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Advice, information, and resources for 1040 tax professionals from 45 year veteran Robert D Flach
Monday, November 7, 2011
3 comments:
All fired up to add to your list and now at the end I find you and I are of like mind.ReplyDelete
Although I would disagree with the SS income. This should remain leveled as a lot of SS recipients don't get receive much and truly would be more desolate by the burden of losing 15% to our crooked government.
USA – "Universal Savings Account". This is a great idea.
A fair tax solution would need to take COLA into effect/thought by geography. Currently like you mention it does not. I don't believe it would be that hard to solve this as this country is divided really well geographically. Our US Postal code Zip code does this for us. The idea of using homeowners' mortgage interest is decent enough, but I fear is not a plausible solution. The amount of one's house payment is the same, month after month, generally, yet on a fifteen year loan, the interest paid reduces considerably year to year. Thus in your proposed plan would raise the taxpayers AGI, (I am assuming that your "acquisition debt" mortgage interest paid on a residence, is above the line.
The one thing I would rid ourselves of is the financial assistance program our tax code offers those who have nothing better to do with their time then have babies. EIC is a good program but we need to get our children out of the equation and make it more of a program that helps low-income taxpayers. If not do away with it all together.
I like the new Blog Robert, I hope you can continue it.
Foreign Earned Income Credit or Foreign Tax Credit. People working outside the US shouldn't have to pay taxes twice to two different governments on the same income.ReplyDelete
As to Bruce's comment about EITC, NO REFUNDABLE CREDITS!ReplyDelete
Seriously. No refundable credits of any kind to anyone. No getting back more than you paid in. It's an invitation to fraud. If Congress wants to give money to people they can find another mechanism than the income tax return.


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There are presently two ways to automatic logon solutions for Microsoft Windows – stored data in system registry or local security authority storage. These two methods are highly insecure since it is very easy for anyone to steal password and logon data. Softros Systems, Inc. announces LogonExpert, a secure approach to automatic logon. The system stores logon data encrypted with the AES 256 algorithm. It directly interacts with WinLogon to ensure no other application can intercept the logon data. Some of the other features also include Windows auto login with no human interaction, multi-user login with command line, locking computer after logon, user rights control, windows safe mode support, etc.
Find out more by visiting the website at www.logonexpert.com
"Our system provides secured logon to ensure that users and businesses don't fall victim to fraud or stolen identity. Longon expert is all about security. We spend a lot of time and resources studying ways fraudsters may attack a system and then build a counter system that can stop them right on the spot," said a representative of Softros Systems, Inc.
Logon expert guarantees total security for Windows users, eliminating all the problems associated with current automatic logon solutions. Some of the cool features the system offer includes the Windows autologon with no human interaction, that makes the system easy to configure, stable and reliable. It also contains secured automatic logon which is an AES 256 encryption algorithm that protects logon data and offers direct interaction with WinLogon to secure computer while it's logging in. LogonExpert can also be configured to automatically log a specified user back on each time any user of the computer logs off, and there is user rights control, an administrator which can allow or deny limited users the ability to configure Windows Auto logon. Logon expert also comes with optional autologon interruption, ability to keep computer unlocked and windows safe mode support.
"Longon expert is the ideal solution for windows logon, especially for small businesses. I had it installed about a few years ago, and since then, we haven't dealt with any issues regarding security breaches. It is easy to use, very flexible and supports all Windows versions," said Hilary B, a consumer.
About Softros Systems, Inc.
Softros Systems, Inc. is a company that develops security system to help protect users from security attacks. The company's logon expert program is excellent for security on Windows system and works with all types of windows version.
For more information, please contact +1 (424) 999-1693, email@example.com or visit www.logonexpert.com
Media Contact
Company Name: Softros Systems, Inc.
Contact Person: Support
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1 (424) 999-1693
Country: United States
Website: https://www.logonexpert.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Law Firms Race To Get on Top of Data Breach AvalancheJanuary 31, 2014 – In The News
Scott L. Vernick was quoted in the Law360 article, "Law Firms Race To Get on Top of Data Breach Avalanche." Full text can be found in the January 31, 2014, issue, but a synopsis is noted below.
Following a string of high-profile data breaches at big name companies, data breach services have been in high demand, and privacy attorneys are expanding their services to include everything from apps to 24-hour hotlines to accommodate the increased demand.
Fox Rothschild recently released Data Breach 411, an app designed to guide companies through the various state laws regarding actions and notification following a data breach.
"Law firms can come up with hotlines and guides and apps to help clients respond to data breaches, but in the end, those measures just supplement good lawyering by taking some stress out of the process," said Scott L. Vernick, a noted authority on privacy and Fox partner who was instrumental in the development of the app.


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New post on the TimeForce 10 blog.
TimeForce 10: C Life: Attack on C Branch Laboratory
The Secret Adventures of the Amazing TimeForce 10 from the Celestial Intervention Agency (CIA).
CIA HQ: Extropia with offices in 1967 London and 19th Century Caledon.
Front Group: Celestial Bodies Modeling Agency.
Our mission: Keeping Earth safe from Super-Villains, Rogue Agents, Malevolent Extraterrestrials, Temporal Anomalies, and Bureaucratic Red-Tape.
TimeForce 10


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Single Family Homes Design Ideas
Decorating your single family home could be an exciting things to do. If your home building process already finishes, then you could starts to decorate your home from an outdoor element such as landscape, garden, ponds, pool, terrace and much more. Some of this single family home picture might could help in decorating your outdoor space to connect it with your indoor living space as this simple arches root house implemented those elements by planned walkways and flowerbeds creates great transition between the nature and the interior space.
If you are out of ideas in decorating your outdoor garden, you could try to find and add some natural materials and applied to your both interior such as fireplaces, staircases, wall etc and exterior to make your home feels more comfortable and has a natural atmosphere inside and out. These single family decoration idea's first level consists of living area and service rooms. The second floor is a private part of the house with three bedrooms. There is also a garage near the house which is done in the same style.


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This is my blog, A Green and Rosie Life, which is all about helping you live life that bit greener without having to build an off-grid log cabin in the woods or knit your own nettle fibre undies! It's about helping you make simple changes that together will make a big difference to our beautiful world and make it a better place for our children. If you have arrived here expecting Eco-Gites of Lenault please scroll down and click on the gite picture in the sidebar.
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Silent Sunday - July 27th 2014
20 comments :
Beautiful Rosie - great capture :-)ReplyDelete
Gorgeous. I really want to photograph some now :)ReplyDelete
You have managed to capture summer in one picture. Beautiful.ReplyDelete
Got a 4 year old here - no such thing as a silent Sunday! Off to the beach! JinaReplyDelete
Lovely Rosie! I love that the bug and the butterfly are sharing lol!ReplyDelete
Beautiful! So hard to capture a photo of a butterfly.ReplyDelete
Lovely, the back ground colour is unusual and very pretty too.ReplyDeleteReplies
The background is our play area/boules pitch.Delete
Lovely photgraphy!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous27 July 2014 at 11:27
Gorgeous shot! I could quite happily look at that all day xReplyDelete
What a stunning image!ReplyDelete
What a great picture! It looks like it should be a stamp or something, lol!ReplyDelete
Such a beautiful photo!ReplyDelete
so beautiful xReplyDelete
Beautiful picture, I love seeing the butterflies around the garden x #SilentSundayReplyDelete
What s stunning capture, what amazing detail!ReplyDelete
Beautiful butterfly :)ReplyDelete
Oh wow; such a beautifully captured shot. Out on a walk near your home?ReplyDelete
Lovely capture and beautiful colours.ReplyDelete
this is lovely. gorgeous colours.ReplyDelete
I love receiving comments and I do read every one but if you are simply here to spam me with a link, guess what ... I won't publish it.


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This post is the first of a series on Chobani Yogurt that will continue next week. Those that know me know I am a big fan of the Brand and the Product.
In April of this year Chobani became the number one yogurt in the US. This is not a social media story. This is a product and timing story. They have the finest yogurt (in my opinion) which justifies their premium pricing. Their tag line Nothing But Good is not a load of bull. Read the label. It truly is Nothing But Good. All natural. No chemicals or preservatives. Even the milk is hormone and chemical free. All ingredients are premium high grade stuff. People know this. If you haven't been aware there has been a shortage of product because they can not keep up with demand. Show me a Consumer Food Product that has a shortage? I have never seen this.
Chobani has 60,000 Facebook Fans. Two months ago it was 40,000. So this is a product story not a social media story. I will go into the details next week on what they have done right in their marketing. But I have said over and over no marketing or advertising can make up for a bad product or poor customer service.
This is a fun brand. They have passionate fans and customers including me. If you follow me on Twitter or see my Facebook posts I am very active in supporting them. But this goes deeper. They have created this passion in me beyond the product. Yes I have received free yogurt from participating on Twitter and Facebook in coupons and twice a whole case of 12 sent to me. They give away a lot of Yogurt! They encourage people to engage across many platforms. They support bloggers, chefs/cooking and fitness/nutrition. Their staff is as passionate as their customers. They care about their fans and do many things right.
Look at these fans. These are photos from their Facebook Page
I recommend you follow @Chobani which the very personable Emily Schildt who is Chobani's Communications Manager and thus Community Manager. As well as @ChobaniNicki which is Nicki Briggs MS RD who is their staff nutritionist. Ask her a question she will help you.
And if you want to see their CEO Hamdi Ulukaya interviewed on Bloomberg in April with his truly immigrant to America success story adding to 400 years of such history which is why people outside of America view us so differently here you go:


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Property Location
Prodigy Grand Hotel & Suites Berrini is centrally located in Sao Paulo, walking distance from Shopping Cidade Jardim and close to WTC Golden Hall. This family-friendly hotel is within close proximity of Paulista Equestrian Society and Shopping Vila Olimpia.
Make yourself at home in one of the 182 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars and LCD televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms have rainfall showerheads and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.
Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities
Enjoy recreational amenities such as a health club and an indoor pool. Additional features include complimentary wireless Internet access, a hair salon, and tour/ticket assistance.
Grab a bite at one of the hotel's 2 restaurants, or stay in and take advantage of 24-hour room service.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a business center, a 24-hour front desk, and an elevator (lift).
Are you affiliated with Prodigy Grand Hotel & Suites Berrini? Apply to the Hotel WiFi Connect program to take control of your account, improve your hotel's confidence score and ranking.
© 2013-2016 Hotel WiFi Test Inc.


