text:
These are Indispensable
There are some things in this sin-crazed world we can do without. We can do without the violence, disregard for human rights, collapse of moral standards, rebellion against authority, and man's inhumanity to man.
However, the Christian has certain standards that never change, immutable truths to which young and old alike can cling without fear of being disappointed. As Christians, we not only cling to these things but strive to give them to others in our role as faithful witnesses to the saving power of Jesus Christ. Let us look at a few of the things that God's Word says are indispensable.
The Blood of Christ
We find in Hebrews 9:22 that, with the exception of certain things that are purged by fire and water, "without the shedding of blood is no remission." One of the basic desires in the believer's life is the forgiveness of sins. God says without the shedding of blood this is impossible. From the first mention of sacrifice when God respected Abel's blood sacrifice we find blood mentioned over 450 times in the Bible, frequently in connection with sacrifice. When the Israelites in Egypt followed God's instructions to sprinkle the blood of a lamb over the door, He promised to spare the eldest son in the home. "When I see the blood I will pass over you." (Exodus 12:13). The blood that is so indispensable to the child of God is the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ as it flowed from His precious head, hands, and feet on Calvary. This and this alone is our means of access into the very presence of God, whither Christ is the Forerunner.
In Hebrews 11:6 we find another indispensable. "Without faith it is impossible to please God." The word "impossible" cannot be diluted here. It means exactly what it says without the slightest equivocation. Faith is difficult to define, but every believer knows what it is. Someone has paraphrased Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is believing exactly what the Bible says about God." Reading the entire eleventh chapter we find examples of the kind of faith that pleases God. No truth was emphasized oftener in our Lord's earthly ministry than the need for faith. These are days when the Christian should demonstrate by his conduct his unshakable faith in the eternal, sovereign, living God. Men's hearts are failing them for fear, but for the man of faith there is comfort of soul and peace of mind to know that there is a way they can please God. Many of the basic scriptural truths cannot be explained by pure reason or feeling alone, but God reveals them to us in clarity and depth which would be unattainable except. through faith.
Just as indispensable in pleasing God is the presence of works in the Christian life. While Jesus did not teach a system of ethics, He did commend many persons for the evidence of their faith as shown by their works. In the Epistle of James we find the emphasis on this principle. In James 2:17, 20 and 26 we find the theme repeated, "Faith without works is dead." What is more useless than a dead body? If we have faith and don't display it by works our faith is equally useless. God delights to see our faith in action, doing His will and carrying out His work in practical daily walking and witnessing. When Jesus wanted to explain the importance of a good deed to a lawyer He told him the story of the Good Samaritan. If those to whom we witness see in our conduct no evidence of our faith it may be a real stumbling block to one who needs and wants to hear the good news of the gospel. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
We sometimes cloister ourselves with other Christians in fellowship and worship, neglecting to share our faith with others about us. This is contrary to our Lord's instructions to be His witnesses. In order to carry out His program on earth we must show both our faith and our works as evidence of our redeemed condition. James cites the example of Abraham (James 2:24) to illustrate the truth that a person is declared righteous as the result of both faith and works. Either one alone is not enough. Both are indispensable.
Again in Hebrews we find a "must" for the believer in 12:14. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." The writer is addressing Jews who had professed faith in Christ but were suffering persecution for their testimony and needed encouragement. He is not advocating a flaccid attitude in pursuing peace, nor is he expecting moral perfection. None of the characters in the Bible, Christ excepted, was morally perfect. But the Holy Spirit through this writer says we are to pursue peace with all men, godly and ungodly, and in spite of opposition, without surrendering the pursuit of holiness. Peace and holiness go hand in glove, peace without holiness being no peace at all. When we are giving the preeminence in our lives and devoting our time and substance to serving Him, we are pursuing holiness. The reason we do not attain perfect holiness is that we are still subject to the old sinful nature and are striving to please men rather than God. We tend to compromise with holiness, but God has never indicated that it is all right to sin just a little. His standard of holiness is inflexible and if we pursue this standard with all our vigour we are as sure of seeing God as we are of not seeing Him if we do not pursue it. We have a promise in Psalm 34:10b, "They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." Let us claim this promise by the uncompromising pursuit of peace and true holiness.
We see how indispensable love is in the life of the Christian when we consider the place it has in the teachings of Christ. In His only two explicit commandments love is the dominant thought, love for God and love for fellow men. In John 3:16 we have the very purest use of the word that sacred literature contains, the love of God for the world. In the First Epistle of John we find love is the theme, developed by the disciple whom Jesus loved. We find in 4:8, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." In 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul expresses the emptiness and futility of eloquence, education, generosity, sacrifice, and even faith when these things are not accompanied by love. How loosely we use this word in our conversation, relating to flowers, music, food, a good book, etc. In our materialistic existence the true meaning of the word is often lost sight of, but the mature Christian finds love for the truth, love for Christ, and love for His redeemed people is an indispensable part of his spiritual duty and exercise.
The supreme object of the believer's love is our risen Saviour, Jesus Christ. In His discourse on the vine in John 15, Jesus told His friends that without the life-giving vine the branches could bear no fruit. As He is the Vine and we are the branches, it follows that without Him we can do nothing. So another indispensable in the believer's life is the living Christ. The man of the world finds this hard to understand as he views the accomplishments of man in the application of science. He sees man landing on the moon, building lightning-fast computers, performing vital organ transplants in the human body, etc. The unconverted point to these things and ask, "Who needs God!" But the child of God knows that life without the unbroken, active, constant relationship to Jesus Christ is fruitless. To be without Christ is to be without God, without life, without salvation, without hope, without promise, and without light in the world. Man's ingenuity may be great, but all his material accomplishments without Christ can only bring frustration, confusion, and spiritual darkness. This seems to be the condition of the world today as it puts material progress and accomplishments ahead of the indispensable Christ.
In discussing some of the indispensables of the Christian life we must not omit prayer, our communion with God. Just as air is vital to the health of our physical bodies, so is prayer indispensable to the health of our souls. We approach the throne of grace with courage and confidence, knowing that the appeal of our hearts is heard. We come in our helplessness, in humility, and in penitence, knowing that we have One at God's right hand Who knows our every weakness and pleads there on our behalf. So we come, in the agonizing silence of a broken heart, or in fellowship with others of like mind and attitude, maintaining the indispensable line of communication between ourselves and God.


text:
I spent several hours hammering out a design analysis of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri versus Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth. Then Porpentine announced Twiny Jam, and I threw the article out and made this instead.
My first draft included nods to the Alien Crossfire expansion, but I cut them out to stay within word count (as Twiny Jam caps games at 300 words). I've included the source code below so that you can admire my success at doing so (or, y'know, just peek at how it was made.)
A Love Song for Alpha Centauri
an interactive complaint
Release date: March 26, 2015
Format: Twine
Play in browser (itch.io)
Alternate play link (philome.la)
Download the source code
No offline play available due to the nature of the piece.
Special thanks to Leon Arnett for the combined <<replace>> macro set, which is spectacularly useful and made this piece possible.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hydratight BoltUp® is our free bolt load calculator, delivered over the web or available as a mobile app.
It has been reformatted to permit ease of use while retaining the Informate Calculation Engine.
Boltup is now focused on Carbon Steel Weldneck ANSI B16.5 flanges, with selected lubricants and gasket options.
Log In
© 2023 Hydratight Limited - All rights reserved


text:
Home > Product > DDoS Protections > Arbor Cloud>
Arbor Cloud DDoS Service for Multi-layered Protection – From the enterprise network to the Cloud. A complete anti-DDoS program for your business.
Arbor Cloud is a DDoS service powered by the world's leading experts in DDoS mitigation, together with the most widely deployed DDoS protection technology. Whether your enterprise searching for a DDoS program to maximize the availability of its network, services and applications—or you're a service provider seeking to protect the availability of its infrastructure or that of its customers—Arbor offers a DDoS program for you.
Arbor Cloud DDoS Service for Enterprises
Today's complex DDoS attacks are the number one threat to the availability of networks, applications and online services. Volumetric attacks are growing. The increasing popularity of amplification/reflection attacks is adding a new layer of complexity. Modern day DDoS attacks now employ a combination of volumetric, TCP-state exhaustion and application-layer attack vectors. Arbor Cloud's DDoS service provides cloud-based traffic scrubbing services tightly integrated with on-premise DDoS mitigation defense. This multi-layered, hybrid approach represents the most comprehensive DDoS program an enterprise can deploy to mitigate today's full spectrum of DDoS threats.
At a time when connectivity has never been more important, businesses are racing to put a DDoS program in place. Increasingly, they are looking to a DDoS service for their answer. While there are many choices, there are also many differences in approaches, quality and experience. It is critical to choose the right DDoS program for your business.
A modern DDoS program requires multi-layered protection from the edge of the network to the cloud yet not all DDoS services provide this. With Arbor Cloud DDoS service, you gain an integrated on-demand solution that delivers protection from the full spectrum of modern DDoS attacks that target bandwidth, applications and infrastructure, often at the same time.
DDoS service offerings come in many different forms. The Arbor Cloud DDoS service delivers a fully managed, best-practices defense from the data center to the cloud. It is supported by the world's leading experts in DDoS attack mitigation. When you chose the Arbor Cloud DDoS service, you're implementing a DDoS program that is proven on the world's largest, most complex networks.
Arbor Cloud DDoS Service for Service Providers
Enterprises aren't alone in evaluating their DDoS program. As DDoS attacks continue to grow in size, frequency and complexity, service providers are looking for additional staff and capacity to protect their infrastructure and ensure its availability. At the same time, they are rushing to meet Enterprise demand for a wide variety of security services, including DDoS service. With an Arbor Cloud DDoS program ISPs and MSSPs can protect their infrastructure while also meeting Enterprise demand for DDoS service.
The Arbor Cloud DDoS service allows for expansion of existing DDoS programs, or new ones through resale of Arbor Cloud to their Enterprise customers —to quickly and cost-effectively protect their enterprise customers.


