text:
Ten years ago, my husband came up with a dream. He would build himself a truck, born from his own imagination and travel around the country in it. This dream had kept him going through the long, demanding years of medical school, residency, and fellowship. It had been his messiah, his glowing light. If he could only make it through the grueling process of becoming a doctor, he would then reward himself by living in his truck.
Admittedly though, when he dreamt up travelling throughout the country, climbing big rocks and rafting big rivers, sleeping under the stars and meeting fellow explorers, his dream had not included the presence of a high-spirited, little 13 month old human. But when Canyon, our son, came along, my husband didn't hesitate. I didn't expect him to. We would do the journey anyway.
Which brings us to where we are today, just a few weeks into our journey of living in a camper van with our toddler, travelling around the country in any which way we please.
You maybe have seen our pictures, we probably look very happy in all of them.
I once read an article that argued that social media has a way of making us feel completely inadequate about our lives because "everyone else always looks so happy." People don't tend to post the nitty gritty of their lives for all the world to see. One generally doesn't hear about the tedious, or the dismissive or the down right ugly parts of other people's journeys. You only see the beautiful. Since most of us don't tend to have "only beautiful" lives, this has a way of making us feel inferior.
Allow me to not perpetuate this pattern. I don't want to mislead you with the big, happy smiles of our family adventurously hiking mountains and lazily flowing down canyon lined rivers. Before you decide to quite your jobs, pack up your stuff and move into an RV with your own beautiful toddler, I want to tell you what it's really like…from the inside out.
It is often. Really. Very. Hard.
I mean this literally and figuratively. The sleeping space of our RV is a double mattress comprised of several different uncomfortable, allergen infused cushions that often separate causing the sleeper to fall into deep, hard crevices. Said sleeper cannot sit up, let alone role over, especially when sharing the space with two other sleepers. The space is quite literally netted in, an element of the arrangement my husband and I added ourselves in order to keep baby from rolling out.
A few nights ago at three o'clock in the morning my husband and I laid in this space while our 13 month old son shrieked, screamed, and clawed at us for several hours. Our baby sleep training techniques that had so beautifully worked in our 1,700 square foot, three bedroom home had become hopelessly obsolete since we had moved into our less than 100 square foot camper. Although this night was a particularly hard night, it was in no way entirely out of the norm of the past few weeks.
It is safe to say that in moments such as these I really wonder what we were thinking by undertaking such a crazy experience with such a little person. I think even my husband wonders this from time to time. Sure, if it was just him and I this would be easy, but with this screaming, often cranky, unpredictable human?
Another time, rowing down the Colorado river, winds at 40 mph, we sang roughly 100 renditions of "row, row, row your boat," to our toddler as he screamed and shrieked and screamed some more.
At almost every moment either my husband or I is on complete, total, undistracted baby duty. Gone are the days of allowing our son some freedom to play in a room by himself. Now that his environment consists of spaces such as the middle of the forest, the edge of a cliff, the cactus strewn dessert, or the side of a raging river, the ability to take our eyes off our kiddo, even for a second, has totally diminished.
Sometimes I wonder if we are adventurer "has-beens" that won't accept that our life has to be different because we have a kid. Are we intentionally inflicting deliberate toddler torture on ourselves? Despite the comments of "Wow! Your family is so cool," and "Boy, you guys are amazing!" We don't see many other people rushing to move into a truck with their toddler and there is likely a reason for that.
So yes, this has been really hard. But we are doing it anyway,
…and it isn't all bad. It isn't even mostly bad.
There are redeeming moments.
In fact, right now is one of them. As I write this I am sitting on the bank of an isolated beach on one of the countries largest bodies of water, Lake Powell, Arizona. The sun is glistening off the surrounding canyons, casting soft glowing hues of red, purples and grays all over the horizon. Smooth rocks decorate the tide of the clearest water I have ever seen. I'm sitting, wrapped in a blanket watching Canyon as he toddles around the sand, naked, as he has been most of the day. He is playing with Legos, he is splashing in the cool, lake water with unabashed glee, he is filling buckets, and shoes, and coolers (and anything else he can find) with sand. He checks in with me from time to time but in this moment, he is marvelously content.
And then there is my husband. I can feel that slowly, he is beginning to let go of the past 12 years of stress. A few nights ago, under the soft glow of our camper lights, I saw my husband pick up a book and read for pleasure, the first time I've seen him calm enough to do this in 3 ½ years.
I watch him work on his raft, a $300 spur of the moment purchase we made out of the front yard of a retired fisherman back in Denver. He has ingenuously repaired and crafted the boat into a masterpiece, complete with a hammock and a canopy and as I write, he putters around the boat, his feet splashing in the tide.
Earlier today we took a long boat ride on the lake and Canyon and I watched as he free climbed a cliff and dove into the crystal clear water below him. We ate peanut butter apples and fed each other honey yogurt, laughing about the chaos of our life together. Canyon squawked a bit, but it was nothing we couldn't handle. I finally convince myself, after days of chickening out, to jump into the cool water and I swim after the boat while Canyon points at me, a grin clear from ear to ear. I float on my back and watch the cliffs sparkle above me. When we return to shore, I make us a dinner of pasta and canned tuna fish and we watch the sun set while we drink boxed wine and feed Canyon pasta noodles and chocolate covered Acai berries.
We are completely together. No distractions. No agenda. No place to be. We are just here, living out of our RV, being a family and living out my husband's dream. It is an awesome moment and it makes the not so awesome moments seem worth it. When it's time for Canyon to go to sleep he points to the truck.
After only a few weeks, he already knows that this is his home.


text: This will be a quite short post, but I felt the need to show you pictures of the amazing place I stayed at with my friends in Rotterdam. My friend Anna is a self-confessed addict when it comes to the booking.com app but am I happy she is, haha! While browsing through the many hotels, hostels and flats, she came across an agency called Urban Residences located in Rotterdam, and to be completely honest, this flat was pretty much the main reason that we decided to go on a trip to Rotterdam, hah! Our flat was on the 16th floor, (out of a total of 19 floors) so we were really high up and had a fantastic view, especially in the evening when it was pitch dark outside and the city was covered in lights coming from the buildings. We had two spacious bedrooms with a double bed each, a modern kitchen with a Nespresso coffee machine (yes, I feel like this is a very important detail) and a big bathroom with both a shower and a bathtub! If any of you are interested in a trip to Holland, I can definitely recommend having a look at the agency, especially since we paid a remarkably low price, considering how amazing our flat was!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Contact Details
Please contact us using the email address below or alternatively please complete the Online Enquiry Form. Please provide your order number on all correspondents, we will respond to your enquiry within 48 hours or 2 working days.
30 Liverpool Street
Telephone: 0207 6265051
E-mail address: firstname.lastname@example.com
Online Enquiry Form
Please provide as much information as possible.