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Voltaire — To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize
Monday, July 25, 2016
The mayor of a town in one of Mexico's most violent drug corridors was shot to death, the second mayor killed in Mexico in two days
Ambrosio Soto was mayor of a township that includes Ciudad Altamirano, a known haven for drug traffickers in southern Guerrero state. A spokesman for southern Guerrero state said that gunmen blocked a highway just over the state line in neighboring Michoacan state with pickup trucks and opened fire on the mayor's vehicle. The spokesman said that two federal officers serving as Soto's bodyguards were wounded in the attack. Soto had received threats and was under protection from federal police. A local drug gang had reportedly threatened him because he refused to turn over part of the city budget as a protection payment. In recent years, business owners in Ciudad Altamirano say that they've been forced to pay extortion to the Knights Templar drug cartel. The leftist Democratic Revolution Party says that the mayor had taken "special protection measures after he dared to file complaints and complained that the security patrols had abandoned the area." The party said that 75 mayors have been killed in the last decade. Recently, a mayor and four others were shot to death in the town of San Juan Chamula in southern Chiapas state.
Posted by Average Joe at 10:29 AM
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Friday, June 4, 2010
Meet Barney!!!
45 comments:
- KatCollects said...
He is sooooooo sweet! I am so happy that you adopted him, Barney is one lucky dog and I know he will be loved and spoiled. Congratulations to all of you! All your puppies are so cute.
- June 4, 2010 at 12:23 AM
- jen said...
What a precious baby! He is just adorable! Oh and thanks for the Barbie genealogy! I have loved Barbie all my life. My collection is packed away in boxes somewhere around here *sigh* My daughter never liked Barbie she liked Madeline,Sharks, Skate boards, trains, and going fast. I even got her the Barbie train and my size barbie I tried I really did but I ended up playing with them...
I wish you and your new addition well Barney is going to be right at home!
luvs and glitter
- June 4, 2010 at 12:33 AM
- Cynthia K. said...
Ah, Barney is a cutie patootie -was Barney already his name? Yes, I'm sure they will all be buddies in a day or two.
So funny you went there to "just look" - almost impossible to do that, I think - at least for me it would be that way.
I think the Lord blessed Barney and you two today - I'm sure it was meant to be...
Always enjoy seeing what you two are up to - been a follower for several months...
Cynthia K. (Beauty and Blessings)
- June 4, 2010 at 12:34 AM
- Natasha said...
He is so cute. How sweet you are to adopt another dog. I am sure he will be a grateful and loyal friend for the rest of his happy life!
Best wishes for a beautiful weekend,
- June 4, 2010 at 12:51 AM
- Kari said...
Congrats on Barney! He looks exactly like our dog Pixie. She is a Bichon, poodle mix! Betcha Barney is too!:)
- June 4, 2010 at 12:53 AM
- Pearl said...
Wow what a great happy ending! He's a doll.
- June 4, 2010 at 1:32 AM
- Maria Narbon said...
Para vosotros y para Barney!!
Son razas muy sociables, seguro que se adapta perfectamente.
- June 4, 2010 at 1:54 AM
- MISS PEACH ~(^.^)~ said...
How wonderful this trip ended up for all of you!! Thank you for going....welcome Barney!!!!
- June 4, 2010 at 2:03 AM
- Nan said...
Oh how sweet this was meant to be I'm sure. That is one lucky dog to have you pick him up.
- June 4, 2010 at 3:07 AM
Adorable.....They say you should let "them" pick you & it was the same way with our Boyz....
Love at First Sight!!
- June 4, 2010 at 6:09 AM
- Simple Southern Happiness said...
You guys are awesome! This post warms my heart to know you saved this sweet baby. He is adorable, look at that sweet face, I can tell he will be getting loads of hugs and kisses.
- June 4, 2010 at 6:44 AM
- pammyjo said...
Awwhhh! What a wonderful save and Barnie is very lucky, a loving family with brothers. Yeeaahh! What a doll baby!
- June 4, 2010 at 6:47 AM
- barncat said...
The first blog I read this morning, and what a happy story! So glad you were able to give Barney a new home. I'm sure everyone will be very happy together. :)
- June 4, 2010 at 6:55 AM
- Sherry from Alabama said...
What a lucky little fellow to find such a loving home. Barney is just precious.
Sherry @ A Happy Valentine
- June 4, 2010 at 7:31 AM
- Florence and Mary said...
What a cutie!!
Have a great weekend
Victoria xx
- June 4, 2010 at 7:46 AM
- Brynwood Needleworks said...
What a little sweetheart! How wonderful that you were able to bring him into your loving home. I'm sure he's grateful. Have a great weekend.
- June 4, 2010 at 7:46 AM
- Laura Lowe said...
What a bunch of cute doggies! Rescue dogs are the best. We have one, too.
BTW, there's a giveaway at my blog - hope someone will stop by and play!
- June 4, 2010 at 9:03 AM
- Country Cottage Chic said...
He is adorable!
- June 4, 2010 at 9:30 AM
- Meri Wiley said...
Hi Ladies,
God Bless you for getting another shelter dog.....I think it's the only way to go. Every dog I've ever had growing up was from the pound or, most recently our dogs from rescue, and they always turn out to be the best dogs. Congratulations, he's adorable.....can he come visit me for a loooooooooooong while? ;o)
- June 4, 2010 at 10:31 AM
- Lisa said...
A trip that was meant to be. What a lucky doggie he is!
- June 4, 2010 at 10:41 AM
- Holly- Girls At Heart said...
Aw, congratulations to you and to Barney for getting such a wonderful family! ♥
(Rejoice with me, I slept well last night!)
- June 4, 2010 at 12:49 PM
- Bonjade said...
I am stopping by to say: Hi, to this little sweety......
So adorable...
Fine weekend
- June 4, 2010 at 12:50 PM
- heartfelt living said...
awwww...I just love Barney. He is just adorable! I'm glad he found you...he will have a wonderful life!
- June 4, 2010 at 1:36 PM
- craftyles said...
Barney is so adorable, I'm so glad he found a good home and will be loved. He's such a cutie!
- June 4, 2010 at 2:20 PM
- Sandy said...
Oh Twyla!!!! He is a perfect fit!!!!! So cute! Just like your other two! That is called karma....he was meant to be yours....you didn't end up at the shelter for just any old reason! :) Congrats! What a lucky boy is is!!!!!!
- June 4, 2010 at 3:43 PM
- Jill said...
Oh he is SO sweet & just looks like he belongs with your family! He's a lucky boy!
- June 4, 2010 at 6:21 PM
- Shelley said...
He is adorable and does look so much like your other babies.....I had to say goodbye to my little Oscar yesterday.. weenie dog...it was so hard but,for his own good I had to make the choice to have him put down...I will miss him....he was 12 years old and this was his only home...enjoy your new puppy....blessings
- June 4, 2010 at 6:36 PM
- Creative Breathing said...
Twyla and Lindsey, It was meant to be! I think all white curly cogs need to live in your loving home! What a wonderful celebration for your family. Elizabeth
- June 4, 2010 at 7:01 PM
- A Vintage Chic said...
Congrats on your new boy, Twyla! He's adorable and will be so happy with you!
Have a wonderful weekend!
- June 4, 2010 at 7:17 PM
- Dogwood said...
Way too cute and sweet and so precious. Oh, the face and ears and soft fur. You are in for lots of fun.
I am just home from Hawaii and my granddaughter's high school graduation. It was lots of fun.
- June 4, 2010 at 9:34 PM
- Loretta said...
Oh, he is just sooooo cute! Wow; you are brave to own 3 dogs! We have one Jack Russell Terrier which we love to pieces; she is 9 years old. I love the pics of your dogs.
- June 4, 2010 at 10:28 PM
- GARAGE SALE GAL said...
Welcome Barney!!!
He looks happy to be at his new home! Have lots of FUN and sending kisses to Barney!
Deb :)
- June 4, 2010 at 10:40 PM
- Country Dreaming said...
Congratulations on your new addition! He's a cutie.
- June 4, 2010 at 11:48 PM
- Sarita Boyette said...
He is precious! What a cute face! Doesn't it make you feel so good to know that you made another of God's little creatures happy? Glad the other boys are adjusting well, and I love the afghan they are sitting on.
- June 5, 2010 at 1:43 AM
- Jill said...
Congrats on the sweet new addition to your family! Barney looks soooo sweet! I'm a softie for a curly-haired white dog-- if his face was a "puppy-cut" he'd look a lot like my Hagrid!
- June 5, 2010 at 10:48 AM
- leslie said...
OH what a wonderful blog to read! Barney is so lucky to be your fur baby. He is adorable. Beautiful face... soulful expression. Makes you wonder what he has been thru... and why someone didn't love him as he deserves. But he has you now! I wanted to say that I joined TOPS last year... have only taken off 12 lbs. but at least I'm not gaining. I mentioned this because I will be doing a 'program' for a meeting next month and I am going to make all members (around a dozen women) weight-loss wands like you sent me a while back. My discussion will be on exercise and I think the wands will make the meeting fun. Thanks for the wand again... its going to be spread around!
- June 5, 2010 at 6:00 PM
- CC said...
What a sweet,precious furbaby Barney is. He is just adorable with the sweetest little face. Ooooo, thank you for loving him and taking him out of a shelter. Furbabies need love
security and a warm home,just like we do. Barney is lucky that you found him..
- June 5, 2010 at 6:32 PM
- Honey Lamb and I said...
How cute are these doggies!!! Love them:) Shelley
- June 5, 2010 at 9:01 PM
- Olga said...
What a beautiful story. Barney is just adorable.
- June 6, 2010 at 1:29 PM
- Mrs.Kwitty said...
Awwww--congrats on the newest member of your family. I'm sure this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship and little Barney's life just got a whole lot better! Bless you.
Smiles, Karen
- June 6, 2010 at 2:50 PM
- kathy said...
- June 6, 2010 at 7:21 PM
- Shopgirl said...
Barney is adorable! I found myself wondering how he came to be in a shelter, who could have let him go.
But like most things in life,fate took a hand and he has a second chance to be loved...Big Hugs, Mary
- June 7, 2010 at 11:55 AM
- gayle said...
Barney is a cutie. I also wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your blog. It's a very happy place.
- June 7, 2010 at 5:28 PM
- Sally Annie Magundy said...
Oh Twyla, I love this post and Barney! What a cute little guy he is, love his little face so much. Bless you all for having such big and loving hearts.
Happy Monday to you and Woof Woof!
- June 7, 2010 at 5:39 PM
- Emma and Heidi said...
I love Muffin and Spencer they look really cute and sweet togther. I almost fell like I would went to srok them.
- June 21, 2010 at 4:02 PM


