowing to finance homes, cars, gasoline, and other consumer goods.
The cumulative effects of this borrowing are frightening. The total external debt is now about $6 trillion. That comes to about $20,000 for each American, and at 5 percent interest, $1000 per person or $2000 for each employed American.
Revaluing the Yuan
Regarding Chinese options, several arguments have been made against the Chinese government allowing the yuan to rise to a value that balances its external trade, but the underpinnings of these arguments are questionable.
It is true that permitting the yuan to rise 30, 40 or 50 percent would impose difficult adjustments on Chinese state-owned enterprises, disrupt Chinese labor markets, and further stress the balance sheets of Chinese banks. However, adjustments of these kinds will only be larger if the yuan is revalued two or five years from now. To avoid such adjustments and sustain its current development model, China will have to purchase ever-larger amounts of dollars, and transfer ever-larger amounts of what it makes to world markets. Can that be sustained indefinitely?
A revaluation of the yuan would cause a productivity burst in China; however, this would not be large enough to wipe out completely the competitive effects of yuan revaluation. Moreover, to the extent that a 30 to 50 percent jump in the dollar value of the yuan did not wipe out China's trade surplus and the excess demand for yuan in currency markets persisted, the dollar value of the yuan could be further adjusted without imposing additional hardships. Productivity gains in China would cushion inflationary effects all around, and Chinese living standards would likely increase by fifty percent or more.
The U.S. is dependent on Chinese and other official purchases of Treasury securities (currency market intervention) to finance its federal budget deficit. However, absent this intervention, the exchange rate for the dollar and trade deficits would be lower, and GDP and tax revenue would be higher. To the extent additional tax revenue did not close the federal financing gap, the Fed could purchase additional Treasury securities to maintain interest rates - something it routinely does to expand and regulate the money supply. Instead of the Chinese and Japanese monetary authorities purchasing Treasury securities, the Fed could make those purchases.
Peter Morici is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Business and former Chief Economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission.


text:
Global Warming in the Field
This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection
This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.
This page first made public: Aug 29, 2011
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
- Team work, note-taking, dealing with inclement weather.
- Familiarity with past footprints of glaciers in New England, scale of ice volumes and extent, and a sense of geologic time.
How the activity is situated in the course
Content/concepts goals for this activity
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
Other skills goals for this activity
- gaining field experience
- using pacing, survey tapes, compass, inclinometer, rudimentary map drawing to scale
- group work