text:
The last of the limited-subject interstate gatherings is today the most famous. The Annapolis Convention of 1786 was to focus on "the trade and Commerce of the United States." Its limited scope induced Madison, who served as a delegate, explicitly to distinguish it from a plenipotentiary convention. For the most part, all of these conventions—today we might call them "task forces"—remained within the scope of their calls. If there was an exception, it was the abortive assembly at Annapolis, and that exception was solely to express the "wish" and "opinion" that another convention be held to consider defects in the political system. As a result of all this experience, federal convention customs, practices, and protocols were fairly well standardized when Article V was written. As explained below, those customs, practices, and protocols formed the basis for how the Constitution's convention for proposing amendments was expected to operate.
Recommended Citation
Natelson, Robert G.
"James Madison and the Constitution's "Convention for Proposing Amendments","
Akron Law Review: Vol. 45
, Article 3.
Available at: https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/akronlawreview/vol45/iss2/3


text:
This workshop, presented by the SBDC with support from the Office of Multicultural Interests, is aimed at people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Join us to be taken through the first steps in establishing a small business; from an initial assessment - which looks at your suitability to run a business - to financing your business idea and identifying sales opportunities. 'Starting a Business' will provide you with an overview of all the key points you need to consider, along with hints and tips on where to find more detailed information and advice.
Please note: this event is only suitable for persons aged 16 years and over.
Other workshops at this location:


text:
Learn how to say Akhenaton correctly in English with this tutorial pronunciation video.
Oxford dictionary definition of the word Akhenaten:
(also Akhenaton or Ikhnaton)
(14th century bc), Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, reigned 1379–1362 bc; came to the throne as Amenhotep IV. The husband of Nefertiti, he introduced the monotheistic solar cult of Aten and moved the capital from Thebes to the newly built city of Akhetaten.


text:
Acknowledging Jerry today
Discussion of history's greatest guitar player.
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
Acknowledging Jerry today
I've been waiting to see if anyone would beat me to this, and I've seen a post mentioning Jerry today, but as far as I've seen nobody mentioned the fact that today is his birthday. I was fortunate enough to have seen him in a number of concerts over the years, beginning in the 70's. After one of his concerts in Hagerstown, MD in the mid 90's, I also remember asking him if he was going to attend CAAS that summer and his response was "Are you kidding? ....and make a fool of myself in front of all those guitar pickers?" He never really understood his true place in the guitar world. He would have been 74 today.
- RandeDager
- Posts: 646
- Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:02 pm
- Location: Battle Creek, MI
Re: Acknowledging Jerry today
Happy birthday up there Jerry! I never had the chance to see him live but I love watching the video clips on youtube. Thanks to the Chetboard folks for keeping his music alive and talkin' about him.
- Dave
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:52 pm
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


text:
Just drop the B
A few years back I wrote that the P in P2P is people.
It got widely quoted, by O'Reilly even.
Now we need to hack and mash again, to put the focus back where it belongs because it has wandered, again.
Web 2.0 is wrong because it's about technology, and the importance of the tools are that they empower people.
Luckily, it's easy to fix, just drop the B and it makes sense again.
3,312 views
4 faves
13 comments
Uploaded on June 19, 2006


text:
Why POC?
Connect with our Open Source architects to determine how a customized POC can help you. Customers who have signed up for POCs have gained
- Clear understanding of features and functions
- What is doable and more importantly, not doable
- Understand scalability
- Strengthening the business case OR realizing that there isn't a business case after all
It is easy - just sign up to schedule your consultation, there is no up-front payment required!
Sign Up Now
Types of POC
We have helped several small and large organizations test their approach by building POCs in as little as 2 week. Such quick validations of their needs have helped accelerate the adoption of proven Open Source solutions and pave the way for larger deployments
Here are few POC implementations that we did it for worldwide customers:
- Leading Middle-East Banking Group - Portal - Remittance/Money Transfer Portal
- Nursing University - Portal with ECM - Intranet Portal with an integrated ECM
- Europe based Chemical Company - Big Data - Instantaneous massive patent search
- Leading Car Manufacturer - Portal - Supplier Portal
- HR Services and Risk Insurance Provider - Big Data - 360 degree view of customer with Hadoop & Talend
- Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceutical - Portal - an intranet functionality POC
- #1 Semiconductor Company - Portal - Single page WorkHub/Intranet with multiple Integrations SharePoint, Jive, Outlook
- Semiconductor Test Equipment Company - Community Portal - Test Liferay collaboration features against Jive
- Networking Company - NoSQL Database Migration - Compare performance improvements with MongoDB over Postgres
- Multinational Conglomerate - Customer Portal - Compare Liferay portal against IBM WebSphere
Top 5 Benefits of Open Source1
Speed to Deployment
Offers full flexibility wrt. access to source code, integration, community or production support and an ecosystem of developers or system integrators2
Business Advantage
Open Source solutions address business goals, increase business velocity, lower the cost of doing business, reduce TCO and help company gain competitive advantage3
Technical Advantage
Open Source is standards based and hence easier and quicker to integrate with enterprise IT ecosystem4
No Vendor Dependency
Easier to try out with very little investment and full access to source code5
Value for Money - Higher ROI
Easier to try out with very little investment, 30% to 70% lower TCOs


text:
Want to crush your challenges and kill scores in the games you play every day? Try these dexterity games to improve your speed and coordination. Read more →
This Is The End Review: The Lighter Side of the Apocalypse
This Is the End is an apocalyptic stoner comedy where all the actors play versions of themselves. It starts out simply enough, with Jay Baruchel coming in to L.A. to stay with Seth Rogen. Jay's not into the L.A. lifestyle, but he gets dragged into going to a party at James Franco's new house. There they meet Jonah Hill, who Jay swears hates him, even though it doesn't seem to be true.
The party scene is well done, showing the audience a wealth of actors doing crazy or weird stuff. There's plenty of little golden moments here, especially with Michael Cera. When the manure finally hits the fan blades, you get to see that despite its comedic roots, This Is the End isn't going to be pulling any punches with its Apocalypse.
One of the strengths of This Is the End is its ability to mix humor into serious situations and make the comedy work. You'd expect that from the people connected with this film, but I've learned that Hollywood is always willing to disappoint.
Once the dust settles, there's only James, Jonah, Craig, Seth, and Jay left in the house. Jay is the straight man for a lot of the film, telling the others that it's the Biblical Apocalypse and not just a zombie one. Or so they think, until Danny McBride makes his appearance. He's the odd man out this time around, and he and Franco have some awesomely funny arguments over everything. Danny's that guy who you don't want to be trapped with during the Apocalypse.
So how do these six actors deal with the Apocalypse? Not well. Not well at all. Personality conflicts that can usually either be ignored or avoided pop up between most of the characters, because they're all trapped together. These have mostly hilarious results. I would've liked Emma Watson's part to be bigger than it was because she did a great job and I think they dropped her plot thread too early.
It's kind of strange, but the pot and drug use that you normally find in the movies along with these actors is strangely absent once the bad stuff starts. It's not that they don't have them, they have plenty, it just never comes up. With all the other things going on, I didn't really miss it.
All the actors are funny, but Danny McBride is definitely one of the funnier characters, probably because he has more material to work with, being sort of the villain in the house. He has some scenes later in the film too that are just brilliant. Jonah Hill gives him a run for his money with one long bit that involves demonic possession. I wasn't a fan of how they ended the bit, because they re-used something they'd done before. But it's a minor quibble at best.
The boys eventually have to step out into the apocalyptic wasteland that makes up what's left of L.A. The CGI demons and other creatures they meet are surprisingly well done, in both the sense of creature design and on-screen presentation. Lessons are learned out in the wasteland of L.A. though some people do better than others at applying that learning. The end of the movie is just as ridiculous and as funny as the rest of it.
How much you've enjoyed the other movies the stars of This Is the End is a good barometer of how many laughs you'll get out of this one. What's clear is that the actors had a fabulous time making fun of themselves and each other, which makes me wonder if we'll see some bits that got cut on the DVD release.