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For any travel company running in India today, a travel portal website is one tool and solution to the fast mode tourism business. Tourism business has gone through a diversification in the way to make things more accessible to people from anywhere in the world and also as simple and fast as it could possibly become. Internet never sleeps and so does tourists' locations and voracious people traveling. Then, it seems to be a valid reason that our travel company must seek ways to provide services anytime of the day needed by the travelers. A travel portal website for any travel company makes this and many other things possible to incredible extent of imagination.
For all those people from foreign who want to make a visit to India, they might book flight tickets, car rentals, hotel bookings, and so on. How do you think they can approach your travel company operating in India if you just don't have a travel portal website on the internet? Again, now-a-days there are eclectic companies who can Make Travel Booking Website for your travel company. As doing business online can be critical in operation and functioning at times for huge businesses, one must choose wisely which company to go for in pursuit of a travel website developed for your travel company.
Undoubtedly, among the top companies in providing travel technology software development services is the Axis Softech Website Development for Travel Agency. The company deals with provision of every kind of travel technology software available in the market today. With a travel booking engine developed and integrated on your website, travelers can make hotel bookings at any time of the day for available rooms at any desired location in the country. Foreign visitors likely prefer traveling in car throughout Indian location because it is more comfortable than buses and can be rented easily. Your website can even provide car rental service simply by developing a car rental engine on the website to make it possible.
The same is the case with flight arrangements. There is quite a remarkable number of airways companies established in India. They often differ in quality of services and hence their rates of traveling. Your website can show the flights fares for different airways and help traveler to get flight tickets too on the website itself. It is very much possible with a flight booking engine on the website. Travel companies can expand with many such travel technology softwares online and we hope your travel company will need some.


text: MICHIGAN CITY -- St. Mary the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was the setting for the 2 p.m. Jan. 21 wedding of Rachel Picco and Jason Ransom. They are home in New Carlisle. The bride's parents are Cindy and John Picco of 502 Arbor Court, Middlebury, and the groom's parents are Norma and John Ransom of 1210 Elston St. The bride graduated from Northridge High School, Middlebury, and Bethel College, where she studied nursing, and attended Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. She is a registered nurse for the Leighton Heart and Vascular Unit at Memorial Hospital, South Bend. The groom graduated from the former Elston High School, Loyola University, Chicago, with a bachelor's degree in biology, and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, with a doctor of medicine degree. He is a family practice physician.


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We visited TJ's great aunt and uncle this past Saturday. We haven't been to see them in a year, so this was their first time meeting T.G. We had a great time! Their children and grandchildren live in New York, so they enjoy when we come to visit. My kids love spending time with them, and love being spoiled for the day! Aunt Joan & Uncle Joe live in a beautiful development. There are 7 lakes within the community ranging in size from very small to very large. Along with a pool, clubhouse, playground, and other amenities, there are several beach areas to swim in the various lakes. The boys had a great time swimming and playing in the sand. Along with swimming and playing, they also enjoying tractor rides on the riding mower. Just as we were leaving to go to the beach, it began to rain. Since we were already in our swimsuits, we played in the front yard in the rain. We had a blast! It was a first for the boys, and it's been a while for TJ and me. We played tag in the front yard. It was nice to act like kids and run around like crazy people!
What More Can He Say?
3 years ago


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(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)
The 24 fighters competing at tomorrow's UFC Fight Night 30 event in Manchester, England, will be hitting the scales today at 11 a.m. ET. Check out the action live in the video player above; we'll be updating the results after the jump when it's all over. In the meantime, look at this photo of a middleweight Machida and ask yourself: Is the Dragon about to tear shit up at 185?
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 2, 3 p.m. ET / noon PT)
Lyoto Machida (185) vs. Mark Munoz (186)
Melvin Guillard (156) vs. Ross Pearson (156)
Ryan Jimmo (205) vs. Jimi Manuwa (205)
Norman Parke (155) vs. Jon Tuck (155)
Nicholas Musoke (186) vs. Alessio Sakara (185)
Phil Harris (125) vs. John Lineker (128*)
Piotr Hallmann (155) vs. Al Iaquinta (155)
Luke Barnatt (185) vs. Andrew Craig (186)
Jessica Andrade (135) vs. Rosi Sexton (135)
Cole Miller (146) vs. Andy Ogle (145)
Jimy Hettes (145) vs. Robert Whiteford (145)
Michael Kuiper (185) vs. Brad Scott (186)
*Yup. AGAIN. Lineker decided against cutting any more weight and will hand over 25% of his purse. The fight will now be held at a catchweight.


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Thu, 12 Feb 2009:
Ghazipur, Feb 12 (ANI): Muslims in Ghazipur staged a demonstration against the recently announced al Qaeda's threat to India.
They burnt effigies of Abu al-Yazid and al Qaeda Chief Osama Bin Laden and warned the al Qaeda against threatening India.We are protesting against the terrorists. We have burnt thr effigies.
Whenever they'll make such statements, we will protest against it. We will give a strong reply back to them, " said Gauhar, a protestor.
On Tuesday Al-Qaeda Commander Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, in Afghanistan had warned India of more attacks like the one on Mumbai, and said its economic interests would be targeted if it retaliates against Pakistan.
Ironically, Yazid was declared killed by Pakistan in an army operation in August 2008.
Abu al-Yazid has been referred to as al Qaeda's third most senior figure, after the elimination or capture of five earlier occupants of the number three spot since 2001.
The September 11 Commission described Abu al-Yazid as the network's "chief financial manager". He is an Egyptian and served for sometime in jail with al Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri after the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981.
India has repeatedly said it is keeping all options open despite Pakistan's denials on the Mumbai attacks, raising the possibility of Indian attacks on what it sees as militant targets in Pakistan.


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Nelvana officially announces Beywheelz, Baku-Tech Bakugan suspiciously missing in action
Remember Beywheelz? Well, okay none of you could forget given it was the last thing posted on this site. Anyways, it's basically a filler run of 13 North American exclusive episodes of the Beyblade anime series to fill in an episode order gap due to the third cycle of Beyblade in Japan having a reduced run time. Nelvana has now released their MIPTV (Children's television tradeshow) lineup which finally officially announces the series. They describe it as the following:
BEYBLADE: Metal Fury and BEYWHEELZ – Nelvana Enterprises and d-rights Inc. bring 52 new episodes of this hit anime-style boys action TV series to MIPTV. In part 3 of the BEYBLADE saga (Metal Fury), the world is at a tipping point in the battle between good and the ultimate evil. The key to earth's salvation or destruction lies within 10 meteor stones that empower its masters to fight for their chosen side. Includes the exciting new BEYWHEELZ chapter, which takes place in the futuristic city of Destection where our hero, Sho, is champion of the BEYWHEELZ World Tournament! This peaceful city is home to exciting and challenging battles between friends and allies until suddenly the city is attacked by an evil BEYWHEELZ army called the Dominators.
Interestingly, the description also confirms my suspicions about it being episode order filler. Beywheelz is being sold within the Season 3 episode order for Beyblade Metal Fury. Metal Fight Beyblade 4D (the show of which Beyblade Metal Fury is adapted from) did not feature any Beywheelz storylines, and are moving onto a different Beyblade series next month. The Beywheelz show comes in support to a Hasbro produced Beyblade toyline announced at Toyfair 2012. Rather than a traditional Beyblade battle the toyline sees the users doing stunt tricks using ramps, and more extreme fun. The TV show appears to be self-contained, and is currently being recorded in Toronto. You can see them in the leaked video below:
Nelvana, Hasbro, and Takara Tomy just hosted the second world Beyblade tournament this weekend in Toronto at Corus Quay. Japan took first place, with the USA, and the Philippines being runners up. The event was livestreamed, and you can view recaps here.
Interestingly, Nelvana's MIPTV report neglected to mention Bakugan. The Spin Masters co-pro was the talk of the town for a few years, and managed to get four seasons out of its original series almost entirely due to its success in western nations. Now it seems that has ended. Earlier this year it was revealed that Japanese Bakugan manga Baku-Tech would be receiving a television adaptation. Baku-Tech is entirely unrelated to the previous Bakugan universe. What's bizarre is that Baku-Tech wasn't announced by Nelvana like every sequel series in the first show's history but rather the Japanese. Mechtanium Surge concluded the story of the first series' cast. MS concluded in North America this year. However, Japan appears to not be airing the series as Baku-Tech will being broadcast on April 7 at the 8:45 AM slot. Yes, Baku-Tech is a half episode length series. It'll be in the block of programming the likes of Duel Masters has been in for years. As mentioned before, Nelvana has not mentioned Baku-Tech at all. This leads me to believe Baku-Tech will stay Japan-only, while Mechtanium Surge stays West-only. We'll know for certain once Baku-Tech premieres and we dig around the staff credits, but right now it isn't looking great for Bakugan fans.


