text:
Professor: Ioan DUMITRACHE - Romania, Corresponding Member of Romanian Academy
Title: Bio-inspired Techniques for Autonomous Control Systems
Abstract: The paper is a short synthesis of the most important bio-inspired techniques applied in technical systems. New generation of Intelligent Control Systems are presented, based on the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) concept, which includes autonomy, self-optimization, self-organization, distributed intelligence and real emergence as main attributes. Hybridization of intelligent methodologies, fuzzy logic, neural networks, knowledge-based architectures and evolutionary programming in associative systems create real support to integrate computational intelligence into advanced control systems. Some bio-inspired optimization algorithms as evolution strategies and swarm intelligence are presented; ant colony optimization is analyzed in the "intelligence and control" context. Cognitive agents and coordinated control of multi-agent systems considering the collective biological behavior are presented in the context of cognitive and biological manufacturing systems. The paper opens a new perspective where a better understanding of biological systems may lead to the creation of a next generation of intelligent/ autonomous complex systems with a real emergent behavior.
Biography: Ioan Dumitrache received his PhD in Electric Automation from Politehnica University of Bucharest (PUB), Romania in 1970. He joined the staff of PUB in 1962, reaching full professorship in 1982 at the Department of Automation. He has completed research internships in the USA, Germany and France. Prof. Dumitrache researches in algorithms and advanced control strategies, robotics, intelligent manufacturing, bioprocesses. He has authored more than 20 books and monographs in control engineering and has edited 16 volumes of national and international conferences in automation and information technology. Prof. Dumitrache is Member of the Academy of Technical Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Romanian Academy and President of the Romanian Society of Automation and Technical Informatics (SRAIT).
Professor: Visakan KADIRKAMANATHAN, Director, Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre in Control and Monitoring Systems Engineering Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering University of Sheffield, U.K.
Title: Spatio-Temporal Model Estimation and Identification - Applications in Engineering, Life and Social Sciences
Abstract: The ubiquity of cheap sensors and novel measurement techniques have created the ability to observe many processes that evolve over time and/or space. This talk will address a number of signal processing problems, both estimation and identification, motivated by real examples from nonlinear and spatio-temporal processes. The talk begins with an estimation framework applied to a spatio-temporal process. The application is in engineering where estimation of wind flow field is required. The identification framework for data observed as time series is then addressed and for a nonlinear autoregressive and moving average with exogenous (NARMAX) model estimation for characterization in bioparts in life science application. The talk then addresses the joint estimation and identification problem in healthcare with analysis of intracranial EEG signals. The final application considered is the modeling of the dynamics of conflicts, a work that was awarded the PNAS Cozzarelli Prize. It concludes with future directions of work involving control of spatio-temporal processes.
Biography: Visakan Kadirkamanathan obtained his B.A in Electrical and Information Sciences at Cambridge University Engineering Department and went on to complete his PhD in Information Engineering at the same institution. Following brief post-doctoral research positions at the Universities of Surrey and Cambridge, he was appointed Lecturer at the Department of Automatic Control & Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield. He rose through the ranks there to his current position of Professor in Signal and Information Processing. He was also the Head of Department from 2009-2014.
He is the Director of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre for Control and Monitoring Systems Engineering at Sheffield since 2012. His research interests are in the area of modeling and identification of complex dynamic systems and signal processing applications in aerospace and biomedical sciences including fault diagnosis. He has published more than 170 papers in peer reviewed journals and conferences. He was awarded the prestigious PNAS Cozzarelli Prize in 2013 for his pioneering paper on modelling the dynamics of conflicts.
His professional activities include being the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Systems Science. He has delivered a number of invited plenary presentations at international conferences and was Conference Chair of the IAPR International Conference on Pattern Recognition in Bioinformatics.
Professor: Markos PAPAGEORGIOU, Department of Production Engineering and Managament, Technical University of Crete, Greece
Title: Freeway Traffic Control
Abstract: Daily traffic congestion on freeway networks around the world continues to increase, with detrimental effects on travel times, traffic safety, fuel consumption and environmental pollution. The annual cost of traffic congestion on European roads is estimated to approach 120 b€ or 1% of the GDP. Traffic congestion is only partly due to high demand, since the appearing congestion degrades the expensive infrastructure capacity essentially at the only times it is actually needed, i.e. during the daily peak periods. Traffic control measures, if properly designed and deployed, may lead to substantial savings of travel time, fuel consumption and environmental impact, along with an improvement of traffic safety. The presentation outlines the related traffic control problems and methods, with a focus on optimal control and feedback approaches. More specifically, the areas of macroscopic traffic flow modelling, local and coordinated ramp metering, variable speed limit control, mainstream traffic flow control, merging traffic control and route information and guidance are addressed, along with the presentation of some selected field results. Emerging developments and needs in relation to VACS (vehicle automation and communication systems) are also briefly addressed.
Biography: Markos Papageorgiou received the Diplom-Ingenieur and Doktor-Ingenieur (honors) degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, in 1976 and 1981, respectively. He was a Free Associate with Dorsch Consult, Munich (1982-1988), and with Institute National de Recherche sur les Transports et leur Sécurité (INRETS), Arcueil, France (1986-1988). From 1988 to 1994 he was a Professor of Automation at the Technical University of Munich. Since 1994 he has been a Professor at the Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece. He was a Visiting Professor at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy (1982), at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris (1985-1987), and at MIT, Cambridge (1997, 2000); and a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley (1993, 1997, 2001, 2011) and other universities.
Dr. Papageorgiou is author or editor of 5 books and of over 400 technical papers. His research interests include automatic control and optimisation theory and applications to traffic and transportation systems, water systems and further areas. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Transportation Research – Part C (2005-2012). He also served as an Associate Editor of IEEE Control Systems Society – Conference Editorial Board, of IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems and other journals. He is a Fellow of IEEE (1999) and a Fellow of IFAC (2013). He received a DAAD scholarship (1971-1976), the 1983 Eugen-Hartmann award from the Union of German Engineers (VDI), and a Fulbright Lecturing/Research Award (1997). He was a recipient of the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society Outstanding Research Award (2007) and of the IEEE Control Systems Society Transition to Practice Award (2010). He was presented the title of Visiting Professor by the University of Belgrade, Serbia (2010). The Dynamic Systems and Simulation Laboratory he has been heading since 1994, received the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society ITS Institutional Lead Award (2011). He was awarded an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant (2013-2017).
Professor: Olivier SENAME, GIPSA-Lab, Control Systems dpt, CNRS-Grenoble INP, France
Abstract: This talk aims at presenting the interest of Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) methods for vehicle dynamics control. While the use of this approach to deal with non linear systems is now well established, it will be shown, further, to be flexible and robust enough to handle several types of constraints and objectives such as: actuator non linearities, real-time varying performances, control allocation and coordination for MIMO systems, fault tolerant control w.r.t sensor/actuator failures... In the first part, we will consider the semi-active suspension control problem, for which the challenge is the ability of taking into account the dissipativity of the damper (and eventually some loss of efficiency) in the control design step. Different LPV models of semi-active dampers will be presented, allowing to take into account some non linearities (hysteresis, dissipativity, ...) and damper faults. Then LPV control methodologies will be described, where the parameters can take the real abilities of the damper into account. In the second part the synthesis of an LPV /H∞ MIMO vehicle dynamic controller, involving suspension, steering and braking actuators, is proposed to improve the vertical and lateral performances through a gain-scheduling of the 3 control actions according to the driving situation evaluated by a specific monitor. An original LPV method for actuator coordination is proposed, when the actuator limitations and eventually failures, are taken into account. Simulation results using vehicle models validated on a real car, will show the efficiency and robustness of the proposed solutions.
Biography: Olivier Sename was born in Lille (France) in 1969. He received a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Automatic Control from the Ecole Centrale Nantes in 1991, where he also completed his Ph.D. degree in Automatic control in 1994 on the topic of time-delay systems. He did his national service in SITIA Nantes, and has been employed as an Assistant Professor at the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (Laboratoire d'Automatique de Grenoble) since 1995. He is now Professor at the Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP), within the GIPSA-lab (department of Control Systems). His main research interests include theoretical studies in the field of time-delay systems, Linear parameter Varying systems and control/real-time scheduling codesign, as well as robust control for various applications such as automotive suspension, vehicle dynamics, engine controls and energy systems. He has been the General Chair of the IFAC Joint conference 2013 "Symposium System Structure and Control", Workshops on "Time-Delay Systems" and on "Fractional Differentiation and Its Applications", 4-6 Feb 2013, (www.gipsa-lab.fr/SSSC2013). He has collaborated with several industrial partners (Renault, SOBEN, Delphi Diesel Systems, Saint-Gobain Vetrotex, PSA, ST Microelectronics). He is responsible of several international bilateral research projects (Mexico, Hungary, Italy). He is the (co-)author of 1 book (Semi-Active Suspension Control Design for Vehicles by S.M. Savaresi, C. Poussot-Vassal, C. Spelta, O. Sename \& L. Dugard, Butterworth-Heinemann 2011), (co)-editor of the Springer LNCIS book "Robust control and Linear Parameter Varying approaches", 14 book chapters, 40 international journal papers, and around 160 international conference papers. He has supervised 20 Ph.D. students.
Professor: Alain VANDE WOUVER , University of Mons, Belgium
Abstract: Conventional batch chromatography is relatively inefficient in terms of adsorbent and solvent consumption and significant benefits can be achieved by performing separation of high-added value products with a simulated moving bed (SMB) process. The SMB process allows a "simulated" counter-current movement of the liquid and the solid to be achieved in order to increase the exchange capabilities between both phases. SMB models consist of mass balance partial differential equations of the components to separate in the liquid and in the solid phases. A first-principle SMB model usually includes the isotherm parameters, the column porosity, the diffusion and/or the mass transfer coefficients. Typically, all the parameters have to be determined from experimental data. Void fractions play also a very important role. These models can be the basis of Model Predictive Control, and to alleviate computational requirement a multi-model approach can be used, where the PDE model is reduced using the proper orthogonal decomposition technique, and the basis functions are updated on-line. This reduced-order model is the core of a receding-horizon control strategy in which the design parameters are the tuning parameters of PI controllers assigning the velocity of the concentration fronts at the extract and raffinate drains. Alternatively, a simple discrete-time model of the concentration front movement can be derived from the wave theory, and an adaptive controller acting on the fluid flow rates and commutation period can be designed to regulate the spatial location of the adsorption and desorption waves, and in turn the purity and productivity of the raffinate and extract effluents. A simple parameter adaptation scheme makes this controller robust to parameter uncertainties and drifts, and allows process start-up with minimum a priori knowledge of the separation parameters.
Biography: Alain Vande Wouwer graduated in Electrical Engineering from the Faculté Polytechnique de Mons (Belgium) in 1988, and obtained a PhD in Applied Sciences from the same university (in collaboration with Stuttgart University for a European doctorate degree) in 1994. This latter year, he also achieved a postdoctoral stay in the Mechanical Engineering Department of Université Laval (Quebec). Since then, he has been working at the University of Mons, where he is currently the head of the Control Department. For the last 15 years, he has focused most of his research on bioprocess modeling, estimation and control, developing collaborations with industries and international research groups, and participating in several research projects, including the Belgian Interuniversity Attraction Pole (IAP) DYSCO (DYnamic Systems Control and Optimization). He was (co-)supervisor of 13 PhD theses, and is currently (co-) supervising 10 other theses. He is co-author of 2 books and about 100 journal articles.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-Control Systems Society
NAPA: Solutions for Design and Operation of Ships
Faculty of Automatic Control,
Computers, Electrical and Electronics
Engineering, Galati, Romania
Faculty of Automatic Control and
Computer Engineering, Iasi, Romania
Faculty of Automation, Computers and
Electronics, Craiova, Romania
Control Systems, Computers and
Electrical Engineering Society from Galati