text:
Credit: RHYS LEWIS & MINH TAN PHAM, AHS, DECD, UNISA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Release details: Model release not required. Property release not required.
Keywords: alpha radiation, chemical, chemistry, compound, decay, decaying, geiger counter, geiger muller counter, geological, geology, measurement, measuring, mineral, mineralogy, no-one, nobody, oxide, pitchblende, radiation, radioactive, radioactivity, rotating, sample, specimen, studio shot, uraninite, uranium ore, white background
Licence fees: A licence fee will be charged for any media (low or high resolution) used in your project.
Pitchblende with Geiger counter
K004/4388 Rights Managed
Downloadable master
Duration: 00:00:25.01
Frame size: 1920x1080
Frame rate: 25
Audio: No
Format: QuickTime, Photo JPEG 100%, progressive scan, square pixels
File size: 620.5M
Capture format: Sony FS700
Codec: H.264
Interlaced: Yes
Please contact Science Photo Library if you require the original, or other formats.
Please login to use the price calculator


text:
Skip to comments.Why Perry may be the real deal
Posted on 08/14/2011 12:14:29 PM PDT by Nachum
My good friends John Hinderaker and Scott Johnson offer eulogies for the Tim Pawlenty presidential campaign today at Power Line, and as usual, they are quite insightful. Scott says that Pawlentys descent started when he backed down from challenging Mitt Romney in an earlier debate, and notes that Republicans in this cycle want a fighter. John laments the loss of the one candidate he thought could easily beat Barack Obama based on his record, and says that Pawlenty never got past the first impression of him as just another guy in a suit. Both are fair conclusions, and be sure to read both posts in their entirety.
However, both Scott and John express some reservations about Rick Perry and his ability to be a viable alternative to Mitt Romney and/or Obama himself. Ive been covering Perry as a potential candidate since April 2010, when he rocked the house with a speech to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans. Even then, while being challenged in the primary for his third term as Texas governor by Kay Bailey Hutchison, his appeal as a presidential candidate was apparent:
Ive seen Perry give speeches on television (mainly on YouTube) and knew he could be dynamic. Earlier in the day, I mentioned that alone among the other speakers on the ticket today, Perry had the only shot at matching the energy of Sarah Palins appearance. Perry has a very active delivery, in the same manner as a preacher. He doesnt stand still, but instead puts his whole body into what he says. Perrys speech turned a political conference into a Republican revival meeting, complete with the call to action at the end.
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
Not so fast! he's got baggage and he sounds like a bush, we had enough. Look at his record
Take a joke, will ya?!
Barrio Perry? I think you mean PERRY/RUBIO 2012.
That is getting tiring. There is something other than Al Gore to not like Perry, if you want to be against him.
Post #25 - I just sprayed iced tea all over my screen.
The funny thing is that you Palin bots can make all sorts of claims about her positions and not have to show anything in her record to prove all these things she has actually done on various issues and positions. Everything attributed to her is stuff she "said", "claimed", "proclaimed" or "wrote about" in the past 2 years to pander to the conservative base.
Yep, he learned that as a YELL LEADER at Texas A & M...
You dislike him for, say, his hair, I'll dislike him for the character revealing association with Al Gore.
Perry is a 10 year governor of a very successful state of 24 million and a net donor state along with 60% of the U.S./Mexico border. Palin was a 2.5 year governor of a state of 700,000 people that receives $1.80 in Federal money for every dollar it sends in.
Read "Rick Perry's Crony Capitalism Problem" in yesterday's WSJ.
Al Gore was a conservative democrat in the 80s. Texas was a conservative democrat state at the time. This is way overblown. Reagan supported FDR, and he changed later in his life. 23 years ago is ancient history.
"Yee-Haaa!" probably.
I'll admit im a palin supporter, but perry is rino, and part of the rep. machine just like bush- perry almost tripled the debt in texas- both bush and perry has a spending problem- not true conservatives in my book. I just dont trust him. I'll stick with the one that fought against the corrupt machine, and left a surplus
Gov. Palin destroyed the "Corrupt Bastards Club". She put criminals, who happened to be Republican politicians, in prison.
The Democrats cheered her on then, but they know at the Federal level they would be next if she is President. That is why she and her family have been smeared repeatedly.
And the 'Big Oil' companies? If they are going to pump natural gas and petroleum from Federal land, they better share the profits with the people who own it - U.S. citizens. Gov.Palin made sure, in Alaska, that the state's citizens received their fair share of the profits from 'Big Oil'. She stands for the people, not just for the rich and powerful.
I see nothing wrong with anything above, do you?
Let's be honest. Who else has a better chance of not only beating Obama but of truly addressing our country's issues?
Romney - believes government can run health care - even in only in one state - that is a disgrace for a liberty loving Republican. He still hasn't admitted that he was wrong. He would be the real RINO. Pretty boy with talking points.
Bachmann- love her, respect her, she says all the right things (great of Fox this morning against that lefty Wallace) but has only slightly more experience that Obama had and I don't see the Country going with another rookie. Big negatives (for no good reason, I might add), but not as big negatives as Palin (love her too, but no chance in Hell, sorry Palin lovers).
Ron Paul - too extreme for the independents. Again, had a great showing in Iowa, but doesn't translate to the general population.
Perry - his speech yesterday was pitch perfect. Sure he isn't perfect. His enemies (including the group listed in this blog) can look at a real record of 10 years as Governor and, 17 years of public service before that to find instances when he didn't take a perfect hard line - but that doesn't define the man. The fact he was pragmatic and got results consistent with what was best for his State is what counts. When he made mistakes - and he has had a few whoppers, he is willing to change course and correct things.
We don't want another extreme ideologue like Obama who, even after every selling point of Obamacare was proved over time to be completely fictional (mostly by the GAO), still fights tooth and nail on his flawed program. Look at "raising taxes on the rich" nonsense. Even after he reaffirms the Bush tax cuts twice by signing the legislation, the next day he says - paraphrasing - "well, next time it will be different - we need to have a balanced approach".
From all out there so far, Perry is the only guy that can be consistent with our most important principals, be able to advocate them well. He is a talented campaigner - took on Bush and his pals to beat Hutchison for Governor last time around. He plays hard and will fight back. As T-Paw proved, if you don't have the killer instinct, you're history.
BTW, love loser pays tort reform - not in all cases, but is such a great start in cleaning out our corrupt judiciary.
Let's give Perry some time to get his campaign up to speed. He will make some mistakes. From the group out there now, he seems head and shoulders above the pack.
We have to get the White House and, in my view, control Supreme Court nominations. There will be a few over the next 4 years (8 with Perry, hopefully).
"Perry is a dynamic speaker..."
Yep, he did a bang-up job inspiring a news conference in Mexico today:
"...I don't think [immigration "reform"] is that difficult of an issue if Congress would have the maturity to sit down and really discuss it and cut out all of the mean rhetoric and really talk about what is a solution to this issue," Gov.Perry said.
What do you suspect he intended by "mean rhetoric"? Deportation of illegal aliens? Sending entire families back to the parent's homelands? And why might enforcing our laws be considered "mean"?
is that you, paul begala?
Bachmann, philosophically, is rock solid. As a legislator, she doesn't seem to have any accomplishments other than pushing for or against things. Important work, but her claim to fame as far as legislative work is a Light Bulb Choice act. I'm for that, but ... it's thin stuff to run for President on. It's exactly comparable to Obama, except she's a congresswoman, not a senator.
Romney's got a slightly longer career. Corporate raider. Romneycare. Bad on guns before he was Charlton Heston. Pro-choice before he found religion. He's a power obsessed chameleon. If Barack Obama kicked out Biden and asked Romney to be his VP, Mitt wouldn't answer until he had run the numbers. He's literally nobody's first choice, but he's just too slick to give up.
Perry's neither as good as Bachmann or as bad as Romney, except for one major distinguishing factor. He HAS accomplishments, not just positions. You can argue the specifics, but overall, Texas is doing great. If the rest of America was governed like Texas, America would be WAY better off.
Yeah, Perry's got black marks. The guy's been governor for 10 years. Imagine if Romney had? Bachmann's weakness is that she's never been in the big chair, and we don't know if the talk will hold up. Running a trillion dollar enterprise has a lot more to it than having your heart in the right place.
The biggest thing Perry has going for him is that he has a full record to be judged on. Obama won with the Tabula Rasa last time, and everyone imagined it would be wonderful. (Except for us, because we knew we had no reason to expect otherwise. The guy had no record, just talk.) So, among voters that don't pay too much attention or aren't worried about ideological purity, Perry will seem more genuine than Romney and more reliably tested than Bachmann.
LOL- I had to google that name, didnt have a clue who that was— I'm just saying, we dont need another big spender in washington like perry- but if it came down to it i probally would support him- but i would hold my nose and probally be curseing while i was pulling the handle
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
Allison Koppel Promoted to Chief Operating Officer for the American Fraternal Alliance
OAK BROOK, IL — The American Fraternal Alliance, the national trade association representing 64 fraternal benefit societies, is pleased to announce the promotion of Allison Koppel to the position of Chief Operations Officer (COO).
As the COO, Koppel will serve as the Alliance's number-two executive and will be responsible guiding the organization's strategic initiatives under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and monitoring and managing the Alliance's risk management plan. Koppel will also oversee the daily operations of the membership, public affairs and IT departments and ensure that the association's resources including financial, technical and human, are sufficient to achieve the goals set by the Alliance Board of Directors.
Koppel has more than 20 years of experience in Association management and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising from Michigan State University.
Koppel has been with the Alliance for ten years and previously served as the Alliance's Executive Vice President. Allison lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and two children and enjoys golfing, gardening and cooking in her extra time.
"Allison has enhanced and expanded the association's value for our members by developing new and successful affinity programs and educational events. Her strategic vision and operational expertise will help the Alliance in achieving and surpassing our goals for the future," said Joseph J. Annotti, President and CEO of the American Fraternal Alliance.
About the American Fraternal Alliance
The American Fraternal Alliance promotes and supports the missions of its 63 not-for-profit fraternal benefit society members operating in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Fraternal benefit societies are a different kind of life insurance provider, securing members' futures through reliable financial service offerings, and giving back to their local communities through meaningful volunteer activities. Alliance member societies represent nearly 9 million individuals, making it one of America's largest member-volunteer networks.
Recommended Posts
Looking ahead to 2018…
January 03, 2018
Fraternal Benefit Societies Contribute More Than $10 Million To Relief Efforts For Recent Natural Disasters
November 20, 2017
American Fraternal Alliance Board Welcomes Two New Directors
October 06, 2017


