text:
October 20, 2015. Share on Twitter
Avoiding Municipal Insolvency, Except as a Last Resort. Gov. Rick Snyder yesterday outlined a $715 million plan to split the Detroit Public School System (DPS) into two separate districts: a plan to both help improve academic performance, but also pay down more than a half billion dollars in DPS's operating debt, marking the second time in six months that the governor has detailed plans to overhaul education in Detroit. Detroit Public Schools has lost close to 100,000 students over the past 10 years, according to Gov. Snyder's office. The district has not yet released enrollment numbers for this school year, which were taken during a recent student count day, but it had about 47,000 students last year. Gov. Snyder would not say outright whether the alternative is taking DPS into bankruptcy, given the amount of state liability vested in the existing district. Rather, he said, this plan would avert the need for bankruptcy. Should the district default on its debt, Gov. Snyder said the cost to the state could soar beyond the $715 million expected over 10 years as the current school system pays back its debt: "I don't use the bankruptcy word except as a very, very last resort…It is very reasonable and fair to say that compared to this solution, that solution could be much more expensive."
Pensionary Complications. Gov. Snyder is seeking legislative action by the end of this year to create a $715 million, debt-free school district in the Motor City over the next decade, meaning the current district would exist only to pay off the debt, noting in his presentation: "This package provides an answer that's rational, that's comprehensive, that is lower cost and much less chaotic than the other alternatives." A key issue confronting the school system is its nearly $100 million liability to Michigan's school employee pension system—a debt of such proportions that a judge could be petitioned to order DPS or the state to pay up—an order, were it to be issued, which could trigger higher property taxes for the city of Detroit or an emergency bailout by the Legislature. Gov. Snyder warned the state could be on the hook for DPS' $1.5 billion unfunded pension liability if lawmakers are unable to stabilize the district's finances by assuming a projected $515 million in operating debt payments that were mostly racked up by state-appointed emergency managers, noting: "That's an unfunded liability that would get spread to the other districts if DPS wasn't making payments…There's a lot of extra money that would have to go out if this doesn't get done." Gov. Snyder's dire warning came in anticipation of the long-expected introduction of legislation to create new layers of oversight of DPS in exchange for the state assuming the seemingly relentless growth in the system's operating debt amassed by emergency managers in recent years—a debt the cost of which to pay off has now reached the equivalent of an annual cost of $50 for every child in Michigan. The accumulated operating debt of DPS is expected to top $515 million by June 2016. In his remarks, Gov. Snyder noted Michigan's School Aid Fund can handle the roughly $70 million annual payment for the next decade without taking money away from other schools districts—that is, under his proposal, helping DPS would not have to come at the expense of other Michigan public school districts—a claim that might be semantical—as the ever insightful Citizens Research Council notes: "Clearly you're taking money that would be available to other school districts to help a single school district."
- Costs. Under the Governor's proposal, the new Detroit Community School District would need $200 million to cover $100 million in startup costs and initial capital improvements of facilities and $100 million to account for continued declining enrollment in the city. The new District would not be barred from seeking voter-approved millages for capital improvements unless and until the old district's operating debt was paid off, and, according to John Walsh, Gov. Snyder's strategy director, it is possible the $715 million figure could be reduced if Detroit's economy continues to rebound, businesses relocate to the city, and property tax collections continue to increase, adding; "With property values going up, it could take less time to pay off." Michigan's contribution to Detroit's federally approved plan of debt adjustment amounted to $350 million spread over 20 years—a state contribution which Mr. Walsh led, at the time, as a key leader in the Michigan House—leadership which will be critical for what is anticipated to be a "tough sell in the Legislature." Moreover, such a new Detroit school district would still be liable for paying down the $1.5 billion in the system's unfunded pension liabilities—with Gov. Snyder resisting the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren's call for DPS to be exempted from continuing to pay its share of pension costs for current and former employees. As of last week, DPS was $99.5 million behind in public pension payments to the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System—a debt exacerbated by $100,000 in monthly late fees and $12,000 in daily in interest penalties, according to state's Office of Retirement Services.
- Governance. Originally, the governor had proposed the creation of a new financial review commission to have oversight and veto power over spending decisions of the new school district in Detroit. In his revised plan, he is proposing to utilize the existing Financial Review Commission, which was created as part of the Detroit plan of debt adjustment, so that there would be long-term state oversight of Detroit's finances. The Governor's plan also retains another layer of oversight of all city schools in a Detroit Education Commission: it would entail hiring a chief education officer with the power to open and close academically failing schools run by DPS, charter schools, and the Education Achievement Authority. The commission's membership would include three gubernatorial appointees and two mayoral appointees: it would be charged with streamlining some services for all schools, such as enrollment. But in the governor's revised plan, he makes a common enrollment system voluntary. Gov. Snyder said he and Mayor Duggan are still discussing the mayor's role in school reform in Detroit: Mayor Duggan has expressed a desire for more local control of Detroit schools, or, as Gov. Snyder put it: "The mayor sees the value in this, but there is a difference in governance: The mayor's office still has issues they want to talk about, and I feel it's important to get this dialogue going. We've taken a lot of input from the mayor. We have a supportive, positive relationship. No, we don't agree on every issue." Earlier this month, Mayor Duggan reiterated that he is advocating for local control, including an elected school board for Detroit to run its 100 public schools. He further proposed that an election be held next spring. Mayor Duggan has said the city needs an education commission with membership that he appoints, as recommended by the education coalition. The commission, he said, would level the playing field between public schools and charters and help to set standards for where they are needed and can locate.
- Oversight. Gov. Snyder's announcement follows news of an FBI corruption investigation involving DPS and the Governor's K-12 reform district, the Education Achievement Authority, leading the Gov. to note: "I think it's fair to say it complicates it." Under his revised proposal, a new seven-member school board would be created to govern the new Detroit school district. The governor would appoint four board members, and Mayor Mike Duggan would appoint three board members. Mayor Duggan has resisted appointing school board members and has called for the return of an elected board. Detroit's elected school board has been without policy decision-making powers for six years, during which time the district has been under the control of four state-appointed emergency managers. Gov. Snyder indicated he was open to changes in the legislative process. "Let's get the legislative process going and let's work through that…Not everyone is going to like every piece of this." Members of the House Detroit Democratic caucus said they were ready to work with Gov. Snyder on a reform plan — as long as it includes local control of schools. "The state has controlled DPS for many years, and it has been a failure," said Rep. Brian Banks, caucus chairman. "We have to find a better way, and we believe that way lies through local control. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to address all of the issues surrounding DPS."
- Partners. Gov. Snyder took care not to alienate the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren, which offered a reform plan in late March. One of the major differences between the coalition's plan and the Governor's is his recommendation for a voluntary enrollment system, as opposed to the mandatory system the coalition recommended. "We looked at the best practices around the country and they were all voluntary, and we felt that was the best way to go for parents, to give them more choice…We encourage charters to join the voluntary system in terms of making their school decisions." Gov. Snyder also said the coalition presented far more recommendations than he used. "It's not that we don't agree," he said. "It's just that they (many of the recommendations from the coalition) didn't appear to be prudent for state legislation."
- The forthcoming bills are expected to include:
• The Detroit Public Schools would be phased out completely once DPS pays down roughly $515 million in outstanding operating debt. It also collects a $70 million millage from city taxpayers. The city's Financial Review Commission would oversee the old district while the debt is repaid.
• An additional $200 million would go to the new Detroit Community School District in startup funding and to cover anticipated operating losses due to potential declining enrollment. The new district also would be responsible for about $1.5 billion in pension obligations.
• A new seven-member board would be created to govern the Detroit Community School District. Its members initially would be appointed by Snyder and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, with elections phased in beginning in 2017. The board makeup would be majority-elected by 2019 and fully elected by 2021.
• A new Detroit Education Commission would be created, with oversight of the new Detroit school district, the Education Achievement Authority and charter public schools. Its members would be appointed by Snyder and Duggan and would be charged with hiring a chief education officer. The chief education officer would be in charge of academics, including having authority to close low-performing schools.
• A standard enrollment system would be introduced, with common forms and enrollment periods for all participating schools to help parents review options for their children. The common enrollment would be voluntary for schools, although all schools would be required to report academic and other performance standards for transparency.
Are There Alternates to Municipal Bankruptcy? In the absence of access to municipal bankruptcy because of Congressional reluctance, the U.S. Treasury, in discussions with Puerto Rico, has proposed consideration of the creation of a new municipal bond security—one which would be senior to Puerto Rico's general obligation or GO bonds—and which could act as an exchange vehicle in a sweeping debt restructuring. Reportedly, the proposal would shift collection of all or some of Puerto Rico's income, sales and use, and other tax revenues to the Internal Revenue Service or the Bureau of Fiscal Service in the U.S. Treasury: such tax receipts would pass through a quasi-lockbox before such revenues would then be effectively returned to the U.S. commonwealth—effectively creating a new governmental entity to securitize these new lockbox revenues. Because the potential governing and taxing structure would, effectively, bypass the existing constitutional revenue structure for the island and its constitution, the proposal appears to be a means under which Puerto Rico's many, many municipal bondholders would be incentivized to exchange their newly-subordinated Puerto Rico municipal bonds at a discount for certificates of the new U.S. quasi-municipal security. The plan—in part based on a recognition that Congress appears almost certain not to act—nevertheless confronts signal hurdles and skepticism—or as our admired friends at Municipal Market Analytics put it: "[O]n its own, this debt strategy has little chance of success: without a meaningful, definitive, and well-supported program to restructure Puerto Rico's revenue mix and operational spending, bondholders cannot judge the long-term effectiveness of any proposed debt haircut or the value in any exchange security, regardless of how structurally-insulated from PR's economy and finances it appears to be…." Adding: "[T]here are massive execution risks in this plan, not the least of which is a (likely) need for Congressional approval. The US Treasury has been convincing that, beyond operational assistance, this plan intends no injection of Federal cash to PR and no other characteristics of a bailout. Yet, seeing as how Republicans oppose the extension of chapter 9 to Puerto Rico on the grounds that it would somehow be a bailout implies an extremely low hurdle for debt holders to successfully lobby their opposition to this plan." In addition, of course, is the tricky issue of federalism: can you imagine any governor or state legislature which would willingly relinquish control of its income, sales and use, or other taxes to the federal government? MMA slyly adds that even were the Puerto Rican legislature to buy into such a proposal, there would be comparable doubt as to whether current Puerto Rico municipal bondholders scattered across the continental U.S. would be standing in long lines to exchange their current general obligation bonds for an untested new model. Moreover, as MMA masterfully writes:
"Finally, the island's liquidity issues are on a much tighter schedule than a plan of this magnitude could hope to be. With the real possibility of a PR government shutdown and additional bond defaults before year end, this plan, if it happens at all, would most likely be a means for PR to cure, and not avoid, payment defaults. This is an important distinction, because 'cure' strategies have, by definition, a higher standard for long-term benefit, further complicating the plan's implementation prospects. While this plan will help PR collect the taxes it is supposed to collect, any increase in taxes—even on "underground" economic activity—effectively relocates capital from PR citizens to the government, worsening the local economy and out-migration trends. So while the exchange security may get a first crack at all revenues—just as PR's GO security is purported to do—it is unreasonable to expect that those revenues will move anywhere but downward over time, creating incremental pressure on now less-flexible PR finances. Any post-default implementation of this plan would need to consider these secondary effects and ensure that the new financing will not cripple PR in the future."


