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Milhouse Van Houten
- "I'm not a nerd, Bart. Nerds are smart."
- ―Milhouse[src]
| Milhouse Van Houten
| Character Information
Milhouse Mussolini[6] Van Houten (born July 4[7]) is Bart Simpson's best friend. As the only child of Kirk and Luann Van Houten, Milhouse's most distinctive physical traits are his extreme nearsightedness (depicted by very small eyes), requiring thick glasses to correct, and a bulbous potato-shaped nose. Milhouse has his mother's coloring (blue hair) but not her vivacity or confidence, and shares his father's generally milquetoast and defeated demeanor, although Milhouse sometimes gets cocky and overconfident, raising his eyebrows lasciviously, usually while trying to woo Lisa.
Despite being considered a nerd, Milhouse is of average intelligence but has poor social skills. He is also very gullible, thus he is often led into trouble by the mischievous Bart, who is not shy about taking advantage. Occasionally, however, Milhouse takes advantage of or manipulates Bart.
- 1 Biography
- 2 Non-canon
- 3 Behind the Laughter
- 4 Appearances
- 5 References
Milhouse is of Dutch and Italian descent. Milhouse is constantly victimized in some form or another such as being the target of the bullies Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney. They often inflict extreme acts of physical violence upon him. One instance had the bullies wrapping Milhouse in bumper stickers and placing him in a shopping cart, the bullies then pushed the cart with Milhouse inside down a very steep hill.[8] He frequently visited a female psychiatrist called Dr. Waxler until she got fed up by his frequent callings. Milhouse is also the subject of Nelson's cruelty: "stop (hitting, zapping, etc.) yourself." He still uses a child-size car seat and is a bed-wetter.
On one occasion, Bart got Milhouse placed on the America's Most Wanted list, even though they are friends, and he once tried to lure Milhouse into a cactus. This kind of torture is often used by Bart, who tries either to get Milhouse in trouble or to hurt him for no reason, making Milhouse's and Bart's relationship even more questionable. Bart once introduced Milhouse and attempted to explain why they are friends. He cannot come up with a real answer and admits that it is due to geographical reasons, though Bart has admitted that he really loves Milhouse.[9] Homer often calls Milhouse a "doofus" or refers to him as "that little wiener Milhouse". Homer also called Kirk Van Houten a "weirdo" and once emailed him to "pick up your weirdo kid". Bart does genuinely care for Milhouse, despite victimizing him on many occasions. Milhouse often does bad things under Bart's influence, like dropping mustard on cars from the top of a bridge[10] and destroying the school by loosening all the screws.[11] This is the reason his mother, Luann, at one point didn't want Milhouse to see Bart anymore, but later changed her mind after Marge talked to her.[12]
However, when his parents were presumed lost at sea (they were later found safe) during their second honeymoon, Milhouse acquired a somber gravitas. The kids at school were impressed, even Nelson, who forewent giving Milhouse his scheduled wedgie. Bart brought Milhouse's uncle, Norbert to Springfield to console Milhouse. Once Milhouse was no longer (believed to be) an orphan, however, the dignified gravitas disappeared and the other kids went back to treating him as before.[9] Later, when his he and his mother moved to Capital City, he dyed his hair blond, wore loud clothing, and treated the visiting Bart poorly to impress his new city friends. He even gave Bart a wedgie (Bart allowed it). Later his father won a judgment requiring Milhouse to be returned to Springfield.[13]
People frequently make Milhouse the butt of a variety of jokes, from having the door slammed in his face while playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey to inheriting Bart's dismal permanent record at school through a side deal arranged between Bart and Edna Krabappel and Principal Skinner, which will disqualify Milhouse from "all but the hottest and noisiest jobs". Lisa once inadvertently caused Milhouse to be severely beaten by Nelson when she persuaded Milhouse to pass Nelson (with whom she was briefly infatuated) a love note from her but which Nelson thought was from Milhouse himself, due to the absurd facial expressions and guilty looks on Milhouse's face when he saw Nelson looking at him.
Lisa identified Milhouse as representing "The Dependable Sidekick" among The 20 Types of People You Meet in Elementary School.[14]
Milhouse is of partial Italian ancestry, due to the fact that his grandmother lives in Italy. He is of Dutch and Danish descent on his father's side.
Romance and sexuality[edit]
Milhouse harbors a hopeless crush on Bart's younger sister, Lisa, and he is usually clumsy around females. However, in a flashback, when Bart and Milhouse were in kindergarten, the school principal accidentally revealed that he had assessed Milhouse to be gay.[15] On occasion he has been shown to enjoy cross-dressing (in one episode, he convinces Bart to dress up with him too) and noticed a boy, named Deven Woosterfield, to be beautiful.[16]
Milhouse has exhibited a tendency to act feminine, complete with dress, clichéd catchphrases and mannerisms, usually in some sort of misguided or out-of-control shenanigans, luring Bart, on at least one occasion, to dress likewise. His lies and social anxiety have cost him Lisa's affection three times, as well as a relationship with Rainier Wolfcastle's daughter Greta. Examples of such behavior are referring to himself as a "big sister" and being caught with a scrunchie in his hair.[17] Milhouse may have a crush on Marge, implied when Bart asked him if he's in love with her. Additionally, upon being asked whether he thinks that Marge is cool, he immediately, without thinking, responds, "No, I think she's HOT!"[18]
Lisa once showed concern for Milhouse when he was beaten by Nelson and left in a heap, and tended to him. However, she soon became distracted by the arrival of Irish environmentalist Colin, who became her love interest. When the Trappuccino finished, Milhouse lied to Lisa about Colin's death and claimed he begged Milhouse to look after her. Colin returned in the middle of Milhouse's story, and Milhouse quickly took his leave.[19]Milhouse's first girlfriend was Samantha Stanky, a new student who had moved to Springfield from Phoenix, Arizona.Saint Sebastian's School for Wicked Girls.[20] While Milhouse's official first kiss was with Samantha, it was contradicted when Milhouse claims his first kiss was with Homer during a game of spin the bottle that Homer interrupted by going up the treehouse and accidentally kissing Milhouse (much to Homer's disgust, but to Milhouse' glad for being his first kiss).[21]
Milhouse was seen making out with Paris Texan, who is nearly 20. This may be due to Milhouse wearing cool clothes at the moment.[22] Milhouse have also date Taffy, and Lisa began to follow the. After a while, realized Taffy to Milhouse will always be in love with Lisa and broke up the relationship. Lisa then decided to kiss him for the first time but explained that she does not yet know if she loves him.[23] Although Lisa pointed out in a previous episode that she kissed Milhouse.[24]
Skills and talents[edit]
Milhouse is fluent in Italian from visiting his Anglophobic grandmother, Nana Sophie, in Tuscany for two weeks every year. His grandmother's beatings when he spoke English left Milhouse both fluent in Italian and a bed-wetter. He demonstrated once that he is a skilled Vespa rider, although he is obviously not legally entitled to operate a scooter on public roads. He came closest to successfully wooing Lisa when he taught Italian to her, as she even kept a picture of Milhouse in her room while practicing Italian, but his lies and bragging ruined it, and at the end of the episode Lisa was seen chasing Milhouse in fury, just as his grandmother was shown chasing after him whenever he spoke English.[6]
|The contents of this article or section are considered to be non-canon and therefore may not have actually happened or existed.
He was revealed to not be the son of either Luann or Kirk.[25]
According to a future-telling machine invented by Professor Frink, at age 14 Milhouse burns down a house but rescues Lisa from it. By the time he is 18, Milhouse is rather steroidally-looking buff but emotionally unstable. He dates Lisa but she breaks up with him, sending him on a violent rampage similar to Hulk, probably due to the steroids. When the two nearly get back together, Bart rescues Lisa, fearing it will ruin her life.[26]
A few years later, Milhouse (having lost the "Hulk"ish physique), asks Lisa to marry him. She declines because she intends to never marry. At age 25, Milhouse is balding and works as Homer's supervisor at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He abuses the position to mistreat Homer when learns that Lisa is engaged to another man, although ultimately the engagement does not last.[27] At age 40, he marries Lisa; the two have a teenage daughter, Zia.[28]
The Simpsons arcade game[edit]
Milhouse appears in stage 2 carrying a hammer for the Simpsons to use to fight Mr. Burns' goons.
The Simpsons Game[edit]
Milhouse appears as the villain "Mr. Dirt" who taunts Homer and Lisa as they seek to defeat all three Sparklemons. After they capture all three Sparklemon balls and place them in the coin slots of the giant toilet shrine, Mr. Sparkle cleans up the village, and Milhouse shrinks to normal, handing over the keycard and being attacked by the three Sparklemons.[29]
The Simpsons: Tapped Out[edit]
- This section is transcluded from The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/Kids. To edit it, please edit the transcluded page.
Behind the Laughter[edit]
Milhouse was named after US President Richard Nixon, whose middle name was Milhous. The name was the most "unfortunate name Matt Groening could think of for a child". Milhouse is a favorite among the staff as Al Jean noted "most of the writers are more like Milhouse than Bart".
Wonder Years Connection?[edit]
Due to Milhouse's resemblance to the character Paul Pfeiffer from The Wonder Years, there was a long-standing rumor among Simpsons fans that Milhouse's appearance had been based on Paul. However, the resemblance appears to be only a coincidence. Producer/director David Silverman disclaimed the rumored Milhouse/Paul connection in a discussion on Twitter in 2011, first saying that "Wonder Years never came up" in the process of designing Milhouse's appearance.[30] Later in the discussion, he said, "Wonder Years Schmonder Years. Nerdy kid w glasses, big nose, & severe hair = a common stereotype."[31]
Foreign dubs[edit]
|This article or section is incomplete.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bart de Triomphe
- ↑ "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches"
- ↑ "Marge Be Not Proud"
- ↑ "Special Edna"
- ↑ "Hardly Kirk-ing"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas"
- ↑ "American History X-cellent"
- ↑ "Sideshow Bob Roberts"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Little Orphan Millie"
- ↑ "22 Short Films About Springfield"
- ↑ "The Good, the Sad, and the Drugly"
- ↑ "Homer Defined"
- ↑ "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
- ↑ The Lisa Book
- ↑ "Lisa's Sax"
- ↑ "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble"
- ↑ "The Bart Wants What It Wants"
- ↑ "Simpson Tide"
- ↑ The Simpsons Movie
- ↑ "Bart's Friend Falls in Love"
- ↑ "The Way We Weren't"
- ↑ "Homerazzi"
- ↑ "Homer Scissorhands"
- ↑ "Gone Maggie Gone"
- ↑ "Lisa the Boy Scout"
- ↑ "Future-Drama"
- ↑ "Lisa's Wedding"
- ↑ "Holidays of Future Passed"
- ↑ Big Super Happy Fun Fun Game
- ↑ Rubbercat.net article
- ↑ David Silverman on Twitter
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As a Seattle native, I have had a front row seat to the recent sea change we have seen with cannabis. But, even in this fabled region, you can experience two steps forward and one step back. All you need to do is see how the current state regulations have forced medical marijuana dispensaries out in favor of the more tax revenue to be had from retail marijuana shops. But these are still exciting times for an extraordinarily beneficial plant that has been so terribly maligned. A perfect guide for the times is the newly released book, "How to Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High," by David Bienenstock, published by Plume, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
David Bienenstock is your uniquely qualified host. He is the former West Coast editor of High Times magazine and now a journalist and video host/producer at VICE, where he writes the Weed Eater column and produces a video series called Bong Appetit. He is the guy who will share a joint with you and, as the conversation rolls along, will segue into some history, some science, and some sage advice. The idea here is to show some respect for the plant and yourself. Bienenstock does a great job of balancing his content so it is not too light and yet easy to digest. A book like this can't help but be a call to action moving along at a good, steady, and stirring pace.
What all the cannabis shops have done is not only bring a plant out from the cold. The shops have welcomed back numerous people who had given up ever again having reliable and trusted access. Many people are coming back who have not gotten high in many years, or who never did in the first place. So, a book like this truly serves any age. Bienenstock, like a good journalist, makes no assumptions on your experience or level or knowledge while, at the same, keeps advancing. If you don't know the difference between indica and sativa, Bienenstock has got you covered. If you'd like a handy overview of cannabis chemistry, well, keep on reading.
The beauty of the book is that Bienenstock's good sense for storytelling wins out every time. In tune with his reader, Bienenstock presents a dazzling array of facts, heart-felt observations, and a humanity that should melt the heart of many a naysayer. Mostly, it's a book there to provide a helping hand in appreciating cannabis. But, as Bienenstock joyfully sings to us, it's also about a state of mind, dude! The goal is not to necessarily smoke each and every day. The goal is to savor those times when you do. And strive to tap into that bliss the rest of the time. That's about as highbrow and proper as it gets.
"How to Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High" is a 288-page paperback, also available as an e-book. For more details, visit Penguin Random House right here.