text:
Professional counselling services based in West Hythe, Kent
What to expect?
For many people their only experience of counselling will have been on TV or at the movies but this is often a far cry from reality. We all have times when things are bothering us, when we feel stressful, anxious, when we've lost someone we're close to or when a relationship is not working out as we'd hoped and sometimes, most times in fact, we're able to rationalise things and get on with life perfectly well without counselling but for some people the hill is too steep to climb or the prospect of confronting their issues in the first place is just too daunting. This is when counselling can really help. But what is counselling?
Talking therapy
Put simply, counselling in all its forms is a talking therapy. It's about talking through your problems, issues or feelings with a non-judgmental, empathetic person in a safe, secure and confidential environment. For the therapist it's about listening, prompting and asking reflective questions to help you relax and be able to express yourself. Of course, for some people, it's difficult to discuss their innermost feelings and thoughts but this is where the skills and training of the therapist comes in to play to help you express yourself in a totally non-threatening and gentle way. So if it's just about talking, why can't people just talk to a close friend? Well, some do but most are unable to for a variety of reasons, perhaps there is no one or perhaps they are just too close or you feel they will judge you or worst still, betray your confidence but the real problem is that the friend you try to talk to will invariably offer advice and want to help fix your problem - it's a human condition. This can frequently exacerbate your stresses, anxieties, worries or negative feelings which actually makes things worse for you. Could've, would've and should've are the worse words you can say to someone who needs a little help but those are just the sort of words used by friends to try to help.
Perhaps not what you think
Many people are quite surprised to learn that your therapist doesn't offer you advice. They won't tell you what you should do or how to do it. Sure, they may offer you advice on how to think about your issues and techniques for dealing with them but they will never offer direct advice. Instead, they will help you talk, think with clarity and discover your own solutions over-time.
How long will it take?
The first time we meet I will assess your needs and make a recommendation as to how many sessions will be required and at what interval. This is a starting point and we may find that as we progress you may like to have fewer or more sessions. Typically each session will last 50 minutes to one hour and the number of sessions you require is down to individual needs.
How much will it cost?
Introductory session, which will allow us to explore your needs with you and discuss whether counselling is the best solution, Appointments cost at £40.00 an hour. Evening appointments available on request.
Student counsellor rates are also available.
"Counselling is your opportunity to be listened to without judgement or criticism. You will be supported in finding the solution that is within you, and given the time and guidance to achieve this. This is the opportunity that comes from counselling".
On Facebook...
- Mental health awareness workshops in the workplace
- Home visits available for those unable to leave their homes
- Accredited member of the National Counselling Society
- Registered Member MBACP
- FD Counselling
- Certificate in Health and Social Care
- CPCAB Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Located in Kent
- Skype sessions available
"We all need the time and space to sometimes identify what the root cause is to our problems. We all have the ability within ourselves to find a solution to those problems, we just need the environment that allows us to stop in our busy lives to explore and find this. I provide that environment".

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A project to allow small businesses in the agricultural and forestry sectors to incorporate innovation more efficiently.
Projects & Practice
An investment project that allowed a company to fill the gap in the local supply chain for wood chips in the north-west of Ireland.
An intervention supporting the sustainable management of forest resources, leading to improved economic performance.
An example of how afforestation allows for the development and maintenance of farm lands where crop cultivation is almost impossible.
Acquisition of a wood chipper that produces chips for cogeneration more efficiently, thus reducing the cost of tools and consumables per unit of finished product.
A series of theoretical and practical training courses on work safety for small private forest owners and forest users.
An environmental NGO implemented a project to preserve and maintain an old clay pit that provides shelter to a number of rare and endangered species.
Using digital technologies to re-establish the connection between young people and forests.
Support from the Slovakian rural development programme financed the reconstruction of a forest road as to improve access for fire protection vehicles.
Two RDP funded projects enabled a company specialised on biomass heating to grow by financing the purchase of mobile wood chipper and later on a pelleting system.


text:
China has signed an agreement to join UNESCO in the Open Initiative on the Use of Space Technology in Support of the World Heritage Convention. The signing - by Guo Huadong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of its Joint Laboratory for Remote Sensing Archaeology, and Marcio Barbosa, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO – took place at Organization Headquarters on April 13. "UNESCO welcomes the new partnership with China," Mr Barbosa said. "It represents a significant boost to our ability to assist Member States in the preservation of their heritage sites through the use of space technology."
Through the agreement, China will share its extensive expertise and know-how within the framework of the Open Initiative, which UNESCO and European Space Agency (ESA) launched in October 2001. The Initiative aims to provide satellite images and expertise in space-supported conservation to developing countries, helping them monitor natural and cultural World Heritage sites. It also provides for the development of countries' capacities in this area.
Since China launched its first manned space flight in October 2003, it has demonstrated considerable expertise in the scientific exploration of space. Satellite technology is invaluable in observing Earth and monitoring changes there, including those caused by human activity.
The Open Initiative has already contributed in a significant manner, for example, to efforts to save the population of endangered mountain gorillas in nature reserves in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. These reserves are home to some 650 mountain gorillas. Through the initiative, UNESCO was able to provide these countries with their first accurate maps of the gorillas' habitat.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences joins the Argentinean Space Agency (CONAE), the Canadian Space Agency, the Lebanese Remote Sensing Center, The Royal Center for Remote Sensing of Morocco and the USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in supporting satellite surveillance of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.


text:
Back when all books were paper books, you'd find savvy mass market publishers advertising in the front and backmatter of their books. If you're involved in self-publishing, consider how you can use these areas too — they're valuable real estate, and you can use these areas in any way you like.
A couple of definitions: "front matter" is all the stuff at the beginning of an ebook before the main content. "Backmatter" is the material at the end, after the content's done.
Let's look at some tips for getting the most from these areas.
1. Advertise (subtly) in your front matter
Be aware that Amazon shows the first 10% of your ebook via its Look Inside feature. Keep the essential material in your front matter short. Remember your copyright info, of course.
Use that 10% to subtly advertise your ebook. Anyone reading via Look Inside hasn't bought your book, so spend a little time thinking what you could show up front, to encourage your reader to buy.
When publishing novels, include a snippet from an action scene (or romantic scene) from your ebook, if the first couple of scenes in Chapter One aren't enthralling.
If you're publishing nonfiction, share some interesting material up front.
In other words — flash your wares, don't be shy.
2. Include a link to your mailing list signup page in the front matter
This link is just a couple of lines: "join our mailing list at (URL) for a free short story."
Include the link in your backmatter too.
3. Written other ebooks? Include them in your backmatter
List your other ebooks in the back matter, with Amazon links. Be careful with this, don't link to your ebook on iBooks on Amazon, and similarly don't link to your ebooks on Amazon on iBooks.
4. Don't go overboard with excerpts from other books in your backmatter
Keep your excepts short. I've bought some ebooks where the excerpt took up the final quarter of the ebook. That's overdoing things. You'll annoy readers.
5. Suggest a review: "If you enjoyed this book…"
Again, be subtle. Be nice. Tell readers you'd love to hear from them, and include a link to your website. You can also say: "If you enjoyed this story, please tell your friends."
With reviews, Amazon says:
"Consider a message to readers in your book asking them to leave a review if they enjoyed the book or doing a Q&A with yourself to give readers more information on you. We will automatically provide a link to leave a review but sometimes a personal message can have a major impact."
It's worth spending a little time crafting your personal message. Tell readers something about yourself. Again, don't go overboard.
The front and backmatter of your ebooks matter. In your rush to publish, don't neglect these vital areas. Work on them while you're writing your ebook, so that they're all done and ready to go by the time you're ready to publish your ebook.
Update on November 29, 2016: the Table of Contents goes in the front of your ebook
Since September, Amazon's been cleaning house. I wrote about some of the things which are affecting ebook sales here.
Authors have reported that Amazon's cracking down on Tables of Content appearing in the backmatter of ebooks — this has to do with "pages read" scams. So do be sure to put your Table of Contents, if you have one, at the front of your ebook. 🙂
124 Powerful Fiction Writing Tips: Win Readers And Fans, And Increase Your Sales Today
You want to write fiction. Perhaps you're a self-publishing author — or perhaps you're a ghostwriter, and want to offer fiction writing services to clients.
Whatever your needs and dreams, this book, 124 Powerful Fiction Writing Tips: Win Readers And Fans, And Increase Your Sales Today, will help.More info →
Write Fast, Write Well: How To Be Prolific, and Sell – Powerful tips to increase your writing income
What If You Were Twice As Successful, Or Even THREE Times More Successful Than You Are Today?
There's No Ceiling On A Writer's Income... You Just Need To Be Prolific.More info →
Resources to build your writing career
Get daily writing news and tips on the blog's Facebook page.
Need help with your writing? Visit our online store, or check out Angela's books for writers.