text:
Nagaland Contractor and Suppliers Union (NCSU), in a memorandum submitted to Nagaland minister for school education on Wednesday has demanded the tender notice for various GHS (Under RMSA) to be kept in abeyance.NCSU in a memorandum signed by K. L. Setuo Rutsa, vice president, Nagaland Contractor and Suppliers Union and John Kath, general secretary, informed the union had submitted a representation to the director (RMSA) to review the earlier advertisement which was published on May 22, 2011 in a local daily for construction of various (GHS) under RMSA since it had detected many discrepancies on the advertisement, affirming that a single contractor or firm will not be possible to carry out the work as locations were scattered hither and thither. However, the NCSU said the directorate had failed to respond to their request.As such, the NCSU disclosed it was compelled to appraise the minister for school education to intervene into the matter favorably to keep the said tender in abeyance till the matter was settled. The union also requested the minister to deliver justice to everyone by breaking up the tender GHS-wise so as to enable registered contractors to avail the opportunity to participate in the tender."Failing which the union have no way out but to fight for justice for further necessary action" cautioned Nagaland Contractor and Suppliers Union .
Ikato Y Kiho, first Naga to join National School of Drama in New Delhi
I must be the perfect role model: Ikato Y Kiho is the first person from Nagaland to study in the prestigious


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Saturday, March 12, 2011
Friday Faves and Finds
This Friday's Faves and Finds: Wall Art
Wall Art is a must in every home. We surround ourselves by things we find beautiful, inspirational or have some sort of personal meaning to us.
Here are a few pieces I've found on Etsy that I love:
This piece by Jessica Grundy of SoloCosmo on Etsy caught my eye right away
and I think it is just beautiful
This acrylic piece by Devika Keskar of DevikasArt on Etsy
is so vibrant and uplifting, I could envision this in our family room
I've always adored mermaids and anything with an ocean or beachy theme so
I was immediately drawn to this piece by Shelby Leni of GreenBomb on Etsy
And I found some favorites among the nominated artists on last fridays finds which include
Bicycle Poetry by Jennifer Lommers of Jenlo262 on Etsy
Isn't this just lovely!
And a bit of inspiration with this print by Ginger Oliphant of GoingPlaces2 on Etsy
Search Etsy to find Wall Art to brighten up your home and likely your life!Next weeks Friday Finds and Faves will be Fiber Art and Accessories. Feel free to nominate yourself or a favorite here in your comments!
Posted by KilaRohner.com at 10:42 AM
6 comments:
- shannamichele said...
I am on a quest for wall art myself. Got a brand new big ol' house with near bare walls! Thanks for showing some fab artists here for me to go check out!
- Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 10:55:00 AM PST
- shannamichele said...
I forgot to nominate! I love Porterness shop on etsy:
- Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 11:06:00 AM PST
- Devika said...
what fabulous finds! All so different yet beautiful..thanks so much for including my "RADIANCE" piece!
take care..
- Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 11:48:00 AM PST
- shelby said...
Thanks for including me. I love all the art that you have picked too. Bright and cheerful!
- Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 12:24:00 PM PST
- ginny said...
Nice feature Kila! I'm especially attracted to Shelby's mermaid! I'll be back with a suggestion for next week :D
- Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 3:39:00 PM PDT
- ginny said...
I'd like to suggest this fiber artist for your next feature --- amazing work!
- Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 3:15:00 PM PDT
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text:
Greetings All –
Step 220 - I will use restraint today so that greatness may grow within me. (MP3) [Open in Drive or copy to your Drive – Download folder or play from Drive – Step PDF also.]
|I will use restraint today so that greatness may grow within me. Step 220
USE RESTRAINT REGARDING THOSE FACULTIES that you recognize to be harmful or debilitating to the reclamation of Knowledge. Hold yourself back intentionally so that Knowledge may grow within you. This is no limitation that you place upon yourself. Instead, it is the meaningful use of your mind and strength to cultivate an awareness of the Greater Power within you and to allow it to emerge, to guide and to direct you.
IN TODAY'S LESSON, AS IN LESSONS PAST, you are learning to recognize the source of Knowledge and the vehicle of Knowledge and not to confuse the two. Learn restraint today so that Knowledge may grow within you. Do not think that restraint merely refers to past behavior where you limited what was genuine within yourself. No, your focus today is to learn the form of intentional restraint that represents an expression of your power and self-discipline. Your power and self-discipline must now be exercised to become strong, for your mind and body are vehicles of Knowledge, and as vehicles, they must be developed and strengthened.
IN YOUR DEEPER PRACTICES TODAY, as in your hourly practices, restrain those forms of thinking and behavior that betray your Knowledge so that you may enter Knowledge in stillness and in peace. With this restraint, freedom will be discovered, for freedom is found beyond this world and is brought into this world, for freedom is the gift of Knowledge.
PRACTICE 220: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly practice.
Is survival an ambition? Journal entries include a reference to the UFO lawyer, part of understanding this indicator of the Greater Community perspective, and dealing with the people in that area of thought.
From the Journal:
8:08 a.m. Sunday, February 20, 2000
9:32 a.m. Peter Gersten [UFO lawyer] talks today about his view of the world. – My reaction to the phrase "life out there" – is us and earth as Gaia is a cell of Versa – perhaps a name for the entire universe – the Milky Way galaxy – a local region. We are the out there – and we are life [Note: the term Versa today does not have any meaning related to the universe]
10:10 a.m. I called the hospital – no answer.
This/4th/Tuesday – networking news
Tuesday's and SV networking news
– region – a geo-data strategy – regional intelligence, knowledge…
3:50 p.m. Home from Chapel. Sarah had called – I'm getting ready to call her. It was good to join those at TLC my spiritual community. --- I'd listened to NASCAR Daytona – watched the last 15 laps – Dale Jarrett won – good start.
4:40 p.m. Looking for a one person answer to the universe.
– Regional name – Registry
– free→ Region Registry
Name Regions
7:20 p.m. I spoke to Sarah about 6 PM the call went through and they eventually found her – she was with M.E. – she was tired and getting ready to go to sleep. I told her that I love her – I want her to go through treatment so that she would be in charge of Sarah. I said people had lied to her. The people at the hospital were like those at Camp Summit – they were to help. ---
I know the direction of the world is being pushed by its access to information. The public domain element is critical, since so much is being patented, trademarked, made proprietary.
Perhaps time to leave the LO list… I've not gotten much of use lately.
Region finder – the power of information use is driving the growth in value -
So, if you got through this, the messy life. That, after all, is why I'm doing Steps.
On the practical side, now that it is "Back to School" time in the U.S., composition books are on sale for 50 cents to a dollar at many stores.
Time to stock up – have some extras to give to your friends so they can begin to journal.
Journal second time x2 Step 219. This is for those who have completed Steps once. Doing Steps with only the texts, messages and your life experience, including what you may have studied and practiced is your journey. I'm showing Step comments after the Step, so as not to influence you in advance. It is a wilderness trek to be left to your own wits, but then you can also listen more closely for guides, angels and teachers, always first saying: "I surround and protect myself with the Love and the Grace of God." Thankfully, I was taught this practice in 1989.
P.S. If you've some interest due to this or other Steps, you should go to the beginning blog post. From here you will learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense; then progress as needed. You can use the posts on this blog as a companion if it helps. They will remain in order in the archives - one post per Step.
Often it takes 18 months to get through the Steps once. For this blog, the pace is one-a-day, but it really makes no difference how fast you do it, only that you begin, persist and repeat. Posts here provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well through the Free School of the New Message.