subset: commoncrawl


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This was most noticeable on dark colored cars. While clear door edge guards looked like the winner, after a only a few days driving we noticed that a line of dirt all along the clear door edge guards that was annoying. Even after repeated car washes the dirt line was still noticeable. Our conclusion, clear vehicle door edge guards are okay for dark colored vehicles, but are terrible on light colored vehicles – dirt gets trapped all along the edge leaving a black outline that's clearly visible and looks ugly. The line of dirt is almost impossible to clean since the dirt gets trapped in the adhesive.
In comparison, vinyl car door edge guards offered superior car door edge protection, and were much easier to install. With car door edge protectors available in over 50 colors, you will find a best match!
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Know Your Target and Set Expectations for Your Team to Hit It!
Have you ever searched for something, not knowing what you were looking for, and found it? No? Me neither.
That would be a silly question to a lot of people, but not contractors. For, unfortunately, most contractors have their team aiming for an unidentified target – expecting them to hit it, without first setting clear expectations of what the target is.
How about your team members? Do they know, and better yet understand the targets you set in order to achieve your goals? Or, are you allowing them to just do the best they can?
If it's the latter, you have a problem. It's also a fairly common one.
A contractor recently asked me if I would help him design an incentive plan for his team. I agreed and the first thing I asked was what his total sales goal for the year was. He answered around $10M per year. My next question was around his gross and net profit goals – he had no clue as to an answer. In fact, his response was, "If I could figure that out, I could tell my people what I expect. However, I just don't know what I want. What should a construction company earn as a net profit?"
That might be the problem, right?
I continued by probing into what his net profit is currently. "We really work on tight margins. I think it's somewhere around 1%," he replied. I went on to explain that construction companies doing under $100M in sales per year average around 2.5% NP, which I don't believe is enough. Then I asked him why any of us would risk everything we have – year in, year out – for that or less?
I could see from his expression that my points were starting to sink in.
I told him I could relate to his situation. As in all honesty, his situation sounded a lot like my own several years ago. I would cheer my people on, telling them we just need to do the best we can do. And, guess what? They gave me about 1% NP on average, just like he was getting now.
Luckily for me, I hired a consultant back then who asked me some very similar questions. I explained to him that I never knew my NP goals, but struggled and between all of the companies I ran, I generally earned around 1%. "Aren't meager earnings okay when you are growing as fast as I am?" I exclaimed in excitement.
"Really, growth with little to no margins is what you're looking for? Why would you risk everything you have year in and year out, for virtually no return?" the consultant explained. After thinking long and hard about it, I decided I would no longer do that.
Later that year, I hired that same consultant to facilitate our annual retreat. What I came away with was nothing short of astounding. Instead of only setting total annual sales goals (without taking gross and net profit into the equation), I drew a line in the sand.
I explained to my team that no manager in any of our companies would be allowed to set total sales goals without tying them to a 6% NP minimum. The gross profit goal would also be set at the percentage it took to hit the net profit goal. The bottom line I explained, was that from then on each of our companies must earn 6% NP per year, or we would have to change management or strongly consider shutting the company down.
Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong.
After the retreat, I found that I had frustrated some of the managers with such a high target compared to what we were used to. In fact, the general manager of one of my companies came to me and asked why I was requiring his division to deliver 6% NP, when I had a couple companies that were actually losing money. I told him that all companies are now required to hit 6% or face changes, as I can't risk everything I have for such narrow margins anymore.
I could sense his continued frustration, but remained true to my recent convictions. Guess what happened next?
The next year (and the first time in the five year history of that division) his company was pushing up against 6% NP and has averaged over 6% NP since. As for the companies that he was referring to that were losing money? Well, two of them were shut down when they didn't hit the new 6% threshold. And the other two companies just got better, both averaging over 6% NP over the last few years.
It's amazing what happened psychologically to my team when they knew exactly what the target was they were expected to hit. They changed bidding strategies, they changed delivery methods and they changed their expectations of their own reports in order to hit the desired target. They lived and breathed by the expectations that had been placed upon them.
So, what are your expectations?
Decide, and set your target now! And more importantly, ensure your people know what the target is. With a target to aim for, and expectations set to hit it, you'll be surprised at how much your team can achieve.
Damian Lang owns and operates several companies in Ohio. He is the inventor of the Grout Hog-Grout Delivery System, Mud Hog mortar mixers, Hog Leg wall-bracing system, and several other labor-saving devices used in the construction industry. He is the author of the book called "RACE—Rewarding And Challenging Employees for Profits in Masonry." He writes for Masonry Magazine each month and consults with many of the leading contractors in the country.
Holding Yourself and Your Company to the Highest of Standards!
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Doing What Comes Naturally: Seven Painters in Their Prime
New YorkThe Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation
February 2 – August 4, 2019
The boldly cliché title of this show is turned inside out in the introductory paragraph to curator Robert Storr's catalog essay in which he clarifies that "art, by definition, is artificial and unnatural. What artists do is create visual and tactile realities that would never exist at all but for their intuition, insight and determination." With this helpful disbursal of essentialist notions of painting's use value as pre-determined, naturalized (dead or alive) metaphor, Storr clears a way for these paintings' "natures" to freely contradict themselves and for the viewer to juggle and risk toppling their own perceptual theories in advance of actual perception. The implacable here-ness of painting seems to be the aim of this grouping which, for the most part, exudes a subtle yet insistent haecceity.
It's worth introducing the context of the show in relation to its subtext. The Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation is one of the newest assets to enhance the Lower East Side's growing number of art venues. Housed in a former synagogue in what was Resnick's long-term studio, the building's four floors have been transformed into a mini Kunsthalle, the second floor of which is currently dedicated to a selection of Resnick's darkly monumental and heavily encrusted canvases. Passlof, his wife, had her studio in another abandoned synagogue around the block on Forsyth Street. The painters Tom Nozkowski and Joyce Robins (another artist couple—Robins's work is featured in the show), shared studio space in yet another old synagogue located on Hester Street. These relatively small "pocket synagogues" were raised by immigrant communities often tied to specific towns or villages in the Old World and therefore originally represented strategic sanctuaries. A contextual correspondence can be made between what became a downtown congregation of art friends after the initial demographic of the synagogues moved on. In consideration of the works on view, Storr's curatorial criteria embraces both painting as phenomenal process (emphasizing the tactility of the picture plane—Resnick's forte) and as quirky formalism (more Passlof's purview). In total effect the show presents an affiliation of painters "keeping the faith" (according to Storr), in order to discover what revelations painting has yet to impart. Their inclinations simultaneously represent an homage to the stylistic range of the Resnick/Passlof nexus. The works are sensitively chosen and arranged toward this combined purpose.