text:
If you would like to create an account, please fill out the form below. We will then follow up with you after reviewing your information. Thank you for your interest!
© 2018 SLiM Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This site is for healthcare professionals who wish to offer high quality supplements to their patients. If you would like to create a professional account, please click here.
Privacy PolicyTerms & ConditionsAboutEmail Signup


text:
Monday, 30 July 2012
UKIP: Jon Ison continues his destruction in the West Midlands
A West Midlands regional membership spread sheet, showing the variations in membership numbers by month shown to the Junius team reveal that its Solihull and Meriden Branch chairman John Ison has set a new party record in losing his association a staggering 16 members since April 2012, that's nearly a 30% decrease in just 4 months!
Ison has resided over the collapse of the (until recently) largest branch in the West Midlands! Before he took over the branch was thriving had 100+ members, BUT is now down to a pitiful 45 members. (So a near loss of 65 members over his entire chairmanship of just over 12 months!)
In the same period all branch activity as stopped, before ISON took over the branch it had 17 candidates in place for the 2010 local elections. This year he didn't put up a single candidate!
Proof that more and more people are distancing themselves from this vindictive and largely untrustworthy individual !
Mr Ison now appears to ruling his sinking ship with an iron fist to hold some level of position within UKIP. Aware of his own local unpopularity Ison has refused on hold an AGM for the branch fearing that a vote of no confidence will be issued and passed against him!
Constitutionally this is not allowed though how much longer will UKIP let it continue???????? Will the West Midlands RO step in a either to dissolve the branch or demand an EGM to hold the yearly elections as per party rules ?
isn't Gordon Parkin having the same result in his region for much the same reasons? Also I do gather that other than their own personal interests Peter Reeve & Lisa Duffy are having a near catastrophic effect in their region and with UKIP Yoof!
Then of course we note the catastrophic behaviour of Derek Clark who has not only abused his office and the trust of the electorate but lied to his committee, his members and his electorate and been aided by his hugely over salaried staff Ron Ransome The Regional Organiser and his wife in their region.
The abysmal results and general embarrassment of the results in London are irrefutable and as London MEP Gerard Batten has shown the public clearly reject his racist views and incitement to race hate as he works with extremist groups and criminals to promote his personal values (or transparent lack of!).
That the party chairman was sat upon to carry the can and pretended to resign speaks volumes - that even this turned out to be a dishonest move and he is still publishing idiotic newsletters as Party Chairman is plain for all to see. Clearly no one of gravitas, competence or integrity sat on that particular 'Chair' with any plausible effect!
Clearly the party lacks any credible leadership or understanding of duty, integrity, morality or responsibility - Farage is on record stating UK elections dont matter! Well no, not to him as his pockets are stuffed with the bribes of The EU!
Clearly the party lacks any credible leadership or understanding of duty, integrity, morality or responsibility - Farage is on record stating UK elections dont matter! Well no, not to him as his pockets are stuffed with the bribes of The EU!
UKIP couldn't care less about honesty, probity, democracy or basic common decency it is clear.
tel: 01594 - 528 337
on: http://GregLanceWatkins.Blogspot.com
&: http://UKIP-vs-EUkip.com
&: http://UKIP-vs-EUkip.com
INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance
Work With THE MIDNIGHT GROUP to
Reclaim YOUR Future
Write Upon Your Ballot Paper at EVERY election:
(IF You Have No INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance Candidate) .
to Reclaim YOUR Future
Posted by: Greg Lance-Watkins
tel: 01594 - 528 337
of: email@example.com
DO MAKE USE of LINKS & >Right Side Bar<
DO MAKE USE of LINKS & >Right Side Bar<
Details & Links: http://GregLanceWatkins.Blogspot.com
General Stuff: http://gl-w.blogspot.com
Health Blog.: http://GregLW.blogspot.com
TWITTER: Greg_LW
General Stuff: http://gl-w.blogspot.com
Health Blog.: http://GregLW.blogspot.com
TWITTER: Greg_LW
& Publicise My Blogs
To Spread The Facts World Wide of OUR-ENEMY-WITHIN & To Leave-The-EU


text:
Islamabad: Low cost "Apna Ghar" housing scheme approved by PM Nawaz Sharif. Prime Minister Pakistan Mohammad Nawaz Sharif approved the creation of a company under the supervision of Ministry of Housing and Works start the housing program of the government for low-income groups . A special committee constituted under Prime Minister directives to formulate policy recommendations on low cost housing met in Islamabad with Minister of State for Housing and Works Barrister Usman Ibrahim in the chair.
Apna Ghar Housing Scheme Planned by Nawaz Sharif (Prime Minister of Pakistan). Low Cost houses for low income peoples on installments and loan. Homes like Turkey and China Common Men Housing Schemes.


text:
Otto Scharmer
Otto's hope for the future is that we get our act together!
And do a consciousness based systems intervention.
Dr. C. Otto Scharmer is a Senior Lecturer at MIT and co-founder of the Presencing Institute. In 2015 he co-founded the MITx u.lab, a massive open online course for leading profound change that has since activated a global eco-system of societal and personal renewal involving more than 100,000 users from 185 countries.
I am exited about using technology more intentionally for developing social technologies that allow us to create and activate generative social fields .
It has to do a shift in consciousness that can support a new way of doing systems thinking-
We are global moment not yet aware of ourselves.
Connecting to the current moment.
The knowing doing gap!
Action learning.
You can not understand a system unless you change it. The litmus test.
To work with a a political in a new way.
If people in Silicon Valley give away their money they usually there criteria for doing so:
1 Tech has to be the solution.
2 It must be solvable with 10 years.
3 They have to call the shot.
We need to get our act together and improve the topsoil.
We are in critical moment where so much positive things are happening and yet we are not catalyzing as a movement yet. What are the infrastructure for catalyzing and amplifying the movement. So that the moment becomes aware of it self.
U.Lab: Transforming Business, Society, and Self
Introduction by Otto Charmer - Leading from an emerging future
TEDX Theory U - Learning from the future as it emerges with Otto Scharmer - TEDxTUHH
4.0 Lab: Inventing the Future of Food, Finance, Health, Ed, & Management
Trump And Transforming Capitalism: Making Our Movement See Itself
The Transition:
In this awesome conversation Jordan Greenhall, Daniel Schmachtenberger and Forrest Landry talks about the transition we need to do, in order to get to the next stage of our civilization here on Spaceship Earth. About systemic change and Holistic design thinking.
Otto Scharmer
Michael Sillion
Institute for Evolutionary Leadership
This New World Group with Guardians
The final song is: Summoner's Battle curtesy of David Bowick


text:
MummyPages was established in 2009 and quickly became popular with mums who liked our down to earth style and commentary on issues that affect parents and kids. MummyPages and its sister brand MagicMum has UK and Ireland visitors of some 3.75 million unique users monthly (November 2015). The MummyPages Facebook page is the biggest page in the UK for reaching housekeepers with kids (mums!) with more than 360,000 fans on Facebook. So Clearly when they asked me to feature as their Fitness, Well-being & Nutrition Expert I was only too happy to get involved.
You can read my contributions on everything related to maintaining a healthy body, mind and emotions pre, during and post pregnancy here


text:
Jim Limber Davis
A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House
It's easy to dismiss Jefferson Davis as simply the President of the Confederacy, which fought to uphold slavery. Children and adults alike may be surprised, therefore, to learn that Jefferson Davis and his compassionate family adopted a young African American orphan, Jim Limber Davis. Based on actual events, this picture book portrays how the First Lady of the Confederacy, Varina Davis, rescued the boy after witnessing a brutal beating by his owner. Jim quickly became an endearing and legitimate member of the Confederate White House when the Davises registered him as a free black child and became his guardians. With Davis's eventual capture, however, came house arrest for the rest of the family and the kidnapping of Jim by Yankee soldiers.
An active member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Civil War reenactor, the author is well-suited for this subject. Pittman has written plays, nonfiction, poetry, and short stories, and was a grand prize winner of the Ernest Hemingway Short Story Competition. Illustrator Hierstein teaches digital and video arts and has illustrated the Toby Belfer Series and The Pilgrims' Thanksgiving from A to Z. Her muted watercolors, some based on existing photographs, convey the range of emotions throughout the narration. They also depict many contrasts, from the grand interior and exterior of the Confederate White House, to a forced life in a Confederate camp when the Yankees seized Richmond; from a very young, simply clothed Jim and his parents on the title page, to the Davis's fine fashion featured in the rest of the book.
An epilogue for adults explains that Jim's disappearance remains one of the great remaining unsolved mysteries of the Civil War. The author's engaging story format never deviates from historical facts, yet handles the issue of slavery in a manner that is appropriate for upper elementary-aged children. This little-known, eye-opening account of Jim Limber Davis raises many intriguing questions. Pittman knows how to keep history alive.
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The author of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the author for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.