text:
Straight / Male / 28–32 / North America / Single
As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt like a total impostor.
The men and women seated around me, legs crossed and arms folded, draped over orange plastic chairs, would see right through me any second now. Even though I was staring down at the floor, I could feel their eyes burning into me.
These people had real addictions… my problems felt so entry-level by comparison. They had serious problems, not me.
I mean, sure, I'd slept with countless women who I felt no emotional connection to.
Sure, I've felt a deeply permeating sense of shame at the core of my being after compulsively acting out sexually.
And, if I'm being honest with myself, I've probably cumulatively spent weeks of my life watching porn, scanning sex ads, and frequenting massage parlours and sex workers in multiple countries.
Fuck. Who am I kidding?
The more I listened to the stories of the people around me, the more I realized that I was in the right place.
I think human beings have a brilliant capacity for bullshitting themselves.
It seems like it can take years of spinning our wheels in the mud before we realize that we aren't making any progress in a certain area of our lives.
Some people think that sex addiction isn't a 'real' addiction. Some people say dismissive things like, "Well, if that's what sex addiction is, then every guy I know is a sex addict." As with many process addictions, sexual addiction is a commonly misunderstood one.
So what is sex addiction, and why is it so frequently misunderstood?
I'd say the biggest thing that most people don't understand about sex addiction is that sex addiction isn't about sex. The way that I see it, sex addiction is more about shame, isolation, and unworthiness than it is about chasing after sexual experiences.
Or, as one SAA (Sex Addicts Anonymous) member once so eloquently put it in a meeting that I attended, "When I act out with sex workers, I'm not thinking to myself 'Oh boy, this is going to be super fun!'. But rather, I'm thinking 'I have such a tornado of pain inside of me that I either have to kill myself or compulsively act out to numb the pain.'"
Compulsive sexual behaviour is what sex addicts use to numb out their emotions, just like alcoholics often use staying drunk to avoid feeling their underlying difficult emotions.
Sex addiction, just like any drug addiction, can have a sliding scale of symptoms — ranging in severity. For some people, sex addiction looks like chronic masturbation to porn, where they don't feel like they can function in society without climaxing at least seven times a day. For others, sex addiction could look like occasional flare ups of wanting to 'use' or 'act out' with sex workers only when they're going through emotionally trying times (breakups, divorces, losing their jobs, death of a friend or family member, etc.).
The consequences can be fatal. I know sex addicts who have knowingly had unprotected sex with people who had HIV. I've met other addicts who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on sex workers, going further and further into debt to fund their compulsive behaviour.
I've met hundreds of sex addicts as clients (yep, I'm a sex and relationship coach) and in Sex Addicts Anonymous group meetings. I've noticed no singular unifying theme that connects all addicts — at least not in terms of how they like to act out sexually.
With sex addiction, each addict defines what their acting out looks like and what sexual sobriety means to them. If a person masturbates a few times per week to porn and they have no moral obligations with it and it doesn't interfere with their lives, then they're fine. It's only when the addict admits that their lives had become unmanageable that they will commit to making a real lasting change in their habits.
In fact, any addictive or compulsive behaviour could be easily categorized with one simple litmus test… do you find yourself consistently doing something that you do not want to do?
As in, you don't want to gamble anymore but you find yourself at a slot machine yet again. You decided to give up drinking and here you are, alone in your bedroom, half way through a bottle of vodka. You decided to give up having anonymous sex and here you are putting on your pants after a quickie with a total stranger.
If the behaviour has control over you, then it has likely become a problem in your life.
I think sex addiction is one of the most challenging addictions to overcome.
With substance addictions, like alcoholism or drug addiction, it is possible (and often recommended) to simply discontinue the use of the substance entirely. But with process addictions like sex addiction and eating disorders, it's impossible to just give up food or sex for life. They are interwoven into the fabric of our being and so the goal is to integrate them into our lives in a healthier way.
But because sex addiction and compulsive sexual behaviour is just the mechanism that numbs out the difficult emotions that addicts are unwilling to face and heal their way through, the most sustainable way that a sex addict can overcome their addiction is to work through their underlying emotional turmoil that keeps them stuck.
Now that I've indulged you with some of the facts, let's get back to my story.
After a certain amount of feeling out of control with my behaviour, I felt like I would never be able to get out of it. I worried that I would be a slave to my compulsion for the rest of my life. Ultimately, I knew that the only way out of this pattern was to feel my underlying emotional wounds.
And, as fate would have it, as soon as I set the intention of wanting to dig into my past wounds, my answers were revealed to me in the form of a dream.
I woke up sobbing in the middle of the night, lying next to my girlfriend at the time, and the memories of how isolated and unwanted I felt in my childhood came flooding back to me.
It took months of journaling, private therapy, 12-step groups, late night conversations with my girlfriend, and the support of others to come to terms with the pain that I felt. As cliche as it sounds, I had to learn to fully love and accept my wounded inner child.
The behavioural antidote, for me, was to reach out to people for help and allow them to be there for me. And, once again, as soon as I set the intention to do so, a rush of new friendship and community came pouring into my life.
Obviously, healing past emotional wounds is something that must be done on an individual basis. There is no one-size-fits-all model.
The 3 Biggest Things That Helped Me Overcome My Sex Addiction
I recognize that I am still relatively early on in my process (having only been going to SAA meetings for just over two years, on and off), but I feel like I've gained some valuable insights that I wish someone had passed on to me at the beginning of my journey. Here are those insights.
1. Tell the full truth to a trusted person
"You are only as sick as your secrets" goes the saying that originated in Alcoholics Anonymous.
The more I pull myself away from others, the more I suffer. The more I suffer, the more I downward spiral into a pattern of shame and isolation.
One of the best things that I did for myself throughout my journey was to find a trusted person (friend, family member, significant other, fellow addict in a 12-step program, etc.) to tell my secrets to. The more I could verbalize the thoughts, fears, and desires in my head that kept me feeling stuck, the more free I could be of them.
2. I went to meetings and got support
12-step meetings helped me a lot throughout my journey of accepting my addiction. Hearing other people's stories (that helped me feel less alone in my addiction) was extremely healing for me. This, in my opinion, is the underlying benefit of any 12-step group… you get to feel less alone.
I also felt an added layer of accountability that came with going to meetings. Once I'd told a group of strangers about the ways in which I acted out sexually, I felt less likely to repeat those same behaviours because I had neutralized them to a large degree. It was terrifying for me to muster up the courage to go to my first SAA meeting, but I'm so glad that I did. I only wish I had gone sooner.
3. I cultivated new habits when I was about to act out
I think one of the core components of personal growth is coming to the fork in the road when you've always done one thing, and doing something different.
If, whenever I felt stressed/anxious/depressed/isolated, I would start to go into my psychological acting out bubble, and instead of loading up porn/cruising ads/searching for anonymous sex, I would pick up the phone and call a trusted friend instead. Understanding that feelings of unworthiness and isolation are at the root of my desire to act out, the best thing I could do in that moment is connect with someone who cares about me.
It was essential for me to have two or three trusted friends on speed dial for when I was going into the psychological rabbit hole of my suffering. As I was approaching the moment of truth, I would simply reach out to one of those people instead of acting out.
If reaching out for support was too challenging for those moments when I felt like acting out, another thing that worked well for me was intentionally inducing crying.
I know that emotional stress, ultimately, is just a culmination of compounded unfelt feelings. If I felt those unfelt feelings (by releasing my sadness, anger, grief, or whatever else was present for me) then there wouldn't be any underlying emotional turmoil for me to try to numb out. By feeling my feelings, I knew that I would set myself free from the pattern.
It is well understood that addiction is a brain disease. Therefore, I don't think that recovery means that I will never have addictive/compulsive thoughts for the rest of my life, but rather that I will know how to manage them and not adhere to their unhealthy desires. This is the same reason that alcoholics will still identify as being alcoholics years after they last had a drink… they know that the substance has a power over them and that it affects them differently than it affects most other people.
I went through an emotionally trying time this year and, during a phase when I would have historically acted out the most frequently, I refrained entirely from my most compulsive behaviours… which was a huge turning point for me. I no longer felt like I was at the mercy of my addiction. Does this mean that I think I'm 'cured' forever? No. Just like any addiction, I believe it is something that I'll have to be aware of and continue to manage for a long time to come (just like alcoholics are alcoholics for life, they're just wired a bit differently and can't indulge in a casual drink).
For me personally, the biggest tools I have available to me are self-awareness, self-compassion, and the courage that it takes to reach out to a friend for help (aka embracing community). Self-awareness to realize when my mind is leading me in an unhealthy direction, and self-compassion for being able to be gentle with myself when I find myself feeling stressed, anxious, or any other negative feeling that I would historically want to numb out.
My end goal of recovery is to be sexual when I'm feeling sexual feelings with a committed partner and to stop acting out sexually as a means to numb out my difficult emotions. I have confidence that I'll get there.
Jordan Gray is an author, blogger, and sex & relationship coach. You can see more of his best writing at JordanGrayConsulting.com.
Remember to subscribe to cambyo here on medium and click the heart so you and your friends can continue the journey.