Installed on the first floor are works by Nathlie Provosty, Rebecca Purdum, Riley Brewster and Denzil Hurley. An overall tone of gravity and contemplation pervades the room in tangential reference to the brooding and dark Resnick paintings on the floor directly above including Burned O (1983). This cycle of the artist's work, dating from 1975 through 1987 , presides with a negative magnetism that seems to draw all four floors of the Foundation toward its influence. Storr's choice to include primarily dark and closely valued paintings on the first floor inevitably resonates harmonically with the Resnicks above. A large, vertically oriented painting by Provosty, Therefor (2018) holds the back wall with its heraldic figuration of tightly choreographed curves, drawn then quartered via a superimposed rectilinear geometry and a combination of matte and glossy oil paint. Her simmering control of value and surface invites one's "eyes' biding the slow cycle of disclosure."1 The painting's emblematic power is modulated and sweetened somewhat in the two much smaller and more chromatically delicate paintings by the artist hanging in the stairwell landing. Next to claim one's attention is a painting/relief/sculpture by Denzil Hurley entitled Glyph Within, Without and About #2 (2016 – 2018) in which four dark gray panels of disproportionate symmetry are joined together in a rough pinwheel-like format and propped by sticks extending to the floor. Three of Hurley's four works include sculptural interventions. In Cut Out/Redact (2016 – 2018) he actually cuts into the customarily inviolable planar premise of the stretched canvas. In this regard he could be considered the more heretical zealot of the painterly faith keepers here. The two remaining painters on this floor come closest to Resnick's tactility. Riley Brewster's three canvases each share the older painter's tendency to mix variously hued pigments until their physical properties force an assimilation of tone towards the achromatic. The overall effect of Brewster's approach—as exemplified in the delicately wrought crow town (2018)—shares a poetic heritage in the landscape genre of Whistler's dusky "symphonies" and J.H. Twachtman's wintry harmonics. Brewster, like his precedents, pushes a tension between barely-perceived, deep landscape space and the immediately felt field of pigment on canvas. Something similar occurs in Rebecca Purdum's five paintings. Purdum actually met and became friends with Resnick and Passlof who were mentors at Skowhegan when Purdum was in residence in the summer 1981. She maintained contact upon returning to New York as her studio was in close proximity to theirs, and continued this contact, especially with Passlof, when Purdum decamped the city for the Breadloaf Wilderness of Vermont. A cycle of three of her more recent paintings, including the ethereal yet anchored Raft (2018) are a summary complement to the other works on the first floor. They share a dark tonal range and a mindfully discrete modulation of that range in increments of color harmonics via tactile acuity (Purdum often paints with her fingers) and a direct, marginally differentiated format.
The fourth floor selection contains a mix of works that share a lighter and perhaps more playful attitude toward color in its application in various forms, the most antic of which have to be the four paintings of John Obuck. In The Stack (2018) one gets served a Dagwood sandwich of tottering lozenges and approximate rectangles in middle-saturation yellow, red, and blue. Storr seems to have aimed this selection as homage to Passlof's varied explorations of form and color in dynamic juxtaposition in her own work. An almost geological condensation of such can be seen in Joyce Robin's Untitled Series (all 2018). These are small yet energetic compressions of wide spectrum color cells each ringed with piping of either analogous or complementary hues. The optical effect of this format captures a clamor of color interaction in a contrasting web of deliberate method. Andrew Spence is a painter known for his valorous discretion in reimagining positivist-formalist strategies. He does so here in a painting such as Untitled Brown/Violet (2018) by pushing spare lines in violet and brown towards defining the periphery of the picture plane. One can choose therefore to look upon these paintings as rational constructions of a cornered empiricist or as evident of the attenuated grace possibly achieved at the moment of classic formalist painting's hopeful transmogrification. A certain kind of magical thinking, a willed suspension of rationality, might necessarily precede painting's continued relevance as transporting vehicle. As Storr implies in his catalog essay, painting should never be considered slavishly faithful to over-rationalized formulae, "exegetical templates" (in his words), that drain the wondrous hereness from it.
1. Brian O'Doherty, Nathlie Provosty: Slow Time (New York: Nathalie Karg Gallery, 2018). A similar perception could be extended across the entire first floor of the show.


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Mission in Missouri: Churches and immigrants
In 1994, things began to look up for Milan, Missouri, a remote, rural community of 2,000 that had been struggling for years with a declining farm economy and weak job market. Premium Standard Farms (PSF), the second-largest pork production company in the U.S., opened a state-of-the-art packing plant in Milan's rural enterprise zone. Today the company raises 2 million hogs annually on 38,000 acres of rolling northwest Missouri hills, then brings them to Milan for processing.
PSF workers slaughter over 7,000 hogs a day. It's one of the most dangerous industries in the nation. Most of the workers earn $21,000 per year. After a decade of PSF operations, 22 percent of Milan's population lives below the poverty level, and the median household income is less than half the U.S. average.
Area churches have struggled to accommodate the influx of immigrant workers, hundreds of whom found jobs at the plant. Congregations began to provide for the basic needs of newcomers and challenged a local landlord who was exploiting them. This was no easy task. In the Milan area, few of the dozen scattered congregations have full-time pastors, and pastor turnover is high. Cooperation among congregations is difficult. There are cultural and racial differences—an Anglo Baptist church ended up forcing out a fledgling Hispanic congregation that it had once nurtured. There is competition for newcomers, complete indifference to them, or a tendency to offer only Band-Aid ministries that fail to address systemic conditions of poverty and low-wage employment.
Still, there have been signs of progress. From 1998 to 2004, Milan's United Methodist Church recruited a Hispanic missioner to the community and converted a residence into a "wait house" for newly arrived immigrants.
In 1995, congregations in nearby Trenton created the Renewing Rural Missouri (RRM) project, and its leaders—Hispanic and Anglo laypeople, part-time pastors and paid staff—determined to take on social and economic issues. When many Hispanic residents were unable to get a driver's license because of their work schedules, RRM secured a commitment from the Highway Patrol to provide bilingual driver's license exams in the community. RRM began developing immigrant leaders, providing interpreter support in the health care system, and helping the local hospital find ways to improve interpretation services. RRM leaders are busy with other challenges: they are trying to secure transportation for immigrants who have no vehicles, addressing education issues for immigrant children in an underfunded school district, and building relationships between all those who are affected by the environmental impact of PSF hog operations.
The exploitation of low-wage immigrant laborers in the U.S.—from Chinese workers on the transcontinental railroad to Eastern Europeans in Chicago's packinghouses to farm workers in California's Central Valley—is nothing new. Nor is the nativist response to "too many" immigrants—particularly to those not of northwestern European descent—as embodied in the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), the National Origins Act (1924) and other restrictionist policies, including the ones currently under consideration by Congress and in statehouses across the nation.
What is different today is the extent to which our industrial, service, construction, agricultural and food-processing sectors rely on a largely undocumented immigrant workforce. This workforce is now employed far beyond the nation's urban and metropolitan centers and also away from the major agricultural fields. Traditional gateway cities—New York, Los Angeles, Chicago—have given way to "new gateway" communities in second- and third-tier population centers, suburban rings and rural towns like Milan.
In this emerging landscape, churches face daunting challenges. Few small communities or small churches have the capability of addressing burgeoning immigration or the capacity to absorb or redirect the social and economic costs that employers lay at the public door. When immigrants need help in securing a living wage or in fighting prohibitions that exclude them from government services, solo attempts by churches or even denominations are not as effective as organized interchurch and interfaith partnerships.
In his classic 1942 sociological study Millhands and Preachers, Liston Pope chronicled the travails of a southern community where churches and pastors were part of the mill owners' matrix of power and worker exploitation. This dynamic still holds. Congregations tend to support the company that brings jobs to town, or to be passive despite the visible needs of newcomers. Christians will have to step out of the shadows and engage in mission with immigrants, and address the tough social, economic and racial-justice issues that come with a new demography. The recent proposal by Catholic bishops to defy unjust anti-immigrant laws is a starting point.