text:
Art Abandonment
I joined the Art Abandonment Facebook group sometime ago. In case you're not familiar with this movement, the idea is to make small pieces of art and leave them for others to find. We always hope that the finders will let us know what they've done with their found art–hung it on the wall, the fridge, given it away. This does not happen often but we are all encouraged when someone lets us know that they were having a horrible day and finding a little joy in a baggie gave them hope or made them smile. I finally decided what to do and started making art cards, 5×7, suitable for framing or putting on an easel. I got a little carried away because I wasn't sure how I wanted to quilt my placemats or the final piece for the Too Precious to Cut (But We Will) challenge. The placemats are finished now and as soon as I finish the table mat, I'll post and give you links for the placemat tutorial and previous posts.
I have abandoner's regret for my first piece (mostly scraps from the Cotton + Steel baggie) and I hope it made someone's day. I left it at the Love Lock Bridge on the Lake Bella Vista trail and by the time I walked around the lake and back, it was gone. The bridge now has 13 locks (it only had six in June). It is still too hot here in the afternoons but soon I'll be able to get back to walking on all the local trails.
I have been using up orphan blocks and random scraps for the most part. This is a series using samples of broderie perse, fabric scraps and my hand-crocheted rick rack trim. I abandoned the first one this week at a local community center.
I'm going to send this one to my niece as it reminds me of her.
Rouge Carmin is French for Carmine Red, the color of one of my Prismacolor pencils which matched the pink fabric.
Here is Where the Antelope Play — more Cotton + Steel. Most people would have thrown the antelope scraps away but I sewed them together and added beaded eyes.
And lastly, more Cotton + Steel (the baggie that will not die).
I made a birthday card for my sister-in-law. I had made her a wallhanging sometime ago and there were three 2-inch squares of the cherry fabric left so I went with that, drew a flower similar to that on the fabric and added beads.
I also made a landscape for another sister-in-law's birthday and paper pieced a card for my other sister-in-law's birthday.
I have been sketching out ideas for more cards but I have enough for abandoning and for little gifts for now. Even so, I need to make special cards for my sisters, daughter and a friend. In the meantime, it's insomnia week due to the full moon. This is the Nut Full Moon (Cherokee designation). Nuf said.
Posted on September 15, 2016, in art abandonment, Miscellaneous and tagged art card, full moon. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


text:
Home Group Leader Resources
The materials provided on this page are to help equip our Drummoyne Presbyterian home group leaders in running their home groups.
About our Home Groups
Read our Home Group pamphlet (pdf) which outlines the purpose of Home Groups and how they are organised.
Leadership Group meetings
Combined Leadership Group meetings are held twice a year and home groups are not on during these weeks. The dates for 2015 are:
- Wednesday 4th February
- Wednesday 19th July
Click here for all the notes and training material from our combined leadership group meetings in 2013.
For just 2015, the individual leadership groups for the 3 congregations will not meet separately this year.
Week of Prayer
At Drummoyne Presbyterian, we plan to have a week of prayer about once every three months. During this week, we are asking all of our Home Groups to stop what they normally do and spend the night in prayer. Even if you aren't in a group, maybe you would like to set aside some time when you normally do something else, in order to pray.
The dates for Week of Prayer in 2015:
- 23rd March
- 18th May
- 10th August
- 23rd November
Click here for the latest Week of Prayer sheet and information.
Find out more about why we hold a regular week of prayer.


text:
15 Hopefuls Compete For One of Three Coveted Spots in The Brand New Musical Group Girlicious
The second installment of the successful "Pussycat Dolls Present" franchise has competitors vying for their shot at fame as part of the brand new musical group Girlicious. Tune-in as the competition heats up when "Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious" premieres Monday, February 18th, 2008, on Citytv.
Broadcast Schedule:
Citytv Toronto Monday, February 18th at 9:00pm ET
Citytv Winnipeg Monday, February 18th at 9:00pm CT
Citytv Calgary Monday, February 18th at 9:00pm MT
Citytv Edmonton Monday, February 18th at 9:00pm MT
Citytv Vancouver Monday, February 18th at 9:00pm PT
Since creating the Pussycat Dolls as a cabaret show in Hollywood, Robin Antin has transformed the act into one of the most successful female pop groups in the world, selling seven million albums and topping the charts with five smash singles. Antin is using her expertise and eye for talent once again as she launches the brand new girl group, Girlicious. Looking for the ultimate performance package, Antin and Geffen Records Chairman Ron Fair launched a nationwide search for the most talented girls in America. Fifteen finalists were chosen to compete for a spot in the new group and international stardom. Thousands of girls lined up with the dream of landing one of three coveted spots in the new band, Girlicious.
Musician Mark McGrath returns as host. Each week, the girls dance and practice choreography with Antin and Pussycat Dolls co-choreographer Mikey Minden, while perfecting their vocal techniques with celebrity vocal coach Kenn Hicks. Hicks superstar clientele includes Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige and the Spice Girls. Having experienced this grueling process, members of the Pussycat Dolls, along with other surprise guests, will appear in episodes to inspire the young hopefuls as they strive to impress the judges, which include Geffen Records Chairman Ron Fair, Antin and Grammy-nominated recording artist Lil' Kim.
At the end of the ten-episode series, dreams become reality when the brand new group Girlicious is formed and immediately record an album, film a music video, go on tour and earn a record contract with Geffen Records, home of Nelly Furtado, Mary J. Blige, Keisha Cole and, of course, the Pussycat Dolls.
Age: 21
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Favorite Musical Act: Martina McBride
Age: 25
Hometown: Fairfield, Illinois
Favorite Musical Acts: rock n' roll and 80's glam rock
Age: 23
Hometown: Aurora, Illinois
Favorite Musical Act: Beth Hart
Age: 20
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Favorite Musical Acts: Billie Holiday, Bjork, Red Light District
Age: 19
Hometown: Baytown, Texas
Favorite Musical Acts: Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Tamia
Age: 20
Hometown: San Diego, California
Favorite Musical Act: Mariah Carey
Age: 19
Hometown: West Palm Beach, Florida
Favorite Musical Act: Backstreet Boys
Age: 21
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Favorite Musical Acts: Chris Brown, Tamia, Christina Aguilera
Age: 18
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, California
Favorite Musical Acts: Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Tamia
Age: 22
Hometown: North Hollywood, California
Favorite Musical Acts: Beyonce, Aaliyah
Age: 24
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Favorite Musical Act: Justin Timberlake
Age: 18
Hometown: Sunset, Louisiana
Favorite Musical Acts: Jack Johnson, Gavin DeGraw, Britney Spears (early days)
Age: 19
Hometown: Diamond Bar, California
Favorite Musical Acts: Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson
Age: 18
Hometown: Houston Texas
Favorite Musical Acts: Jill Scott, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera
Age: 18
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Favorite Musical Act: Beyonce
Watch as the girls are separated from the dolls as they sing and dance their way to fame when "Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious" premieres Monday, February 18th, 2008 on Citytv.
"Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious" is executive produced by Robin Antin (The Pussycat Dolls), Steven Antin ("Young Americans"), Ron Fair (Geffen Records), Laura Fuest ("Beauty and the Geek"), Jimmy Iovine (Interscope Geffen A&M Records), McG ("Supernatural," "The O.C.") and Ken Mok ("America's Next Top Model"). The series is from Warner Horizon Television, 10 by 10 Entertainment, Pussycat Dolls, LLC, Interscope A&M Records and Wonderland Sound and Vision.
Premieres Monday, February 18th, 2008 on Citytv


text:
Deciding upon no-fuss advice in AdsMain review addomobile com
Streamline Your Life Together With Your Phone Which Recommendations
Numerous would like to personal affiliate marketing services an iPhone and receive the best bargain out of it. Nonetheless, people have inquiries which need responding to. Which company in the event you use? What programs provide you with the most value for your money? Which product gets the best value for AdsMain your money? Read through this post for several ideas each and every iPhone owner ought to know.
Core criteria in cpa services revealed
You have to be sure to improve your iPhone every time a new revise is offered. Once you update best online affiliate programs reviews your gadget, you'll supply the fixes, updates, along with other essential things your apple iphone requirements. Furthermore you will must retailer all photographs as well as other information you may have on your pc in the event adattract.com review some thing poor takes place for the mobile phone, you're protected.
To make your chosen internet site a little faster and a great deal less difficult, set it up when your home page. Even if you can't accomplish this as smoothly that you can in Safari on the Apple computer, you can access your selected web page cost per action networks very easily with only one more faucet. Add more the site to the bookmark's list, and after that make sure it is towards abovealloffers.com review the top of a list. Doing this, you are only a couple of faucets out of your favorite web page.
Make use of tunes section of your apple iphone to generate a total fledged audio collection for job or university. This will website link directly to the iTunes on your computer, where you may acquire your favorite tunes on your phone. Additionally, you may mix up or repeat a number of the tracks that you just take advantage of the most in your iphone 4.
You can use your apple iphone to hold a4d affpaying all kinds of records. The only method to try this, nevertheless, is to get the apple iphone generate app, but when you do you may retail store almost anything on the phone. This allows your abovealloffers login mobile phone to function virtually totally as being a small transportable laptop or computer.
By pulling your finger to the correct on your phone, you may be delivered to a screen where by you will be able to search your whole phone. Depending on whatever you key in, this may bring up anything from emails, to saved remarks that you have on your own iPhone for the cabability to lookup your complete product.
Experiment with scrolling when taking a look at internet pages. You can definitely find it simpler to browse with one finger or two, dependant upon what you are considering. One best affiliate marketing finger scrolling enables you to undergo every single pack in the event the site is segregated into containers. Two fingers will help you effortlessly scroll the entire web page.
An effective hint for those who have an iphone is usually to modify it slightly. There are several skin that one could buy for your Abovealloffers iphone that will make it stay ahead of every person else's. It could be of any pattern you want or even of the beloved music band.
Now you go throughout the previous lines, you need to have a much better concept of the nuances of owning an iPhone. Remember whatever you have study in this article so that you can get the most from making use addiliate.com of your iphone 4.