text:
Sandy relief events across LI this weekend
Efforts to deliver food and other basic supplies to Long Island residents affected by Sandy will kick into high gear this weekend, said officers from social service nonprofits that scrambled to gather donations and offer relief.
As several nonprofits roll out their plans this weekend, many in the hardest-hit areas can expect a supply of food, fresh water and warm clothing, but officials said they will need sustained help from the public to keep up their work or, in some cases, even get the goods from Point A to Point B.
"For Long Island, this is a catastrophic event and we are going to need all the help we can get," said Migdalia Otero, vice president of operations and food sourcing for Island Harvest, a food bank in Mineola. "It's something we haven't experienced in decades."
The good news is that help is already on the way for those who most need it.
On Saturday, for instance, Island Harvest expects to distribute 150,000 sandwiches along with soup meals, water and juices to such ravaged areas as Long Beach, Mastic, Shirley, Amityville, Lindenhurst, Babylon and Freeport.
The group is expecting 26 tractor-trailer loads of mostly food donations from states as far away as Florida, Kansas and California.
Likewise, Long Island Cares, a Hauppauge-based organization, will open its food pantry for the weekend while also serving meals in Freeport. It will use two mobile outreach units to send 500 pounds of food to homebound people who contact the organization.
Long Island Cares is expecting about nine truckloads of baby food and infant formula.
The American Red Cross is opening feeding sites in Lido Beach, Roslyn and Seaford in Nassau and Hauppauge, Mastic and Riverhead in Suffolk.
Long Island Food Not Bombs has been able to save more than 125,000 pounds of food donated by grocery stores running out of generator power. The group is organizing its usual "food shares" in Coram, Farmingville, Hempstead, Huntington and Wyandanch, while also expanding visits to areas that bore the brunt of the storm.
However, relief groups are hampered by the same gas shortage and communication problems that have befallen most Long Islanders, group founder Jon Stepanian said.
The group needs Long Islanders not only to support it with donations, but also to alert it to people who need help and others who can deliver food, he said.
"We want people to hold their own drives and find elderly people in their communities and knock on their doors and help us get the food and supplies to them," Stepanian said.
Because damage is widespread, many Long Islanders who normally would not rely on food banks may need assistance and relief groups want to reach them.
"What ends up happening in a disaster when every socioeconomic class is impacted . . . every socioeconomic class utilizes the health and human services sector," said Gwen O'Shea, president and chief executive of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, which coordinates a coalition of relief groups.
Relief groups want people making donations to continue their support for "a long-term recovery," O'Shea said.
Some Long Islanders appear to recognize the need to help shoulder the relief efforts.
The Teachers Association of Lindenhurst was one group that held its own impromptu fundraiser to help -- collecting enough clothes, food and supplies to fill a dozen trucks.
The two-hour event outside a Waldbaum's in Lindenhurst attracted more than 100 people, said Jeanette Wolters-Lennon, a 20-year teacher in the district.
All nonperishable food collected was going to be distributed by the National Guard; clothes were to be sorted overnight and turned over Saturday to the Lindenhurst Fire Department.
"The turnout has been absolutely amazing," she said. "People have even been coming, seeing what's going on, going inside and bringing out more items for us to give out."
We're revamping our Comments section. Learn more and share your input.


text:
People's History Museum
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating974 reviews
Welcome to the Itinerary Planner. Use this tool to build your own journey or choose from an exciting range of specially selected tours.
To build your own Itinerary, click to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating974 reviews
The People's History Museum is truly unique. A national museum charting the history of the struggle for equality and democracy in the UK, it's perfectly suited to the radical city of Manchester.
There have always been ideas worth fighting for. Join a march through time at the museum following Britain's struggle for democracy over two centuries. Meet the revolutionaries, reformers, workers, voters and citizens who fought our battle for the ballot. Gather amongst their magnificent banners and discover how time off was won (and spent).
Enjoy the main galleries, Changing Exhibition Gallery and Community Gallery, along with interactives and activities for visitors of all ages. Browse the shop for unique books and gifts and round off your day with a bite to eat in the museum's on site cafe bar The Left Bank.
The museum is Family Friendly throughout, welcoming visitors of all ages. There's hands-on stuff in every gallery and regular activities especially for children.
The museum also offers a Learning programme for early years to adult learners, and houses the Labour History Archive & Study Centre, Textile Conservation Studio and venue hire facilities.
Free entry, donations welcome.
The museum and shop are open Monday to Sunday from 10.00am until 5.00pm, including bank holidays, closed 24, 25, 26 Dec and 1 Jan.
By Metrolink - The nearest Metrolink station is St Peter's Square or Piccadilly Station. From there it is a five minute walk along a pedestrianised route.
By bus - There is a free metroshuttle bus - No3 (purple line) which runs between Piccadilly and Princess Street. The nearest stop is Portland Street.
By train - We are a five minute walk from both Piccadilly and Oxford Road train stations.
From motorways, follow brown signs to City Art Gallery or Chorlton Street Coach Station. NCP parking is available directly behind on Bloom Street and Major Street.
|Open (1 Jan 2019 - 31 Dec 2019)
|Monday - Sunday
|- 17:00*
A late-Victorian, neo-Gothic masterpiece
One of the city's most vibrant destinations, Spinningfields is a thriving hub for work,...
A popular calling point for touring productions and concerts, including big-name West End...
In the 90's, The Crystal Maze was one of the UK's favourite television shows. Now it's...
Home to the world's oldest surviving passenger railway station, and the world's first...
The Grade 2 listed Great Northern building, a former railway goods distribution warehouse...
An incomparable venue in the city.
Built in 1877, Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian, neo-gothic classic and home of the...
Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre Company transforms the way people see theatre, each...
Gothic heart of Manchester city centre. Home to the town hall and many seasonal events.
An outdoor amphitheatre style venue in Manchester's city centre, home to the annual...
All Star Lanes is Manchester's premier luxury bowling destination. Mixing boutique...
Shambles Square is a historic square situated right next to Exchange Square Metrolink...
A stunning interior with the best late medieval woodwork in the north.
A unique cultural institution that combines music, education and heritage.
Showcasing internationally renowned and Designated collections of fine art, decorative...