text:
Women workers still barely participate actively in the Soviets. Nonetheless, since the very first days of Soviet rule, they have been able to bring to the Soviets a lively, productive discussion about easing the burden of motherhood for women.
To Comrades Kamenev, Zinoviev, Ryazanov and Larin
Once before, the Central Committee delivered an ultima—turn to the leading exponents of your policy (Kamenev and Zinoviev), demanding complete subordination to the Central Committee's line and decisions, and renunciation of efforts to sabotage its work and of all subversive activity. See more
By leaving the Central Committee, but remaining in the Party, the exponents of your policy undertook to abide by Central Committee decisions. Actually, however, you have not confined yourselves to criticism within the Party, but have brought confusion into the ranks of the fighters- in an uprising which is still going on, and continue, in violation of Party discipline, to frustrate Central Committee decisions and hamper its work outside the Party, in the Soviets, the municipal bodies, the trade unions, etc.
In view of this, the Central Committee is forced to restate its ultimatum and to request that you immediately pledge yourselves in writing either to abide by Central Committee decisions and to conduct its policy in all your statements, or to withdraw from all Party activity in public and resign from all responsible posts in the working-class movement until the next Party congress.
Refusal to pledge yourselves to either course will make it imperative for the Central Committee to consider the question of your immediate expulsion from the Party.
The future feels vague and anxious. At the same time, I feel very clearly the strength of the Russian nation regardless of its anti-government movements. Today, we can see in all its stark reality the anarchism of the masses of the Russian people and of its Jewish leaders, who play a major role in these movements. See more
One can draw this line all the way through the history of Judaism and of the Russian people. The servant classes, separated from the rest of the people, have already been making history for millennia. "The people" lived its life and worked to create another. The ideological decline of socialism and populism is emerging very clearly. It will be very curious to watch how the intelligentsia will change. Whatever happens at the level of the state, the great Russian people will survive.
Art should not be taken from the people. Either with the people, or against the people, but not out of them. The theatre is for the people. The theatre is with the people.
There has been a serious split in the ranks of the Bolsheviks, and eight of the fourteen commissaries have tendered their resignation as a protest against such arbitrary measures as the suppression of liberty of the Press, etc. The Government is now in the hands of a small clique of extremists, who are bent on imposing their will on the country by terroristic methods. See more
There are signs of growing dissatisfaction at the prolongation of the crisis, both among the troops and the workmen, and several factories have sent delegates to the Smolny Institute to tell the Bolsheviks that they must come to an agreement with the other Socialist organizations. Some of them held very outspoken language, saying that all that Lenin and Trotzky wanted was to sleep, as Kerensky had done, in Nicholas's bed. It was hoped at first that the secession of so many of their leaders would bring the more moderate members of their party into line with the representatives of the other Socialistic groups, and that a Government would be formed from which Lenin and Trotzky would be excluded. This hope has not been realized, and the extremists are now making great efforts to win over the left wing of the Social Revolutionary party and to induce the seceding members of their own party to return. If they succeed in this they will consolidate their position for the time being; but if the peace which they have promised is long delayed and if the supply of bread, which is getting scarcer every day, fails, the masses may rise and overthrow them. Except in the Ministry of War, the majority of the departmental staffs are still on strike.
It was a Hussar holiday. I began a new book, Fire in the Stubble. During the morning it was snowing and it warmed up until 8 o'clock in the evening. A strong wind blew for awhile and after dinner it went up to 13 degrees above frost and the barometer went down to 73.5.
I sat one evening in a traktir—a kind of lower-class inn—across the street from the gates of Smolny; a low-ceilinged, loud place called "Uncle Tom's Cabin," much frequented by Red Guards. They crowded it now, packed close around the little tables with their dirty table-cloths and enormous china tea-pots, filling the place with foul cigarette-smoke, while the harassed waiters ran about crying "Seichass! Seichass! In a minute! Right away!" See more
In one corner sat a man in the uniform of a captain, addressing the assembly, which interrupted him at every few words.
"You are no better than murderers!" he cried. "Shooting down your Russian brothers on the streets!"
"When did we do that?" asked a worker.
"Last Sunday you did it, when the yunkers…"
"Well, didn't they shoot us?" One man exhibited his arm in a sling. "Haven't I got something to remember them by, the devils?"
The captain shouted at the top of his voice. "You should remain neutral! You should remain neutral! Who are you to destroy the legal Government? Who is Lenin? A German…"
"Who are you? A counter-revolutionist! A provocator!" they bellowed at him.
When he could make himself heard the captain stood up. "All right!" said he. "You call yourselves the people of Russia. But you're not the people of Russia. The peasants are the people of Russia. Wait until the peasants…"
"Yes," they cried, "wait until the peasants speak. We know what the peasants will say… Aren't they workingmen like ourselves?"