text:
Reflections of Refinement
snapshots of the journey to become a mirror of Truth, Grace, Hope, Love and Joy
Saturday, July 26, 2014
The realities of a Hero's Entrance
I'm sure there are people who have been waiting to know what happened to me after my last few posts.
Sorry about that. How about an update?
Ok, here we go.
In short, God came charging in on a while horse with sword swinging and swept me up with Him.
I was rescued.
Horray! Dancing and singing! Hands clapping! Fireworks! Smiles and hugs!
And crazy busy!
Wow. When you read about rescues in stories, it's exciting, then it's over, finished.
But being rescued is a process. You are suddenly swept up and are running at full speed. There's confusion and fatigue and relief.
It's a bit crazy.
So after I wrote my last blog, things started moving for me fairly quickly. In the space of one week I suddenly had 7 different job opportunities presented to me, and interviews and mailing and resume writing and updating. It was crazy. I went to two interviews, and I was offered a job at both places. I was also waiting on word for a High School job that would have had me making more money than I had ever dreamed before. (Yeah, I don't dream about making lots of money apparently... I think I would rather just have money than work for it. Oops, did I just write that?)
There was a lot of lost sleep, and a lot of thinking about my future and trying to figure out where God was directing me. In the end, I accepted a position as a pre-school teacher about an hour and a half from where I live.
I don't regret it at all. It's a good school, with the cutest kids. I have fun smiling and laughing with the kids everyday. It makes a huge difference in my overall attitude. My salary is considerably higher than before, so I'm eating better and I'm able to go out a bit more. The hours are much better, although I have far fewer vacations.
But I still stay busy, (which is the excuse I'm giving for not updating my blog.)
Things are finally settling down, and I'm starting to figure out what I can and cannot do on my new salary. I still have a while to go before I can consider myself in a financially stable situation, but I feel like things are moving in the right direction.
So that's my update for now. I will try to keep posting when I can, but I find I spend much less time on the computer now than I did before. This is probably a good thing though.
Anyway, I would like to thank all those that prayed for me and offered encouraging comments. I really appreciate it!
Monday, March 03, 2014
Residing in Hope
Thursday, February 27, 2014
When does the Hero come?
But here I am. Dusting off my computer and updating a blog I haven't had words for in months.
Are you still there?
I am still here.
For a life line.
I find myself reminding myself of how God likes to work. He likes waiting til the deadline, and then sweeping in with brilliant inspiration. He likes waiting until the darkest moment before releasing his Glory, lighting up the night like fireworks. He likes making the Hero's entrance, and saving the damsel in distress at just the last moment.
It's understandable, and thrilling, and romantic... when you are reading about it in other people's lives.
It's hard when it's your own life.
I totally get Israel. How quick they were to complain. How easy it was to remember only the good of Egypt when they faced new hardship. How soon forgotten the miracles God had worked.
I am certainly a daughter of Israel.
I'm waiting right now.
I'm waiting for February to be over and done with. Every year each February seems worse than the last, and I find myself wondering how much more until I just break and go insane, or just fall apart weeping in my blankets, refusing to come out.
Seems like a curse to me. One I take up and repeatedly pronounce over my own life, allowing it to harm my body and soul.
Lessons learned are soon forgotten.
I'm waiting to learn what my future will look like. Three weeks left before the church English school closes. And only a month and a half before my visa expires. But less than a month of money. Costs of moving and other expenses have bled me dry. Figuring out the best way to stretch 20 bucks a week has become my new creative pastime.
I'm tired. Oh, so tired.
And when the stress and the tiredness pile up, I feel empty inside.
I want to give up. I want to cry out, "why?"
I want to know where God is in all of this.
But I'm afraid to know as well.
I see all my dark and ugly sides laughing at me, taking pleasure in my negativity, hoping to drive a wedge between me and God.
But even though my heart is empty, and my soul is tired, and my body is worn...
I haven't completely forgotten.
If I only try a little, the examples flood back to me.
Abraham. Moses. God rescues Israel from Egypt. He parts the Red Sea. He provides food and water. He removes walls. He wins battles. He gives children to barren women. Jesus looks with compassion on those who are desperate for Him.
I Know. Even if I forget, I Know.
Even if my blessings are different than what I wanted.
Even if prayers and desires of years have still yet to be answered. Even if they never are.
But even in my own life, this is not the first time I have faced being potentially jobless. This is not the first time my visa status has been uncertain. This is not the first time I have been waiting for my needs to be met.
And always He meets them.
If I wait long enough, He will rescue me.
So while everyone around me is pushing me with urgings of "hurry, hurry. do something. search harder." my heart whispers "be still, and Know. I AM God."
So I take up the mantel of Rahab, for I know I have prostituted myself before other Gods, trying to keep myself alive by my own power. Overwhelmed by my debts, I have tried to scrape my way through. But the army has come, and is camped outside the walls. There is once last chance. I can throw myself at the mercy of this great God, who has come to take back His land, or I can perish with the rest of the city. There is no question for me. The only hope lies in this God who has defeated Egypt, parted seas and rained bread from the heavens. This is the only path to life. So now I wait with the red thread hanging out my window. As the army marches around the city. Once. Twice. Seven times. Each day longer than the last.
Waiting. For the walls to come down.
I can't see the future. How was Rahab to know she would be raised from prostitute to wife? How would she know she would be allowed in the lineage of the Savior, the Christ?
But she waited.
And was saved.
Her Lifeline didn't fail her.
And neither shall mine.
I can't see what will happen in three weeks. Will I get a job? Will I like my job? Will I stay in Japan? Will I return to America? Will I be blessed financially? Will I be blessed with time? Will I be healed of sickness? Will I be granted companionship?
I can't see. I can't possibly Know.
But He can. He does.
And as long as I know, I believe, that the Hero will come I can wait. Even in dire circumstances, I do not have to become the Damsel in Distress, fearing the Hero will be too late. No. I can be the Lady in Waiting, so in love with the Hero, that her faith never waivers.
And those are the things I needed to remember. The words I needed to hear.
The treasures I can take to my heart, and rest now with a restored spirit.
Wait.... Just a little bit longer.
It will all be alright.
The Hero always comes at the last minute.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Without love, you are nothing
But yet...
I still feel like it is not enough.
Responsibility, respect and honor make good... rocks. Rocks to build on, rocks to develop...
But they do not make the best of soils.
I may have mentioned this once or twice, but just in case you've missed it... I hail from the proud lands of West Texas. Where the cattle roam, the tumble weeds grow, the wind frolics with the dust, and the skies are not cloudy all day. (I have a sudden urge to teach Home on the Range to my adult classes now.)
Anywho. So as I was saying. Yeah. West Texas. So here's a little fact. My hometown is classified as a semi-arid dessert. We get triple digit summers, thunder storms are our only source of rain, the wind sometimes blows dust so thick it's hard to drive and as a child I believed that grass grew brown. We have more shades of brown than you knew existed. And for as long as I can remember we have either been in a drought, or on the verge of one.
So here's a lesson on the ground in West Texas. It's not terribly great for growing things. Before the droughts were too bad, we did have a large number of cotton farms, but lately all you see are empty fields, half blown away by the wind. We have stunted mesquite trees, and most forms of plant life have thorns or needles or some other desirable trait. (Just a warning, we do not walk around barefoot in West Texas. One it's too hot. Two you'll get poked and pricked too much to get anywhere. Cowboy boots are more than a fashion statement.)
Now, when it rains, the ground get's really excited. It's been waiting for rain for so long. But the problem is, that it suddenly can't cope with all the water. So we will actually get flash floods because the ground becomes saturated too fast and can't take anymore water. The floods don't last for long, because of course we need the water as much as possible. So after a big rain, we get cracked ground. From the stress of becoming overly saturated and then just as quickly absorbing all the water. So the top layer becomes hard and flaky, at least until it's ground back into dust by traffic.
Ok, so I'm sure you are wondering at this point what this has to do with anything. I live in Japan, so I'm sure you are expecting me to talk about Japan. Too bad. This might be the only mention this time around.
The image of the cracked ground has been following me around all day today.
Because it's exactly what my heart looks like.
Cracked and dried, even though there has recently been rain.
The water is already gone. Nothing left but hard, dry ground.
Oh yes. This is exactly what my heart looks like.
Even though I have an abundance of blessings rained upon me, they dry up quickly, leaving me emotionally cracked and dry.
This is the part where I start beating myself up. The self-loathing, self-shaming and self-hatred. Yes, I really am that mean to myself.
So what's missing? Why can't I keep the water?
I have a good steady foundation of respect and responsibility and honor. But I'm not bearing fruit. Why?
"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, ... Some fell on rocky places,... Other seed fell among thorns...Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown"
Hmm. What's this? The quality of my soil is bad?
I see.
I have no nutrients in my soil to give life to plants. I don't have the correct balance of soil composition to hold the water and use it well. I don't have someone tilling and breaking apart the stones and putting in fertalizer.
In other words...
I lack love, and joy, and peace: the things that bring forth life.
Respect and responsibility and honor are important, very much so, but they alone cannot bring forth life.
I'm hoping this new season of my life will be a season of tilling, and fertilizing, and mixing in nutrients into the soil of my heart, so that one day I may be fit to bring forth life.
Not just life...
Abundant life. Seeped in joy, watered in love, and coated in peace.
Bring on the tilling.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Respect, Responsibility and Honor.
This is gonna be rambly. So buckle in for a confusing ride, or wait until you have the time and energy to get pulled into the emotional vortex that is my attempt at self-counseling.
Where do I begin?
Well, why not start off on Father's Day and make our way from there.
I remember when I was in university and my younger brother was right around the age of High School graduation, not quite a man yet, but fully convinced he was already. I remember him going through a phase where he was angry at my father. Not that my father did anything bad or anything. He didn't beat us, didn't yell at us, no abuse or anything. No, the thing my brother was upset about was that he wasn't around. He didn't abandon us or anything, he was just working. He worked for the sake of his family, because that's what he believed was the right thing to do. He provided for us.
Unlike my brother, who resented a lack of catch ball or "quality time", I understand where my father was coming from, the values he inherited from his generation, and how the work he put in was a translation of his love for us. I appreciate all he has done for us.
And I think I've inherited a few of my core values from my father's example. From my father I learned about responsibility and doing things even if you didn't like it, because that's what it means to have a job and to honor your contract. I learned that you follow the rules, even if your employer doesn't or if it gets you in trouble. I learned that you pay for your mistakes, and keep going.
I really, really respect my father. He's not perfect. He's a typical Texas "cowboy" type that doesn't say much, and doesn't know how to connect emotionally. But I know how hard he worked, and even now, I watch how he does his best to change his ways to support and honor my mother. I am so thankful to have such a strong and stable upbringing to fall back on.
Because I need it.
I am naturally impulsive. I often approach things with a "I'll deal with the consequences when they come" attitude, hoping that I'll somehow avoid anything too unpleasant.
Honestly, I've been pretty lucky in this approach. Which is poor re-enforcement for teaching me this isn't always the best way to live.
But the one thing that redeems this impulsiveness, is my strong views on responsibility. I've learned to accept the consequences no matter what. It is after all the price you pay for your choices.
