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text: Pen Drawing Small 216×320 Medium 433×640 Large 692×1024 Download TIFF Original 1623×2400 | (1.8 MB) Description This is a pen drawing by artist Edmund New. It seems to illustrate people walking across a bridge in Evesham, England. Keywords bridge, drawing, edmund new, England, evesham, illustration, pen drawing Galleries Drawings Source: Crane, Walter The Decorative Illustration of Books Old and New (New York, NY: G. Bells and Sons, Ltd, 1905)

subset: commoncrawl


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Kristina Georgieva has been crowned the winner of Miss Universe Bulgaria 2014 at the finals of the national pageant held on November 16' 2014 at Paradise Center in Sofia, Bulgaria. She was crowned by her predecessor and outgoing queen Veneta Krasteva, the Miss Universe Bulgaria 2013. Dinela Chausheva, Evelyn Nikolova and Pamela Kristeva finished as the runner-ups at the finals. Kristina competed with twenty (20) other beauties competing for the coveted crown. She will now represent Bulgaria at Miss Universe 2014 pageant to be held in Doral, USA on January 25' 2015. Kristina is 22 years of age and stands tall at 175 cm. She is currently studying business administration in Netherlands.
Мис България Вселена 2014 Кристина Георгиева


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Imagine that for years virtually all of your business was selling one enormously popular product to a loyal customer base. Let's say these customers were retailers and they knew exactly what your product was like and how much of it they needed versus just one or two other similar products from your competitors. You filled and refilled orders and made deliveries and everyone prospered.
Then imagine that public tastes changed and, in order to grow, you had to begin selling a wide range of other products that were not as familiar to you, your employees or your customers. Not only did you now have to fill orders, but you also had to educate all involved about these new products and keep track of this diverse new portfolio.
That is the challenge Scotty Heckel faces at Houston Distributing Co., where he has risen to become executive vice president over a career spanning more than three decades. Not that long ago, HDC sold almost exclusively Miller beer to local bars, stores and restaurants. Today, a little more than a third of the company's business is made up of imports (24 percent) and craft beers (14 percent), and I think we all know which direction the industry's trend line is headed. Across Texas and the nation, craft breweries are opening and expanding and shipping new beers into the local market all the time. Retailers no longer must be familiar with just Miller and Miller Lite but also the increasing number of beers from Shiner and Samuel Adams and such fast-growing breweries as Abita, Boulevard, Deschutes and New Belgium that hail from, respectively, Louisiana, Missouri, Oregon and Colorado.
What would you do? I like what Heckel did. Last Thursday, he threw a party.
The first-ever HDC Brew Fest brought Heckel's employees and retail customers together under one tented roof to meet and talk shop with reps from several terrific breweries. They snacked on small plates of Italian food as a band played hits from the '80s. Most importantly, they got to sample the wares to see what their customers, in turn, might like to drink.
Heckel set up in the parking lot of the HDC distribution center in northwest Houston — right there on a street called High Life Drive — and you can tell from the following photo gallery that a good time was had by all.
Join Beer, TX on Facebook at facebook.com/rcrocker.beertx or follow me on Twitter: @rcrocker


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This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND GREAT BRITAIN POUNDS STERLING (â700,000.00) in the YEAR 2008 YAHOO! Lottery promotion which is organized YAHOO! LOTTERY INC and HOTMAIL for the introduction and Launching of the new YAHOO! BETA MAIL and Windows Live Mail Beta which all YAHOO! And HOTMAIL subscribers are required to switch to.
YAHOO! & MICROSOFT WINDOWS, arranged and gathered all the e-mail addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribe at YAHOO!, HOTMAIL and others we only selected THREE (3) candidates as our winners after undergoing the random selection process through Electronic Balloting System (E.B.S) without the candidate applied, we congratulate you for being one of the people selected.
Winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Center . Yahoo Prize Award must be claimed no later than 21 days from date of Draw Notification. Any prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.
Stated below are your identification numbers:
Batch number.....................YBM-WBS-2008390AF
Reff number........................YBM-WBS-200804522AF
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We hope you're enjoying your new Yahoo! Mail account and Hotmail account.
These numbers above fall within the United Kingdom agent's Location file, you are requested to contact Rev.Dr Frank Luis and send your Identification Numbers and Personal Information to him: at his email: E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Rev.Dr brown Lewis
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Look! Mixing Patterns In The Same Color Palette
One way to add interest and dimension to your space is by using the same color but mixing the patterns. We spotted these chair displays at Barclay Butera's showroom on La Brea Blvd. and thought they were elegant, sophisticated yet simple.
This is an easy and affordable decorating trick. We love incorporating color and design into space and since mixing patterns is not always easy, sticking to 1 or 2 colors can make it less overwhelming.
Check out more color ideas here:


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13th Annual
Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
June 03, 2019 to June 09, 2019
Select a Category of Entry to View
Fiction Feature Film
Documentary Film
Fiction Short Film
Film Market
Submit Online
1730 1/2 Oxley Street
South Pasadena CA 91030
Phone: 818-835-2433
Fax: 866-848-4316
DECISIONS ALREADY MADE • This event has already made decisions and notified submitters for the current cycle. Submissions are no longer being accepted.
Fiction Feature Film
Feature Fiction Films : 60 min and over
Documentary Film
Documentary Films: over 60 min duration documentaries
Fiction Short Film
Short Fiction Films: under 60 min
Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the first major endeavor to create an annual film festival in Hollywood that showcases and promotes Greek Cinema. Eligible films include works by Greek filmmakers and filmmakers of Greek descent worldwide; films about Greece; Greek and Cypriot productions or co-productions; as well as films by emerging US and local filmmakers with a prevalent Greek theme.
Films by Greek directors, writers, and producers; films by actors in starring roles; co-directors, co-writers and co-producers are also eligible.
2019 marks the 13th anniversary of Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF). LAGFF presents a variety of film programs, both contemporary and retrospective, in Hollywood - the heart of the entertainment capital of the world. Filmmakers accepted into the festival take part in Industry one-on-one meetings with film industry professionals, allowing for dialogue and mentorship between filmmakers and working Hollywood professionals.
Aristotle Katopodis (Artistic Director); Dimitra Kasdagli (LAGFF Programming Manager); Dimitra Kasdagli (Programming Manager/Filmmaker Liaison); Dimitra Kasdagli (Programming Manager/Filmmaker Liaison); Dimitra Kasdagli (Programming Manager/Filmmaker Liaison); Ersi Danou (Co - Director, Sponsorship)
Feature, documentary and short film submissions must have been completed within three years prior to May 2019 (no earlier than January 2016).
Eligible Films:
- Films by Greek directors, writers, producers or actors (in starring roles), (co-directors, co-writers and co-producers are also eligible) from Greece and Cyprus. Must be credited.
- Films by directors, writers, producers, or actors (in starring roles), (co-directors, co-writers and co-producers are also eligible) of Greek descent worldwide. Must be credited.
Greek and Cypriot productions.
- Films about Greece and/or with a prevalent Greek theme.
- Films submitted to LAGFF 2017 or 2018 which were not accepted, provided they were completed no earlier than January 2016. New entry fee and completed submission form required.
Greek-themed films from emerging local to Los Angeles filmmakers.
All non-English films must have English subtitles.
More than one film may be submitted, but each must be submitted on a separate DVD NTSC screener and accompanied by separate submission form, entry fee, and printed payment receipt.
DVD NTSC submissions should be clearly marked, including the film title (in English,) running time, format and contact information. Please indicate the country of origin.
Submission DVD (NTSC) tapes will not be returned.
The entry fee is non-refundable and required at the time of submission. Please pay the entry fee by Paypal or through Withoutabox.com. Do not send cash or checks.
Electronic submissions of the film to be considered is preferred. Link of film available on VIMEO or other area can be submitted to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Commercial transfer sites such as wetransfer.com, yousendit.com, dropbox.com are also accepted at the firstname.lastname@example.com address
Inclusion in the festival as well as the number, dates, times and locations of screenings will be at the sole discretion of the Festival Directors.
Once a film is selected for presentation at LAGFF, the film's producers or distributors agree not to hold a screening of the film in Los Angeles prior to the festival screening.
Submission of a signed entry form constitutes acceptance of the LAGFF regulations. Furthermore, the festival management reserves the right to decide all questions not specifically provided for in the regulations.
All disputes, matters of interpretation, controversies and other issues relating to the entry form or regulations shall be determined and resolved according to the laws of the State of California.
WAB application
- Entry fee (paid through Paypal or Withoutabox.com)
Printed payment receipt (if paid by Paypal)
- Electronic submission (email@example.com) or
Three (3) preview DVDs (Region Free) subtitled in English. Non-English non-subtitled preview DVDs will not be considered.
- Press Kit:
Photo stills in electronic form (at least 3 HD)
Complete list of credits (cast & crew)
Photo of Director
Biography and filmography of the submitting filmmaker.
Posters/postcards (if applicable)
Trailer in mpeg HD format
All submission materials must be delivered in one package.
If your film is selected for exhibition, you must provide LAGFF with:
- Copy of the selected film in either 35mm or DCP or BlueRay for exhibition
- 5 DVD screeners (NTSC) for features and 2 DVD screeners (NTSC) for shorts.
PRINT COPIES & MATERIALS-Please send to:
c/o Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
4200 Sepulveda Blvd #102
Culver City, CA 90230
Publicity materials will not be returned.
Feature Fiction Films: 60 min and over
Documentary Films:any duration
Short Fiction Films: under 60 min
Best Fiction Feature Film
Best Directing for Fiction Feature Films
Best Actor/Actress for Fiction Feature Film
Best Documentary Film
Best Short Film
Audience Choice
Audience Awards for Best Fiction Feature Film
Audience Awards for Best Documentary Film
Audience Awards for Best Short Film
Sometimes Jurors decide for:
Special Jury Award in Best Fiction Feature Film
Special Jury Award in Best Actor/Actress for Fiction Feature Film
Special Jury Award in Best Documentary Film
Special Jury Award in Best Short Film
Early Bird Deadline: February 15, 2019
Regular deadline: March 11, 2019 (received)
Final deadline: March 31, 2019 (received)
For inquiries write to: firstname.lastname@example.com
I have read and accept the LAGFF rules and submission guidelines, and hereby verify that the submitted film was completed in January 2016 or later.
LAGFF is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.
The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.
The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless LAGFF from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.