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Vote for your favourite design in the Oxford Station Design Ideas Competition
The competition is the start of a design process with the aim of creating architectural ideas for an ambitious landmark building.
The competition follows on from the Oxford Station Masterplan which originally outlined the layout, functions and scale required for a future gateway station at Oxford.
The designs are being judged by a panel made up of senior representatives from the partner organisations which includes Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council. The judging panel will select three designs which they feel best illustrate our collective ambition for Oxford. There will also be a further independent award, which will be entirely determined by a public vote, called the 'People's Favourite' award.
The competition runs from Friday 11 December to Tuesday 29 December and an exhibition of the design ideas is being held at The Oxford Castle Quarter, OX1 1AY on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December where council staff will be available to answer questions and public votes can be cast.
The competition entries can also be viewed online during the duration of the competition and members of the public are encouraged to vote for their favourite design by going to www.oxford.gov.uk/stationcomp from Friday 11 December.
In addition to this, the same exhibition will be on display at Oxford Central Library, Westgate, OX1 1DJ from Monday 14 December.
Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said: "Our work outside Oxford's train station at Frideswide Square has transformed the gateway to the city from being a busy, unwelcoming road junction to a well-managed gateway to Oxford and marks a significant milestone in the regeneration of the area. The redevelopment of the train station is the next logical step and is crucial if we are to maintain Oxford's status as a world-class city and it also plays a significant role in the economic vitality of Oxford and Oxfordshire. Further investment in this critical transport interchange will be needed to help businesses thrive and ensure Oxfordshire remains an attractive location for investment.
I would encourage everyone to look at all of the train station design concepts which have been produced by world-class architects and vote for their favourite. Testing these design concepts with the public now is an important step in our journey towards achieving the necessary investment required to deliver our ambition to have a world-class train station that will support economic growth in the county."
Cllr Bob Price, Leader of Oxford City Council said: "The regeneration of the station area is a key site in the West End which, if delivered, would make significant contributions to Oxford's economy. The two Councils are working closely with our partners, the industry and the Department of Transport to promote the economic case for a vastly improved landmark station that is befitting of our world-class city."


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Looking for a luxurious bronzing cream? We review CHANEL'S Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base.
Whether you are heading in to winter or getting ready for summer, a little bronzer can help you to achieve a gorgeously healthy glow. We have tried all different types of bronzers over the years, from powders to creams and liquids, but we are always on the hunt for one that can take centre stage in our makeup cabinet.
When the opportunity came up to review Chanel's Soleil Tan de Chanel we jumped at the chance. We have long been fans of Chanel's beauty range and while their products look oh-so-classy on our bathroom shelves, they still have to work hard to earn a regular spot.
Let's find out if it lives up to the hype.
What they say:
A unique, lightweight and easy-to-blend cream-gel bronzer with a delicate, velvety finish that gives a natural sun-kissed glow.
The generously-sized jar makes it easy to swirl the kabuki brush, for effortless application.
What we say:
Yet again Chanel has delivered a product that we love! The packaging is classic Chanel, high quality, and perfectly polished. The size of the bronzer exceeded our expectations, it is great value for money, and as you only need a little of this product to make an impact, it will last forever. It is the perfect product you could share with a friend to save some dollars (see our other unique tips to save money here).
The bronzer has a creamy, velvety texture, that brushes on easily with a kabuki or contour brush. We like to use it to highlight and contour – a little blended on the top of our forehead, down through the bridge of the nose and on to the hollows of the cheeks before applying a light powder dusting – it gives a great healthy glow which, with a little mascara and gloss, is a perfect daytime look.
The colour is universal enough for most skin tones and can be built up for a deeper bronze shade. We also love to use it on our shoulders and décolletage for an extra sun-kissed look.
Want more? Click here for our review of Chanel cleansers and here for Five of the Best Vitamin C Serums.