text: USAF05 0 Report post Posted May 17, 2005 (edited) SHOOT!!!!!!! the option Both is suppose to say all of them.....Sorry! Um personally i love the FA-18 but im going with the Stealth cause my daddy works on them! :lol: Edited May 17, 2005 by USAF05 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites

subset: commoncrawl


text: Agencies QDOBA Hands Planning and Buying Duties to Marc USA's Cogniscient Media Incumbent agency was Horizon, which also recently lost its Jack in the Box accountBy Lindsay Rittenhouse|July 30, 2018 QDOBA handed its media account to Cogniscient, ending its AOR partnership with Horizon.QDOBAShare By Lindsay Rittenhouse|July 30, 2018 Share QDOBA Mexican Eats has chosen Marc USA's Cogniscient Media as its agency of record to handle all offline and digital media planning and buying duties following a review led by Select Resources.Cogniscient will work alongside QDOBA's lead creative agency, Mistress, which was selected following a separate review last year. Cogniscient's Boston office will handle the QDOBA account, and a new media strategy is set to be implemented in October."When looking for a media agency, we knew we wanted a partner that was digitally forward-thinking but could still effectively drive engagement across all channels," Jill Adams, vice president of marketing at QDOBA Mexican Eats, said in a statement. "The team at Cogniscient Media not only impressed us with their expertise in using both data and 'the human factor' to gain deeper insights into our target audience, they also showed a real passion for our business."As the restaurant industry continues on a path of heightening competitiveness, Dave Buklarewicz, Cogniscient executive vice president and executive media director, said in a statement that it is ever-more pertinent to intercept consumers at every point of their purchasing journeys. "In working with QDOBA, it's critical that our media plans are not only informed by hard data but balanced with the art of understanding emotional connections to the brand," Buklarewicz said. "It's also critical that we think in terms of business results because media metrics are not relevant if the media is not creating strong, positive impact on the QDOBA business."It is unclear if QDOBA's incumbent media AOR, Horizon Media, competed to defend the account. The agency declined to comment.QDOBA sister company Jack in the Box (both are owned by private-equity firm Apollo Global Management) handed its media account to Dentsu Aegis Network's Carat L.A. last year, severing ties with Horizon Media and ending their 15-year AOR relationship. San Diego-based QDOBA operates a chain of about 700 fast-casual restaurants across the U.S. and Canada.The company spent $3.7 million on measured media in the U.S. last year and $147,000 in the first half of 2018, according to Kantar Media. Share https://adweek.it/2LNktbn copy Lindsay Rittenhouse @kitten_mouseLindsay Rittenhouse is a staff writer at Adweek, where she specializes in covering the world of agencies and their clients. Adweek Adweek


text: My Baba Yaga video is nominated for Royal Television Society Award. Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It is such a huge honour to be nominated. Fingers crossed and I win next year!


text:
Gouging, numbers belie medical malpractice 'crisis' claims
OLYMPIA -- After years of their lobbyists calling for caps on plaintiff's damage awards, squeezing lawyers' contingency fees and trying to throw litigation roadblocks in the way of injured patients and their families, the state's doctors may have found a legitimate way to cut medical malpractice premiums: Get their malpractice insurance company to quit gouging them.
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced Wednesday that he had ordered the state's largest medical malpractice insurer, Physicians Insurance and its affiliate, Western Professional Insurance Company, to refund more than $1.3 million plus interest in excess premiums charged in 2003.
Nearly 2,400 doctors are in line for premium refunds as high as $4,681. The average refund is expected to be $534.
One insurance company spokesman called it a "paperwork error," and, sure, even a $4,600 refund check won't make much of a dent in an obstetrician's $80,000 annual med-mal insurance premium. But these are the folks who've been trying to literally blame the victims for the high cost of medical malpractice premiums.
The $1.3 million refund order came just one day after Kreidler's office released a report analyzing a decade's worth of medical malpractice claims. The report appears to give lie to allegations of a "crisis" in medical malpractice.
The insurance commissioner's office asked the top five medical malpractice insurers to supply information on claims that were closed between July 1, 1994 and June 30, 2004. These five insurers account for more than 90 percent of the regulated malpractice market for the state's physicians and surgeons, according to Kreidler.
The 10-year period produced just over 10,000 closed claims. That number is probably a good place to start. Ten years, 10,000 claims. That's 1,000 a year.
Of those 10,000 cases, juries decided in favor of plaintiffs in just 50 cases. Not 50 percent of cases, but 50 cases total. Runaway juries? Lottery justice? Based on normal win-loss ratios in cases that go to trial, the final jury score was apparently patients: 50 and docs: 307.
In all, 3,248 of the 10,000 cases were closed without plaintiffs getting a dime and without defendants having to spend a dime to defend themselves. In about 6,100 of the cases, defendants incurred costs for attorneys and expert witnesses. But it was money well spent. Defendants prevailed in 61 percent of those cases.
Only about 2,700 claims -- 27 percent -- resulted in any payment to the injured party.
And what about those blockbuster, multibillion-dollar jury awards? Over the 10 years, 200 claims resulted in compensation payments of more than $1 million. And that's apparently for all compensation, including economic damages and the non-economic or "pain and suffering" awards that lobbyists have been pressuring lawmakers to cap at $250,000 and that the current Initiative 300 to the Legislature would cap at $350,000.
Lobbyists and initiative backers have lamented the "explosion" in medical malpractice claims.
The survey shows that the number of medical malpractice claims increased by 4.9 percent a year. Population growth alone would account for nearly 40 percent of that increase. The average amount of the compensation per claim increased by 4.1 percent a year, well below the rate of inflation in health care costs.
The "explosion" appears to be more of a poof than a boom.
Indeed, according to the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, Physicians Insurance reduced its medical malpractice premium rate by 7.7 percent for 2005.
The insurers were asked to supply this survey data. Not ordered to. According to Kreidler, "no claims or settlement reporting requirements exist for medical malpractice insurers."
That's too bad. And that should be fixed. It may be too late for this legislative session, but next year should bring executive-request legislation from Kreidler, who said that this "limited survey" made it clear that "we need more reliable claims and settlement information from all of the parties providing medical malpractice coverage," information that would allow us to "make public policy based on facts rather than anecdotes."
Imagine that.
Look, we all admire and respect physicians; those catchers in the rye whom we ask to keep us from death's precipice. We want the few bad docs weeded out, preferably before they work on our loved ones, or us, and we want the many good docs to get a break on their malpractice insurance. But we wantthat to come out of insurers' hides rather than patients'.


text:
- Home
- Plan your visit
- What's on
- Learning
- Hire mima
- Collections Online
We take pride in our mission to make art accessible to everyone and evolve a new kind of institution that leads the field in testing innovative approaches to making art work in society.
Our community of associates are passionate about supporting us in taking forward this vision and making MIMA useful museum.
Join our network today and make use of the exhibitions and public programmes we have on offer and help raise awareness of the breadth of art and creative activity on Teesside.
As a MIMA associate you will be entitled to the following offers and discounts:
For more information or to join the scheme contact the Development Team on 01642 931232 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
The 11th Annual Good Shepherd Run For The Gold 5K is on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 9:00 am.
The Run for the Gold benefits the Visual and Performing Arts Program of Good Shepherd Catholic School in Frankfort, KY.
Fun events for all!
Race kicks off: 232 W. Main St. in Frankfort, KY


text: / Thesaurus Find synonyms for: Noun1. Klaipeda, Memelusage: a city in western Lithuania on the Baltic Sea; formerly an important trading town of the Hanseatic LeagueWordNet 3.0 Copyright © 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.See also: klaipeda (Dictionary) Related Content Daily Word Quiz: chagrin Analogy of the Day: Today's Analogy Spelling Bee: Today's Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language Synonyms Index


text:
Copyright warilace 2017
To represent your brand.
BUSINESSE'S DATA: – Personal data that we receive directly from you or where you have contact us proactively, usually by phone or email; and/or through our website We will collect the details for our contacts within your organisation, such as names, website, social media handles, images, telephone numbers and email addresses in the purpose of Business..-We want to provide you with relevant articles to read to help you on your adventure. We therefore think it's reasonable for us to process your data to make sure that we send you the most appropriate content.... ...


