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The Karnataka CET (KCET) 2018 mock allotment result will be published mid- year around July basis the previous years' records. Candidates are given only two days to view and make any changes in the priorities of their choice in terms of subject of interest or college. If candidates do not make this change within the stipulated time deadline then their entry will be processed in the real seat allotment basis the information in their initial application.
KCET 2018 mock allotment
The publication of the real allotment starts within a couple of days after the deadline for the KCET 2018 mock allotment result publication.
Basis the data provided by candidates during their application the KEA's systems will pull up a mock list of seat allotment for students to get an idea of where they stand in terms of their choice of discipline and preferred college. Though the first allocation list is the mock one it will give the candidates a fair idea of where they stand basis their real data of merit and category.
- KCET 2018 Important dates
- Karnataka CET 2018 Important chapters and questions
- How to crack KCET (Karnataka CET) 2018 Tips and Tricks
Candidates have to remember that mock allotment is just that 'mock' and it is not the actual seat that you will get at the time of real allotment hence it is imperative that you check what college the KCET 2018 mock allotment system has generated. Because the two days after the results are uploaded is the only time when students get a chance to change their minds or choice about their priorities in preferred colleges.
All the information regarding date of publishing the KCET 2018 mock allotment and the results thereafter will be posted online only and candidates have to be aware of the date of results to know when they should check this information. Please visit this site regularly and click on the link provided below for latest updates.
Click here and go to brochure section to check KCET allotment and result dates


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I'm in greece where trash is literally flooding the streets. Disposal workers are on strike.
Busses and trains are off and on because public transport workers are on strike.
My cousin's six year old is home from school because the elementary school teachers are on strike.
Junior high and high school students will stay home tomorrow because their teachers are striking then.
Policemen are striking too. Right.
The situation as it stands:
• Huge demonstrations have taken place across Greece, from Athens to Thessaloniki and Syros.
• Tear gas and stun grenades used – citizens tell us how the events in Athens unfolded
• Latest Greek austerity package passes first vote in parliament
• European leaders have met in Frankfurt to discuss a solution to the European debt crisis
I'm not quite sure what to say about Greece really. On the one hand, there is very much a crisis. People are leaving their jobs to riot and protest in the street. 70,000 were reported to have come together in Syntagma Square (outside of parliament) in Athens and thats really quite a small area. Who knows how many more people have been protesting country wide. I've been in Thessaloniki where the demonstrations are milder and the only thing to do is go to the cafes. Of which there are rows and rows. And bars.
And on the other hand, people are out, at cafes and bars. All the time. Though that's mostly young people. It's very apparent that the general population is struggling. I'm struggling. Prices are much higher and the cost of living has certainly increased. Wages have decreased despite this and people are just generally demoralized.
And then the irony of it all is that everyone expects a quick fix. They no longer want their current prime minister, whom might actually be the only man on earth who can help Greece. Consensus seems to be that paralyzing the country with protests is going to bring about change. I wonder how much Greece's deficit increases for every day everyone strikes. Because most workers get paid when they strike too. No one wants to pay taxes because they don't trust their government. Which, so far, is actually pretty fair. And I can't imagine a healthy state model that doesn't have a solid foundational taxation program. Which Greece doesn't.
Greek pride is another minus. What Greece should do is welcome private investment. And actually, Greece should sell as much of what it has to the private sector. Parks, stadiums, transport systems, property, whatever. All of it should either be leased or sold to private companies. Foreigners with money. The responsibility for upkeep and maintenance won't fall on government spending and the proceeds will help Greece get on it's feet. But from what I understand, this is another no-go because Greek people couldn't stand the thought of selling it's heirlooms to "the foreigner". Okay. If they could get past this hurdle, then the Greek government could be better equipped to handle basic infrastructural management. Like having real streets and sidewalks.
Meanwhile getting a plain filtered coffee at a cafe costs €4,50. Which I think works out to $37.00 but my math may be a bit off with gradual fluctuation…
I guess I'll do a quality of life index:
Average wage for someone without a degree in Greece: €1.300 – €2.200 a month
Average wage for government/municipal workers: €2.600 a month
Average wage for recent college graduates in Greece: €0,00
Average bag of tomatoes: €1,50
Average bus ticket: €0,80
Average taxi cab to and from the waterfront: €8
Average stick of deodorant: €4
Average low quality made-in-china graphic top: €17
Cigarette Tobacco: €4
Shampoo: €5
Rent for a two bedroom apartment: €300
Doctors visit: €45 or free if you feel like waiting around for their subsidized welfare health insurance doctors (IKA)
Bag of chips: €1,40
Bootleg handbag from nice Kenyan immigrants: €14
October is not a good month to visit Greece. Also the weather has been unusually cold. I only hope there won't be residual air traffic controller striking when I have my flight.

subset: commoncrawl


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Vegan Cat Food
Vegan Cat Food
Ami Vegan Cat Dry
The range of Amì products are a reflection of a company that focuses on the quality of the products and service to the customers, remaining faithful to the image of its brand: Respecting man, animals, nature. Their dry cat foodis an ultra digestible, nourishing and light food. Completely vegan, it will give your cat more vitality and health. 300g, 1.5kg...
Benevo Vegan Cat Dry
A nutritionally complete vegan dry food for adult cats. Rich tasting and flavoured naturally, Benevo cat food contains 28% protein and a vegan source of Taurine. Includes a Prebiotic FOS to enhance digestion.
Benevo Duo Vegan Dog & Cat Tin
A nutritionally complete moist vegan pet food suitable dogs and cats. Made with fresh potatoes, carrots, peas, tomatoes and berries with brown rice to make a tasty and nutritious meal. Supplemented with vegan sourced Taurine, Vitamin A and Arachidonic Acid. 369g Each or buy a pack of 12.
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 items


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Welcome to the George Washington University Internal Medicine Residency Program!
Our mission is to train physicians who deliver high-quality, systems-based care to individual patients with understanding of population and public health principles. I hope that this website gives you a sense of our program and what makes us unique.
Here are just a few examples:
Our location in the nation's capital: Public health and health policy come to life here in Washington, DC. Our public health school (the only one in DC) offers a health policy elective for our residents twice per year, in which residents attend hearings on Capitol Hill, meet with lawmakers, and learn considerations and implications of timely health policy issues. Have a special interest in serving the underserved? Our Underserved Medicine & Public Health (UMPH) concentration may be right for you! Want to focus on HIV care? Consider the HIV in Internal Medicine Training Pathway (HIP)! Interested in advocacy? Speak at a DC Council meeting, attend a march on the National Mall, or visit members of Congress on a professional organization's Hill Day.
Diverse patient experiences: GW Hospital serves our entire community, from our homeless patients to new immigrants to federal government employees, and many others! In addition, training at the National Institutes of Health and the DC VA Hospital ensures that by the end of your three years, you will have learned to care for patients from all walks of life with illnesses ranging from horses to zebras!
Our residents: At GW, we pride ourselves on our smart, compassionate, friendly residents who care about each other and our patients. We like each other! We value diversity, and our faculty and residents love learning from each other (in both directions!) every day. We also seek formal input from our housestaff to improve our program regularly. See the tab for leadership opportunities, including our Housestaff council and GME and hospital committees.
Innovations in training: Our goal is to train the physicians of the future. To us, that includes delivering systems-based, high-value patient care that incorporates the principles of quality improvement. Our mandatory three-year Quality Improvement and High Value Care curriculum not only teaches residents the principles of QI and patient safety, but also provides mentorship for each resident to design and implement a QI project in one of our clinical settings. We also recognize the importance of creating a supportive environment to allow our residents to develop to their fullest potential. We utilize several program activities to promote wellness, including off-site workshops twice per year, quarterly social events, winter holiday and end-of-the-year parties, our department's annual Cuentos humanities publication, and pet therapy available at GWUH (for housestaff, attendings and patients!).
Please learn more about us by reading our website - we think you'll like what you see!
And don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
- Jillian Catalanotti, MD, MPH, FACP
Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Programs
Associate Professor of Medicine and of Health Policy Management
The George Washington University


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The City Council of Puerto Lumbreras will present a new and original tourist video to be promoted in the next edition of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) that takes place in Madrid from January 17 to 19.
The mayor of the town, M┬¬ ┴ngeles T·nez, stressed that "we want to bring to the new edition of FITUR an attractive tourist video that will show the charms of our municipality with a varied offer of leisure, nature and gastronomy." Tourists from different parts of the country and from outside Spain they can enjoy the richness of culture and our traditions throughout the year. "
The institutional video shows the main tourist attractions that Puerto Lumbreras offers, focusing on culture, nature, sports and leisure.
The audiovisual production shows the arrival of a group of tourists to Puerto Lumbreras, touring the streets of the historic center and the Nogalte Castle, entering the natural setting Cabezo de la Jara and the Astronomical Observatory, as well as enjoying the local cuisine.
Most of the images used have been expressly recorded for the making of the video, although previous resources of events and parties in Puerto Lumbreras have also been used.
Thus, in the three minutes of the video, a group of friends exposes the multiple possibilities offered by the municipality at any time of the year.
The video also shows spectacular MTB and hiking routes for sports and nature lovers.
In the audiovisual content you can see the most deeply rooted festivals and traditions of the municipality such as Holy Week, the patron saint festivities in honor of the Virgen del Rosario or the Baile de la Reina gala.
The tourist information of Puerto Lumbreras will be available in the exhibitor of the Autonomous Community.
Visitors will have at their disposal informative leaflets about the different tourist resources and the history of the municipality.
M┬¬ ┴ngeles Tunisia stressed that "Puerto Lumbreras has a cultural activity for every day of the year, adjusting to the needs of children, youth, adults and the elderly. Throughout the year, programs of activities that promote the dissemination of culture, participation and entertainment ".
"The edition of this video complements the tourist promotion that we have been carrying out through other campaigns and includes in an entertaining way all that can interest the tourist in his visit to the municipality.This audio-visual material summarizes perfectly all the offer of the municipality and reflects that we are a quality, accessible and family destination ", highlighted Tunisia.
The video under the theme "Come and enjoy us" will be available from next January 17 on the website of www.puertolumbreras.es, on the Youtube channel of the City Council and on the different social networks of the Consistory.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Puerto Lumbreras