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on March 31, 2017
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This patient presented with cardiac arrest following a surgical procedure and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed for 10 minutes. MRI find..."
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Case Study Extracts
- We were instructed to carry out a valuation of several engineering facilities &
distribution centers by an international engineering company specializing in the production of finished and semi-finished metal products. Our reinstatement valuation reports concluded that the client was under insured by over £65m across all locations and one site alone was 700% under insured.
- Out of the last 5 valuations undertaken on behalf of SME clients in the engineering sector approximately 75% were under insured.
Engineering Valuations:
Engineering is the discipline, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific,economic,social and practical knowledge in order to design and build structures,machines, devices, systems material and processes.Typically, process industries are interested in running their plant 24/7 and any asset failure, even minor assets such as pumps and filters, which result in idle time is extremely expensive. Therefore crystallizing the risk of under or over insurance through an accurate valuation is a key consideration in this sector.
Why Value:
- Ensures the company is not under or over insured in the event of a loss.Justify and support a claim settlement.
- Ensures the company is paying the correct premium.
- Enables risk management to target eff ort and spend on risk reduction strategies more effectively, particularly on business critical operations including areas of significantly higher risk.
- Eliminates time consuming and unnecessary pressure on in house personnel in providing reinstatement insurance values.
- Establishment of a long term programme to maintain accurate replacement insurance values including annual updates.
- Tracking of fluctuating exchange rates.
- Provision of detailed plant registers for engineering facilities enables accurate tracking of additions, disposals and transfers.
Be Valued:
"On behalf of one of our largest engineering clients we instructed Rushton International to value both buildings and plant & machinery assets in the UK, Europe and USA . We required a company with experience and knowledge of working within the engineering industry to provide us with accurate reinstatement values for which to place our client's insurance."
Account Handler, England


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Last week, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" and the third "Chipmunks" film opened much lower than expected. Their combined result all but destroyed Sensei's prediction calls. Not all was lost. Sensei's streak in calling the correct top opener did extend to five straight weeks. This week, a host of newcomers hope for the top box office spot.
This weekend's predictions and revenue results go as follows.
1. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – ($28 million, Fri-Sun) ($42 million, Wed-Sun) – Last weekend confirmed analyst fears about the current box office outlook. Things are very weak right now. This film's healthy opening on only 425 theaters (300 IMAX) was the only bright spot. With solid reviews and high audience ratings, the film will power ahead to beat the new "Sherlock Holmes" film.
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2. Sherlock Holmes: Game Of Shadows – ($19 million, Fri-Sun) ($28 million, Wed-Sun) – After its low opening, this one will struggle to equal the gross of the first "Sherlock Holmes" ($209 million domestic). The film also loses a large portion of its target audience to "MI4's" theater expansion this week. Still, it will pull in respectable numbers over the holiday. Whether it will be enough for a second sequel is another story.
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3. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – ($17 million, Fri-Sun) ($25 million, Wed-Sun) – David Fincher's latest does have the book audience, but overall interest in R-rated serial killer-inspired mysteries is very lackluster. "Girl" will have to pull numbers exclusively from older audiences which translates to mid-range openings already seen in films like "J. Edgar" and "Moneyball."
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4. Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked – ($14 million, Fri-Sun) ($21 million, Wed-Sun) – This family film opened much lower than "Chipmunks 2's" opening last weekend. It will get a slight boost from holiday family audiences, but don't expect great results. The film is trailing its predecessor's gross by an almost 2 to 1 margin. That doesn't bode well.
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5. The Adventures Of Tintin – ($12 million, Fri-Sun) ($20 million, Wed-Sun) – The film has a unique advantage in that it will bring in some older audiences (off its Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson tie-in) as well as family ones. That will give it enough steam to beat Matt Damon's "We Bought A Zoo."
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Bonus Picks:
#. We Bought A Zoo – ($9.4 million, Fri-Sun) – The film's premise is clever but Matt Damon's not the biggest box office draw right now. Adding to the film's problems will be competition from "Tintin" and a "Chipmunks" film hoping to salvage itself financially.
#. War Horse – ($4.8 million, Christmas Day) – Healthy start for Steven Spielberg's second project opening this week ("Tintin" the first). This one has more of a "Seabiscuit" feel than a "Secretariat" or "Hidalgo" in terms of horse driven fare. When combined with its early Oscar buzz, the film is positioned to do very well.
#. The Darkest Hour – ($2.2 million, Christmas Day) – Film is opening in the vein of counter-programming to grab audiences, but a sci-fi invasion film on Christmas? This one has disappointing numbers written all over it.
Phew. Biggest weekend column yet. From Sensei White Lotus and Master Iron Fist, it remains a pleasure to be with all of you week after week. All our best and fond wishes of a joyous holiday.