text: Good Black News was founded on March 18, 2010 via Facebook (see the detailed story in our About The Editorssidebar) and is currently expanding to have a larger web presence. You can find us here at goodblacknews.org, on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Linked In, YouTube and Google+. GBN is a labor of love, and our Founder/Editor-In-Chief Lori Lakin Hutcherson and staff are all unpaid volunteers. […]Read more


text:
Shiny Heart Bag in gold
good condition ( look photos realy minor damage)
good condition ( look photos realy minor damage)
Shipping to Europe: Contact seller for quote
Shipping outside Europe: Contact seller for quote
Condition: Good
Brand: Milk
Style: Sweet, Classic, Gothic, Otome, Hime, Ouji, Casual
Colors: Browns, Gold
Reference Link: Lolibrary.Org
Category: Bags and Purses
no return or refund I am not responsible for the problems of the post office (loss / theft / damage or other) I am open to trades the invoice are in euros. I am not responsible for the problems associated with the post office. (Loss or damage) from the moment you bought , you have a week to pay , beyond I put the item for sale and leaves a negative feedback . I accept trades. it is possible to pay in payment plan , ask me. for items that I make pre-order. delays in manufacturing varies with my raw material stock You have 3 days to respond to my messages and pay for your purchase. Then I leave a negative feedback and I contact the administrators
no comments
- Bid placed by be-rosies for €75 on 2019-03-13 23:33:32 UTC


text:
Global Radar Level Transmitters Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth During 2024
Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Radar Level Transmitters Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report.
According to this study, over the next five years the Radar Level Transmitters market will register a 3.9% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ 767.9 million by 2024, from US$ 658.1 million in 2019. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in Radar Level Transmitters business, shared in Chapter 3.
Click to view the full report TOC, figure and tables:
This report focuses on the key global Radar Level Transmitters players, to define, describe and analyze the value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.
This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Radar Level Transmitters market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries.
Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers
Emerson Electric
Schneider Electric
Magnetrol International
Siemens AG
OMEGA Engineering
VEGA Grieshaber KG
Yokogawa Electric
Matsushima Measure Tech Co., Ltd.
Dandong Top Electronics Instrument Group Co. Ltd
Market Segment by Type, covers
Non-contact Radar Level Transmitter
Guided Wave Radar Level Transmitter
Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into
Oil and Gas
Pharmaceutical and Biotech
Power Generation
Food and Beverage
For More Information On This Report, Please Visit @
Related Information:
North America Radar Level Transmitters Market Research Report 2019
United States Radar Level Transmitters Market Research Report 2019
Asia-Pacific Radar Level Transmitters Market Research Report 2019
Europe Radar Level Transmitters Market Market Research Report 2019
EMEA Radar Level Transmitters Market Market Research Report 2019
Global Radar Level Transmitters Market Market Research Report 2019
China Radar Level Transmitters Market Market Research Report 2019
Customization Service of the Report :
Market Research Report Store provides customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.
About Us:
Market Research Report Store (MRRS) is a professional organization related to market research reports in all directions .To provide customers with a variety of market research reports, MRRS cooperates with a large of famous market report publishers all over the world. Owing to our good service and the professional market reports in the wide range, MRRS enjoys a good reputation in the market. In pace with the development of MRRS, more and more customers and market report publishers choose to cooperate with us. As a specialized platform, MRRS upholds the supremacy of customers and aims to provide customers with better service and richer select.
Contact US
Market Research Report Store
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: CN:0086-13660489451 HK: 00852-58081523 USA:001-626-3463946
Add: 17890 Castleton Street Suite 218 City of Industry CA 91748 United States
Website: https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com


text:
Marco Gumabao 'shocked' by sis Michele's transformation into a beauty queen
Actor Marco Gumabao said he never thought he would see his sister Michele—a volleybelle—sashaying on the pageant stage, much less bag a national crown.
But now that he can call himself a beauty queen's brother, the Kapamilya hunk said he is completely supportive of his sister's quest for international recognition.
Michele—one of the celebrity housemates for "Pinoy Big Brother" in 2014, along with Jane Oineza, Alex Gonzaga and Daniel Matsunaga—will compete in the Miss Globe pageant in Albania on Oct. 21 (Oct. 22 in Manila).
"Ever since we were kids, my sister and I have been into sports. I knew then that she was going to be an athlete, but I never thought she would be a beauty queen," Marco told Inquirer Entertainment on the sidelines of his sister's sendoff press conference at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center in Quezon City recently.
Marco said he was surprised when he learned that Michele signed up for Binibining Pilipinas earlier this year.
"I knew then that she would make it. I know she can do anything she puts her mind into. I was surprised, yes, but I'm also proud to have a beauty queen for a sister," he said.
Marco said he had noticed his sister's drastic weight loss when she decided to pursue a crown.
Still strong, competitive
"She lost not only fat, but also muscles, for the competition. Before, she was 'ripped' with muscles for volleyball. I was shocked with how much she has transformed, given the short period of time," he said.
"The good thing is, she's still a strong volleyball player. She lost weight, but maintained her strength," he continued.
Michelle acknowledged these changes since bagging her Binibining Pilipinas crown, but maintained that "I'm still the same competitive girl. I'm still the same girl balancing everything in her life, wanting to do her best in everything that she does."
But she added: "I have a different mindset, now that I have a different goal, which is to win a crown for the Philippines. This is not just for me, my camp, or my family, but for the Philippines—and that's a bigger calling. I have to step up big-time."
Marco said that what made him even more proud of his sister was the fact that "she has touched a lot of lives, and inspired a lot of people."
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.