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Announcement from Selia Something!
So excited to announce!! Starting this week I'll be teaching Aerial Yoga @ SLO Yoga Center 😄 Many people have been asking about taking classes from me so here's your chance.
Tuesday mornings @ 10:30
Wednesday mornings @ 7:45
More details:
No experience necessary
Open to ALL LEVELS
Spaces are limited so please sign up in advance (there are only 13 hammocks)
Classes are included in the SLO Yoga Center membership! No additional costs 😮😃
There will be another class Thursdays at 10:30am & Mondays @ 6:00pm taught by the fabulous Brittni!
The schedule is up so you can sign up right now via sloyogacenter.com or through your MINDBODY app.
If you have questions, please ask! I love questions!
Leave a Reply.
Blog maintained by our lovely Ringleader-Eve Riot
October 2017


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Latest From Brahadeesh Chandrasekaran
Options For Medtechs In A Value-Based Care World
Driven by increasingly cost-conscious payers, health care is shifting from a volume-based model to "value-based care," now the latest buzzword. In response, the medical device industry has started employing new commercial strategies.


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We seem to be getting a lot of people asking about the recent Dance workshop we Facebook/Tweeted about. So we thought, this calls for another post!
On Saturday we attended the first of two March London Kpop Dance Workshop organised by the Loko Team. This time there were two of us participating. I (Ema) had decided to attend my first workshop! I am super unco-ordinated, but having been to two workshops previously to play the part of photographer, I could see that the Loko team really welcome people of all different levels and teaches in a way that even double left footed people like me could understand. My decision was also partly because this Sunbae Workshop featured one of my favourite songs Digital Bounce by Se7en and the iconic dance that is Rainism. The other two songs featured was BoA's Copy and Paste and Hyori's U Go Girl which was later changed to her more recent hit Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
After a 1 hour lunch break where the Loko team showed us a few more dances and general dance along with many others who were bursting with energy. We return to class to learn RAINISM!!! Getting our sexy on like one of Time's top 100 most influential people in the world Rain (minus all the tongue action). Rainism is one of the most well known songs of Kpop, we've all seen it a million times by Rain and others and we all think we know it. It began well, it was repetitive and simple. But then in comes the chorus and after the infamous around the neck and down the body swipe, it got baffling. But after a few change ups to the dance routine, I think we can safely say that Caroline successfully transformed us into Bad Boys like Rain *punches palm*. The last dance of the day was Hyori's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. You might all think its just holding your arm up in the air and punching your hip but its SO much more then that. This girl dance was again taught by Isabelle who stayed up all night to practice for the two dances she was going to be teaching! This is a equally sexy dance to Rain although not as complicated as BoA, it was still very energetic with a lot of rapid movements and the hip swaying… So much hip swaying.
After a quick recap (where we discovered we have memories of a goldfish), I have to say that my favourite dances were Digital Bounce and Chitty chitty bang bang. I loved the energy of them and largely because I can actually remember them! :P Eitherway, after experiencing a class myself for the first time I have developed a new found respect for all the idols and especially the Loko teachers!!!
I thoroughly recommend this class to EVERYONE! It is good for people of all dance levels! So don't be shy or scared! Make sure you check out Loko's next dance workshop which will be on the 25th March! They have a special guest teacher coming in and its sure to be a AWESOME dance workshop! To sign up and for more information, make sure you check out their Facebook page or the Events page. If you don't have Facebook then you can email them at email@example.com
For photos from the last few dance workshops we attended, make sure you subscribe to our Facebook page, where you can also get all the latest information. Such as, did you know one of Hermione Emma Watson's favourite movie is Korean movie Breathless? Just one of the many fun facts on our Facebook page!