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There is a debate right now over the implications of a teaching called the Eternal Subordination of the Son (ESS), which explores the intra-Trinatarian relationship between God the Son to God the Father. Here are two summary articles that will bring you up to speed if you are unfamiliar with this discussion and would like to learn more.
Opponents of ESS like Carl Trueman and Liam Goligher believe that ESS represents a departure from long-held confessional statements of the Church. ESS advocates Wayne Grudem and Bruce Ware have responded by saying that they keep the confessions, and their theological beliefs are not being accurately represented. To complicate matters, the debate is actually more than one debate, as Andrew Wilson helpfully points out in the above article by identifying 10 essential questions underneath it. ESS adherents respond to these questions differently which even further impedes dialogue. It is not sufficient to say "ESS proponents" believe XYZ without designating which proponents and which beliefs.
For some, the debate is primarily academic and is best left to those who have spent years reading Trinitarian theology. But for others, the debate has very practical implications. Bruce Ware and Wayne Grudem in particular have cultivated the doctrine of ESS in direct response to modern evangelical feminism and use it to bolster their very real world views on gender, particularly submission of women. This teaching then filters down through books, conferences, and pulpits and has significant influence on how men and women are taught to relate to each other in their churches, marriages, and society at large.
Some scholars see the link between ESS and gender as unhelpful. But we would like to submit that the link is much worse than simply unhelpful. We believe it is actually corrupting and confusing the Trinitarian debate. ESS is being shaped by gender debates, not the other way around. And this, in our opinion, is precisely where the disconnect lies. This is why so many have pushback against the ESS presentation of submission in the Trinity.
Grudem and Ware have unapologetically set gender relationships as the frame for their handling of ESS. In the book, One God in Three Persons: Unity of Essence, Distinction of Persons, Implications for Life (co-edited by Ware with essays by both Ware and Grudem), Grudem introduces the topic with the essay: "Doctrinal Deviations in Evangelical-Feminist Arguments about the Trinity." In Grudem's book Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth, his first chapter in response to evangelical feminism teaches that the "equality and differences between men and women reflect the equality and differences in the Trinity." Ware, Grudem, and the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood on which they sit fundamentally link their understanding of ESS and Trinitarian relationships to gender.
In his Institutes, John Calvin famously wrote that without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self, and without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God. While scholars are handling the question of "the knowledge of God" in this debate, we believe it's essential to give attention also to "knowledge of self." How has Ware and Grudem's knowledge of human gender influenced their knowledge of God? Has the tail wagged the dog here? We think so.
In this sense, we are not offering solutions to the Trinitarian debate. We are instead suggesting that faulty anthropology has infiltrated it. We are suggesting that Ware and Grudem's understanding of gender is the reason that their opponents believe their argument is ontological (essential to God the Son's very existence – the foundational topic of debate among the scholars) while Ware and Grudem insist that it is not. Their gender angst is importing faulty categories into the Trinitarian debate.
Consider Grudem's own words as he explains his understanding of Jesus' subordination to God the Father –
"In those relationships, Scripture speaks of the Father having a unique role of initiating, planning, directing, sending, and commanding; it speaks of the Son as having a role of joyfully agreeing with, supporting, carrying out, and obeying the Father; and it speaks of the Spirit as acting in joyful obedience to the leadership of both the Father and the Son."
Now consider how The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood applies this to women – First, from their website Summary of the Complementarian Position:
A. Created Equality of Essence and Distinction of Role
Male and female were created by God as equal in dignity, value, essence and human nature, but also distinct in role whereby the male was given the responsibility of loving authority over the female, and the female was to offer willing, glad-hearted and submissive assistance to the man. Gen. 1:26-27 makes clear that male and female are equally created as God's image, and so are, by God's created design, equally and fully human. But, as Gen. 2 bears out (as seen in its own context and as understood by Paul in 1 Cor. 11 and 1 Tim. 2), their humanity would find expression differently, in a relationship of complementarity, with the female functioning in a submissive role under the leadership and authority of the male.
And from another post on the cbmw.org website:
Given that gender identity will remain (in the New Creation), is there evidence that functional distinctions will likewise remain in the new creation? Will resurrected saints as male and female {emphasis added} have gender-specific roles? How will we relate to one another? Will male headship apply? … Complementarity is not just an accommodation to the less-than-perfect conditions that prevailed during the first century. Rather, it is a divine principle weaved into the fabric of God's order for the universe.
Note the parallel language of the joyful agreement and support of the Son eternally to the leadership of the Father and the female's willing, glad-hearted and submissive assistance to the man. If we are reading Grudem, Ware, and The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood's position correctly, Jesus is eternally subordinate to God the Father and woman will be eternally subordinate to man in the New Creation.
Herein lies the problem. Grudem and Ware argue for submission of the Son on the basis of role. So far, so orthodox. But when they apply ESS to gender, they have tied submission to the essence of femaleness and not simply the role of being a wife. By necessity then, when they talk about the Son's submission to the Father, it is almost impossible not to hear it as an ontological argument. Why? Because Bible-believing Christians know gender (more accurately, biological sex) to be an ontological category. We know that being female is an identity given by God and intrinsically bound up in the imago Dei. This is the fundamental argument against transgender positions: "So God made man[kind] in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them." '
When these leaders emphasize female submission instead of wifely submission, they are speaking of submission as if it were an ontological characteristic. Consider how John Piper answered a question on whether a woman should be a police officer.
"At the heart of mature manhood is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for, and protect women in ways appropriate to a man's differing relationships. … At the heart of mature womanhood is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive, and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman's differing relationships. … it would be hard for me to see how a woman could be a drill sergeant … over men without violating their sense of manhood and her sense of womanhood."
These leaders of The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood believe that this benevolent responsibility of man and joyful receiving from woman is the heart of mature manhood and womanhood – not roles for husbands and wives but the essence of the two genders, and they believe it holds still in the New Creation. So when these same men start talking about submission in the Trinity, it makes sense to import the categories they have already established back into the discussion. And they, not any of their detractors, have set this frame. If a woman is not fully female without submissiveness, how is Jesus fully God's Son without it as well? That, friends, is by definition ontology.
Being a wife is a role; being a husband is a role; being a servant is a role; being a citizen is a role. Being male and female are not roles. While our biological sex necessarily shapes the roles we hold (in marriage, a woman will be a wife and not a husband), submission does not stem directly from gender but from a role that exists in the context of relationship. A wife submits to her husband not because he is a "man" but because he is her husband and has committed himself to certain vows and duties in the context of their marriage. The same is true of a servant and master, a congregant and elder, and a citizen and his government. Submission happens in context of specific privileges and responsibilities found in specific relationships bound by specific covenants.
In contrast to the belief that women are ontologically (and therefore eternally) subordinated to men, we believe with Paul in I Corinthians 11:3 that "the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." See these posts for clarification of what "head" means in Scripture.
Thomas Jefferson and Headship
Male Privilege
The Missing Head
If we then let the Bible give commentary on itself, we see that in the New Creation, that middle category of I Corinthians 11:3 does not endure for humans in eternity. Jesus said it Himself in Matthew 28:29-30,
"You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."
This is foundational to this discussion. While the categories of male and female endure into the New Creation, the earthly roles of being husbands and wives do not. Or to be more eschatologically accurate, these earthly roles are finally fulfilled. Our earthly marriages—and the submission that happens within them—are but mere shadows of the one great marriage between Christ and His bride that will exist for all eternity. As our roles shift from being individual husbands and wives so too will the submission that flows from our individual relationships. As the collective Bride of Christ, we will all submit to Jesus as our Bridegroom. Christ remains the head of both man and woman. His supremacy (which Philippians 2 tells us is the direct result of his obedience to the Father) will govern our relationships with each other, male and female alike.
In this life now, husbands and wives have an opportunity to give testimony, not to the subordination of women to men, but to the eternal truth that Jesus is a Bridegroom who loved His wife enough to leave His glory, descend to the earth, and fulfill His Father's plan of Redemption. And this is what we celebrate when we celebrate the subordination of the Son. We do not celebrate authority. We celebrate sacrifice. We do not celebrate control. We celebrate the submission of our wills. It is this beautiful dynamic between the Father and Son, and eventually between the Bridegroom and Bride, that will set the world right.
Hannah Anderson and Wendy Alsup


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Get this super cute 2 Piece Outfit for your little 'Wild Boy'!
Material: Cotton Blend
Machine wash cold or warm. Tumble dry low or hang to dry.
You may return all products within 14 days after delivery.
Worldwide delivery. All orders are sent with insured and tracked shipping.
Est. delivery: 10-25 business days
Standard: $4.95 flat rate. FREE for orders over $30.00.


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RKS 3 : Panels assembly machine with fitting of end caps
Machine that cuts to length and threads theslats, then inserts the end caps and crimps them. The evacuation of the scrap is manual. The panels come out flat on a control table (or in a reel, on option).
The machine can work different slats, just change the templates.
The RKS 3 works with most end-caps, with double perforation.
Caractéristiques techniques
Width of slats
from 37 to 67 mm
Width of panels
from 500 to 3500 mm
Locking system
Plastic end-caps crimping
Can deal up to 5 different slats
Time to change from one type of slat to another :
10 minutes
Day production
60 panels /day
Excellent fixing of caps
Easy change of gigs
High capacity of caps-magasine
Roller shutters manufacturers
Similar products SEE ALL PRODUCTS IN THIS CATEGORY


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France's right-wing party leader Marine Le Pen blamed the United States on May 26 for influencing France to impose sanctions on Russia, in a move which led to Russia's cancellation of the coveted Mistral contract.
Following a meeting with Russian State Duma Chairman Sergei Naryshkin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Le Pen said France has been "susceptible very much to the United States' influence."
"The U.S. played an important role in the adoption of [the European Union's] sanctions against Russia," said the National Front party leader.
U.S. pressure on France also led to Russia's cancellation of the $1.5 billion contract for Mistral amphibious assault ships and French leaders' refusal to attend Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, she suggested.
"The decisions that have been made on the Mistrals, the incomprehensible behavior regarding their refusal to take part in the recent commemorative events -- I think this is real obedience to the U.S.'s position," she said.
Le Pen said she hoped "France will regain its freedom of expression and democratic freedom."