text:
One of the best political parody accounts on Twitter commented on Alex Salmond's decision to stand as a candidate for the Scottish National Party at Westminster:
Most Scots, whether they voted Yes or No in the referendum, want Devo-Max. This is not what the Smith Commission is suggesting the Westminster parties offer Scotland. This is because it cannot: the raison d'être of the Smith Commission was to preserve the existing sovereignty of Westminster (which derives its authority from the monarch, not the people) and the principle of devolution is that the powers of Westminster are effectively 'loaned' to Holyrood, and can be taken back at any point without consulting Holyrood, as happened with the (energy) Renewables Obligation in 2013 (see here, and here, for example). What the Smith Commission has essentially done is (a) look for any other titbits from the lucky-bag list (Lesley Riddoch's term) that Westminster could give Scotland, or (b) things that will damage the standing of the Scottish parliament, and especially the SNP in the expectation that this will strengthen the unionists' cause (as Iain Macwhirter argued eloquently in the Sunday Herald: "The Tories didn't propose income-tax devolution by accident. It is a scorched earth policy that they believe will kill social democracy in Scotland."). Devo-Max, or Home Rule, is easy to understand – everything apart from defence, foreign policy and macro-economic policy – whereas almost nobody I've spoken to remembers anything much from Smith, except the poisoned chalice of income tax rates without the power to change thresholds. We are certainly not getting rid of Trident as most Scots want; indeed, the Ministry of "Defence" (War Ministry is more apt given British foreign policy!) is planning on relocating further nuclear submarines to Scotland in the near future.
Some argue that the May 2015 General Election might change all this if the SNP hold the balance of power, with neither "Labour" nor the Tories able to form a simple majority at Westminster. Nicola Sturgeon has reaffirmed that the SNP will not support the Tories, and that the price for supporting "Labour" would be to get rid of Trident (and presumably stop other nuclear submarines from being based here). That's a welcome move on her part, but not one that "Labour" will necessarily find easy to deal with, wedded as it is to the hypocrisy that WMD are A Good Thing (as long as it's us that have them and not countries we don't like). However, even aside from such a policy issue, I'd be surprised if "Labour" will want to have any kind of alliance with the SNP.
The key difficulty for "Labour" is that they pretend the Scottish branch is left of centre, whilst the rest-of-the-UK party is actually right of centre, as they seek to outdo UKIP and the Tories. The obvious problem with trying to outdo such racists rather than addressing their racism is that it makes "Labour" racists too. We can also point to "Labour's" broad acceptance of the Tory/LibDem budget and austerity plans (minor tinkering aside) and we can see that "Labour" have clearly positioned themselves to the right. That is their choice.
However, that the SNP, even under Salmond, has in recent decades become more left-wing than "Scottish Labour" could ever even pretend to be given the policies the Scottish branch is told to support from the London head office, is a profound difficulty for them in Scotland and in the wider UK. It now gets worse for "Labour" because Sturgeon is genuinely more left-wing than Salmond, and "Labour" simply cannot convincingly argue a left-wing case against the SNP (as this desperate internal message from one of the "Scottish Labour" deputy leadership candidates, Katy Clark, shows; see also here). And for the 2015 General Election, the old "Scottish Labour" message that voters need to vote "Labour" to keep the Tories out no longer holds: Scotland voted "Labour" in 2010 (40 out of 59 MPs) and the Tories still got in.
There are many people in the "Labour" party in Scotland and rUK who are genuinely left-wing. How they cope with the right-wing leadership is difficult to comprehend… except, of course, that they chose these leaders because their primary purpose is achieving power. There is little sense of how that power might then better be used to benefit the wider population, and that, perhaps, is one of the consequences of Westminster's sovereignty issue: if your power comes from a useless hereditary institution such as the monarchy rather than the people, it will eventually make the people irrelevant and result in a political cartel, as John S Warren puts it.
So never mind "wee things" like Trident (as former "Scottish Labour" leader Johann Lamont memorably described our WMDs, illegal wars, the Bedroom Tax, childcare and more): the real issue is that the SNP, especially under Sturgeon, is far more of a left-wing party than the Scottish branch or UK "Labour" as a whole can hope to even pretend it is. This, I think, substantially drives the irrational visceral hatred of the SNP on the part of "Scottish Labour" and to a somewhat lesser degree the wider UK "Labour" party: there is a recognition that the SNP are where "Labour" once were, but deep down they realise they are no longer of the left, despite their public protestations. And with Sturgeon in charge of the SNP, this is likely to get worse, not better.
So will there be a coalition at Westminster in 2015? I'm sure that if there were a coalition between the SNP and "Labour" we would see Trident being got rid of, and a substantially improved powers arrangement coming into play, probably moving towards Devo-Max, with Salmond heading that up for the SNP at Westminster under Sturgeon's direction from Edinburgh. However, I think a coalition between "Labour" and the SNP is unlikely. Whilst I think the SNP could enter a coalition with the "Labour" party based on policy agreements on issues such as Trident and Devo-Max, I don't see how "Labour" could overcome the resentment they have for the SNP being where they think they should be on the political spectrum, even though they themselves refuse to make the necessary changes to be put themselves on the left: Salmond as Deputy Prime Minister would be too much for "Labour" to cope with. As I wrote a few weeks ago, I think the cartel may well come into play and we'll see a Grand Coalition of "Labour" and Tories sharing power between them: not only are their policies very similar, they are both far more comfortable with each other than they are with the provincial upstarts from North Britain. Whilst Britain has not had such coalitions in the past (other than in war time), other countries have had such coalitions, and Britain is changing: up until 2010 there hadn't really been a coalition such as we have now between the Tories and Liberal Democrats. All things are in flux, and they could easily argue the economic crisis is so severe that a Grand Coalition is needed to fix it (never mind that the Tories have made it worse, and "Labour" would do the same).
Whichever way the 2015 election goes, presuming the SNP maintains something close to its current level of support, Sturgeon's party wins:
- if "Labour" or the Tories win a majority even though the SNP take most of Scotland's Westminster seats, the "democratic deficit" argument is immeasurably strengthened, and any decision on the Smith Commission proposals will probably be watered down still further. Both of these things make the case for independence ever stronger, especially since the cuts the Tories and "Labour" plan to continue making are going to be devastating (as is evident from local council budgets: 1, 2) – if you think they're bad now, in a few years' time they will have transformed the country, and not in a good way!).
- if there is a coalition, the SNP can justly claim they got rid of Trident and achieved something better than the Smith Commission proposed, approaching the Devo-Max that the unionist parties promised before the referendum and that many Scots want; this would be a positive move for Scotland (and indeed the rest of the UK, even if rUK media seek to portray otherwise!) and a real achievement for the SNP. Of course, Salmond would be a responsible Deputy PM in coalition, as evidenced by the competent way he behaved as First Minister of Scotland – he takes such responsibilities seriously.
- if "Labour" need a coalition partner but opt for the Tories in order to exclude the SNP, they have no hope of recovery in Scotland and possibly elsewhere for a generation or more (how would "vote Labour to keep the Tories out" sound then?). Meanwhile, the SNP can make left-wing mischief for the government at Westminster from the sidelines, perhaps with Plaid Cymru and the Greens. I'm sure Salmond would make a very good leader of the opposition to a "Labour"/Tory government, in a way that would probably come as quite a shock to their comfortable rhetorical routines.
More importantly, the arguments for Scottish independence would become ever stronger and the case for another referendum would become more difficult to resist. A "Labour"/Tory government would, of course, resist that, perhaps even along the lines suggested by the "Labour" party's Jack Straw, but would they really want an irredentist Scottish resistance movement on their hands, rather than a peaceful campaign for independence? They're surely not that stupid?
Katy Clark is right: "Scottish Labour" are in deep trouble. More than that: "Labour" as a whole are in deep trouble. She's right that "Labour" don't have the "right values and policies" – the problem for her and the rest of "Scottish Labour" is that Ed Miliband's "Labour" shows no intention of moving towards the "right values and policies" before the 2015 election. All of which benefits the SNP – perhaps the Angry Salmond Twitter account really is onto something in suggesting Salmond 'takes' Westminster: the SNP will win regardless of the outcome.
PS No, I still am no further with thinking how, as a Green party member, I should approach the 2015 election. I'll be waiting to see what happens with candidate selection and perhaps discuss the issue there…