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Find Out What Plymouth Hypnosis Center Can Do For You
Hypnotherapy can help individuals looking for a better quality of life. These articles highlight the ways in which hypnosis can facilitate many life improvements.
ABCNews.com reports on how hypnosis can supplement traditional medical treatment for individuals with chronic pain.
Hypnotherapy is widely used as an aid to overcoming phobias. NaturalBloom.com explains how it works.
Are your weight loss attempts not working? Shape.com gives one woman's account of how hypnosis helped her shed pounds.
A scale should never be the ultimate indicator of a healthy weight. FoxNews.com discusses why you should put away your scale for good.
Even those who are in excellent physical health can benefit from hypnotherapy. AboutHypnosis.com describes the link between hypnosis and athletic prowess.
Plymouth Hypnosis Center can help you claim the life you want. To schedule a consultation with a hypnotist at our Philadelphia facility, call (610) 397-1515. Though results may vary, our hypnotherapy services can provide an option for a healthier and happier future.
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Started playing drums at 13-years old in Brooklyn junior high school.
Played drums for singers, comedians, dog acts, xylophone/harmonica/violin players, dance teams, jugglers, magicians, rock n' roll bands, jazz bands, concert bands, symphony orchestras, (anybody who needed a drummer) for many years.
Featured jazz drummer with All American Big Brass Band Tour of Africa, three months, 16 countries, and 30,000 miles, 1964.
Jazz drummer with Bobby Hackett, 1964-1965.
First-time piano studies at age 25 with Lennie Tristano, 1965-1971.
Earned BS in Music Education from Hofstra University (1967), MA in Music Composition from Queens College, CUNY (1971)
Director of Jazz Studies (with Frank Foster), Queens College, CUNY, 1975-76
Stopped playing professionally 1976-1991.
Classical piano lessons at age 40 with Arminda Canteros and Jon Verbalis, 1981
Piano/composer/music director, The Jazz Mentality (Chris Potter, reeds, Ralph Hamperian, bass, Myles Weinstein, drums), 1992-1997. Two CDs: "Maxwell's Torment," "Show Business Is My Life."
"I Used To Be Anonymous," The Steve Elmer Trio (Steve Elmer, piano/composer, Hide Tanaka, bass, Shingo Okudaira, drums), CD/MP3, 2006
Tour of Japan, February-March, 2007, The Steve Elmer Trio
"Fire Down Below," The Steve Elmer Trio, CD/MP3, 2008.
"Jazz Life - Live @ Cleopatra's Needle, NYC, " The Steve Elmer Trio, CD/MP3, 2010
I started playing drums when I was 13-years old. I auditioned for my Brooklyn junior high school band by clapping back rhythms to a school music teacher. I graduated from hands to a pair of drum sticks and took a few lessons from a local drummer who taught me the basic rudiments and how to read drum musicno clefs or notes with pitches, just rhythms. I then tried out for the junior school jazz band by tapping my drumsticks on a school desktop to play the melody of Darktown Strutters Ball, what I thought the band leader meant when he asked if I knew how to play that tune. I didnt get the gig.
From then on I played every kind of drumming gig I could get and was out almost every night of the week working with musicians my own age and musicians who had been around for quite some time.
I didnt get any more formal musical training but the experience of meeting the variety of musical demands I encountered gave me a solid professional foundation. My first big gig right after I graduated from high school was at the Concord Hotel, a popular resort in New Yorks Catskill Mountains. I played for magicians, dog acts, trampoline artists, xylophone/harmonica/violin players , dance teams, jugglers, singers, and comedians, and really got a taste of what the music business looked and felt like up close. I got so much of a taste that I applied to and was accepted by Manhattan School of Music where I was able to begin a formal musical education and work toward earning a college degree so that I didnt have to depend on making a living doing what I was doing at the Concord.
At Manhattan School of Music I learned for the first time in my life how to read notes in the treble and bass clef and how to make a major/minor scale. I also studied drums, mallets, and timpani with a wonderful man named Mo (Morris) Goldenberg. We played xylophone duets together and he made real musical demands on me that I had never dealt with until that point in my life. In the fall of 1964, thanks to Mo Goldenbergs recommendation, I became the featured jazz drummer with the All American Big Brass Band on a three-month, 16-country tour of Africa. The band included the lovely soft-spoken trombonist Benny Morton (from the Count Basie band of the 1930s),Garvin Bushell, a man who played clarinet, oboe, and bassoon on jazz recordings as early as 1928, and Howard Smith, who was our percussionist and who had been the CBS house drummer for the Ed Sullivan show. All three of these guys were my roommates during the trip and each one of them had a big influence on my outlook in one way or another.
Before I left for Africa I had been working with the swinging pianist Pepe Morreale. Pepe had been Carol Channings musical director but was now working with his own trio with me on drums and a variety of bass players including Teddy Kotick, Earl May, Sonny Dallas, Al Ferari, and Phil Rosen. When I got back from the Africa tour, Pepes trio became the rhythm section for one of the most beautifully lyrical musicians I have ever played with, cornetist Bobby Hackett. I worked with Bobby for two years and have rarely heard such warm, swinging, and loving music since then. Bobby Hackett was a special musician and working with him was a special treat.
At best, making a living in music is a difficult proposition. So after a couple of years I went back to college and managed to earn a BS in Music Education from Hofstra University. While I was at Hofstra I also started piano studies with the brilliant jazz piano teacher Lennie Tristano. I was 25-years old when I took my first formal piano lesson.
I started by playing scales one finger at a time, adding more fingers in various combinations little by little. I also learned how to make chords. I learned how to recognize melodic intervals and the quality of chords. I also learned how to play melodies one hand at a time and with both hands together and to sing along with records, learning solos of the great masters in jazz like Lester Young, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker. All of this was done by ear. There were no method books or written materials other than a series of numbers Lennie used to describe chord voicings. It was an intense and valuable experience and a turning point in my musical life. However, I eventually moved away from the Tristano influence and decided to follow my own instincts and go in a different direction.
In 1969 I was accepted into the Queens College, City University of New York Masters degree program for music composition. I was also given a fairly sizeable teaching schedule, teaching courses in music appreciation, jazz history, ear training, and music for elementary education majors. I studied composition with Leo Kraft, a dedicated educator and contemporary composer. In the first year of my studies I had to write a new piece each week, each piece in the style of composers from as early as the 16th century. This meant I had to pour over scores and recordings of composers I had never heard of, digest their musical language, and write a piece reflecting the essence of their music while making it my own. One piece per week for an academic year. It was difficult. In the second year of my studies I wrote an original piece as my Masters thesis. I wrote this piece by sitting at the piano and picking out one note at a time in combination with other notes until I had completed my Emily Dickinson Songs for Soprano and Orchestra, based on 10 poems by the great American poet. It was the last classical piece of music I ever wrote. The combination of teaching and studying composition for two years was another turning point in my life.
I received my Masters degree in 1971 and was invited to return to Queens College as an Assistant Professor in 1973. I taught music appreciation, jazz history, jazz small and big band, music improvisation, keyboard skills, sight singing, and music skills and composition for elementary music teachers. At the end of my first year of teaching at Queens I was asked to develop a four-year curriculum for a four-year program leading to a degree of Bachelor of Jazz Studies. I dove into this challenging assignment relying on much of what I had learned from Lennie Tristano as a guide and designed a jazz studies curriculum that included ear training, jazz theory, jazz harmony, jazz improvisation, jazz composition, jazz arranging, I was very lucky in two ways during this process. The first was that I had full support by the Queens College Department of Music to get this program approved and offered to the public. The second lucky thing that happened was that I was able to convince Frank Foster, the well-known saxophone player-composer/arranger of Count Basie fame, to join me as my colleague to teach in this new and unique program. We advertised, held auditions, selected the first set of students, and were able to teach one year of the curriculum before the program and our jobs were terminated during a massive New York City budget crisis in 1976.
From 1976-1991 I stopped playing music professionally. In 1981, at age 40, I finally took classical piano lessons from Arminda Canteros and Jon Verbalis, starting at the beginning with Czerny and Anna Magdalena Bach, and filling many gaps in my formal musical education. I also held a variety of jobs that I never imagined myself holding. I went to school for and became a free-lance court reporter (stenographer), and I traveled around the world using the keyboard on my court reporting machine to record the testimony of witnesses involved in all kinds of law suits, arbitrations, public hearings, and conferences. While music, my passion, had opened my ears and my heart for many years, court reporting opened my eyes and my mind to the ways of the world and gave me the kind of pragmatic education that I never would have gotten in any formal institution. I was also a union contract negotiator, CEO of a community symphony orchestra, executive director of a professional wind quintet, and managing partner in a training and communications consulting firm.
That all changed when I was playing solo piano at a fund-raising event in and met a young drummer named Myles Weinstein. We got together for a jam session of piano and drums, discovered that we were on the same musical wave length, and decided to put a group together to make some music and see what could come of it. That group evolved into a quartet that we called The Jazz Mentality and it proved to be the point-of-departure for the next phase of my life.
I recorded two CDs with The Jazz Mentality, featuring Steve Elmer, piano/composer/music director, Chris Potter, soprano/alto/tenor saxophones, Ralph Hamperian, bass, and Myles Weinstein, drums.
Maxwells Torment (VAI Audio, 1992)
Show Business Is My Life (Koch Jazz, 1997)
Each received critical acclaim and featured ten of my original compositions as well as familiar jazz standards such as Miles Daviss Solar, Bobby Timmonss Dis Here, Charlie Parkers Bloomdido, and Thelonious Monks Ask Me Now.
In February, 2006 I recorded I Used To Be Anonymous,
|I Used To Be Anonymous
Fire Down Below, is our second CD (2008) and again features Steve Elmer, piano/composer, Hide Tanaka, bass, and Shingo Okudaira, drums, playing playing ten of my original compositions, including "Sister Joan," "Silhouette," "Constant Lee," Fire Down Below," "Lasting Love," "Delicate Balance," "Tanaka's Hideout, " Big Chief Red Could," and "Aaronology. You can find this CD or MP3 download at www.cdbaby.com.
I describe my musical approach as Classic Jazz Piano: Play the melody, improvise, tell a story, and make it swing . I also like to write compositions dedicated to people who have inspired me or had an impact on my life. Some my original tunes are: Blues for Bobby T (for Bobby Timmons), Easy Mr. B (for Billy Eckstein), Mr. Kenny D (for Kenny Dorham), The Monkwalk (for Thelonious Monk), The Teddy Wilson Stomp (for Teddy Wilson), Autumn Haze (for Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn), Dance of the Drackots (for Bud Powell), and Moosemans Minor Mood (an autobiographical reference).
Ive been fortunate to be able to pursue my passion, overcoming many of the obstacles Ive encountered along the way. Ive also been lucky enough to have found encouragement and support from family, friends, and total strangers. It has not been an easy road to follow but Im happy doing what I love best, making music that satisfies my soul.


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Follow Up is Free and Profitable
It's a recession. We're cutting our advertising budget even though we know we shouldn't. We're racking our brains to see what else we can do to drive sales without spending too much. Well here's a free sales and advertising tip. Follow up!
The National Sales Executive Association conducted a survey on how many sales you can get depending on how many times you contact your prospects. These statistics emphasize how important it is to follow up with sales persistence.
• 48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
• 25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
• 12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
• Only 10% of sales people make more than three contacts
• 2% of sales are made on the first contact
• 3% of sales are made on the second contact
• 5% of sales are made on the third contact
• 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
• 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact
These statistics astound me and I spend a lot of calls and emails following up. I confess that sometimes even I fail to follow up more than three times. So why do we not follow up enough?
• Too busy, didn't get to call
• The person's name did not make it to a "touch today" list
• The time allocated to make follow up calls got allocated elsewhere
• Don't have a single "touch today" list, it's in several places
• Don't have a series of things to propose that seems appropriate
• Don't know what to say, when you're just "checking back"
• No follow up samples appropriate to this situation
• Want to build the relationship, but not sure how
• Haven't tracked how many times already called, it's too soon
• Haven't set a follow up action, don't know what to propose next
Your own personal list of follow up failure is probably some of these and more. With 90% of the sales made after the third contact, it's clear that this is the result of a relationship being built. Relationships take time and repeated contacts.
But consider this. Calling is free! You already have a phone, a long distance plan, and extra cell phone minutes. So there is nothing else to pay. Email is free since you already have an email mechanism. A card is less than a dollar even with today's postage. For a great set of follow up samples and follow up letters see: Free Sales Follow Up Letters. So this kind of prospecting and following up is a real low-cost sales idea. That's a great plus in this economy.
Persistence will make the difference in sales. Follow up calls are necessary and effective. If you've been at it more than a couple of years, you'd agree that it takes pigheaded discipline and determination to grow a business. This is a sentiment attributed to Chet Holmes, author of "The Ultimate Sales Machine" and perhaps anyone else committed to success.
So, I challenge you to make a list of people you haven't followed up with and make some calls. Call me and tell me how it's going. I'd love comments on more follow up samples from your experience.
Now stop reading about follow up samples and start doing! Let's create your personal profit strategies for growing profit. Call small business profitability coach Merra Lee Moffitt, CFP®. She can be reached at, 888-920-2030 or by email at email@example.com.
"Seek new clients, seize better income, capture more profit"


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Did you know the MOSS management team, has over 75 years of brand, strategy, marketing and advertising experience, collectively?
We have been honoured to contribute to effective communication solutions for over 100 brands in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the US.
Click here to view just a sample of these brands.


