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Events of Friendly Exchanges in 2007
1. January 10 A delegation of 10 led by head of the city affairs bureau of GwaCheon-si, South Korea, visited Nanning on the planning and construction of the development zones and the attraction of investment and the promotion of business.
2. February 5-8 A delegation of 36 Chinese foreign ambassadors inspected Nanning on its economical and social development and visited state-owned enterprises, private-owned enterprises and agricultural production projects. The delegation was organized by the Foreign Ministry of China and led by Xie Junping, Chinese ambassador to Esthonia.
3. February 11 Mayor Lin Guoqiang met with a Macau delegation who were then in Nanning to witness the opening of the construction of the Macau Street in Nanning.
4. March 3 Vice Mayor Zhao Hongsheng met a delegation from Val-de Marne, France, led by its governor.
5. March 13-16 An educational and cultural investigation delegation of 6 members from Eastbourne, UK led by its mayor visited Nanning. The delegation visited Nanning Oriental Foreign Languages School and signed a preliminary agreement on vocational training and on exchange of teachers.
6. March 14 Vice Mayor Xiao Yingzi met the visiting Mayor of Eastbourne, UK and signed an intentional agreement on the establishment of sister city relationship between the two cities. The two mayors also discussed exchanges of and cooperation on culture, education and business and trade.
7. March 20 Vice Mayor Qian Xueming met Kyaw Tint Swe, Myanmar's Ambassador to China, for a discussion on the establishment of the Burmese Liaison Office in the China-ASEAN Business Park (Nanning).
8. March 24 A delegation from South Africa led the secretary general of the National Assembly of South Africa inspected the Xialu Village of Wuming County, Nanning on the role of the grassroots Party organizations in the development of local economy.
9. March 30 A panel of experts of urban planning and landscape designing were to set off to Ha Long, Vietnam to help plan and design some of its city landscape projects. Ha Long, capital of Guang Ninh province, with its rich coal recourse and beautiful sea scenery, began good ties with Nanning in 2006.
10. April 16 A Macau delegation of 59 members led by Ms. Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan, secretary of the Secretariat for Administration and Justice of Macau SAR, visited Nanning.
11. April 16-21 A delegation of municipal administration from Ho Chi Minh city visited Nanning to learn from the latter the practice of the planning of urban development, the protection of historic relics and city administration.
12. May 13-14 A delegation of five members from the foreign ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) visited Nanning.
13. May 15 The acting Mayor Chen Xiangqun met Consul General and deputy Consul General of Cambodia in Nanning. The Consulate General of Cambodia in Nanning, first established in Nanning in October 2005, was forced to close on April 2006 due to the domestic situation in Cambodia and reopened on March 2007. It was the first time the Cambodian Consul General ever paid a visit to the leaders of Nanning.
14. May 19 Vice Mayor Zhao Hongsheng met the visiting Swiss consul general in Guangzhou, China, Mr. Nie Wei. It was Nie's second visit to Nanning and this time he was with a Swiss delegation who was seeking cooperation in Guangxi. He hoped that the two sides could cooperate on paper making, chemical industry, education, tourism and environmental protection.
15. May 24 Sino-Vietnam Seminar on City Planning and Administration was held. Government officials and scholars and experts from the two countries met to discuss on measures to enhance city planning and administration.
16. June 25 A business delegation of 9 members, including the person in charge of China Economics Town in Spain, headed by Mayor Lopez of Estremera, Spain, visited Nanning to examine the investment environment and to booster exchange and cooperation of business and culture and to enhance friendly ties between Estremera and Nanning.
17. June 26 Long'an County of Nanning signed an intentional agreement to establish sister city relationship with Estremera, Spain. Vice Mayor Zhao Hongsheng attended the signing ceremony.
18. June 26 vice Mayor Zhao Hongsheng met a visiting delegation from Chungcheongbuk-do Province of South Korea led by its vice governor. The Chungcheongbuk-do delegation performance troupe gave a performance with Nanning Artistic Opera Troupe and the delegation visited some of the tourist attractions of Nanning.
19. July 2-5 A delegation of 3 members of Brunei-China Friendship Association visited Nanning for business exchanges. On July 2, Vice Mayor Qian Xueming met with Hong Ruiquan, vice chairman of the Association.
20. July 27 Nanning Students Delegation for Friendship Exchange set out to Australia for a 16-day visit. The delegation was warmly welcomed in Bundaberg and after the activities there, visited Canberra and the Gold Coast.
21. August 28 Mayor Chen Xiangqun, together with Vice Mayor Zhao Hongsheng, met Chilean ambassador to China Fernando Reyes Matta and signed an intentional agreement for Nanning and Iquique, Chile, to establish a friendship cities relationship. The visit of the Chilean ambassador marked the beginning of Nanning relations with cities in South America.
22. September 3 Mayor Chen Xiangqun, who was in Davao City, Philippine, for a friendship visit, signed the agreement with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on the establishment of friendly relationship between Nanning and Davao, making it the 9th international friendship city of Nanning.
23. September 4 Mayor Chen Xiangqun led a delegation to visit the SM mall of Asia in the Philippines. With a total area of 60 hectares and business area of 380,000 square meters, SM Mall of Asia is the biggest shopping mall in the Philippines and the third largest in the world, integrating into one shopping, relaxation, entertainment, meeting venues, restaurants and inhabitation. The delegation also visited the Asia Development Bank and the secretariat of ASEAN.
