text:
I was researching a man (James Truss, husband of Eboni L. Truss) in connection with his recent advertising of a new cash gifting program, thankgod9.biz, and noticed that he had a Connecting Us All website. Going on his email address and phone number there led me to http://myflock2.com/cgi-bin/profile_...&profile_id=70 Nothing illegal-looking, but that church listed on the sidebar seemed familiar.
So I Googled their phone number, and what should come up but a hit on email@example.com. For those of you unfamiliar with this clown, his Biblical Seven mail-based cash gifting scheme was shut down by the Postal Inspection Service a few years ago.
Now he has a new one starting up, "Building On The Rock," which spins the "gifts" as "financial assistance" and uses a matrix and conference calls like any openly for-profit money game.
Here's part of what the clown-turned-pastor claims:
We just might become the pride of the Christian Community!
I personally promised our ministry members, old and new, many months ago that if a program ever came to light that I felt would overcome our financial distress and in which I could get behind and support fully, I would be the first to share it and bring it forth. Our ministry has a strong desire to grow and expand our membership and build this Christian Resource and Benefits Community Center but it too it needs major financing to complete the multitude of projects we have on the drawing boards.
Get ready folks because that time is now to introduce this program. It is called Building Upon the Rock. It is truly creates a win-win strategy with amazing results through the act of Directed Giving. We are going to build a strong financial foundation for our Community Center beginning with you who help us build it one rock at a time by providing the pillars of your faith as we build together.
Acts 20 verse 35 in the kjv states:
I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
This scripture is the entire purpose and foundation for our efforts. By supporting the weak financially, the Lord Jesus will bring our ministry and its loyal followers the financial increase He has promised . Imagine the beauty in that ..simply from the act of giving financially to others and helping us build our Community Resource Center, we get blessed. How Glorious is that?
Lets find out just what Building On The Rock is all about.
The Biblical Seven Ministry has put a very simple fundraising structure into place to acquire our needed funds. We are simply putting together teams of people who will assist us in obtaining contributions with a fabulous system which provides financial assistance to each team member.
Each Contributor will have the goal of acquiring 3 New Contributions and teaching those 3 to do the exact same thing through duplication, team effort, and ministry assistance. Your 3 confirmed new contributors will become your Team Captains for the next 3 teams of confirmed contributors.
Each team will consist of just 1 person, a Team Captain who is the original contributor, who will each have the goal of obtaining 3 new contributors each for a team total of 4 contributors per team for each Team Captain. Thats It. 3 who get 3!!! A Team Captain and 3 new contributor x 3 to infinity! The financial benefits for working on and with your team are very lucrative. When each of your team 3 Captains has acquired their 3 new contributions,
YOU cycle on.
It is important to remember that YOU only need your 3 new contributors whom you enrolled however to qualify for financial assistance. The other 3 new contributord received collectively by each team captain cause you to cycle.
Lets see how a cash contribution to The Biblical Seven Ministry for the Building Upon The Rock program works.
Lets assume I decided I want to support this project so I made a $100 contribution for The Building Upon The Rock fundraiser. $75 of this contribution will be used for Directed Giving and by completing a simple form called Notice of Participation on the ministry web-site; I am directing The Biblical Seven Ministry to pay another participant in this program $75 in financial assistance. On this same Notice of Participation form, I am also directing The Biblical Seven Ministry to allocate $25 in funds to support the ministry and help build their Community Resource and Benefits Center. Once this contribution is received by admin, your Team is activated and we will work jointly to help you get 3 confirmed new contributors added to your team as Team Captains and we will do the same for each of your 3 captains to acquire their 3 confirmed contributions. We will fill all teams from left to right filling position one on the 3 teams first, position2 on the 3 teams next and then position 3 on the 3 teams. A confirmed contributor is one whose contribution has been received and logged by admin.