text:
The other one worth noting is the side-warp bug (where you turn and go to the end of the screen), but if we're fixing the bugs I don't think this is a high level of concern.
Patra patterns might need to be fixed, but still, not too high on this as I'd consider this more an error on Nintendo's part and not so much an intended feature that he doesn't reset eventually.
10th Enemy Has the Bomb probably needs to be implemented in the 1st and 2nd Quests. 3rd and on, probably not, I'd leave it up to the developers.


text:
A watt is a unit of power— usually electrical power. This unit was named in honor of James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine. Although the watt is the standard unit of power in the metric system of MEASUREMENT, the kilowatt is more generally used. The kilowatt is simply 1000 watts.
In the metric system, a watt is that amount of power used when a force of one newton acts through a distance of one meter in one second of time. In electrical terms the watt is equal to the power developed when one AMPERE flows under a pressure of one VOLT.


text:
Left Coast Crime 2018, Reno, NV
Friday, March 23, 2018 9:00am – 9:45am
I'll be part of the "Impersonations: Creating Three-Dimensional Characters" panel at the Left Coast Crime Conference in Reno.
Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego, CA
Sunday, April 15, 2018 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Join me and authors Elena Hartwell, Christina Hoag and Daniel Stallings for a discussion of mysteries, humor and whatever else we think of at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 5943 Balboa Avenue, Suite #100, San Diego, CA (Map)
I enjoy talking to book clubs, either in-person or on the Internet via Skype/Google Hangouts, etc. If you're interested, contact me using the form below.


text:
It's a winter brake in schools in Reykjavík these days. We headed north in our cottage to spend some time there as it has been too long since we were there due to the family moving. It can't be more cozy as the first snow storm is blowing outside but still not as much as it was supposed to be. Inside we hear the wind blowing and candles have been lit, pancakes baked and now the stew is in the pot slow cooking. Probably we are preparing mentally for the winter as it's almost officially there (says the icelandic calendar) and we can't think of no better way than going to the country. Undeniably it's kind of christmassy and Kaja wanted some pepperkager to get the feeling. As we have a tiny bit of white snow, it's november soon and getting really dark – we will welcome the season till Christmas with all it's togetherness, fairy lights, holiday food and drink. More photos below if you click the Read more button.
– Read more for more photos –
Photos Gunnar / Home and Delicious


text:
|(H&M bomber jacket :: Aritzia sweater :: Zara skirt :: Madewell clutch ::
Topshop boots :: House of Harlow sunglasses)
I love routing through your closet and finding a gem you haven't worn in ages. I last wore this jacket when I first bought it in Paris, and now looking back, I then also styled it with a POP of colour, seen here. The clash of colour within the jacket lends itself beautifully to be combined alongside a mix of other bright colours. It gives me a fuzzy feeling when colours, and items of clothing that shouldn't blend well, complete the perfect outfit. And for me this outfit does just that.
Don't be afraid to mix bold colours and fabrics, because I find that no matter how much they clash, they in most circumstances will compliment each other. Here you can see how the pony-fur of the clutch helps the maroon suede of the boots POP!


text:
Today I attended the formal opening celebration for the Multiplicity exhibit at the Ontario Crafts Council featuring the works of Allan Bell, Karli Sears, Vivienne Jones, Carolynn Bloomer, and Valerie Knapp
Hamish Kippen was a gifted young photographer taken early in life as a casualty of his personal battle with depression. This exhibit of his work was put on by a friend Peter Miniaci in Hamish's honor, with Hamish's parents in attendance. The exhibit at Cafe Cream Tangerine will continue to show the exhibit throughout October.
Sunny likes to capture body language. She started by taking pictures of models … taking about fifty pictures of each. Then she'd base her painting on the three or four that were somehow the most the most compelling. She found that inevitably her work conveyed some core element of the model's personality solely through of her sensitivity to the model's body language.
Alexandre will open the unique works in his studio to public viewing during the hours of the Nuit Blanche art festival. Located in the heart of the festival zone, he did not register so his studio won't be listed on the official festival program guide. I asked whether, despite him being a recognized artist of some acclaim, that operating on the periphery of the festival made him an outlaw. "The artist is always an outlaw" he answered.
Copyright © 2019 Wanderings. Andy E Williams - All Rights Reserved


text:
2018: Day One
As 2017 fades and 2018 rises and old events and new swirl around us; elections, scandals, threats, deaths, births, all things negative and positive; all things real. I pause to think where and why I fit in. Am I merely one hairless ape among billions? Here only by happenstance of two people copulating? Do I have a purpose or at least a self-defined goal in life?
In all likelihood I have about 20-30 years left on this planet barring any accident or tragedy or scientific breakthrough. Am I being self-centered in thinking about my own mortality? Surely at this very moment, someone else is gasping their last breath. What about them?
There are so many things I wish I could have done before I leave. There are so many things I have done before I leave. The relationships; my wife, my daughter, my grandson and all the family with them. They fulfill my life, yet time doesn't seem long enough. I am willing to remain here hundreds of years as long as I wasn't suffering in body or mind.
2018 is day one for my focus that time is ticking. Every action should serve a purpose. No more coddling or placating fake friends. It is time for us all to grow into tomorrow and I have no time for those adults who want to remain infants. It is time to see the next year and the next. It is time to live instead of just exist.


text:
Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing
I am currently a senior majoring in Retailing and Consumer Sciences while minoring in e-commerce. I hold the position of Social Media Manager for the Terry J. Lundgren Center For Retailing at the University of Arizona, where I am responsible for creating social media platforms that not only enhance our brand but also educate the world about retail trends. I am what you call a Retail Enthusiast, I am intrigued by the way the retail industry is evolving and what it has to offer. In my free time, I enjoy the outdoors, yoga, good music, and good company.


text:
BRISTOL - The Bristol Blues did everything they could to stage a late rally Sunday afternoon, it just proved to be too little, too late.
The Blues scored the final three runs of the first game of their doubleheader against the Worcester Bravehearts, but fell 5-3 at Muzzy Field. The second game was also a loss for Bristol, a 10-6 defeat.
Down 5-0 at the start of the fifth inning in Game 1, the Blues managed to score twice. Matthew Bonvicini provided the first run with a double that brought home Richard Brereton. He later scored on a single from Jeremy Sagun.
Bristol scored again in the bottom of the seventh when Ian Ostberg singled to bring in Bonvicini. But Alex Loparco grounded out to first with the bases loaded to end the game.
Ostberg, Bonvicini and Sagun led the Blues with two hits each.
It was the top of the fifth, however, that ultimately cost the Blues. The Bravehearts scored four times in the frame, three of which were unearned.
Michael Dellicarri reached on an error by Ostberg, allowing Mariano Ricciardi to touch home. Edward Haus then hit a sacrifice fly two batters later to make the score 3-0. A Dustin Harris single two pitches later brought in two more.
Michael DeLease picked up the loss for the Blues. He gave up all five runs in 4.2 innings on seven hits. Of those five runs, only two were earned. He also struck out three and walked two.


text:
I've got a thing for big guys. "Big" as in tall and a bit broad. I'm pretty shrimpy, so I'm sure I'm compensating. My husband is 6'5″, 6'6″, 6'7″ (depending on which form of identification you look at) so it all balances out.
There's just something really sexy about being physically picked up and carried off for some fun. When I was in college, I briefly dated a guy who was about my height, and I suppose not much heavier than me. I'm 5'2″. I just…well. I don't know. He was cute. He was really cute, but the cavewoman in me had to throw him back. I think I saw him years later and he was working as a police officer. So, he was certainly fit enough, but jut didn't ring my bells.
When I see a big guy, I think "VERILE!" and I get all giggly. That's why most of my male protagonists tend to be tall and athletic even if American men tend to average 5'10".
Nora, in My Nora (coming Monday), is a small-framed woman with an attitude that makes up for her size. Her love interest, Matt, is a big dude: around six and a half feet tall and over two hundred pounds. He's powerful, but, uh…flexible. He's not the typical oaf.
What can I say? I like what I like. Blame it on the estrogen. Here's a bit of Matt in action.
Matt looked down into her piercing gaze and ground his teeth to fight off the smirk that was his longtime nervous tic. It wouldn't do for her to think he was off his rocker during their first encounter. He didn't even know her name and she'd lived on that property for several weeks.
"Mr. Vogel, did you hear anything I just said?"
Matt nodded slowly. "Yep. I heard you. No guns."
"Good. I'm glad we understand each other."
Oh, he understood her. "So, crossbows are okay? I'm not such a great shot with bow and arrow but my little sister has crackerjack aim."
She just blinked those big brown eyes at him.
"Okay, so that's 'no,' I'm guessin'." He let a broad smile soften his face, hoping it'd put her at ease.
The very corners of her luscious lips twitched. That smile always worked on the ladies, but she was fighting hard.
She squinted at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "You guess right."
"Okay, Miss … well, you have me at the disadvantage here. I don't even know your name."
He waited for her to offer her first name, but when she just stood there glaring up at him with her lips pressed tightly together, he gave up on it. "Miss Fredrickson —"
Matt looked down at her ring finger and found it empty. "Okay. Ms. Fredrickson, our parcel of land abuts yours on the back border. We can try to stay on our side of the property line, but sometimes when you're stalking a buck you lose track of where are. If you could just give us permission to hunt over here, we'll try not to abuse it."
"You'd better do more than just try to stay off my property, Mr. Vogel," she hissed, eyes going to narrow slits and voice dropping about half an octave.
Matt thought the woman seemed extremely uptight and that he could probably fix that little problem for her with a couple of hours and a soft bed. Hell, he could probably do without the bed. It'd been a long time. He was a big guy. They could probably do it standing with no sweat off his back. He thought she looked like a screamer and chuckled at the thought.
"Mr. Vogel?" she pressed, looking annoyed now.
"Do we have an understanding?"
"Oh. Sure thing," he said, smiling wider so his dimples showed.
She didn't look convinced, but unclenched her jaw and unfolded her arms all the same. "I imagine I don't need to show you the way out, then."
"No, ma'am. I can find my way to the road plenty by myself."
"Have at it then."
"All right," Matt said in a singsong voice, crossing through the open doors into the late-day sunshine and clasping his large hands behind his back. "Just holler if you fall again and need some help getting up," he called back, chuckling while his new quarry fumed.
So how 'bout you? Do you like your heroes to fit a certain physical archetype? Does they match your real-life preferences?