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Court Upholds Force Majeure Defense for Nonpayment of Rent Related to Covid-19
In what is likely a first-of-its-kind decision, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois has held that governmental restrictions imposed to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus qualify as a force majeure event and represent a valid reason for a business to suspend performance of its contractual obligations during the pandemic and ongoing governmental restrictions placed on many businesses.
On June 3, 2020, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court held, in In re Hitz Restaurant Group, that a lease's force majeure clause permitted either party to suspend performance due where they were "prevented or delayed, retarded or hindered by… laws, governmental action or inaction, orders of government…."
In this case, a restaurant closed because of Illinois' restrictions on businesses sought Chapter 11 protection and argued that its post-petition rent was excused because of the force majeure clause in the lease. The landlord argued the force majeure clause was not applicable because 1) the restaurant was not prevented from making payment (the banks and post office were open), 2) lack of money was not an event of force majeure under the lease, and 3) the restaurant could have applied for governmental assistance to pay rent, but chose not to. The court rejected each line of reasoning, finding the first irrelevant, the lack of money argument unpersuasive insofar as it was not the reason for nonpayment, and the third also irrelevant and not required under the force majeure provision.
The court found persuasive the debtor's argument that it could not pay rent because it could not serve customers – the government's restriction on its business was the reason for the lack of funds. However, the court also found the debtor was able to use 25% of the rental space for take-out dining, and assessed its post-petition rent accordingly.
The takeaway here for businesses is that courts are looking at force majeure clauses carefully in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and there may be defenses when and if landlords (or other creditors) begin seeking recovery of unpaid rent as a result of Covid-19.
While this does not definitively answer the question of whether, and how, Covid-19 shutdown orders across the country affect contracts with force majeure provisions, it is a helpful jumping-off point that may prove instructive for businesses unsure of their legal obligations or options. It likewise offers some guidance for commercial landlords who have tenants that have not or will not pay rent as a result of government-mandated shutdowns.
Marks & Klein is a leading U.S. franchise and business law firm, counseling a broad array of start-up concepts now considered some of the fastest-growing franchise brands in the country. To learn more, call 732-747-7100 or email email@example.com.
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Google's Android looks unstoppable, with quarterly sales steamrolling the iPhone in the U.S. and now Windows Mobile globally, but it's only the eye of the storm for the young operating system.
Gartner's latest statistics show big gains for Android's quarterly sales worldwide, jumping from 1.6 percent in the first quarter of 2009 to 9.6 percent during the same period this year. That puts the OS ahead of Microsoft's Windows Mobile, but still behind the iPhone, Blackberry, and Symbian phones. Besides Android, only the iPhone has gained sales share since Q1 2009, says Gartner.
Still, Android has benefited from a lull in the competition that dates back to Apple's last iPhone launch, and this year will see threats to Google's smartphone platform from all corners. Google's ride to the top — Gartner believes Android will take second place in global market share in two years — won't be so smooth with these developments on the horizon:
iPhone 4G
We know plenty about Apple's next iPhone thanks to Gizmodo's purchase of a prototype. If Apple does release an iPhone with a front-facing camera, higher-resolution screen, and custom processor, it'll create the summer sales spike to which we've grown accustomed.
Sales of the Palm Pre and Pixi have been a disappointment, but HP's $1.2 billion acquisition of Palm could be the kick in the pants WebOS needs. Neither company has announced any new products, but when they do, it'll could rock the smartphone world.
Windows Phone 7
WinPho7 is still a distant thought with a holiday launch planned, but it's clear that Microsoft is gunning for the now-lucrative consumer market with an emphasis on social networking, fun apps, and Xbox Live support. Microsoft has traditionally targeted business users, but it sees what Apple and Google are doing and wants a piece of the action.
Blackberry 6 OS
Add Research in Motion to the pile of smartphone makers clamoring to make fun phones. The next version of Blackberry's operating system improves the Web browsing experience with Webkit, and includes a "social networking feeds" application, crisper graphics, and flashier animations. Not mind-blowing in terms of innovation, but enough, perhaps, to keep Blackberry on top in the United States.
Symbian doesn't capture the minds and dollars of U.S. consumers, but it's still the dominant smartphone platform overseas. Whether Nokia intends to change that or not, the upcoming N8 is a nice-looking phone, with a front-facing camera, a 12-megapixel rear camera, and the revamped Symbian 3 operating system. If Nokia can put out a killer product at a reasonable price, it's bound to get attention stateside.


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North America Water Vapor Patterns
Weather and storms across the world constantly affect our daily lives. As technology has improved, scientists have placed satellites in orbit around the world to monitor changing weather patterns. In this example, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) operated by NOAA reflect different ways of viewing the Earth and its atmosphere. GOES views include visible, infrared, water vapor channel (seen here), and other views to monitor weather systems around North America. This image is excellent to view how water vapor in constantly swirling around the globe.
During the summer months you can see the hurricanes forming off the east coast of Florida. The tropical storms and hurricanes appear as large swirls of white. You will also be able to see large storms forming off the west coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean.
This image displays the water vapor channel data delivered from GOES satellites orbiting the Earth. The image is updated every three hours. You may view the page sponsored by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at http://www.goes.noaa.gov/goesfull.html.
Link: Geostationary Satellite Server (NOAA)


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Podcast: Soul Work for Moms
I listened to a podcast put on by Soul Work for Moms the other day that had me thinking about conscious parenting. I, myself, am a big advocate for conscious parenting. I feel like hiring a doula, is a great first step in a lifetime of such parenting. Educating oneself and then thinking critically about how that might work or not work for your lifestyle is important. The podcast featured a mother & blogger by the name of Lindsay Dewald who practices a Montessori lifestyle.
Her instagram following is impressive, but what I like most about her story is that she incorporates a teaching style (one in which she is formally educated) into aspects of parenting, decorating and general living. Some might call it "minimalism," but I think she has refined how she lives. She has called it Montessori living because she has consciously planned out the environment in which her child will be raised starting with the city, home, and school.
I could go on, obviously I have a mom-crush on her. I will let you listen to her conversation on Soul Work for Moms.
Check out her interview and those of other crush-worthy moms on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
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PADI Dive Courses
Most of the PADI dive courses are also available at our Dive Centers. Like PADI Open Water Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and many PADI Specialty Courses. PADI courses have a surcharge of €30,- PADI Dive Courses can be conducted by our instructors in either English, German Italian or French. The course videos and manuals are available in many more languages.


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The Yuma Police Department is looking for an armed robbery suspect, according to a news release from Yuma PD.
On Saturday June 11 just after 8:30 a.m. officers responded to a Chevron at 500 East 32nd Street for a call of an armed robbery.
Police say an unknown man took a Ford F350 after he threatened the driver with a hand gun. The man fled the scene to Country Club Drive where he abandoned the vehicle and then got into a gray or silver Toyota sport like vehicle that has a spoiler and a temporary license plate.
The car then fled northbound on Arizona Avenue. Police say an off duty Border Patrol agent was at the gas station when the armed robbery happened. The Agent attempted to apprehend the suspect while at the Chevron and on County Club Drive.
Police say shots were fired between the Agent and the suspect. The Agent was not injured and it is unknown if the suspect was injured from the shots fired.
The suspect is only being described as a man. Yuma Police have no further description at this time.
Yuma PD is asking for anyone with information to call the Yuma Police Department at 928-373-4700 or Sgt. Freedman at 928-373-4749 or 78-CRIME at 928-782-7463 to remain anonymous.
Yuma Police says if your information leads to an arrest you may receive up to a $1000 reward.


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The adage that 'Content is king' is not only true, but works in surprising ways. This post is about the intended consequences of good content which, when they come, surprise us. That apparent contradiction is deliberate, so read on.
But what is good content?
'Good content', I keep explaining to clients, is not always content that you'd like to have on your website. It is content that people are looking for - and maybe can't find easily elsewhere. By definition, good content is useful, maybe even authoritative.
When 'good' becomes 'viral'
At some point, enough clicks that end up on your site's content will make it 'good'. At some point beyond that, sufficient clicks will make that content go viral.
Your site's analytics system will tell you where these clicks come from and there'll be a mix of search engines and referrals from other sites. Whichever, the word gets passed and the visits come in.
No smoke and no mirrors - the example
One of my clients has an insurance agency selling French insurance to English residents (or second-home owners here in France). Over the years, I have become the content creator for their website. Their site gets modest traffic but ranks very well. The new monthly business it pulls it keeps on accumulating, sufficient to employ a small team of full-time staff.
In keeping with France's legendary administrative complexity, new regulations came into force in March of this year which obliged people to install smoke detectors. Various sites explained the ins and outs of this; most were in French; many were conflicting or ambiguous. I proposed that a clear article be written about this on their website's blog. The post was published in June 2014.
Initially, interest was minimal. Visits to the post started at 40–50 from September, then jumped to 160–200. In January of this year those numbers climbed to 557, then 1,385, then 1,302 in April. At the time of writing, that particular page is dropping back down to just below 300 monthly unique views. We expect that decline to continue as the world moves on. Here's the classic bell curve of those hits:
The long-tail lift
Where the fun comes is that that traffic didn't just view that page on the site. These new visitors stuck around and looked at other pages on the site. Here's the bell curve for the whole site:
Here are the two trends combined:
The fun here is that the 'new normal' for the whole site is - thanks to this one post - higher than the 'old normal'. In the business, we call this the long term lift. Sometimes it's called the long tail lift or simply the long tail.
Of course, this isn't just fun. This is business because with these increased visitor numbers come more potential clients who make contact with you by filling in your site's contact form or picking up the phone, both of which actually accompanied the trend in the above example.
So what's the lesson here?
Finding time to write content for your website that is useful, authoritative and timely can boost business. I'd distill this down to some key points, as follows:
- write simply but make it interesting
- use page titles,
h2headings that say it straight and organise your thinking neatly
- try to come across as being knowledgeable but approachable
- give good advice freely because doing that on top of being paid for what you do makes you stand out from the crowd
- be relevant and timely
- provide links where people can get more information
Put like that, really there's no magic in this, just hard work!
You can read more about this particular phenomenon over at the Moz site here: https://moz.com/blog/linkbait-bump-viral-content-lifts-organic-traffic-w….


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The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group is petitioning United States regulators to allow its clients to double their open Bitcoin futures positions.
Double open positions limit, says CME
According to Nasdaq on Sept. 12, CME has already put its plans before the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
If successful, each investor would gain a monthly limit of 2,000 contracts per spot month instead of the current 1,000.
The move comes on the back of constant growth in demand for Bitcoin futures, with CME's volumes setting new records on a regular basis.
As Nasdaq notes, the CFTC officially states that lower-risk trading instruments are not subject to limits. Therefore, an agreement to lessen the strict controls for CME could be construed as the regulator having more faith in Bitcoin (BTC) options than before.
"This is one more way we're providing customers, institutional traders and end-users with additional flexibility to trade and hedge bitcoin price risk," a spokesperson told the publication.
March of the Bitcoin futures contracts
CME was one of the first Bitcoin futures operators, launching its product in December 2017. Since then, the market has expanded, with the second half of this year set to see a significant increase in overall interest.
Later in September, Bakkt, the regulated trading ecosystem for institutional investors, will launch physical Bitcoin futures, which pay out returns in BTC instead of fiat currency.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance is currently testing two potential futures trading platforms.