text:
At just 25 years old, Ariana Grande has already made herself one of the biggest stars in music. She's had numerous chart-topping singles and albums, has shown her sense of humor on several TV shows and has dominated headlines in recent years.
While you've heard her music and seen her on the cover of countless magazines, there's probably plenty about Grande that you never knew. We've rounded up some of the most interesting facts about this powerhouse pop singer.
Her Name Is Legit
Ariana Grande sounds like a total stage name, but it's her real name. She was born Ariana Grande-Butera in 1993. Her dad's name is Ed Butera and her mom's name is Joan Grande.
Her Mom Is A CEO
The aforementioned Joan Grande is the head of the Florida-based company Hose-McCann Communications. According to the company's website, the Grande family bought the company in 1964. The firm's communication systems have been installed in high-rise buildings and aboard vessels used by the United States Navy and Coast Guard. Joan Grande can be seen to the right of Ariana in the photo below.
Her Nationality Has Surprised Some People
In 2010, Grande had to correct a fan who mistakenly thought she was Latina.
"I'm actually Italian," the singer wrote on Twitter. She revealed that her family comes from two parts of Italy: Abruzzo and Sicily. When she performed on "Saturday Night Live" in 2014, a joke was written that had host Chris Pratt making the same mistake about her background.
She Got Hit With Hockey Pucks At Two NHL Games
When Grande was a little girl, she was a regular at Florida Panthers NHL games. She would sit in the front row, starting at the age of 2, and was called "a real cutie" by the SunSentinel newspaper when she was 5. Grande actually got hit with a hockey puck at two different games in 1998, leading her to suffer some minor bruising and get a free ride on the Zamboni for her troubles.
She Got Her Start In Youth Theatre
Like many performers, Grande got her start as a kid doing local theatre. When she was a girl, she performed with Little Palm Theater, a children's troupe in Boca Raton, Florida. She also sang with a group called Kids Who Care, which performed at charity events.
She Won An Award For Her Work On Broadway
After proving her talent in south Florida's local entertainment scene, Grande ended up working on Broadway as a member of the cast of "13." When she was 15 years old, she played the role of a cheerleader in the show and won a National Youth Theatre Association Award for her work. The show was Grande's first real taste of big-time success in entertainment.
She Became Famous On Nickelodeon
Grande is such a massive figure in music today that it's easy to forget she first became famous as a star on kids' TV. As a teen, Grande starred in Nickelodeon's shows "Victorious" and its spinoff "Sam & Cat." "Victorious" had one of the highest-rated debut episodes for any live-action show in Nickelodeon's history. The shows ran from 2010 to 2014 before being canceled.
She Disowned One Of Her First Singles
In 2011, Grande's music career was just getting started when she recorded a single called "Put Your Hearts Up." The song, which was aimed at kids, has since been slammed by the singer, who told Rolling Stone it "felt so inauthentic and fake." She had the music video for the song pulled from her own Vevo page, calling the clip something "straight out of hell."
She Used To Do Covers On YouTube
Before Grande became a household name, she followed a similar path of many hopeful singers these days: posting videos of cover performances on YouTube. Among the songs she covered were Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie" and Bruno Mars' "Grenade." When Grande eventually met Mars for the first time, she said she freaked out.
Her Brother Is Also An Entertainer
Grande isn't the only one who likes to put on a show in her family. Her older half-brother, Frankie Grande, has also worked as a musician, dancer and TV personality. He's been a guest on "RuPaul's Drag Race," worked as a judge on "America's Best Dance Crew" and was a contestant on "Big Brother" in 2014.
She Opened For Justin Bieber
It's tough to imagine Ariana Grande opening for anyone today but when her music career was first taking off, she preceded Justin Bieber at several of his tour dates in 2013. The dates were during Bieber's "Believe" tour and Grande opened for him on three dates in Florida and Georgia. The coveted slot gave her plenty of exposure weeks before the release of her debut album, "Yours Truly."
She's Made Billboard Chart History
She's still very young but Grande has already made plenty of history on the Billboard charts. In 2018, she became the first artist in history to have all the lead singles from their first four albums debut in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. She also became the fourth woman artist to ever have 10 songs in the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. In 2014, she joined Adele as the only lead artists to have three singles in the top 10 at the same time.
She Obviously Loves Disney World
When Grande chose a spot to ring in her 21st birthday, she skipped Las Vegas and decided to hit up Walt Disney World. The Florida native celebrated the milestone at the Magic Kingdom park. She had a four-tier Cinderella-themed cake and even got to meet the princess and Mickey Mouse.
She's Massive On Spotify
When Spotify turned 10 years old in 2018, the music-streaming service revealed its most popular artists of all time. Grande was shown to be the tenth most-streamed artist of all-time on Spotify. That put her ahead of artists like Adele, Beyonce and The Chainsmokers.
Her YouTube Stats Are Mind-Blowing
In case you needed more evidence that Grande's fans don't just sit around by the radio waiting for her songs to play, take a look at her YouTube statistics. As of Oct. 24, 2018, her official ArianaGrandeVevo YouTube channel, which posts her music videos, has racked up more than 9.6 billion views. That's more than one play for every person on Earth! The most popular video, "Side to Side," has been watched more than 1.4 billion times.
She's Been Sued Several Times
Grande has been taken to court over several of her songs since she debuted.
In 2013, her breakout single "The Way," featuring ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, was accused of ripping off lyrics from a 1972 song from The Jimmy Castor Bunch.
In 2016, her song "One Last Time" was accused of sounding too similar to a 2012 song by Alex Greggs. And in 2018, her record label was sued over her hit single "Side to Side" because it allegedly copied a song by a musician named Christopher R. O'Connor.
She's Had A Hit Classical Song
Grande showed off her Italian roots by recording a powerhouse operatic duet with Andrea Bocelli in 2015. The song, "E Píu Ti Penso," became a No. 1 hit on Billboard's classical music chart. The performance was included on Bocelli's album "Cinema."
She's A Gifted Impressionist
Not only can Grande wow you with her own vocal chops, she can also imitate some of the world's most popular singers. The singer has showed off this uncanny talent in performances on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Tonight Show." Some of her best impressions include Celine Dion, Britney Spears and Shakira.
She Got In Trouble At A Bakery
In 2015, one of the most bizarre — and unfortunate — moments of Grande's career was caught on camera at a California bakery. While visiting the shop with friends, Grande was filmed secretly licking a doughnut that she did not end up buying. In the video, she also was heard saying, "I hate Americans. I hate America." She later apologized for the embarrassing incident.
She Continues To Act
Just because her Nickelodeon shows got the ax doesn't mean Grande has stopped acting. In the past few years, she's had roles in high-profile productions like Fox's "Scream Queens," NBC's "Hairspray Live!" and the 2016 films "Sing" and "Zoolander 2."
She's Been Vocal About Her Mental Health Battles
In May 2017, Grande's name topped international headlines when a suicide bombing at one of her concerts in England killed 22 people. The shocking event led Grande to postpone her tour and gave her PTSD and anxiety. In 2018, Grande revealed that therapy has helped her cope with the incident but that she still cries every time she talks about it.
She Rocks That Ponytail For A Reason
Grande's long ponytail is a signature part of her look but the hairstyle is more about function than style. In a 2018 Facebook post, she revealed that she had to wear the ponytail to conceal how damaged her hair was from the constant coloring it underwent during her days on Nickelodeon. "I wear it in a ponytail because my actual hair is so broken that it looks absolutely ratchet and absurd when I let it down," she wrote.
She's Been Hailed As A Champion Of Feminism
In 2016, E! called Grande a "feminist hero" in light of some public stances she'd taken. In a 2015 interview, she ripped the media for what she called a double standard where woman artists always had to be linked to men, and she lamented that her romantic relationships were written about more often than her music.
"I come from a long bloodline of female activists," she wrote on Twitter.
She's Seriously Generous
Grande has been involved in many charitable efforts over the years. In 2016, she started a new line of makeup for Mac, which saw 100 percent of proceeds donated to AIDS research. In 2017, her One Love Manchester charity concert raised a reported $23 million for the families of victims of the bombing at her concert.
She Gave Up On Catholicism Over LGBTQ Rights
In 2014, Grande revealed that the Catholic church's views on homosexuality led her to walk away from that religion. Her brother Frankie Grande is gay, which led the two of them to instead follow Kabbalah.
"When my brother was told that God didn't love him, I was like, 'OK, that's not cool,'" she told Britain's The Telegraph.
Her Tattoos Have Some Sweet Stories
Grade has many tattoos, a number of which are small and hard to spot. One of her tattoos is the Italian word "Bellissima" on her ribs. She revealed on Twitter that it was because that's what her grandpa always called her. She also has "8418" inked on her foot in honor of the father of ex-fiance Pete Davidson. Davidson's dad was a firefighter who died on 9/11 and that was his badge number.
All Of Her Albums Have Been Well Reviewed
As of October 2018, Grande has released four albums and each of them has received positive reviews from top critics. According to Metacritic, which assigns an average score to albums based on top reviews, all four records have earned ratings of "Generally Favorable" to "Universal Acclaim." "Sweetener" and "Yours Truly" have earned the highest scores yet.
She Has A Pet Pig
When Grande and Pete Davidson were dating, the couple adopted a pet pig named Piggy Smalls. The cute animal starred in a music video for Grande's song "Breathin" and quickly became an internet sensation. Grande has apparently kept Piggy Smalls since the breakup and has called her "the absolute love of my life."
Pretty Much Everyone Follows Her On Instagram
As of September 2018, Grande was listed as having the third-most followed personal Instagram account. She has 131 million followers, which ranks her above Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift. Her most-liked Instagram ever was a picture of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller posted on Sept. 8, 2018, the day after he died, which earned more than 12.7 million likes.
Her First Televised Performance Came On The Ice
Her history with the NHL didn't end with a Zamboni ride. In 2002, when Grande was 8 or 9 years old, she made her musical debut on television, performing the national anthem before a Florida Panthers game. Her voice wasn't nearly as big back then but she was adorable as could be.


text:
DeKALB COUNTY, Ind. (WFFT) - The man accused of shooting a DeKalb County Sheriff's deputy is out of the hospital and behind bars.
Joshua D. Mumma was taken to a hospital for his injuries in the April 10 shooting.
The Indiana State Police said deputy Todd McCormick stopped Mumma for a traffic violation and a K-9 discovered drugs on the car and Mumma was ordered out of the car.
Detectives said the two then got into a fight and Mumma pointed a gun at McCormick. Mumma fired several shots before the fight continued outside the car and onto the ground.
Police said Mumma pointed his gun at Garrett Police Officer Alicia Castro and pulled the trigger, but the gun was empty.
Castro then shot Mumma with her police issued gun.
More than 30 grams of methamphetamine were later found inside of Mumma's vehicle.
DeKalb County Prosecutor ClaraMary Winebrenner said no charges will be filed against the officers.
Both have since returned to work, with McCormick in more of a limited capacity as he continues to recover from his wounds.
Mumma was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on the following charges as filed by Winebrenner:
· Two (2) Counts of Attempted Murder with Firearm Enhancement, Level 1 Felonies
· Dealing in Methamphetamine, Level 2 Felony
· Disarming a Law Enforcement Officer, Level 3 Felony
· Habitual Offender Enhancement
Mumma will be transferred to and incarcerated in the Allen County Jail following the book-in procedures for the DeKalb County Jail. He will be held without bail.


text:
Webmasters can use the Button module to easily add customizable buttons on site pages that link to other pages or resources. The article shares the process of using the Button module.
Learn more about working with modules when editing site pages on School Loop.
Follow these steps:
- Log into your SL account with the webmaster rights.
- Navigate to the Toolbox > Site Center. If you do not see this option under the Toolbox, it is likely that you do not have the necessary rights.
- Select the intended page to edit.
- Click the Edit button. The Edit button does not show on selecting a Navigation Header or a Minisite in the site map. Make sure you choose the intended page correctly, as seen in the example below.
- Hover over an empty block and click on it to add a module.
- Select the Button tile from the Insert Module screen.
The Button module appears on the page. Enter the title by directly typing the text and avoid all caps to keep your site 508 compliant.
Click Format in the module toolbar to choose the design of the button from a variety of options.
Click the Link icon in the module toolbar to enter the URL of the intended link or resource.
- Add the link information in the pop-up window. You can add links to items in the Site Map, Locker, and other areas using the tabs on this screen.
- Click the Submit button.
The button displays on the page, as configured.