And looking back, there are very few choices I would say, "I really, really wish I had never done that."
When I get tired of paying school loans, I picture the faces of the people dear to me, and believe that it's worth it.
When I wonder about my choice to live in Japan, missing births and weddings and the joys and sorrows of those I care about... and I remember the people I have met here, and how much I really do love it here... and I accept the consequences.
I get to put my beliefs in action now. It's not a serious matter, but not fun. Before I moved, I was convinced to switch my internet company and get a smart phone through a campaign. I thought it was a great idea. I got a discount on my cell phone bill, better internet service and upgraded to a smart phone. We even got "points" that could be used in certain stores as cash. They even assured me that I should be able to continue the service after I moved since the company catered to 98% of the city.
Well, as I'm sure you can see where this is going, after I decided on the apartment, we discovered that the company did not service that building. Good bye internet, good bye discount. I needed to find a new internet provider. (which was also a difficult, frustrating process.)
Well, I thought everything was taken care of when I suddenly started getting bills for a service that I wasn't actually fully aware that I had signed up for. Now that the internet contract was canceled, the special discount or whatever I was getting on that was also gone. But that contract had not been canceled. Only the bills were forwarded to me about two months late. Now I have three months worth of back bills and a cancellation fee to pay. Because my paycheck wasn't stretched enough with paying back moving costs and learning to live with just one person again.
At first I was determined this wasn't fair, and I wouldn't pay it no matter what. I wanted to blame the companies, or the salesperson, or whatever. It wasn't my fault. I didn't understand everything that was being said. I was a victim.
It's an easy role to play.
But it's wrong.
I was aware it was a risk at the time. That maybe something wouldn't work out. But I signed all the papers anyway. I wanted the extra 50 bucks I could get with the campaign, even though I was completely confused as to what was happening or why. I did it anyway, hoping everything would turn out ok. Well, you do that a lot when you live in a foreign country. I feel like I'm holding my breath and jumping off a cliff and hoping there's a splash at the end and not a splat every time I sign a contract. It's scary. But you just gotta do it sometimes and hope for the best. Well, that's what you think at the time anyway.
But this one didn't work out, not by anyone's fault. Just happened that way. But I still have to pay now. Because I signed my name.
The only thing that calmed me down when I thought I was going to cry all the way home after trying to find a solution was the fact that I'm sure Jesus would tell me the same. Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's. Honor your contracts, even if it's not fair. Trust God, and He will provide for all my needs.
Then the voice whispers : Isn't this just God punishing you? You aren't faithful enough. You haven't been giving your tithes. This is the price you pay. God is keeping score and you are loosing.
It sounds so true, because there is truth in it. I am not faithful enough. I haven't been honoring God as I should. But that doesn't mean that God doesn't honor me. And it's true that God gives punishments when they are needed. But isn't that His right? He is Just, therefore any punishment He gives is Just. But that doesn't meant He is punishing me now. He wasn't punishing Job when all those terrible things happened. When I feel like life is getting the best of me, I always have to remember Job. He had it worse. As did Joseph. But they both refused to blame God or to dishonor His name.
Yes, I am stress and don't have as much money as I'd like. But part of that is my fault as well, for not having the motivation or strength to get out of debt quickly. I choose other priorities. So I must pay the consequences.
Yes, I have migraines that make me feel sick for two days out of every three days I'm off of work. Job had festering sores all over his body.
Yes, I am lonely and often bitter. But yet I choose to stay inside that and not move on.
My choices are my responsibility, and I must pay the consequences. Sometimes God bails me out. Sometimes He lets me learn the hard way.
And I respect Him for that.
I believe God freely forgives my mistakes. But I'm so thankful that He also teaches me through them.
I am grateful for the chance to honor God through my reaction to my mistakes and my misfortunes.
I still fail often, but I want to become a woman whom others can respect, a woman who honors responsibility, and Honors God in her response to mistakes. I will never become a woman who doesn't make mistakes. But I can be one who is responsible through her mistakes.
I might have a lot of important values I'm missing, but for me, these three values are core to who I am.
These are the words I teach my students. These are the words I want carved into my life. These are the words that keep me going when I want to quit. And these are the words I inherited from my father, and from my West Texas culture.
I thank my father, and my Father who have modeled these things for me, and I hope that I can grow stronger and more faithful each time I exercise them.
So this month, I'll be trusting a little more in God's provision, because I choose to walk the path of responsibility and pay my fines. It might be a while before I'll have enough money to be "comfortable" but that's not the point of life is it? I trust in God's goodness and love for me, and I will live in the life I have now, made from the choices I've made, and the circumstances He has allowed. And I know He will never abandon me. So I must continue to Honor Him in all I do.
This is the rock of faith that will give me strength.
Now all I need to do is figure out how to make Joy a core part of me.......
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Why I shouldn't write blog posts in the middle of the night.
In perfect timing, I found this quote in my mail box today, and it sums up the "click" I'm waiting/missing/longing for...
When God creates Eve, he calls her an ezer kenegdo. "It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him a [ezer kenegdo]" (Gen. 2:18 Alter). This phrase is notoriously difficult to translate. The various attempts we have in English tend to be "helper" or "companion" or the notorious "help meet." Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flat …disappointing? What is a help meet, anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing "One day I shall be a help meet?" Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Hebrew scholar Robert Alter is getting close when he translates it "sustainer beside him."
The word ezer is used only 20 other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you desperately.
God is your only hope. Your ezer. If he is not there beside you…you are dead. A better translation therefore of ezer would be "life-saver." Kenegdo means alongside, or opposite to, a counterpart.
You see, the life God calls us to is not a safe life. Ask Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Deborah, Esther - any of the friends of God from the Old Testament. Ask Mary and Lazarus, ask Peter, James and John, ask Priscilla and Aquila - any of the friends of God in the New Testament. God calls us to a life involving frequent risks and many dangers. Why else would we need him to be our ezer? You don't need a life-saver if your mission is couch potato. You need an ezer when your life is in constant danger.
That longing in the heart of a woman to share life together as a great adventure - that comes straight from the heart of God, who also longs for this. He does not want to be an option in our lives. He does not want to be an appendage, a tag-along. Neither does any woman. God is essential. Eve is essential. She has an irreplaceable role to play.
An excerpt from
|Captivating by John Eldridge
Waiting for the click
After a month of living alone again things have finally settled down enough for discontent to sneak up behind me and start whispering heartaches into the hollowness that is my heart.
It's only my second week back to work.
And I feel listless, numb, and just a little lost and a whole lot of lonely.
But there's no real concrete reason.
There never is. Just an ache that never really goes away.
So tonight I ponder a bit and feel like I'm a puzzle piece looking for it's puzzle. When I say I'm lonely, I sometimes hear well meaning suggestions.
Why don't you stay here? What about this place? Look there are a lot of pieces around you so why are you lonely?
And I just sigh in frustration a bit.
Because it doesn't click.
I'm looking for my place, where I connect with the people/surroundings around me. I'm not saying I'm looking for a place to be completely happy or fairy-tale like. I just want to click. I want to be in the place I was made for in community with the people I was made to be in community with.
There are many options and many look good or seem to be logical, but they don't seem to click...
Well, at least I feel like Japan is the right puzzle, but I can't seem to find my place in it easily.
Well life is not simple enough to be explained by something like a puzzle, and God is watching over me and I'm sure my discontent is me chasing after idols...
Tomorrow I will sing and dance and smile with toddlers and wonderful students. Tomorrow there will be sunshine and opportunity. Tomorrow is full of grace waiting to be poured out on me anointing me as a Chosen child, a bride of the Son.
But tonight I feel the blisters of old lies irritating my heart.
This is also proof of my struggle.
Thankfully grace automatically clicks.
And now I should go to bed before I fall asleep writing.
I hope this makes enough sense to click with you too.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Still kicking
So I have successfully moved. I hate moving. It's like the most expensive roller coaster in the world, that you don't actually get to ride, instead you have to climb up it, and then trip and fall down and start all over.
Searching for an apartment that was in my budget and was big enough for all my stuff (not to mention my sanity) but still convenient enough for someone relying on public transportation... Oh yeah, I'm not sure the word stressful is good enough. And once I thought I had found something good (on paper), I'd go see it and the reality would be enough to make me want to cry.
But fortunately I had a good real estate company that worked very hard to find me a good place. In the end, they found a place that would lower the rent to meet my budget and that was big enough. The location is not that great, but not that bad either. I have to say, it's nice to find good companies to help you. (they even had DC Talk playing on their CD player. I heard the song "Jesus is Alright" at least 5 times! Of course they had no idea what it was about.)
I had thought that my Japanese hasn't improved so much in these last two years since I spend so much of my time in English compared to when I worked in public schools, but I discovered that moving this time was SO much easier because I had a much larger ability to understand and communicate than before. Still, you get frustrated when there are still things you don't really get or only half understand.
Moving companies and everything were also stressful, but I did manage to procrastinate less than usual and somehow we managed to move two people to two different places on the same day.
Just so you know, moving is impossible to survive without ice cream. seriously.
I was also moving while still working, so there was a lot going on in a short time, but now it's over.
This morning I threw away the last of the moving boxes.
A little bit more cleaning and arranging and I'll be settled in.
I had a nice spring break to take things a little more slowly and take care of things, and I'm gradually getting used to the new arrangement.
The strangest thing so far is grocery shopping. Before I shopped for two people, and I took into consideration what my roommate liked, and what I thought she would like to eat the whole time shopping. You never realize how much you think of others when shopping until suddenly you are no longer shopping for them. And I had to re-train myself not just in terms of volume of food, but in what kind of foods I buy and such. I think that's when I'm my loneliest. So far anyway.
There are good and bad points with my new place, but so far it's satisfactory.
I'll have my first houseguest this week, a strapping young man will come stay the night.
Of course he's bringing his mother. ;-)
Or rather his mother is bringing him, since he's like what, 3 months?
I'm happy because this will be the first close friend in 8 years that I'll actually get to meet and hold her child.
I think the hardest thing about living in Japan is that. The missed weddings, the children I've never met, not knowing what kind of mothers my friends are, not being a part of my niece and nephew's lives...
So yeah, it's that kind of season. Ups and downs. New and old. Fun things and stress.
All rolled into this one big mess we call life.
No deep spiritual insights right now, just letting you know what's up with my life.
I wanted to show you pictures, but I'm writing this from the computer after work because I don't have internet yet. (frustrating story, but not really important.)
Hopefully soon I'll get the loose ends fixed and see what life is going to look like in my new place.
I just hope I don't have to move again anytime soon.