Here is how qualified financial assistance is obtained by the person assisting getting contributions. Lets look again at Pastor Ricks Team. He is now a Team Captain by the very act of his contribution and his goal is to get 3 people who will also acquire 3 contributions by their very participation the program to get financial assistance. His next goal is to help his new 3 Team Captains and teams to duplicate his personal and company efforts when their contributions are received. Those 3 contributions on the each team are powerful as it forces you to cycle.
Here is the Qualifying Financial Assistance Structure:
Pastor Ricks Contribution = $100 with $75 directed to Financial Assistance and $25 directed to the ministry for their support and to build the Community Benefits Center.
Pastor Rick gets 3 New Confirmed Contributors = $100 x 3 = $300 with $225 (3 x $75) directed to Financial Assistance and $75 (3 x $25) to the ministry and to build the Community Benefits Center.
That creates $225 in Financial Assistance for someone and as Pastor Rick was the Team Captain who made this possible, he is credited on his personal tracking account for the $225 simply by being in the Directed Giving spot as his Teams Captain which he obtained simply by making his contribution and obtaining the 3 others new contributions. That was easy. Now he needs to cycle.
The 3 Team Captains begin the process of qualifying YOU for additional financial assistance for additional Re-Entries and their 3 new contributions collectively on the 3 teams causes a cycle. This is powerful as you shall see.
This plan is based simply on your contributions and of the 3 other Team Captains on your team all doing exactly the same easy steps as YOU and duplicating your efforts.
The Biblical Seven Ministry also developed a plan to also magnify their Financial Assistance to bring ALL contributors to a level of Financial Assistance that is financially meaningful and in the shortest amount of time while maintaining a level that can be counted upon for everyday budget considerations. The Biblical Seven Ministry will manage every account for a minimum 5 cycles so all contributors can realize the greatest benefits of the financial assistance available.
Lets begin by stating that our books will close at the end of business on each Friday and it is what is credited as received contributions reflected on each contributors account that is used in determining the Financial Assistance qualified for that week. This creates a minimum one cycle per week for 50 weeks per year as we will shut down for 2 weeks in 2013. It is this accounting that also is used for our pay-out structure to bring each participant up to qualifying for as much Financial Assistance as possible. Your teams may cycle faster than once a week and that will be determined by your own team strategy and speed of getting contributions logged in here The Biblical Seven Ministry admin.
Lets walk through an example using Pastor Rick to see the cycles so we see how he is benefitted and alsohow grows in his qualified financial assistance during his short managed growth period.
Cycle 1-------FIRST TIME ENTRY INTO PROGRAM
(Assuming Pastor Rick As Team Captain He has Obtained 3 New Confirmed
Contributors and They Duplicate HIM with 3 new confirmed contributors on each of the 3 teams)
Qualifying Ministry
Financial Assistance Receives
Your Personal Contribution Reward Is Always Awarded To Person Who Obtained It.
You are Rewarded on Only the Contributions from the 3 Contributors On Your Team
but it is the next teams whicg moves you through a cycle..
New Contribution #2 $100 $75 $25
New Contribution #3 $100 $75 $25
New Contribution #4 $100 $75 $25
$300 $225 $75
The Closest Friday Accounting When These Confirmed Contributions Received
$225 Qualifying Financial Assistance
-$200) You Make 2 New Contributions from Account Balance for Cycle 2 New Contributions
$25 Pay-Out to You (Does not meet minimum of $100 for pay-out-stays on account balance
Cycle 2 ------OR------The Following Friday Accounting
Team Contributions :
Now Can Make 2 New Personal Contributions from Rewards Earned:
YOUR Personal Contributions Rewards Are Always Awarded To Person Who Obtained It You are
Rewarded on Only the Confirmed Contributions from the 3 Contributors On Your Team.