text:
The Ursa Fairies and the Lost Children
"Are we going the right way, Aimee?"
"Do you really think the King will help us?"
"How far is it to Charis? Are we almost there?"
Sixteen-year-old Aimee sighed as the children huddled around her. She shifted baby Kailyn in her carrying cloth as she studied the anxious faces looking up at her. Several children yawned and rubbed their eyes.
"My legs are so tired," one little girl whimpered.
"I think we will have to rest here for now," Aimee said gently. She found a place to rest at the base of a large tree. "Sit close together and I'll share my cloak. Now, close your eyes and rest for a little while. I'll keep watch."
"Will the slavers find us?" a little boy asked. "Will they take us back to the market?"
Aimee shook her head fiercely. "No. I will make sure that none of you have to return to Adeba ever again."
Satisfied by her answer, the children settled down and were soon asleep. Aimee leaned her head back against the tree trunk as she stared up through the leaves at the midafternoon sky. "Please, King Arnon. We need your help," she whispered. "I'm confused and I don't know how to get through this forest. The slavers will take us back to be sold if they catch us. Please send us help."
Aimee tried to keep her eyes open, to watch as she had promised, but eventually her exhaustion took over and she slept.
Abyn stood before a small semi-circle of Ursa fairies. His students were watching carefully as he demonstrated the making of rafa, an ointment used for soothing burns and cuts. Abyn stirred the contents of the small earthen pot hanging over the fire.
"When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges, it is time to carefully add in the jewelweed powder," Abyn told his students. As he spoke, he tipped the small bowl he held in his paw, pouring out a golden powder.
A young Ursa fairy near the center of the group stood on her tiptoes to see what was happening. As she strained to get a better view, she noticed a warm glow near Abyn's left side. "Abyn," she cried, "you're on fire!"
"He's not on fire, Merette," another Ursa fairy said. "The magic mirror is glowing."
"King Arnon must have a message for us," Abyn said. "Someone in Kyr needs our help."
Carefully, Abyn opened the woven pouch he carried at his side, which was pulsating with a shimmering golden light. He pulled out the mirror and studied it curiously. The mirror had been a gift to the Ursa fairies from King Arnon. It would show them anyone in the kingdom of Kyr who was in need. By helping those in need, the Ursa fairies would be fulfilling their promise to serve the King.
The face of King Arnon appeared in the glass. "Abyn," the King said. "A band of travelers has lost its way in the forest of Anashim. Go to them and keep watch over them until I come."
"Should we bring them to our valley?" Abyn asked.
"They are weary from their long journey and are too tired to travel any further," King Arnon answered. "I am sending horses so the travelers can ride to my palace. You must tell them to wait where they are."
"How long will it be until you come for them?" Abyn asked.
"I will come soon, although it may seem that the waiting is long. But, take courage! I will give you two gifts to refresh the weary travelers."
The image in the mirror rippled as if a stone had been tossed into a pool. Abyn saw a dark seed with a streak of gold in the center.
"Reach into the mirror and take the seed," King Arnon said.
"Reach into the mirror?" Merette asked. "How can you do that?"
Abyn obediently reached for the seed. He expected to feel his paw touch the polished surface of the mirror. Instead, he felt the glass give way as he pushed against it, as if it was made of smooth, clear honey. He reached in and pulled out the unusual-looking seed.
"What is this?" he asked as he studied it carefully.
"It is a saba seed," King Arnon said. "Plant it in the clearing where the travelers are resting. It will provide them with food and drink until I come for them."
Once again the image in the mirror rippled. Now a ruby-red gem in the shape of a teardrop could be seen.
"Take the haima stone," King Arnon instructed. "Give it to the girl named Aimee. It will provide protection for the travelers until I come."
Abyn reached into the mirror. He pulled out the gem, which flittered in the sunlight.
"Now I will show you the travelers. Send two Ursa fairies to them. One will carry the saba seed and one will carry the haima stone."
The scene in the mirror changed once again. A low murmur of pity and concern swept through the group of Ursa fairies.
"They look so tired," one Ursa fairy said.
"Some of them are little more than babies," said another.
"Where did they come from?" Merette asked.
"They have traveled far," King Arnon said. "They have come from the city of Adeba. It is just outside the kingdom of Kyr, in the wilderness of Katara. In that country, children who lose their parents are caught and sold as slaves."
"That's terrible!" Merette cried. "If an Ursa fairy loses her parents, she is adopted by another family. No Ursa fairy child is left without a family to care for them."
"That is a wise practice," King Arnon said. "But in Katara, it is not so. These travelers are fearful because they have been hunted by slavers who wish to capture them and drag them back to Adeba. They are weary and in need of comfort and encouragement. Who will go to them?"
Merette raised her paw eagerly. "I will!" she cried. "I will bring my flute and play music to comfort them." Abyn handed her the saba seed which she tucked into the pocket of her dress.
"I will go, too," said a young Ursa fairy named Wesley. "I will tell them stories to help them forget their fears." He took the glittering stone from Abyn.
"Go now, fly to the clearing where the children from Adeba are resting," King Arnon said. "Tell the children they must wait in the clearing until I come. No slavers will be able to reach them as long as Aimee holds the haima stone and the others stay with her. They must not leave the clearing. I will come for them soon!" With that, King Arnon's image faded. The mirror now reflected Abyn's determined expression.
"Merette and Wesley, you must leave at once. Use the mirror to find your way to the children. Remember, if you need anything, just ask King Arnon for help."
Abyn solemnly handed the mirror to Merette. Wesley peered over her shoulder as another image appeared in the glass. Merette looked up and nodded toward a path that led through the trees. "We must go that way," she said.
"May King Arnon watch over you," Abyn called as the two Ursa fairies flew away through the trees.
Aimee woke with a start. She blinked her eyes and looked around. Dusk enveloped the clearing, creating shadows among the trees. "I only meant to rest for an hour or so," Aimee murmured in dismay. "We must leave this place. The forest is not safe at night."
Gently, Aimee began to wake the children. Soft groans and an occasional whimper were her only answers. "Wake up!" Aimee hissed, gritting her teeth as she shook a sleeping child. "It's getting dark. We must not stay here!"
Slowly, the children sat up. Some rubbed their eyes while others stretched stiff muscles. One little boy stared at the trees around him as if he was uncertain where he was. Baby Kailyn began to cry.
"Look, Aimee!" said one little boy, pointing toward the trees. "What's that?"
Aimee peered into the growing darkness. She gasped in surprise. A bright ball of light, about the size of her fist, seemed to be dancing among the trees.
"Is it a firefly?" a little girl asked.
"No." Aimee shook her head. "Fireflies aren't that big and their light flashes on and off. This light is steady."
"There's another one!" someone cried, pointing to a second ball of light.
"What is it?" another child whispered.
Just then, Merette and Wesley flew into the clearing. All the children stared at them in amazement. Aimee stood slowly and moved closer to the Ursa fairies.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Wesley bowed. "I am Wesley and this is Merette. We are Ursa fairies. King Arnon has sent us to help you."
Aimee's face lit up. She clapped her hands joyfully. "Do you hear that?" she asked the children. "I asked King Arnon for help and he heard me! These fairies will show us the way to the royal city of Charis."
The children scrambled to their feet. "To the palace!" someone cried.
"Hurrah for the Ursa fairies!" another shouted, waving his hat.
"Let's go right now!" several others called out, dancing in a circle around Aimee.
A shrill whistle silenced the celebration. Merette removed her paws from her mouth. "I always knew that whistling trick would come in handy someday," she said with a smile.
"Why did you do that?" Aimee asked.
"To get your attention," Merette answered. "King Arnon told us to help you. He also gave us some instructions that he wants you to follow. You are to rest here in this clearing until King Arnon comes for you. He will take you to his palace himself."
"When will he come for us?" Aimee asked.
"He didn't tell us a specific day or time," Merette answered. "He just said he would come soon."
"We can't wait here!" a boy named Marc cried. "We have no water, no food. Baby Kailyn needs milk. You'll just have to show us the way to the palace."
Merette reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out the saba seed. "This seed will provide all the food and drink you need until King Arnon comes." She flew down to a spot in the center of the clearing. After digging a shallow hole, she dropped the seed in and covered it up with dirt.
Marc snorted in disbelief. "That's ridiculous! It could take weeks for that seed to grow. I'm going to look for food!"
"I'll go with you," another boy said.
"Wait! Don't go!" Aimee called after them. But it was no use. The two boys disappeared into the trees.
"Should we go after them?" Aimee asked the Ursa fairies.
"King Arnon said you were to wait here," Wesley said. "If you go looking for them, you might not be here when King Arnon comes."
Aimee nodded. Then she frowned. "What will we do at night? There may be wild animals in this forest. And the slavers are hunting for us. Who will keep us safe?"
Wesley held out the haima stone. He presented it to Aimee. "King Arnon told me to give this to you. As long as you hold it, no evil can touch anyone here in the clearing."
Aimee studied the ruby-red gem. As she watched, a fiery glow came from the heart of the gem, filling the clearing with a comforting light.
Just then, the saba seed began to push up through the ground. A moment later, a banquet appeared where the new plant stood. Delicious smells filled the clearing.
Aimee gasped and then laughed. "It's a banquet fit for a king!" she cried. She closed her eyes, thanking King Arnon for his help. Then all the children gathered in a merry circle around the magical feast.
They were just about to eat, when they heard a shout. Several children screamed in fright as a band of slavers approached the clearing. "Now we've caught you!" the leader shouted. "There is no escape!"
"Run! Run as fast as you can!" one girl cried. She darted into the forest before anyone could stop her.
"No!" Wesley cried. "You must stay in the clearing so you will be safe!"
The remaining children huddled around Aimee. She held the haima stone in her hand, raising it high. "We belong to him!"
The slavers advanced toward the children, weapons raised. But, as they reached the edge of the clearing, they stopped as if struck. No matter how hard they tried, they could not enter the clearing. It was as if an invisible wall stood between the slavers and the children.
At first, the children huddled around Aimee, watching their enemies nervously. But, as it became clear that the slavers could not reach them, the children began to relax. One by one, they closed their eyes and fell asleep. Even the angry threats of the slavers could not disturb the peace within the clearing. Merette and Wesley took turns keeping watch over the sleeping children.
When the children awoke the next morning, the slavers were gone. A delicious breakfast was waiting for them in the center of the clearing. A small fountain appeared near the banquet where they could quench their thirst and get water for washing hands and faces.
In the days that followed, the children ate and drank their fill from the feast produced by the saba seed. Every night, the haima stone kept the children safe from their enemies. Merette played songs on her flute while Wesley entertained the children with stories about the Ursa fairies. Although the children sometimes found the waiting long, the music and stories helped the time pass more quickly.
The band of slavers returned on several occasions, trying to break into the clearing. No matter what they did, the wall of protection stood firm. Not even magical incantations could break the power of the haima stone.
One afternoon, after the children had been living in the clearing for nearly two weeks, a golden trumpet call was heard. King Arnon rode into the clearing on a magnificent white horse. "I have come!" he announced with a joyful shout. "I have come to take you home!"
The children began to cheer. Some joined hands and danced in a circle. Merette and Wesley fluttered in the air, turning in joyful circles above the children's heads.
In the midst of the celebration, Aimee stood silently, a frown of concern on her face. She looked up at King Arnon. "Please," she asked, "what about Marc and Jason and Sadi? They left the clearing before you came. What will happen to them?"
"If they call to me, will help them," the King answered. "I help all those who ask me. But, they must choose whether or not they will obey my instructions."
After King Arnon had said this, he began to place the children on the horses he had brought with him. Aimee and baby Kailyn were placed in front of King Arnon himself. Merette and Wesley fluttered around the King's head before perching on his shoulders. Several guards brought up the rear of the procession, carrying the King's banner and blowing golden trumpets. In this way, the children of Adeba made their way to the royal city of Charis.
After escorting the children to Charis, Merette and Wesley returned to the hidden valley of the Ursa fairies. Then they told everyone of their adventure and how King Arnon had taken the children home to live with him. Abyn recorded their tale in his book, adding it to the histories of the Ursa fairies.
And so, the Ursa fairies learned that King Arnon always keeps his promises, but that only those who obey his instructions and wait will see his promises fulfilled.