text:
Blockbuster Anatomy: Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos on the Tulowitzki and Price DealsTom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
Amid the craziest trade deadline week for any team this year — and one of the craziest for any team, ever — Alex Anthopoulos can pinpoint the one moment when he nearly lost his nerve.
Thanks to the team's league-best offense and shaky rotation, the Blue Jays general manager had been lusting over Tigers ace David Price for over a year. A little more than a week before the deadline, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski had told Anthopoulos and other suitors that he needed more time to decide whether or not his team could still make a run at the playoffs.
Then early Wednesday evening, less than 48 hours before the non-waiver deadline, Dombrowski called Anthopoulos. The Tigers were going to move Price.
"I asked if it would go to Friday," Anthopoulos said. "He said, 'I'll get back to you tonight.' I told him, 'Great, my family's in Portugal until Monday. I'll be all alone. Call anytime, I'll be awake!' So later that night, Dombrowski calls me. Except I'm on the phone with [Mariners GM] Jack Zduriencik talking about [veteran relief pitcher] Mark Lowe. I'm dying to jump off the phone, but I don't want to do that to Jack. I did really want Price, though. So I did hurry it along."
The two GMs talked deep into the night, and at 3 a.m. they finally hashed out a deal. The Tigers got pitching prospects Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt. The Jays got one of the 10 best pitchers on the planet.
The next day, they landed Lowe and Ben Revere to cap off a 72-hour run that also included the acquisitions of Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins. But Price, well, he was the emotional high point.
"I didn't sleep a second that night," Anthopoulos said. "I was too wired."
Melissa Renwick/Toronto Star/Getty Images
Like the rest of the baseball world, Anthopoulos knew that new Rockies GM Jeff Bridich would consider trading Tulowitzki. Tulo was guaranteed $118 million through the end of his 10-year contract, he was 30 years old, and the Rockies badly needed to add young pitching in order to accelerate their rebuilding efforts. Still, it wouldn't be cheap. Despite Tulo coming off an injury-plagued season in which he played only 91 games, Bridich made it clear to Anthopoulos last winter that he valued his franchise player as the best shortstop in baseball and had no plans to sell low on him. He repeated that claim each time Anthopoulos tried to reignite trade talks over the next few months.
"I remembered when we did the Troy Glaus–Scott Rolen trade [in January 2008]," Anthopoulos said. "J.P. [Ricciardi] was the GM. I was AGM, but worked a lot on that deal. With Rolen it was a fallout with the manager. With Tulo, it was just knowing that he wasn't going to be in Colorado much longer. I thought we could find a match."
Considering the team's dearth of pitching and wealth of offense, zeroing in on another big bat might have seemed misguided. It certainly did to some people in the Toronto front office.
"We had a lot of people within our organization who were not comfortable with the idea of getting Tulo and wanted starting pitching instead," he said. "They brought up the length of his contract, the dollars on his contract, the players we'd have to give up."
Tulo had been on Anthopoulos's mind for more than a decade, dating back to when he worked as a Jays scouting director in 2005. He and (now-assistant GM) Andrew Tinnish went to scout the shortstop when he was starring for Long Beach State. The Jays ended up drafting Ricky Romero one spot before the Rockies took Tulo. Both men then watched from a distance as that five-tool kid blossomed into an elite talent. A decade later, they wanted him badly.
"Everyone was so focused on the rotation and bullpen," Anthopoulos said. "But we felt we could still get better defensively and offensively. You can make a case that certain position players are worth more than starters, and Tulo is one of those players."
Anthopoulos checked in with Bridich in May. At that point, the Rockies GM said he'd be open to taking Jose Reyes back in the deal if Colorado could nab a few of Toronto's many quality pitching prospects. Talks continued for a few weeks, and once the All-Star break ended, concrete trade proposals and counterproposals began to form. Finally, on July 28, the two sides agreed to the deal that shocked the baseball world. In addition to Reyes, the Rockies landed top pitching prospect Jeff Hoffman and two other talented young arms, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco. The Jays got Hawkins and their white whale.
"I looked at it like this: This is one of the best players in baseball," Anthopoulos said. "Players like that don't become available. They sign 10-year contracts and become the face of a franchise. It wasn't an easy decision. It was weird, the process was long and stressful … but it was also a lot of fun."
Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
For as much of a net positive as Tulowitzki might be for the Jays, the question still remained: Yeah, but what about pitching? If anything, the Tulo deal left some of Toronto's baseball ops people and outside observers wondering if the Jays would have enough in the cupboard to answer that question.
A source close to the Jays said they dangled much of that remaining "prospect capital" on pitchers with multiple years of controllable service time — specifically strikeout fiend Carlos Carrasco and his incredibly team-friendly contract and Tyson Ross and his gigantic ground ball rate. Toronto got close to finalizing a Carrasco deal before talks fell apart, according to the source. A deal for Ross never materialized, because the Padres decided they wanted push for the postseason, despite being 7.5 games out of the wild-card race.
When Johnny Cueto and Scott Kazmir got dealt to other teams, the White Sox curiously decided to hold onto Jeff Samardzija, and stabs at Ross and Carrasco failed, the supply of impactful starting pitchers suddenly started to look thin. According to the source, the Jays also inquired about Cole Hamels — over the winter, during spring training, before the All-Star break, and again 10 days before the deadline. Each time, they were told that Hamels wouldn't waive his no-trade clause to come to Toronto.
In addition to the scarcity of available arms, the parity caused by the second wild-card spot — meaning more teams can consider themselves in playoff contention — made the arrival of a quality starter look less and less likely. But a week before the deadline, Anthopoulos had tentatively reached out to Dombrowski about Price.
"Both of our teams are around .500, so I didn't want to offend him," Anthopoulos said.1 "But I'd been reading all these Internet reports, so I called him and asked if he could please keep me in mind if he was planning to trade Price. He said he would. Nothing happened for about a week. Then I got that call around 6 o'clock on Wednesday. Everything happened in a hurry after that."
Cole Burston/Toronto Star/Getty Images
Anthopoulos came into deadline week (and this season) with questions swirling around his job status. That's a reasonable outcome for a GM in his sixth season at the helm, 18 games under .500 in his first five years on the job, and still seeking his first playoff berth. Self-preservation is a natural instinct, and mortgaging chunks of your future in pursuit of present goals can come with that instinct.2 With Paul Beeston stepping down as team president at the end of this season, speculation has increased over whether Beeston's replacement might want to bring in his own guy to serve as the team's GM. One of the names floated as a possible Beeston replacement? Dave Dombrowski.
Anthopoulos, though, said that questions over his job status didn't influence his decision to be so aggressive at the deadline.
"I'm always focused on both short term and long term," he said, citing the $3.9 million spent to sign 16-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his refusal to give up dynamic (and injured) starter Marcus Stroman for more immediate help. "You do the job as if you own the team, and as if you're going to be here forever, because that's your responsibility."
So far, the immediate epilogue to all those deals has been pretty sweet. They're 5.5 games back of the Yankees in the AL East and have already pulled even with the Twins and Orioles for the second wild-card spot.3 Before yesterday's win over Minnesota in Price's debut, the Jays took three out of four from the first-place Royals over the weekend. They capped the series with an emotional 5-2 win on Sunday that included repeated brushback pitches on both sides, ejections, a near-brawl, a sellout crowd of 45,736, and plenty of baseball fans hoping these teams meet again in the playoffs.
If they do, of course, it'll mean that the longest postseason drought in baseball (22 years) has finally come to an end. Although many years of mediocrity have often dampened enthusiasm, fans were lined up outside of Rogers Centre four hours before Price made his Jays debut. Toronto's new ace responded by firing eight innings of one-run, three-hit ball in front of Rogers Centre's second straight sellout. A friend of mine said fans roared so loudly after Price's 11th strikeout that he could hear the cheers as he drove past the stadium on the adjacent Gardiner Expressway. Twins manager Paul Molitor, a hero in Toronto after leading the 1993 Jays to their second straight World Series title, told reporters after the game: "I've seen that atmosphere here before."
Thanks to an unforgettable and nearly sleepless week, the Jays are suddenly one of the most exciting and dangerous teams in baseball. If everything goes according to plan, that'll be enough to get them and their capacity crowds into October.
Filed Under: MLB, Baseball, 2015 MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Trades, Jonah Keri, Alex Anthopoulos, Dave Dombrowski, Jeff Bridich, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Troy Tulowitzki, David Price, Daniel Norris, Jose Reyes, Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro, Ben Revere, Mark Lowe, LaTroy Hawkins
More from Jonah Keri
World Series Wrap: Cueto's Game 2 Gem
World Series Wrap: Something for Everyone in Game 1
'The Jonah Keri Podcast': Jeff Passan on the World Series
Three Things the Blue Jays Need to Do to Win the ALCS
The Loud Arrival of Ben Zobrist
More MLB
World Series Weekend: Five Questions for Three (or Two) Royals-Mets Games
Citi Field Psyops: How the Mets Can Beat Yordano Ventura
The 15 Biggest Plays in Baseball History
World Series Rooting Guide: Picking a Team Based on What You Value in Life
'The Jonah Keri Podcast': Jeff Passan on the World Series
More The Triangle
We Went There: Clippers-Mavs and DeAndre Jordan Night in Los Angeles
No Messi, No Problem: Neymar Becomes a Superstar
World Series Weekend: Five Questions for Three (or Two) Royals-Mets Games
NBA Overnight: Where Was the Spark?
NHL Grab Bag: Let's Get Spooky


text:
We use cookies to help provide a better website experience for you, as well as to understand how people use our website and to provide relevant advertising.
By clicking "I agree", you'll be letting us use cookies to improve your website experience. To find out more or to change your cookie preferences, click "Manage Cookies".
Like many other websites, our website uses cookies. Cookies are small files placed on your computer when you visit our site. They serve a number of purposes, including ensuring that certain parts of the website work properly, allowing us to understand which areas of our website are the most popular and allowing us to provide more relevant advertising messages. They don't allow us to identify you specifically and no personal data is gathered about you.
If you'd prefer that cookies weren't placed on your computer when you visit our site, you can use the controls below to allow or disallow different types of cookie. Some cookies are essential for the website to work, so they can't be disallowed.
These cookies give us anonymised information on how people use our website. We use these cookies to help us tailor our site to meet the needs of our visitors, for example by making sure our most popular pages are easy to find.
These cookies serve a number of purposes, such as allowing you to share our content with your friends and social networks. We also use these cookies to provide targeted advertising, so you may see relevant adverts based on the pages you look at on our website.
We're here 24/7, 365 days a year.
Ben Parkinson was seriously injured by a mine in Afghanistan. He lost both his legs as well as suffering a brain injury, fractures to his skull, cheekbone, nose, jaw and pelvis; fractured vertebrae, as well as serious damage to his spleen and chest.
We successfully fought for his right to receive compensation suitable to meet his future needs as an injured serviceman.
If you or a loved one has been injured because of a military accident where safety measures have not been followed, our personal injury lawyers could help you claim compensation. Visit our Military Injury Compensation Claims page for more information.
Back to Client Stories
Contact us today
For a free initial consultation
Prefer not to call?
Use our form
This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.
Enter you details below and we'll call you back, at a time of your choice
This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.


text:
LONDON – The British government insisted Tuesday it will press ahead with legislation that breaks a legally binding Brexit treaty with the European Union, despite a resounding rejection of the bill by the upper house of Parliament.
The House of Lords voted by large margins late Monday to strip from the Internal Market Bill clauses that give the Conservative government power to break sections of the divorce agreement it signed with the EU before the U.K. left the bloc in January.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government acknowledges that the bill breaches international law, and the legislation has been condemned by the EU, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and scores of British lawmakers, including many from Johnson's own Conservative Party.
John Major, a former Conservative prime minister, said the bill had "damaged our reputation around the world."
Former Conservative leader Michael Howard, a member of the Lords, said he was "dismayed" by the bill and urged the government to think again.
But the government said it would restore the rejected sections when the bill returns to the House of Commons in late November or December.
It says the bill is needed as an insurance policy to ensure smooth trade among all parts of the U.K. — especially Northern Ireland, which shares a border with the EU — no matter what happens to U.K.-EU trade after Brexit. Critics say it could undermine the foundations of Northern Ireland peace by leading to border checks along the currently invisible frontier between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The British government denies that will happen.
"We've been consistently clear that the clauses represent a legal safety net to protect the integrity of the U.K.'s internal market and the huge gains of the (Northern Ireland) peace process," the government said.
Britain left the EU's political side on Jan. 31 but remains in its economic embrace until a transition period ends on Dec. 31. The two sides are trying to strike a new trade deal, but talks are stuck on key issues including fishing rights and competition rules, and have been soured further by the Internal Market Bill.
Britain and the EU say any post-Brexit trade deal must be agreed upon by mid-November so it can be ratified by the end of the year.
Although Johnson said Sunday that a trade deal is "there to be done," the two sides still accuse one another of refusing to compromise.
The bloc accuses Britain of wanting to "have its cake and eat it" — retaining access to the EU's lucrative markets without agreeing to follow its rules. Britain says the EU is making unreasonable demands and is failing to treat the country as an independent, sovereign state.
If there is no deal, businesses on both sides of the English Channel will face tariffs and other barriers to trade starting on Jan. 1. That would hurt economies on both sides, with the impact falling most heavily on the U.K., which does almost half of its trade with the 27-nation bloc.
Still, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Tuesday he was optimistic there would be an agreement.
"London has long recognized that it's in Britain's interest to have an agreement," he told the AP.
Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this story.
Follow all developments on the Brexit trade negotiations at https://apnews.com/Brexit.