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Defender of fish
Note: This article is a sidebar to this issue's feature story.
Les Clark has fished the lower Columbia and Willapa Bay for 52 years. He is a third-generation gillnetter and his sons are the fourth.
Les Clark: "When we first moved here, paper mills dumped everything in the Columbia River. It finally got so bad you couldn't pull the net up out of the river because it would be plugged with pollution out of the paper mills. It would grow like jelly. Sometimes you'd get half a net in the boat, and it was like it was full of jellyfish. The boat was ready to sink. You'd have to cut the net in half.
"The day the fisherman is gone will be the worst day for the fish. Without the fishermen fighting for the fish, the rest of them won't give a darn. I know as a fisherman I'm dead, but I said those fish have always held me up, they've always been my way of life. I might not fish anymore, but I can still do something for those fish.
"We just had a three-day fishery. I did catch one salmon, so at least we're going to have fresh salmon to eat. By the time I gave some (to my family), it didn't last very long.
"We're supposed to be smart people on this planet, but I don't think we've been very smart in the way we've managed everything. Everybody thought there's no limit and we can abuse this bay forever. We're finding out there is a limit. It will only stand so much."


text: Vanea H. has been causing quite a stir lately with her amazing FEMJOY appearances. Obviously, this lovely young nymph has some gorgeous assets that are unique to her delivious physique, but she's more than just a chesty babe. Vanea H. is also an extremely horny young lady who wants to share her most intimate desires with you, and that's exactly what she does in this video. It's quite an incredibl experience to get this up close and personal with such a sweet honey who's so deeply driven to find her pleasure spot. But that's the chance you've got here. Come on in. Vanea is waiting for you, and she wants to take you all the way.


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In her latest shoot for the September 2017 issue of Vogue Magazine, Oprah Winfrey revealed the reason she never wanted to get ]]>
Rita says she's hopeful that God will provide the "right man" of her dreams, and she'd get hitched when the time is right. She also revealed that she could]]>
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The lady, identified only as Bisola, had tongues wagging after she claimed that popular producer and record label owner, Don Jazzy will marry her]]>
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According to sources close to the singer, her body language indicates that she's ready to reconcile with her]]>
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The beautiful Kehinde Oshadipe is back in the media as she's been able to find her balance after the death of her twin sister, Taiwo Oshadipe. She says that she]]>
The singer recently signed an international deal with Jay Z's Roc Nation Records and some people began to insinuate that th]]>
In a recent Instagram post, the Akwa-Ibom state born diva admitted that she was born chubby, but had to put in lo]]>
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The recent Wikileaks debacle, labeled "unhelpful and untimely" by Iraq's Foreign Minister and a "semi-voyeuristic travesty" by me, does have its upsides. Among them is a lengthy, detailed look at U.S. perceptions of Iranian influence on Iraqi politics, in particular in the run up to last year's elections. There's been a lot of contradictory ink spilled on this subject, and the U.S. cable takes a cautious approach. Its conclusion for U.S. policy is that Iranian muscle flexing should not lead to "alarmist tendencies or reactions," Iran's influence over Iraq "should not be overestimated," and there are real "points of divergence between Tehran and Baghdad." How wide those points of divergence grow would seem to hinge on Nouri al-Maliki's somewhat opaque vision for the future of Iraq, and the shifting alliances of his coalition.
There is no doubt that Iran has a lot of levers in Iraq. The cable hits some of the highlights. Iran gives $100-200 million a year to Iraqi surrogates, including to militant Shia proxies. It has close relationships with key Iraqi politicians including President Talibani and Prime Minister Maliki. It does $4 billion dollars in trade with Iraq, and provides 48% of Iraqi imports. It takes in Iraqi leaders in need of protection or an infusion of religious cred, including Moqtada al-Sadr, currently living and studying Qom.
However, the U.S. cable, written before the election, pointed to Iran's fear of "a 'rebellious' Maliki pursuing a more nationalist [rather than] sectarian agenda" that would split the Shia vote. That didn't quite happen. Maliki embraced unlikely partners like the Sadrists (against whom he'd waged vicious battles in the Spring of 2008) in his coalition. But the same analysis would seem to apply to the new post-election question: how will Maliki govern? As a Shia to be sure, but with U.S. influence in Iraq waning, will he govern as a sectarian or an Iraqi nationalist? In the short term, Iran's influence over Iraq will depend largely on Iran's influence over Maliki. And Maliki doesn't appear to have any inherent interest in doing Iran's will. As Larry Kaplow argues, "Maliki plays the United States and Iran against each other for what he sees as Iraq's or his own interests."
Though Iran backed Maliki during the 8 month struggle to form a government, he was not at all their first choice Shia leader, as Iran preferred the Iraqi National Alliance coalition lead by the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) and the Sadrists. In fact, Maliki shrugged off Iranian pressure not to split from the main Shia coalition. In his previous term, he signed the Status of Forces Agreement with the U.S. despite intense Iranian lobbying. Not to overstate the case, but Maliki seems to do Iran's bidding when it squares with his vision of Iraq and/or his own political interests. Alliances with Iran are more a matter of convenience than of enthusiasm for Tehran's vision of Iraq or the middle east. He strikes me as much more a nationalist – an extremist perhaps, but an Iraqi nationalist – than Iran would like. And with a healthy interest in hanging onto power.
So the points of influence would seem to come from within the coalition, which gives Maliki his credibility and power. If the coalition's support for Maliki wavers, then Maliki's authority does as well. Iran might find ways to further cozy up to the Kurds, ever the pragmatists, who have some history of short term tactical cooperation with Tehran when it suits their needs. Iran has already formed a tidy alliance with the Sadrists who, though Shia fundamentalists, are ultimately Iraqi nationalists. These critical coalition partners – rather than Maliki or his inner circle itself – would seem to me to be the key battleground for influence over Iraqi politics in the short term.


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Sketch Marathon Day 13: Even More Abstraction
May 13, 2016
Bainbridge Point. 5x7, oil on linen panel. 2016
This one took a lot of experimentation. I had to keep painting and destroying the forms over and over again until I got what I was looking for. I've always been very careful about mixing my paint and keeping everything super tidy, so it's a big change to put all that discipline to one side and be willing to risk a muddy mess.
I've recently done away with the comments section. If you have questions or comments, please contact me directly. Links from other blogs are always welcome.


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Jade's a delight to meet and really rewarding to talk to. If you see her on the beat don't worry about holding her up - talking to residents is part of her job so flag her down even if she's on her bike! Jade is a Police Community Support Officer who really loves working in Barrow. She's well qualified for the job as she has a degree in Criminology and Social Policy under her stab-vest. Yes, as long as she's on duty she has to wear a stab-vest even sitting in Peppercorns answering questions for Barrow Voice!
We met one Saturday afternoon as I went along to a Beat Surgery held in Peppercorns. Surgeries do move around; sometimes in the library, the Roundhouse or Barrow of Treats and times vary so please check the Beat Surgery diary entry on the back page of Barrow Voice first if you wish to go along. There are two held every month. It's well worth going as Jade, or her colleague PC Mansfield, highlight recent problems. She told me there had been a spike in opportunistic thefts from cars so is keen to remind people to lock them even if they're away for only a few minutes. She's amazed at how many people leave their cars unlocked. Burglaries are different, she said, as they are far more likely to be targeted crimes. So, go along, air any worries you might have, learn what's happening in the village and get advice on how to protect your goods: there's a new sophisticated DNA kit the police are selling, at cost price, to mark your possessions. As Halloween was approaching when we met, Jade had brought useful posters to either attract or repel treat-craving youngsters. (See pic)
But being on the beat in Barrow? What's involved? Well, before leaving the beatoffice for a day's work Jade checks the systems to see if there have been any problems reported such as car-thefts, burglaries or antisocial behaviour and will make a point of including that area in her beat. Her role is primarily to find out the concerns of people living here, such as noisy neighbours, overgrown trees, inconsiderate parking or signs of criminal activity. Later she'll report back everything to her team. Jade is one of four people, two Police Constables and another PCSO, who cover Barrow, Sileby, Seagrave, Burton the Wolds, Cotes, Walton on the Wolds, Hoton and Prestwold. This area itself is divided up and two of the team focus on Barrow and the Wolds villages. All police team members are in touch with each other through radio. Jade has a radio and a video camera attached to the front of her jacket. However, as a PCSO Jade doesn't carry handcuffs, a truncheon or Taser as, although she sometimes has to face conflict, dealing with it isn't a PSCO's primary role. Police Constables are the ones trained for coping with conflict and carry all the gear.
To a PCSO deterrence is important. Jade wears a clearly marked Hi-Viz jacket so even from a distance everyone knows she's a member of the police force. And this visibility works. For example parking on the yellow lines near Hall Orchard School is an offence but once a Hi-Viz PC or PSCO is spotted walking up the hill cars magically disappear! Jade is often in the village. In general she works a pattern of six days on and three days off. There's no set beat pattern but on average she is in the village most days, or evenings, depending on her shifts, and works a 37 hour week. She mostly walks or cycles and, over time, all Barrow's streets are covered. They are! If you've never seen her, or one of the team, you've been out!
The next beat surgery will be at The Barrow of Treats at 13.00 on Dec 16th with PC Mansfield.


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Davis, James
James Davis (Uncle Jim), age 89 of Waupaca, joined his family in heaven on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
He was born to the late Lawrence and Neva Davis on March 1, 1928. He was preceded in death by his siblings: Rex, Jack, Bette (McDermott) and Mary Lou (Sroda).
Jim served his country in the U.S. Army, graduated from Central State Teachers College in Stevens Point and received his master's degree in history from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He taught history at Nicolet High School in Milwaukee for over 30 years. Jim was an avid traveler and loved his many visits to Hawaii with friends. Every summer he spent at his cabin in the Northwoods. His passions were artwork, music, and reading. He will be greatly remembered for his vast knowledge of history and his witty demeanor.
Jim requested a small private funeral at his cabin. He will be greatly missed by his nieces, nephews, and friends. The family would like to thank the staff at Park Vista-The Legacy for the exceptional care they provided.