text:
I'd never visited the UAE before January. I was very happy to go and cover three Pakistan v England Test matches. I didn't know much about the places I was going to visit, namely Dubai and Abu Dhabi, although I expected to see some sand and probably camels, and thought I might quaff less alcohol than normal. (In fact, weirdly, I'm in Dubai as I type this, on my way to Ahmedabad for a Test match that starts in about 48 hours.)
The first Test match was here in Dubai - when I say in Dubai I actually mean near Dubai, kind of out in the desert near lots of buildings that were 78% completed. "Why?" I hear one of you shout. Well if you're after a complex and informative explanation of the economics of the seven emirates that make up the UAE (United Arab Emirates) you've come to the wrong blog. Rupert Bumfrey might be a good place to start - I've just googled UAE economics on your behalf and his name has come up fairly high up the page. Rupert has a very good name. I tweet under the name Dudley Platypus but I am a tiny bit jealous of Rupert's name. Bumfrey is a fabulous surname, well done Rupert, not that you probably chose the name.
England struggled against Pakistan and in the second innings Kevin Pietersen was dismissed for a duck. I watched him through my lens as he started to leave the field and was quite surprised when he threw his bat up in the air and caught it a few seconds later. It produced an okay photo from my position but nothing that great. I was fortunate that I had put up a second camera near the television cameras with a 180mm lens on.
The second camera has a radio control receiver attached to it and should take a photograph every time that I take a photograph on the camera I'm using at ground level. It doesn't always work. Oh, I think I talked about remote cameras in my previous Shot Selection on Muttiah Muralitharan, didn't I?
Pietersen threw his bat really high just before he was about to walk in to a shaded area of the ground. This frame captured the bat at the top of its skyward journey and I think it helps that the bat is vertical. I was also lucky that Pietersen was walking in front of a bright blue bag that was brought on to the field by one of the drinks waiters, also known as 12th men, so that distracting piece of equipment isn't really visible.
The photo got quite a few uses in the newspapers in the UK the following day, namely in the Times, Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph.
Oh, good timing, that's my flight boarding, I'd better dash. Later.
Specifications: Nikon D3, 180mm lens, ISO 200, aperture f8, shutter speed 1/800 sec