text:
On social media, Modi goes soft
Zia Haq's article was published in the Hindustan Times on October 26, 2012. Sunil Abraham is quoted.
In political rallies, Modi roars with demagogic speeches. On Twitter, he displays a softer, brooding side: "Powers of the mind are like rays of light." Only occasionally is a political challenge thrown in: "Delhi Sultanate treats Gujarat like enemy nation but Gujarat will never bow."
A polarising figure still, Modi is often accused of avoiding action to stop a carnage that killed nearly 2,000 people in 2002, mostly Muslims. Yet, he has pulled off a stunning PR strategy on social media to showcase Gujarat as India's Guandong, a Chinese province with top GDP rankings. Gujarat has posted robust growth rates, although its human-development indicators remain skewed.
Modi became the third politician globally, after Obama and the Australian PM, to host a political conference on Google+ hangout, a video chat platform. In the past quarter, he added nearly 24,000 Twitter subscribers every 12 days, according to twittercounter.com.
Modi has leveraged social media in a way the Congress hasn't been able to. Unlike him, none among the Congress's leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, has a personal Twitter account. "Our leaders believe more in transparent dialogues with the public, rather than spreading Internet canards," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari.
Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP with the highest Twitter subscriber base among Indian politicians, attracts mostly the elite, not the masses.
He jibes at his own government with irreverent tweets often making his party frown.
Yet, research shows that social media is more persuasive than television ads. Nearly 100 million Indians, more than Germany's population, use the Internet.
Of this, the 40 million who have broadband are the ones active on the social media. "Unlike Obama, who used it directly for votes, Indian politicians tend to use social media more to mould public discourse," says Sunil Abraham, the CEO of The Centre for Internet and Society.


text:
What I Can Teach You About Services
Tips to Selecting the Right Chiropractor for Your Needs
If you are suffering from chronic pains and are looking for remedies that do not involve surgeries or medications, it is important for you to look into the chiropractic direction. The hugest benefit attached to the chiropractic care is that it primarily concentrates on getting the pain to stop from the cause. Here are some of the greatest ideas on how to pick the right chiropractor for your needs.
The first thing that you need to check is whether the chiropractors are qualified or not to dispense the chiropractic care services. It is your responsibility to make sure that you are being handled by the professionals; people who know what they are doing and the techniques that are safe for you. In addition to this, consider the safety of the techniques used as it is your body and health that is at stake.
The other thing that you need to check is the kind of specialization that the experts have since some of them are general while others only offer specified services. As the client in this scenario, endeavor to know what type of injuries they deal with so that you can pick one in line with what you are suffering from. If you visit one who deals with sports related issues, they should be in a position to lead you to the ones that deal with other kinds of pain.
The third thing that you should check is the legitimacy status of the chiropractic care providers so that you are not dealing with scammers and scandalous professionals. Check the licensing and insurance credentials in efforts to determine their legitimacy. In addition to this, you realize that the activities of these health practitioners are governed by different bodies; check whether your chiropractor is listed on their sites for malpractice or any misconduct.
Finally, the aspect that you need to consider is the cost of the services so that you are getting what you can afford or rather what is workable for you. Being the client in this case, it is your responsibility to make sure that you make confirmations on the insurance so that you know the much that is required from you in the long run. The fact that it is your health that is at stake makes it critical for you to make sure that you are going for value for money and quality services and not just focusing on primary saving. Lastly, check the reviews that are posted on the sites of the chiropractor by the past clients before hiring them.
What Research About Chiropractors Can Teach You


text:
African Black Liquid Soap
South African lemon oil.
This soap is perfect for all natural total body cleansing and exfoliation the African way.
- Helps with hyper-pigmentation, strawberry legs, body acne.
- Promotes an even skin tone.
- Lemon oil is a natural antibacterial that nourishes, cleanses, and exfoliates skin while clearing up skin issues.
Pour on damp washcloth, Lather and apply all over skin in soft circles. Rinse thoroughly and Follow with moisturizer.
saponified oils of palm kernal, palm, distilled water, herbal infusion of organic calendula flowers, chamomile flowers, african sandalwood (camwood) and plantain skins, south african lemon, lime and may chang.
9oz net weight
Customer Reviews
Have used it for years and it has become my sole body cleanser. Love it 😊
My boyfriend has always known the benefits of and used african black soap. I know he prefers a liquid version when he can find it, so I picked this up around Christmas time. We tried 2 other brands in the past, but they tended to dry my skin out and cause blemishes, so I stopped using it. This one though, whole different story. Glad I gave it another try. The lemon scent is so amazing and we both feel great after using it. It actually helped clear up my super sensitive blemish prone skin. My only complaint is I wish it came in a family size version! That being said, 2 of us have been using it (even though it was supposed to be just for him 😏) and its lasted a full month with a bit left still.
Haha! There's more where that came from!!! Thanks, girl.
Using this soap for the many times required to wash hands daily. Great product, pump a bit testy. Ordering more!
African Black Liquid Soap
I've been using black soap for years and this one is my favorite. The lemon oil is SUCH a pleasant surprise. Careful with the pump, it comes out more smoothly than most pumped products.


text:
At Clyde & Co we view diversity and inclusion as critical to the global nature of our business and have created a working environment where people from different backgrounds can thrive.
Our firm is fully committed to treating all partners, employees and potential recruits equally and to ensuring that there is no discrimination within the firm.
Our firm services clients from a wide range of backgrounds, both geographical and cultural. It is important that our partners and employees both respect and reflect that diversity and that we all contribute to increasing efforts and awareness around diversity and inclusion.


text:
Send a letter to Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
The NPS and Trump's PIC are pushing demonstrations off of federal lands and keeping them as far away from Trump's White House as possible. The last thing that Trump wants to see is tens of thousands of people rallying at the White House on his first day in office.
The NPS is supposed to be a neutral administrator of our public spaces, yet it is giving exclusive use to the Trump Presidential Inaugural Committee for events for its donors and supporters.
The Trump Inaugural Committee claims to have already raised $50 million of its $75 million goal, selling access to its lavish private events from the hedge fund managers and corporations who are supporting this incoming administration of generals and plutocrats. And they can spend it any way they want and without public disclosure. Meanwhile, we the taxpayers, are paying $200 million for his Inauguration ceremonies.


text:
iPhone Case: Grip and Shock Damage Protection: NewerTech NuGuard KX Case
Two months ago, I finally put a case on my iPhone 4s, because it eliminates several issues for me: grip, handling, reduced tendency to go on vibrate mode, drop protection.
After using the case for over two months, I am fully persuaded as to its merits: especially when cycling the improved grip is terrific. And dropping the phone is no longer an "oh sh*t" moment: the phone bounces once or twice, and then I pick it up without concern. And the vibrate function has not self-activated that I can remember. All in all, these things add up to a very worthwhile addition.
Read about my usage of the NewerTech NuGuard KX case for iPhone 4 or iPhone 5.
Click for larger image of all color choices.