Qualifying Ministry
Financial Assistance Receives
2 New Contributions from #2 $200 $150 $50
2 New Contributions from #3 $200 $150 $50
2 New Contributions from #4 $200 $150 $50
$600 $450 $150
$450 Qualifying Financial Assistance
($400) You Make 4 New Contributions from account balance for next cycle 3 New Contributions
($50) Pay-Out To You Does not meet minmum of $100 for pay-out. Remains on account balance.
Cycle 3-------OR-------The Following Friday Accounting
Team Contributions:
Now Can Make 4 New Personal Contributions From Rewards Earned.
YOUR Personal Contributions Rewards Are Always Awarded To Person Who Obtained It. You are
rewarded on Only the Contributions from the 3 Contributors on Your Team.
Qualifying Ministry
Financial Assistance Receives
4 New Contributions from #2 $400 $300 $100
4 New Contributions from #3 $400 $300 $100
4 New Contributions from #4 $400 $300 $100
$1,200 $900 $300
$900 Qualifying Financial Assistance
($800) You Make 8 New Contributions from your account balance
($100) Pay-Out to You along w/all account balance from cycles 1 & 2.
Cycle 4-------OR-------The Following Friday Accounting
Team Contributions :
Now Can Make 8 New Personal Contributions From Rewards Earned.
YOUR Personal Contributions Rewards Are Always Awarded To Person Who Obtained It. You are
rewarded on Only the Contributions from the 3 Contributors on Your Team.
Qualifying Ministry
Financial Assistance Receives
8 New Contributions from #2 $800 $600 $200
8 New Contributions from #3 $800 $600 $200
8 New Contributions from #4 $800 $600 $200
$2,400 $1,800 $600
$1,800 Qualifying Financial Assistance
($1,200) You Make 12 New Contributions from your account balance
($600) Pay-Out to You
Cycle 5-------OR-------The Following Friday Accounting
Team Contributions :
Now Can Make 12 New Personal Contributions From Rewards Earned.
YOUR Personal Contributions Rewards Are Always Awarded To Person Who Obtained It. You are
rewarded on Only the Contributions from the 3 Contributors on Your Team.
Qualifying Ministry
Financial Assistance Receives
12 New Contributions from #2 $1,200 $900 $300
12 New Contributions from #3 $1,200 $900 $300
12 New Contributions from #4 $1,200 $900 $300
$3,600 $2,700 $900
$2,700 Qualifying Financial Assistance
($1,200) You Make 12 New Contributions from your account balance and repeat OVER &
($1,500) Pay-Out to You
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR $75,000 for a 50 week year!
(This is based on a 50 week year x $1500 and is only indicative of income potential and is not a
projection of actual compensation as we cannot determine the level of your personal efforts and
participation nor that of your teams. We can only tell you what could happen when certain
mathematical calculations are achieved)
We stop managing your account at this level and you totally control your own accounts and can
conceivably acquire as many new contributions as New Contribution Re-Entries from your
own financial assistance rewards as you wish.
Why not join us today and become part of
a truly win-win situation for you and our ministry?
All participants must be ministry members to receive financial assistance and participate.
This will be accomplished with the Notice of Participation form. It is not necessary to
complete the join form on the minsitry site.
All participants must also agree to Direcetd Giving Statement and authorize this on the
Notice of Participation form.
By submitting your Notice of Particpation so you have authority to build your team and
while we are waiting for confirmed contribution. This will assist the over-all placement
effort while waiting formyour contribution via mail. This Notice of Particpation is found
on the Building Upon The Rock sub-site linked off from http://thebiblicalsevenministry.org
(You obviously may build your teams without having to wait for placement of people by
The Building Upon The Rock Admin!)
You MUST submit your $100 cash only contribution when you have submitted your Notice of
Participation form. We strongly suggest Priority Mail with Signature Confirmation for all
cash contributions to prove it's receipt. We cannot be held liable for mail we do not receive.
We had to change this procedure as the majority of entrants who were entering without their
contributions were unable to meet the deadline to get their contributions out which created a
major fiasco and total re-alignment of most teams. From this point forward, NO-ONE is assigned
to a team until their contribution has been logged as received by admin.