text:
Saturday, 29 June 2013
On 29.6.13 by KieronMoore in Amy Adams, Christopher Nolan, Film, Henry Cavill, Man of Steel, Superman, Zack Snyder No comments
I've never really been a fan of Superman. He's too perfect. Invulnerability, super strength, flight, all packaged up in an oh-so-American primary coloured super-suit of apple pie and charisma. No, I'm a Batman fan; damaged by a crime-ridden society, he's a much darker, more questionable hero and easier to root in real societal issues. Superman is just too distanced from reality, even before he turns back time by flying around the world so fast it spins in reverse.
Man of Steel may well have been conceived to deal with this kind of criticism. Though directed by Zack Snyder, who really hasn't impressed me in the past, this new take was produced by Christopher Nolan and written by David S. Goyer – the creative team behind the masterful Dark Knight trilogy.
As can be expected with these names on board, the film isn't a colourful, one-liner-packed Marvel-esque romp but a character driven attempt to look at old Supes in a new and interesting way. The first two-thirds of the film follow Henry Cavill's grown-up Clark Kent as he learns about his past and reflects on his upbringing. Brought up on a Kansas farm, complete with Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, and dog, Clark dreams of heroism; in a magnificent piece of imagery, he chases the dog around using a red sheet as a cape (it reminded me of that Phantom Menace teaser poster which was so much better than the film), but he also struggles with his father's demands to repress the fact that he's different. Though this flashback structure is unnecessarily muddled, these sequences are the real heart of the film. It's a coming-of-age story about finding your identity, with moral questions abound – should Clark use his super strength to save others, or let them die so that he can keep his secret from the world? Costner puts in a brilliant performance as the caring father figure who advocates the latter, but at some point, trouble has to come along to turn Clark fully into the Superman we all know.
And that trouble comes in the form of the great Michael Shannon, adding class as well as ham as the militaristic General Zod. This confrontation begins suspensefully, with Zod's grand arrival and demand for Superman to hand himself in leaving me eager to find out what would happen next. Unfortunately, what happens next is that the film goes dramatically downhill. The final act drops the interesting character stuff and is composed entirely of punch-up after explosion after punch-up after explosion after utterly unnecessary sub-plot in which Laurence Fishburne saves a damsel in distress from an explosion. With the destruction ramping up and my interest ramping down, this final act is an unwelcome return to the hyperactive child Snyder responsible for Sucker Punch and could easily lose half an hour.
But hey, at least the majority of the script does have character to it. It's just a shame that Henry Cavill doesn't do this character justice. The actor was previously considered for the Superman role for 2006's Superman Returns before it went to Brandon Routh, and for the James Bond role before it went to Daniel Craig. Frankly, I can see why he didn't get them. He doesn't have the biggest range of facial expressions and his voice never strays too far from the realms of the stoic gurn. Amy Adams, on the other hand, excellently lends a much-needed strength to the character of Lois Lane, making her a charismatic and active journalist for the twenty-first century.
There was one more thing which particularly annoyed me. This was when Zod is broadcasting a message via all the world's TV and computer screens, and someone says "he's on the RSS feeds!" I mean, really, did Goyer have any idea what an RSS feed is? You can't just put in internet words arbitrarily to make the film modern. "Zod's taking over the re-tweets!" 'He's in all the sub-reddits!" "Stop him before he gets to Wiki administrator status!"
On the plus side, that annoying line came shortly after the best part of the film, which was a visual gag about a printer.
Overall, has it changed my opinion on Superman? It's definitely a more interesting exploration of the Superman mythos than Returns, and it's my favourite Zack Snyder film to date. If anything, the printer gag is definitely worth paying for. On the other hand, its final act lets it down severely, and the film never gets as good as Nolan's morally complex The Dark Knight (I probably bring that up a lot, but it's the standard by which all superhero films have to be judged). I'm still not a fan of Superman.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts
There are a lot of non-spoiler reviews out there already for new Bond film Spectre , so I thought it'd be more interesting to go straight i...
...but I watched Christopher and his Kind for the thought-provoking and intellectual historical drama. Honestly. On a more serious note (a...
I rewatched Forrest Gump the other day, for the first time in a shameful number of years. Robert Zemeckis' tale of a slow-witted Alabama...
Released as an ABC TV Movie of the Week in 1971 before getting an international theatrical release, Duel shows off the talents of two gr...
Full review on Starburst. The Seventh Doctor, Ace and Mel land in a Merseyside shipyard run by an old university boyfriend of Mel's, S...
Blog Archive
- ► 2017 (53)
- ► 2016 (78)
- ► 2015 (73)
- ► 2014 (67)
- ▼ June (4)
- ► 2012 (54)
- ► 2011 (28)
- ► 2010 (12)
About Me
- KieronMoore
- Hi there. I'm Kieron. I write some things, including some about Doctor Who and some about films. Graphic novel about the Buddha coming soon. Also work in telly.
Powered by Blogger.