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When I was a child, growing up in the various parts of India to which my father's job took us, books were my friends, and I liked them funny. I discovered my grandfather's P. G. Wodehouse collection at the age of eleven and was at once enchanted by the amiable lunacy of fictional worlds like the Drones Club and Blandings Castle. Lovable and ludicrous, they allowed me to claim an understanding of characters very different from me. I was at that age when laughter comes easily and convoluted story lines feel newly accessible. Plum's immortal farces were a gift.
But funny isn't something we're taught to respect. That could be why, when writers embark on the serious business of crossing cultural boundaries in their work, they don't often start out with humor. In 2004, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith spoke at the Reading the World conference about the dearth of funny books with cultural resonance. Why, they asked, are multicultural books so very serious?
It was a valid question then. What's surprising is the degree to which it remains valid today, especially in books for middle-grade readers. Books set in foreign countries are still largely about oppression, while those in hyphenated-American communities are about the challenges of finding oneself and becoming American. While many have humorous moments, they are not, by and large, funny books.
It seems especially necessary that children's books, in the balance, convey more than a one-dimensional image of "the other," yet the identity tale of oppressed people continues to dominate those books dubbed "multicultural." Perhaps the problem is that the very notion of a culturally grounded story is perceived as worthy and important, not concepts we associate with laughter. But the truth is that you can't see people as fully human if all you can feel for them is pity. Funny books with cultural contexts are capable of subverting and questioning issues of identity and belonging. By upsetting worthy apple carts, they offer new and necessary views of characters with cultural connections beyond the mainstream.
The pioneer in mixing humor with matters of race, culture, and, yes, oppression is undoubtedly Christopher Paul Curtis. The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 was published in 1995. The scene in which Byron's lips get stuck to the family car's side-view mirror is the one most readers call to mind, but there are others, many of them much more pointed than that one, as when the boys are faced with the prospect of going to the bathroom in the woods. Byron says, sardonically, "Snakes? I ain't scared of no damn snake, it's the people I'm worried about." He means white people, of course, on the family's journey south. The humor slams the reader with the grimness of the circumstances, even while it gives the characters a means of coping.
Humor in The Watsons is a mechanism Curtis uses to lead readers to an understanding of the insidiousness of racism and discrimination. It allows us to align clearly with one group of people and against another, in a deliberate stance that counters the prejudices of the period. If you're with Kenny and his family, you can't condone the racism they have to endure. Inequity, discrimination, and injustice give thematic impetus to the characters' journeys. Because we can laugh, we can bear to navigate those obstacles along with them.
Since 1995, other writers of multicultural books have ventured into humorous terrain. In Julia Alvarez's How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay, the unorthodox use of a strikeout in the title places a tongue-in-cheek tonal stamp on the work before the reader has turned a single page. It's plain that this relative is about to change young Miguel's life forever. He can't hold out against this woman who is practically a force of nature, and neither can the reader. Her character, larger than life and twice as real, creates a playfulness that runs through the book and its sequels.
One way to cross cultural borders is by normalizing customs and preferences that might typically be seen as un-American. Lenore Look does this in her chapter books with Chinese American protagonists. In Ruby Lu, Brave and True, for example, foods like "jook" are casually named in passing. Don't know what that is? Well, all right, there's a glossary, but does it really matter? After all, when I read Enid Blyton in my youth I had no idea what scones were. It didn't stop me for a minute.
Ruby's Chinese school is cleverly normalized by the elegant teacher, by the funny coincidence of a namesake friend, and by Mom's memories of English school in China. A bilingual dog responds to commands in Cantonese and English—a subtle suggestion that in this world, both languages are equally privileged. Normalizing the unfamiliar allows the reader to laugh with, rather than at, the character in such a story. It also implies that you don't need to understand everything about a person in order to share a smile. By placing cultural markers in this way, the writer draws borders between cultures, and then makes them permeable, thereby giving the reader permission to laugh.
Look's Alvin Ho books feature an endearing boy character with a family and community whose imperatives are often at odds with his own fears. The first two books, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things and Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters, and the fourth, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances, are laugh-out-loud funny. They adroitly traverse the emotional spaces of Alvin's Concord, Massachusetts, neighborhood and his Chinese American family. A less felicitous choice in the third title, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-Made Catastrophes, is a plot line related to "playing settlers and Indians" at a friend's birthday party. Perhaps unintentionally, it nonetheless objectifies American Indians, and normalizes a controversial playground remnant from the colonial past. To me, it seemed a perplexing and discomfiting element. Sometimes those cultural border-crossing zones contain landmines. Sometimes a joke can backfire. Maybe it's just that as a writer from an underrepresented group myself, I feel a need to be particularly mindful when I'm engaged in the representation of others.
In Daniel Pinkwater's The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization, the narrative voice leads readers into a richly funny rendition of 1940s America. The book stars Neddie, son of the Wentworthstein shoelace king, along with a sizable cast of eccentric characters. Nor is race ignored as a social factor of the time—a racist comment made at the Brown-Sparrow Military Academy hits home because of its offhandedness. Neddie doesn't get it, but the reader will.
The Neddiad and its sequels, The Yggyssy and Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl, are madcap escapades with space aliens, baffling allies, and true-blue villains. Houses appear and vanish at whim, the Catskills are peopled with giants, reality itself sometimes seems a mirage, and the jokes range from subtle to slapstick and everything in between. Time itself may be the cultural border crossed in these books. They take the reader into a past with many racial, cultural, and even religious strands, from all of which Pinkwater weaves a genuinely American humorous fantasy.
A comparable book with clear cultural context is Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories, where comic book and cartoon conventions meet the movies of Satyajit Ray. The book is a phantasmagorical journey driven by the ill will of a villain who represents the silencing of all stories.
The sequel, Luka and the Fire of Life, draws its inspiration from sources as diverse as Beowulf and Super Mario. While equally filled with dramatic moments, it lacks the ingenuity, the freshness, and the heart of Haroun. Both books, however, are packed with layers of humor accessible to all, along with bilingual jokes that are special treats for cultural insiders.
It's hard to juggle insiders' jokes while crossing cultural borders, but they can be used simultaneously as a nod to readers in the know and an invitation to others. In Janet Wong's verse novel Minn and Jake, Jake's racial background is never mentioned. In the sequel, Minn and Jake's Almost Terrible Summer, we learn that he has a Korean grandmother. That makes him one-quarter Korean, or as he says, "Quarpa." By punning on the insider's term hapa, the author invites not only Minn to share in the joke but the reader as well.
Humorous outsider narratives are even rarer than funny books written from within the cultures concerned. It's easy to see why. When you're treading on unfamiliar ground, humor can seem to add an unnecessary banana peel. The outsider risks being tripped up by nuance and implication, regional specificity and the dangers of caricature. Candace Fleming takes all these risks and more in Lowji Discovers America, her story of a boy from India whose family is Parsi, belonging to the Zoroastrian faith. Lowji's spunky character and his occasional precocity go far in establishing his appeal. A best friend left behind in India is counterpoint to new friends in America without for a minute implying a hierarchical comparison between the two. Of course, humor can also sometimes have a long fuse, tapping the deep and personal sources that Eudora Welty said give rise to all story. As a result, it's possible that to a Parsi reader, some element or other might ring false. Sometimes writing funny books can call for bravery in a writer.
An improbable combination (best friends in suburban Maryland and an eccentric Bollywood movie star) served as my entry into the subversive world of humor. My middle-grade novel The Grand Plan to Fix Everything employs cultural fusion to define the relationship between best friends of whom one is Indian-American and the other is not. Eleven-year-old Dini is devastated because her family's impending move to India means that she and her best friend Maddie will have to miss Bollywood dance camp—in Maryland.
There is no question in my mind that whatever loopiness I've succeeded in bringing to the page I owe to those Wodehouse novels I read years ago. They were not written for children, but I read them with my eleven-year-old hunger to understand the world. Humor can help a reader do just that. It must be handled with care, so the reader is laughing with the characters and situations, as in the work of Christopher Paul Curtis, and not at them.
In generous hands, humor can appear to fix the things that need fixing in the world. And then it can turn around and wink at you, the reader, as if you're complicit in the manufacture of the fiction. Children in the middle grades are eccentric, idiosyncratic, and poised on the brink of reinventing both themselves and their world. The middle-grade reader is a perfect audience for the writer seeking to bridge gaps, make connections, or cross borders of culture, race, place, and language—with laughter leading the way.
From the May/June 2012 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.


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Genomics Resource Center - Analysis Services
Each analysis project is performed in close consultation with the researcher
Using a team of experienced software engineers, bioinformatics analysts, and biologists, the GRC provides a range of genomic data assembly and analysis services using state-of-the-art software pipelines and the IGS computational infrastructure. Many of these services are provided in conjunction with our colleagues in the IGS Informatics Resource Center. We have deployed a hierarchical data storage system and high-capacity compute grid to support large data analysis projects. Our analysis services can be used alone or in combination with our laboratory services to provide comprehensive data generation and analysis for your project. Each analysis project is performed in close consultation with the researcher to ensure that the analysis targets the scientific question at hand. Analysis results are delivered via Aspera file transfer, hard media, or NCBI deposit. Services are provided on a fee-for-service basis and each project is customized to the needs of the investigator.
For more information or to discuss your research needs, please contact the GRC.
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Using a range of sequence assembly tools tuned to the appropriate genome size and characteristics, we produce an optimized assembly and deliver contigs, scaffolds, and metrics in a variety of standard formats.
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We provide both automated and manual annotation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genome sequences.
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Transcriptome (RNA-Seq) data can be analyzed to determine gene or isoform level expression profiles, sequence variantion, and differential expression between multiple conditions and/or timepoints.
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We analyze ChIP-Seq, BS-Seq, PacBio base modification, and other types of epigenomic data. Data from ChIP-Seq experiments are aligned to a reference genome and analyzed for peak enrichment to identify DNA-protein binding sites. Differential peak analysis between experiments can be used to identify binding sites specific to certain conditions or proteins. For BS-Seq experiments, DNA methylation patterns are detected by aligning sequence data derived from bisulfite-treated DNA (BS-Seq) to both a reference genome and a version of the reference genome that has been in silico bisulfite converted. This dual alignment analysis enables more accurate identification of methylated sites and their boundaries. PacBio's unique SMRT Sequencing method enables direct detection of methylation and other DNA modifications by measuring kinetic variation during nucleotide incorporation by the polymerase. Detailed base modification motif reports are generated.
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Using analysis pipelines developed specifically for variant detection, sequence data is aligned to available reference sequences. SNPs, indels (insertions and deletions), and structural variants are detected, quality-filtered, and annotated (coding, non-coding, synonymous, non-synonymous, etc.). In order to identify novel or rare variants, the variants are compared to an in-house database of known variants that includes the latest dbSNP and 1000Genomes data as well as other known variants from multiple organisms. Data visualization tools are available to browse the results. Comparative analysis of variants calls is also available.
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Given a set of variant positions, genes, or other loci associated with a particular phenotype, we use software packages, including Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), developed specifically to analyze gene pathways and networks to find associations with functional profiles, tissue or disease specific biomarkers, and other genes in the same pathways and networks. We also use open-source network and visualization tools DAVID, Cytoscape, and Reactome to complement network/pathway analysis to increase the accuracy and sensitivity of network/biomarker identification.
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To save on manpower, training, equipment and employment expenses, companies have learned to outsource their printed collateral to print management service providers. Many suppliers online offer affordable packages, but probably only a few can provide exemplary products and services. And since the process of ordering, payment and proofing is done over the web, quality is not assured at all times assured of and you might not always get the best results.
The supplier you're considering could possibly have an impressive website and portfolio of previous work, but these do not guarantee that they will deliver pristine results. They might be eager and accommodating at the start, but how dependable are they throughout the entire process? There are certain qualities to look for in a supplier, and it is recommended that you find these traits first before actually ordering your printed materials.
The printing company---or its representative--- should be personable and deal with clients professionally. He must converse in a gracious yet proficient manner, keeping in mind the terms of a client-supplier relationship. He must be willing to listen to you at all times and be able to address your concerns in a responsive manner, all the while open to feedback and suggestions.
He must understand the entire print process the firm upholds and share it thoroughly. He must be well versed and educated on with the terms and technicalities of the printing industry and know all aspects of the business. He must know everything the company does for its clients. Only a company with a high level of competence can be an exceptional print management service provider.
Quality Oriented
A good print service provider focuses not only on providing fine quality printed output but also excels in providing top notch service as well. It should uphold and practice established quality checking procedures that ensure only the best results. You neither want falsely coloured logos nor faded promotional materials on the first day of your campaign, do you?