Start inviting people immediately to the conference calls and to visit our website. The conference
call # is 1-209-647-16900---pin .681448#. Always check the web-site for the most current
schedule and times. Our website is http://thebiblicalsevenministry.org. Look for the Building
Upon The Rock link. It is important to focus on inviting only and not trying to sell anyone on the
details. Let us do the selling for you on our conference calls or from our web-site.
Confirmed Contributors entering our program are placed on teams comprising of a Team Captainm and 3 new confirmed contributors in the order in which their contributions are received by the admin. All contributors work towards filling the last available partial team. A New Contributor may also replace a member on a team who may have left the program for any reason.
Books close each Friday at the close of business for calculating each account. Pay-outs are processed over the week-end and mailed on Monday mornings. Pay-outs are by ministry check as this is directed financial assistance through the ministry.
Contributions are by cash only and sent to:
The Biblical Seven Ministry
22 Colrain Street
Greenfield, MA 01301


text:
One question I get asked a lot when talking to people about the NUC is whether there are ways to bring the total cost of the unit down. People love the NUC; the sleek design, the versatility, the compact yet powerful nature of it. But when you factor in the cost of the wireless module, the memory, and the mSATA drive, and the operating system it can get up close to $500. For a powerful little computer like the NUC that's not bad. But if you're using it as an HTPC you might not want to spend that much.
There are in fact ways to lower the final price tag of the NUC. I decided to take a look at ways to lower the cost. I came up with a few substitutions that drive the price down but still provide respectable performance.
I started with the base NUC Centrino, the DCCP847DYE.
Then I added a generic, tiny USB wifi :
(Generic low-profile wifi adapter)
Next I searched for a deal on memory. I didn't want to buy the absolute cheapest no-name memory because I wanted a stable system. So instead I opted for some well-reviewed memory that was on sale.
Finally, instead of an mSATA SSD I went with...wait for it...a USB thumb drive:
(Fast and cheap, but not pretty in the NUC)
Oh, and I also ditched Windows in favor of Linux Mint. Even on sale Windows isn't cheap. Obviously a couple of these require a bit of explanation, so here goes. These numbers are based on my original NUC.
Original Item
NUC i3 - $280
NUC Celeron - $150
Minor impact on performance-negligible for HTPC use.
Intel 6235 Wifi adapter - $25
Generic USB wifi adapter - $10
Wifi performance and Bluetooth. Benchmarks put it at about 1/3-1/2 the speed of the Intel adapter. You also won't have Bluetooth, which you could add with a Bluetooth USB adapter, but if you want Bluetooth just spring for the 6235.
Intel 525 mSATA SSD - $240
Adata S102 Pro 16GB USB flash drive - $10 (after rebate)
Performance and storage. Let's face it, comparing an mSATA SSD to a flash drive is just silly.
Windows 7 Home Premium
Linux Mint
Ease of use, ease of configuration, Netflix, Media Center, bluray playback
This brings the build cost down to about $200. As I mentioned in the table above there are some sacrifices both in terms of performance and usability. I like Linux Mint a lot but it can't do Netflix, and installing applications tends to be more complicated. Also, Linux typically means being familiar with command line unix commands.
A note about flash drives: When I started this mini-project I was tempted to find a tiny, low-profile flash drive to keep the clean look of the NUC intact. The wifi adapter is low-profile and you can barely see it so I thought about the same for the flash drive. After doing some research what I found was the super tiny USB flash drives seem to have a MUCH higher failure rate than your standard flash drives. They also don't generally have the best performance. When looking for a flash drive for this project you want to pay close attention to the performance before the form factor. Also, I can't speak to how long the flash drive will last as an OS drive. I've never done it this way before and don't know how hard the OS hits the drive. Your mileage may vary.