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Missouri dove-hunting season opens Sept. 1
(Outdoors ~ 08/19/16)
MDC reminds dove hunters of 20 more hunting days this year and of numerous conservation areas for hunting.
Soybean Shuffle 5K run is leading off annual soybean festival
(Local News ~ 08/19/16)
"Down on the Farm" is the theme for this year's 69th Annual National Soybean Festival. It's time to get working on those floats! The festival begins on Saturday, September 24 through Thursday night, September 29. On Saturday is Main Street Madness with a 5K run/walk sponsored by SRG Global beginning with a 7:30 AM registration...
Gideon Homecoming scheduled for Sept. 2-3
(State News ~ 08/19/16)
The 41st Gideon Homecoming, Friday & Saturday, September 2 & 3, 2016. The theme for this year is "THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN" with the class of 1966 celebrating their 50th year. This year's schedule will include THE ANNUAL CAR SHOW! What an opportunity to see the changing times! The Gerald Blake Christian Car Club Car Show will begin at 9:00 a.m. ...
"The Truth"
(Column ~ 08/19/16)
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these latter days He has spoken to us by His Son.." -- Hebrews 1:1-2
Legislature Likely to Revisit Unemployment Reform Issue
(Column ~ 08/19/16)
It was during the 2015 session that the Missouri General Assembly approved legislation to reform the state's system of unemployment. The legislation was intended to bring financial stability to the system, which went insolvent after the 2008 economic downturn. ...
Kellams signs with Mineral Area Cardinals
(High School Sports ~ 08/19/16)
A recent Portageville High School graduate signed a Letter of Intent to play baseball with Mineral Area college in Park Hills. A ceremonial signing was held Monday afternoon at 5:00 o'clock. After graduating this May from Portageville, Jon Garrett Kellems had planned to go to Arkansas State University (ASU) in Jonesboro, but he had too good of a deal he could not pass up at Mineral Area...
Local man faces charges for threatening, harassing juvenile
(Local News ~ 08/19/16)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A Mississippi County man faces charges after allegedly harassing and threatening a juvenile. Paul M. Patrick, 40, is charged with two counts of second degree assault and harassment motivated by discrimination to frighten or disturb another person...
Portageville's Kellams signs to play baseball at Mineral Area College
(High School Sports ~ 08/19/16)
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Jon Garrett Kellams, a 2016 Portageville High School graduate signed a Letter of Intent to play baseball with Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., on Monday. After graduating in May from Portageville, Kellams had planned to go to Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark., but ended with an offer he couldn't pass up at Mineral Area...
2016 High School Tennis preview capsules
(High School Sports ~ 08/19/16)
Head coach: Russ Dial, 8th season 2015 record: 2-12 District: Class 1, District 1 Playoff finish: Lost in five games to Poplar Bluff in first round of districts Notes: Once again the Sikeston girls tennis team will inherit a ton of inexperienced players to mix with a few leftovers from its two-win season a year ago. ...
Football season set to kick off
(Local News ~ 08/19/16)
High school football season begins tonight with all local teams in action.For full coverage of tonight's game, see the Sunday sports section of the Standard Democrat or view our stories and photos online at www.standard-democrat.com. Also, don't forget to play our weekly Pigskin Pickem Contest where you can win weekly prizes and have a chance to win a television at the end of the season.
Allan Jackson
(Obituary ~ 08/19/16)
BENTON, Mo. -- John "Allan" Jackson, 69, died Aug. 17, 2016. For the complete obituary and more, see the Friday edition of the Standard Democrat.
Donald Stinnett
(Obituary ~ 08/19/16)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Donald Lee Stinnett, 77, died at 9:10 a.m. Aug. 17, 2016, at his home. Friends may call from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday with Jon Archie officiating. Burial will follow at Dogwood Cemetery in East Prairie...
Bobby Stovall
(Obituary ~ 08/19/16)
CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Robert Cannon "Bobby" Stovall, 77, died Aug. 18, 2016, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. For the complete obituary and more, see the Friday edition of the Standard Democrat.
(Engagement ~ 08/19/16)
Engagement 8/21/16
Stories from Friday, August 19, 2016
Browse other days