text: If you've been following my Currently Coveting series then you've probably seen a pattern over the last few weeks. It has all been leading to sandy shores and days of fun in the sun. Any beach local will tell you that when it comes to enjoying a day on the sand it's all about packing functional items. There is no need to weigh yourself down with tons of stuff. This is all I require for a great day at the beach. A good chair is a must! You want to be comfortable and relax. I also love investing in fun quality beach towels. Mine tend to get a real workout so, the thicker ones last longer. A good beach bag is everything for your vacation. Make sure it's large enough to handle anything you want to keep away from sand and water - towels, sunscreen, sunglasses, books, etc. If you're joining a friend for the day then a personal sized cooler is perfect for a few drinks, sandwiches and snacks. If you have a large group then, by all means, pack that big igloo cooler and haul it onto the sand. If you love music on the beach then this waterproof iPhone player is for you. Just remember that your neighbors on the sand may prefer a quiet afternoon so, keep the volume where only you can hear it. I don't know about y'all, but I'm ready to pack-up and head for the coast. What are some of your must have items for a day at the beach?


text:
Back in late April, even as the nation's economy began to pitch and yaw in the wrong direction after a robust mini-recovery in the winter months gave hope for a turnaround, the Associated Press' Paul Wiseman pointed to 2012's battleground states, where the unemployment rate was edging downward in spite of the larger economic headwinds. Wiseman captured the electoral stakes right from the jump: "The improving economy is swinging the pendulum in President Barack Obama's favor in the 14 states where the presidential election will probably be decided."
Conversation grew from there around the notion that whatever was happening in the swing states economically, was favoring Obama, and primarily explained why he was polling better than Romney in many of these states. One month to the day after Wiseman first reported on this, Bloomberg swung in for a pass, and arrived at the same conclusion:
The unemployment rates in a majority of the 2012 battleground states are lower than the national average as those economies improve. Coupled with the growth of adult minority populations in those states, the trends create a higher bar for presumed Republican Party presidential nominee Mitt Romney in his quest to unseat Obama.
Flash-forward to the end of May, however, and the press was given something new to chew over -- a slate of NBC/Marist polls from the same battleground states where the job picture was rosier (and Obama's path to electoral college wins presumably more certain) told a different story: The race was tightening. In Iowa, Obama and Romney were deadlocked, despite the state's relatively nice 5.1 percent unemployment rate. In Colorado, Obama was up by just 1 point. In Nevada, the incumbent was up by 2. For all the talk about the favorable economy in these locations, the results on the ground were shaping into a set of dead heats.
Over at Salon, Steve Kornacki's takeaway was that Obama had lost this widely reported "silver lining," noting that Obama was not "getting any extra credit" for these states' "relatively strong economy." True to his ethic, Kornacki went searching for what explanation political science had to offer on the matter:
A team of political scientists investigated the effect of state-level unemployment on presidential popularity and concluded that it has one-fifth the effect of national-level jobless data. That is to say:
"[a] one percent increase in the national unemployment rate is associated with a roughly 3 percentage point-decrease in presidential approval. Controlling for national trends, an additional 1 percentage point state-level increase in unemployment is associated with roughly a 0.6 percentage point decrease in approval."
This may help explain why clear majorities in Iowa and Colorado say the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Admittedly, I originally found the notion that Obama might catch a lucky break in the battleground states to be a pretty compelling theory, and I gave it its due. That may have been a myopic mistake on my part however, because once I started considering the matter from a distance other than 30,000 feet in the air, I could see why positive state-level unemployment numbers in the middle of a nation-wide employment emergency wouldn't be all that valuable to voters.
To put it simply, this is not how normal people experience and react to economic dislocation. Sure, if you're in Iowa, you might be prospering with that 5.9 percent unemployment rate (you may not have stopped prospering, actually -- as Kornacki points out, "unemployment never spiked in Iowa in 2009 and 2010 the way it did in other states"). But one's economic world doesn't stop with yourself. Your Iowa voter may have a sister stuck in an underwater mortgage in Southern California. His wife's brother might be long-term unemployed in North Carolina. Maybe his best pal from college, who he's keeping up with on Facebook, got laid off and is now commuting three states away to the only job he can find. And if he's got kids of his own, he's likely spent more than a few quiet hours contemplating the high stakes of student loans.
So, even if we're lucky to have Americans doing better than most in places like Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, Virginia, or Ohio, they still have people they love throughout the nation. And they know that their prosperity may eventually be their loved ones' cushion against disaster.
When things are tough all over, then things are tough even in the happiest of homes. So that battleground state "silver lining," was probably a mirage.
[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not?]