text:
Sunday, 11 September 2011
I was surprised that he knew it was real, straight away. I remember seeing the footage for the very first time live on TV, wondering why on earth had they put Die Hard on the Morning Show? Max was in my belly back then. I patted him all day, frozen to the couch.
In a few months he will be ten years old. His whole lifetime has been spent in a towerless world. He asked me today, but where did all the people actually go?
I explained the best I could. The reporter on TV started talking about body parts and I winced but I didn't change the channel. A ten-year-old American boy read a letter out to a father he never met. "Dear Dad ..... we just missed each other. Mum is doing a really great job raising me."
Max turned to me and said, wouldn't it be good if all the people that day were just unbreakable?
The focus should always be on recovery. You just have to keep your head together as best you can. Keep hope and faith in your heart when the whole world turns to shit in just one day.
19 comments:
That boy of yours is so wise xReplyDelete
9/11 - makes my heart ache... but for my own personal reasons...ReplyDelete
ten years...
"The focus should always be on recovery. You just have to keep your head together as best you can. Keep hope and faith in your heart when the whole world turns to shit in just one day"
Thank you Eden. Needed that right now, right this moment. x
That boy of yours is going to be something special one day, Eden.ReplyDelete
Wise boy from an equally wise mother. What a power house you must have there. So, so vital, you are. Keep reaching, Eden. SO much more I want to say to you. But I won't (publicly). Til next we meet......xxxxxReplyDelete
profound words from your darling boy. depth beyond understanding.ReplyDelete
xo em
I hope I can protect my munchkin from this day until he is at least as old and wise and Max... Some things kids are just not meant to know. Actually, I kinda wish we didn't have to know either!ReplyDelete
Beautiful Eden. Wise boy of yours. My baby boy was in my tummy that day too. I haven't spoken to him much about it, the day that the world changed. I wonder if they will talk about it at school tomorrow?ReplyDelete
That boy has such an old soul.ReplyDelete
Out of the mouth of babes.......ReplyDelete
As a native NYer who witnessed that day first hand I thank you for this post. Please give that boy of yours a big hug for me.ReplyDelete
My 10 year old was by my side that day and took in my anguish with a sorry o oh, that broke my heart. A terrible aching day. Not the world you wanted to bring kids into. Can't shelter them from such a big awful truth. Tis my middle ones birthday today, life goes on, good things happen on this day too. Wish we could put on our unbreakables every day.ReplyDelete
I posted today too - an audio of a girl who lost her dad. She's the same age as my daughter. Heartbreaking.ReplyDelete
I was on my way to work when it happened. The babysitter met me outside (an unprecedented event), asking if I'd seen the news yet. By that time, only the first airplane had hit. We still thought it was some kind of freak accident. By the time I made it to work, (in Oklahoma, by the way) the 2nd plane had hit and I think the Pentagon was hit moments later - I heard this part on the radio. And I thought (a thought which most likely went up simultaneously, across America, at the very same moment... I wish I were psychic so I could confirm this), "We're at war." In that dazed say you think things you have empirical evidence of, but just can't quite grasp yet. And later, still working (I work at a law firm), walking to the court house, scanning the skies, just in case (because ALL the planes were grounded... nothing in the sky but birds) and noting how dead, dead silent it was, even so far away from New York & DC, and walking through the corridors of the courthouse, which was open, and wondering, in the dead, dead silence of those halls, why these people were at work, why wasn't the courthouse shut down that day.ReplyDelete
Sorry for the long comment, but you just brought that day back with vivid clarity. and I hadn't even woken up today thinking about what day this was. Thank you, Eden, for always knowing just what to say. Unbreakable... yes. That would have been nice. Then maybe we would have bounced instead of broken.
Ah, Max...sorry that you have to see the world this way ever.ReplyDelete
I wish he never had to know about it. Mine is younger and not ready to grasp it (autism - it would leave him quite literally terrified, constantly). I dread the day he learns of it.ReplyDelete
Wise boys you have.
I am an American and my daughter is 11 now. She was 14 months exactly on 9/11/01. Today she was so surprised that she was alive when this terrible thing happened. But it's true, isn't it, that you never think big aweful things like thousands of people being killed in one day will happen in your life? No. Not possible! Sucks.ReplyDelete
Sept 11, 1979 is my son's birthday. Sept 11, 1995 was his 16th birthday and his last dose of chemo, having undergone 33 months of chemo for leaukemia. Because, at 16, he choose to not celebrate his 5 years off chemo and his 21st birthday 'just in case' we waited until Sept 11, 2001 to celebrate that miracle of miracles.ReplyDelete
You got it soooo right "Keep hope and faith in your heart when the whole world turns to shit in just one day."
Give that boy a hug for me.


text:
There are many advantages of Franchising when looking to open your own business. The sole purpose and benefit of becoming a Franchisee is that the business will always have an established service or product. It has been proven that when Franchising, the product or service that is being provided is an established system that works.
Some other benefits of franchising are as followed:
- Training and support from the Franchisor.
- Exclusive Territory
- In Depth Training and Support
- Resources and Networking
- Marketing Strategies
- Flexibility
- Open Line of Communication
The advantages of becoming a Franchisee are broad and can lead you to a life filled with opportunity. Also, the return on investment can be high although that is determined by the seriousness within the Franchisee. As you can see, the benefits of becoming a Franchisee can lead you to a path of success with the right mindset, confidence, and attitude. It all comes down to the commitment and effort you're going to implement in your local territory, that will be the deciding factor in shaping your success.


text:
Cigarette manufacturers will be required to put pictorial warnings on the dangers of smoking on the front and back of cigarette packets starting June 24.
The inclusion of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets is stipulated in Government Regulation (PP) No.109/2012 on tobacco control.
Southeast Asia Initiative on Tobacco Tax's (SITT) Indonesia pack coordinator, Widyastuti Soerojo, said the Health Ministry had prepared five pictorial warnings that producers must display on their cigarette packets.
She said the pictorial warnings depicted, among other things, oral and lung cancer and would hopefully make people aware of the negative effects of tobacco and deter them from smoking.
"Hopefully, this will also be effective in reducing the number of smokers in Indonesia, which has continued to increase," Widyastuti said as quoted by tempo.co.
She said that according to the 2012 regulation, all cigarette products marketed in Indonesia must include both written and graphic warnings on the danger of smoking.
Indonesia will be the fifth ASEAN member country, after Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei, to require pictorial warnings on tobacco packaging.
Source: The Jakarta Post (March 23, 2014)


text:
Microsoft confirms small delay for next WP7 updateBy Jose Vilches
Following reports that Microsoft would push back the first major Windows Phone 7 update to make sure it gets it right this time, the company has come forward with an official update on the current state of affairs. Writing on the Windows Phone Blog, Eric Hautala explains the complex process of getting updates from Redmond computers to 9 handsets on 60 mobile operators in 30 countries around the world. He also mentions that the "overwhelming majority" was able to install the February update and confirms that the so-called NoDo update has indeed been delayed.
"We have the next update waiting in the wings. It delivers copy and paste, better Marketplace search, and other key improvements," said Hautala. "But I believe it's important that we learn all we can from the February update. So I've decided to take some extra time to ensure the update process meets our standards, your standards, and the standards of our partners. As a result, our plan is to start delivering the copy-and-paste update in the latter half of March."
Hautala also emphasized that the NoDo push-back should in no way impact the timing of future updates, including the "Mango" update announced recently at Mobile World Congress featuring multitasking support for third-party applications, a Twitter feature, and a new HTML 5-friendly version of IE Mobile. Microsoft hasn't shared an official release date for Mango, but rumors suggest it will come preloaded on new WP7 devices by holiday 2011.


text:
We've just discussed some outdoor showers and ways to style them, and today's post is for those who feel like having a longer and more relaxing experience, for those of you who want a bathtub. How to style an outdoor bathtub, how to maintain privacy and what are some cool ideas? Let's start!
Privacy is one of the main concerns while designing an outdoor bathroom cause you wanna feel as comfortable as possible there. There are many ways to achieve comfort and privacy in your outdoor bathroom, and you may choose anything that fits your style. The maximal privacy level is a private courtyard, which is surrounded with walls from all the sides – there's nothing cozier than that though you may lack the views. One more way to go is to rock not very tall walls or screens around the bathtub, they can be easily DIYed. Cover the bathtub with old shutters if they fit your outdoor space style. If you don't have time to build anything or don't want much effort but still want privacy, add curtains around the bathtub.
As for decor, there are a lot of styles and ideas to try: minimalist, tropical, gypsy or boho, vintage, industrial and much more, you may choose whatever you like. Here are some ideas considering decor that will work for any space and style. To give your outdoor space a spa-like feel, you may add pebbles on the ground, install a wooden deck or tiles over them. Potted greenery will enliven any outdoor bathroom, even the most moody and laconic one. Lanterns or various pendant lamps will illuminate the space and make it more welcoming, which also means more relaxing. Enjoy!


text:
1. THE COFFEE: Fresh = Best.
Using freshly roasted coffee increases the likelihood of tasting chocolate, butter, almonds or other complexities in the brew. Roasting coffee pulls flavorful coffee oils (coffeol) toward the surface and caramelizes sugars. Unfortunately, those same coffee oils are highly volatile and prone to oxidation and rancidity, which degrade flavor and aroma. Stale coffee can taste like cardboard.
2. THE GRIND: Fresh + Consistent = Best
Think of your coffee like an apple. Slicing an apple two weeks before eating it changes the flavor, texture and liveliness due to oxidation and enzymatic degradation. Similarly, coffee loses aromatics and richness when it is pre-ground.
However, if your grinder is no better than a blender, let the roaster do it for you. Why? In our experience, we found coffee that was pre-ground using a high quality burr grinder produced a better cup than a freshly ground coffee using a blade grinder. Strange but true: quality of grind surpasses freshness of grind in many cases.
Watery, bland coffee? Try a finer grind. If your coffee seems over-extracted, acidic or astringent, try a coarser grind.
3. THE WATER: Filtered + Neutral = Best
Besides beginning with great beans, all great coffee houses have one thing in common: they start with clean, filtered, balanced water. Hard, alkaline, or excessively mineralized water can both damage brewing equipment and produce a bland, muddled coffee. We recommend filtered water with a neutral pH.
4. THE FILTER: Clean & rinse.
Clean and dry equipment is standard protocol for best results. Simply rinse a new filter before you use it to remove papery flavors which may taint your coffee. If using a mesh steel filter, wash with soap and water and rinse thoroughly before each use.
5. STORAGE: Cool, dark & airtight
The adversaries of roasted coffee are: moisture, heat, light and time. If you see oil on your coffee it is highly prone to rancidity and the staling effects of time and oxygen.
If you are going to drink your coffee over the course of 2 – 3 weeks, seal in a mason jar and place it in the cupboard.
If you absolutely, positively need to wait longer than 3 weeks to consume, place in an airtight container (i.e. the still-sealed bag your coffee arrived in) and place in the freezer. Remove as much air from the container as possible. This prevents moisture from condensing and damaging the coffee.