text:
When you purchase something from our store, as part of the buying and selling process, we collect the personal information you give us such as your name, address and email address.
When you browse our store, we also automatically receive your computer's internet protocol (IP) address in order to provide us with information that helps us learn about your browser and operating system. If your computer or mobile device has a "do not track" or similar feature which prevents us from collecting this information, we will respect your choice and not collect or store this information.
Email marketing: With your permission, we may send you emails about our store, new products and other updates.
How do you get my consent?
By using our website, you consent to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
When you provide us with personal information to complete a transaction, verify your credit card, place an order, arrange for a delivery or return a purchase, we imply that you consent to our collecting it and using it for that specific reason only.
If we ask for your personal information for a secondary reason, like marketing, we will either ask you directly for your expressed consent, or provide you with an opportunity to say no.
How do I withdraw my consent?
If after you opt-in, you change your mind, you may withdraw your consent for us to contact you, for the continued collection, use or disclosure of your information, at anytime, by contacting us at firstname.lastname@example.com or mailing us at:
Tour Pro Tech, LLC
25 Colpitts Road
Unit 393
Weston, MA 02021, United States
We may disclose your personal information if we are required by law to do so or if you violate our Terms of Service.
SECTION 4 – WooCommerce
Our store is hosted on WordPress – WooCommerce. They provide us with the online e-commerce platform that allows us to sell our products and services to you.
Your data is stored through WooCommerce's data storage, databases and the general WooCommerce application. They store your data on a secure server behind a firewall.
If you choose a direct payment gateway to complete your purchase, then WooCommerce stores your credit card data. It is encrypted through the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). Your purchase transaction data is stored only as long as is necessary to complete your purchase transaction. After that is complete, your purchase transaction information is deleted.
All direct payment gateways adhere to the standards set by PCI-DSS as managed by the PCI Security Standards Council, which is a joint effort of brands like Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.
PCI-DSS requirements help ensure the secure handling of credit card information by our store and its service providers.
For more insight, you should read WooCommerce's Terms of Service and Privacy Statement available here.
In general, the third-party providers used by us will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to allow them to perform the services they provide to us.
However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies in respect to the information we are required to provide to them for your purchase-related transactions.
For these providers, we recommend that you read their privacy policies so you can understand the manner in which your personal information will be handled by these providers.
In particular, remember that certain providers may be located in or have facilities that are located in a different jurisdiction than either you or us. So if you elect to proceed with a transaction that involves the services of a third-party service provider, then your information may become subject to the laws of the jurisdiction(s) in which that service provider or its facilities are located.
As an example, if you are located in Canada and your transaction is processed by a payment gateway located in the United States, then your personal information used in completing that transaction may be subject to disclosure under United States legislation, including the Patriot Act.
Once you leave our store's website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or our website's Terms of Service.
This website uses Mouseflow, a third-party analytics tool, to track page content and click/touch, movement, scroll, and keystroke activity. You can opt-out at https://mouseflow.com/opt-out/.
When you click on links on our store, they may direct you away from our site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites and encourage you to read their privacy statements.
To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry best practices to make sure it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.
Because we value your privacy we have taken the necessary precautions to be in compliance with the California Online Privacy Protection Act. As part of the California Online Privacy Protection Act, all users of our site may make any changes to their information at any time by logging contacting us in the manners described in this privacy policy.
If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored with a AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional generally accepted industry standards.
By using this site, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence, or that you are the age of majority in your state or province of residence and you have given us your consent to allow any of your minor dependents to use this site. In compliance with the requirements of COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), we do not collect any information from anyone under 13 years of age. Our site is directed to people who are at least 13 years old or older. If you are under 13 years of age, do not use our site.
We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy at any time, so please review it frequently. Changes and clarifications will take effect immediately upon their posting on the website. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated, so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it. Changes to this privacy policy will apply only to information collected after the date of the change.
If our store is acquired or merged with another company, your information may be transferred to the new owners so that we may continue to sell products to you.
If you would like to: access, correct, amend or delete any personal information we have about you, register a complaint, or simply want more information contact our Privacy Compliance Officer at firstname.lastname@example.com or by mail at
Tour Pro Tech, LLC
Attn: Privacy Compliance Officer
25 Colpitts Road
Unit 393
Weston, MA 02021, United States
This Privacy Policy was last updated and is effective as of March 29, 2018.


text:
Scrabble & Words with Friends Word Unscrambler
Definition of Androids
1 Definition of Androids
The definition of androids, the meaning of word Androids
Is androids a scrabble word? Yes!
- n.- a robot that looks completely human
2 Synonyms of Androids
Androids is worth 10 points in Words with Friends and 11 points in Words with Friends
There are 8 letters in androids: A D D I N O R S


text:
Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), Ford's exclusive distribution partner in Malaysia, recently opened its newly upgraded Ford dealer showroom and service centre – SNS Kembara Utama Sdn Bhd (SNS Kembara) in Ipoh, Perak.
The SNS Kembara showroom is designed with Ford's global Brand and Retail standards, including three additional service bays with vehicle hoists to better serve Ford customers.
"SNS Kembara is designed to offer Ford's fast-growing customer base in Ipoh, Perak the very best sales and aftersales experience," said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion.
"This upgraded showroom and service centre is part of Ford and SDAC's network expansion and customer service enhancement plan. We are making it easier for customers to interact with us by expanding existing dealerships so they incorporate sales, service and spare parts under one roof," he added.
This upgraded facility is equipped with the latest Ford diagnostic tools. All Ford SNS Kembara employees, including technicians, sales and service staff, have received Ford's globally recognised training to develop their expertise and serve customers better.
While waiting for their service appointments, customers can relax in the dedicated customer service lounge and enjoy free Wi-Fi, hot beverages and snacks.
"The quality of the ownership experience we provide is just as important as the quality of our world-class Ford vehicles," said Bagus Susanto, managing director, Asia Pacific Emerging Markets, Ford Motor Company.
"The newly upgraded SNS Kembara marks a significant milestone in our shared commitment to offer Ford customers an even better experience," he continued.
SNS Kembara Utama Sdn Bhd showroom is located at Lot 11855, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, 30100 Ipoh, Perak. The showroom is open from 8:30am-5:30pm from Monday to Saturday, and from 11:00am-4:00pm on Sunday, while the service centre opening hours are from 8:30am-5:30pm from Monday to Saturday.
For more information, visit www.sdacford.com.my.


text: im not sure sure if this is a place to put a build log on a tank but I didn't see anywhere else that would be a better spot so here goes. this will be the build log on my 300 gallon cube that im trying to make as a west African biotype. there will definitely be some fish and inverts that are not from Africa but im trying to keep it as close as it can. first couple pics are just of the background then there are the updated ones that show the substrate in place. backroom shot showing my sump and frag tank that will be used as a counter light cycle plant growing area. topsoil and the eggcrate barrier in place. after this I placed a plastic mesh to keep cichlids out of the soil. safety sorb in place and ready to some water. once I debug 2 of my diy led pendants and get them all wired I will post pics of the pendants and the tank with decent lights over it. if anyone has a good answer for how long do you leave the water level low when you are doing a dry start I would appreciate it.


text:
Vestas offer replacement tube bundles and retubing of existing units.
Based on a dimensional drawing or a pattern, we are able to replace your old shell and tube heat exchanger. We make sure the new tube bundle will fit the old end covers and outer shell.
Vestas MX & MD unit types are available.
If you need a shell and tube heat exchanger for other purposes than the ones listed here, we will also be able to help you.


text:
Sushma Swaraj, a longtime campaigner for Hindu nationalism who was the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy as India's external affairs minister for five years, died on Tuesday in a hospital in New Delhi. She was 67.
Randeep Guleria, the director of the hospital, the All India Institute of Medical Science, said the cause was heart failure.
"A glorious chapter in Indian politics comes to an end," Mr. Modi wrote on Twitter. And in a letter of condolence, Sonia Gandhi, a longtime adversary of Ms. Swaraj's and a former leader of the opposition Indian National Congress party (and a daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi), called her "a lady of extraordinary gifts."
Ms. Swaraj was the second woman in India's history to serve as external affairs minister, after Ms. Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1984.
She made her last political statement on the day she died, tweeting out her approval of the government's sudden move to strip the restive, largely Muslim region of Kashmir of its autonomous status. Hindu nationalists had urged that step for years.
"Thank you Prime Minister," she wrote. "Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime."
Ms. Swaraj was one of the most well-liked ministers in Mr. Modi's government, largely because of her good-humored presence on social media. In 2017, as citizens petitioned her about visa difficulties, one person wrote on Twitter that he was stuck on Mars. She responded immediately: "Even if you are stuck on the Mars, Indian Embassy there will help you."
Sushma Sharma was born on Feb. 14, 1952, in Ambala, a city in northern India that was then considered part of Punjab. She grew up in a household committed to right-wing politics. Her father, Hardev Sharma, was a leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an organization that maintains that India is fundamentally a Hindu nation.
Ms. Swaraj studied law at Punjab University, where she enlisted in her father's organization's student arm, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.
She was profoundly affected by what was called the Emergency, a 19-month crackdown on political dissent that was begun in 1975 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, of the Congress Party.
During the crackdown, Ms. Swaraj volunteered as a law student to defend George Fernandes, an opposition figure who was accused of providing dynamite sticks to blow up bridges and vital rail and road infrastructure. Among the other law student volunteers was a young socialist named Swaraj Kaushal.
The two married in 1975, against their parents' wishes, and had a daughter, Bansuri Swaraj, who also became a lawyer.
Ms. Swaraj, who was known for her oratory and debating skills, was only 25 when she was first elected to the lower house of India's Parliament. At the time, she had no objection to being called "communal," a term that had then been used negatively, to mean divisive or sectarian.
"Yes, we are communal," she told Parliament in 1996, "because we fight for the respect of the national flag. Yes, we are communal because we demand the abolition of Article 370," the constitutional provision that granted the Kashmir region limited autonomy.
She added, "Our definition of secularism is that a Hindu should be a good Hindu, a Muslim should be a good Muslim, a Sikh should be a good Sikh, and a Christian should be a good Christian, and everyone should follow their religions while simultaneously respecting each other."
Ms. Swaraj was one of the few veteran leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party to be embraced by Mr. Modi, who swept into Delhi in 2014 with a tight inner circle from his position as chief minister of the state of Gujarat. He was re-elected in a landslide victory in May, giving Hindu nationalists the strongest hand they have held in modern Indian history.
Last year, when Ms. Swaraj announced that she would not run for re-election because of her failing health, her husband publicly declared his gratitude.
"You are contesting elections since you were 25, and fighting elections for 41 years is quite a marathon," he wrote. "Madam — I am running behind you for the last 46 years. I am no longer a 19-year-old. Please, I am running out of breath. Thank you."
If you are getting married, reserve the day at the Lightner Museum, the best of st Augustine wedding venues .
Read More