text:
This was originally written for the Word Press Daily Prompt from last year, here it is now with some revision. I have since captured the moment I thought I had lost forever!
When I worked the early shift in Auckland I would ride the bus down Mt. Eden Road and look into the shops starting business as early as 5am. There was one I wanted to go into so badly and so one morning off duty I rode the first bus out and had coffee at the Circus Circus!
The lights of the cafe had called out to the whimsical side of me and I am easily persuaded by twinkling lights. Its a tiny little place and you sit close to other early morning people and feel a companionship without having to speak just a nod or a smile and its like the place your heart has been looking for all this time.
I miss this little coffee shop on the slope of the hill, I miss the bright red and twinkling lights and I miss the flat white coffee in New Zealand.
I only went once because I waited to experience it with someone special but that day never came and I had already left the island. Lesson learned…..don't wait too long.
And so now writing a revision to this little cafe moment I am happy to say I managed to capture the moment I thought lost forever. Just a few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to sit in the same cafe and with the person I wanted to from before. There was magic, thick in the air and so electric and the coffee never tasted so good!
Circus Circus is still there, and if you are ever in the land of the long white cloud I hope you will hop on over to this place where you must have coffee amid twinkling lights while the world starts to wake around you.
And watch the face of a special person over the frothy milky foam and slowly twirling aromatic mist from your coffee cup.
And never miss an opportunity to be in a cafe where a moment is captured and treasured forever!


text:
An Easter Eggtravaganza for children ages 3-8 is scheduled from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28, in the Singing Grove on Main Street in downtown Benson.
Pajama story time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 9, at the Mary Duncan Public Library, 100 W. Main St., Benson.
Coffee hour is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, March 8, at the Benson Museum of Local History, 102 W. Main St., Benson.
A peanut butter and jelly drive to benefit the Clayton Area Ministries food pantry will take place April 17-18 at Lowes Foods on U.S. 70 Business in Clayton. The drive is a project of the United Methodist Men of Horne Memorial United Methodist Chuch. To learn more, call Denny Headington at 843-907-02727.
The Clayton Center for Active Aging has scheduled the following trips: March 6, "Staring North Carolina" exhibit at the N.C. Museum of History, $17; April 6, Caroline Tiger Rescue, $37; and May 4-5, Biltmore House, about $200. For more information, call 919-553-4350. Separately, the Center for Active Aging is seeking line dancers for the 2015 Senior Games. Practice is at 3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the senior center, 303 Dairy Road, Clayton. F ree legal aid for seniors will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 3. For an appointment, or for more information, call 919-553-4350.
The Miss Clayton Scholarship Pageant is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at The Clayton Center, 111 E. Second St., Clayton. Tickets are $11 in advance and $14 at the door. For tickets, go to theclaytoncenter.com.
Plates of barbecued chicken will be on sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Amelia Christian Church, 1696 Amelia Church Road, Clayton. The cost is $8 per plate and includes half a chicken, boiled potatoes, green beans and hush puppies. Homemade desserts will be for sale.
A Fitness Fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 7, at the Portofino Piazza, 25 Paraggi Court, Clayton. Here's the schedule: 9 a.m., kids' Zumba; 9:30 a.m., Zumba; 10:15 a.m., interval training; 10:45 a.m., sit and stretch; 11:15 a.m., green smoothie demo; and 11:40 a.m., preparing healthy meals. Also, the fair will offer fitness testing, blood-pressure screening and chair massages. It's all free.
The next free community classes at Purna Yoga East are scheduled for 11 a.m. March 21 and April 18 at 107 E. First St. in Clayton. Register online at purnayogaeast.com
The Clayton branch of Zeta Phi Beta sorority will hold its fifth annual Finer Womanhood Brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at the Garner Senior Center, 205 E. Garner Road, Garner. The brunch will feature a fashion show. For ticket information, email email@example.com.
Johnston County
An after-school origami class for beginners is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, in the children's section at the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, 305 E. Market St., Smithfield.
The Johnston County Republican Party will hold its 2015 precinct meetings and county convention at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at the county courthouse, 207 E. Johnston St., Smithfield. Registration begins at 5:45 p.m.
The Johnston Community College Board of Trustees will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5, in the Wilson Building conference room on the Smithfield campus, 245 College Road.
The Johnston County Senior Games are seeking competitors for this year's Games, which will take place April 13-24. Here is a partial listing of competitions by category:
Sports – cycling, cornhole, pickleball, track and field, walking, bowling, bocce, golf.
Silver Arts – visual, including acrylics, drawing, photography; heritage, including quilting, knitting, needlework; literary, including essays, poems, short stories, life experiences; and performing, including comedy, drama, vocal, dance and instrumental.
The Games are open to adults 50 and older. Registration forms are available in parks and recreation offices across Johnston County. For more information, or to volunteer, call 919-553-1550.
The 2015 Cure SMA Walk-n-Roll is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 21, at Smithfield Community Park on Booker Dairy Road. The event, now in its third year, raises money for a cure for spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic spinal disorder. It's named in memory of Logan Moore, who died from the disorder at age 10 months. In addition to the walk, the day will offer a raffle, children's activities, games, food and entertainment. For more information, visit events.curesma.org/2015LovingLoganWalk or email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
On the second Saturday of every month, a food pantry is open from noon to 2 p.m. at O'Neal Revival Tabernacle, 500 Richard Road, Zebulon. Bring a photo ID or two other forms of identification to receive a box of food. For more information, call 919-375-4275, email email@example.com or visit ONealTabernacle.org.
A conference for children who stutter and their families is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wake County Public Schools' Central Office, 110 Corning Road, Cary. For more information, or to register, call Rita Thurman at 919-571-0622. To learn more, visit friendswhostutter.org/.
The Selma Parks and Recreation Department invites children ages 3-7 to spend March 7 with "Frozen" characters Elsa and Anna. The day will offer crafts, activities and an interactive story in which every child will have a role. The cost is $20. For more information, call 919-975-1411.
The Selma Parks and Recreation Department invites adults 55 and older to travel to Greensboro's Barn Dinner Theater on March 24 for a performance of "First Baptist of Ivy Gap." The cost is $85 per person and includes transportation, dinner and the performance. For more information, call 919-975-1411.
Again this year, volunteers are offering free income tax preparation and filing in Smithfield. Help is available from 9 a.m. to noon Fridays at First Baptist Church on South Fourth Street. For an appointment, call 910-891-4004.