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This morning was quite stimulating here at the Pastor's Conference (It is a meeting prior to the SBC itself). This is the first time that a "breakout" format was used to brief everyone on a variety of subjects. One of the topics being presented was "Reaching Today's World Through Differing Views of Election." Presenting were Drs. Al Mohler and Paige Patterson, both Seminary Presidents.
I want to defer you to a blog spot where two guys are keeping up on everything at the Convention. I will add some personal commentary as the meetings progress.


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Ridin' along in my automobile
My baby beside me at the wheel
I stole a kiss at the turn of a mile
My curiosity runnin' wild
Cruisin' and playin' the radio
With no particular place to go.
Ridin' along in my automobile
I'm anxious to tell her the way I feel,
So I told her softly and sincere,
And she leaned and whispered in my ear
Cuddlin' more and drivin' slow,
With no particular place to go.
Paroles de chansons de Chuck Berry
Sélection des chansons du moment


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Tag Archives: God
Wait to Date
Through my normal cruising of facebook today, I came across an article written by a staff blogger for www.desiringgod.org and found it to be so spot on. One of my greatest concerns as a parent is how to raise my children to be more in love with Jesus Christ than anything else. I want them to desire that relationship before all others. Remembering my teenage years, I know that wasn't the path that I took. This article really highlights several good points. So, I thought I would share it here.
Read: Wait to Date Until You Can Marry
The pebble in my shoe
I know we have all been there. Especially runners. This is how it plays out for me:
I look outside and see the sun shining, a gentle breeze, and I begin to mentally prepare for it. I slide my shoes on and they feel great, maybe even lighter today. Phone strapped to my arm, ear buds in and comfortable. A quick stretch or two to loosen up and get the blood flowing. I step out on the porch and walk quickly – with a lighter step to the end of the driveway. I look up the street and set my focus, hit start on my tracker and begin to jog. My steps feel great. My core is tight and I am focusing on the first song. In my playlist it's a great song by Chris Tomlin called God's Great Dance Floor. I round the corner at the bottom of the street and I am feeling great. It seems like no time and my tracker is proudly announcing the first mile is complete. "That seemed faster today," I think to myself. Then it happens. A slight discomfort in my right shoe. Maybe it's nothing…no there it is again. Somehow I have picked up a pebble. It's rolling under the center of my foot on every stride. Now my focus is elsewhere. I don't hear the music, I am locked in on the pain with each step. My mind begins to battle a little. I can stop and fix it, quickly and keep going, but I have a great pace and I want to run from beginning to end. I keep going, but the pebble is still there. It feels like it is piercing my foot with each stride I take. I have lost all focus on the world around me and can think of nothing else but that small pebble.
Every person reading this probably thinks the same thing. Take the shoe off, shake out the pebble and keep running. That's the logical thing to do. You're right. It is. But as this happened to me not too long ago, it made me think about my life in general, especially my Christian walk. How many times have I let a pebble – some sin that keeps burrowing into my soul take my focus off Christ? How often have I left that sinful pebble in my soul and tried to just deal with it on my own? This happens more often than not. My "I can do it myself" mentality takes me down a dark path and before I realize what happened, I can't find God anywhere in my life. Wouldn't it be simpler for me to stop and get rid of the pebble? Better yet, when that pebble seems more like a boulder, wouldn't it be easier to rely on God's ability to remove it from my life? I was reminded of David when he fell for Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 11 paints a picture of a spiral out of control. David sinned, first when he looked on this woman while she bathed, then taking her into his bed which resulted in pregnancy. Reading through the passage, we see David losing all focus on the battle he was leading, and instead being consumed with trying to get out of the mess he had created. Choose today to check your shoe before you run. Finding the sinful traps in your life and praying for God's strength to avoid or overcome them is the recipe for a closer walk with Christ.
Lord, today I am thankful for your love and mercy in my life. I am thankful that you love your creation and willingly laid down your life so that I could have mine. Thank you for never leaving me and for your power and strength over my sin nature. I ask for your help in removing the pebbles that cause my focus to be turned from you. I rejoice in your word and promise to always be by my side through this life. In Christ I pray – Amen.
He's got the whole world in His hand
He's got the whole world in his hand
He's got the whole world in his hand
He's got the whole world in his hand…
This song is a classic children's song that we sing often in Sunday School or in the children's nursery to convey that God has everything in His hand. Simple idea, often not thought of again. But have you every really stopped to think about the meaning behind those words? I received an online devotion today entitled Holding it Together. It referenced Colossians 1:16-17, among other scripture, but the idea was that God created it all…EVERYTHING, and that nothing is outside of his grasp, He holds it all together.
Look around you and think about how everything that you can see fits together. Then, if you can, try to wrap your mind around how things that are unseen, are still working in unison and perfect harmony with what you can see. Our minds are not capable of understanding the depth and breadth of our universe and how it is all held together. Science has spent hundreds of years trying to explain it and learn about it, yet they can only get so far. We have been able to dissect the atom, which is a marvelous feat in itself. Inside this tiny particle are many more parts and pieces and we have names for almost all of them, and we understand how they work and relate to each other, but that is generally where it stops. There is still the "God particle" that has yet to be discovered. For a believer, we know what that particle is, it is clearly defined in God's word, Colossians 1:16-17. At the end of verse 17 – He holds all creation together. I find it amusing that some will spend their entire life to find that one thing that is right in front of them. Think of what science could turn it's attention to if it went like this:
1. We are made up of atoms
2. Inside those atoms are particles
3. God holds those particles together
4. Then end.
That is where my thoughts took off today. Why is it so hard for someone to rely on the unseen, the unheard, the "beyond understanding"? It's faith. It's simple faith. Kids have it. I don't know when we lose it as we grow older, but their faith is amazing. If only we could maintain our child-like faith as we grew older, how much closer to God would we all be and as a result, what would this world look like?
All of this thinking brought my mind back to current events and the uncertainty of the future of our country and this world. As an adult, these things occupy my mind more and more. Not so much because I am worried about how it will turn out. I know the ending. I read the Bible. Totally full of spoilers. But as a parent, with that God-given love for my children, I am consumed with the type of world they are growing up in and the challenges they are and will continue to face. Sometimes thinking along this line can cause us to panic and stress. When that happens, I am taken back to this simple verse in Colossians. "He has the whole world…universe in His hands. He holds it all together and He will continue to do so until that day when we, that know Him as our personal savior, are called home and He simply "lets go".
Remember this today. We do not have to worry about tomorrow. We simply need to place our trust in the God that works all things for His glory. He loves us. We were created by His hands in His image. He is perfect and He created us perfectly. I have heard before that believing in God and trusting in Jesus to save us is the "easy way out" to give up and quit thinking, become a mindless robot. As a growing christian, I can say with all certainty that believing and continuing to trust everyday is the hardest thing I have ever done. I am human. I want to have a sense of control. It's natural. But I love my God, the creator of this universe and everyday He fills me with the gentle peace of knowing He is in control and nothing is beyond Him.
Lord, thank you for being You. Thank you that You are in control and that You hold this all together. Thank you for strengthening my faith on a daily basis and for forgiving me when my faith falls away. I am forever yours and find comfort and hope in Your word. I am thankful today that "holding all creation" includes me. Help me to be a light and shine for your glory today. In Christ – Amen.
When I was younger…much younger, I had a job at a fast food establishment. It was my first job and I poured myself into it, at first. I had a bit of a work ethic problem growing up, but that is an entirely different post. It was during this job that I had an awful experience with being surrounded and overwhelmed by grease. Now, I know the first thought is "that is to be expected, you were working fast food." However, this wasn't just the normal greasiness of fast-food. In the back of the restaurant we had commercial fryers. There were three deep wells that held quite a bit of cooking oil. A nightly procedure was to drain the fryers and clean each well. It was pretty simple. There was a reservoir under the counter that was big enough to hold one well at a time. You pulled a lever, drained the fryer well into the reservoir and proceeded to scrub the empty well. Then you closed the lever and proceeded to refill the well from the reservoir. On this particular night we had a very eager new employee that wanted to show he was willing to go above and beyond. He was striving to show that not only would he do anything, but he would do it quicker than anyone else. His chore: clean the fryer wells. He had been taught and executed the first well perfectly. He pulled the lever and the oil began draining. He then went to the next well, pulled that lever and then the next well. That's right, he drained three wells into a reservoir meant to hold ONE! What happened next was we found the entire back side of the kitchen covered in 1-2 inches of used fryer oil. It was EVERYWHERE. That night, we cleaned for at least 4-5 hours to try and contain the spill, remove the residue, and restore the kitchen to its original state. For weeks we found remnants of oil from one end of the store to the other. I don't know that it was every completely contained and cleaned up.
That story came to mind today as I was reading a devotion that focused on God's omnipresence. The author recounts the story of Moses and his interaction with God in the burning bush. Moses wasn't seeking God to worship Him, or to talk with Him, he was going about his day. Where God was, I would imagine, was the last thing on Moses's mind. For nearly 40 years, his days had been the same, mundane almost. Had God not showed up in the burning bush, He may not have gotten his attention because he wasn't being sought after. The point is that we need to recognize that God is everywhere. He is everywhere at one time, always. This attribute, when understood, will produce in us a constant worship. Just like the oil finding its way into every nook and cranny of that building, so should God be able to have access and be in every part of my being. When I focus on God and find Him in all the details of my life, I will be more likely to remember who He is and how He deserves my constant worship; not because of what He has done for me today, but simply because HE IS.
Lord, thank you for how You are always there. You never leave me. Just as the Psalmist said, "where can I go that you are not there?" The answer is nowhere. I pray that I will keep my heart open throughout the day and focused on You. I pray that your spirit will encourage me in all areas of my life today. Thank you for How you love me and I pray that I give you the reverence and worship that you deserve. – Amen.
Reading Today: Psalm 139:7-12
Take a breath and…Jump
I came across a great video clip today of popular tv show host – Steve Harvey as he gave an impromptu motivational speech to his audience before an episode taping. The clip was titled Jump. Steve does a great job of laying out the fact that no one that is great got there without being willing to take a leap of faith. Maybe it was faith that their business idea would be a success. Maybe it was faith that if they made a large investment it would pay off. Maybe it was faith that if they got the courage to ask the girl out, she would say yes.
He used an illustration of walking to a cliff and looking out to see other people soaring by – flying. They are going from one success to another, and enjoying life's moments all because they weren't afraid to make the initial jump. About half way into the clip, Steve made reference to the word of God and to a very well known principal – gifts. Steve shared with the audience, in that moment, that we are all gifted when we are created. (Props to Steve for using his position on that stage to share that we are created beings, with a father in Heaven that loves us). [pullquote align="right" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]"You can not simply exist in this life"[/pullquote]God doesn't create anyone without gifting them, he would go on to say. Now, he didn't dive into spiritual gifts, but instead insisted that we all have a purpose. A talent, or ability that makes us unique and allows us to have success or fulfillment in this life. But that gift was like the parachute on your back, as you stand on the edge of the cliff. If you don't jump, you can't open your chute, and if you don't open it, your gift stays tucked away on your back and is never used for God's intended purpose.
So what are gifts that our Heavenly father gives us? 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work." Grace is never-ending from our Father. He freely gives it to us, as much as we need. God only requires that we are ready to receive that grace by having faith, humility and sincere love. The most important gift is the gift of salvation. That grace which is extended to each of us as God's creation ultimately leads us to salvation through Jesus Christ. In that salvation we have a savior that will save us from everything we face. This doesn't mean we won't face things, but he'll bring us through it and never leave us to handle it on our own. The greatest gift is an eternal relationship with the one that created us. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that he is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God through him. There is no one that is "incapable of being saved" and that Nothing can withstand or thwart His prayers for those who walk in covenant with him. Nothing beats Jesus.
So what do we have to do to receive these gifts, to really understand our purpose to realize our gifts, to be fulfilled in this life? Jump. Jump when God knocks on your heart's door and asks to come in and dwell with you forever. Jump when God challenges you to move in a certain way, or to be used according to his purpose. Jump when you are standing on the edge of that cliff and trust that God will open your parachute and reveal His glory in your life.
Father, today I thank you that you gave me the courage to jump and I thank you that you are the wind that fills my parachute and that you continue to help me open that up and continue to love me and extend your precious grace to me when I fail. Help me to always trust you and jump when you show me the opportunity. In Christ I pray, Amen.
Run the race
I finally did it. My first race since being a senior in high school…nearly 20 years ago! To be honest, I was a little nervous. Not because I had anything major riding on the line, but because I finally put myself out there in front of others. We lined up at the starting line, I rested my hand on my watch button, and…we were off. Pacing. That was the name of my game. I wanted to find a comfortable pace that I could run consistently. My goal…8 minute miles. The course was pretty easy. Not too hilly, and it was a 5K, so the distance wasn't that big of a deal. Yet my heart beat faster than normal, my breathing was more prominent, I was pushing it a little harder. I hit the 1/2 way mark, glanced at my watch and it read around 12 minutes. I was on pace to meet my goal. After running a couple more hills than I remembered, I could see the home stretch. That's when I heard the pounding of feet behind me. I was being overtaken. I was at the end of my ability that day. I didn't have anything left in the tank to race this competitor. As he ran past me, I resolved that 8th place wasn't that bad, 7th was looking good, but I could live with 8th. But deep down inside, I wanted my position back. I kept my eyes forward, kept my pace steady and then opportunity struck. He let up about 10 feet shy of the finish line. I seized the opportunity and surged forward, not knowing if I could beat him to the line, but with all I had left, I crossed the line one step ahead of him. 7th place. It was mine again. The reward was sweet, I felt accomplished. Not only did I finish the race, but I had met my goal of time, and in the end, I dug deep and found a way to pull out one more place.
[pullquote align="left" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.[/pullquote]Life, especially the christian life, is a lot like that race. In fact, the bible makes mention of racing in several passages. 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith". Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." 1 Corinthians 9:24 "Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." The idea behind these passages is about perseverance and determination. Not to win a prize in the earthly perspective, but to stay true to God's word, keep our eyes on Him and strive each day to live for His glory, winning the battle against Satan and reaching every single person on this earth with the gospel message. This will lead to the ultimate prize in Heaven. Hebrews 12:1-3 says it best, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scoring its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
While it was great to accomplish my goal in that 5K race, It was a beautiful reminder of the ultimate race I am running daily and how the same determination to be steady, bold and unafraid will help me run and finish a strong race.
Lord, may my life today be a reflection of the race you have called me to run. May you word be hidden in my heart and may I be bold and determined to run for you with the goal of sharing your message of grace and of hope.
True and Proper Worship
This mornings devotion was based on a very familiar verse of scripture. One of my favorites. Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship…" I read it, almost closed it down, then followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit to re-read it a few more times. In times past, I think I have always focused on being the living sacrifice. That's what that verse really spoke to me about. Denying myself, giving my all to God, getting to the end of the day – reflecting and asking God to forgive me for falling so short. But why? Why should I try day in and day out to deny myself and to present my body, mind and soul as a living sacrifice. Simple. Because this is my true and proper worship. It's not about what I say, but how I live. God isn't interested in what I bring to the table with my mouth, He delights in how I serve him when I'm alone, and how I serve him when I am taking the kids to school. He is focused on how I serve him when things don't go my way, or the day seems ruined by this or that. Am I being a living sacrifice? Am I consciously striving to live every moment in a way that is pleasing to the Lord? Is my focus, each morning, to bring true and proper worship to my Father in Heaven? It should be.
The scripture continues talking about how we are not to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. This idea of stepping out in faith to live by God's standard and not my own highlights the importance of denying myself and my thoughts, plans and desires so that I can better see God's plan for my life. The last part speaks about how this renewing of the mind transformation will allow you to test and approve God's will. God has a plan – a perfect plan. Our job is to wait on his timing and continually be ready, physically and spiritually to act when he makes it clear what that plan is.
Lord, today, may I step out in faith. May I be patient and loving, and may I focus on your plan for my life. Your perfect will and not try to spin things just to fit my small view. Your ways are perfect and are all that I need. Amen.