24. September 16 A delegation of the Hong Kong Association of the Advancement of Real Estate & Construction Technology visited Nanning. Heading the delegation were Mr. Liang Bairen, director of the Office of Business and Trade of the government of Hong Kong SAR, and Mr. Peng Jinjun, president of Chun Wo Holdings Ltd (Hong Kong).founded in 1991, the Hong Kong Association of the Advancement of Real Estate & Construction Technology is a non-profit association consisting experienced experts and professionals of real estate, building, construction and estate service, and is also the only comprehensive chamber of commerce in Hong Kong that integrates the above-mentioned four fields. It has now more than 100 member companies.
25. September 24 The first arts performance evening for foreigners studying or working in Nanning was held in Nanning TV Station. About 100 overseas guests from more than 10 foreign countries including USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia joined in the performance which attracted more than 600 spectators and honorable guests from overseas countries.
26. Early October A friendship delegation of Nanning of 35 members went to GwaCheon-si, South Korea, for a display and exchange of the Nanning culture. Such cultural event was the first of its kind organized by Nanning in overseas cities as a means of cultural and non-governmental diplomacy.
27. October 28 The 4th China-ASEAN Expo was opened in Nanning. Chinese vice premier Zeng Peiyan, Brunei crown prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, Laos premier Bouasone Bouphavanh, Vietnamese premier Nguyen Tan Dung and secretary general of the ASEAN Secretariat Ong Keng Yong attended the Expo and the business summit. The ministers of economy and trade of the 10 ASEAN member nations headed their government delegations and business delegations for the EXPO. All together 183 ministerial ranking honored guests turned up for the event.
28. October 30 Mayor Chen Xiangqun met the visiting Sihanoukville delegation led by Mayor Say Hak, Cambodia. The two sides signed the agreement on the establishment of sister cities between Nanning and Sihanoukville and consequently, planted a friendship tree in Binhu Square near the municipal office building. Sihanoukville, used to be Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a port city in southern Cambodia adjoining the Gulf of Thailand. It is the third largest city in Cambodia and the only port city in the country. With great progress in infrastructure construction in recent years including seaport, highways and airport, the city has become a hot investment destination for the U.S., Japan, China, Vietnam and Singapore. At the same time, the city also boasts variety of tourist resources with its14-kilometer coastline which houses many fine sand beaches and its waterfalls, national parks and islands.
29. October 31 The 4th China-ASEAN Expo successfully ended in Nanning. The Expo had offered all together 3,400 booths and had attracted 1,908 enterprises, 8,281 exhibitors and 33,480 professional spectators. 1400 delegates had joined the business summit. The transaction revenue on the Expo had amounted to $1.42 billion, an increase of 12.1% compared with the previous one. 26 investment promotion events had been organized, 182 international economical cooperation projects had been signed with a total investment value of $6.154 billion, up 5.28% year on year basis, and 138 domestic economical cooperation projects had been signed with a total investment value of 58.214 billion yuan, up 5.13%.
30. December 10 Secretary of CPC Nanning Committee Ma Biao met with a delegation of EU ambassadors to China and discussed with them on strengthening the exchanges between Nanning and the EU countries. The delegation was made up of ambassadors to China respectively from Portugal, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Lithuania, Slovenia, Germany, Estonia, Luxembourg and Belgium.
31. December 13-15 Chilean ambassador to China Fernando Reyes Matta visited Nanning with a delegation of 5 members from Iquique, Chile, for a series of exchanges on the theme of "Iquique and Nanning cooperate to enhance market links among the surrounding nations". The exchange events were divided into 3 parts, namely "Seminar on Cooperation for Development", "Exhibition of Chilean Film Culture" and "Banquet of Chilean Wines".
32. December 16 Secretary of CPC Nanning Committee Ma Biao met Vietnamese Consul General in Nanning for a talk on strengthening friendship and cooperation. The Vietnamese Consulate General in Nanning was opened in May 2005.
33. December 28 The first forum on cooperation and development between chambers of commerce in Nanning and ASEAN cities was held in Nanning along with the commemorating ceremony of 100th anniversary of the Nanning Chamber of Commerce. Present at the forum and the ceremony were more than 600 delegates from Chinese National Federation of Industry and Commerce, persons in charge from the chambers of commerce of some cities and provinces from outside Guangxi, representatives of the chambers of commerce of the ASEAN countries, elites of the business circle and scholars and experts, discussing on the role of non-governmental chambers of commerce in regional economical cooperation and in the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.


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Shabbat Ki Tisa - Taking a Deep Breath
Steve Lotter
Sinai Synagogue, Shabbat AM, March 18,2017
Rabbi Michael Friedland
After parashat Yitro in which the Ten commandments are presented until the end of the Book of Shmot, the Torah is almost exclusively concerned with the construction of the Mishkan, the tabernacle, and the creation of the priestly institution. But opening up every few chapters, like a window of fresh air, are verses mentioning the observance of something we are familiar with - the Sabbath. It is in the 10 Commandments, of course, but we also find it here in Ki Tisa and next week before we read of the actual construction of the Tabernacle, verses about the significance of Shabbat observance are offered again. These verses about holiness in time stand as a counterpoint to the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, which is holiness in space. For the Bible it is not one or the other but both in their proper balance.
As if to underscore that point, according to the Sages, activities that were needed to create the Mishkan, are the very activities we refrain from doing on the Sabbath. In this way the Shabbat is a remedy to the possible malaise that can come from over extensive engagement in any kind of spatial context, holy or not.
The verses about Shabbat in this week's Torah portion make this very point.
"Let all of Israel guard the Shabbat, keeping the Shabbat in all generations as an everlasting Covenant. It is between me and the Children of Israel, a sign forever, that in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day, paused and took a deep breath."