text:
It's true — and Wayne Haun would be the first to admit it. He's not the kind of producer who personally engineers his studio projects, but then he genuinely does not have the time to spare.
As a 4-time Grammy nominee, 25-time GMA/Dove Award winner, and 3-time BMI Music Award winner, Wayne Haun is known for his behind-the-scenes work as a songwriter, producer, arranger, orchestrator, record label founder, publishing company owner, and more.
As a producer, Haun instinctively creates a calm, generous environment for stellar achievements to be made by those around him, including award-winning gospel artists like Jason Crabb, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, the Collingsworth Family, Janet Paschal, Gordon Mote, The Perrys, The Cathedrals Family Reunion and more.
As an arranger and orchestrator, he has been called on to exercise his expertise for an eclectic mix of mainstream artists — from bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs to country favorites Craig Wayne Boyd and Clay Walker; and from Broadway star J. Mark McVey to pop divas Celine Dion and Jessica Simpson, to R&B stars Jill Scott and Boyz II Men.
As co-founder and co-owner of StowTown Records, Vine Records, and Sunset Gallery Music, the East Tennessee native is a respected music industry leader who is energized by discovering and mentoring talented artists and songwriters. As a staff songwriter for Word Music, Wayne Haun continues to write and arrange, while touring part-time as the musical director for Ernie Haase and Signature Sound.


text: KUCHING — The St Joseph's Cathedral Parish Sale & Fair was held on Sunday 2 September this year with the objective to raise funds for the new St Joseph's Pastoral Centre. Since 2004 the Parish Sale run for the past nine consecutive years. Apart from raising funds, the Parish Sale also promotes fellowship among the parishioners fostering a sense of belonging in the parish community. The pre-sales held outside the Cathedral for several weekends garnered a lot of support from parishioners attending Sunday Masses. Continue reading St Joseph's Cathedral Parish Sale & Fair 2012 a great success


text:
Children displaced from home after found living in filthy conditions
Children displaced from home after found living in filthy conditions
WHITNEY COUNTY, Ky —
Three kids are now living with relatives after police said they were living in filth.
Police in Whitley County were sent to the home after receiving an animal complaint.
An animal control officer called police after he found a young child outside when he showed up to inspect a horse.
He said he found twin boys under four years old, and one of them was naked.
They also found three pigs, three dogs and a rabbit inside the home.
"There were feces on floor, really filthy. I looked through their refrigerator, it was filthy," Sheriff Colan Harrell said.
The children's parents are charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.
The children's step-grandfather is also facing charges.


text:
In week six of Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit by Beth Moore, we're asked to consider the fourth Fruit of the Spirit: Patience. We are introduced to different Greek translations for the word patience, as originally recorded in scripture. Moore explains the difference between hupomone patience, which translates into endurance or perseverance inspired by hope and makrothumia, inspired by mercy and the quality of the Fruit of the Spirit.
Today's guest author is SaVonni Yestanti, who describes herself as a grateful mom and teacher to a young son, and a fruit bearer called by God to "finish the race" by telling everyone about the work that He has been trying to complete within her. She was directed by God to offer a unique, judgment free ministry that focuses on the Freedom that each individual has in Christ. You can follow her ministry at GodGaveMeFreedom.com and by following her Twitter channel @GodGaveUFreedom.
We can't love people if we don't have the patience to deal with people or the circumstances we may find ourselves in. Specifically, makrothumia deals with our ability, as Moore states in the video series, to "be patient with people who are driving us absolutely nuts." Moore stressed the fact that God is keenly interested in makrothumia because "people will always be the priority over circumstances. God's priority is going to be how we treat people." On the video series, she said of the Fruits of the Spirit, "Love, Joy, Peace, Patience…most of them, have to do with how we relate to people." We are to exhibit patience towards others because God exhibited patience towards us. Looking at the "ungrateful servant," (Matthew 18), we see the consequences of not exhibiting the patience that is granted to us. Moore talked about the fact that God knew it would be harder to deal with some people than it would be deal to deal with others because those "thorns in our sides" tend to bring out the worst in us. When we bring out the worst that is contained within us, God shaves off that bad stuff, presenting us as a closer representation of His full character.
Unlike hupomone, where we pray about our circumstances, makrothumia requires the releasing of the Holy Spirit within us; it is God's spirit working through us in order to show God's patience to people. We are propositioned by Moore to consider this seriously as the world WILL NOT help us in this regard. Again, the world is not prepared to exhibit patience in our fast paced society, as everybody wants everything right now. So Moore gave us a phrase to consider: "Patience waits." We are asked to show God's patience towards others the way that He shows patience towards us every day. We are asked to "bear" with one another; to endure…to exercise restraint when dealing with people…. and then we are introduced to another Greek word, anecho, which means "to put up with; forbear." That does not mean that we are to be gluttons for punishment; what that means is that we are to be slow to respond negatively to persecution and hardship. It is for this reason: just because a situation is hard, does not mean that it is necessarily from the enemy; it may be a situation that is created to fix something within us. When this is the case, we have a testimony of overcoming to witness to others. Our testament serves to help others who may be experiencing the very same thing.
To help us further exercise restraint when dealing with others, we were introduced to the premise of judgment and damaging it can be. We learned the Greek term for the word judgment is krino, which means to "to pass judgment upon, condemn, take vengeance on." Moore writes, "it means 'try' someone as if they stand accused before you in a court of law." We were asked to be slow to judgment, just as God is slow to judge us. "The Lord is patient, so that many people will be saved," writes Moore.
Finally, we looked at Biblical forgiveness. Moore explained that when we hold on to unforgiving, we only bind ourselves – and others- to unnecessary suffering; we essentially live torment. God wants us to be free and wants others to experience His patience, His Love and His commitment to them, through us. We learned that we cannot walk in step with the Spirit if we are so busy keeping a record of wrongs – and we also give Satan a foothold as he notices yet another thing to cause division between us as individuals and between us and God. We are to forgive EVERYONE for EVERYTHING, ALL OF THE TIME, as God commands us, so He can forgive each of us for everything. When we do this, we "wipe the slate clean" and we choose not to grieve the Holy Spirit by whom we were "sealed for the day of redemption."
Prayer Requests
We welcome any prayer needs from the group and ask that you will print a copy of the prayers, place them, in your workbook and pray for these women. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.
Beth Moore Quotes
- We should actively petition to God for endurance in our circumstances.
- We cannot both judge others and be patience towards them. One cancels out the other.
- Judgment strangles patience and grieves the Holy Spirit.
- It's easier to be clay than the potter.
- Patience is the vessel through which God pours His mercy.
- Mercy is fueled by forgiveness.
- You cannot be free to keep step with the Spirit when you are encumbered by the load of unforgiveness.
- The one who will not forgive suffers more than the one who is unforgiven.
- Only Satan wins in the war of unforgiveness.
This Week's Scripture Verse-NIV
David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." 2 Samuel 24:14
If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal. Luke 7:47 Message
For Next Week
- Read Week Seven in the workbook
- Listen to the Session Seven Audio (optional)
- OR…Listen to the Session Seven Video (optional)
Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like
- Based upon this weeks study, what hope do you possess to help you persevere through your trials? (page 118)
- Starting on page 123, Beth listed 11 reasons why we must not judge others. Which reason has the most meaning for you and why?
- Do you have a body roped to your back (page 128) and if so, how do you intend to release it?
- Share a Garden Tool, something meaningful you learned in this week's study.