text:
Here at All-Things-Aviation.com we understand that one of the more important things we do is to ship your purchases to you as quickly as possible. Your complete and total satisfaction is what drives everyone on our team.
All of our products are shipped to you as soon as possible, usually the same business day if your order is received by us before 2:30pm EDT. In all cases we strive to ship your product to you within 1 business day, but sometimes it make take 2-3 business days when we are extremely busy.
All domestic US shipments are FREE and we use USPS Priority Mail service to deliver your product to you as quickly as possible. Will always email you your USPS tracking number as soon as our shipping department provides it to us, typically the day following shipment.
All non-US shipments are a flat $ 30 USD and are provided through either USPS Express Mail International or FedEx, depending upon the country we are shipping to. Again, once we receive the tracking information from our shipping department we will email it to you.
NOTE: If this is an international order the following conditions apply:
- All International purchases MUST include their telephone number;
- All duties and taxes incurred are the responsibility of the Customer and are payable upon receipt of the goods;
- Goods can NOT be shipped as a "Gift"
For multiple purchases we will combine shipping to reduce the cost to you.
If you have any questions, or need any further information, please use our Contact Us page.
the staff at John Michael Enterprises, LLC


text:
I have a personal dislike for thickly sliced bread but I have a greater dislike for being told what type of bread I should be eating. This week, the House of Lords is debating the issue allegedly because thicker slices of bread contribute to the obesity crisis that Britain is facing. That Britain has an obesity problem, or is developing one, is not under dispute. To argue that thickly sliced bread has a role to play in this crisis is, however, a less plausible claim. The discussion being undertaken by the House of Lords is not entirely clear. Baroness Gardner, who has initiated the debate, also believes that thickly sliced bread ought not to be banned because it is "good as toast". Perhaps the argument is merely to discourage rather than to ban thickly sliced bread but regardless of the details of the "bread" debate, there is a bigger moral question that it raises: How closely should the government be controlling what we eat?
Even if it were morally appropriate for the Government to control our diet, it is not clear what the current debate is meant to achieve. If the House of Lords genuinely believes, rightly or wrongly, that thickly sliced bread is a threat to the country's health, then it ought to have it banned. But the debate is unwilling to go this far because Baroness Gardner believes that thickly sliced bread has its place in the form of toast. How toasting the bread will help alleviate the perceived threat of obesity is, once again, unclear. Moreover, if she is unwilling to have it banned, how does she plan to regulate its use? Regardless of the moral issues surrounding this proposal, it is going to be impossible to ensure that people who buy thickly sliced bread use it for toast only and not for sandwiches or anything else.
There is no reason why the House of Lords should argue that thickly sliced bread is a problem anyway because obesity depends on our lifestyles and not on how bread is sliced. Say, for example, that sliced bread were to be reduced to half its current thickness, we would still not alleviate the obesity problem because it is likely that people would just eat twice the number of slices that they do at present. Regardless of the practical problems in implementing such a proposal, the Government ought not to be interfering in our diets to such an extent. It is one thing to advise us on what to eat; it is quite another matter to regulate it or restrict our choices by making certain foods unavailable. Government advice on how much fruit and vegetables to eat, information on a balanced diet, on salt and sugar levels in food, etc. is appropriate and valuable as long as it remains within the realm of information and does not become instruction.
Restricting choice, while appropriate for children's foods, is wrong in the case of adults. For the Government to require that foods that are detrimental to children's health be banned or improved is appropriate because children are not able to make informed choices with regard to their health needs. It is also right that the Government has worked towards banning the use of cartoon characters on packaging that makes certain sugary foods more attractive to children. (For a more extensive debate on this topic, read our article of 25 August 2007 titled "Protecting the Vulnerable Consumer: The Moral Obligations of Manufacturers Towards Public Health".) But, on the whole, adults ought to be able to choose what to eat because we know that even so called "unhealthy" foods are unlikely to cause harm if eaten once in a while.
Avoiding obesity is about observing a balanced diet and one that is appropriate to one's health needs. In order to help adults achieve this, the Government ought to ensure that we are able to make informed choices. This requires more than just allowing us to choose what to eat. The Government ought to regulate manufacturers to ensure that nutritional information is listed in a uniform and accessible manner. Nutritional information ought to do more than just tick a few legal boxes that require that it be present; it ought to genuinely provide the consumer with information. Nutritional information sometimes suffers from the same problem as does pricing information. When determining whether it is cheaper to buy a 500gms packet of a certain product or a one kg packet of the same, some of the pricing information is listed per 100gms and some, per kg. If we do not notice these differences and are unable to calculate the price in the unit that we require, we may well end up paying more than we would like for a certain product. The same holds true for nutritional information. Sometimes, it is listed as per portion, at other times, per 100gms or per product.
The Government also ought to regulate products that claim to be healthy. One of the episodes in Greg Wallace's series of programmes this week "What's Really in Our Food" on BBC One uncovered some of the problems with food products that are labelled "healthy". Many of these products are packaged foods and it emerged that if one were to live on a diet of packaged and tinned foods, then it would be healthier, although not necessarily healthy, to consume from ranges that call themselves healthy. But these processed foods are by no means healthier than fresh ones. Its just that the "healthy" ranges of processed foods are better than the regular ranges of the same foods. The programme also highlighted how some manufacturers claim to have reduced the fat content of certain foods. This claim per se is probably true in most cases but what is also true and yet not always noticeable is that the portion sizes have also been reduced. If one is hungry and eats an extra portion or has to supplement a meal with other food, the purpose of making the original food product lower in fat than it previously was is lost.
The Government has a central role to play in what we should eat. But this role should be confined to regulating the manufacturers so that they do not mislead us but provide us with the information we need to be able to make informed choices about our individual diets. Any involvement beyond this would undermine our freedom of choice. And if the Government is going to regulate what we do at the breakfast table, who knows how many of our other choices will be restricted by the time we go to bed.


text:
Every marketing savvy business needs a website. It's no longer a question. It's become a standard. A recent survey states that consumers don't even trust businesses without them. The creates a dilemma for businesses that don't have a big budget. How are you supposed to meet that standard?
To people knowledgeable in coding, setting up a site could be a simple task. If this is you there's one question to ask – is it worth your time? If you're running a business, setting up marketing and controlling day-to-day processes, do you really want to add programming to that daily to-do list?
If the answer is no there are platforms like Weebly that make life much easier. It's a website building platform for busy professionals that take the stress out of the task. So, which would you choose to use? If you aren't sure, let's way some pros and cons for each.
Weeby, the everyman's platform
If you're not interested in doing a ton of setup or any coding at all Weebly is where you need to be. If there was a spectrum of difficult for website setup, Weebly would be on the opposite of hard-coding right after not making a website at all.
The platform is drag-and-drop, borderline plug-and-play once you enter your information and managed by an in-house team with 24/7 tech support. There are other platforms out there, but Weebly is far and away the easiest and has a proven track record as such.
If you don't like the design options you see on their menu there are individuals and teams that can take care of that. If you're curious, check out Weebly Themes & Templates Discounted. Also, the setup with the URL and hosting are simple if bought in-house.
With all of the ease of use comes a downside of course. Weebly is simple, painfully so if you're the type that demands a high level of customization. If you want a feature and they don't provide it on the platform you may be out of luck.
This can range from mildly frustrating to downright infuriating if that feature is needed for your business. Fortunately, the dev team is constantly working and they're on the ready for questions and suggestions about how they can improve.
Hard-coding, definitely worth the effort, but not for the faint of heart