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Well actually, no it hasn't. It's 2015 and the winter is passing – so it's time to break out the spanners, screwdrivers, sockets, and, err, superglue (?) … and get modding again!
The show season will soon be on us, and no doubt there will also be numerous cruises around your local area to show off your skills. So keep your eye on the forum to see the latest show and cruise details.
Things may look quiet right now – but as soon as the details start coming in we'll let you know … or if you know of a cruise / show / event, feel free to post up the details in the forum 😉


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Child and Adolescent Therapist, Lindner Center of HOPE; Adjunct Instructor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience University of Cincinnati – College of Medicine
Ms. Marklay is a clinical psychotherapist who has provided individual, group and family therapy for more than 20 years to children, adolescents, young adults and their families. She joined the Lindner Center of HOPE in 2009 and has provided comprehensive outpatient therapy services to young people treating a broad array of mental health disorders such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, trauma and stress related disorders, gender dysphoria, and behavioral disorders.
Ms. Marklay has treated children, adolescents and young adults in a variety of treatment settings, including community mental health, school-based settings, hospital-based settings, and residential treatment settings. Prior to joining the Lindner Center of HOPE, Ms. Marklay provided outpatient therapy at Centerpoint Health, formerly Norcen Behavioral Health, in Cincinnati, Ohio from 2000 to 2009. She treated young people in both outpatient and residential treatment settings with mental health and behavioral problems. She taught education groups at Hillcrest Training School in the sex offense specific treatment program. She provided therapy to adolescents on probation and parole referred by both Hamilton County Juvenile Court and the Ohio Department of Youth Services. Ms. Marklay provided over nine years of school-based mental health services in the Princeton school district in elementary, middle, junior high and high school settings. These services included assessments, therapy services to students and their families, and consultation with staff on mental health related matters. In addition, she provided psychoeducational skills-based group training to both staff and students. Prior to joining Norcen Behavioral Health, Ms. Marklay served as a child and adolescent therapist at the Pines Residential Treatment Center in Portsmouth, Virginia where she worked with children and adolescents referred nationwide for long-term residential care.
Areas of Specialty and Interest:
- Child and adolescent psychotherapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Gender Dysphoria
- Mood disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- School consultation and intervention
- Suicide prevention
- Trauma recovery


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The foster and adoptive parents that I know are ones who have learned to be resilient. The word has a very simple definition:
the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.One of the most powerful moments I have occurred a couple years ago. There was a new treatment foster care agency that was presenting at a meeting I attended. They were having great success in transitioning the most difficult teenagers from residential treatment into private homes. Everyone at the presentation was dying to ask the question, so at the end someone said, "What did you do to get the kids to change enough to be in that setting."
The answer was astounding. They said, "We do absolutely nothing to help the children. We teach the foster parents resiliency."
So I thought today, since it is snowing and I can't do the fun stuff I had planned for today, that I would come up with five things that have helped us be more resilient and tell you about them.
1) Remember that this is a season. "And it came to pass" are some of the most encouraging words in the whole Bible because they remind us that whatever we are going through, or feeling, or experiencing, isn't going to last forever. There will be brighter days.
2) Remember the times in the past that have been difficult and the fact that you made it through them. People are surprised at my lack of anxiety about the bad things that could possibly happen to our children and say they wished they could be that calm. I literally laugh out loud at them and tell them that the only way to get to this point is to have already survived almost every bad thing that could possibly happen. With very few exceptions, we have survived nearly everything that parents could confront and we are still standing.
3) Look for one moment of joy each day. This is one of my survival tips in my book "Okay, which one of you took my sanity" but it really works. I look for something good that has happened each day and almost every day I can find one. And then I tell myself that I definitely want to get up in the morning and find out what tomorrow's moment of joy will be. One of my big moments of joy today is that my twin granddaughters turned one yesterday and I am looking forward to seeing lots of cute pictures of them with their big brother!
4) Count the days, or the hours, or the minutes. I know this sounds crazy, but sometimes I just have to count the time until something is over. I remember times when almost all our kids were teenagers at the same time (I know, not good planning) when I would literally count the minutes until it was time to leave for school in the morning.
5). Spend time with and hang out with resilient people. Find people in your life who know how to get through tough times and then hang on tight to their hope when you have none. Email them, call them, FaceTime them, SnapChat them, FB message them.... however you can be around them, be around them.
6). I know I said five, but this one is too good not to include. Read positive stuff. Scripture works. So do novels that have feel good endings and self-help books. Anything that makes you feel better when you put it down, put that in your brain. It can distract and sustain you.
So now I am going to have to write this again and take out my complete rant about Tony, and then I can post it places, but for those of you who have been my blog readers forever, I thought you would want the kind of blogging I used to do back in the day :-)


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Body Percussion from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.
I'm trying out a new video hosting site, which, I am told, is nor blocked by LAUSD. This will allow me to post video lessons which the kids can watch on school computers and smartboards, as well they home computers. Let's see how it works.


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Not sure how I stumbled across 100 Free Tools to Make Your Teaching More Entertaining, but I did. Check it out... has come amazing resources you may not have seen yet! My favorite... Kidpedia! Kids love it! Lots of twitter applications, interactive websites, and other professional resources. Hop on over to see!
Empowering Little Learners!


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The AP state government has given the GO for 5% reservations for Muslims
in government jobs. Though the decision was taken a few days back, some
hopeful soul had challenged it in the High Court which did what it does
most often -- refer the matter to a committee, AP commission on backward
classes to be specific.
I don't understand what charm the so-called secular Congress govt finds in
effecting such quotas. When will they understand that such measures only
tend to widen the gap, even if it is assumed that all this was done out of
sheer public upliftment and benefit and not for filthy vote-bank politics?
For the past 55 years, India has had reservations for SC/ST/OBC and god
knows how many other classes. Wherein a temporary initiative helps in some
cases (perhaps most effectively in only so far as breaking a tie), a
prolonged benefit illusion such as this only hollows the core of the
social fabric. They talk of reservations for SCs, they talk of
reservations for STs, they talk of reservations for every damn wooable
minority. When will they even think about reservations for the general
With precious little leftover, I think it's high time they contemplate
reservations for the general masses as well -- for God's sake, they
comprise the bulk, dont they?
Add to it the irony that people think (or are made to think) that such
efforts actually help. By keeping the demarcation of castes, creed, etc
alive in all such excercises from birth ceritificate to death ceritificate
the govt has nothing but kept the flame of non-unity alight -- after all
it provides vote support! The core theme of democracy, which is supposed
to correct anti-welfare measures, is crippled, baseless and unrealistic
(more on this democracy crap later).
British, the history books said, divided India along religious lines --
the "Divide and Rule" policy which we always hated and considered the
outsiders as shrewedly talking advantage of the divide. But here what are
WE doing? At least the Britishers were outsiders. No damage can be more
irrecoverable than politically-motivated division in the garb of


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Battery Temperature Control
2013 R&D 100 Winner
Understanding and controlling temperature is necessary for the successful operation of battery packs in electric-drive vehicles (EDVs). Isothermal Battery Calorimeters (IBCs), developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and NETZSCH North America LLC, are the only calorimeters that can accurately measure heat generated from batteries used in EDVs—with a baseline sensitivity of 10 mW and heat detection as low as 15 J—while being charged and/or discharged.
NREL engineers applied key principles of thermodynamic, heat-transfer, thermoelectric and electrochemical theory to the development of the IBCs. The design is based on isothermal heat-condition calorimetry, which means that a test sample and its surrounding fluid are at the same initial and final uniform temperature. The principle of single-ended conduction means that there are no control test samples to subtract heat leakage or other errors created from various sources. The IBCs are the only calorimeters to eliminate outside environmental variables by surrounding the test chamber on all six sides with an isothermal bath fluid.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
NETZSCH North America
Development Team
|National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Isothermal Battery Calorimeters development team.
|NETZSCH North America's Isothermal Battery Calorimeters development team.
The Isothermal Battery Calorimeters Development Team
Matthew Keyser, Principal Developer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
John Ireland, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Dirk Long, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Jean-Francoi Mauger, NETZSCH North America
Mark Mihalic, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Ahmad Pesaran, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Peter Ralbovsky, NETZSCH North America
Gilles Widawski, NETZSCH North America


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I've had the pleasure of working with Dasha and Anthony about a month ago for their e-session. They are very fun to work with and extremely laid back, and, once again, I had a great time with them.
Welcome to my blog. Here you will find weddings and engagement sessions that I've photographed from the amazing clients that I've had over the last couple of years. Feel free to take a look. If you have any questions or comments, you can email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. My website is located at www.johnpaulphotography.ca
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Saturday, 23 June 2012
{melissa + paul} e-session
When I met Melissa and Paul for the first time, I knew there was something beautiful between them. I soon found out that they were high school sweethearts. They are a very fun couple and I'm glad I had the opportunity to work with them. I look forward to their wedding next year.
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Monday, 11 June 2012
{natalie + david} wedding
Here's a quick teaser of Natalie and David's Wedding. More to come...
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Delight by Functionality — An excerpt from UI12
November 13th, 2007
Unbeknown to me, David Armano recorded and posted a small portion of my UI12 Keynote: Magic and Mental Models.
In this segment, I'm talking about how functionality of a customer experience creates delight, sharing examples from Proflowers, Orbitz, and Farecast.
It was a fun presentation and the audience was very responsive. I'll be giving this presentation again, for sure. (Maybe at a keynote near you?)Tweet


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Some believe that we will go to heaven when we die, or to hell.
Some believe that we will simply disintegrate and disappear.
Some believe that a part of us will reincarnate or transmigrate.
The Catholic Church teaches that the soul will go straight to heaven, straight to hell or to purgatory for cleansing before it will be sent to heaven.
Many Protestants believe that when a person dies, he or she enter into complete oblivion. However, at the second coming of Jesus, the dead will be called from their graves and those who have been saved will be given special bodies and go to heaven.
Hindus and Buddhists believe in reincarnation. They believe that some mystical part of us will be reborn in another body. Those who have been good will get a fortunate reincarnation and those who have been bad will get an unfortunate one.
In reality, it is even more complicated because there are many different Protestant beliefs regarding death and many different Hindu beliefs. There are many different Jewish beliefs and many different Islamic beliefs.
There are about 10 000 different religions in the world today and many more beliefs about death. Are the spiritualists right? Are the atheists right? Are the monistic materialistic scientists right? Maybe the agnostics are right that we will never get to know about these things. Or, what if the agnostics are simply afraid to see the truth and hesitate to look deep enough.
Someone has to be right, don't you think?