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© Shipping Wonders of the World 2012-
The extraordinary success of the Naval Intelligence Division of the British Admiralty during the war of 1914-
WHEN the phrase "intelligence work" is used to describe the acquisition of foreign military secrets, it is assumed by many to be merely a polite euphemism for spying. That assumption, however, is not altogether justified. Some of the most valuable intelligence work in war and in peace has been accomplished by methods which bear no relation to the ordinary practices of espionage.
The amazingly detailed knowledge of German naval movements obtained by the British Admiralty during the greater part of the war of 1914-
For this reason every Power, great or small, keeps a close watch on the militant activities of neighbouring states and, if only as a measure of self-
Since uncertainty and suspicion are the parents of fear, a thoroughly efficient intelligence service is in some degree a safeguard against panic and all its evil consequences. Wise statesmen realize the dangers inherent in secret armaments, and therefore strive by means of international agreements to ensure that the great Powers shall communicate to one another the extent of their respective armament programmes.
Hitherto these efforts have been only partly successful, but one of the outstanding achievements of the London Naval Conference of 1936 was the drafting of a treaty which binds the signatory Powers to exchange advance information about the number of new warships they are proposing to build and the tonnage, gun-
ADMIRAL SIR WILLIAM REGINALD HALL was Director of the Intelligence Division of the Admiralty War Staff during the war of 1914-
This important treaty was signed by Great Britain and the Dominions, the United States and Franco, and it is hoped that all the other important naval Powers may eventually adhere to the agreement. Such a universal compact, by entirely removing the element of secrecy from naval armaments, would unquestionably tend to banish one of the most potent causes of international friction and ill-
By common consent, the most comprehensive and efficient intelligence service known to history was that built up by the British Admiralty in 1914-
It is commonly believed that most, if not all, of the naval actions of the war were the result of accidental encounters between the contending fleets. The truth is, however, that every big naval engagement in the North Sea was the direct consequence of dispositions ordered by the British Admiralty on the basis of intelligence reports. The battle of Heligoland Bight on August 28, 1914, is the earliest and most elementary example of this process of cause and effect.
During the preceding weeks British submarines, which had been scouting in the Bight, had taken careful note of the system by which the Germans maintained their defensive patrol in those waters. The Admiralty knew, therefore, the approximate strength of the German forces in a given area at a given time, and this information, furnished by British submarines, and supplemented by intercepted radio signals from the German Naval Command, enabled the Admiralty to determine not only the position of the enemy's main fleet, but also the time it would take that body to reach the outer waters of the Bight.
With this knowledge in hand it was comparatively simple to draw up a time-
Broadly speaking, the plan worked admirably, though defective staff work caused some confusion and nearly led to unfortunate incidents. Even in those early days, when the British intelligence system was still in a rudimentary form, the superiority of its information over that of the enemy gave Great Britain an immense and invaluable advantage.
At a later date, when the naval intelligence had been brought to a high state of perfection, a German commentator remarked: "The British Admiralty seems to get wind of every plan we make as soon as it is made. We cannot move a ship from one port to another without their hearing of it almost as soon as the order is given. We, in short, are working in the dark; they in the full light of day."
Those words contained little exaggeration of the situation during the last two years of the war. In January 1915 occurred the battle of the Dogger Bank, which had been deliberately staged by the Admiralty on the strength of its intelligence reports. This fact has been revealed by Mr. Winston Churchill, who was then First Lord of the Admiralty. He describes how he was sitting in his room at the Admiralty on the morning of January 23, when Admirals Sir Arthur Wilson and Sir Henry Oliver entered unannounced, obviously charged with portentous news.
"First Lord, those fellows are coming out again."
Mr. Churchill then recounts the various telegrams of instruction which were at once dispatched to the Fleet and continues: "This done, Sir Arthur Wilson explained briefly the conclusions which he had formed from the intercepted German message, which our cryptographers had translated, and from other intelligence of which he was a master."
So it happened that when the German battle cruisers reached the Dogger Bank, believing their presence to be entirely unsuspected, they found Beatty awaiting them in superior force.
The battle of Jutland came about in much the same way. On May 30, 1916, the intelligence officers informed the Admiralty that the German Fleet or part of it was preparing to put to sea early on the following morning and would probably make for a position in the North Sea which they were able to indicate.
Accordingly, the Admiralty instructed Admirals Jellicoe and Beatty to leave their respective bases at Scapa, in the Orkneys, and Rosyth, in the Firth of Forth, and to effect a junction during the following afternoon in approximately the position for which the German Fleet was believed to be heading.
As events fell out the opposing fleets would have missed one another by a narrow margin had not some German destroyers stopped to examine a neutral merchantman. This, however, does not alter the fact that the Admiralty, thanks to its incomparable intelligence service, knew beforehand that strong enemy forces were putting to sea and was therefore able to take steps to intercept them.
Intelligence Officers Misled
This was one of the extremely rare occasions on which the German Naval Command was able to mislead the wide-
Had it been known or even suspected that the German battle cruisers were being closely supported by their main body, there is no doubt that the wide gap between Jellicoe's battleships and Beatty's battle cruisers would have been considerably lessened, and that the main action of Jutland would have been fought several hours earlier and possibly with more decisive results.
The two factors mainly responsible for the brilliant success of British naval intelligence work in 1914-
THE POSITION OF ENEMY WARSHIPS during the war of 1914-
These wireless conversations were invariably carried on in code, and latterly the code was frequently changed, sometimes every twenty-
During the earlier stages of the war the German naval code was an open book to British naval intelligence officers. This was due to the recovery of a secret code-
Even when new codes were adopted the intelligence officers were sometimes fortunate enough to salve a copy of the latest edition from a sunken U-
As soon as it was found that German naval shore stations were freely communicating with one another and with ships at sea by means of radio, the British Admiralty established directional wireless stations all round the coast to pick up these messages and to determine their source. The method employed was comparatively simple.
Say, for example, a German submarine off Beachy Head called up a consort with whom she had a rendezvous. The call would be picked up by three or more of the coastal listening stations, each of which would report to the nearest Base Intelligence Office the message it had heard and the direc tion from which it came. By taking cross-
Eventually this system of locating enemy submarines from their own wireless signals became so highly developed that at any given time the Admiralty knew exactly how many U-
This information was of immense value, since it enabled the Admiralty not only to maintain a constant offensive against the undersea raiders, but also to give timely warning to shipping of areas to be avoided. It is no exaggeration to say that millions of tons of shipping were saved and that the submarine menace was finally defeated largely, if not mainly, because of this wonderful system of marine intelligence. To the same agency was due in great part the high rate of mortality prevailing among enemy submarines in the last two years of the war.
It was often possible for the intelligence officers to follow the course of a German U-
Every trade has its tricks, and naval intelligence is no exception to the rule. Before and during the war of 1914-
naval Power spent a great deal of time and trouble in camouflaging its new construction. Spurious plans of new warships were prepared and palmed off on foreign secret agents, charts of non-
A Confidential "Navy List"
While an efficient intelligence service is indispensable as a means of noting the warlike preparations of foreign countries, an enormous amount of time and money is wasted by intelligence departments in compiling information which is not only useless but also dangerously misleading.
A notorious example of this, for instance, was the famous system of compiling dossiers of all the senior officers of foreign navies, the idea being that such biographical notices enabled the actions and reactions of any officer in the face of given circumstances to be more or less accurately predicted. Unfortunately, those who compiled these dossiers almost invariably omitted some vital characteristic which supplied the key to the temperament of the individual concerned, so that when unusual circumstances did arise the subject more often than not acted in a manner diametrically opposed to the forecast based on his dossier.
Furthermore, it was a standing joke in the French and British intelligence circles during the war of 1914-
THE LATE SIR JAMES ALFRED EWING, KCB, presided over the cryptographic staff of the Naval intelligence Division for some time during the war of 1914-
Although the British Naval Intelligence Service developed in 1914-
One has only to compare the welter of radio signals, many of them superfluous and wholly irrelevant, made by the Grand Fleet during the Jutland battle with the exiguous and terse signals registered when the same Fleet put to sea a year later, to realize that British naval leaders had taken to heart the precept that "silence is golden."
The justification for all intelligence work was neatly summed up by Napoleon I when he said that the issue of battles and the fate of empires would be determined "if one could only see what is happening on the other side of the hill." Certain naval and military secrets will always exist, but it is open to doubt whether the money and personal effort expended on intelligence work in time of peace is entirely justified.
You can read more on "Battle of the Falklands", "Modern Ocean Raiders" and "The Navy Goes to Work" on this website.


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Sorry for disappearing and missing my usual Sunday appointment,
I was away at the sea and stayed a bit longer than expected...
Russian master animator Alexandr Petrov used his fingertips and slow-drying oil paints
on glass sheets to create his wonderful adaptation of Hemingway's The old man and the sea.
It took him over two years to paint and shoot each of the 29,000+ frames composing the
20-minute short, which went on to receive the 1999 Academy Award for Animated Short Film
and the 2000 Grand Prix at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
On a different note, congratulations to Lisa, who was randomly picked by my daughter
as the winner of Animalarium's first giveaway. Please send me your address and
I will put in the mail your copy of The Owl Tree right away!


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WHY WE LOVE IT: The story!: 23 years ago mother and daughter, Valerie and Hadley Smith, opened the monogram shop on Newtown Lane in East Hampton. They had no business plan and neither had retail experience. Hence they bought a monogramming machine and got to work. The rest is history.
19 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937
Monday thru Saturday, 10am - 5pm
Sunday, 10am - 4pm


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As many of you know we are a supporter of The Service Community in the UK and the next event will be hosted by the Cambridge Service Alliance at at the Institute for Manufacturing (a division of the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering) on the 19th April 2018. Being at one of the world's leading service research organisations, means that we hope to mix the very best in thought leadership, with practical hands on experiences of transforming service businesses.
The agenda is as follows
10.30 – 12.00 Workshop "Map your business ecosystem to see opportunities and gaps in your service strategy" led by Dr Florian Urmetzer, Senior Research Associate, Cambridge Service Alliance
This is an optional event for attendees (please let us know in your registration) and makes available to community members the very latest in Service Strategy development.
Description: What works for one business will not work for another as every company is unique, has unique customers and operates in a unique business ecosystem. They key is to understand and explore the relationships within your ecosystem and to then use this knowledge to leverage it to your advantage. This workshop will explore the importance of your business ecosystem and why it's vital for maintaining competitive advantage, value creation and service delivery. You'll be able to reflect on the organisations within your ecosystem – your partners, customers, alliances and other organisations that you work with to co-create value. Through understanding your business ecosystem, you will be able to then identify ways to create and capture new value, including opportunities to leverage digital information and technologies as well as create new and disruptive business models.
12.00 Meet for networking and light lunch/refreshments
13.00 Main Event
This follow the usual format where each discussion will be approximately 40 mins and an opportunity to talk to real people about real challenges. We are also fortunate to have The Digital Manufacturing Tour half way through the afternoon, where we will have a chance to hear about the research initiatives that the IfM are undertaking on digitalisation in manufacturing
The afternoon agenda will be:
- Welcome to the Cambridge Service Alliance (Dr Mohamed Zaki, CSA Deputy Director)
- Impact of Big Data and Machine Learning technologies on developing Customer Experience in manufacturing companies
Dr Mohamed Zaki CSA Deputy Director
Mohamed will share some of his recent research in Customer Experience management
- Leading Service to a Trusted Advisor Culture
Ashley Weller: UK Service Director at Mars drinks
Ashley will share his experiences of leading a Field Service team in nurturing the trusted advisor skill set. Especially the types of behaviours and habits leaders have to to exhibit.
- Digital Manufacturing Tour (IfM)
See a vision for digitalisation in manufacturing as observed by the IfM of Cambridge University
- Real World Challenges of implementing Augmented Reality in Field Service
Adil Kabel: Technical Support Manager, at Fuji Film responsible for EMEA 2nd line support for Wide Format Digital Printers
Adil will share his experience of two recent pilots he has conducted with this exciting new technology. This will be an opportunity for an in depth discussion with a service professional that has hands on experiences of the benefits, but also the real operational challenges
(Note currently Si2 is running a survey on Augmented reality. You can use this link if you want to participate)
- Benefits and Challenges of Self Service models
Stephen Darkes Snr Process Analyst – Global Systems Remote Support at Oracle
Steve will give us some insights into the different Self-Service support models that Oracle have introduced to enhance customer satisfaction and make their business more cost effective. He will cover a range of models, from the use of community forums for Diagnosis and Resolution to the development of Customer Replaceable Units for hardware. He will share his experiences of the range of benefits that self service brings, as well as the challenges of implementation. Many businesses can make their customer support more effective through self-service business models.
17.00 Post Event Networking drinks
17.30 Event Close
To register, please contact us at email@example.com stating clearly that you will attend
a) Both the Workshop and Main Event
b) Main Event only
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