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Searchbetter.com Removal Tips
Searchbetter.com is a browser hijacker that may look like a reliable tool, but in fact it is not. The application provides you with quick access links to popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, eBay and so on. Searchbetter.com changes your browser settings without your permission.
It works on all browsers which means that no matter which web browser you have installed, it will be affected. The main page of the application may seem trustworthy, but we do not recommend using the search engine provided on it. What we do recommend is that you terminate Searchbetter.com as soon as you can.
Download Removal Toolto remove Searchbetter.com
How does Searchbetter.com work?
Searchbetter.com acts in a similar way to other Snap.do browser hijackers like Shopping Helper or Linkury Smartbar. It also enters your system bundled with freeware, usually via Installcore download managers and does not get noticed until it is already too late. Searchbetter.com has been linked to Sweet Page, CouponDownloader and Deal Keeper, which means that there is a high possibility that one of these potentially unwanted applications has also gained access to your PC. If you want to avoid similar situations in the future, you need to pay more attention to what you install on your computer and overview all information presented in the installation wizard.
Once the hijacker gets installed, it replaces your home page and default search engine with Searchbetter.com. Not only are you forced to see this page every time you open your browser, but you also have to use the unreliable engine that provides you with altered results containing various ads and sponsored links. Even though it claims to present you with results by Yahoo Search, you should not believe it. The program is more than capable of exposing you to corrupted links and ads that can lead you to malware harboring websites. If you wish to keep your PC safe and protected, you should delete Searchbetter.com.
How to remove Searchbetter.com?
Terminating Searchbetter.com is not an easy process. You need to uninstall Searchbetter.com related program, reset your browsers and check your Target line. If your Target line has been modified you will have to fix it. Below we have prepared full manual Searchbetter.com removal instructions. However, if you do not feel like you have enough competence to complete these tasks or if you simply want to improve your cyber security level, you should download a malware prevention and removal tool. The program will remove Searchbetter.com and other infections from your PC and make sure that it stays clean and secure in the future.
Searchbetter.com Removal
I. Delete Searchbetter.com
Windows 8/7 & Vista
• Right-click the bottom left corner/Click on Start
• Open Control Panel -> Uninstall a program
• Choose the unwanted application and click Uninstall
Windows XP
• Click Start -> Control Panel
• Pick Add or remove programs
• Choose the unwanted software
• Click Remove
II. Eliminate Searchbetter.com from browsers
Reset Internet Explorer
• Alt+T → Internet Options → Advanced tab → Reset → Delete personal settings → Reset → Close
Reset Mozilla Firefox
• Alt+H → Troubleshooting Information → Reset Firefox → Reset Firefox → Finish
Reset Google Chrome
• Alt+F → Settings → Show Advanced Settings → Reset browser settings → Reset
III. Fix your Target line
• Right-click on the browser shortcut
• Click on Properties and then Shortcut
• Check your Target line
• If you see any text after "exe", erase it
• Click OK to save changes