(The wifi adapter is tiny and keeps the clean look of the NUC)
(The S102? Not so much)
The Adata S102 might look a little silly sticking out of the back of the NUC but it's a solid performer and when you're going with a flash drive for your OS you want the fastest most reliable you can find. I did find a flash drive on Amazon with an extremely low profile and 4.5 star reviews. It's a little more expensive ($17) but might be worth it if your NUC is somewhere visible.
For most uses the NUC's USB 2.0 ports are more than adequate. I was able to watch blurays through an external drive with no playback issues whatsoever. Still, when booting the OS off of a flash drive USB 3 would provide a performance increase.
USB ports get scarce while building the NUC, but once you're set up you shouldn't need a USB hub unless you go peripheral crazy. With this "economy" build the ports are at even more of a premium because you're using the two back ones for your wifi and flash drive. You'll almost certainly want a USB hub.
Once the memory is installed and the wifi adapter and flash drive are plugged in you'll boot to your install media, install Mint, download updates, install XBMC and you're done. Mint installs to the USB flash drive just like a hard drive so the process is the same. Booting from the flash drive also has the advantage of giving you a portable OS. If you have more than one NUC, or if you like to switch quickly between various OSes, installing to flash drives is nice.
I was expecting serious lags due to the flash drive, but to be honest it was still quite snappy. The only time I noticed a lag was when I was downloading Mint updates, installing XBMC, and looking at a web page at the same time. Things slowed down quite a bit then. Other than that it ran great. Boot time is obviously slower; more like booting Windows from an old platter hard drive. I installed the HD Trailers add-on for XBMC and was watching the latest HD trailers in seconds. Playback was smooth and pretty. Playing a ripped movie off of another flash drive was equally impressive. Playing a movie from the OS flash drive would skip occasionally, so I would advise against it.
I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the build.The downgrade from i3 to Celeron is negligible. The flash drive OS is slower but not so much that it makes the system un-fun to use. Of course you could go with more expensive components to improve the performance but the goal here was to see what we'd get for the cheapest possible solution. You could also drive the price down even more by waiting for $0-after-rebate deals and other sales. It seems the biggest hit is the wifi performance. When streaming from HD-trailers.net I did get some buffering.
Against my better judgment I even attached my USB tuner (by then I HAD to use a USB hub) and set up MythTV. MythTV is an absolute pain to set up, but once it's working it's pretty nice. TV performance was not noticeably different than the original NUC setup. It isn't nearly as easy to use as Media Center under Windows but it gets the job done.
After using the build on wifi I decided you're really better off going with the Intel wireless module rather than the generic USB. It's only about $10-$15 dollars more and it offers much better performance, not to mention bluetooth.
So there you have it; a fully functional NUC-based HTPC for about $200.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
When you use our products and services you're trusting us to keep your information safe.
Fraudsters may try and imitate our emails so we want to let you know that we'll never send you an email asking for your login details or password.
If you've any concerns about the validity of any email, please call us.
People are now living longer than ever before, and while living longer and healthier lives is great news, it makes planning for your financial goals ever more important.
We know the importance of making sure your money works as hard as it can for you now and in the future. Preparing for the future can be easy, and we're here to help.
What you can expect from us
Wide investment choice - we offer over 4,000 investment options (as at January 2019)
Tax-efficient options, including bonds, pensions, ISAs and trusts
Secure, online access to your investments
What's the next step for you?
If you have an intermediary
If you have an intermediary, discuss your finances as you would normally, and decide which products and investments are right for you. Then, when you've agreed what you're going to do, your intermediary will put them in place for you.
If you and your intermediary decide it's right for you, we can also offer online access to your account. With our new online services, you can view and manage your investments wherever and whenever you want using your customer dashboard.
Your relationship with your intermediary will stay exactly the same. It's just that, with Aegon, keeping track and managing your investments becomes easier and more straightforward.