'Shavat viyanafash' is what we called our Kallah this year. Shavat means to cease, refrain and VaYiNafash comes from the word 'nefesh,' which means both soul and breath. Shabbat is about pausing and taking a deep breath.
Shabbat is a day for catching our breath, for taking a break from the crazy overextended life we are caught in the rest of the week. It is a day when we imitate God by standing back from what we have done, a day when we are not money-making machines or money-spending machines. It is a day when we are not machines at all, but human beings, made in the image of God.
When people hear about Shabbat in these terms they are enthralled. Who wouldn't like a pause from the busy lives we live? But the challenge is to translate the words of the Torah from parchment into life. How do we make these words that we have just heard, words that are several thousand years old, words that come from a world before there were computers or cars or credit or cash ... how do we make these words resonate for people in our own time?
I shared this article by Lilith writer Nancy Maxwell a number of years ago but it still resonates. Nancy Maxwell is a woman who has a career and a family and a host of other interests. She like many of us here attempts to juggle all the responsibilities and vocational activities in her life without losing our minds. But one day it all snapped – she writes:
"When I burst into tears over the laundry basket, I knew that something would have to change. As I sat there convulsively sobbing, my tears inundating the still-warm, lemon-scented sheets, I had to admit that things just could not continue.
"It was easy to diagnose the cause of my emotional outburst. I, like an entire generation of sister working Moms, was exhausted. With a husband, daughter, job, graduate school class and house all demanding my time and energy, my tears betrayed the fact that, no matter how hard I tried, I could not 'do it all.' Though I had always prided myself on maintaining an organized, though hectic, schedule of household duties and errands, my tears revealed that even with all my lists, systems and constant motion, I still could not manage to get everything done.
"I could not enlist my husband to do more, nor could I give up something. My husband is already as stressed and exhausted as I am. He works longer and harder at his job than I do. Though he has offered to take on more chores, I failed to see how having him crying over the laundry basket instead of me would help matters.
"Nor could I find any activities I was willing to eliminate. I love my full-time job and I refuse to give up the intellectually-challenging graduate class I take each semester. I have already lowered housework standards, paid for what services we can afford, and stopped doing lots of little things....
"(A)s my weeping laundry session revealed, even these changes were not enough. I needed to try something radically different.
"I found my "radical solution" in a most unlikely source; at least it was an unlikely place for a non-Orthodox Jew like me. My solution was to resurrect the ancient biblical observance of Shabbat.
"But, as a liberal modern Jew, I could not and would not observe a completely Orthodox Shabbat, with all of the prohibitions against driving, turning on lights, answering the phone, et cetera. I decided that I would 'reconstruct' Shabbat in a way that would let me observe a traditional day of rest, but in a way that made sense for a contemporary Jewish career woman.
"I was still sitting on the floor amidst my tear-dampened bed sheets when I began to construct 'Nancy Maxwell's Save-Your-Own-Life Shabbat rules.' If my ancestors could cease their brick-making and their olive-tending for one day, surely I and my family could manage if no laundry or housework was done one day a week."
What Nancy Maxwell was struggling with was not just how to bring some peace and tranquility into her home but how to incorporate the wisdom of our ancestors into a modern context. Too often we make the mistake of taking a bifurcated approach to religious obligations. It is either all –which of course is crazy and fanatical – or nothing. But adaptation is what has kept our faith vital over 2000 years.
What I find weak in Nancy Maxwell's approach is that there is no broader context. Her Shabbat rules do not place her in a communal covenant with fellow Jews or within her religious heritage, they are simply another self-help doctrine ala Jewish sensibilities. Kind of like Madonna studying kabbalah.
In any case here is Nancy Maxwell's list:
No shopping-No housework-No grocery stores-No laundry-No bill-paying(No even thinking about money)-No stops at the ATM, the gas station or any other errands.-No major cooking or baking.-No obligatory or guilt-induced phone calls-No doing anything else that I find unpleasant(Provided it can be put off a day without inconveniencing other members of the family. After all, I am still the Mom.)
And these are her 'yeses.'
Yes to reading and studying.
Yes to just being with my husband
Yes to playing with and reading to my daughter
Yes to having friends and family over for dinner
Yes to any outing that I find pleasant
Yes to anything else that gives me peace and joy
The list is pretty good in terms of creating an island of tranquility in the midst of a hectic week. Yet I would guess that after 6 months or so, maybe a year, Nancy Maxwell may well have had difficulty maintaining her new program. Because without the appreciation that one is following a course of action because one is compelled – as Jews because our brit with God demands of us to observe Shabbat – and with a community to support her vision – if everyone in her neighborhood held to those rules – follow through is very difficult. That is the strength of weight watchers – a community meets weekly to encourage each other (maybe fear of shaming) to keep to the program.
Art Green, a scholar of Mysticism and head of the rabbinical school at Boston Hebrew College, years ago had his own "Ten Commandments" of Shabbat for the modern Jew that sound similar to Nancy Maxwell.
Stay at home, Celebrate with others, study or read something that will edify challenge or make you grow. Be Alone , take time for your self and review your week. Mark the beginning and end of sacred time through Friday night and Havdalah rituals
Don't do anything you have to do for your work life, Don't spend money, Don't do business, Don't travel long distances, stay free of encounters in which people are likely to tell you "Have a nice day". Don't use commercial or canned video entertainment, be in situations in which you are face to face with people.