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When you're in need of some serious tire service, call on Wholesale Tire Co. For over 50 years, Wholesale Tire Co has been serving the Shreveport, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne parishes. At Wholesale Tire Co, you will find friendly and fast service at competitive prices. Wholesale Tire Co offers used and new tires on cars, trucks, trailers, farm and industrial with brands like TOYO, KELLY, BRIDGESTONE, GOODYEAR, YOKOHAMA, KUMHO, BFG, GENERAL AND NOW OFFERING CONTINENTAL, FIRESTONE, MASTERCRAFT & COOPER. Wholesale Tire Co also offers brake services and alignments, so you can stay safe on the road. So, come to where the rubber meets the road and where their family meets yours!
Please enter your phone number and click "Send" to receive the listing details by SMS. For numbers outside the US, please enter the country code, for e.g. +91. If you do not receive a message, your phone number might be registered in the Do Not Disturb Registry.
For numbers outside the US please enter the country code.
Please enter your phone number and click "Call" to call the listing owner.
For numbers outside the US please enter the country code.


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Traders at Warewa community, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, have been defrauded by a 'wonder bank' operator, identified as Ngozi Adline.
Ngozi, who hails from Imo State, allegedly swindled traders in the community out of over N2m.
It was gathered that the woman operated under the name, Link M Investment Limited, while two workers, Oluwatoyin Adebayo and Esther Adelanwa, were used to collect money from customers.
It was learnt that her whereabouts had been shrouded in mystery since August 2016 when she fled the neighbourhood with the N2m collected from some residents of the area.
It was gathered that the middle-aged woman had also relocated from her residence in Ibafo, a neighbouring community, while her children were said to be living with her brother in Abuja.
One of the workers, Adebayo, said the fraud was reported at the Warewa Police Station, adding that she and her colleague were under pressure from the angry customers to refund their money.
Edited from Punch


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Addis Ababa HAPCO has several programs that are funded by different donors. The following is a list of AAHAPCO's programs:
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
World Food Program (WFP)
Ethiopia Multi-Sectoral HIV/AIDS Project (EMSAP)
Global Fund
Projects of different implementers that meet the areas of HIV/AIDS intervention that have been defined at the national level are supported. These so-called intervention areas are:
- Behavior Change Communication (BCC)
- Condom Promotion and Distribution
- Blood Safety
- Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT)
- Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)
- Universal Precautions and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)
- Care, Support and Treatment
- Legal and Human Rights
- Surveillance and Research
- Mainstreaming
- Capacity Building


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During the first half of 2013 in Tatarstan alcohol poisoned 11 children - CPS
Over 10 years Management Rospotrebnadzor RT monitors acute alcohol poisoning. "In recent years there has been a decrease in the number of acute alcohol poisoning, - said the head of Rospotrebnadzor RT Marina Patatina during a briefing held at the RT Cabinet. In 2012 such cases were 1137. As for mortality, it remains high.In Tatarstan is relatively favorable situation. The most unfavorable regions for this indicator are currently Chuvash and Udmurt Republic."For five months of the current year was recorded 602 cases of acute alcoholic poisoning, announced the available data Patatina. For the same period last year recorded 530 cases. The largest number of poisoning recorded in balinska, Chistopol, Menzelinsk, Zelenodolsk, Mamadysh, Bugulma, Tukai areas of the Republic of Tatarstan and Kazan.Speaking about the age structure, it is worth noting that 50 percent or more poisoned are unemployed, 30 percent were employed, 13 percent are pensioners and about 5 percent of students and schoolchildren. By the way, men make up the vast majority. Causes alcohol poisoning Marina Patatina called unspecified alcohols, ethanol, alcohol substitutes and methanol.Next Patatina drew attention to the situation of alcohol poisoning among children and adolescents. Such cases are treated as emergencies. "Every year in Tatarstan logged more than fifty of alcohol poisoning among children and adolescent population, she said. This year among the poisoned alcohol 11 children under the age of 14 years (5 cases in Naberezhnye Chelny, 2 cases in Kazan and on one occasion in Elabuga, Zelenodolsk, Kukmor and Chistopol).In the structure of child and adolescent poisoning prevails ethanol (6 cases among children and 1 case among adolescents), other unspecified alcohols - 3 children and 3 teenage cases also have been reported on one case of poisoning children antifreeze and other alcohol substitutes.As for mortality from alcohol poisoning, according to the Marina Patassini, for five months of the current year for this reason died 118 people, among which, fortunately, no children.


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Anheuser-Busch makes push into Latino market
ST. LOUIS Anheuser-Busch's latest marketing push is geared toward Latinos because of their growing number, expanded buying power and evolving tastes.
By chasing after Spanish-speaking drinkers, big brewers like Anheuser-Busch are benefiting from the Latino culture among non-Hispanic drinkers, as well.
"This [Latino] market is not a niche anymore—it's a mainstream market," said Ines Rodriguez-Gutzmer, Atlanta-based senior vice president at Ketchum, an international public relations and marketing agency. "Do you like Shakira? Do you eat tacos? The influence of Hispanic culture is everywhere."
Anheuser-Busch is planning a 25 percent spending increase this year in Spanish-language advertising. Spending on such national outlets as Telemundo will increase 45 percent. Much of the "air cover" will push Bud Light and Budweiser, the company's No. 1 and No. 2 beers in the United States. Additionally, the company last year launched an extension to the Bud family to appeal to Latino drinkers. The premixed tomato cocktail, Chelada, is aimed primarily at Mexican-American drinkers, many of whom already were mixing similar cocktails.
Anheuser-Busch expects its broad advertising campaign casting Budweiser as the "Great American Lager" will resonate with Latino aspirers itching to upgrade their beer selections. "Contrary to a lot of people's thoughts, Budweiser can grow," said Dave Peacock, vice president of marketing at Anheuser-Busch's U.S. beer division.
Frito-Lay's snack production goes green
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. Frito-Lay's parent company, PepsiCo, is attempting to get its Casa Grande plant, used in the production of Doritos and Lay's potato chips, to generate its own power and recycle water at the facility, a step toward "green" snack production.
"Our ultimate goal will be to get the plant off the water, natural gas and electricity grid … Creating a 'net-zero' environmental impact," said Al Halvorsen, the energy and utilities manager for Frito-Lay.
Though company officials don't have a cost estimate yet, they say the expense will be justified in what they learn about conservation. Though the company may not build another net-zero plant, they plan to take what they learn at the Casa Grande plant and apply that knowledge to its 37 other facilities in North America. Currently, the Arizona plant reuses its water to grow feed crops on some of its surrounding acreage.
To further conservation efforts, the plant will install a water-cleaning system that will allow it to reuse most of its industrial water to wash vegetables, a solar-power project is planned and the plant will incorporate a biomass-burning energy generator. Details as to whether Arizona Public Service or Frito-Lay will run the power facilities still are being worked out, according to Halvorsen. The final plan for the plant will be submitted to PepsiCo in March, with a "net-zero" operation expected to start running in 2010. The effort will add some marketing mileage for the company—the plant will add SunChips to its lines, providing a good tie-in for its solar project.
Some of the company's other plants currently employ some efforts to save energy, including a Texas plant that burns landfill gas to heat its boiler and one in Connecticut that recaptures some of its heat to make steam. The company's largest distribution center in the country, located near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, recently added a solar-power system. Dedicated to conservation since 1999, the company also is developing hybrid delivery vehicles.
Kellogg introduces weight-conscious Special K variety
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. Breakfast cereal manufacturer Kellogg Co. has developed the new Special K Cinnamon Pecan cereal to help consumers better control their weight.
The company on Wednesday stated that this latest offering from Special K is a combination of light and crunchy cinnamon-flavored flakes mixed with real pecans that provides great taste while helping people manage their weight.
According to Jennifer Garrett, director of nutrition marketing at Kellogg, Special K Cinnamon Pecan "reinforces the brand's commitment to providing weight managers with great-tasting foods that help them meet their goals without the feeling of sacrifice."