text:
TNTM Trade of The Week: Men of Wrath
The Ambassador and I actually picked up Men of Wrath in issues as it was coming out. Somehow we missed the last issue. Since we couldn't find the final issue The Ambassador just bought the graphic novel when it came out. Superstar writer, Jason Aaron, created Men of Wrath with living legend artist and longtime collaborator, Ron Garney. Experienced colorist, Matt Milla, throws in with this motley crew.
As Jason Aaron states in his introduction and we emulated in our comic book podcast reviews, this is rougher, meaner, and unlike anything Ron Garney has done before. We were so impressed with how dark and gritty this was in comparison to his other work. I had read Ultimate Captain America with Aaron & Garney but that was leagues different from this. There are few things I enjoy more in comics than seeing an artist grow and expand themselves like Garney does in this. Ron excels at expression in the eyes. The eyes tell so much, have so much emotion and bring a level of intensity that is unmatched. There is an egregious amount of detail in each panel, page, landscape, character, face. Matt Milla's colors set the tone throughout this book and especially the various timelines. Just to be clear this is not a time travel story.
The story does span over time. It's a story about legacy. It's starts on a farm in Alabama back in 1903. Isom Rath got into an argument that day that lead him to stabbing a man. That man died. Isom's son saw it all. That created a blood lust that went on for generations of Rath's. The actual story focuses on the meanest most ruthless Rath there's ever been, Ira. He's a hitman, finds out he has cancer, and receives a job to kill his own son. You see the story play out as father and son struggle between fighting or giving into this blood lust that has plagued their family for generations.
If you've read anything by Jason Aaron before you know his work is solid. The story and characters are unpredictable, fresh, and unique. When you get Aaron and Garney together you see fireworks because their chemistry is magical. Jason kills it on dialogue. Together Ron and Jason slay the story. They have never done anything like this as a team before. Here's to hoping they do more. Jason Aaron and Ron Garney create a new, different, intriguing, short, intense, magnificent tale of family, violence, blood, death, desperation, hate, evil, and a curse.
Grade: STRONG BUY!!!
You can pick up this graphic novel at Age Of Comics or


text:
I mentioned earlier that my husband and I are buying a house. Since we bought a new house with an unfinished back yard, we also went shopping for a swimming pool.
Now if you have followed the housing market at all, you may know that Arizona is still the second hardest-hit market in the country (behind Nevada) as measured by existing homes that are "under water" on their mortgages. To say that home sales over the past few years have been slow is a grave understatement. So it's got to be true that pool sales have been stagnant and that pool-building companies have been hurting for business.
We talked to four pool builders, each recommended by our builder or a friend. We met with each of them before we read any online reviews so we could keep an open mind. In each case we told them that we were comparison shopping for bids (which I'm sure a pool builder would expect given the size of the investment).
Two of the four had invested in "Pool Studio" software, which enables the salesperson to design your pool digitally within the exact dimensions of your own back yard. They had a great advantage in that within the day we had multiple views of a draft design and complete pricing information. That was the first differentiator. Second was how quickly they set an appointment for us to come back and willingness to work with us on design options. We've never bought a pool before so we appreciated a lot of help from the salesperson. Finally, there was a sense of trust communicated by everyone we met from the company that we actually chose. It's a second-generation family business operated by two brothers. For our second appointment, the owners came out to greet us and chat. They have invested in an immaculate showroom with two outdoor pools illustrating differences between and geometric and freeform pool design, so they can show you how things look "for real" as well as in the design.
Our salesman had already been to our house (we have not moved in yet) to inspect the yard and offer more suggestions. He spent three more hours making improvements to the design without really raising the cost. Before he would accept a down payment, he wanted to meet us at the house to show us how much space the pool would take up and make sure we were satisfied with our decision. He told us which decisions could wait and which finishing touches could be delayed if necessary. The walk-through (by the way on a weekend) led us to make a couple more changes, and we received new design pictures before Monday morning.
We are going to close on the house August 30th, and the company we chose intends to be ready to begin building our pool on September 1!
Once we made our decision (within a week from our first visit to a pool builder) we notifed the others that we had signed a contract and thanked them for their assistance.
We received one gracious follow-up note thanking us for the opportunity to be considered and wishing us well. But we received two very inappropriate responses, as follows:
"I must say I'm disappointed because I really didn't show you what we have to offer. I measured the property and gave you a tour of our facility. I guess I was not aware of your timeframe which is totally my fault for not asking. You obviously have your reasons as to why you made your decision before I could provide a design and price. I'm anxious to see who you're building with so I will keep a close eye on the permit report."
Aside from that being mildly threatening, this owner is clueless about how his competition is operating. They asked our timeframe in the first interview and delivered accordingly. Our salesman did not let any time lapse between meeting us and delivering us a draft pool design and a price.
The second surprising response was from a salesman who, on the day we visited, said it was too hot to be outdoors so invited us to explore the sample pools by ourselves, without any kind of guided tour! When thanking him for his assistance, we said price was a differentiator. Here's the response we got:
"I know I was a day late in getting the pool price to you, but likewise I did design your pool and get it to you on the same day. You had the opportunity to meet me so you know from my age that I am not a neophyte in the pool industry. In fact I have successfully sold over 35 million dollars in pool sales in the past 14 years, and never has anyone beat my price for the same pool. I will send you a $200.00 gift certificate that you can use or purchase of chemicals or other items of your choice if you will forward me a copy of the itemized breakdown for your pool."
Once again it's all about him and nothing about us. No "thank you," no "I appreciate the chance to bid," just an insulting insinuation that we are too stupid to know what we are buying and an inappropriate request that we give him a competitor's detailed pricing. He went on to complain that we didn't give him a chance to improve his bid, which is the same argument we got from a Honda salesman last year–after we bought a Toyota!
So, these sales people think there are no consequences for how they handle rejection of their offer. But the internet is full of review sites–Yahoo reviews, Yelp, etc.–and like other buyers, we consulted those sites before we made our final decision. Everyone can post reviews about companies we chose NOT to do business with as well.
I think how you handle yourself when you lose a sale is just as important as when you win. A gracious, professional stance builds your reputation; a grudging whine confirms that we were right not to choose you.
How do you handle rejection in your sales process?


text:
Should Gold Investors Be Skeptical of the Rally?
Gold has been the Rodney Dangerfield of asset classes in recent years. The precious metal received no respect from market participants and became the biggest joke on Wall Street as it suffered a brutal correction from record highs. Making matters worse, many investment firms providing coverage filled headlines with dire forecasts. Gold prices have rebounded and sentiment appears to be changing, but should investors remain skeptical?
After posting its first annual loss in more than a decade last year, the price of gold is acting very differently in 2014. In only two months, gold has managed to bounce 11 percent and is off to its best start to a year since 1983. The miners are performing even better. Shares of the Market Vectors Gold Miners Index (NYSE:GDX) are up 26 percent year-to-date, while its junior counterpart is up an astounding 41 percent. Silver, often referred to as gold's little brother, is also participating in the rebound by logging its best rally since 1968.
While many firms remain bearish on gold, some are changing their outlooks. UBS recently revised its forecast for gold this year. The firm hiked its three-month outlook from $1,100 per ounce to $1,350 and believes gold prices may average $1,300 this year, up from a prior estimate of only $1,200.
"Gold has started to shed its stigma, if slowly," UBS said in a recent research note. "Over the past thirteen months gold was either the favorite asset to short or to ignore completely. Recent developments, however, suggest that this is no longer the case, and momentum is returning. We do like gold a good deal more than we did at the end of 2013, but many obstacles still abound."
Investors shouldn't be too surprised to see precious metals rallying this year. As history shows, heavy selling pressure eventually subsides in financial markets. Since the 1970s, the price of gold has experienced 12 pullbacks of more than 20 percent, according to the World Gold Council. On average, each pullback lasted for 18 months, with the gold price falling 36 percent. The longest decline lasted 43 months. Between gold's record high made in September 2011 and its potential double bottom in December, gold logged a 37 percent decline — similar to the average.
Since confirmation bias is hazardous to your money, it's healthy for investors to maintain some skepticism with their portfolios. The gold rally this year finally pushed the precious metal above its 200-day moving average for the first time in over a year, but as the chart below from Bespoke Investment Group shows, this does not necessarily mean the coast is clear. Investors should remember to diversify across different asset classes and be patient.
- Gold Investors: If We Can't Hold It, We Don't Want It
- Obamacare Aftermath: The One Savings Tool You Need to Know About
- The Best Retirement Tax Credit You Never Knew Existed
Follow Eric on Twitter @Mr_Eric_WSCS


text:
Massachusetts is offering $14 million in grants for energy resiliency projects aimed at critical care facilities.
The grants are part of the $40 million Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative (CCERI). The overall goal of CCERI is to protect participating entities from service interruption due to severe weather conditions. This is the initiative's third round of funding.
The press release says that the grants will fund resiliency feasibility studies at state facilities and fund public and private projects. In addition, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) will develop an interactive online tool to examine climate and resiliency vulnerabilities and assist in identifying future funding priorities.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on August 17 struck down a mechanism under which electrical ratepayers in the Bay State would foot the bill for natural gas pipeline expansion. The plan had been characterized as a "pipeline tax."