text:
Server: KOPWWW05
Not logged in
It turns out the chairperson of the committee that would hear the bill and recommend it for debate is a physician. The person behind her is also a physician. So far they have been turning a deaf ear to the problem. It's no better in the senate where the committee chairperson is married to a physician. That sounds a lot like conflict of interest to me but apparently it isn't. Neither chairperson has done anything with the bills. It isn't expected either will even make it to the floor for debate. There has been some debate. A compromise was offered. I will paraphrase what it said. They will allow PTs to treat patients without referral who they've seen in the last 2 years from the same physician for the same diagnosis provided the physician is notified the patient is seeking treatment. I don't see much compromise in that.
One reason this is happening is because there hasn't been much support forthcoming from the rest of us. The representatives and senators aren't getting tons of emails and faxes in support of the change. Every week some therapists travel to Austin (the state capitol) but have yet to see anyone plead our case. Now I'm asking myself if physical therapists, as a profession, really want to have direct access. It doesn't seem to be getting grass root support. There are some very dedicated people working on this but it will take more than that. But no one else seems to be making the effort. Why is that happening? As a rule, PTs aren't passive people. We're all busy, but sending emails don't take that long, especially if you already have the addresses. Maybe we, as a whole, just don't care.
I did a mini poll today at work. None of the PTs I spoke with had a clear idea of what direct access means. Everyone said practice without referral but no one could really describe what that means. Some told me it only applies to those practicing in OP settings. That's true to a point. If you read Vision 2020, it sounds like they want direct access in all settings, hospitals, SNFs and OP clinics. I also discovered no one had thought about how patients would know what PTs do and when it's appropriate to seek our treatment. Accomplishing that will require a nationwide push of education and probably several years of effort.
I'm think there are two issues for this. On one hand, those that want direct access are willing to sit back and let someone else do the work. Simply saying I want direct access isn't enough. We can't sit back and let someone else get this done. It's going to take a group effort. The second issue is lack of understanding of what direct access is. I think these are the "old school" therapists who don't see the need to change a system that is working. On one hand, these PTs might agree direct access is a good thing but they haven't bought into the need to have it and probably never will. I know PTs that fall into this category. They're good therapists. They've kept up their skills. They just don't see the need to do anything differently. There is a subset of both of these groups composed of those who oppose the DPT. To them you only need a DPT if you're going to have direct access. So if there isn't direct access, why have a DPT? I'm going to skip that can of worms this time.
If we want direct access now is the time to jump in with support. If you want it, send an email. Explain to others what direct access means and why it's important. Vision 2020 may be too optimistic but we have to start somewhere. This isn't going to happen quickly. Based on what I've heard when working in different locations, I think the APTA might be better off focusing on educating practicing therapists about what direct access means to them and eliciting their support. Then we should put the push on congress. I've come to this realization slowly. Now that I have, I will be sending emails when requested. I'll support the effort as much as I can. It isn't much, but it's a start.


text:
Books, teachers and podcasts that inform my teaching.
Restorative Yoga
Relax and Renew by Judith Hanson Lasater
Yoga for Emotional Balance by Bo Forbes
Yoga philosophy
The Inner Tradition of Yoga by Michael Stone
Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton
Bringing Yoga to Life by Donna Farhi
teaching yoga
Teaching Yoga: Exploring the Teacher-Student Relationship by Donna Farhi
The Breathing Book: Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work by Donna Farhi
The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer
developing a Personal Practice
Yoga, Mind, Body, Spirit: A Return to Wholeness by Donna Farhi
The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T.K.V. Desikachar
Meditation for the Love of It by Sally Kempton
Yoga sutras
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali translated by Chip Hartranft
Threads of Yoga by Matthew Remski
The Wisdom of Yoga by Stephen Cope
The Secret Power of Yoga: A Women's Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras by Nischala Joy Devi
Yoga podcasts
unrolled: yoga, meditation and other shenanigans
Chitheads - Embodied Philosophy
The Connected Yoga Teacher | A Community for Yoga Entrepreneurs with Shannon Crow
Free Cookies with Kathryn Budig and Kate Fagan
Livia Cohen-Shapiro - Applied Psychology for Yogis
Gina Caputo - Yogini on the Loose
Christina Sell - Live the Light of Yoga
Bo Forbes - Yoga as Mind-Body Medicine
Susanna Harwood Rubin - Yoga. Art. Writing.


text:
Servicios Personalizados
Links relacionados
- Citado por Google
- Similares en Google
Old Testament Essays
versión On-line ISSN 2312-3621
versión impresa ISSN 1010-9919
Old testam. essays vol.24 no.3 Pretoria 2011
"Peace" (שלום)-its prerequisite and promise: A poetic analysis and an application of Psalm 85 to Africa
Ernst Wendland
University of Stellenbosch
Psalm 85 gives utterance to a communal appeal to Yahweh for restoration and blessing ("peace/well-being"). It is a passionate prayer that is based on both the Lord's past gracious dealings with his people and also their own present commitment to remain "faithful" to Yahweh's covenant principles as expressed in their "righteous" behavior. Thus, the blessed promise of "peace" carries with it a divinely established prerequisite, namely, a life-style that is truly in keeping with what the Lord desires for his saints. The admirable manner in which this psalm has been composed in terms of its style and structure serves to highlight the main themes and purpose of its powerful lyric message. As we examine the text of Ps 85 more carefully in this study, it will become readily apparent that the "psalm of/for the sons of Korah" (לבני־קךח מזמך-: v. 1, Heb.) has much of importance to say also to the members of God's contemporary Church, no matter where they may live in the world. However, the notion of "peace" strikes an especially resonant chord in the hearts of all those who live in the continent of Africa. The sense and significance of this psalm is such that it encourages us to seek more dynamic ways of communicating its message of peace via diverse modes and media of transmission today.
"Full text available only in PDF format"
Coetzee, Johan H. "Psalm 85: Yearning for the Restoration of the Whole Body." Old Testament Essays 22/3 (2009): 554-563. [ Links ]
Goldingay, John. Psalms 42-89. Vol. 2 of Psalms. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007. [ Links ]
Leiter, David A. Neglected Voices: Peace in the Old Testament. Scottsdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2007. [ Links ]
Mays, James L. Psalms. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1994. [ Links ]
News24. "10 Commandments for Zambia." No Pages. Cited 25/09/2011. Online: http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/10-Commandments-for-Zambia-20110925. [ Links ]
Njoroge, John M. Apologetics: Why Your Church Needs It. Norcross, Ga.: RZIM Publishing, 2009. [ Links ]
Okorocha, Cyril. "Psalms." Pages 607-746 in Africa Bible Commentary. Edited by Tokunboh Adeyemo. Nairobi: Zondervan/Word Alive, 2006. [ Links ]
Tate, Marvin. Psalms 51-100 (Word Biblical Commentary 20; Dallas: Word Books), 1990. [ Links ]
Terrien, Samuel. The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003. [ Links ]
Van Gemeren, Willem A. "Psalms." Pages 3-880 in The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Vol. 5. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991, 3-880. [ Links ]
Weiser, Arthur. The Psalms: A Commentary. Translated by Herbert Hartwell. Old Testament Library. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1962. [ Links ]
Wendland, Ernst R. Translating the Literature of Scripture. Dallas: SIL International, 2004. [ Links ]
Dr. Ernst Wendland
Lutheran Seminary
P. O. Box 310091, Lusaka 15301
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Led Kaapana Interview - Part 1
Since the City of Prescott acquired the Elks Opera House a few years ago, many attempts have been made to book interesting musicians into the venue. Some passionate fans of unique artists or musical styles have well, not lost their shirts, but certainly did not become well rewarded for taking the risk of ponying up seed money for the event. Are we learning anything about what will and won't work in Prescott? Has the population grown large enough to support off-beat music concerts larger than a restraurant or bar's stage? Weeeelll . . . we have another opportunity to find out.
A local businessman is bringing in legendary Hawaiian Slack Key Guitarist Led Ka'apana for the only Arizona stop on his current U.S. tour. Are local guitar fans, Hawaiian expatriots, adventurous daters and afficanados of the mellow musical style going to come out in numbers large enough to make the night a success? We'll know on Thursday, April 24th at 7pm.
In this episode, Led explains what Slack Key guitar playing is and talks about growing up around music playing folk in a tiny black sand fishing village.
Share | Download