text:
UK Manufacturer
Patay SD60FM A2054 Adblue Hand Pump For tanks and IBC's.
Lightweight design, high quality pump constructed with a strong aluminum handle, it can
be either bench, wall or tank mounted. This easy to use pump is ideal for Adblue applications.
This general purpose diaphragm pump has an excellent flow rate of up to 65 litres per
minute (18 imp Gals). A particular feature of this pump is the ability to use 4 different
angles for the port orientation cover and 6 possible handle positions, giving an outstanding
96 possible adaptions to pump mounting and use. Supplied fitted with 25mm hose barbed
ports, 38mm ports are included with the pump and can be changed very simply. Should you
require, 19mm ports can be supplied instead.
Pump International developed the customised pumps for the world famous Red Arrows which enables the trail of red, white and blue smoke. This supports our status as a global leader in the manufacturer of industrial, chemical & marine pumps.
To buy any of the Pump International products online please access our ONLINE PUMP SHOP.
Pump International is a hand pump manufacturer established in 1964 with the Patay brand.
We supply the industrial, service industries and marine markets with pumps for de-watering; fuel, oil or chemical transfer, pressure test and bilge pumps.
We also design and manufacture pumps for all manner of special purposes
Pump International will be attending the landscape show on the 17th and and 18th of September at Battersea Park in London. The show established as the


text:
You are able to select the panel bad by blending both the colors and textures. If you are considering this heavy cotton duvet cover however you don't wish to get too much light, then you're able to select the special panel duvet by combining some elements, for example as timber, fabric upholstery along with faux leather in a few different colors. This notion provides you more duvet covers queen. This idea provides you with the exact two-toned appearance together side the visual depth touch in your duvet. Or, you are able to attract all black colour for an even powerful look in your duvet.
A great deal of mothers become very excited as it regards designing their wives' duvet. First, they start to start looking for heavy cotton duvet cover in order to start looking to get inspirations. You can find a lot of cotton queen duvet covers out there there which may become your reference. In developing your daughters' duvet, you'll find a lot of matters that you should focus on. Such as for instance the inner colours, accessories, furniture, and many more. Those ideas can support the comfort and attractiveness on your daughters' duvet. The shades which are acceptable for girls are vivid colors like pink, yellow, green, along with a lot more. Or, you may also use earthy colours such as beige, baby blue, pink and white.
Recessed lighting can be just a lamp put on the top . however, it is added a small place for every single lamp. A small room isn't simply creating the duvet roof longer beautiful but the ring is more favorable. Wall lights would be to be the next selection of pintuck duvet cover. Desire to is really in which makes it not too bright as it reflects against the walls. It's similar to its identify from which it really is perhaps not placed to the roofing . however, it's hanging on the duvet wall. The difference is that has no bright light. The form of this lighting is appropriate to get heavy cotton duvet cover.
Are you currently hoping to find heavy cotton duvet cover which implement modern day components and layouts? But you will find several techniques to do it, but you need to prioritize the lighting of the duvet. The majority of the egyptian cotton duvet cover prioritize the lighting as it has a task that's fairly crucial. Natural light can be used extensively because it lets you create a duvet surroundings which feels hot , even at nighttime time. Adding polished lightings in the ceiling of your duvet can be great so as to make your duvet feels larger than it actually is. Very well, these are the learn duvet thoughts you are able to implement when adorning your own awesome duvet!


text:
Paroxetine-referenced Study Evaluating Three Doses of DVS SR in Outpatients With MDD
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00445679
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : March 9, 2007
Results First Posted : November 4, 2013
Last Update Posted : November 4, 2013
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Depressive Disorder, Major
|Drug: DVS SR Drug: Paroxetine
|Phase 3
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|807 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Paroxetine-referenced, Parallel-group Study to Evaluate the Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of 3 Fixed Doses (50mg, 100mg, AND 200mg) of Desvenlafaxine Succinate Sustained-release Tablets in Adult Outpatients With Major Depressive Disorder
|Study Start Date :
|July 2007
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|February 2009
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|February 2009
Experimental: A
DVS SR 50mg/day
Drug: DVS SR
Arm 1: 50mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper Arm 2: 100mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper Arm 3: 200mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper
Experimental: B
DVS SR 100mg/day
Drug: DVS SR
Arm 1: 50mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper Arm 2: 100mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper Arm 3: 200mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper
Experimental: C
DVS SR 200mg/day
Drug: DVS SR
Arm 1: 50mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper Arm 2: 100mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper Arm 3: 200mg DVS SR tablet, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper
Active Comparator: D
Paroxetine 20mg/day
Drug: Paroxetine
20 mg Paroxetine capsule, QD, 8 weeks treatment with 2 week taper
- Percentage of Responders With a 50% or Greater Decrease From Baseline on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, 17-item (HAM-D17) [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]HAM-D17 is a standardized, clinician-administered rating scale that assesses 17 items characteristically associated with major depression. Items are scored on either a 3 point (0 to 2) or a 5 point scale (0 to 4), with 0=none/absent and 4=most severe, for a maximum total score of 50.
- Clinical Global Impressions Scale-Improvement (CGI-I) Scores [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]CGI-I is a global rating scale that measures disease improvement. Using a 7-point scale, the clinician rates how much the subject's illness has improved or worsened relative to the baseline status (1= very much improved; 7= very much worse).
- Clinical Global Impressions Scale-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) Scores [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]CGI-S is a global rating scale that measures the severity of a subject's disease. Using a 7-point scale, the clinician rates the severity of the patient's mental illness at the time of the assessment, relative to the clinician's experience with subjects who have the same diagnosis (1= normal, not at all ill; 7= among the most extremely ill).
- Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score Mean Change From Baseline [ Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks ]Measures the overall severity of depressive symptoms. The MADRS has a 10-item checklist. Items are rated on a scale of 0-6, for a total score range of 0 (low severity of depressive symptoms) to 60 (high severity of depressive symptoms).
- Visual Analog Scale-pain Intensity (VAS-PI) Score Mean Change From Baseline [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]The VAS-PI is a self-rated visual analog scale for the assessment of pain. Scores on the VAS-PI range from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain). A decrease in VAS-PI overall scores indicates a subject's assessment of an improvement in pain.
- Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, 6-item (HAM-D6) Score Mean Change From Baseline [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]HAM-D6: standardized, clinician-administered rating scale is a subset of the HAM-D17 that assesses 6 items associated with major depression. The scale uses HAM-D17 items 1, 2, 7, 8, 10 and 13. Item 13 is scored 0 to 2 (0=none/absent to 2=most severe) and all others are scored 0 to 4 (0=none/absent to 4=most severe). Total score ranges from 0 to 22; higher score indicates more depression.
- Covi Anxiety Scale Score Mean Change From Baseline [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]Covi anxiety scale measures the severity of anxiety symptoms on 3 items: verbal report, behavior and somatic complaints. Each dimension is assessed using a 5-point scale: 1 = not at all, 2 = somewhat, 3 = moderately, 4 = considerably, 5 = Very much. Total score ranges from 3 to 15; higher score indicates more anxiety.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Primary Inclusion Criteria:
- Outpatient men and women at least 18 years of age.
- Have a primary diagnosis of MDD based on the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM IV), single or recurrent episode, without psychotic features.
- Have a HAM D17 total score ≥20 at the screening and baseline (study day 1) visit.
Primary Exclusion Criteria:
- Treatment with DVS SR at any time in the past.
- Significant risk of suicide based on clinical judgment, including common suicidal thoughts and suicide having been considered as a possible solution even without specific plans or intent.
- Any unstable hepatic, renal, pulmonary, cardiovascular (including uncontrolled hypertension), ophthalmologic, neurologic, or any other medical condition that might confound the study or put the subject at greater risk during study participation.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00445679
|Beijing, China, 100083
|Beijing, China, 100088
|Guangdong Province, China, 510370
|Hunan Province, China, 410011
|Jiangsu Province, China, 210029
|Shanghai, China, 200030
|Shanghai, China, 200065
|Shanxi Province, China, 710032
|Sichuan Province, China, 610041
|Yunnan Province, China, 650032
|Zhejiang Province, China, 310003
|Andhra Pradesh, India, 500 038
|Andhra Pradesh, India, 500034
|Andhra Pradesh, India, 517 507
|Andhra Pradesh, India, 530 002
|Chandigarh, India, 160012
|Gujarat, India, 380006
|Gujarat, India, 380013
|Karnataka, India, 575 001
|Karnataka, India, 575018
|Maharashtra, India, 400 012
|Maharashtra, India, 400 026
|Maharashtra, India, 411001
|Mumbai Maharashtra, India, H19400 022
|New Delhi, India, 110002
|Punjab, India, 141001
|Uttar Pradesh, India, 226003
|Korea, Republic of
|Incheon, Korea, Republic of, 400-711
|Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 110-744
|Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 135-710
|Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 135-720
|Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 137-701
|Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 138-736
|Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 140-757
|Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 150-719
|Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 158-710
|Chang-Hua, Taiwan, ROC 500
|KaoHsiung, Taiwan, ROC 80708
|Taipei, Taiwan, ROC 100
|Taipei, Taiwan, ROC 111
|Taipei, Taiwan, ROC 112
|Taipei, Taiwan, ROC 114
|Taipei, Taiwan, ROC 220
|Study Director:
|Medical Monitor
|Wyeth is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer
|Principal Investigator:
|Trial Manager
|For China: email@example.com
|Responsible Party:
|Wyeth is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|March 9, 2007 Key Record Dates
|Results First Posted:
|November 4, 2013
|Last Update Posted:
|November 4, 2013
|Last Verified:
|October 2013
major depressive disorder
Depressive Disorder
Depressive Disorder, Major
Mood Disorders
Mental Disorders
Behavioral Symptoms
Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors
Membrane Transport Modulators
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Neurotransmitter Agents
Serotonin Agents
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation
Antidepressive Agents
Psychotropic Drugs
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors


text:
Library and Technology
- Spanish Research Guide - Start your research here
- Portuguese Research Guide - Start your research here.
- Library - Location, contacts, and collection description for the library.
- Technology Support - Help documents and contacts.
- Library and Technology Resources for Faculty - Shortcuts to library and technology pages used by faculty.
- Library Liaison - Have a question about research, the library, or technology? Ask your liaison. The Spanish & Portuguese liaison is Katrina Spencer, Research and Instruction Librarian, Library 207, 802.443.5949, email@example.com


text:
Written by Sean McPheat |
After years of on-the-job training, and tens of thousands of cold calls, you have finally arrived.
You are a pro.
You are able to pick up the telephone and make appointments seemingly at will.
However, do not get too comfortable, because even at your level, there are some major mistakes you must avoid.
Below are the three most common mistakes the best of the best make.
Failing To Listen & Making Assumptions
There comes a time when you know exactly what almost every prospect is going to say.
You know every possible objection and you know how to handle each. You often cover the objections well before they arise.
It is easy to begin to assume that you know what the prospect is going to say before they actually say it.
While you may be correct 80% or even 90% of the time, there are still those that you misjudge.
In addition to assuming incorrectly, even when you are right, you will tend to cut the prospect off, sometimes in mid sentence.
You must remain open minded and listen to every response completely.
Having All The Answers Too Quickly
Following along the above mistake, always being right and having all the answers at the tip of your tongue is a mistake.
Prospects will often object simply because they feel you left them no objection.
They feel you are too prepared and they have no control.
Though you must maintain control, the prospect needs to feel as if they are in control.
Being Too Comfortable
Beginners and under-trained cold callers make the mistake of sounding too rehearsed and tense.
However, the experienced can often sound too relaxed.
You need to sound natural, and unrehearsed, but you must be careful to maintain a professional tone.
It is easy to be so comfortable that your calls become too casual and even amateurish.
When you become the best of the best, remember that there are a new set of obstacles to overcome.
Happy Selling!
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training | Sales Blog | Image courtesy of Big Stock Photo
Originally published: 19 March, 2018


text:
The NFRN has hailed the Competition and Market Authority's (CMA's) phase one inquiry into Trinity Mirror's planned purchase of the newspaper and magazine titles published by Richard Desmond, adding that it hopes that it will shine a spotlight on some of the ills in the newspaper supply chain.
National President Linda Sood said: "We did fear some repercussions for news retailers when the takeover by Trinity Mirror was first announced and as they have become a reality we will be happy to share our concerns with the regulator.
"Firstly, we will remind the CMA that the 11 daily newspapers and nine Sunday publications that now exist are owned by just a handful of PLCs or individuals and this will be further reduced by the Mirror buyout.
"Secondly, the worst fears of independent retailers were recognised just recently when cover prices on the daily and weekend copies of both the Express and Star increased but the margins that news stockists received were slashed to bring them in line with those offered by the Mirror publications.
"Previously, retailers had enjoyed preferential margins of 24.2 per cent on both titles but these have been reduced to 22.5 per cent for weekday publications and 21 per cent for the weekend papers."
The announcement of the CMA's decision to launch the phase one inquiry came on the same day that the NFRN delivered a dossier of concerns regarding practices in the news supply chain to the regulator and called for an investigation into the market.
As well as the phase one inquiry into Trinity Mirror's acquisition, culture secretary Matt Hancock is to consider whether it raises media plurality concerns under the Enterprise Act.


text:
The LEP, alongside the 4 Black Country local authorities; Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, is encouraging local businesses to tweet about their product(s), workplace or staff members.
On Saturday 14 July, we would like local businesses to:
- Take a photograph of their product(s), workplace or staff
- Post the picture to Twitter to celebrate Black Country Day
- Include the hashtag #MadeInTheBlackCountry along with any others which might apply (i.e. #manufacturing, #business etc). Please also mention @officialBCday and tag in @blackcountrylep where possible.
On its own, a single tweet holds little power, but a range of tweets from companies celebrating the Black Country and their roots will be noticeable, generating interest in the participating accounts and the wider message.
For further details on the LEP's Twitter campaign, please visit: https://www.blackcountrylep.co.uk/news/lep-encourages-local-businesses-to-support-black-country-day-2018/


text:
I Did A Few Things Out Of Curiosity And Hormonal Changes... To My Sister
We are family of four - myself, my elder sister who is one year older than me, my mother and father. We are quite traditional, and our parents were strict. This is the story of when I was about 12-13 years old. I was mostly an outgoing guy, I would play a lot of games and be always out of the home. As our upbringing was strict, and my mom was a working woman, she always made sure that I respect my sister and other girls, and most of the household work was done by me. My parents never asked my sister to do some work or go get groceries. Normally, my day would start, by going to school, playing cricket at school, and once back home, I would again play cricket in the evening and come back home by 7 pm. We would watch TV (DD channel), and go to sleep. I was not too close to my sister, I never hugged her, nor did she ever hug me, but I had respect and love for her.
My sister was beautiful, and most of the school boys would stare at her, propose to her and try to impress her.Share this quote
They would sometimes try to strike a conversation with me, and I would sometimes ignore as if I didn't know or I didn't want to get into it as I was a bit afraid of that. My sister would treat me like an elder brother, she shared a lot of things with me and depended on me. I would defend her in front of my parents for her wrongdoings. This was the age where my friends would talk about masturbation, and I didn't have any knowledge of it. I was also a bit of an introvert, I had only a few close guy friends and didn't have any female friends. I would talk to girls but was shy and afraid.
My hormones started to hit then, pubic hair started to grow around my d**k, and I used to get hard-on in the mornings. And slowly, I started to learn how to masturbate by experimenting with my d**k. The first time when I stroked myself, I ejaculated but I didn't know what it was. I was scared, as I didn't know when it would end. After that I experimented with myself a lot, it was a different feeling, I enjoyed it.Share this quote
Then all this started one day, I accidentally saw my sister's cleavage when she bent to take her shoes, her boobs were so good. From then on, I would try to get a glimpse of her boobs, whenever I could. One night, we were sleeping and I was feeling too aroused, I touched her boobs over her shirt, she was in her school uniform.
She was sleeping, I dared further, I undid one button and entered my hand inside her, she was wearing a petticoat. I felt her naked boob, it was such a nice feeling, smooth. I didn't have the knowledge then that nipples get erect, so I didn't even notice that.Share this quote
Then, I went down to touch her p***y, until then I had a few glimpses of a p***y because I had seen naked kids when they were bathing outside, but I only saw an inverted triangle. I never knew how it really was until I saw my first porn movie at the age of 18. This time, I was only curious to touch it, so I entered my hand under her skirt and put my hand inside her underwear to touch it, she was hairy down there. I parted her legs and cupped her entire vagina with my palm, it felt good. I didn't even know about the clitoris and all that stuff, I was immature.
I withdrew my hand and accidentally smelled it, it had a little bit of pee smell, I didn't like it. I was hard by now, I took her hand and put it on my d**k, just to get a feel of it and then removed it. Then I took my d**k close her face and made it touch her lips. I was scared by this time, I was scared of her waking up. I am not sure if she was awake because all this happened at least for an hour, then I slept. From then on, I tried to touch her now and then in her sleep, only her boobs over her clothes, I never touched her p***y again.
I think she knew about me touching her, maybe she was more matured than me to know that I was only curious, or she was afraid of what I was doing to her and remained silent to salvage our relationship.Share this quote
Sometimes my sister would ask me to sleep beside her, I would sleep close to her just to touch my d**k on her ass. We were alone at home many times, but I never took a step further. We would talk normally and had our brother-sister fights. As time passed, after my schooling, I moved out of my home for further studies.
Finally, at the age of 18, I started watching porn regularly, and I learned all that I wanted to know. I had made a few girl friends by then, but I never misbehaved with them or had sex with them. The curiosity that I had in my childhood was not there anymore.Share this quote
I had my first sexual experience at the age of 24, and then had a couple of more encounters. I still have immense respect for my sister and love her, I did a few things out of curiosity or hormonal changes, I had no knowledge of sex or sexual intercourse then, I just wanted to touch female body parts to know how they felt. But I now regret it sometimes. She is married now and I am too, I am happy that our relationship is stronger now.
It's never too early to educate your child, to give them a basic understanding of sex and consent. Like charity, abuse also begins at home. But don't worry, awareness also begins at home if you share this.