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First up, Raffles, Dubai. Not only does the beauty of this pyramid structured hotel impress but it is also a very short drive from the airport, which is perfect after a long flight. As always in Dubai the staff cannot do enough for you, the lobby is mesmerizing and the rooms, well, this may be one of the best rooms I have ever stayed in. The room was more like a suite, the bathroom had a separate bath and shower, robes and slippers with an abundance of fluffy towels and products. You could also open the shutters to look through the large window from the bathroom into the bedroom, if you desired. The bed was huge with a large flat screen TV full of English channels, there was a separate seating area with corner sofa and desk and a balcony with the comfiest loungers I have ever experienced in a hotel room.
Again, as with other Dubai hotels the pool area was spotless, calm and relaxing. It wasn't as large as some of the more resort style hotels but it was never busy and you would have no idea you were staying in the middle of the city whilst sitting in this oasis. The staff were attentive bringing water and fresh fruit. The poolside cafe served everything you could need for a lazy lunch, a good caesar salad and ice cream with chocolate sauce, oh and also proper skinny fries! They had a large gym with everything you could require and a beautiful spa with plenty of enticing treatments on offer.
The food choices here are great too. Firstly breakfast is great, a large buffet with lots of options to keep you interested. You can sit inside or outside as well. They have a lovely little cocktail bar (Raffles Garden) on the terrace for the evenings with shisha and live music. Finally the rooftop restaurant with excellent views over the city TOMO dished up some very tasty treats indeed. We also had a "club room", which gave us a couple of hours each evening with alcoholic drinks and canapes, which was a great pre-dinner treat. Afternoon tea was also served and soft drinks were available all day long.
Although this isn't located in the center of Dubai, taxi's here are reasonable so it is possible to make the most of Dubai despite being a little out of the way here. The hotel is beautiful and very relaxing, it is definitely a good option as city hotels go.
Next up is the beach hotel Mina A Salam. Again, they have a gorgeous lobby and you are invited into the air conditioned haven with a lovely welcome drink concoction during check in. Rooms here are large, bathrooms have a separate soaking tub and rain forest shower, double sinks and all the other luxurious amenities expected. Balconies look over the Venice style water ways and the beds are the biggest I have ever seen, you genuinely will lose your companion in the night time.
The hotel is located right on it's own stretch of private beach and has a smaller than expected but very nice pool area with all of the service you would expect (fresh fruit, sorbets, water, cold flannels etc etc) and a full poolside drinks and food menu. You can also wander or take a golf buggy to the massive swimming pool located at the sister hotel Al Qasr. Being part of the Jumeirah group your room will also come with free entry to the water park Wild Wadi, which is well worth an afternoon!
There is a full spa and gym on site but the best part of this hotel is taking the little boats around the hotel and going to the spa, gym, dinner or drinks this way is fun, romantic and makes you feel like you really are staying somewhere very special.
Mina A Salam is connected on foot or by waterway to the fantastic Madinat Jumeirah, which has every kind of bar, restaurant and also plenty of shops set out like a traditional souk on offer. Everything can be signed to your room for your convenience. Our personal favorites during our five night stay were MJ's Steakhouse (self explanatory), The Noodle House (cheap, quick dining) but most of all Pierchic. This was a seafood restaurant situated a little out to sea via a wooden walkway. Here you will be treated like kings and queens, lovely cold towels on arrival, blankets if your cold, gorgeous melt in the mouth seafood, beautiful views of the ocean and chocolates served on dry ice to finish! This really is a romantic treat restaurant, it's expensive but so so worth it for a special occasion! You are in Dubai, go for it!
Deciding between the two is difficult, Raffles is a more boutique, quiet and relaxing but city stay whereas Mina A Salam is a large, busy resort style hotel. If you can, why not mix it up and have a few nights trying both options, then you really can have the best of both worlds.


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Nokia's Wibree
Katie Fehrenbacher reports on gigaom.com :
Also Computerworld reports:
Nokia announced a new one today called Wibree which the company says is more energy efficient than Bluetooth.
Companies have been trying to figure out the best way to wirelessly connect devices like digital cameras, mouses, keyboards, and cell phones for some time. Ultra-Wideband, UWB, which is supposed to be low power and high data, has seen constant delays. Zigbee hasn't seemed to gain much traction and is aimed more at sensor networks.
Also Computerworld reports:
"Bluetooth is clearly not suited to some of the cooler applications like intelligent jewelry, watches -- a less power-hungry, smaller, cheaper solution will open some interesting new opportunities," said Ben Wood, an analyst at Collins Consulting Services in Solihull, England.
Nokia said the companies working with it on defining the standard are Broadcom Corp., CSR PLC, Seiko Epson Corp., Nordic Semiconductor, Taiyo Yuden Co. and Suunto, a unit of Amer Sports Corp.Tags: invention, mobile, nokia,bluetooth,Wibree


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Dec. 15
Michael F. Witteried and Mary T. Witteried v. City of Charles Town
PA-pro se; J-Thomas Steptoe Jr.
* The Witterieds filed a petition to appeal the rulings of the City of Charles Town. Michael Witteried owns 25 cars, and the city claims that owning that large of number violates the city's ordinance. The Witterieds are asking for several items including a reverse determination of the Board and a grant of stay so he may build a carriage house.
Case number: 06-C-425
Dec. 26
Heather Whitehurst, Brad Whitehurst, E. Jeremy Hutton, Warren J. McKimmie v. C& R Development LLC and the Corporation of Bolivar, a West Virginia municipality
PA-Richard Gay; J-Thomas Steptoe Jr.
* The Whitehursts and the rest of the plantiffs have filed a complaint over the access road to Sharp's Overlook subdivision. There are two entrances into the subdivision, one which is designated an alley, and neither is wide enough for two-way traffic. C&R Development and Corporation of Bolivar have seven counts against them including breach of contract, constructive fraud, negligence breach of statutory duty and unlawful taking of property. They are asking for punitive damages and order Bolivar to close Fisher Alley. They are also requesting a trial by jury.
Case number: 06-C-428
Dec. 15


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Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) December 04, 2012
On December 4, city bikes producer Linus Bike offers applause to the enormous installment of bike lanes across the UK as reported by The Telegraph. A representative of Linus Bike offers support for the safe cycling installations.
The article, published by The Telegraph, reports that in response to 108 cycling deaths within this year alone the country will see a huge investment toward bicycle infrastructure and cycling safety. "It comes against a backdrop of increasing popularity of cycling and alarm at the rise in casualties among cyclists," the article explains. In addition, the article reports that serious cycling injuries rose 16 percent within the year. "We need substantial investment to make sure more people can cycle more safely," stated Robert Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety.
"The huge investment that the Government is making to support cycling safety is an enormous testament to the popularity of bike riding," comments China Reevers, a representative of city bikes manufacturer Linus Bike. "It's truly unfortunate that these changes of city and town infrastructure come in response to cycling deaths and injuries. However, the country has taken these tragedies and invested money into an extremely worthy case." Reevers went on to state, "With hope, the transformation of infrastructure will decrease the amount of cycling deaths and injuries significantly."
According to the article, "Officials at the Department for Transport will assess bids from councils across the country for a raft of schemes such as dedicated cycle lanes, creation of traffic free routes and junction improvements in towns and cities." In addition, The Telegraph reports that bids from rail companies will also be examined "for a network of cycle parks at stations, to change commuting patterns and encourage greater use of bikes as part of the daily journey."
Linus Bike is a California-based bicycle manufacturer that specializes in creating vintage style city bikes and commuter bikes. Not simply a bicycle company, Linus Bike sells a complete line of accessories for the environmentally conscious and for those who have a fondness for European style bicycles and the great tradition of European cycling.


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|System: PSP
|Dev: Square Enix/ Hexadrive
|Pub: Square Enix
|Release: March 29, 2011
|Players: 1
|Screen Resolution: 480p
|Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
Luckily Aya has a few RPG tricks up her sleeves, though. Weapon customization is back, but Aya also has a gene grid that can be used to unlock and level up abilities like regenerating health for both the player and NPCs, attack up, crossfire (a group attack that focuses all NPC energy on a single target), and other offensive and defensive measure. It's not quite magic, and if you're expecting a wide variety of cellular special abilities, you're again going to be disappointed, though like its predecessors T3B seem to be a game that demands replays before you can make use of a lot of its deeper strategies. However, once you're leveled up a bit and can clear a room of Twisted (who often have really high health meters) in a matter of minutes, it's deeply satisfying.
Square still seems to be hurting for focus to some degree, as a lot of the things I mentioned above I had to either figure out on my own or simply were almost too buried to really be accessible. It took three or four hours to get the hang of how and when to use overdive as well as getting used to the pace of combat (only MercurySteam's Castlevania has kept me as vigilant in battle in the past several years). Aya's gene upgrade system has no tutorial that I could find, though if you've played enough RPGs you can figure it out without too many problems—that being said, it still feels buried underneath T3B's overlying action game shell. I'm not ever one to advocate handholding in games, but there are few times where at least a little more direction would have been helpful. In some ways the lack of direction makes T3B feel like a throwback, while in others it just comes off as unfocused. You may have to fight a little to really enjoy the game to its fullest extent.
On other hand, T3B may be the most gorgeous PSP game I've seen yet, with only Peace Walker giving it a run for its money; Yoko Shimomura's beautiful soundtrack is the perfect blend of old and new motifs; the action, once you get the hang of it, is mostly a lot of fun, give or take a few ridiculously unfair scenarios. Even the real-time damage to Aya's costumes, needlessly sexist almost to the point of parody, are a nice touch, since you have to repair them in order for any given outfit to perform at top defense (a notion I had to learn the hard way on more than a few occasions). The 3rd Birthday is undoubtedly a hot mess, but if fans can look past its flaws, there good game lurking somewhere beneath its surface, waiting to be enjoyed. Well, as long as you're not looking for Parasite Eve 3.
Steve Haske
CCC Freelance Writer
Game Features:


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His metal and carbon chassis made the weight of caliber the lighest F3C 60 helicoper of that time and maybe now.
I found this Caliber 60 still in perfect condition; after a hard cleaning now is really in like new conditions. I added 3 Futaba S9252 servos. The engine is a classic OS 60 with Futaba GV-1.
I already own another caliber 60 that i have to build, a Caliber 90 Ver 02 with a 06 Head converted in a EP machine and two Caliber M50; one built and one NIB. See the following link for check these machines,


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If you are getting married abroad, and you want the level of after service, and the products a UK photographer can offer, then choosing a specialist destination wedding photographer is the answer
Cocobay Antigua Wedding Photography
I had the absolute pleasure and delight of shooting at Cocobay Resort in Antigua. As a destination wedding photographer, I adore working and shooting weddings in the Caribbean. Cocobay is one of the most awesome venues to get married at,