text:
show me the next bunch!
show history
a brief history Electric
Electric Visual began in the year 2000 out of San Clemente, CA by Kip Arnette, Bruce Beach and Mike Carter. As a premier sunglass, snow goggle, clothing and accessorie company, Electric and its iconic volt logo are rooted deep in the action sports industry.
The Electric brand was first released at SIA Snow Show in March of 2000. The first 3 sunglass styles dropped in July the following summer and the EG1 snow goggle was introduced that winter.
Their team includes surf legends, Luke Egan, Matt Hoy and Ozzie Wright, as well as snow legends Peter Line and Andreas Wiig. Over a decade in the industry, Electric continues to produce unique, innovative designs and unmatched quality products.


text:
The building energy efficiency revolution can create new business opportunities and strong new industries. LEARN MORE »
Applying integrative design could well raise efficiency savings to two-thirds or more of buildingsí 2050 energy use. LEARN MORE »
Transforming Americaís building sector will demand an intensive ramp-up of investment and innovation, and broadly targeted policy shifts to help markets work better. LEARN MORE »
Powerful incentives and levers do exist to help achieve the vision of a vastly more efficient building sectoróif we enhance and exploit them. LEARN MORE »
The same upgrades that save energy also bring other valuable benefits, including better employee productivity and retention, increased retail sales and higher rents. LEARN MORE »


text:
Correction Appended
Charles B. Wang, the founder and former chairman of Computer Associates, oversaw an accounting fraud lasting more than a decade at the software company, according to a scathing report released yesterday by the company's board.
Mr. Wang, who owns the New York Islanders and is among the most politically influential people on Long Island, masterminded accounting gimmicks that led his company to report inflated sales and profits, the report states.
As a result of the fraud, the company has been forced to spend over $500 million on fines and internal investigations. It is still struggling to rebuild the trust of employees and shareholders, the report says.
In a statement, Mr. Wang said he sharply disagreed with the report's conclusions and blamed Sanjay Kumar, his hand-picked successor, for the fraud.
Mr. Wang created a "culture of fear" at Computer Associates — now called CA — and deliberately put inexperienced executives in senior positions so that he would have more control, according to the report. He discouraged executives from meeting with each other and arbitrarily fired managers or employees who disagreed with him.Continue reading the main story
"Fraud pervaded the entire CA organization at every level, and was embedded in CA's culture, as instilled by Mr. Wang, almost from the company's inception," the report said.
William E. McCracken and Renato Zambonini, directors of CA, wrote the 390-page report with the assistance of the law firm of Fried, Frank, Shriver, Harris & Jacobson. Mr. McCracken and Mr. Zambonini served as a "special litigation committee" to determine whether CA should try to recover money from Mr. Wang and other top executives and how it should deal with a shareholder lawsuit filed in 2005.
The report concludes that CA should try to force Mr. Wang to repay at least some of the compensation he received from the company. In 25 years running Computer Associates, Mr. Wang built a fortune estimated at about $1 billion, including a bonus in 1998 of $670 million that was issued shortly before its stock plunged 31 percent in a day.
The report focuses on CA's practice of backdating contracts, although former employees have said that the company's accounting gimmickry during the 1990s went far beyond backdating. The company used a variety of accounting ruses to inflate its reported sales and profits, the employees said.
Internal accounting controls were almost nonexistent at CA under Mr. Wang, according to the report. In 2000, at a time when CA had almost 20,000 employees and more than $6 billion in reported sales, its internal audit division consisted of five employees, including part-timers.
Since then, CA has replaced its entire upper management team, almost its entire board, and instituted stricter internal controls. Its reported sales have declined about 40 percent since 2000, to less than $4 billion. CA's stock has fallen almost 70 percent from its highs in 2000. Yesterday, it closed at $26.35, down 1 cent.
In his statement, Mr. Wang said the report cannot be believed because it is based on information from former Computer Associates executives who have already admitted lying to the government.
"I am appalled by the report today," Mr. Wang said. "This fallacious report does not serve the best interest of shareholders, customers and employees."
Mr. Wang blamed Mr. Kumar, who replaced him as chief executive in 2000 and as chairman in 2002, and other executives for the company's problems.
"I intend to vigorously defend my good name and fight any and all efforts to place the crimes of Kumar and his management team at my feet," he said.
The report disputes that contention, claiming that from 1994 to 2000, Mr. Kumar undertook the fraud "often at the explicit direction of Mr. Wang (and at other times to avoid Mr. Wang's anger)."
Dan Kaferle, a spokesman for CA, said the company believed the report was thorough, independent and complete. "We are pleased we are moving forward and putting these issues behind us," he said.
The fraud at CA has been the subject of a five-year federal investigation that began in response to a New York Times article in April 2001 detailing the company's accounting gimmicks. Several former CA executives, including Mr. Kumar, the former chief executive, have pleaded guilty to securities fraud and obstruction of justice charges stemming from the investigation. The company agreed in 2004 to pay $225 million to a shareholder restitution fund to settle the investigation.
But Mr. Wang has never been charged in the case. The statute of limitations for both securities fraud and obstruction of justice is five years, so prosecutors can no longer bring charges for any crimes before April 2002.
Mr. Wang was a hands-on executive intimately involved in the details of the company's operations for more than two decades, according to the report. "Under Mr. Wang, CA was known as a 'one-headed' dragon, and no significant decisions were made without his participation and approval," the report says.
But former employees have also said in interviews that Mr. Wang avoided the use of both e-mail and voice mail during his time running the software company.Continue reading the main story