text:
Just a week after we had the pleasure to do unboxing of the latest BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900, today we have another RIM guest – the Torch 9860. It's in a completely different category though – with that 3.7-inch WVGA touchscreen it somehow suggests multimedia prowess rather than business.
Of course, RIM would never cheat on its traditions and it has left nothing out of the business and messaging departments.
The Torch 9860 is based on the same hardware as the Bold Touch 9900 – a 1.2GHz processor, 768MB RAM, capable graphics, 8GB internal storage. The latest BlackBerry OS 7 is also ticking inside.
Here's our unboxing video with a pinch of user interface for you guys to check out.
As you can see the Torch 9860 is a real pleasure to use. We are already working on our review and you should get it soon.


text:
Spandau Ballet's Bible: How I Played My Part in Inventing the New Romantics
Beverley Glick, beverleyglick.com, 2005
Here is the second extract from my memoir Hit Girl: My Bizarre Double Life in the Pop World of the Eighties. It is September 1980 and, under my pen name Betty Page, I have just been appointed a staff writer at the music paper Sounds after spending a year being the editor's secretary by day and secret music journalist by night. My first assignment is a tough one: to secure the first music press interview with elusive darlings of the London club scene, Spandau Ballet. This is the story of what happened…
Total word count of piece: 1261


text:
Red Dingo Stainless Steel with Glitter Dog Tag
Our enamel on solid stainless steel tags will never rust or corrode.
Our tags are typically available in small, medium and large sizes. Cat tags are available in one size.
Small Tags: Up to 3 lines, 10 characters per line
Medium Tags: Up to 5 lines, 16 characters per line
Large Tags: Up to 6 lines, 19 characters per line
Enter engraving instrustions at time of check out. "Special instructions for the seller"


text:
Thursday, 3 December 2015
Christmas wine: Wines to match turkey
Over the ten years I've been in the wine industry, few occasions have caused more excitement and experimentation amongst my colleagues and I than picking the perfect wine to go with roast turkey and all the trimmings.
Christmas dinner is the best meal of the year (FACT) so there's no better time to splash out and buy a special wine to accompany it. You don't even have to spend that much - there's plenty of epic turkey wine pairings for those on a budget.
Here's some of the best wine matches for Christmas dinner that I've found over the years*:
This was my first proper 'wow' moment with food and wine matching, back when I first started working in wine.
I'd never considered a full-bodied, spicy red wine as a match for white meat, but this really works. I think it's because we usually serve turkey not just with your average vegetables, but with pigs in blankets, mounds of stuffing, cranberry sauce and sticky, rich glazed veg.
That's a lot of flavour, and it needs a wine with similar punch to stand up to it.
The exact I used all those years ago was the epic southern Rhone Lirac Rouge La Fermade Domaine Maby (£9.50 at The Wine Society, £12.95 at Yapp and Vin Neuf). It's made not far from Chateauneuf and gives a little bit of the same kind of character but at a fraction of the price.
But just ask your local wine merchant for a good spicy red Rhone and you'll be laughing.
2. Californian Zinfandel
This is my cheeky favourite. It's another trick I discovered at The Wine Society and it's been my turkey wine of choice for the last two years.
Think of it this way: what goes brilliantly with turkey? Juicy, boozy cranberry sauce. And zinfandel provides just that kind of character - big alcohol, big fruit and often lots of cranberry flavour. It's another wine with body enough to go with all the trimmings - we always need at least two bottles.
The one that first convinced me was Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel (usually £8-10 at Sainsburys, Ocado and Tesco) and to be honest I really don't think you need to spend more.
3. Pinot Noir (particularly older Burgundy)
More of a classic match, this - but the old ones are often the best. Although a young pinot noir might not necessarily have the same kind of body to go with all the trimmings as the other two reds I've mentioned so far, it's definitely got that wonderful red fruit flavour and silky texture that makes it a super match.
Mature red Burgundy is one of those quintessential Christmas dinner wines (and the soft tannins do make it a good candidate) and I'd advise going for the best you can afford. That said, new world pinot noir from New Zealand is another epic match.
I'm not going to list all the amazing New Zealand pinot noirs out there - there's so many good ones to choose from - but if you're really on a budget or looking for a bargain then I'd suggest Aldi's Exquisite Collection New Zealand Pinot Noir. In typical Aldi fashion, it's a multi-award-winner and yet it's only £6.99. Madness.
4. Rich Chardonnay
If there's one white that can stand up to Christmas dinner, it's rich, creamy white Burgundy and new world Chardonnay. The buttery taste works really well with fat, juicy slices of turkey, and apple and stone fruits you so often get work well with the sausages and stuffing.
A good buttery Burgundy that doesn't break the bank is Montagny 1er Cru 'Les Millieres' by Caves des Vignerons de Buxy (currently £9.74 if you're buying a mixed case of six or more bottles from Majestic, or £12.99 if you're buying less than 6 bottles overall).
As for the new world, another BRILLIANT bit of schooling from The Wine Society was that their Exhibition Chilean Chardonnay is the absolute boss of turkey. How it's only £8.95 I will never know.
5. Beaujolais
So, this is sort of a classic and yet it's like the other classic turkey matches' geeky cousin, because not many people seem happy to suggest Beaujolais.
That said, it is a brilliant match on paper - not too many tannins, big red juicy flavour and smooth texture. Plus, if you're having Christmas dinner at lunch then it's generally a good low-alcohol option too - so you won't doze off during the Queen's speech.
Most people suggest going with the Beaujolais crus such as Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin a Vent - a reliable and widely available choice is Bouchard Pere et Fils Fleurie (currently £11.99 at Waitrose). For a more budget option, try Beaujolais-Villages from Georges Duboeuf (currently £7.49 at Majestic). It's super-fruity and soft - very drinkable indeed.
*Never before when writing a blog post have I SO CRAVED the food I'm writing about. Would give my left arm for a buttery turkey sandwich right about now... BRING ON THE LEFTOVERS!
Labels: Beaujolais, Burgundy, Chardonnay, christmas, food match, laura, Pinot Noir, rhone, turkey, wine, wine and food, Zinfandel
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Shutdown Breakdown – The key dates of the government shutdown
February 1, 2019
The partial government shutdown lasted for 35 days, but events around it stretch much further. Nonessential government work, including National Park maintenance and the FDA's ability to check food quality, was put on pause. Here's a timeline of key dates that you need to know, based on the most important headlines on each day:
Dec 8: The first child dies in U.S. Border Protection custody.
Dec 20: The U.S. House of Representatives passes a bill that includes funding for the wall.
Dec 21: The bill moves onto Senate and fails to get the 60 votes it needs to pass.
Dec 22: Partial government shutdown officially begins after the government funding bill fails to pass before the deadline.
Dec 23: Senate adjourns until after Christmas.
Dec 25: Second child dies in U.S. Border Protection custody.
Dec 26: President Trump and the first lady make a surprise visit to Iraq. The Coast Guard is sent to the border.
Dec 27: Senate goes back into session.
Dec 29: The shutdown reaches a full week.
Jan 3: New Congress convenes, Democrats now hold a majority in the House of Representatives. The House passes a bill to reopen the government without funding for the wall.
Jan 4: Trump says the shutdown could go on for "months or even years."
Jan 8: Trump airs primetime address — the first one in this administration — in which he calls for wall funding.
Jan 9: Trump walks out of a White House meeting with Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
Jan 10: Trump visits the border.
Jan 12: The shutdown becomes longest in history, beating a 1995-1996 shutdown in the Clinton administration that lasted 21 days.
Jan 16: Pelosi urges Trump through a letter to delay State of the Union.
Jan 17: Trump cancels Pelosi's trip to Afghanistan.
Jan 19: Trump shares his "major announcement" which offers Dreamers three years of protection in exchange for funding for the wall in order for the wall.
Jan 23: Trump tweets he will delay the State of the Union.
Jan 25: Congress approves a deal that doesn't include funding for the wall to reopen the government for three weeks.
After five weeks and $3 billion that won't be recovered the government is open … for now. Unless a more solid agreement is made between Trump and Capitol Hill, the government will shut down again on Feb 15.