If you don't have an intermediary
If you don't have an intermediary and are comfortable with making your own financial decisions, you can sign in to your customer dashboard and manage your own investments.
You can find out more about some of the services intermediaries can offer, but it's important to remember that there are different types of intermediaries, including financial advisers and execution-only brokers.
While a financial adviser may be able to help you invest your savings in the right way and at the right level of risk for you, some services available only offer guidance, and not advice. You can find an adviser at unbiased.co.uk
Accessing your customer dashboard
We can offer online access to your account but, if you have an intermediary, you'll need to speak to them first.
If you don't have an intermediary and are comfortable managing your own investments, you can sign in to manage your account.


text:
Welcome to the NYU Stern Healthcare Association website!
SHA aims to bring together Stern MBA students who have an interest in the healthcare industries.
Our objectives include:
- Promoting the advancement of health care, pharmaceutical science, and biotechnology and understand the issues and challenges facing these industries
- Helping members explore the career opportunities within these sectors
- Increasing the academic awareness and student interest in these dynamic industries
- Serving as a recruitment connection for all healthcare related professions, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device firms as well as healthcare related professional service firms in consulting and finance.
SHA would like to thank its committed sponsors for their continued support to NYU Stern and SHA. Our sponsors for 2018-2019 include:
Gold Sponsors:
Silver Sponsors:


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Essentially translates to "Adventures of Patapata Aircraft".
I found this anime purely by chance while browsing through a a list of titles, the length of the name caught my eye and while trying to find information on it I realized there was very little to be had. Virtually every site gave the same summary and nothing more, so I hardly knew what to expect while watching it. I'll say this now: the animation is far less than spectacular since everything seems very flat and the sound track lacks diversity, but the story and plot make up for it. This series gives off a sense of nostalgia (one I rarely ever feel outside of Hayao Miyazaki's works) being set in what I can only assume to be the Victorian era and having a large focus placed on transportation and cultural diversity. This'll be spoiler heavy.
Now on to the actual story; the Buxton family consists of a rich banker and his two children: Jane and George. His first wife dies shortly after Jane is born and he remarries getting a step-son in the process, William, who dislikes his new family, his contempt for them only grows when his mother also dies from illness which leads him to bond with Jane due to her innocence and caring nature believing that she is the only one to understand him. Years go by and now George is a scholar while William is working in the bank along side his step-father, however he is less than honest by making profit for the bank, something that does not go unnoticed by the father. George is researching a way to achieve flight, a dream shared with Jane, when he gets his expedition to the East to search for a mysterious floating liquid approved by the university his father appoints him the heir to the family by giving him the gold pocket watch heirloom while William leaves the house shortly after George departs to the east. Jane, now alone, continues trying to fly.
Read the rest of this entry »


text:
Tag: Richard Haines
As fast as a camera lens shutting: I interview Clym Evernden on the power of Menswear Illustration
A new book, launching tonight with an exhibition at Paul Smith's gallery on Albermarle Street, celebrates the buoyancy of fashion illustration in menswear. I caught up with Clym Evernden, one of the talents featured in the book to find out more about why menswear illustration is having a moment right now.
1. Tell me about the book project. How did you come to be involved?
Richard Kilroy approached me to be part of the book. I'm thrilled that Richard approached me as I think now is a perfect time to acknowledge menswear illustration in its own right. Fashion illustration has previously occupied a cliche that it portrays almost exclusively womenswear, often in that tired old aesthetic of an elegant woman in the 1950s wearing couture, or walking down Bond street with shopping bags and … Read More »


text:
Subscribe to the PLAID Crafts Newsletter, and we'll throw in $10 towards your next purchase.
Use up your scrap yarn and create a cozy decorative letter.
At a Glance:
This project features these great brands:
Paper mache letter, Yarn, Scissors
PROJECT TIP: For letters like "S", wrap the ends first to cover them and then wrap the body of the letter.
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