text:
Who We Are
Our Story
We wanted to work at a business immigration law firm that focused on the quality of the work we could offer our clients. So we started our own.
When we started TSM nearly two decades ago, we had a few ideas in mind. Build the culture of a specialty law firm. Hire attorneys capable of thinking out of the box. Take on a manageable caseload for clients we admire and whose values we share. Deliver the quality of service our clients expect and foreign nationals require. Stay nimble so we can adapt and mobilize on behalf of changing client needs. Today we've grown to a company with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and London that provides a full range of immigration services, including business immigration, global service, and worksite and corporate compliance expertise.
Our Culture and Values
At TSM, we don't just file visa applications. We provide strategic thinking and deliver long-term immigration planning designed to meet our client's needs. Instead of an opaque process, we establish clear communications and individual attention so clients know their immigration matters are handled with care. We have built a culture of respect and collegiality, staffed with people who know what's at stake with every case they take on: the chance to provide opportunity.
We're Here to Help
Today, the demand for global talent is hugely competitive. We believe the ability to recruit the best, most talented people from around the world drives business growth and innovation on the international stage. On behalf of our clients—from startups to multinational organizations—we act as creative problem-solvers with the mindset of an entrepreneur. We are here to help their business grow by finding the talent they need.
A Track Record of Accomplishments
Alan Tafapolsky
Alan Tafapolsky is a co-founder of Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP and the Managing Partner of the firm's San Francisco office. Alan Tafapolsky started his immigration law career in Washington D.C. at in immigration boutique where he cut his teeth on a wide array of matters including asylum, family, deportation, and business-related matters. In 1995, Alan relocated to San Francisco and worked for the next five years as an Associate and Senior Associate lawyer at Cooley LLP where his practice focused on representing foreign nationals in emerging companies.
Full Bio »
J. Anthony Smith (Tony)
J. Anthony Smith (Tony) is a co-founder of Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP and the Managing Partner of the firm's Los Angeles office. Drawing on more than 25 years' experience representing multinational businesses, financial institutions and technology companies, Tony's practice focuses on the representation of multinational and start-up companies in employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant matters before the USCIS, Department of Labor and Department of State.
Full Bio »
Sharon Mehlman
Sharon Mehlman is a Partner with Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP and the Managing Partner of the firm's San Diego office. Sharon is an outside-the-box legal theorist, bringing innovation and strategy into her immigration practice based on her vast experience across the many nuances of business immigration law. Sharon enjoys the challenge of practicing in an area of law that is constantly changing.
Full Bio »
John C. Lemacks, II
John C. Lemacks, II is a Partner at Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP in the firm's Los Angeles office. John has more than 16 years of experience representing multinational corporations and individuals in all aspects of U.S. immigration and nationality law.
Full Bio »
Roland C. Lechner
Roland C. Lechner is a Partner at Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP, managing the firm's Global Immigration Practice. For the past 13 years, Roland has represented businesses, ranging from start-ups to multinational companies and across a broad array of industries, in global immigration matters.
Full Bio »
The Team
Juli A. Gammon
Juli A. Gammon is a Senior Associate in the San Francisco office of TSM. Juli practices immigration law because she believes that the United States is a stronger, better place when including diverse ideas and peoples. She traces her own ancestors to the American Revolution.
Full Bio »
Marc Mehlman
Marc Mehlman is the Client Services Manager at Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP in the San Diego office. Marc spends most of his time as a legal researcher and case writer for O-1 and EB-1 Extraordinary Ability and Outstanding Researcher cases.
Full Bio »
John Vincent P. Ocampo ("JV")
As data manager and senior paralegal, John Vincent P. Ocampo ("JV") oversees case management and database compliance for the firm to optimize client services and to ensure that the office runs efficiently. He prepares and analyzes case management and other related reports to coordinate case assignments for the paralegal staff and manage workflow. He also coordinates orientations for new hires; provides guidance and support to legal assistants and junior paralegals; and supervises, mentors, and evaluates administrative staff.
Full Bio »
Ron Wada
Ron Wada is Senior Counsel in Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman's San Francisco office. Ron has over 20 years of experience in preparing immigrant visa petitions for first preference extraordinary ability, outstanding researcher/professor, and multinational manager and executive categories as well as the second preference national interest waiver category, and the nonimmigrant O-1 visa category for individuals with extraordinary ability.
Full Bio »
Lisa Atkins
Lisa Atkins is an Associate in the San Francisco office of TSM. Ms. Atkins represents clients in both U.S. and global mobility related immigration law matters. She provides strategic advice related to global immigration policies and best practices and facilitates the mobility of executives, managers, specialized knowledge and professional workers across the globe and inbound into the United States.
Full Bio »
Teodora D. Purcell
Teodora D. Purcell is a Senior Associate in the San Diego office of TSM. Teodora has experience in all facets of immigration law and is a Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law, certified by the State Bar of California. Teodora counsels clients on global mobility and business immigration issues and represents companies in a broad array of industries, as well as foreign entrepreneurs and investors.
Full Bio »
Mailine Wong
Mailine Wong is an Associate in the San Francisco office of TSM. Mailine has practiced law for over 20 years. She is a native San Franciscan and joined the San Francisco office of TSM in 2010. At age eight, she learned her father had immigrated to the United States as a "Paper Son" and she helped her monolingual mother study English and Civics so that her mother could become a U.S. citizen.
Full Bio »
Steve H. Kim
Steve H. Kim is an Associate at Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP in the firm's Los Angeles office. Steve represents multinational businesses and technology companies as well as small startup and mid-sized companies.
Full Bio »
Sandra Garsele
As firm administrator Sandra Garsele is responsible for managing and leading accounting and finance, human resources, marketing and business administration functions of the firm. Sandra and her team support TSM with a focus on internal operations and external client focus.
Full Bio »
Lesley Pitson
As data manager and senior paralegal, Lesley Pitson adds a unique blend of technical and legal skills to the team at TSM. She oversees data quality and reporting for clients along with providing stellar service while strategizing, drafting, and preparing a variety of complex immigration cases.
Full Bio »
Claire Hamano
Claire Hamano is a Senior Associate at TSM. She currently represents multinational and start-up companies in employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant matters before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Labor, and Department of State.
Full Bio »
Nicole M. Richard
Nicole M. Richard is a Senior Associate in Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman's San Diego office. Nicole has 13 years' experience working in the business immigration field and has practiced immigration law for top law firms in San Diego and San Francisco.
Full Bio »
Carrie L. Beers
Carrie has extensive experience providing immigration counsel to a wide variety of companies in employment-based temporary and permanent visa classifications. She has represented corporate clients in a variety of industries, ranging from multinational Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, specializing in assisting and advising clients in developing company-specific immigration policies.
Full Bio »
Kimberly C. Nguyen
Kimberly C. Nguyen is an Associate Attorney at Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP. She represents national and multinational corporate clients in the full spectrum of employment-based immigration matters, including nonimmigrant and immigrant visa petitions. Her clients include large Fortune 500 companies and small family-owned businesses.
Full Bio »


text:
Using a chainsaw to cut wood is an essential part of maintaining a homestead and providing your home with an alternative heating fuel source. Both of the aforementioned are integral parts of the Full Spectrum Preparedness Doctrine. Whether you are an experienced chainsaw user, or a novice starting out, any time of year is a good time to cut wood. In my book, now is the best time, though. Late fall is upon us, and we've had our first hard freeze. This is for a variety of reasons:
With this in mind, here are Prepography's:
1) Select a model that is dependable , that you can handle, and is the right size for what you are cutting.
Chainsaws come in a variety of sizes, from a number of manufacturers. Like anything else you buy, "you get what you pay for". There are some inexpensive reliable models, as well as some more expensive unreliable ones. Consumer reviews are great at helping you decide which one is best quality and best suited to your needs. Chainsaws range from small electric models with 12 inch bar blades, suitable only for cutting small limbs, to huge industrial ones with large bow blades used for lumberjacking. A novice would not want to start with one of the latter, as it would be too unwieldy for them. Conversely, they may find the smaller one incapable of doing what they want. As a rule of thumb, you should be able to comfortably lift the chainsaw, and the blade should be about 1/4 to 1/3rd larger than what you want to cut. Engine power and size, known as HP and displacement, are usually dependent on the blade size, and are matched at the factory. The biggest reason all this is important is safety. When using a chainsaw, use the proper tool for the proper job.
2) Get familiar with your chainsaw.
Before you even start your chainsaw, read the operators manual. Book learn the tool and its operation. Know how to maintain it. Learn proper safety precautions for using a chainsaw. Thanks to the internet, there are videos, and online courses you can watch. Your local chainsaw dealer, or big box DYI store might even offer training courses as well. Lacking all this, find someone with experience to teach you. Even if you are an experienced chainsaw user, it is good to periodically review the manual; lest you become complacent or forget something.
3) Do a maintenance and safety check on your chainsaw.
Before using a chainsaw, check to ensure everything is in proper working order. Check all the fluid levels, and ensure that you are using the proper ones. Chainsaws use a special mix of small engine oil and gas. There is also specially weighted oil for use in small engines. Using improper fuel and oil will cause damage to your chainsaw. In addition to the fluids, make sure everything is mechanically good on your chainsaw. Ensure nuts and bolts are tight. Ensure the chain is fitted properly and sharp. Not only is all this important for the long life of the chainsaw, but safety as well. Once you've done all the above, fire up your chainsaw and make sure it runs properly. Be sure to always use two hands when operating your chainsaw.
4) Starting your chainsaw.
The proper methods of starting your chainsaw is as follows:
5) Suiting up and safety gear.
When operating your chainsaw, be sure you have the proper safety clothing and gear. At a bare minimum, you should have proper heavy-duty outdoor work attire, safety gloves, safety glasses/goggles, and hearing protection. Additionally, you could wear a leather apron and chaps to protect your torso and legs. A safety helmet and face shield also improves safety. Other gear that improves safety are straps or chains with a come-a-long, for securing things being cut and a maul and wedges in case your blade gets bound in a cut.
6) Know your cuts.
|There are four basiccutsthatare made with a chainsaw. The cuts are:
Each of these have considerations addressed. Where will the cut piece will fall? Are there any obstruction, like power lines, buildings and vehicles. What is the proper length I need to cut the wood in for transport and usage? These are some of the more prominent questions that need to be asked. You may come up with others, each time you cut wood.
|Beware of Kickback When making Your Cuts: This occurs when the blade of the chainsaw catches, comes to a sudden stop and throws back toward the operator. Most of the time this happens when the upper tip of the cutting bar gets in to the cut. So, avoid getting this part of the blade into the cut if possible. Having a firm grip on your chainsaw, a firm stance, and a stable location will help in the event of a kickback.
7) Inspect the area and have a plan.
After you've taken your properly working chainsaw in to the field and before you make your first cut, have a plan. Inspect the area you will be working in and what you will be cutting any hazards you should know about. Hidden barbed wire, rocks, or other obstructions could cause you to trip, with a running chainsaw. Or, they can be embedded in the tree you are cutting; hitting which can ruin you chainsaw and/or cause you injury. If felling a tree, look for lean, excess growth, or obstructions. All of these could cause the tree to fall an unexpected direction. If cutting a fallen tree, or limbs, check to see how they are laying. Make sure that when you cut a limb, the whole thing won't shift, because you've just taken a support out from underneath it.
8) Begin cutting you wood.
Once you've done all the above, you are ready to start cutting. Here are some safety tips for chainsaw use from the US Forestry Service: