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Live audio recording of lessons and sermon (if viewing in an email, click through to the website to listen to the audio recording):
Sermon Text: Mark 5:21-24a, 35-43
Date: July 4 & 5, 2015
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B
Mark 5:21–24 (NIV84)
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him…
While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
"Don't Be Afraid; Just Believe."
1. Trust your prayers are heard
2. Trust your prayers are answered
If we understand "faith" and "belief" as simply "trust," we recognize very clearly that faith and belief must have an object. There must be something that we trust. We cannot simply trust in fantasize and assume that our faith will bring them into reality. We can't will something that is fiction to be true; we can't make something impossible happen by simply wanting it to happen. But, if our faith trusts in the God who can make the impossible happen, then the impossible is no longer impossible.
In our Gospel this morning we have the account of Jairus a man who helped govern one of the synagogues in Galiliee. Synagogues were like "little temples" that sprang up around the world during the 400 or so years in-between the Old and New Testaments. The Jewish people were undergoing something known as the diaspora, that is, they were no longer localized in the Promised Land nor centered around Jerusalem. There were significant Jewish populations in most major cities around the world at Jesus' time, and these synagogues allowed the Jewish people to worship regularly even when they weren't in close proximity to the Temple in Jerusalem.
We don't really know anything about Jairus other than what we're told here, and we don't need to know anything else. We was a dedicated Jewish believer and a loving Father who was looking for help in solving his daughter's illness that seemed like it was going to result in death.
As a leader of a synagogue, undoubtedly this man would have had contact with some of the Pharisees and Scribes who had clearly set themselves against Jesus. He would've heard all the rumblings about Jesus. He would've heard the accusations that he was in league with the devil. He would've heard that Jesus was a scam, a fraud, a trickster. When the time is ticking away very quickly for the daughter he loved so much he's not going to waste time with someone or something that couldn't help. In the few hours he had left he was going to find a solution that would work. He would've heard a seemingly unending stream of bad (and clearly false) information about Jesus that would've painted speaking to Jesus as a waste of time, and yet still he comes.
And what would this mean for this man's future and career? He was clearly picking a side in a debate that was gaining more and more steam every day. Whether Jesus was able to or willing to do anything to help his daughter or not, merely asking him for his help probably put his entire line of work in jeopardy. And yet, career on the line, still he comes. He comes to the crowd by the lake with trust that Jesus will listen to his request: "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live."
Do you pray to a fraud? Do you pray to a scam? There are plenty of people more than willing to tell you that you do. "Why do you waste your time with church?" they ask. In an era where atheism and worship or self replaces any notion of God more and more, those who legitimately put their trust, their faith, in what God has said and done are laughed at, ridiculed, and thought simple- or closed-minded.
Is there someone listening when you pray? Well, yes, but that wasn't only the case. God makes it clear that sin is like a sound-proof box that surrounds us. When we are in that sealed cell of sin, no sound gets out, no prayers are heard; in sin, we cannot pray to God. In order for God to hear our prayer, sin has to be removed; we have to be set free.
And Jesus, the very one who answers our prayers, was the one to remove that sin. Taking that sin on himself, he sentenced himself to be cut off from being heard by his heavenly Father. As he was on the cross, enduring hell for us, his prayers were not heard which brought about the cry of "Why have you forsaken me?" which, too, fell on deaf ears. Why did the heavenly Father forsake Jesus? Because he was taking your place and my place and the place of every person who has ever lived. The one who had no sin became every sinner, every human being, and was cut off from him.
Because of that, now you and I who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, in whom God has created saving faith, can cry out to God on the day of trouble and know that we will be heard. We don't need to be afraid that we're just crying out into the ether with no one around to hear what we're saying. We're paying to God that can, will, and even wants to listen to our prayers. How do we know that? You don't hand yourself over to death for people you don't care about. We are loved and will always be loved.
After some time dealing with other issues in the crowd, on the way to Jairus' house, the crowd receives some stark, blunt, and sad news. Some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" Jairus knew Jesus was powerful, loving. He knew that he a miracle worker: the healer of the sick and the feeder of the hungry. But death? Death was a totally different animal. He knew Jesus could just lay his hands on the girl and she'd be healed. But how this news must have sunk his heart. He had trusted, he had believed, but now things were over.
Can you even imagine what Jesus' eyes looked like as they met Jairus'? As the eternal God who created us as his children to live forever, met the mortality of this man's little girl head on, did tears perhaps well up in his eyes as he did at other times? Jesus ignored what they said, perhaps he put his hand out to dismiss the well-intentioned messengers and to isolate Jairus from their bad news. He creates a safe place for he and Jairus and he has very simple and direct words to this newly grieving father, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
They reach Jarius' home and the funeral is already in full swing. The people are wailing and crying as they seek to begin to cope with the death of this small child. And let's give the people here some credit for being able to tell the difference between when someone is sleeping and when someone is dead. Let's assume they're able to tell the difference. And undoubtedly, in the tragic case of the death of this little girl they checked, rechecked, and triple checked. She was dead. She was gone. So certain were they of her death that Jesus' mere mention that she was but sleeping elicited laughter from those who moments before had been wailing bitterly. She was dead; she wasn't asleep. But for the almighty God, there is really no difference.
Jesus sends every distraction away and there, with just her mom and dad, Jesus takes the hand of that little girl and says, "My little one, get up." There is no pause, there is no second try, there is no uncomfortable silence while those gathered wait and hope. "Immediately," we're told, "the girl stood up and walked around."
That, my dear brothers and sisters, is the God to whom you pray. That is your Savior who has promised that he will not just hear but answer your as well. Maybe the answers to our prayers are not always what we hope they will be. Sometimes God's answer is, "Yes!" sometimes his answer is, "No," and still other times his answer is, "Actually, I have something better planned for you." Think of Jairus: he came looking for a healing and was given a resurrection.
I read a story this week about a family whose youngest daughter, six years old, was found to have a inoperable tumor in her brain. This type of tumor carries with it a 100% mortality rate. The family is Christian and in their story, while they did not rule out the chance of God opting to work a miracle and save her life, they were clear that they were preparing for what seemed like a logical conclusion to a battle with such a disease.
Will God work a miracle for that little girl? Perhaps. He's certainly able to do just that. But in her illness, and perhaps even in her death, God is working for the good of his people. It's given her dad another opportunity to share his faith with the world. It's given their family an opportunity to refocus their priorities. It's given even that little girl time to be reminded that she is Jesus' little lamb, that when her short life (be it 6 or 90 years) is ended, she will be attended by her Savior's angel host, and ever in her Good Shepherd's arms to rest.
God has the power to do exactly what you need him to do. He also has the wisdom to do exactly what is in your, and everyone else's, eternal best interests. Jairus could never have dreamed that Jesus would raise his little girl from the dead, but Jesus used that to show his immeasurably great power and has allowed it to be a part of why centuries of Christians have put their complete trust, their complete faith, in him as Savior and Protector.
So bring your thanks and praise to God; bring your requests to God. He will hear you; he will answer you. We can't even imagine the good God will work from it all both here and eternally. Amen.


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Trendy Treat
This 24-hour dining area serves the best cuisine from around the world. With a 17 meter waterfall, bridge and landscape surroundings, it is easy to forget that you are inside a hotel but rather transported to a vibrantly serene environment. The multi cuisine restaurant -The Bridge invites you to experience nature like never before.
Reserve Now

subset: commoncrawl


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EMDR with Adults
- Do you suffer from Post traumatic Stress Disorder?
- Do you have negative experiences that haunt you, that you can't seem to get out of your mind?
- Do you find yourself repeating negative thoughts to yourself?
- Do you have a child who has experienced a trauma or still carries a negative impact from an experience?
IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, EMDR therapy may be right for you. I have witnessed the power of this model of healing, since I began practicing it in 1999.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement, Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy approach discovered by Francine Shapiro PhD in 1987. Many neuro-psychologists, psychiatrists and trauma specialists have embraced EMDR as a form of treatment because of its effectiveness. The approach is extremely helpful to people who have experienced trauma and has been used with survivors of Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, the Oklahoma City Bombing, abuse, traumatic losses or accidents and the Vietnam War. It does not have to be a big trauma for EMDR to be helpful, though. Many people have had traumatic experiences. Trauma comes in many shapes and sizes: simple, complex, single, many, continuous, large and small. In all cases EMDR is a useful tool. Many people, who know about EMDR, do not realize that it can also be used for performance enhancement and to heighten positive memories or beliefs. People often want to know how EMDR is different from traditional psychotherapy. In EMDR, the sessions have a structured format, which involves taking a memory and examining it from many different angles: visually, cognitively, emotionally and physically. The client then lets her/his mind process while using bi-lateral (back and forth) stimulation, for example, s/he may move the eyes back and forth or tap from left to right. In this way, desensitization of the negative effects of the targeted memory occurs. In addition, once the memory of the event has become desensitized, positive statements about oneself are installed. In EMDR, the therapist role is to help the client move through the format and to help if s/he becomes stuck.
For more information, contact EMDRIA, the National Organization for EMDR


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- Install Vidalia in your computer. "Vidalia is a cross-platform controller GUI for the Tor software". You need to install the appropriate Vidalia's distribution, depending on your current Operating System (Windows, Linux, Mac).
- Specify the following proxy setting in your preferred BitTorrent client (uTorrent, Azureus, Vuze, Free Download Manager): Proxy address: localhost; Proxy port: 8118.
Please, notice this is a general guideline. It might require slightly variations depending on your OS and BitTorrent client. If you have any questions, write them in the comments section below, and I will do my best to answer ASAP.
That's it! You can now download torrents from within the Rogers network with no restrictions.


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If you haven't heard of Le Magnifique Blog, you should check it out!! Damaris runs the blog and is seriously the sweetest!!! Today, she announced the top 15 photographers of 2013 and I am lucky enough to be one of them!!
Top Photographer on Le Magnifique Blog!
in Personal, Weddings, Engagement


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Fresh Fettuccine with Ricotta, Spring Onions and Fried Duck Egg
This is just pure decadence. Fresh basil fettuccine, creamy ricotta, crispy fried spring onions and a fried duck egg on top. The egg yolk creates a rich sauce for the noodles.. The only thing that would have made it more over-the-top is if I had some black truffle to shave on it.
This dish came about serendipitously. I was visiting a customer in downtown Seattle on Thursday, and finished with just enough time to run into DeLaurenti's at Pike Place Market. There are gastronomical gravitational wells throughout the city that are prone to capture me whenever I wander too close. DeLaurenti's has an intense field that will lure me in from a mile away – especially if I've already found parking!
Whenever I go there, I always come away with fresh ricotta, and a pound of fresh pasta, which they cut to order from large sheets. The noodles have that wonderful elasticity you don't find in the dried, eggless varieties. This week they happened to have a basil flavored option, which was quite tasty. (Don't even get me started about the oak-smoked cheddar I also scored there.)
Then on Friday, our neighborhood farmer's market just reopened, and we made our first pilgrimage of the year. Nearly every stall had big bunches of spring onions, which are simply immature bulbs of any variety of onion. They look like enormous scallions. These particular ones were Vidalias, which are sweet and mild.
And then there was the duck egg. I've been toying with the idea of buying these for years, but never got up the gumption. It is kind of a funny thing, I'm resolutely lacto-ovo vegetarian, and there is no reason a duck egg shouldn't be just as good for me to eat a chicken egg. Still, the idea made me a bit uneasy. Just fear of the unknown I guess. Seeing them at the market, and chatting directly with the farmer who could look me in the eye and tell me that the duck's were happy and wandering about the yard made me feel willing to go for it.
The duck eggs look huge, and weigh about 50% more than a chicken egg. The water content is different so they behave a little differently when scrambled. The whites look a little clearer when raw, but about the same cooked.I didn't detect any really noticeable difference in flavor or richness. My daughter thought that it was hilarious that she could "quack" them. Overall verdict: kind of a non-event. I guess cooking a custard in the shell would be pretty impressive, but otherwise I don't see a whole lot of reason I'd go out of my way to get them again. Anyone want to offer a perspective on what I'm missing?
This dish is totally ingredient driven which is my favorite way to cook. If I ever own a restaurant, I'd like the menu to be mainly daily specials for exactly this reason, so that I can make the most of the best ingredients I can find.
Fresh Fettuccine with Ricotta, Spring Onions and Duck Egg
Vegetarian; not vegan nor gluten-free
Serves 4 as a main course
- 1 pound fresh pasta (basil if you can find it, plain is just fine too)
- 1 bunch spring onions (about 4), trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/4" thick half moons
- 1 pound fresh ricotta (Calabro is a fine brand) – remove from refrigerator when you start cooking
- 4 duck eggs (or chicken eggs)
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional: shaved black truffle, or truffle oil, or truffle salt
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Saute the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter with 1/4 teaspoon of salt over medium heat until the moisture evaporates and they begin to get brown and crispy, about 15 minutes.
- Fry the duck eggs in butter, just like you would a chicken egg. Cover the pan so that some heat reaches the yolk as well. Ideally you get some lacy crispy bits on the edge of the whites. Cook until the white is completely set. (Note well: I like this with a still runny yolk. That is considered risky by food safety experts. You willl have to use your own judgement.)
- Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with butter to coat.
- Divide the pasta among four pre-heated bowls. Top with the ricotta, onions, and the duck egg. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. And that truffle, if using.


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Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
The statewide Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Program prepares transformational K-12 leaders to apply knowledge and inquiry to solving an array of complex problems facing education today. Program participants are part of a statewide learning community collaboratively drawing from theory, research, and experience —all framed within the concepts of justice, equity, and diversity — to improve schools and promote the learning of all children.
The statewide Ed.D. offers boasts several unique features:
Statewide program delivery
Program participants can access courses and work with advisers through all of WSU's campuses (Pullman, Spokane, Vancouver, Tri-Cities). Through careful sequencing of program offerings, participants at all campuses can work in local cohort groups and complete program requirements within a four- to five-year time frame.
A practitioner-scholar approach
Program content combines the best of both worlds—issues important to practicing school leaders and the scholarship that can help to analyze and address these issues. Program faculty blends the strengths of academic scholars and practitioners; while several faculty members are highly successful, experienced administrators, others are highly regarded academic scholars. Both contribute to the central purpose of the program, to prepare practitioner-scholars for leadership for school improvement.
Summer inquiry institutes
To augment the program offerings available at each campus, participants from around the state attend two-week summer institutes on the Pullman campus. These institutes help build a learning community and support network among the statewide cohort. Institute participants share their leadership experiences and challenges, plan collaborative inquiry around problems of practice, and benefit from working with a wider range of educational leadership faculty. The institute is designed to help students move toward completion
Program Components
The Program of Study for completion of the statewide Ed.D. requires a minimum of 72 semester hours, including at least 42 semester hours of graded coursework and at least 20 semester hours of EdAd 800—Dissertation Research. Up to 12 semester hours on the Program of Study may be transferred from other accredited programs, professional certificate programs, and/or from the student's master's degree, as approved by program faculty.
Shared program requirements
Program preparation for all strands includes six courses of advanced research, two foundations courses, and at least 20 credits of dissertation preparation credits. Program milestones include creating an individual Program of Study, taking a comprehensive preliminary exam of graded coursework, presenting a formal dissertation proposal, and ultimately engaging in an oral defense of the completed doctoral dissertation.
Core research preparation for all strands includes:
- Educational Statistics
- Principles of Research
- Action Research
- Qualitative Research
- Quantitative Research
- Dissertation Preparation
Core foundations preparation for all strands includes:
- Values and Ethics for Educational Leaders
- Race, Identity, and Representation in Education
Educational Leadership
Designed for K-12 administrators, the Educational Leadership strand provides a balance and integration of practical experience, theory, and research to prepare scholar-practitioners at the elementary, high school, and school district levels.
Core program preparation includes study of:
- School Organization and Administration
- Leadership Studies
- Policy Formation in Education
- Instructional Leadership
Application Process
Priority application deadline is January 10 for fall admission
The priority application deadline is January 10 each year, for fall semester start. Please note that application is a multi-step process and often takes four to six weeks to complete. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Steps to application:
- Apply online to the WSU Graduate School for acceptance to the university.
- Submit supplemental materials to the department for acceptance into the degree program.
For application instructions, please refer to the Checklist and Instructions for Admission Requirements provided with the application packet.
- Ed.D. Application (PDF) 2019 EdD Application (Fillable)


text: Learn the basics of Tennis Center Sand Point with Bobby and Betty! Share this postShare with FacebookShare with TwitterShare with Google+Share with PinterestPost navigationPreviousPrevious post:10 & Under Tennis ProgramsNextNext post:It's what's on the inside that counts – TRX Suspension Training for a Strong CoreRelated postsACEing Autism launches tennis clinic for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in "The Emerald City" at the Tennis Center at Sand Point. www.aceingautism.orgOctober 5, 2016Parents have a role too!November 5, 2015Alternative Talk 1150 AM KKNW Jamie Dieveney InterviewMarch 16, 2015Senior Court TimeAugust 27, 2014Member Appreciation DayJuly 12, 2014Volley angleJuly 1, 2014


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The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell by 10,000 last week but remained at levels that show labor markets under severe strain.
The Labor Department said on Thursday initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits dipped to a seasonally adjusted 450,000 in the week ended Aug. 9 from an upwardly revised 460,000 in the prior week. That was still well above the 432,000 claims level that economists polled by Reuters had forecast.
The last time that weekly claims fell was at the start of July.
But a four-week moving average of new jobless claims, regarded as a better gauge of underlying labor trends because it irons out week-to-week volatility, climbed to 440,500 last week from 421,000 the week before. That was the highest reading in more than six years, since it hit 445,500 in April 2002.
In addition, the number of people remaining in the benefits roll after drawing an initial week of aid shot up by 114,000 to 3.42 million in the week ended Aug. 2 , the most recent week for which the data is available. That was the highest level for continued claims since November 2003.
Most economists consider a reading above 400,000 for weekly claims as indicating recession-like conditions. New-claim filings have topped 400,000 for each of the past four weeks.


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Gifting Ideas: Enter Through the Gift Shop/
I spent the weekend with a bunch of wonderful and creative people at metaLAB's Enter Through the Giftshop workshop. We were encouraged to document the process throughout the weekend, so I wanted to take a moment to reflect on it and document it here, too. The goal of the weekend was to rapid prototype a gift that we could give to a particular museum (or to humanity as a whole).
I was interested in part because I like spending time in museums myself, especially when I travel. I've also been trying to getting back in touch with my humanities background recently. I've been thinking a lot about technology criticism as it relates to cultural, literary, and artistic criticism that runs parallel with museum institutions. I'm very glad I joined.
Some of my most engaging museum experiences have been sparked by having a particular goal in mind when attending. I am reminded of an undergrad course with Gordon Teskey where we wrote about one object after spending an extended amount of time with it in the Sackler. There is a special purposefulness when going through the museum with some objective, not just to walk through, but to actively filtering and consciously curating your own time in the space. That's what I loved so much about the set up of the weekend.
The first day was devoted to spending the afternoon in a particular museum. I ended up in the Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology at Harvard. We each walked in with a set of four prompt cards that had been generated that morning to inspire and provoke our museum experience. These served as a really interesting lens for focusing our attention in new ways that carried through the rest of the weekend.
I had the particular pleasure of working through an idea that started with cards I had, developed as a theme in our message to carry on our work the following day, and really integrated into the thing we ended up prototyping. The thread ran through the weekend, and through the project itself, and I was surprised to discover the cohesion that emerged from the process that was otherwise very open ended.
Our project spawned out of a few sets of prompts, in particular. One card prompted me to spend time going back and forth between two objects. I had decided that this in itself was an act of curation, because the card didn't tell me what relationship the two objects should have with each other, and so I had to choose something myself. At first I started off with an object that was compelling, just kind of a gut, aesthetic reaction. I walked around the rest of the museum with that in mind, and then decided what to go back to at the end, and then decided what to pair it with. I spent more time with the objects around it and became really interested in the dualism in the wildly diverse designs in the Moche vessel exhibit. The dualism explained in the exhibit documentation sparked my imagination, and I was excited to find this similar posture and style across these two vessels, one a slave and one a warrior. The objects were not placed next to each other in the exhibit, but in thinking through my prompt, I was motivated to document my own comparison in an Instagram photo that put them side by side.
The other prompt that deeply inspired our prototype was a card that asked to count all the birds in the museum. Kristen Orr had done this in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and tallied upwards of 140+ birds there. She described how interesting that experience was of following this one thread throughout all the work, especially in such an eclectic and diverse collection with little context for the objects on display. She also brought in her own experience of rearranging collections by color when they are otherwise curated taxonomically. We liked the idea that curation in museum contexts are all about choices, but we wanted to be able to layer on other individualized, subjective choices that could guide and focus a personal experience.
The thing that inspired our project came out of something at the MIT Museum. In the first afternoon, we had reconvened to talk about our museum experience and share what we learned and reflect on what we liked. One of my partners described the "Please Empty Your Pockets" airport security scanner installation, and began to describe how he had used his camera to scan the scanner. I nodded vigorously as he described it and jumped to say that I had done the same thing. The next day I found someone else who had done it as well. I really wanted there to be an easy way for the museum to collect those interactions. All it would take in this case is a hashtag to collect the videos on YouTube to gather a pattern in the subjective interaction instincts we all had shared at the same exhibit.
All of these elements led to the idea that we wanted to work on something to enable an experience of self-curation, or DIY curation as a lens for the subjective experience of the museum-goer. We ended up proposing something that would be both a gift to the museum goer and a gift to the museum itself. We targeted the gift towards the Peabody, because of the fraught relationship with subjectivity in Ethnology collections and their dated displays as a way of introducing the subjectivity of the museum goers.
Our proposal was MYSEUM, a mobile app designed to record and integrate your personal museum experience. We want to capture and expose the documentation that people already naturally do when they visit and collate it both for personal use and for exposing it back to the museum and to other museum goers. We wanted to build the platform to integrate things like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, tagging, note taking apps, audio, etc. to not only capture what you are already sharing, but to pull it together in a personal inspiration board or scrapbook of the experience. Museum goers will take notes and record elements they want to keep from their visits, including impressions and reflections on what the encounter inspired. The app might come with prompts like our museum cards to spark a particular kind of open-ended experience for self-curation.
Should the gift be accepted, we would like to use the personal curated experiences to present an installation that shares the subjective museum experience collectively to inspire other visitors, perhaps something like a grid view of text, images, and video. And at the end of a visit, the app would output either a print out or an archived report of the visit so that you could take it with you and have a record of the experience. We likened this to print outs to the roller coaster images that are take home souvenirs of the experience, linking it back to the gift shop theme.
Walking away from the weekend, my most interesting takeaways had to do with the prototyping and collaboration process. I'm not always gung-ho for group activities, but I was so impressed with how wonderfully the interactions were run, and how productive and creative the brainstorming was. That is due in part to the organizers, especially Tim Maly, and in part because of the wonderful group of people the event attracted to participate. In the second day we were given a lot of leeway in how our groups operated in the design iteration process, so we did a lot of figuring out what was going to work for us as we went along. Throughout the weekend, we were encouraged to document things, so we did a lot with cards and brainstorming and organizing and selecting and culling. All of that was pinned up to the wall as we presented to the larger group after, so we ended up talking a bit about our collaborative process.
I was also really pleased when other groups revealed similar ideas in common with our process. At least three other group's proposals directly engaged with themes and implemented elements we had talked about but had edited out in the process of refining and specifying our prototype. Ideas we had wanted to pursue still had a life of their own outside our group, even though we couldn't pursue them all in focusing back on our "self-curation" prompt. It really was a "great minds" moment to see all these parallel tracks running together.
I also had a lot of fun shifting modes this weekend. As a writer and a critic I'm often operating at a meta level, commenting on things around me and thinking about what they mean. This weekend was a unique opportunity for me to spend time doing something creative, if not in actually building the thing we prototyped, but in building an idea together.