text:
As a competent yacht outfitter, WENDEL & RADOS will once again be on hand to advise and support its customers at the "boot" in Düsseldorf this year. Visit us in Düsseldorf!
You will find us in hall 11, booth G49 from 19.01. – 27.01.2019
We are looking forward to seeing you!! ⛵
You can reach our contact persons at boot Düsseldorf 2019 as follows:
Equipment specialist – Sebastian Wilking:
Your mobile contact for individual advice, fair guidance and help with the original equipment of Hanse, Dehler, Moody, Varianta, Privileg, as well as the motor yacht Sealine and Fjord!
Mr. Wilking will be happy to take the time to discuss all your questions about equipment with you and/or your customers and to bring you closer to your desired and interesting equipment at the fair.
Mr. Wilking can be contacted at any time at short notice on +49-176-611 305 59 (also via WhatsApp) or firstname.lastname@example.com
Sail maker Roberto Steinke:
at Wendel & Rados GmbH in hall 11 / G49
Mobile: +49-175-204 94 11 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Marine electronics specialist Max Birkholz:
at Wendel & Rados GmbH in hall 11 / G49
Mobile: +49-172-86 51 425 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
I just love this time of the year as we journey into advent and head towards the Christmas season. For Christians, it is packed full of hope and expectancy. I am sensible enough to realise that some of this is a cultural thing as my hope for the future is conditioned by the excitement of the Christmases that I experienced in the past and particularly in my childhood. However, even those experiences were wrapped up in the promises of this journey through the scriptures that we make every year in expectation of what God has and will do.
Perhaps my favourite promise is found in Isaiah 7:14 when in the middle of quite an odd passage there is this amazing verse "Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel." At Christmas, this verse is recapitulated in Matthew 1:23 after the angel of the Lord tells Joseph that Mary "will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." The narrator says "All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet," quoting the Immanuel passage from the prophet Isaiah. In the space of two verses we are given two names for this tiny baby that God is sending: Jesus and Immanuel. These two names hold the solution to every problem experienced by humanity.
A full sweep of the bible shows that humanity faces two inter-related difficulties. Firstly, we have this deep desire to be close to God. However, we also have a deep desire for our own free will that obscures our way to God. The bible describes this as sin – it is actually a term for an arrow missing its mark. Mixing metaphors, if the mark we are aiming for is God, then we will always miss him because of our human choices. God cannot abide sin. Yet, Immanuel is God-with-us. God's plan to save humankind demanded he came to us himself, sending his only Son. Jesus dealt with our sin on the cross and became Immanuel, God-with-us, to bring us close to himself and reconcile our relationship with God.
But you may say, all that happened two thousand years ago how is it relevant to me right now? Christian belief is grounded in faith and we are called to be sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. If we are asked to have hope in something without any proof whatsoever other than words that are several thousand years old, then we are right to ask why. The Lord does not leave us without proof. This last week at the funeral for Revd Chris Whitehead we heard how Janet and I had just the smallest of opportunities to pray with Chris and anoint him with oil before he died. We both recognised that palpable sense of God's presence in his room. At his thanksgiving service I was reminded of that verse from the hymn Dear Lord and Father of Mankind that says
O Sabbath rest by Galilee,
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!
I am absolutely sure that Jesus was kneeling in that room to lead Chris home to the "silence of eternity:" God-with-us. This is a proof of our faith. I wonder what experiences you can recall when you felt the loving presence of God so close that it was like a warm blanket keeping you safe?
The amazing thing is that Jesus, Immanuel, God-with-us came to over-turn all the times we have felt forsaken, isolated and alone in our life. He did this on the cross as he experienced the pain of our loneliness in those haunting words "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" In that moment he exchanged places with us in order that we can have a deep and intimate relationship with God.
However, it doesn't stop there. Our motto verse for 2020 is at the top of this article. When we are brought into a relationship with God through Jesus, then it is for a purpose. We are called to a ministry of reconciliation too, because Jesus shares not only his salvation and forgiveness, but his ministry as well. This is the third theme in our four-year series on the purpose of the church. We have already thought about worship and fellowship and this year we turn to ministry and in particular the ministry of reconciliation. Think how powerful this ministry could become with our nation being so divided at this present time.
As you journey through advent this year, you may wish to pray for our nation, or the broken relationships that you see down your street or in your own families. Perhaps, you could even ask the Lord if he would equip you with opportunities that might lead to the reconciliation of these people. When you see this happen, why not tell people what God has done. Giving testimony is how our faith becomes real, in knowing that those Advent promises that are so full of hope come true now as much as in the future.
Have a happy and blessed Christmas and a peaceful new year, from Richard


text: Make the most of your remote operations with EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert software. Geo SCADA Expert powers data and control from sensor to enterprise, meeting the demands of scalability and resilience in today's physical, virtual and cloud world. Find solutions in this forum to your challenges with architecture, protocols, configuration, programming, APIs, querying and connectivity.


text:
My family vacation this summer was a trip to the west coast, starting in LA and finishing in San Diego, checking out the left coast for a change of scenery. It was beautiful, well parts were at least. LA is a zoo and you can keep the traffic. Imagine Franklin Street during Christmas, 8 lanes wide all going at least 60 to 90 miles an hour. Then throw in a few Evil Knievals weaving in and out and splitting the lanes when they have to. I enjoyed seeing Mike Love's current tour of the Beach Boys live, some good food, and a few other things, but it is good to be home. Where I thankfully checked the Q schedule as I was doing my month end Weasel Shaker duties to learn Turtle Man had me listed as Q of The Black Knight this morning. Actually it didn't bother me – kind of got me excited to design a new workout.
I decided to use my sandbags and bricks for a portion so that required me to get up early. That wasn't a problem as my body clock is all to heck at the moment. I woke up about 0200 for some reason and doubt I slept much until the alarm at 0500. Good news is I arrived early to the AO for a change; second one in the parking lot behind the freshly shaved Island. If he didn't have the purple Hornets shirt on, I'd have thought we had an 20 year old FNG. Don't worry, Island said "the beard" will return one day. Whoopee and Stone Cold declare they were going to run instead of attend my boot camp. I was a little hurt because Whoopee and I already traded barbs via twitter – not over our musical interest but over the workout. But he's got the BRR upcoming that requires dedicated miles. Now – my man Gastone – he got up early for EC to log his miles and then posted for the extra pain. He had the sweaty knuckles to prove it. Others began to roll in and it was time to clock in. Veterans abound so only the brief disclaimer was stated: "modify as necessary."
- 4×4 (4 merkins, 4 mtn climbers) x 5
- Butt Kickers IC x 10
- Squat Jack Twits IC x 10
- Burpees 5 OYO
Mosey via the gravel road to the first picnic shelter at Martha Rivers, careful to avoid the large dumpster truck. Upon arrival I explained Round 1: mini Insanity. The circuit had 4 exercises at 30 seconds each with no rest until after all had been completed. We did 3 rounds of AMRAP during each 30 set:
- Knee crunches (rest back of calves on picnic bench)
- Dips
- Box Jumps
- Decline Peter Parkers
This was a grueling set that immediately brought the sweat, except for Gastone – he was already moist. Odd word "moist:" but guys find it funny while women seem to hate it unless it is mentioned in baking – is it time to digress? On the knee crunches I reiterated to give yourself some headroom between the picnic benches and quickly referenced the fabled Michael Scott joke "that's what she said…" It took a second before the chuckles occurred. It was dark and I think it was Pedal that nearly broke the table on one of the moves – he said he was fine. Gastone tried to bring the mumble chatter but he seemed to be the only one. A peanut gallery of one is tough; time to mosey to Phase II – along the upper track and through the back entrance to Riverwood we ran until reaching the entrance. We dropped for LBC's for a period of time until the 6 arrived and all had done at least 30 seconds of crunches. Let's get to the office building for 11's. I've not done these in a while but recalled Island doing an entire workout of this exercise and it being tough. My version was to begin with 10 merkins on the south end, run to the opposite side near the wall for 1 flying squirrel. You know the drill from there. All the guys pushed hard through that one. Other than the huffs for breath, it was quiet.
The final Thang only required a fellowship mosey to the front of the old HT. I did this a Midoriyama a few weeks ago and it was a crowd pleaser. Learning from that lesson we divided into groups of 3. P1 would remain at the parking line and perform Moroccan Night Clubs with bricks in each hand. P2 would lunge walk to the next parking line with sand bags in each hand or over their shoulder. P3 was waiting while performing flutter kicks. P2 set the timer for the exchange meaning P1 and P3 had +/- a minute of the exercises. Most of the time MNC's are docile but do them for a minute with resistance and the shoulders will burn. More time was needed as we only made it two rounds before a sprint was required back to the AO.
COT: The announcements have been posted in other BB's so take a look. Throw some school supplies in your car as Hush Puppy and Squirt are collecting for Least of These kids. We lifted prayers for the newest AO Mt. Hollywood, all the guys traveling, and all the thoughts in our hearts and minds.
Today was a grinder but one that everyone pushed through. We really could have used two more really strong men to make the teams of three work, oh that's right, they were running. I'll still count them since they did break a sweat during their 5 mile mosey. To the others, it was good to see TimeFrame back along with many of the regulars. Thanks to our fearless leader Turtle Man that put me as the Q. Even though he was spooning this morning and missed his ride to the workout, he made sure his PAX were taken care of – you're welcome. Until the next one, thanks for the opportunity to lead.