text:
Psycho-Pass Anime Gets New Film Along With 2nd Season
posted on by Sarah Nelkin
The official website for Noitamina announced on Friday that in addition to the second season of the Psycho-Pass anime, a brand-new film for Production I.G's anime is also green-lit. A trailer was screened for the film at Friday's Psycho-Pass screening event in Tokyo.
Production I.G President & CEO Mitsuhisa Ishikawa acknowledged in his Anime Expo panel in July that a second season of the Psycho-Pass anime is in the works. He also hinted that an "important announcement" would be made at the screening event of all 22 episodes of the anime.
The psychological action anime debuted in Japan last October. Funimation streamed the first season as it aired in Japan, and confirmed in March that it will release the season on Blu-ray Disc and DVD next spring.
[Via 0takomu]


text:
It's been a miserable start to the year for corporate dealmakers.
Both initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions fell sharply in the first quarter of 2016 to levels not seen since the last recession.
"For 2016 year-to-date (as of 16 March), global M&A activity fell 63% by deal value compared to 4Q15, whereas global IPO activity fell 82% by deal value," according to EY's latest quarterly global IPO report.
"By deal number, global M&A activity in 1Q16 fell 16% while global IPO activity fell by 52%."
For IPOs this is "by far" the worst start to a year since 2009, according to the report; the number of M&A deals announced also tumbled to their lowest level in eight years.
Volatility from global markets to start the year was major reason for the corporate dealmaking slowdown, the report said.
"To some extent, the decline in activity in 1Q16 can be attributed to a 'cooling off' effect after several years of strong IPO activity across major markets," the report said. "However, fears of a global economic slowdown, perceptions of high market valuations due to ultra-loose monetary policy and the current volatility in capital market conditions have all contributed to the muted start to the year."
In the US, the decline was even steeper than the global decline in market debuts with the value of IPOs in the first quarter dropping 88% from last year.
In the M&A marker, the same fears about a global slowdown seemed to weigh on activity, though the nature of these deals has proven the market to be a bit more resilient.
"Whereas M&A activity is less tied to specific dates, less publicly exposed, more flexible and has proved more resilient to equity market turbulence," said the report. "Despite a softening on 2015's stellar performance, M&A activity is currently faring better than the IPO market with less steep declines."
And while these "less steep" declines are still pretty bad — again, this is the worst year for merger activity in eight years — EY does see the possibility of an uptick in the months to come.
On Monday, three multi-billion dollar mergers were announced.


text:
The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., has announced it will exit its Dow Fiber Solutions (DFS)
business and shut down production of DOW XLA™ stretch fiber over the next six to 18 months. The
company stated that the action is in line with its strategy to streamline and focus its business
portfolio, and follows a determination that DFS could not compete with its other performance
businesses for further investment and expansion.
Dow launched DFS and its core Dow XLA fiber technology in 2002. Apparel featuring the
olefin-based soft stretch fiber began appearing in retail markets in 2004, and the company had
continued into this year to market the technology and partner with apparel brands to feature XLA.
The fiber withstands extreme chemicals and temperatures up to 220°C as well as harsh dyeing,
bleaching, mercerizing and garment-washing conditions; and is compatible with both natural and
man-made fibers.
"We will take every reasonable step to minimize any disruption to our customers' business and
to support their final product supply requirements as they plan to transition their current
business with XLA to suitable alternative materials," said Rebecca Bentley, senior public affairs
leader, financial communications & media relations, Dow.
DFS's XLA production facility, located in Tarragona, Spain, will continue to fill customers'
current and final orders for the fiber. After final shut-down of the XLA operation, the facility
will be considered for an alternative use within Dow. In the meantime, Dow also will be exploring
future alternatives for the business.
May 25, 2010


text:
Ah the last days of June and down here in NC we are going to be dealing with a scorcher after being spoiled the last two days with perfect Summer weather here in the South. Hopefully this video of the 2010 Teva Mountain Games' Kayaking Competition by Go Pro cools you off some just by watching it!
Leave a Reply.
Our Mission
Sometimes the great ideas that we have just need something to bring them to the forefront. The Inside Out team will be putting our talents to work and sharing our knowledge and love of the outdoors with anyone who wants to listen.
June 2016
Blog Roll
Curran's Outdoor Adventures
Fishing Fury
GoBlog (Get Outdoors)
Grants Blog (Growing Deer TV)
Hunt Like Your Hungry
inFOCUS (Campbell Cameras)
inMotion (Heartland Bowhunter)
Make It Happen Outdoors
Outdoor Freaks
Sole Adventure
Taking a Walk on the Wild Side
The Rivah Blog
The Will to Hunt
Wired to Hunt


text:
Garrett Hendrickson, a student at AUP Unit William and Mary, reflects on a recent AUXAIR mission at the mouth of the Rappahannock River in Virginia.
On a recent AUXAIR mission in a Cessna 182, Hendrickson cooperated with a Coast Guard Auxiliary surface asset in a scenario-based search and rescue drill at the mouth of the Rappahannock River in Virginia. The scenario -- two collided vessels, one disabled and the other taking on water -- required the air asset to look for various signals that could be used by a vessel in distress.
After locating the disabled vessel, the Hendrickson and the AUXAIR crew began a search for the other vessel. The aircraft crew identified a debris field upriver, which was presumed to have come from the submerged vessel, as well as a simulated person in the water. The crew proceeded to provide vectors to the surface asset for recovery of the PIW, and, upon recovery, the Auxiliary aircraft crew was informed of another simulated PIW who attempted to swim to shore post-collision.
In order to best estimate how the second PIW was affected by weather factors, including current, the crew of the air asset contacted the surface asset to receive a sea state report. Upon adjusting its search pattern, the Hendrickson and the air crew quickly identified the second PIW and subsequently provided vectors to the surface asset for recovery.
Many important lessons came from this operation. The surface asset utilized numerous types of signaling devices, including mirrors, hand-held flares, aerial flares, and smoke signals. Mirror flashes, especially on a sunny day, can be easily mistaken for reflections off the water surface.
In an emergency, conduct rhythmical flashes to aerial assets to ensure most effective communication, in addition to following the manufacturer's operating instructions. Mariners are strongly encouraged to consider a variety of different types of visual distress signals, especially orange smoke flares for daytime use. Orange smoke is easily noticed from far away and lingers for quite some time near the vessel. With any pyrotechnic devices, these visual distress signals can pose a potential for injury and property damage if not properly handled correctly. Follow all instructions for safe use of the device.
Although Hendrickson's training evolution was simulated, being familiar with the safe and proper usage of visual distress signals is crucial for being prepared for a maritime emergency. Learn more about distress signals at http://www.uscgboating.org/.
News Center > News Archive >


text:
In their everyday work, people face haste and numerous tasks that, for different reasons, they struggle to complete without the help of an expert – a coach.
Simply put, coaching is a conversation, or rather, a series of conversations between two people. Efficient coaching has a positive influence on understanding, learning, behaviour and progress of an individual or team. Through the conversation, a coach helps the client find solutions for the situation(s) that the client wishes to resolve. After determining the challenges, the coach helps the client take an objective look of the situation and total environment, set the goals, and then define the necessary steps to reach these goals.
The aspect that makes this conversation different from other forms of communication is the influence it has on the person being coached. Time dedicated to coaching pays back multiple times over by increasing work satisfaction, achieving better results, reaching successful resolution for stressful situations, and solving tasks more efficiently. All this ultimately directly leading to time saving.
Coaching can be:
Coaching within an organisation (company) implies discretion and utter confidence of the users.


text:
Traif is awesome. It's exactly the kind of restaurant we'd love to frequent, and would happily set up shop here permanently if we weren't constantly running around trying new places. Infatuation Nation was in our ear about this one, and, as usual, the good people who email and tweet at us came through with a winner. The name says it all. Traif is a Hebrew word used to describe everything us Jews aren't "supposed" to eat like pig and shellfish, and that's exactly what they creatively celebrate.
The restaurant has a great vibe. It's vibrant but low key with excellent music choices (Frightened Rabbit, The Roots), an open kitchen, and a nice sized garden in the back. It's a great option for parties of 6-10 as the menu is meant for sharing, and the spacing at each table is perfect for group conversation. Most importantly, the food is fantastic and the price is right. We are, however, a little concerned. For some reason, Traif isn't getting the love it deserves. It was only half full when we recently stopped by, and a friend of ours who lives next door reports that's generally the story on most nights. It's possible that the location is holding it back, as it's off the beaten path in Williamsburg a bit. Or maybe people just don't know about it yet? Whatever the reason, we need to change that. Get Traif to the top of your Hit List and tell all your friends.
Food Rundown
Duck Confit Lettuce Wraps
One of Traif's signature dishes - this one cannot be missed. It's a make-your-own lettuce wrap with shredded duck confit and banana-tamarind prik, whatever that is.
Braised Pork Belly
Possibly our favorite thing on the menu. The tender pieces of marmalade-glazed belly are served over a slaw-type salad with avocado, corn, and tomato. Incredible.
Sautéed Broccoli Rabe
Even Traif's attempts at a healthy dish are seriously gluttonous. This rabe is served with roasted portabella, truffle toast, and a big fat fried egg. So good.
Thai Spicy-Sweet Chili Glazed Calamari
Yup, it's as tasty as it sounds. Fried calamari with all kinds of extra flair that brings to mind the blue corn meal crusted calamari we love from Yerba Buena Perry. Make sure you order two of these if you're with a big group. It'll go fast.
Strawberry-Cinnamon Glazed Baby Back Ribs
Traif really knows how to make your mouth water just with the menu descriptions alone. Who in their right mind could possibly come here and NOT order Strawberry-Cinnamon Glazed Ribs? Not us. Definitely order a plate of these.
Lamb & Chorizo Meatballs
Yep. That happened too. And it was awesome.
Fresh Alaskan Spot Prawns with Garlic, Olive Oil, Pimento
The one dish we'd advise not to mess around with. These prawns just weren't as good as everything else we sampled.
Seared Foie Gras
Damn, breakfast for dinner never tasted so good. Seared foie gras is served with fingerling potatoes, ham chips, and a egg sunny side up with maple and hot sauce. Ridiculous.
Bacon Doughnuts
What better way to end a super healthy dinner than with bacon infused doughnut holes? Obviously, these are awesome.