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By Kelsey Misbrener Auric Solar, a provider of residential and commercial solar power in the western United States, announced the opening of its new office in Oregon.
The expansion comes at a critical time for the solar industry in the Pacific Northwest. The Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association recently announced an ambitious goal to power more than 500,000 homes by solar across Oregon by 2027. The state currently only has 30,000 solar powered homes.
"Being an integral part of a community working toward a future powered by renewable energy is important to us at Auric Solar," CEO Jess Phillips said. "We want to do everything
Read Full Article Here
For more great articles: Solar Power World
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Company: Travelocity, Southlake, Texas
Entry Submitted By: Vollmer Public Relations
Company Description: Travelocity is committed to being the traveler's champion and provides the most comprehensive and proactive guarantee in the industry. This customer-driven focus has made Travelocity one of the largest travel companies in the world with annual gross bookings of more than US $10 billion. Travelocity is owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation.
Nomination Category: Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Lifetime Achievement Award
Nomination Title: Michelle Peluso, President / CEO of Travelocity
1. Describe for the judges the nominated individual's lifetime of accomplishments (up to 500 words):
• Oversaw and managed Travelocity's continued growth in gross travel,
revenue and operating
o 2005 – Gross travel booked, $7.4B; revenue $830M; op income $27M
o 2006 – Gross travel booked, $10.1B; revenue $1.1B; op income $73M
• Over the last years, Peluso has led Travelocity's emergence as a
global travel brand, beginning in Europe with the acquisition and integration of
lastminute.com in May 2005, followed by the buyout of ZUJI in Asia-Pacific in
• Travelocity went from a company of 2,000 employees primarily in North
America to a team of 5,000 worldwide. Michelle now manages a nearly 24/7 global
• In 2007, Peluso led the introduction of the Travelocity brand in India and
Mexico, and recently was involved in the build-out of the company's newest
dreaming and planning tool, ExperienceFinder.
• During trips to London, Singapore and Sydney to get to know her new
teams, Michelle assured the North America business stayed on track as
Travelocity launched ambitious customer-centric programs aimed at differentiating
itself in a competitive space.
• These initiatives, under an umbrella the company refers to
as "Customer Championship," include the Travelocity Guarantee, the Customer Bill
of Rights, the VIP loyalty program, and a new dreaming and planning travel tool
still in BETA known as ExperienceFinder. Travelocity was awarded the 2008 1to1
Impact Award for the Customer Championship program and it's Proactive Problem
Prevention Initiative.
• Michelle helped Travelocity become the first online travel company to
address global warming through its GoZero program in August 2006, an initiative
that has now been emulated by all other online sites. As a result, approximately
8,200 trees are in the process of being planted in the Bogue Chitto National
Wildlife Refuge, which is north of New Orleans. Through their efforts with The
Conservation Fund, Travelocity has planted over 18,000 trees in wildlife refuges in
Louisiana, Texas and Kansas that will offset millions of pounds of carbon over
their lifetime.
• Additionally, she launched Change Ambassadors in September 2006 -
a program encouraging travelers to volunteer on trips ("voluntourism").
has teamed up with top volunteer organizations in the country to provide easy-to-
access information about volunteer vacations on Travelocity.com.
• Key components of the Change Ambassadors program are consumer
and employee grants that will be awarded to people who wish to help others
through volunteering, but do not have the financial means to take a volunteer
vacation. The company awards two $5,000 grants per quarter to customers and
one $5,000 grant per quarter to employees.
• Michelle played a key role in Sabre Holdings transition from a publicly
traded company into the world of private equity in late 2006.
• She continues to serve on the boards of Technoserve, which provides
business advice and access to both markets and capital to businesspeople in
developing countries, and Christa House, a not-for-profit home for the dying poor,
particularly those at end-stage AIDS located in West Babylon, New York. She is
also on the North America Board for Pembroke College, Oxford University.
2. List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your entry. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:
The Dallas Morning News -
USA Today - http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/industry/2008-07-10-women-ceos_N.htm
ForbesLife Executive Woman -
BusinessWeek Online –
06/13/08 http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2008/sb20080612_884694.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+small+business+stories
The New York Times -
Providence Journal - http://www.projo.com/travel/content/bz_peluso14_03-14-08_319CCA7_v17.2a35247.html
Fortune -
BusinessWeek Online -
Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/28/AR2007092801722_pf.html
BusinessWeek Online -
New York Times - http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/business/09ecom.htmlD Magazine - http://www.dmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=7155F7796F354F21B1183937D847D6DF&tier=4&id=0A2E97D7CF7445D6AEC549EE9F04276A
Investor's Business Daily – http://www.vollmerpr.com/michelle03/007
3. Provide a brief biography of the nominated individual (up to 100 words):
Peluso became president and CEO of Travelocity in December 2003. Prior,
Peluso served as Travelocity's COO and senior VP of product strategy and
distribution. Tapped as an executive to watch by Forbes and The Wall Street
Journal, Peluso has been featured in several "40 under 40" lists, including Crain's
list in 2008, and was named a 2008 Young Global Leader by the World Economic
Forum. She received her master's degree in economics, philosophy and politics
from Pembroke College at Oxford University where she was a Thoroun Scholar,
and her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of


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Health food may be good for the conscience but Oreos taste a hell of a lot better.
— Robert Redford
[#Beginning of Shooting Data Section]
Nikon CoolPix885
2003/07/17 14:18:50
JPEG (8-bit) Normal
Image Size: 2048 x 1536
ConverterLens: None
Focal Length: 10.1mm
Exposure Mode: Programmed Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/55.2 sec - f/3.1
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: Auto
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-C
Tone Comp: Auto
Flash Sync Mode: Front Curtain
Electric Zoom Ratio: 1.00
Saturation comp: 0
Sharpening: Auto
Noise Reduction: OFF
[#End of Shooting Data Section]


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Burst Pipes
Whether washing dishes or taking a shower, drains
and pipes are an integral part of your home's operating system, and a burst pipe is no laughing matter.
Water pouring from a pipe that has dramatically ruptured is one of the more serious problems a homeowner can face. They can cause a great deal of water damage and may result in the plumbing system being completely
unusable, as well as doing serious damage to your
wallet in the form of a high water bill.
In the event this occurs, professional plumbing services are critical. At Dial Up, we offer full burst pipe repair solutions for customers in Sydney. When you have us on your side, you can rest easy knowing that the problem will be solved rapidly and efficiently.
So if you suddenly find gallons of water pouring into your living room, call us immediately. Use our online sales and
coupons to save money on your services too!
Leaky Water Metre, Walls & Roofs
Leaks show up in a variety of places. We can fix all your leaks, indoor and outdoor.
Burst Pipe
A burst pipe is a major problem. But we're here for any plumbing emergencies, 24/7.
Critical Leaks & Damage
Preventive maintenance of your pipes can help you avoid structural damage from burst pipes.


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Land and Climate
The ethnic and linguistic character of the people of Congo is highly diverse and complex. The boundaries of the country actually divide numerous ethnic groups. In addition to living in Congo, for example, the Kongo people live in Congo (Brazzaville) and Angola, the Zande in South Sudan, the Chokwe in Angola, the Bemba in Zambia, and the Alur in Uganda. More than 200 different languages are spoken in Congo. The majority of the people…


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Proving SinceritySubmitted by theshovel
I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 2 Corinthians 8:8
Ever had to jump start a car? Put it in 2nd, pedal down, get it rolling, pop the clutch, and vroooom!! Hopefully. :) It may be a poor illustration, but Paul had observed these believers stalled out as if on the side of the road and yet still playing behind the wheel as if running smoothly.
Hey, when dealing with verses from 1st or 2nd Corinthians, it's pretty important to tie it all together in order to get the big picture, otherwise you end up trying to apply disjointed concepts to totally unrelated areas of your life, all the while thinking that by using Bible verses it MUST be what God wants you to know.
But the Corinthians had been sidetracked from the simplicity of Christ.
For I want you to know what a great struggle I have on your behalf Colossians 2:1
This is what Paul told the Colossians, and it best sums up his dealings with the Corinthians (see 2 Corinthians 10-13) for he was up against some powerful forces who desired to keep them floundering while at the same time causing them to question the reality of Christ among themselves.
Suffice it to say that the Corinthians were caught up in all kinds of insanity at the time. We should be able to relate. For more insight on the Corinthians' frame of mind check out:
A year before Paul wrote this letter, the Corinthians had been the very first to offer some monetary assistance to the devastated believers in Jerusalem. Pretty impressive, huh? Now, in terms of physical well-being, the Corinthians were much better off than the Macedonians, who had little to give, but somehow gave way beyond their means. It was to this surprising outcome that Paul wrote,
and this, NOT as we had expected, but they first gave THEMSELVES 2 Corinthians 8:5
But the Corinthians hadn't made good on their offer.
The question is: What is it that stirred these less fortunate to give beyond their abilities when those who had more sat on their offer?
I am not speaking this as a command... 2 Corinthians 8:8
Paul was not demanding they pay up. No, he brought up the motivation within the Macedonians that drove them to give beyond their means in order to PROVE to the Corinthians that this same genuineness was also in THEM. Here's the point: the same thing that caused the Corinthians to live after the manner of the world's wisdom is the exact same thing that kept them from acting upon their original genuine offer.
See that word "sincerity"? It means anything but the ATTEMPT to come across as being real, but instead it means: True, genuine, sincere, legitimately born. Paul uses it to get behind the bogus superficial boasts.
You see, the Corinthians had forgotten WHO THEY WERE, and it showed in every single area of their existence. In the same way Paul asked the Galatians...
Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? Galatians 3:2
...he now tells the Corinthians that he is going to prove to them the in-born legitimacy of the love that is in them.
And I will continue with this in the next Shoveletter! :)
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 2 Corinthians 8:1-12