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MAC Face Charts for NYFW Day One./
From February 13th, Day One of NYFW. MAC did the makeup for the following shows: Yigal Azrouel, Nicole Miller and Charlotte Ronson.
Lead artist for Yigal Azrouel was Polly Osmond. I am loving the dark eye using the Eye Kohl in Smolder and the Copperplate Eye Shadow. I use this shadow on top of my eyeliner and up into the corners and cannot wait to try and recreate this even darker smokey look with it.
James Kaliardos was the lead artist for the Nicole Miller Showing. The blue might be a bit much for everyday, but just a touch of it will make your eyes pop. My favorite product he used was Tahitian Sand Beauty Powder. If you do not have this product, you need to add it to the top of your shopping list.
Charlotte Ronson had Luc Bouchard lead the makeup team with this look. Read how he used two lipliners with his fingers to give that stained lip look that I bet will be huge come next Fall.


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Boho Chic Movement
There are lots of ways to trick yourself into working out. One of my favorite tactics is shopping for new workout gear. Being cute and fashionable while feeling secure during your workouts can sometimes be hard to achieve. In the spirit of fixing this issue, Free People added a new collection to their "FP Movement" brand. The FP Movement Run collection is designed with the free-spirited athlete in mind and is just as feminine and ethereal as you would expect from the brand. The collection includes leggings, shorts, jackets and hoodies that are layering pieces with multi-functional purposes.
The Road Runner Legging features a cloud combo hue that isn't see-through and doesn't show sweat! Free People integrated unexpected trims in signature patterns throughout these leggings. The diagonal seams lengthen your legs making each wearer look 2 inches taller. They have enough stretch to accommodate movement during your workouts and if you feel like relaxing on the couch in style, they compliment that too. The waist band sits comfortably without rolling up or down and you never have to hike these leggings up. Made from 96% Nylon and 6% Spandex, these leggings are soft, comfortable and easy to wear. They run true to size and are machine washable!
The Night Runner Hoodie was designed for working out and more! This zip-up jacket is crafted with a durable roll away hood, weather resistant fabric, utilitarian reflective trims and perfectly placed side pockets. It's equipped with breathable mesh inserts and a roomy design with drawstring accents that allow for a customized fit. It's light-as-air and has a shine finish and feel that resembles silk. If you're an early morning or late evening runner, wearing reflective clothing is a must, this jacket tics that box off and so many more.
While the FP Movement Run collection is meant for rigorous activity - the pieces have proven they can be worn both inside and outside the gym and studio. The casual and comfortable apparel will leave you feeling good whether or not you're working out. For those who engage in high impact activity with lengthy cool down sessions, this streamlined workout gear will make you incredibly happy. I personally can't wait to buy more from this collection!


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By Rational Dress Society, May 25, 2017
"2 Women Are Turning Old Ivanka Trump Clothes Into Something You Can Feel Good About. Resist. Reuse. Recycle." By Jamie Feldman
Citing the hypocrisy of Donald Trump's "buy American, hire American" rhetoric ― both the president and his daughter source their products largely from China, where Ivanka Trump's clothing manufacturer uses a factory that violated labor standards ― the Society's founders Abigail Glaum-Lathbury and Maura Brewer have a clear message they wish to convey to the president's daughter.
"You offer a path to women's liberation and empowerment achieved through inspirational hashtags and pink polyester blouses," they told HuffPost, addressing Ivanka Trump. "But your promises are empty. We reject the siren call of marketplace feminism in which freedom is measured by buying power. This so-called feminism is achieved on the backs of low-paid garment workers and working-class people everywhere."
Read the full article here.


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CNY Newborn Photography | James
Sweet baby James came to visit me with his two big sisters Violet and Eloise. It was funny how much our little families had in common. The genders, ages, personalities even! Such a handsome boy! :)
If you are looking for a CNY (Syracuse, Rome, Oneida, Watertown, Camden and surrounding areas) Newborn Photography session - Inquire Here!


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Why choose us?
The reasons that you should contact us
A Great Staff.
We boast to have a great group of caregivers who bring their skills to serve others with compassion, dedication, and personal satisfaction. We are a leader in our profession, due to the staff we have, who provide individualistic care to meet the unique and multifaceted need of each person. At The Lodge At New Dawn and The Lodge, you will find teamwork in action. Teamwork to properly communicate & execute what each resident needs, wants, & requires to maintain a good healthy, recovery & rehabilitation.
State of the Art Facilities.
With the newest of our facilities opening in January of 2017 and our other facility being well maintained, we offer very comfortable and beautifully decorated environments. Both facilities being located in close proximity to physicians, hospitals, and shopping.
Local Family Owners / Operators.
The Hershberger Family brings 50 years of experience to the operation of 2 facilities in Tuscarawas and Stark Counties. Unlike large chain homes, the Hershberger family is directly involved in the day to day on site operations & plan of care of those we serve.


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Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to Coal Chamber songs. Please check back for new Coal Chamber music lyrics.
Coal Chamber Lyrics
Coal Chamber Songs:
Alienate Me Lyrics
Amir Of The Desert Lyrics
Anxiety Lyrics
Anything But You Lyrics
Apparition Lyrics
Babbit (Demo) Lyrics
Beckoned Lyrics
Big Truck Lyrics
Big Truck (Live) Lyrics
Blisters Lyrics
Bradley Lyrics
Bradley (Going Postal Mix) Lyrics
Burgundy Lyrics
Clock Lyrics
Dark Days Lyrics
Dreamtime Lyrics
Drove Lyrics
El Cu Cuy Lyrics
Empty Jar Lyrics
Entwined Lyrics
Feed My Dreams Lyrics
Fiend Lyrics
First Lyrics
Friend? Lyrics
Glow Lyrics
Headstones and the Walking Dead Lyrics
I Lyrics
Loco Lyrics
Maricon Puto Lyrics
Mist Lyrics
My Frustration Lyrics
My Mercy Lyrics
No Home Lyrics
Not Living Lyrics
Notion Lyrics
Oddity Lyrics
One Step Lyrics
One Step (Chop Shop Mix) Lyrics
Pig Lyrics
Rowboat Lyrics
Save Yourself Lyrics
Shari Vegas Lyrics
Shock the Monkey Lyrics
Something Told Me Lyrics
Sway Lyrics
Sway (Demo) Lyrics
Tragedy Lyrics
Tyler's Song Lyrics
Unspoiled Lyrics
Untrue Lyrics
Watershed Lyrics
What's In Your Mind? Lyrics
Wishes Lyrics
Album Song Lyrics:
Coal Chamber - Chamber Music Lyrics
Coal Chamber - Coal Chamber Lyrics
Coal Chamber - Dark Days Lyrics
Coal Chamber - Giving the Devil His Due Lyrics


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Browsing by Subject "Knowledge management"
Now showing items 1-2 of 2
Meaning, Nature, Origins, and ImplicationsFoss, Nicholai J. (Frederiksberg, 2011)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Assumptions about the knowledge held by economic agents have been an integral part of the theory of economic organization since its inception. However, recent work—here called "knowledge governance"—has more explicitly highlighted knowledge as both an independent and dependent variable. Thus, a spate of work in management research and new institutional economics has highlighted dimensions such as complementarity, complexity, tacitness, and so on of knowledge assets and shown how knowledge assets, thus dimensionalized, has explanatory value with respect to economic organization. However, knowledge may also be seen as being caused by governance mechanisms and structures; specifically, incentives, allocations of decision rights, organizational structure and so on influence the search for knowledge, and the creation, sharing and integration of knowledge. More philosophically, the concern with the role of knowledge in the context of economic organization prompts a reevaluation of a number of the fundamental assumptions that are often used to guide theory-building in the economics of organization (e.g., Bayesian and game theoretical foundations). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8379
Files in this item: 1Nicolai J Foss_SMG WP 12_2011.pdf (490.6Kb)
The Role of Web 2.0 Tools for Managing Knowledge at Individual and Organisational LevelsRazmerita, Liana; Kirchner, Karhrin; Sudzina, Frantisek (Frederiksberg, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Purpose – This paper discusses new approaches for managing personal knowledge in the Web 2.0 era. We question whether Web 2.0 technologies (social software) are a real panacea for the challenges associated with the management of knowledge. Can Web2.0 reconcile the conflicting interests of managing organisational knowledge with personal objectives? Does Web 2.0 enable a more effective way of sharing and managing knowledge at the personal level? Design /methodology/approach – Theoretically deductive with illustrative examples. Findings – Web 2.0 plays a multifaceted role for communicating, collaborating, sharing and managing knowledge. Web 2.0 enables a new model of PKM that includes formal and informal communication, collaboration and social networking tools. This new PKM model facilitates interaction, collaboration and knowledge exchanges on the web and in organisations. Practical implications – Based on these findings professionals and scholars will gain a better understanding of the potential role of Web 2.0 technologies for harnessing and managing personal knowledge. The paper provides concrete examples of how Web 2.0 tools are currently used in organisations. Originality/value – As Web 2.0 has become integrated in our day-to-day activities, there is a need to further understand the relationship between Web 2.0 and Personal Knowledge Management (PKM). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8933
Files in this item: 1
Now showing items 1-2 of 2


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Welcome to the Buildings section. We're starting on the top floor and working our way down. The phillyskyline.com
graphic at the top? She's ready to go now. Click on any building in the graphic for its own section with info and
photos. Or, choose from them below.
You might notice Commerce Square, which is not in the graphic above. These twin towers are the first of what should be many new sections, soon to also include other highrises like those around Rittenhouse Square and lesser known pre-WWII gems, some other significant buildings like the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Vanna Venturi House, and featured architects like Frank Furness and Louis Kahn.
We'll also track the construction progress of Comcast Center (and other projects around town like Waterfront Square and Symphony House), and relive the construction of The St James. Stick with us; phillyskyline.com is trying to grow as fast as its real-life counterpart.
- 50 tallest buildings in Philadelphia
- Building façades
- Adams Mark, RIP
- Perelman Building
- Inquirer Building
- Comcast Center
- Murano
- Residences at the Ritz-Carlton
- Symphony House
- Divine Lorraine
- Mandeville Place
- Bridgeman's View Tower
- Philadelphia River City


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A slightly older article from the ever artful John C. Wright called Faith and Works in a Science Fictional Universe that I thought was an interesting read. He chronciles his conversion and his discovery of what have since gone on to be known as Social Justice Warriors and Pinkshirts in the literary community.
Few men have ever hated Christ as much as I have, before turning to love Him. Before I was a Catholic, I was an atheist, and not an atheist who kept his opinions to himself, but a vituperative, proselytizing, aggressive, evangelist of atheism who sought at every opportunity to spread the Bad News that God was dead and Christians were fools.
But there was one area sacrosanct from my proselytizing effort. I did not use my science fiction stories to preach nor promote my worldview. I thought then that the honor of a gentleman, not to mention the pride of workmanship every craftsman should embrace, made it unseemly to preach my worldview when I was being paid to entertain. To use stories to spread my atheist views would be to impose on my customers, who came to me for a rollicking good space opera filled with exploding planets and colliding galaxies and stunning space princesses and stalwart space heroes. To give them a syllogism when they came for a space war, or an editorial when they came for an apocalypse, would cheat them of their hard-earned science fiction-buying dollar. To give them anything of the current world and its current controversies when they wished for escape into the future would be to play my beloved patrons false.
For I was one of those readers who oft had bought a book expecting a science fiction speculation and instead was forced to endure some rant about the issues that once upon a time absorbed the shallow attention of the intelligentsia. Since most of my reading consisted of books written twenty years before my time, I discovered that the only thing more boring than reading about the controversies of the day was reading about controversies long dead and written entirely by people long ago proved wrong.
Naturally, it was with considerable pride at my own cunning that I hid my personal opinions and paid attention only to the Muse, by which I mean I followed the needs of drama and ignored the itch to preach. Unlike other writers, as a newspaperman, I had an editorial page on which to scratch that itch to preach my opinionated opinions to the world.
When the Internet first came into my life, I assumed there was some danger that left-wing readers of mine would discover my journal and hence my opinions on the current issues of the day, but I hoped that I would gain more readers than I would lose, so I was never reluctant to share more strongly held beliefs on any topic.
In October 2003, the very first of my novels, The Golden Age, received its very first review. The reviewer excoriated the work, heaping every opprobrium on it, on the grounds that in the remote far future half a million years hence (which is when the story is set) the godlike beings who are our remotest descendants, commanding a technology which enables them to reorganize mind and matter and energy to any configuration at whim, did not seem at all concerned with environmentalism or racism or gender issues.
(I should mention that both race and sex were optional to the superbeings of this era, as was whether to have a physical body at all, and that death and extinction could be reversed, so that there were no endangered species and no non-artificial species.)
However, the more vexatious vehemence of the termagant reviewing the work was reserved for the climax. The fact that the hero won the heart of his estranged wife and had a second honeymoon was anathema to this particular critic. She did not criticize the plot, character development, word choice, or any other element of the craftsmanship. She took a personal detestation to me because I wrote about romance and marriage as if romance and marriage were good things. This particular critic hated love, romance, marriage, and all good things in life.
This was when it first was driven home to me that some readers were orcs — that is, beings to whom fair is foul and foul is fair — in terms so strong and plain that they could not be denied. There were people who claimed to be science fiction fans who had absolutely no interest in science fiction at all, but merely in the news of the day and in the long-dead abortive philosophy of the Victorian crackpot Karl Marx.
Then in August of 2009, I became the target of a Two Minutes Hate organized by an editor at a rival publishing house.
She combed through back issues of my journal and found a month-old editorial in which I mocked the SyFy Channel for caving to political correctness and vowing to try to put as many sodomite and lesbian characters onto their failing channel as possible, no doubt in an effort to alienate their non-far-leftist fans. The point was not that I cared one way or the other about the sexual misadventures of other people, but that the SyFy Channel, by showing the white feather to the thugs of political correctness, had in some small but real way encouraged an informal political censorship and made it harder for science fiction writers like me to sell my wares.
I did not like people telling me what to write. I thought in my naivety that all red-blooded Americans would feel the same way, and that all science fiction readers — a genre that prides itself on nonconformity — would even moreso. In my response, my joshing was — in my typical fashion — honest and blunt, and I called the perverts perverted.
There is one thing Leftists hate more than honesty, and that is bluntness.
So at the urging of this business rival, some 40 or 50 people who were not readers of mine wrote to tell me that they were boycotting my work. I attempted to point out that one cannot boycott wares one has never purchased. I soon realized that logic and sweet reason would not influence members of a worldview whose main selling point was a false promise to free the true believer from all limitations of reality and all obedience to social conventions, including the conventional behavior of honesty, forthrightness, and sanity. They reacted with the weak and womanish fury of the guilt-ridden, hacked my Wikipedia page, my TVTropes page, and generally made a lingering nuisance of themselves. They pouted and said they would not be my friends no more.


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Storm Blamed for Instagram, Netflix, and Foursquare Outages
(NEW YORK) -- If you had some trouble over the weekend uploading a photo to Instagram, checking in on Foursquare, watching a movie on Netflix, pinning something to your Pinterest board, or posting to Reddit, you're not alone.
Amazon's Web Services, which powers many sites and Cloud services, was taken out by the same lighting storms that caused power outages across the country. Amazon's main server facility in Northern Virginia was hit hard by the storm, which left over 3 million people on the East Coast without power.
The outages started around 9 p.m. ET on Friday and lasted close to 12 hours for some of the services. Instagram and Netflix informed users via Twitter, however, many still were looking for answers. Instagram became one of the highest searched terms on Google on Saturday. Most services were up and running by Saturday afternoon.
This is the second time Amazon's Web Services went down this month.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio


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Success, they say, is in the mind of the beholder.
But when it comes to affiliate marketing there is one definitive way to tell if you are being successful or not, and that is whether or not your product is selling.
So, would you like to increase your sales? I can help you with that.
My longtime success in Affiliate Marketing is something that anyone can accomplish if only they will apply themselves.
So take advantage of these Four Keys to Successful Affiliate Marketing. They could make all the difference.
Key #1: Choose Your Hosting Company Carefully.
It doesn't matter how beautiful your website is, if your hosting company is not reliable, your website is going to have unscheduled downtime, and that is definitely not good for business.
Do your research when it comes to these companies and make sure that the one you select has a proven track record when it comes to maintaining service and customer satisfaction.
Key #2: Have Your Website Professionally Designed.
There are hundreds of websites and tools out there that enable people and businesses to create their own websites, but when it comes to your business, take the extra time and pay the extra money to have your website designed from the ground up by professional web designers.
This not only makes you look professional, it eliminates the need for your customers to go through the affiliate's websites and instead go right to yours.
Key #3: Use an Advertising Tracking System to Determine Your Marketing Strategies.
There are hundreds of methods and gimmicks out there for driving traffic to your website.
One key to successful affiliate marketing is to be able to determine which of these techniques is most effective for your particular market and product.
This means finding a way to track the effectiveness of your various marketing campaigns.
There are specific systems called advertising tracking systems that will do just that.
Key #4: Be Sure to Include an Auto Responder System.
As has been said before, you can't sell a product unless you get traffic to your site.
But not everyone who visits your site is ready to buy at that precise moment.
Some people bookmark the site for future reference.
One great way to keep yourself in your public's eye is to use an autoresponder system that will remind them about your website by sending them automatic email messages or links to ezines or other articles that they may find useful (and incidentally they will be reminded of your site when they see your signature/logo).
It's a great way to make your potential customers feel as if they are receiving personalized attention and to keep your name in the forefront of their mind.
With just these four keys you too can unlock the power of affiliate marketing and watch as your website goes from just "okay" to "wildly successful."
All it takes is determination and perseverance and the application of common sense when it comes to taking advantage of those internet marketing tools that can get your website seen by the people who matter.[ad_2]


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Friday, 24 August 2012 13:57
Last Call ICT 2013
Work Programme 2013. Cooperation Theme 3.
ICT – Information and Communications Technologies.
Published in Download
Tuesday, 21 August 2012 01:00
FP7 - ICT – Information and Communication technologies
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are critical to improve the competitiveness of European industry and to meet the demands of its society and economy.
Published in Download
Tuesday, 21 August 2012 00:00
Infoday ICT- FP7- Call 8
Madrid, 27th September 2012
Infoday ICT- FP7- Call 8/PPP 2012 Alternative Paths to Components and Systems and PPP FoF (ICT for the Enterprise and Manufacturing) Project Officers related to the following objectives:
Published in News


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Ningaloo Farmstay & Retreat Accommodation
Sometimes we all need to get away, to recharge, to change the pace of life. Staying on a farm can be a great way to unwind in Ningaloo, with wide horizons and rolling countryside. However, you don't have to escape all the way to a farm. Many places offer a retreat in other settings such as a remote beach, their own secret corner of the forest or simply a private property.
- The best way to book Western Australia
- Bookings processed right here in WA
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- Quick and friendly service with expert advice
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- Book with us to support Western Australia tourism
For assistance with your booking call 1300 885 775 (+61 8 9460 4900)
Browse Accommodation by type in Ningaloo
- Chalet villa & cottage
- Farmstay & retreat (you are here)
- Holiday house
Bullara Station
1 burkett road, Exmouth, Western Australia, 6707
Bullara Station situated 65klms north of Coral Bay and 86 klms south of Exmouth.
The best way to book Western Australia
- Bookings processed in Western Australia
- We're the local WA experts!
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Car Hire & Campervan Rental
Have you booked your car hire for your WA holiday? The cheapest car hire and campervan rental at Perth Airport sells out quickly, so don't delay! It's quick and easy to reserve a car yourself, right now. Compare the cheapest car hire rates, availability and book your car rental in WA using the form below. In most cases, you can reserve a hire car for free with no cancellation fees!
Travel Insurance
We want everyone who visit Western Australia to explore and then return home safely, however the unexpected could occur. Medical emergencies may be costly and you may not be used to the unique Australian landscape, so the risk of accident may slightly increase. Knowing that someone has your back allows you to have the peace of mind to fully enjoy your WA Holiday. So don't delay and get some great value travel insurance in WA! Protect your family and get a quote now.


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We are just chillin' here at the Tryforos house today. No projects, no appointments, just our weekly lunch date with my friend Cassie and plenty of low-key hangout time. It feels like this has been the longest week of all time. Jack has been sleeping great at night but naps have been tough, and I don't know if it's the cold weather, teething, or what, but he's been super clingy. My back is still hurting from when I slipped on our porch steps last week (awkward. How old am I? 87?) and it's hard for me to hold him all day. Also, since I started working again he's been refusing to take a bottle on the one day a week he's with a sitter, so I'm scrambling to teach him to use a sippy cup before Tuesday rolls around again.
On a positive note, the sun is shining, it's Friday, and at this very moment there's a sleeping baby in my arms. I'd rather he nap in his crib, but I takes what I can get. On the agenda for this weekend are a few organizational projects, some quality time with Nicholas and our good friend the television set, and maybe swinging by an estate sale in my 'hood. Eh, and I guess I'll pull a few weeds if I feel so inclined, since Mother Nature did such a good job loosening up the soil with all the rain we've had the past two weeks.
What do y'all have planned for this weekend? I feel like such a Debbie Downer today. Hopefully some downtime over the next few days will recharge my batteries and I'll be back to feeling cheerful come Monday. Otherwise, I'm just going to have to whip myself into shape! No moping allowed around these parts!


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Moderator: Tournament Directors
amazzony wrote:Will you save me a spot?
sjnap wrote:Would like to join
I will let u know who will be my partners
tyche73 wrote:i'll take the last spot i'll announce my team by the end of the day
pimphawks70 wrote:we will start once I get teams and scores from sjnap and amazzony.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users


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Assignment: Rock Hard Love – Blurb
Their team has one mission and one mission only, to stop the flow of blood diamonds into the United States. It's dangerous hard work with long hours and tight quarters with a very select group. Much like a family there tends to be friction, but the friction Hope is currently feeling has nothing to do with the current setting. No, this all has to do with one man.
David Burnett has been fighting a seemingly endless and, perhaps, futile war to stop conflict diamonds into his country. But he has the very best team there is helping him. He trusts them, one and all, with his life and would do anything in return. Of course, what he wants to do with Hope has nothing to do with team dynamics and never has.
Story Excerpt (acceptable for all readers
February 4, 2010 – Paris, France
Staring at the Eiffel Tower he wasn't really seeing it. Oh, he knew it was there, he just wasn't seeing it. He was more focused on the target three tables away to his left, the man waiting for his contact to arrive. Lifting his cup of coffee, he sipped at the strong brew.
His own partner was four tables away to his right and slightly in front of him. She was sitting with another one of their crew chatting like the tourists they were pretending to be. William, their backup on the op, was pretending to show her photos he'd apparently taken on his day out and about. In reality the man was taking video of everyone at the little cafe in preparation for the contact's arrival.
Six months to get to this point. Six months of blood, sweat and too many sleepless nights digging for anything and everything they could find. All in the pursuit of tracking the blood diamonds that would be payment for a huge weapons shipment. If the information was right, and they always doubted it at least a little, it would be roughly four hundred automatic guns, nearly a hundred ground-to-air missiles with launchers and then a bunch of miscellaneous items.
Not that the sale would happen tonight. No, tonight was a hand off. One they had to witness, get on film and then continue to track. Tonight the blood diamonds would be passed to their target, one Gregory Duvall, by the courier the warlord had hired. The courier didn't know what he was carrying, they never did, part of the safety net the warlords used. The courier would have gone to a blind drop, picked up the package and the cash for the delivery with instructions for when and where.
Depending on the warlord handing off the diamonds there might even be a code phrase. Not all used them, but a lot did. Another level of security. They were always getting smarter and sneakier. That just meant that his team and others like them had to stay one step ahead by anticipating and thinking like criminals.
His phone vibrated and he dug it out, his attention never wavering from Gregory. "Yeah," he said into it. He knew who it was and why the call had come through. "Oh hey, Mona." It wasn't Mona but since he knew that his team members at the other table were still playing their roles, it was a good vocal cue to have so they knew the game was about to alter.
"There's a courier coming in now. Beige uniform of shirt and slacks, dark blue writing on the back and has a dark blue cap with the company logo in beige on it. He's about five-ten, a buck eighty, blond hair and wearing sunglasses. He's got a sheet in his hand as well as the standard clipboard and what we are guessing is the package, maybe six by eight by six. Just coming around the corner towards the cafe on your left now."
"Got it, no that's perfectly fine Mona. I'll take care of it after my meeting of the day, good work. Why don't you head out a little early and maybe catch a movie. Talk to you tomorrow," he said and, after a moment's delay, hung up. It was all code, stuff they'd worked out ahead of time and fine-tuned. The van would get ready to pull out, Gregory's vehicle was already tagged so they'd be in the lead while he and the other two trailed behind at a very healthy distance.
Pocketing the phone he tipped his cup up and took a gulp as he checked his watch. Letting a small curse slip past his lips, acting late for a meeting, he tipped the cup up again working for that last swallow of the coffee.
The courier stopped and looked over the people at the tables. He moved towards a man and bent with a question, getting a shake of the head. The guy either didn't know what Gregory looked like or was a really good actor. A couple more checks before he reached Gregory and, obviously, asked if he was the man in question.
Gregory looked up from his paper and nodded, sitting up and setting the newspaper to the side. Pulling out his wallet, he handed over a piece of ID to the courier. The guy did the visual inspection, checked the name to the paperwork and then turned the clipboard to Gregory. But he held onto the package. A good courier always waited for the signature. And he was good, he even checked the signature to the ID card, smart. With another nod the package was passed over.
Standing as the package was handed off he dropped a couple Euro onto the table and set the cup on top, extra tip and a signal that his partners were to watch Gregory until he moved. Collecting his briefcase and coat, he walked hurriedly towards the street where he 'bumped' the courier. "My apologies," he said and smiled in that harried way businessmen used no matter the country.
Reaching his car he slid behind the wheel and tapped his earpiece. "Courier has been tagged, send Marco to keep tabs on him. Do not intercept, do not pick up and do not detain. This is merely a watch." Getting the confirmation he turned on his car and then pulled out the folding map. Another ploy for extra minutes and in case the target was as aware of his surroundings as his team was.
"He's on the move." Her throaty voice in his ear sent a physical jolt through him. Always did, but they were team members and nothing would come of acting on his physical response to her. Only bad shit could come of that, like breaking the team apart and, worse, ruining the camaraderie they all had after being together as a unit for nearly four years.
"Copy, I'm moving out now," he said. Folding the map, another small delay, he set it aside. Checking his mirrors, he saw that Gregory was sliding into the backseat of his ride. Pulling out from the curb, he took off, his eyes on the mirror. Gregory's car pulled out into traffic, about seven car lengths back. Reporting it to the team, he started paying attention to where he was going.
"Oh you are a tease." She let her nails bite into his shoulders and she tugged at him. "Kiss me," she demanded, low and simple words but she wanted it. She wanted and needed for him to kiss her. "We will get into the tub after but before I want another kiss, dammit. And yes, I am greedy."
"Demanding too, don't forget that." He laughed softly. Cupping her face, he finally gave her just what she wanted, no, what she needed. He kissed her full-on, hard, fast and with enough heat to scorch the bathroom walls around them. He sucked on her tongue and pressed closer, his erection rubbing her lower belly as he teased and tormented her mouth.
When she finally pulled back she licked her lips. "Nice." She shuddered. "I could live with kisses like that often, please." Leaning in, she kissed him once again. This was what she wanted, this was what she needed. Him. "Now, the tub is full enough that we can even turn on the jets if you would like."
"Good plan," he murmured, sliding his tongue over his lips. Pulling back he stepped into the tub and then sat down. Holding out a hand to her he helped her in even while turning the water off. "Hit the button for the jets when you settle down, if you would."
She hit the button and stood over him. "Where do you want me? At your side or at your feet?" she asked with a smirk. "Or do you want me to slide down over that cock that's bobbing in the water begging for me to taste it, touch it, god I want you." Words tumbled out of her mouth, she couldn't seem to stop them.
Laughing at her, he tugged her down into his lap, his cock sliding over her clit as he held her to him. "I love when you get all distracted, your mouth just runs away. It's adorable." Pressing a kiss to her chin he slid a hand down over her ass and between her thighs. His fingers found her weeping slit and stroked her, slowly and with just enough firmness to his touch to make her hungry for more.
"I just have to make sure to keep from being distracted when in the field." Actually when she was in the field she was nothing but professional and he knew it. She leaned her head back and shuddered. "I love when you do that." She was rubbing herself against his cock and fingers. She wanted to take him inside of her body but she was waiting, waiting for him. She was waiting for him to make that first move.
"You would never be distracted in the field, that I know for sure. Hell, you barely blinked the last time we were both out in the field and I was shot. For which I'm grateful, you took the bastard down who did shoot me." He pushed two fingers into her sheath and stroked her gently. "And I know you'd do it again if it came to that."
"Damn straight." She moaned and began to rock on his fingers. She began to ride his fingers, her hand going down to his cock and starting to move her hands up and down on him. "Do another. I want to be ready for you." God it had been far too long since she had sex, and lord she needed him to help her get through all of this.
He did as she asked, demanded, whatever. Three fingers pressed into her body, stretching her and readying her for what she really wanted buried between her legs. "Dare I be so bold as to ask just how long it's been for you?" he whispered. His voice sounded strained and his grip was tighter around her waist.
"Six years," she moaned, "Five months, three days." Exactly how long she had been on his team. "David," she shuddered. "That feels so good." She loved the way that it felt, so very much. "I need you. Now." It had been far, far too long.
He withdrew his fingers and held her up higher. The next thing she felt pressed to her lower lips was the head of his cock. "Slowly, sweetheart," he said. Pressing her down over his cock he helped to steady her as she took over, taking him into her body.
She braced herself with her hands on his shoulders and leaned in, her forehead to his. "I've waited so long for this." She felt full, so good and so full. The jets hitting them both just right, the heated water adding to the sensations and this. God, him. "David, you feel so perfect. So right. So good." She moaned.
"Heaven," he whispered against her lips. "Absolute and pure, heaven." Kissing her gently, he hugged her to him, her breasts pressing to his chest as she sank deeper over his cock. One hand on her ass massaged her buttocks while the other slid around to squeeze a breast.
She soon had him fully inside of her body and she whimpered. "You fit perfectly. And you are right." She leaned in closer to him and smiled. "This is heaven." She agreed and lifted, lowered and brushed her lips to his. "More."
Sliding his tongue to her lip he took her mouth in a deeper kiss. His fingers found her nipple and tugged gently. Sucking on her tongue, he lifted her up his cock. It was a slow move designed to drive them both nuts, and it worked too. "Move," he growled at her, a small nip of his teeth to her lip.
She did just that. She moved up and down on him faster, harder. She kissed him with everything that she had inside of her and loved it. She nipped at his lower lip and shuddered. "David," she whispered against his lips and kissed him again. This was it. She was so close.
"I've got you, Hope. Just let go, baby," he whispered to her gently. Holding her close, he tipped her back a little. Dropping his head, he began to suckle on her breast, pulling her tight nipple deep into his mouth and rolling it with his tongue.
Hope cried out, the pleasure that rocked her with his mouth closing over her nipple she shuddered. "Yes," she moaned. She rode him harder, faster. She moved at a rapid pace and before she knew it the orgasm to beat all orgasms ripped through her body. She heard herself screaming, her pussy creaming all over his cock.
"More," he demanded over her. His thumb pressing to her clit to rub at the tight nub. He tipped her back more, his hips lifting to meet her on each thrust. He was trying to kill her, she was sure of it, David had a sadistic side she hadn't realized until that moment. But god it was delicious.
How he was holding back from coming was unknown to her. She rocked on him, harder and faster. She moved harder and harder on him. "Again." She demanded, it was a whimper as she did so. She loved when he brushed his thumb to her clit. "That feels so fucking good, David."
His thumb moved faster, harder, rubbing and scraping over her clit. He moved his mouth to her other breast and sucked at her neglected nipple. Then he lifted his head, his mouth catching hers in a hard kiss. As she began to come again his arm tightened around her waist more.
She did just that. As they kissed, Hope came again. She felt him pushing up into her harder and faster and knew, for the first time she felt the splash of a man's semen inside of her pussy. She moaned and felt the fireworks once again. She felt another orgasm ripping through her just at the feeling of him coming inside of her, something that no one had ever done before.
"Hope," he breathed out on a moan, his forehead meeting her sternum as his cock flooded her with hot jets of his seed. Groaning, he held her close, keeping her from just melting into the water around them. Perhaps even holding onto her so he didn't float away as his body shuddered and jolted with another release.


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A Little Suffering for a Whole Lot of Faith
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. — 1 Peter 5:9-10
Why does God allow suffering? It is the question asked by both believers and non-Christians. God doesn't want His children to suffer. Enmity toward God produces suffering. And resisting Satan means going through lots of pain because we are fighting against the sinful nature around and in us. Gold is refined through fire, and so Christians can only grow to be more like Jesus if they die to themselves increasingly each day. That is painful. However, the outcome is stronger, bolder, and kinder women who shine like gold because they radiate the light of Christ. God brings about this restoration and renewal. The follower of Jesus is also encouraged that she is never alone in her suffering. Jesus experienced the ultimate suffering by bearing the sins of humankind, and His followers throughout the ages suffer for teaching a rebellious world to return to God. He knows how hard it is, and He is right there beside His daughter giving her greater hope and peace.
Let's pray:
God of all grace, help Your daughters stand firm in their love of You. Enable us to remain strong and steadfast so that we can have faith as great as a mustard seed, which can move mountains.


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Con-G 2009 happened on a snowy weekend in Guelph on Feb 21 and 22, 2009.
We were overwhelmed with the enthusiastic response to our little first year convention. Well we guess we shouldn't say little as we had around 350 people attend!
We want to send a HUGE thanks to everyone that made this convention happen.
To the staff, you rock!!! We couldn't have done it without such a great team of people, thanks for helping run such a great convention.
To all the volunteers, Con-G just wouldn't have been the same without you!! You did a great job making everyone feel welcome. We can't thank you enough for doing such a FANTASTIC job!! We hope you enjoyed the snacks. There are so many of you to name, but we really appreciate all your help.
To everyone that ran events, THANK YOU! They all ran wonderfully (with one exception – darn PowerPoint!) and we think everyone enjoyed playing them.
To our panellists – you rock! Everyone enjoyed the panels and we've heard nothing but wonderful comments about what great jobs you did.
A special thanks to Elemental who came out and did a wonderfully successful photography panel.
Thank you to Dave, our con-medic – we loved having you here and handled all of our accidents with out flaw….even if it was just the papercut incident 😉
We especially want to thank our head ninja Caitlin W., workmanship judge Natalie, and MCs Caitlin T. and Savage Bandito for running such a great Masquerade, which actually ran ON time! And to Mike for being a wonderful step in volunteer to do sound.
To all the artists and dealers, thank you for buying tables in our first year. Again you were awesome and thank you for all your suggestions for next year.
To all Con-G attendees, thank you all very much for coming out to Guelph on a such a snowy day for a first year convention, we all really appreciate it! I hope that everyone enjoyed themselves and had a great time.
Especially those of you that came to our make Con-G better panel, thank you for your suggestions and we hope you enjoyed the cake.
Big thanks to the Ramada who were excellent hosts, and bent over backwards to meet our needs, especially to those con-goers that wanted to check in earlier.
Huge thanks to all of our sponsors for supporting Con-G:
The Dragon
Spunky Kitty Style
Skyefish Sushi
Wyndham Art Supplies
The Woodshed
Right Stuf!
And thanks to everyone else we asked questions to and everyone else we forgot to mention.


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As expected, Microsoft today announced Office for iPad, which is really a set of new mobile productivity apps—Word, Excel and PowerPoint—plus an update to OneNote, which was previously available. These apps aren't upscaled versions of the Office Mobile apps on iPhone, they're all-new apps engineered for the unique iPad capabilities and screen size.
"We thought a lot about what people want to do when they're on their iPad," Microsoft's John Case said. "We reimagined Office on the iPad, while retaining what people love about Office. In the future, we will bring Office apps to the Windows Store and other popular platforms."
You can learn more about Office for iPad in my Microsoft Office for iPad Review and Microsoft Office for iPad Screenshots. But the short version is simple enough: With this release, Microsoft has brought powerful, full-featured Office apps to iPad in a way that respects the user interface conventions that both Office users and iPad users will expect.
Office for iPad is free, but if you want to do more than view documents, give presentations, or perform other related duties, you'll need an Office 365 subscription. This includes any business version of Office 365, but also Office 365 Home Premium and the soon-to-be-released Office 365 Personal. With each of these subscriptions, you get licensing rights for Office on up to five tablets, in addition to five PCs.
You can download Office for iPad from the Apple App Store. It requires an iPad with iOS 7 or higher and is available in 29 languages and 135 different markets.
Additionally, Microsoft announced its new Enterprise Mobility Suite, which is a combination of existing Microsoft cloud services such as Microsoft Azure Active Directory Premium, Azure Rights Management Services and Windows Intune. The firm describes it as "a comprehensive set of cloud services to help businesses manage corporate data and services on the devices people use at work and at home." But it's not currently clear how integrated the disparate parts are with each other.