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Swedish House Mafia, "Until Now" (Astralwerks/Virgin)
Swedish House Mafia, a trio of electronic DJs and producers, have ruled mega-concert dance floors for a few years now. But a quandary for them has risen out of years of success: deliver more of the same or break new creative ground? With "Until Now," they've opted for the former.
Swedish House Mafia is Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell, and what they've delivered is not bad house music, per se. If you like your beats fast and loud and mostly devoid of the funky Chicago/Detroit framework that gave birth to the genre, the album will suit you fine. It is, however, underneath the flat mixing and uninventive tempo builds, a touch simplistic.
Songs like "Don't You Worry Child" and "In My Mind," the latter an Axwell remix of an Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl tune, are achingly basic in approach and delivery. If you've ever heard any electronica, you'll know every note that is about to come and every drumroll that looms around each corner.
Slightly better is "Lights," which dives deep into a matrix of percussion, zipping them together quickly and then slowing them down to a simmer when needed. The track sizzles with urgency and is a better crafted mix than most others on "Until Now."
CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: "Save the World," an international hit, has a nearly tribal feel in the middle of the track, with a much deeper resonance than the heady fare of the previous songs. This is one worth working up a serious sweat over.
Follow Ron Harris on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/Journorati


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hey ... i too can sing ok!
anyways, ain's cover of david cook's the truth
i pun ketinggalan zaman la like this! hehe...
nice voice u have...love it...
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Radix: The Radix Tetrad (Unabridged)
- $21.99
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Publisher Description
A young man's odyssey of self discovery in a world eerily alien, yet hauntingly familiar. Set 13 centuries in the future, A. A. Attanasio meticulously creates a brilliantly realized Earth, rich in detail and filled with beings brought to life with intense energy. In this strange and beautiful world, Sumner Kagan will change from an adolescent outcast to a warrior with god-like powers and in the process take us on an epic and transcendent journey.


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Pub Quiz at Galvin Green ManCall to Book: 01245 408 820
Pub Quiz at Galvin Green Man
Every last Wednesday of the month
Wednesday 27 March
Wednesday 24 April
Wednesday 29 May
Join us at our monthly Pub Quiz at Galvin Green Man for groups up to 6 people. £2 entry per person.
No bookings required. For more information, please call 01245 408 820 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Nottingham is a vibrant and creative city for drama and original writing, and the University is at the heart of it.
Our courses are rated as some of the best in the country and our skilled and experienced academics encourage you to develop and fine-tune your craft.
Our expertise and experience covers poetry, literature and drama from early English to the latest contemporary writing.
Have a browse and see why Nottingham is one of the best places to write, create and perform!
The Letters Page is a literary journal with a difference: the featured stories, essays, poems, interviews, and reportage are all written in the form of letters.
Based in the School of English, the journal develops links with writers and publishing professionals across the world, and offers opportunities for students to learn key writing and publishing skills through work placements for hands-on experience.
Professor Jon McGregor, the School's writer in residence, edits the journal and directs its activities, under the guiding eyes of an Editorial Board which includes Colum McCann, Sarah Hall, Naomi Alderman, William Fiennes, Roddy Doyle, Maile Meloy, and many more.
Students may have the opportunity to work alongside Jon McGregor, and other visiting professionals, on the commissioning, assessing, editing, design, publication, and promotion of the journal.
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It's with great pleasure that VMT Madeira and it's team (Management, land crew and sea crew) anounce the begin of a new stage in its activities. Aware that the high season of visitants to our island is about to begin, we have prepared several news for this year. The launch of two new routes that will bring greater promotion to our portfolio of activities and it is with pride that we're the first to offer new services in the domain of maritime tourist activities.
We're launching a new route "Câmara de Lobos – All The Way" in partnership with Câmara de Lobos city Hall and Carristur. A route where the passenger will enjoy a relaxing catamaran trip to Cabo Girão and afterwards to Câmara de Lobos bay. From here you will visit Cabo Girão viewpoint and then the way back to Funchal in Carristur buses.
We're also happy to announce the begin of our trips to Desertas Islands aboard our catamaran "Sea The Best". A weekly trip (Saturdays) in which you will be able to visit the Natural Reserve of Desertas Islands with VMT Madeira crew. We've prepared for you a mediterranean lunch aboard our catamaran and several recreational activities on land as well as in the sea.
You can check our trips online, or, if you prefer visit us at one of our information points. We'll be more than happy to receive your visit.


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I searched the forum before posting this expecting to find something, and maybe I missed it, but couldn't find anything to my surprise. I subscribe to Popular Mechanics, and this month's mag. had an artical about how the military is using lasers to recharge UAV's. It was a short blurb, but was pretty cool to see, and honestly felt like a baby step closer to Tesla's dream ;-) I'd post a link to the article, but I'm unfamiliar with the rules regarding links to other sites.


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Ade in Britain
Creative Cohesion was excited to receive word from ITV's Ade in Britain show requesting filming in our Hotshop in the winter of 2012, and of course we said yes! Our film features in Season 2, Episode 16, where one of our tenants and hot glass artist Roger Tye showed Ade Edmondson how to blow glass, spin it into a plate and with the plate create a 'ye olde syle' glass window.
Roger Tye is also the maker of Creative Cohesion's hotshop, including turning a metal bin into the facilities glory hole- so we do think quite fondly of him!
Timelapes film of our shutters
View the film below to check our beautifully painted shutters by Mr. Frank Styles
A big thank-you to Peter McAdam, Wojtek Bozyk, Jo Maverickart Howell and Nazim Kourgli for their work on this film and tenants for offering a sneak peak into their creative worlds.
Sunderland Family Arts Network
Set up and coordinated by Creative Cohesion, FANSunderland is a collaborative project involving several creative businesses and organisations across the city. The network pulls together these creatives to promote and increase the involvment of local families in creative activities, from craft to music to performing art. With a mission to promote arts events and increase the participation of local families in free arts activities how could we not be involved! To keep updated with future activity keep an eye on the Facebook page.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1U4TzjNZls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyLT1aMlS_Y


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The relatively new ReGroup Theatre Company (formed less than three years ago) has now taken it upon itself to revive 1931- at The Living Theatre on Clinton Street in downtown Manhattan, as part of its mission to re-publish and re-produce "lost" Group Theatre plays. Given that 1931- wasn't a very good play to begin with, ReGroup Theatre should be commended for what it has managed to pull off. With 13 actors playing more than 65 different roles and weaving in and out onstage, the play is not so much directed as choreographed. But it is all accomplished relatively seamlessly and Allie Mulholland, the director, deserves credit for a tough job well done.
The play's plot is a simple one. Adam (Stephen Dexter), having been fired from his warehouse job over a minor squabble with his boss, strives relentlessly to find another job. But in 1931, that is no easy task. Millions of others are out of work as well and Adam's life spins out of control. He loses his home, his health deteriorates, he risks losing the girl he loves. He resorts to begging, joins breadlines, sleeps in parks, even contemplates crime. And he is but a symbol of the millions of others who are in the same predicament. It is all to no avail. By the end of the play, it seems that revolution is the only solution.
Dexter plays his role with considerable passion but there is nothing he can do about the limitations of the role itself, the shallowness of the play, and the playwrights' failure to provide any real character development. The play's other actors have even rougher rows to hoe, with even less to work with and, considering how little they have been provided, do a more than adequate job of communicating their cliché-driven, redundant messages.
One finalfinal aside: the play 1931– glorifies the struggling unemployed masses who suffered during the Great Depression and that is a noble, understandable and commendable sentiment. But some have compared the plight of those proud and independent Great Depression casualties with today's Occupy Wall Streeters and assorted protesters and that is not merely wrong-headed but an insult to the memories of those who suffered so during the 1930s. The unemployed workers featured in 1931- sought only one thing: jobs of any kind so that they might earn money with dignity, avoid the government dole, raise their families with pride in their own abilities, and take responsibility for their own lives. To that end, they left New York and travelled all over the country seeking work. By contrast, today's Occupiers, the self-proclaimed 99%, aren't seeking jobs so much as government handouts; they don't protest over lack of work but over lack of longer unemployment benefits; they leave jobs elsewhere in the country in order to travel to New York to sit in and protest, not the other way around; they want others' wealth redistributed to them because it's just not "fair" that they don't have as much as others even if they never earned it; and their sense of victimized entitlement has replaced their sense of independent self-esteem. We have made enormous economic strides since 1931 but the direction our moral principles (regarding individualism, independence, property rights, redistribution of wealth, and self-esteem) since then is open to much greater question.


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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish.
With an electric mixer, beat together all the pudding ingredients until smooth and light. Pour the pudding into the baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Sprinkle the praline mixture over the pudding and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until the pudding is set and slightly puffed. The top will sink as the pudding cools. Serve warm or at room temperature.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients and reserve to use as topping for the sweet potato pudding.
A viewer or guest of the show, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. It has not been tested for home use.


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Aboriginal people and family law issues
This fact sheet provides a brief overview of family law legal issues as they apply to Aboriginal people. Covers caring for children, parenting arrangements, child and spousal support, property, and income assistance.View website
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- Legal Services Society
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- 2013
- last reviewed
- January 2013 i Last date reviewed by a qualified expert to ensure content up-to-date. See "Tips" in Clicklaw content criteria (bottom of pageside menu) for details.
- resource type
- basics
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- Aboriginal parent, Aboriginal child, custody, guardianship, access, child support, spousal support, dividing property, Family Law in BC website, parenting
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GraphicRiver Bingo Balls 1 to 75 Angled to the Right 6847810
Stock Graphic \ 3D Renders \ Objects
Design \ Casino \ Gambling \ Included \ Reflection \ Composition \ Realistic
Stock Graphic - Bingo Balls 1 to 75 Angled to the Right 6847810 by MaddoMakkusu @ GraphicRiver
Stock Graphic \ 3D Renders \ Objects
75 Bingo Balls for your casino, bingo or other type of gambling design.
Each file is 1024×1024px and there are 75 images of each bingo ball.
Realistic design with reflection. Also I included 5205×15743px composition file with all 75 balls in one place.
High Resolution: Yes; Layered: No; Graphics Files Included: Transparent PNG; Pixel Dimensions: 5205x15743.
Poker Chip Stack; Golden Bullions; 75 Bingo Balls - Centered; 75 Bingo Balls - Angled to the Left; Poker Chip From The Top; New Morning - UI Kit for Web and Mobile.
Keywords: balls, bet, bingo, bingo ball, bingo balls, casino, gambling, poker.


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Red, rugged and instantly recognisable, the ShockBug / G View, is quite simply the most cost-effective event recorder on the market. The ShockBug has three visual indications (LEDs) which will give instant visual indication of a shock above the trip level.
Capable of logging as many as 300 individual shock and vibration events over a 6 month period, (first 100 events per axis), the ShockBug is suitable for virtually all journey and storage profiles, helping users pinpoint when and where their shipment sustained damage. Moreover, the ShockBug delivers more accurate readings than any other device in its price range, and replaceable batteries effectively make its lifespan infinite.
Product Features
Kits include :


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Hello and welcome. The main aim of my website is to promote and raise awareness, through my writing, regarding personal issues to everyday topical news in the main
I pride myself on bringing you, the reader, up to date facts and figures in easy to read short reports and stories, all written work is based on extensive research, and some issues taken from my own life experiences, which, I myself, have had to confront and deal with over the years.
When finished, you will be able to read my own story, which include
I have been writing Poetry for over twenty years now, and various pieces in print in
issues I have had to confront and deal with over the years with regard to the physical and verbal abuse inflicted on me by my father, from an early age, mental health issues my sexuality and gender identity.
America and here, in the United Kingdom. I also have some works on the "Spoken Word". By clicking on the button below you will be able to read some Poems I have in print, and by clicking on the "comment button", once there, you will be directed to the contact page, where you will be able to leave your feedback or message.
"Life does not discriminate, so why do we!"
There are a lot of people in desperate need of help, but find it hard to reach out for fear of being ridiculed against by some in our society, which can leave them feeling sad, frustrated and lonely, trying to deal with personal issues that are seriously affecting their lives. Life is hard enough but trying to come to terms with an issue that is stopping you live your life can be a real struggle, and if like me, can take you to the edge, and give you thoughts like, will I make it!
One of the main reasons i write is to promote awareness for people who find it hard to cope with a personal issue, like mental illness, sexuality, gender identity bullying and more, and hope through my work, I can give strength, courage and support to help people confront and deal with their own issues, and let them know they are not alone, if I can do this for just one person then my work will be done.
I believe that everyone has the right to live their life and no one else's, you must please yourself not others, you only have one life, so make the most of it. Be happy, confident and above all else, be yourself, whatever it takes!!!
Contacting Me
If you have any questions or would like to contact me regarding any issues covered then feel free to click on the contact button below, you will be directed to the contact page, where you can leave your details and message , I will reply to you and help in any way I can.


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16 Days of Activism officially launched in parade
Commemorating the annual Sixteen Days of Activism, the Women's Department along with their partners, held their official opening ceremonies. It is anticipated that the activities which are geared at sensitizing the public on this common issue will stimulate much needed action. News Five attended the opening and Andrea Polanco reports from the very lively parade that followed.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The Women's Department officially kicked off the Sixteen Days of Activism today. Some two hundred and fifty people gathered to learn more about their role to help in the fight against gender-based violence.
Icilda Humes, Director of Women's Department
"We spoke to people about the gender-based violence response initiatives that the Department and its partner agencies have done since the last observance in November and December of 2010. And we also invited all the persons who are here to affirm their commitment to ending gender-based violence in Belize by signing a pledge that came out of the 'unite to end violence' campaign."
Joining the effort are schools and organizations across the city, who took to the streets chanting messages and waving banners expressing the need for immediate action:
Arianne Jones, SCA
"We are here to stop the violence against women because as you can see we are an all girls school and we are here representing women and we will become women if we are not now."
Andrea Polanco
"Growing up as a young woman in the city, I believe you've seen cases of domestic violence, you know aobut people involved. What message would you like to send to those people?"
Shamika Higinio, YWCA
"Well the message I would like to send across especially to young people is if you know you are in an abusive relationship, unu take unu self out of it and noh stay in it. and also I would like to send across if you know unu have the disease, don't spread it out; just look out fi next people."
Alicia Banner, ACC
"We are here to support violence against beating women and child molestation and to have a peaceful environment."
Andrea Polanco
"You have any message that you'd like to send out to the people of Belize?"
Whitney Joseph, ACC
"Stop the violence."
Andrea Polanco
"How important it is for you as a young student to be out here today?"
Kimberly Gutierrez, E.P. Yorke
"It is important because we have to end it before my time comes because I do not want to be violated."
Andrea Polanco
"As a young women growing up in the city, you've probably seen people in abusive relationship. What message you want to send to them?"
Kimberly Gutierrez, E.P. YORKE
"It's not too late, you can still get out. Don't wait until you lose your life or someone else loses it."
Humes says the event is geared at inciting a response from the wider community:
"What we wanted to do this year was to sort of change the neighbourhood that we focus on to mobilize and to engage persons in our response. And so we decided to move the event to the Lake Independence area—that was the suggestion that came out of the 16 Days of Activism Planning Committee. So this year we have several high schools who have been participating, of course we have the police who is one of our strongest partners in the gender based violence response, we have the ministry of health, we have the women's issues network and other women's NGOs, and other NGOs working in the gender based violence and the HIV/AIDS sector and we also have members of different support groups including the support group for women and the champion for change men's network."
Andrea Polanco
"What is it that you hope to achieve through this parade in the city?"
"Well we are hoping to get more people involved in the gender based violence response, to bring more awareness to the work of the women's department and the work of the other partner agencies in this sector. So it is not just walking through the streets. The schools have also within their life skills class and social studies class and with their counselors, develop different signs, different placards and different chants about gender based violence in Belize and the various forms of gender based violence: including domestic violence, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse, trafficking of persons, commercial sexual exploitation of children and so forth. So it si not just marching through the streets, it's also affirming our commitment because the theme for the 16 Days of Activism is actually a call to action. It says; "Act Now; End Gender Based Violence." So in addition to the schools doing their chants and walking with their placards, we are also distributing information about the programs of the women's department, safety tips on what to do if you are in a domestic violence situation, how to try to reduce your risk of being sexually assaulted and so forth."
Gender-based violence affects all. With a strong focus on women, men also recognize their role in the fight against abuse:
Clayton Guzman, Participant
"I'm just out here to support the women who are calling upon the violence against women to stop. I am in support of all the women that are calling about the violence to stop against women and children."
Andrea Polanco
"So you think more men should join an initiative such as this one?"
Clayton Guzman
"Oh yes, sure. I think so. I strongly believe so and I call upon all men to come and support these women and stop the violence against these women."
Lennox 'DJ Tambran' Young, Participant
"Well I am here because we are DJs, but we are supporting the BFLA because a lot of things are affecting our young people of today and we have crime, we have violence and now we have trafficking of young women and I think that these things have to stop. Without our youths of today, we won't have a continuation of having a safe place to live and when our kids are in this type of danger and stuff, we need to tell ourselves that they are the future of our country. And we are out here today to show that we are not only DJs. We can be effective and provide information to our kids and support them."
Icilda Humes
"It's very, very important and we are very glad that the Champion for Change men's network is up and going. It had a rough start. It is an advocacy arm of the women's department because we recognize that we cannot win this fight without the cooperation of men and without men being champions for change, being agents for change in any violence in Belize and ending violence on a whole. And so we feel that it is very important for men; including young men or even especially young men to get involved."
Reporting for News Five, I'm Andrea Polanco.
The Sixteen Days of Activism will run through to December tenth.


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Summer School Art Kid's Edition:: Jesus Window Poster
Friday, June 19, 2009
In Adventures In My Father's World, our main curriculum for Belle, we are studying the names of God. This week we are celebrating the name that means The Lord Saves: JESUS!
Such a simple, but fun way to spend these days when it's too hot to play outside for very long.
I had Belle draw and cut out the letters, and peel the crayon wrappers...she has a real talent for peeling crayons and garlic. Bless her.
I used my vegetable peeler to shave the crayons, which was so beautiful that it felt theraputic despite that fact that I could hear the boys getting into bathroom trouble. I just loved the colors and the shapes the shavings were making...maybe I need to get out more...see some sunsets or something...
We then ironed the letters and shavings between two pieces of wax paper on a low heat.
What we learned:: Wax paper + low heat = cool stuff.
Remember making stenciled shirts with it? ahh, good times...still waiting for that phone call, by the way...Tuesday was the 6 month mark since we've been officially waiting...sigh...
See more Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom
See more Kid Friendly Fridays at I Blame My Mother
6 Creative People Had This To Say:
- Songbirdtiff said...
Very cool idea! Crayons rock.
- June 19, 2009 at 9:11 AM
- Kristen said...
I always have to check out blogs owned by people with the same name as me...
Great idea and beautiful poster. I bet it looks great with the sun shining through.
- June 19, 2009 at 10:34 AM
- Empty Nest Full Life said...
Great idea. Your kids will remember this for a long time to come. Have a great weekend! Jackie
- June 19, 2009 at 10:43 AM
- Valencia said...
That is the aesomeness that is awesome!!! Did that make any sense???....lol
- June 19, 2009 at 2:15 PM
- Diann said...
Kristen, Without reading the post first, I looked at the pictures and thought to myself, "Now, how on earth did she melt shaved carrots? Only Kristen could figure out how to do that! " LOL After I read and realized they were crayons, I thought cool idea!
- June 21, 2009 at 7:41 PM
- The Wagner Family said...
That is fantastic! The only thing I could think to do with crayon shavings is put them in an old muffin pan and bake them to make new crayons. This is so much better. Thanks.
- June 22, 2009 at 12:10 PM


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On Leadership
It's been several months since I've written here. There have been ups and downs and rough patches, but I haven't felt compelled to share these with the wider world. Just suffice to say it's been a bit crazy around here since November.
Loyal readers will remember that I was writing last year about my EWB team's strategy development process. A lot has changed since I last wrote, but I'm not going to try to summarize all of it today – I'm sure it will keep changing at a rapid pace. Instead, I want to write about my personal reflections on this process.
I've been reflecting a lot on our strategy lately, and on my role in developing it. I'm now a Team Leader for the Agricultural Extension (AgEx) team in EWB. With this leadership role comes a lot of responsibility, and I've been learning a lot about what kind of responsibility I thrive with and where I think I fall short. For example, I love the administrative responsibilities of managing a team. I also love the opportunity to invest in the personal and professional growth of every member of my team. Those aspects of my job are thrilling! I am also thrilled by thinking about the "big picture" of the sector we're working in and how we're making change in that sector. But that is also where I struggle the most.
I was told when I took this role that one of my challenges would be developing a strong vision and leading people toward it. That prediction has proven to be very true. I am someone who has always excelled more at poking holes in ideas than in building them up myself. I always chalked it up to a lack of creativity, but there's more to it than that. My naturally critical mind can think of a million different ways for a project to fail. That makes it pretty damn hard to design a solution that I truly believe in, and even harder to sell it to a whole team of people who are here to commit years of their lives to realizing that vision.
Our team has landed on a ~20-year vision of an agricultural extension sector that is innovative, coordinated and customer-service oriented. We've imagined a competitive market where extension service providers come from the public, private and civil society sectors to meet the needs of different segments of customers (farmers) to promote socially and environmentally sustainable agriculture. We see quality being added to these extension services at many points, from training and education, to a strong management structure, to well-developed field tools and approaches, to a strong enabling policy environment. And this vision has me PUMPED UP!!
But how do we get there? That's where it gets a bit more messy. To dig into that question, our team has been designing a Theory of Change (see some great posts on Theory of Change by Duncan Green from Oxfam). We started by identifying 8 key changes that need to happen in order for our vision to be realized, then worked backward to understand the steps needed to realize these changes. We are still working on that part, but the hope is that the Theory of Change will define where our team needs to work in order to realize our vision in 20 years.
So we have a strong vision, we have a Theory of Change, now we need to get started. And this is where I get stuck. How do we, the five members of EWB's AgEx team, create the change we want to see in the extension sector? There are seeeeeerious challenges ahead. Most of the major changes in the agric sector are created by those with money, power, political influence, or (more often) a mix of all three. We have none of those things. So how do we change the system?
We need to build a solution. Not just a theory, not just our assumptions and hypotheses, but an actual work-plan for how to move forward. Where should I post the new staff I'll be getting in June and September? Who can they work with? Will their placements be based on learning, or experimenting, or scaling, or influencing? What about the staff on the ground right now? Who are the most influential partners we should be working with? How do we get others to start thinking about extension in the same way we're thinking about it? Questions swirling in my mind… and very few answers.
Now, back to my struggles as a (non-)visionary leader. What does this mean for my ability to lead my team toward our exciting-yet-difficult-to-attain future? (Stick with me, I'll land soon.)
I remember someone asking me a few years ago about my Principle of Leadership. At the time, I stammered and mumbled and generally had no idea. But the question has stuck with me and now I know my answer: my strength as a leader is defined by my ability to leverage the strengths of my team. This is really the principle I rely on in all situations. I have some strengths, but I also have lots of weaknesses, and it is only be relying on my team that I am able to bring the best out of us as a whole.
I look to Robin for bringing unbridled passion for the public sector and making sure we always connect our work to poor farmers. I rely on Miriam to bring insights and approaches from her background in development studies. I lean on Siera for a connection to current field realities from being embedded with extension staff and farmers. I depend on Don for his selfless work ethic and insane networking skills to find new partners for our team.
I am grateful for all of these people, and all those I have worked with in the past in EWB. There is so much talent around me, it's overwhelming! I feel privileged to be in a position to harness all this potential and move us toward an impactful change in the agricultural extension sector. I may not be leading the way with my vision, but I have no doubt that we'll get there. How could I, when I have an amazing team-ful of talents at my fingertips?


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Ok, so we're officially a week into the new year. I think that's a perfect time for my favorite standalone novels of 2014, don't you?
Ok, so I admit. I hemmed and hawed about these choices, mostly because I had to look through my actual *not electronic* bookshelves to find them. I typically just import my kindle list onto goodreads, and end up forgetting to add my hardcovers and paperbacks to my lists, because, lazy.
Have no fear, because, the man brought me (unfortunately not shirtless–as it's colder than a witch's tit) coffee! I can do this!!
These are in absolutely no order. The list may be added to as I type, because I'm staring at my shelf. Not to be confused with staring at my rack, which would leave me bored as there isn't much at which to stare.
*picture is a link.
I finished this book from cover to cover with no bathroom breaks, one very large cup of tea, and a tin of biscuits. (They were Scottish, so I can't call them cookies, or the Highlander will take offense….and he's like, really big.)
Heartbreaking. Beautiful. So much of everything in a novel.
This was such a fast read as well. It's gripping in its intensity, and completely unexpected.
I actually gave this book its own review here. It was enlightening to say the very least.
I love a book wherein its pages, I learn something. I love even more when I'm flattened by how much I learn. If it sends me on a google frenzy a la, my platonic soul mate, even better.
I've re-read this twice already. Yep. Twice.
People are unfair to this novel. It's NOT a religious novel–that's simply not what it is. It's a triumphant return to existentialism not seen since Cheever.
MORE EXISTENTIALISM. And not so weird as to be unreadable. It's super effing readtastic.
The audiobook for this novel is bananas. Ba-na-nas.
Also? GET THEEEE THIS IN YOUR EARHOLES.
This book elbowed me in my emotions. It was a very personal and beautiful story for me. I can see myself reading this until the corners of the pages begin to become transparent.
Holy carp, guys. This book. this.book.
I did not intend on the accidental categorization in the last few books. LGBT-themed books just call to me. Apart from the Man, the very closest people to me in my life are gay. My wolfpack and my family. I just love them sososososo much I have a deep desire to understand the struggle they deal with and grew up with because I want to know how they became SO amazing. This book? It's deeply emotional and beautifully written.
Honestly, I bought this book because of the beautiful cover. I kept reading because of the amazing story and unique prose.
The main character in this book really resonated with me. I honest to Pete felt like I knew her. Like I was her. That.
Note: I may add more to this post later as I find more books I want to add! I read bunches of them!
Now? winner winner chicken dinner.
*kill me now for quoting Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.
This recipe has become a favorite at casa de la me. It's the perfect marriage between salty-tangy-sweet, and they don't mind being polygamous at all. In fact, they're thinking of getting their own reality show on TLC.
Pickle-Brined Orange Chicken
(yes, PICKLE!!!) It should be noted that, seeing as how it's orange season, this recipe is super-duper cheap as well. It's a use-up that tastes like a miracle.
Pickle-Brined Orange Chicken
Prep Time: overnight marinate
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Keywords: bake entree
Ingredients (2 lbs of chicken thighs (bone)
- 2 lb chicken thighs, bone in and skin ON
- 2 cups left over pickle juice (spicy or dill work best, but bread and butter isn't bad.)
- juice of one orange
- 4 tangerines
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed peppercorn
- 1 tsp Bell's seasoning or other poultry seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- EVOO for drizzling
In a BIG ziploc bag that's in a big pan,
add chicken, pickle juice, salt, garlic, orange juice, peppercorn, bay leaf, and Bell's seasoning.
zip the bag
marinate overnight
next day
preheat oven to 375F
place the chicken thighs skin up, flappy bits tucked under the pieces, 2″ apart
cut tangerines in half and place them scattered about the chicken, cut side up
drizzle all of that with EVOO, sprinkle the tangerines with some sea salt
bake until thermometer reads 160F in the center. About 35 minutes.
Squeeze roasted juice over the chicken (USE LONG TONGS!!)


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while the raspberry PI (see older posts below) is a nice, rather inexpensive and portable solution for mobile radio streaming, it has shown some problems during daily use. first, it sometimes crashes for no obvious reason, leaving the system in a unusable state. may have been a problem of the SD-card in use, not sure. anyway, it's good to backup a working configuration and have a second card at hand, otherwise the session may be over. second, since it has no display or keyboard, and has to be controlled from a phone app over the internet, it can be quite confusing because of drops and delays, depending on the available network. I think a PI based setup is fine for semi-/stationary audio broadcasts, but for true mobile performances, something else is needed.
so, I've digged into the matter a bit deeper, and this is the best option I've found so far:
|studio in a pocket
|metada editor for live sessions
|control streaming from html5 web app
since a while, i'm using it often for short live sessions on radio aporee. I'm quite pleased with the results and overall handling. the connection between phone and preamp is a bit fragile, maybe it'd be better to use a cable or fix it with something.
if you like, you can always find a log of some of the most recent sessions at archive.org.
anyway, now that some of the tech problems are adressed, i'll try to concentrate on what all this is meant for. new radio... stay tuned...


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Here's my rendition. This block works nicely when paired with a different 9-patch block - especially a second star block.
The corner patches make a diagonal frame for the second block.
In this quilt, I paired the 54/40 or Fight with the Ohio Star.
(no - not today. i confess to having made this a few years ago for a friend. LOL)


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The Next Generation Induction Cooker Ideal For Cooking a Variety of Healthy Dishes
Nutrition is always important for good health. Philips induction cooker shortens cooking time by 1/3 and best seals nutrients into the food. The induction cooker available in the market with a lot of variety, and cooking programs for healthy eating. Induction cooking seals nutrition into food and Ideal for cooking a variety of healthy dishes.
Main Features:
1- Five power levels meet all cooking needs.
2- It's Cool to touch surface gives comfortable cooking.
3- High power 2100W for faster cooking.
4- Give you five healthy cooking menus.
5- one two hundred and twenty mins cooking manual time settings.
6- Sensitive sensor touch operation and full glass panel.


text:
Offer includes your choice of Desert Jems, Jewelled Dusk, Midnight Shadows or Sand Eye Shadow Set. Each set includes four, 2.5g mineral Eye Shadow colors and one Eye Shadow brush.
Desert Jems Set includes 1 each of Imperial Topaz, Bronze, Marcasite, and Malachite Mineral Eye Shadow + 1 Eye Shadow Brush
Jewelled Dusk Set includes 1 each of Bronze Tourmaline, Tanzanite, Amethyst and Gold Dust Mineral Eye Shadow + 1 Eye Shadow Brush
Midnight Shadows Set includes 1 each of White Moonstone, Galena, Obsidian, and Jet Mineral Eye Shadow + 1 Eye Shadow Brush
Sand Set includes 1 each of Sunstone, White Moonstone, Marcasite, and Bronze Mineral Eye Shadow + 1 Eye Shadow Brush
These mineral eye shadows are made from 100% pure Mica powder to provide vibrant, long lasting color in a wide range of exquisite shades to suit every complexion. Terre Mère eye shadows don't smear or fade as they are completely free of preservatives, chemicals, dyes, talc, oils and additional fillers.
Return policy
All sales are final. No worries, though, because you're going to love this product!
Shipping information
Shipping information is collected during checkout—triple check your shipping address please! Your order will ship directly from Terre Mère Cosmetics within 3-7 business days.
Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide Red


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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Zion Get-Away
9 comments:
- Michelle said...
Looking forward to the cayoneering pics! I love Zion and the last time we were there we hiked up to Angel's Landing.
- March 26, 2013 at 5:57 PM
- thewovenspoke said...
Oh, what a wonderful week you had. I love Zion and other parts of that area. I'm so happy you guys had great time:)
- March 26, 2013 at 5:57 PM
- Carol Cook said...
We love Zion. We stayed for a few days on a long road trip and ate at The Spotted Dog. We loved it so much that on a spring ski trip to Brian Head, we drove over an hour to go back to The Spotted Dog. It was great the next time too.
Utah is such a beautiful state. We had planned to go skiing in Utah for spring break (next week), but with Steve's shoulder replacement there is no surgery or even travel for awhile.
- March 26, 2013 at 9:38 PM
- gilly said...
That just sounds like a perfect getaway - thanks for sharing your beautiful pics,
- March 27, 2013 at 12:35 AM
- Magdalena said...
That must have been a great experience. I like your photos. S o I get an impression of stunning places so far away. Happy Easter for you and your family.
- March 27, 2013 at 1:43 AM
- Kathy Inozarks said...
looks like an amazing trip-I love spring coming to life too-sometimes it happens so fast we miss it, if we take the time to watch-lovely photos
- March 27, 2013 at 5:59 AM
- KarenB said...
I'm looking forward to your canyoneering post! Looks like it was a wonderful getaway!
- March 27, 2013 at 2:18 PM
- Sweet Posy Dreams said...
Looks like a wonderful trip. Those blue skies are gorgeous.
- March 28, 2013 at 12:02 PM
- Vicki Boster said...
Oh my-- so very beautiful--- your pictures always are!! We love Zion too-- would so love to return there. Looks like you had a magnificent week-- love that you beat the crowds!!
Happy Easter--
- March 29, 2013 at 12:43 PM


text:
avg/nightCheck Rates
Call to Book: 800-775-6132
90 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, MaineMap
Recent User Reviews
Marlborough, Massachusetts
- Visited: September 2008
- Submitted: Dec 27, 2012
- Traveled with:
Tweens (9-12)
Great hotel, great locationFlag review
Located on the outside of town, which means you'll need to drive into town but it's nice because it's quiet and it's easy access to Cadillac Mountain and Acadia National Park. Heated indoor and outdoor pools are good for the kids. Not a whole lot of play areas around the hotel, so for that you'll be headed to either Acadia or the beach.
Tips for Families
Bring your bikes, because there are lots of carriageways/trails in Acadia. If you're there in the fall, for a beautiful sunrise head to either the top of Cadillac Mountain or Boulder Beach (classic photo location).
Suggestions for nearby family-friendly accommodations
Suggestions for nearby family-friendly restaurants
My Kid's Review
Was this review helpful to you?Yes


text:
Released on April 09, 2013
ZK Studio is a visual IDE providing intuitive tools that span the entire application development lifecycle. It
is the easiest way to create a new project. The new project wizard guides developers through creating ZK projects
step by step, making it exceptionally easy to choose the project name, ZK version and target runtime.
For more details please see the New Features page
See product page for more information


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text:
Drop, 2010
Commissioned by the London Design Festival
Drop was conceived as an outsize coin 'which has fallen to Earth from a giant's palm', lightly buckled upon landing improbably upright.
Amongst other intriguing properties the giant coin is magnetic, encouraging passers-by to participate by affixing their spare pennies, facilitating a human connection with an otherworldly object. Drop will thus be copper plated through many small human acts of contribution. At the end of the installation the public contributions will be counted and Barnardo's corporate partners will turn every penny into one pound.
Paul Cocksedge explains: I enjoyed the fact that Drop brought people together to communicate with each other and the piece. Its dappled, copper-coloured surface almost like a landscape, a constantly changing pattern.'
Photography: Mark Cocksedge


text: Bangladesh Rejects Calls To Close Factories Focuses On Factories Built Before 2005 Jun 10, 2014 – by Counselor Tweet Officials in Bangladesh's government are refusing to shut down several garment factories that independent inspectors have deemed unsafe, as personnel argue over an issue of concrete strength. The dispute – which pits Bangladeshi leaders against engineers hired by a retailers' group called the Accord – focuses on factories built before 2005 and whether the materials used are strong enough to ensure the safety of workers. "It's a tricky issue," Syed Ahmed, Bangladesh's Inspector General of Factories, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "Until the debate on concrete strength is resolved, we're not shutting down any factories recommended by the Accord." Inspectors from the Accord rate the concrete strength much lower than estimates from Bangladesh's main engineering university, which advises the government. This latest dispute follows the closure of 14 factories based on the Accord's recommendations, resulting in 10,000 job losses. The sensitivity of the concrete issue is heightened, following last year's Rana Plaza complex collapse that killed 1,138 people. Yet, garment factory owners hold great influence in Bangladesh, as apparel spurs the nation's economy. "We're disappointed that the inspector general did not close down the unsafe factories," Brad Loewen, the Accord's chief inspector, told AFP. "We're working with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology on the concrete strength issue." The Accord, which includes retailers like H&M and Benetton, is seeking the closure of six additional factories over concrete strength. There are currently 3,500 garment factories in Bangladesh, which is the world's second-largest apparel manufacturer. The Asian country's garment sector generates $22 billion each year.


text:
I typically don't talk about my personal life here, except for the occassional passing comment, and I absolutely don't make entire posts about it but I have to make an exception. This morning I had an especially hard time dealing with the sunrise. At 4am I woke up from a dream about my best friend, Jay. It was a montage of sorts, of all of the things we've done and said and laughed about. What woke me up though was the last part, the montage of my histerical self speeding to New Jersey in a cab, a silent car ride to his parent's house, crying outside in the rain calling his friends, hugging his fellow rugby players at his wake, and laying a flower on his casket at his funeral.
I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, but I do want people to know about Jay. When I woke up from that dream I realized that before this day, my feelings about his passing were that I couldn't believe he wouldn't be here to do x, y, and z. Today, that changes. He has been robbed of a year of his very young life and each year will be robbed of another and another. He had plans, and those plans will never happen in this life. I'm sure wherever he is he has a pet corgi, abs, amazing rugby skills, and an endless supply of beer… but that doesn't mean he didn't deserve to have that here with his family and friends.
The thought of me living any number of years without him kills me. No friendship will ever take its place, not only because I would never let it, but because it's impossible. No one will talk to me every single day just because, no one will have just the right thing to say, no one will sleep on the floor of my dorm room because I'm not feeling well, and no one will be completely 100% honest with me no matter what. I will have the memories though, and that's more then I could have ever hoped for. The people who know him will all tell you we were lucky to have him here, if only for a short time. Five years wasn't close to long enough, but be had a profound effect on my life in that time. I love and miss you terribly, Jay.


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Christian Music, Radio, Social Networking and Inspirational Sites
David Arthur's Life Story
My name is David Arthur, I am 43 years old and I lived 30-
There is a lot of pain & confusion in this world, especially when living in sins such as Same-
The devil is hard at work building up, but I am going to do my part in tearing down any & every possible misleading, untruth in this "wicked" world in which we live.
Society has come to the conclusion that homosexuality is "normal", "acceptable" and a "way of life" (a lifestyle), I wonder if society knows just how much that pleases the devil, or, more importantly, just how much that angers, and/or saddens GOD. I will stand on the mountain top and yell my testimony if I have to. I do not do things as "orderly" and "politically-
Be prepared to find out what molestation, homosexuality, abandonment, confusion, transgenderism,
drugs, alcohol, prostitution, AIDS, rape, jail, prison, confinement, depression, homelessness, torture, addiction, abuse and living in the world of darkness can provide to those who love the world. Oh, believe me when I tell you that I already know, I have "been there & done that".
This Truth may be difficult for some of you to share with your friends or family, but I guarantee you that by sharing the Truth, you will be doing it for their own good, and yours. It is not about "offending"
anyone, but it is all about defending them against the devils plan for them.
You know the saying, "the truth shall set you free"? Well, the Truth, is JESUS CHRIST, and yes,
HE shall set you free. The Peace, the Joy and the Love that I know today by far exceeds any and all emotion I have ever known while living in sin. The quality of my life has improved so very much and there is true and pure peace within me now. It is the same Peace, Joy and Love that I would see, and secretly envy, in Christians and their lives.
I may not know you personally, but believe me when I tell you that I do Love you and I do care about your eternal salvation.
Please continue on and read my testimony (the video is a compact version and I always suggest reading it for there are many more details) and you can contact me by clicking on the
"Contact David Arthur" tab at my website
I am available to testify at services and/or events with notice. I am also in the process of putting together a series of lessons that could be very useful to Christians in ministering to the those lost and trapped in the deep, dark sin of Same-
I am also available and always open to one-
Be safe & may GOD Bless you according to HIS Mighty Will.
In HIS Love, David Arthur
If I can be of any assistance in any way, please feel free to contact me. I know what worked for me, but most importantly, I know what did not work and what type of ministering, and attitude/spirits, kept me from moving forward and allowing CHRIST in. My testimony is what it is and my goal is to share the Truth of CHRIST'S Gospel & HIS Word to as many as will listen. I am looking forward to sharing my testimony with congregations and groups in the future. It is what I feel is necessary to solve any confusion or misunderstandings about living in these
types of sins. I look forward to hearing from you...
© 2014 -
More information on David's