text: Paver1940 0 Report post Posted July 17, 2016 Try not to put your ears just on catches things as for alpha tren the most part found in privately made items so dependably depend on alpha tren. Results are guaranteed as well as really given or respected your body by this item so there is no possibility of wastage of time and cash both. Your both things are ensured by this item and inside weeks, you can get ensured results by this item. http://www.healthyorder.org/is-alpha-tren-scam/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
I just ironed my gstring.. this is please fuck my brains out on a whole new level.
You must be Logged in to post a comment
303 here, yes ma'am that's a level up! You must be commended!
op... its cause I barely even do laundry let alone iron anything especially anything that's going under my clothes xD
I iron all my panties on a regular basis. What is so special about it?
it would appear that's been done already
303 can't say I've ever been there.


text:
So, people living in St Mary Residences suffer from the surrounding construction. On one side, the Hap Seng Building which is now nearing completion, another side we have the Public Bank building but nothing beats the reconstruction of the MAS building next door to block C.
The noise does not only affects Block C because the St Mary buildings are effectively a quadrangle so noise tends to reflect and bounce of the walls so all units tend to be affected.
The developer is PNB, Permodalan Nasional Berhad and the contractor is AZRB, Ahmad Zaki Resources, both politically well connected. They have a permit to work from 8am to 6pm daily and this fact is published on the development notice board outside the construction site.
However, work often goes on till 1am or 2am. Residents have in the past called the police. The police turns up only to tell them to stop work. They will stop and as soon as the police has left, they start again. It's literally a cat and mouse game. At many instances, the construction stops and all lights were switched off a few minutes before the arrival of the police patrol car. Then mysteriously as they went silent they started back again as soon as the patrol car left.
Up until one day, one honest sargeant told us the police is powerless to act against this type of menace. This is despite the law allowing them to confiscate any device such as loud speakers and musical instruments from bars who exceed the noise limit. So, he suggested we should stop calling them and instead call the city hall, DBKL.
There really is no difference between DBKL and the police. It's cat and mouse all over again. Then one day, the contractor called for a meeting with the residents. The intention was actually to ask the St Mary residents' sign off for them to extend their work hours to the night. They produced clever reports from consultants who claim that the noise level is actually acceptable. The report however did not specify what time the noise level were recorded at and since the report was paid for by the contractor they were not so "independent". Residents challenged and scolded the developer and all those who turned up for the meeting shared their story of untold misery such as having to wake up at 1am to calm their babies who were woken up by the noise.
The Project Manager who incidentally won a Grammy Award for best actor claimed he was unaware that his underlings have been flouting the permit's time limit. He expressed shock and even turned to his Project Supervisor for confirmation of such inconsiderate attitude. He then promised no more night works and provided his mobile number in case complaints need to be escalated to him directly.
Frankly, nothing changed even after the meeting and it's a cat and mouse game again with the developer while the Project Manager did not really follow up with any of the residents' phone calls.
Last Friday was probably the ultimate as the contractor managed to get DBKL's approval to assemble a giant mobile crane from Friday 25th to Monday 28th of April. The contractor also took the opportunity to catch up with their work although they were not supposed to. The permit only allows the assembly of the crane and Jalan Tengah to be partially closed for that purpose. The construction went on till 6am Saturday morning, then started again all of Saturday and Sunday.
This time, residents called DBKL. The DBKL officer said he will prepare a report and send his men to the site. No DBKL officers showed up. 2 hours later, at 1am more calls to DBKL, the officer said they were still preparing the report. The whole weekend, nobody from DBKL came.
The police cannot do anything. Now DBKL seems they have been corrupted. So, the only option left is to take this to the next level.... Let's see what it is going to be...


text:
Islam Under Scrutiny by Ex-Muslims
Khaled Waleed Page
Is Saudi Arabia Against the Terrorists? [21 April, 2006]
Treatment of Infidels in Saudi Arabia - Time to Apologise? [18 February, 2006]
A True Story on the Lives of Saudi Women [27 January, 2006]
My Testimony of Leaving Islam [16 January 2006]
Khaled Waleed is a Saudi ex-Muslim.


text:
Diane Clause, 54, passed away Monday, April 18, 2011, at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. She was the daughter of Joanne Clark and the late Charles W. Clark.
She is survived by five sisters, Debra Armstrong, JoEllen Musguire, Susan Russell, Elaine Clark and Carol Clark-Marks; three daughters, Kelly Barrett, Georgia, Christina Valente and Jennifer Njuguna, Arizona; five grandchildren, five nieces and nephews, and a special friend, Ken Lincheck.
D'ALESSANDRO FUNERAL HOME, Pittsburgh, is handling arrangements. There will be no public visitation. Diane lives on through the gift of organ donation. The family suggests contributions in her memory be made to the Salvation Army Food Bank, P.O. Box 600, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, where she was a volunteer.


text:
4 Sections, 21ft Long, Extension Poles Available. By far the best roof rake on the market with tile saving rollers, ensuring that the blade does not touch the roof.
Its very important to clear the snow from your roof especially on a conservatory roof. When the snow starts to melt it may form ice dams on the guttering. The weight of the snow will pull them down. When fresh snow falls and melts the melt water has nowhere to escape and drain then it starts to seep under the tiles and into the roof space.
Snow Roof Rake
- Product Code: G110
- Availability: 49
- £50.00


text:
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website, recently conducted a survey in order to name the "Most Charming Ski Town in America," and our beloved Mount Shasta won by a large margin.
Here is how TripAdvisor described their nationwide survey -
"Winter has arrived, and if you're ready to embrace the chilly weather with an epic ski vacation, we've got good news. You don't need to empty your bank account to make memories on the slopes this year—especially not with so many classic small ski towns just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
If you're looking to pair big mountain adventures with small-town charm off the slopes, look no further than these destinations—some bigger than others, but all less than 50 square miles in area. Whether you freestyle as hard as you party (Jackson Hole) or gallery-hop once the ski boots come off (Santa Fe), there's a holiday here with your name on it."
Mount Shasta won with 21% of the votes out of 23 total ski towns. The ski town with the second most votes was Whitefish, Montana with 12% of the votes.
Here is what the website had to say about our ski town -
"We can give you a few reasons to add Mount Shasta to your list of must-visit small ski towns, starting with the beginner-friendly slopes at the local ski park. The outdoor hub draws travelers with its top-notch terrain, great restaurants, and welcoming atmosphere. One reviewer writes, "We greatly enjoyed our stay in a beautiful chalet in a quiet Mount Shasta neighborhood. It was well-kept, stocked, and cozy for our family of three."
Vote for America's most charming ski town!
Alta, Utah - 2%
Bozeman, Montana - 2%
Durango, Colorado - 4%
Jackson Hole, Wyoming - 2%
Killington, Vermont - 2%
Lake Placid, New York - 3%
Mammoth Lakes, California - 2%
McCall, Idaho - 1%
Mount Shasta, California - 21%
North Conway, New Hampshire - 3%
Pagosa Springs, Colorado - 8%
Park City, Utah - 3%
Sandpoint, Idaho - 3%
Santa Fe, New Mexico - 1%
Steamboat Springs, Colorado - 8%
Sun Valley, Idaho - 1%
Taos, New Mexico - 2%
Telluride, Colorado - 8%
Truckee, California - 1%
Vail, Colorado - 2%
Waitsfield & Warren, Vermont - 3%
Whitefish, Montana - 12%Winter Park, Colorado - 4%
Click here for the full article on TripAdvisor.com.
We can't say that we're shocked. To the world, Mount Shasta is not the most well-known destinations for a winter getaway, but us locals no it to be one of the nation's best-kept secrets. Here is our article about the wonderful ski town -
Mt. Shasta City - Diversity Expected
Living in Beautiful Northern California, it's easy to take for granted that we're just a short drive away from a 14,000+ ft. mountain, and all the activities that come with it. Luckily, we're here to remind and inform you about all the incredible opportunities Mt. Shasta and surrounding areas provide. It's time to take to the mountain and make your dreams a reality.
Few places grasp the known facts about their own history with less intensity than Mt. Shasta City on the flanks of the great NorCal volcano. It's not that they don't care. On the contrary, they just approach it with a few notable differences. About the only things almost everyone agrees on is that there are numerous deeply-held viewpoints about its past, and that everyone is entitled to respect, and their own opinions. In fact, part of Mt. Shasta's charm comes from how easily it cherishes differing viewpoints as the very seasoning that gives it such unique flavor.
Some historians will give you the textbook version of how things were in the past, first as part of the Okwanuchu Native Americans' tribal territory. Later came Ross McCloud's lumber mill followed by Sisson's Hotel in the 1850s. Soon it was known as Strawberry Valley and then Berryvale, and only as late as 1925 was it known as the City of Mount Shasta. Since then it has become a Mecca for tourists, retirees and sojourners along I-5, and business that cater to each.
For an astonishing number of people, the history and significance of this mountain community was forever altered when the Ascended Master St. Germain first appeared to Guy Ballard on the flanks of Mt. Shasta in 1934. Certain "truths" were revealed to Ballard over the course of approximately 3,000 sessions. Jesus is regarded as another Ascended Master, and since 1950, the "I Am Come!" pageant, a presentation of Beloved Jesus' miracles of truth and healing has been held every summer, most recently in Mt. Shasta's new G. W. Ballard Amphitheater.
In 1931 Wishar Spenle Cerve published the book "Lemuria, The Lost Continent of the Pacific" through the Rosecrucian Society. His account claims there is an ancient, advanced civilization called Tellos beneath Mt. Shasta. The surviving Lumurians travel through high-speed underground tunnels to visit other colonies around the world, and sometimes reveal themselves to humans.
No matter what your viewpoint of the history of Mount Shasta City is, no one disputes the fact that it is a special and unique place. If you're seeking outdoor adventure, snowboarding bliss, enlightenment or merely a good time. Mount Shasta City has it all, and then some.


text:
Are you a teen who's just missed your period or have gotten a positive pregnancy test? Maybe you and your boyfriend have been trying to get pregnant for a while, but now that you are, the reality of teen parenthood is starting to set in…How will you afford to pay for everything your baby needs? When will you find time to hang out with your friends or finish high school? FifteenandPregnant.com is here as you consider the pregnancy help that you need today.
Many pregnant teens have found that they've had to put their dreams on hold due to their pregnancy decision. Babies take a lot of attention; parenting a baby is a 24/7 job! Some girls have come to find that making an adoption plan for their baby is the best pregnancy choice for them.
FifteenandPregnant.com is here to provide you with confidential help as you face your pregnancy options and decisions. An unplanned teen pregnancy doesn't have to be the end of the world…there are pregnancy choices that you can be proud of!
Help with your pregnancy choice is available 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-923-6784. If you are 15 and pregnant, we also offer live chat to help you with your pregnancy decisions throughout the day. Take the first step by asking the questions and getting help! Just call us at 1-800-923-6784.