The list are similar except that Art Green includes religious rituals to mark the time. Neither though suggest joining with others in communal religious experiences which are essential to the success of making Shabbat unique. Our passage tells us today "It is between me and the Children of Israel, a sign forever". If not for God one could attempt to make Shabbat Wednesday or Sunday as the great Reform Jewish theologian Kaufman Kohler suggested to early 20th century Jews. But our Shabbat is from Friday night to Saturday night because in holding to that time we engage in a Covenantal commitment with the Divine.
Nancy Maxwell did a great service by acknowledging that there is a great practical element to keeping Shabbat in a way that makes us to cease and desist in order to draw a clean breath. Her approach is most worthwhile in helping us to see that God's covenantal demands are in essence an act of great love and compassion for God's people.

subset: commoncrawl


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Six-time Grammy Award winning artist TobyMac's latest album This is Not a Test hit store shelves today! The much anticipated album combines elements of pop, rap, rock and hip-hop for a mix of songs that will have listeners ready to get on their feet and dance.
As a Christian artist, TobyMac has created an album filled with music that expresses his gratitude for God in a way that is cleverly written to make a vast majority of the songs relatable to people of all faiths. The clean positive messages that it carries also make it a great choice for listeners of all ages.
About TobyMac
Toby McKeehan (TobyMac) is a husband, father, performer, songwriter, producer, and businessman. His love for rap music was instilled while growing up in the northern Virginia suburbs, and while attending Liberty University during the mid 80s, Toby met Michael Tait and Kevin Max Smith. The three friends formed the Grammy winning, platinum selling group dc Talk. When the band disbanded Toby began his solo career, with his first solo album, Momentum, being released in 2001. Four additional studio albums, Welcome to Diverse City (2004), Portable Sounds (2007), Tonight(2010), and Eye On It (2012), and his first live album, Alive and Transported (2008) were to follow. This Is Not A Test is his 6th studio album to be released. Toby clings to such rootsy notions as hard work, persistence, patience, and – perhaps most relevant of all – the power of music, which he insists is still what keeps him going.
Connect with TobyMac Online
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Track List
- Like A Match
- Backseat Driver (featuring Hollyn, Tru)
- This Is Not A Test (featuring Capital Kings)
- Lighs Shine Bright (featuring Hollyn)
- Till The Day I Die (featuring NF)
- Feel It (featuring TalkBox)
- Move (Keep Walkin')
- Love Broke Thru
- Beyond Me
- Love Feels Like (featuring dc Talk)
- Undeniable
- Lift You Up (featuring Ryan Stevenson)
- Fall
- Beyond Me (Phenomenon Remix by Soul Glow Activatur)
- Like a Match (Garcia's Remix)
Purchase the Album on iTunes
This Is Not A Test Giveaway
Would you love to get your hands on a copy of TobyMac's new album, This Is Not A Test? Propellor Consulting, LLC is graciously gifting one of our readers with a copy, so please enter below for your chance to win!
Open to Canada/USA – Enter by August 31, 2015
Prize (1 winner) –
- One copy of the new TobyMac cd This Is Not A Test
Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification."


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The Differences Between Quartz and Quartzite Countertops
Table of Contents
Many people are enamored with the sight of quartz or quartzite at their friend or relative's home, and then proceed to the stone seller and tell the sales professional that they would like a similar product. "Would you like quartz or quartzite?" they are usually asked. Unfortunately, the purchasers often don't know the answer to the question – however, there is a fundamental difference between the two types of stones. This article will delineate the differences, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each stone type to help you make the right choice for your home.
Quartzite Countertops
Quartzite is a naturally occurring stone that is mined from the Earth, much like granite. Quartzite is cut into slabs from various quarries all over the world; then it is shipped to sellers or distributors, like Marble.com. Quartzite is marginally harder than marble and other stones, like limestone and travertine. The advantages of quartzite are that it is a naturally occurring stone, and offers a beautiful aesthetic that many consider similar to marble countertops. Many professional interior designers and homeowners prefer to have a naturally occurring stone in their home as opposed to "engineered stone" countertops, like quartz, because each slab is unique and distinct, just like a piece of art.
For some people, there is no substitute for natural quartzite. Some potential disadvantages are that, because it is a natural stone, the stone will need to be sealed bi-annually with a Stone Sealer from Mr. Stone. The slab will also not be 100% uniform in mineral composition and appearance. For those individuals who prefer uniformity in composition and appearance, "engineered stone" is available as an alternative.
Quartz Countertops
Quartz is an "engineered stone", meaning that it is created from specialty manufacturers that mix fine natural stone with what usually is a polymer resin that will harden and produce a uniquely beautiful and strong surface. The advantages of quartz are that, in addition to being robust, it is uniform in composition, meaning that because it is manufactured, there are usually no changes in mineral composition throughout the stone, such as might occur in naturally occurring stone slabs that were mined from the ground. Thus, while quartzite does not have perfectly uniform physical properties throughout the stone slab, quartz countertops do.
The composition of quartz differs from manufacturer to manufacturer because each one uses a slightly different composition of resin that gives rise to different physical properties of the manufactured stone. The composition of the resin is often a trade secret of the manufacturer, so even the stone seller might not even know it.
Many people prefer to purchase a manufactured product over a natural product to know the precise physical properties, as opposed to the comparably unpredictable properties of a naturally occurring product.
"Engineered stones" are available in the broader array of colors and designs than naturally occurring quartzite, so the selection is one advantage of quartz countertops. For example, if you have a specific color of flooring or cabinets that you would like to match your countertops, purchasing quartz instead of quartzite would lead to an easier search for a match to your existing kitchen, as opposed to searching far and wide for a quartzite slab that would match your kitchen.
Originally posted on November 14, 2017 05:00:00 PM


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Where can I find a 08816 family dentist?
If you have been searching for a 08816 family dentist, make the experienced professionals at Summerhill Dental Excellence your choice! Dr. Lerner is highly skilled in a wide range of advanced dentistry services and offers the state-of-the-art in preventive, emergency, pediatric and cosmetic dentistry services for you and your loved ones., Dr. Lerner warmly welcomes you and your children to come and smile at his hi-tech dental office in East Brunswick. He and his caring, skilled professional staff look forward to caring for the oral healthcare needs of your entire family.
At Summerhill Dental Excellence, your 08816 family dentist enjoys making your children's visit to the dentist's office educational, effective, and as much fun as possible. When you bring your children to visit the dentist early on and regularly, it is a significant step to help them develop excellent habits and a positive attitude towards their dental care now and into their adult lives. By providing professional teeth cleanings engaging instruction in the best techniques for establishing and maintaining excellent oral hygiene at home, your dentist can help your children to almost entirely prevent the onset of cavities. Dental decay is so common among pediatric patients that your dentist highly recommends additional fluoride treatments and dental sealants for molars to strengthen and shield your children's developing teeth from cavities.
As parents, scheduling semi-annual visits for your children is a matter of being proactive about their overall health. When you maintain a schedule of bi-annual visits, your 08816 family dentist can address issues early on, when they are easiest to treat and discuss any questions or concerns you may have about your children's oral health. For the exceptional quality care of an experienced dentist with a gentle, and compassionate touch, contact the professionals at Summerhill Dental Excellence to schedule your kid's next preventive checkup today!
2A Auer Court
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
(732) 408-6548


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As a current Buffalo Bill and a former Detroit Lion, running back Reggie Bush can speak with some expertise on the chances of both clubs this season.
Duff: Reggie Bush assesses chances of Canada's favourite NFL teams
DETROIT — Of all the people gathered at Ford Field Thursday for the Detroit Lions' 31-0 NFL preseason finale rout of the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, perhaps no one was better versed to speak on the outlook for both teams than running back Reggie Bush.
Bush was a Lion from 2013-14. He's currently a Bill.
Yes, you could say the man has known his share of pain and strange times. And we didn't even mention his two-year fling with Kim Kardashian.
As the two closest NFL teams to Canada — and both have played games in Canada, by the way — the Bills and Lions share a unique bond.
They also share a kinship from afar, as failures of a different ilk.
The Bills are known as the team that always loses the Super Bowl.
The Lions are known as the team that never gets to the Super Bowl.
On Jan. 8, 2000, both the Lions and Bills contested NFL playoff games. Detroit was dumped 27-13 by the Washington Redskins. The Bills fell 22-16 to the Tennessee Titans on a last-play kick-return lateral for a touchdown, forever to be known as the Music City Miracle.
Since that mishap, part of a litany of Buffalo sporting blunders, the Bills have not returned to the playoffs. It's the longest active drought of any NFL team.
So how do you like your new team's chances of ending that skid, Reggie?
"I think we have everything we need here to be able to make a push to win the division but it's going to take a lot of work," Bush insisted, pointing to high-end skill players such as running back LeSean McCoy and receiver Sammy Watkins. "We definitely have a lot of offensive weapons.
"It's going to come down to one, chemistry as a team; and two, it's going to be our ability to play a high level week in and week out because the games only get harder every week.
"It's going to take a full season for us to get to where we want to go to."
The Lions possess their own link to futility. They haven't won a playoff game since 1991. That's the longest active drought of any NFL team.
The odds of the Lions getting out of their dismal playoff snide this year minus the NFL's best receiver, the recently retired Calvin Johnson? Well, let's say Johnson has a better chance of winning Dancing With The Stars.
"And Calvin's no dancer," Bush said, before returning the discussion to the gridiron.
"I'm interested to see how it's going to play with life after Calvin. That's the big question, right? That's the big question I think everybody is interested to see."
For the Lions, any path to success begins right within their grouping within the NFC North.
"You start with your division," Bush said. "You're going to see Green Bay twice. That's an issue.
"You can start with the two toughest teams in the division and it's going to be Minnesota and Green Bay. If you can find a way to get past them, then I think you'll be doing great.
"Those are two of the top teams in football, especially Green Bay."
Speaking of top teams in football, the Bills have been looking up at the New England Patriots in the AFC East for about 15 years now.
"We definitely have our work cut out for us," Bush said of the thought of seeking to dethrone Tom Brady and company. "I've played in this division once before when I was in Miami and it's tough.
"The Patriots are the top. They're the ones that we have to beat in order to get to where we want to go to."
What should the many Canadian fans of the two NFL teams situated closest to our border anticipate from their favourite squads in 2016?
More mediocrity. More heartbreak. More failure.
After all, it's what the Bills and Lions do best.


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Illinois Wesleyan University's Meditation Room
Guest posted by Melissa MariottiNot much is known about Illinois Wesleyan's Meditation Room; in fact many people are unaware of its existence. The purpose of this room is all in the name; a place for quiet reflection and meditation. It is located on the second floor of the Memorial Center, up the stairs from the Davidson room.
It is a small space filled with six chairs, an altar, several crosses (both big and small), a prayer kneeler, paper and note cards for writing notes and prayers, several Bibles, rosaries, and a large plaque dedicated to the Wesleyan students who died in combat during World War II. It is interesting to note that the Meditation Room was not part of the original plans for the Memorial Center. While the building was constructed in 1947, the Meditation Room was not added until about 10 years later during the 1957-1958 school year after students began requesting a space for quiet meditation. It is well-known that Illinois Wesleyan began as a Methodist institution, so it is somewhat surprising to see that students requested a non-denominational meditation room. It may have begun as nondenominational, but it is clear that after time that its purpose has shifted from a small war memorial to a small church. Many people have found a sanctuary in this room. On the door there is a sign-in sheet where you can see how often the room gets used. People, both students and alumni, have written notes on it, saying how thankful they were for the space.
It is unclear as to when most of the items in the room were added or by whom. The earliest evidence Wesleyan has is a photo taken during the 1960s of the altar and a cross. According to a 1954 Argus article, the room was "furnished by the Lee McClure family." At that time, there was only the altar, a cross, and the chairs. As for the rest of the items, such as the large crosses, it is uncertain. There are six chairs placed against both sides of the room that were donated by Mr. and Mrs. Lee McClure in honor of their son, Bruce McClure, a student at Wesleyan, who died in combat in 1945.
Each chair has a small plaque on them to commemorate him. Bruce came to Wesleyan in 1942 and was enlisted that following spring. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta.
It is uncertain whether or not every item in the room was donated by the McClure family
There is a large plaque that is placed on the wall with the names of the students who fought and died in combat. The plaque is titled, "Illinois Wesleyan University Students Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice in World War Two."
Among those names is George Lansing Fox, whom the room is now dedicated to. There is small collage dedicated to him and "The Four Chaplains." George L. Fox graduated from Illinois Wesleyan in 1932 and served in World War I, receiving many prestigious awards, such as the Silver Star, Purple Heart, the Croix de Guerre, and the Furaguerre. He enlisted in World War II as a chaplain and deployed on a ship called the USS Dorchester.
In 1943 the USS Dorchester was torpedoed by a German submarine. Fox was one of four chaplains on the ship. The others were Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish. After realizing that there were not enough life vests on the ship, the four chaplains gave up their own so others could survive. They were last seen kneeling on the deck of the ship in prayer as it sank.In 1951 president Truman dedicated a chapel at Temple University, Pennsylvania, The Chapel of the Four Chaplains, and made a commemorative postage stamp in their honor.


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Here's a list of links we find useful for anybody interested in the Toastmaster Journey and Public Speaking - Enjoy!
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Postgraduate Profiles
David Edmonds
Thesis: Therapeutic knee taping in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Effect on knee joint kinematics, kinetics, knee pain and muscle activation during gait and commonly affected daily tasks.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most debilitating and prevalent diseases associated with aging, and is estimated to affect 9% of men and 18% of women over 65 years of age. Knee OA affects the condylar surfaces of the joint and its associated structures (bone, cartilage, ligaments, fat pad). In general, most knee OA treatments are expensive and/or invasive and target the symptoms of pain. The majority of these are pharmaceutical interventions that treat the symptoms of pain, but fail to influence the mechanical etiology of disease initiation/progression. The progression of OA has been shown to be affected by large joint contact forces over the condylar surface of the joint, however, current biomechanical models still rely heavily on external knee loads, joint kinematics and muscle excitation measures to predict these internal knee forces. External knee joint moments, joint kinematics and muscle activation measures are, therefore, used as surrogate measures of knee joint contact forces. Therapeutic taping methods have proven effective in reducing a patient's subjective assessment of knee pain in arthritic populations, however, no research has been conducted as to how taping may affect the biomechanics of the knee joint, specifically knee joint kinematics, kinetics and neuromuscular functioning during the gait cycle.
Why my research is important
Clinical knee joint taping has the potential to offer an inexpensive, simple and effective alternative to traditional conservative management therapies for knee OA such as walking aids, orthotics and drugs, as well as orthopaedic surgery. OA remains one of the few chronic diseases of aging with few effective, non-invasive treatments. Current treatment methods are all potentially invasive, expensive and/or do not treat the mechanical etiology of disease progression/initiation (drugs, exercise, surgery, walking aids). Due to the large percentage of older populations (9% of men, 18% of women over 65) who suffer from knee OA, this research has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life of many people across Australia and worldwide. Aside from the potential benefits to participants, this study will be the first of its kind to investigate the effect of therapeutic taping techniques on knee pain, knee kinematics, knee kinetics, and muscle activation within an arthritic population.
- Research is funded by an Ad Hoc scholarship and with support from Jenny McConnell and the McConnell Institute in Sydney.
Nov 2013
Nov 2014
- Phone: Phone: (+61 4) 3038 1514
- Assistant Prof. Cyril Donnelly
- W/Prof. Tim Ackland
- Dr. Jay Ebert


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Effective Thursday, June 21 at 8 a.m., the 600 block of 9 Avenue South will be closed for the installation of water and sanitary sewer lines.
Works is expected to be complete by late afternoon on Tuesday, June 26, weather permitting. Motorists are advised to drive with caution in this area and follow posted detours.
Media Contact: Adam Campbell, Water & Wastewater Operations Manager City of Lethbridge 403-320-4744 email@example.com


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Theresa May refuses to rule out walking away from EU if no Brexit deal is reached
Worried MPs called on the PM to agree a transition deal now to reassure worried businesses as the clock ticks down
THERESA May last night refused to rule out walking away from the EU if no Brexit deal is reached by the talks' two year deadline.
Worried MPs called on the PM to agree a transition deal now to reassure worried businesses as the clock ticks down.
But the PM insisted there could be no intermediary phase without knowing what trade terms Britain will win first.
Instead, she insisted it was now "for the EU to now say what they want" from any future relationship, declaring the negotiating ball was back in Brussels' court.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also accused Mrs May of presiding over "Groundhog Day" because of the lack of surface progress.
Five leading business groups sent a joint letter to Brexit Secretary David Davis yesterday to warn that investment and jobs could go overseas if the uncertainty persisted.
Britain and the EU has just a year left to agree a divorce package, a new trade deal and a transition period to implement them.
Six months will be needed after that to pass them through national parliaments, before Brexit happens on March 30, 2019.
But the PM insisted she has "a degree of confidence" that enough progress will be made by December to begin trade talks then.
Mrs May was also quizzed by Brexit Committee chair Hilary Benn about The Sun's revelation yesterday that she has delayed a crunch Cabinet debate over an EU trade deal until next year over fears it will spark resignations.
The PM refuse to deny our revelation, only saying: "This is a negotiation. There will be different levels of detail at different stages of the negotiation".
She also refused Leave-backing Tory MP Sir Edward Leigh's request for "more transparency and openness with Parliament" about the sort of sums involved in the divorce bill negotiations.
Backing Mrs May's call on the EU, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson insisted that "now is the time to get on with it".


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Everyone has some kind of preconceived notion about bras before they get into sewing them. That you can only wear a certain type of bra, that they have to have 'x' to be suitable, etc. One of mine, and I have a few, involves foam cups.
When I started sewing my own bras, I was quick to abandon the molded cups when I found out another option existed, and all of my bras up to this point have included cut and sew foam. I was significantly less quick at working myself up to sewing a bra without any kind of foam at all. Why is that? Well, the obvious answer is nip coverage, but even the eternally cold has warm moments- seasons, even- and a very layer friendly wardrobe.
During a late night (I say late night, it was like 8:30...) bra making discussion with Lynda of Elle Joan's about her new bra tulle, and she mentioned that she had similar reservations about abandoning the foam as well. That really started me thinking about what exactly I was so attached to. I really wanted to try sewing a bra without it, and worse of all I couldn't pinpoint what was stopping me. I think, for me, that the answer lays more in those preconceived notions of what a bra should be - even though if there's one thing bramaking has taught me, it's to throw all those ideas right out the window.
With one of my subsequent orders of goodies from Lynda's shop, she actually sent me a bit of bra tulle to try, so I knew I'd have to make something from it - and what better opportunity to go foamless!
So. The bra tulle had been sitting prominently on my shelf for almost a month and a half, and every time I sat down to sew I'd look at it nervously. At the same time, decided that I was going to need to redraft my cup pattern - partially because I thought the bra tulle deserved special treatment, and partially because the top-cup part of my bustier bra pattern doesn't actually get stitched into the wireline - a cool design feature, but not universally applicable. This involved quite a few experiments (five, I think? The fit is nice, but I was trying for extra lift, while making style decisions on how wide I wanted the upper cup vs. lower cup pieces to be...) but I'm going to let you in on the secret that got me through my muslins:
I found this stuff in a shop in South Auckland for $6/M. It's got about the same amount of give as duoplex, and it doesn't unravel or anything unsavory like the plain woven muslin fabric I've been using. I think it's meant for basketball shorts or football jerseys or something like that. It only comes in sports colors, but I'm not sure I care. I made a nearly complete frame, tested cups until I was fairly certain the fit was accurate, and then mocked up a nearly finished version including some elastic to test the final fit. Worked like a charm!
New pattern in hand, I decided to go for it with my black bra tulle. I cut the pieces, sewed the cups together, stitched in my binding to make sure the insides were pretty.... and promptly realized that the seam binding looked way better as the outside of the cup than the inside.
It occurred to me - since I'm still currently sewing identically sized cups for rightie and leftie, that there wouldn't be anything wrong with flipping them inside out before sewing them to the bridge, so I did! The rest of the bra went together without a hitch, and the new pattern fits excellently, complete with an internal powerbar for improved lift! I did end up ripping out and re-stitching the seam binding on by hand after the bra was complete, because it was puckering just enough to be irritating...it was originally sheer nylon binding, but I replaced that with bias strips of silk dyed black to match. Hugs the curves much better, and not as bulky, although it was quite a hassle to hand stitch the wiggly silk to the unsupported bra tulle, and therefore still a few wrinkles.
So here's the down and dirty: Self drafted version 2.0 (more like 8.0 but who's counting) three part cup with full band and internal powerbar cut with horizontal DOGS. The cups are two layers of bra tulle (cut in opposing directions for ultimate stability) with sheer nylon lining for seam binding, and bridge is one layer of bra tulle plus one layer of sheer nylon lining. The elastics for this one came from the same odd little shop in south Auckland that doesn't have a website, and I'm not entirely sure I trust the quality - but hey, worth a try for a pretty picot, and I know how to make more if it wears out ;)
The bra fits well. there are a few wrinkles that I'm fairly certain are due to my hand stitching, and I could have done well to be neater with my strap attachments, but it fits. There's just something... odd about it. It looks fine under a shirt so I don't think it's the shaping: I'm fairly certain it's just all those lines going on, visually bisecting things in different directions that's a bit jarring. It took me a while to figure out why I wasn't totally satisfied with this bra (I thought I didn't like it because it didn't fit, except it does fit - comfy to the point that I have to do a subtle boob-grab to figure out if I'm even wearing a bra)... I'm using this same pattern for my next bra (nearly done!) - in theory we'll find out if it still looks odd in an opaque fabric, and with the addition of foam again.
I've worn this bra a few times out in ~the world~, and I can't say I've discovered anything particularly scary about going foamless. I wouldn't wear it with a very sheer shirt... but let's be honest, I fully line almost all the tops and dresses I make, and everything I wear fundamentally serves my need to be as bundled up as is socially acceptable because I'm a perpetually cold human. Besides, not wearing it with a sheer shirt probably has as much to do with its color as it does the lack of foamy insulation.
This bra has already worked its way into my rotation, and seems for the time being to be holding up pretty well. I'm not sure if I'll be building an army of sheer bras, but it sure is nice to have a bit of variation in the ranks, especially for these hot summer days we seem to be getting a lot of lately. Another bonus: After washing, this thing dries in about 15 minutes, whereas foam has been known to stay damp for ages.
I was a bit worried that this space was going to be suffering from the Christmas Sewing Cone of Silence by now, but as it turns out, my DIY Christmas list is nothing short of pitiful this year. As in, there's one small project on it. The rest is..*gasp!*...storebought. (Christmas knitting is not applicable in the southern hemisphere either...) Good thing for the blog though: there's no need for the cone of silence after all. This bra's (much more colorful) pattern-twin is already finished, and after I take pictures we can do a little comparison of the different materials - just in time for my nearly two week long Christmas vacation!


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Consider our pick of our favourite brand new Android os games obtainable in 2018, and that which we think will be the most useful Android os games of all time. By combining familiar game play mechanics with lots of iconic characters, Fire Emblem Heroes crafts a deceptively deep SRPG perfectly suited for mobile. You will find puzzle, action, arcade, card, board, and term games along with a category for kids games. The full-priced games that when topped the charts are receiving some real competition from titles that offer big swaths regarding the experience with zero upfront expense.
is an internet gaming web site where you can play online games for free. As a massively multiplayer game, you and numerous buddies can perhaps work together to overcome the various monsters and males threatening civilization over the game's huge, huge internet. The gameplay change is one of the many reasons Dragon Ball FighterZ has been held aloft among 2018's notable games.
It is pared the experience back to a puzzle game according to Escher-style illusions. %displayPrice% at %sellerpercent although some games predicated on anime franchises occur, they may be basic action or fighting http://hariqq.poker/ games that shortage level and they are produced solely to pander for their fan bases. After playing some rounds on desktop, we wished to see if it done mobile, too.
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games are blowing up the Computer gaming world the past few years — think League of Legends or DOTA2. You are able to play all the free online games at Pogo without registering but if you choose to, which is free, you will be entered into reward drawings, be able to keep your game stats, and make tokens.
With a lot of the micromanagement minutiae paid down or removed completely, Supreme Commander 2 is more of a garden-variety real-time strategy title than a proud member of an exceptional show. The online games are classified by genres, particularly action, puzzle, and arcade. But if you have just one single TD game (or game show) on your device, this really is hard to look past some of the three games in Kingdom Rush show.
By playing games, you can (randomly) make credits which can be also called Swagbucks". It really is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. %displayPrice% at %seller% GalaxyTrail's Freedom Planet is a retro-platformer that looks and feels as though a long-lost 16-bit mascot game. Top free games take Computer, and in case you wish to know what the very best 50 are then you've arrive at the right destination.
Sign up free to get most of the great things about subscribed games players particularly, high ratings, your own avatar, statistics, prizes and far, far more. %displayPrice% at %sellerpercent Nioh is Team Ninja's first attempt at an action-RPG, plus it shares several trivial similarities with From Software's influential Dark Souls games.


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3rd Edition Digital Transformation in Wealth Management
Reach new market segments; construct responsive ecosystems with inbuilt feedback channels and continue innovating offerings
4-5 Feb 2019
DOWNTOWN CONFERENCE CENTER, NEW YORK, NY, United States of America
- Conference Workshop
Workshop Title: Overview of financial systems security best practices
This interactive masterclass will provide delegates with a technical overview of the necessary best practices to improve and strengthen internal security systems. Delegates will be presented with practical solutions for safeguarding client data, increasing trust and transparency and developing a system of effective checks and balances.
Workshop Moderator: Donna Gallaher, President and CEO
Company: New Oceans Enterprises LLC
- Why You Should Attend
3rd Edition Digital Transformation in Wealth Management
The wealth management industry is still trying to tap into new market segments, provide holistic, immersive wealth experiences and digitalize front and back office process. This GFMI event will provide wealth managers with the tools to do so. From building responsive ecosystem and utilizing technology for investor guidance and benchmarking to developing strategies for reaching HNWI and the mass affluent. Attendees will learn and discuss the best practices for increasing profit, client base and quality of advice via new and established technologies.
- Key Topics
- State Street discuss whether incremental digitalization is the best way to go
- City National Bank assess the impact of blockchain and crypto on financial planning
- AgentRisk explore where AI is bringing the most value to wealth managers
- Fidelity look at best methodologies to optimize internal roll out strategy
- Previous Attendees Include
American Bankers Association, American Express, Arvest Bank, Associated Bank, Bain Capital LLC, Bank of America, Bank of Hope, Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, Bank of North Dakota, Bank Of The West Inc, Bank Of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Trust Company, Black Knight Financial Services, BlackRock Group, BMO Financial Group, BNP Paribas, BOFL Federal Bank, Capital One Financial Corporation, Carrington Mortgage Holdings, Citi Ventures, Citizens Bank, CO-OP Financial Services, Deloitte, East West Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Fidelity Investments, Franklin Tmepleton Investments, GE Capital, Goldman Sachs, HomeStreet Bank, John Deere Financial, JP Morgan Chase, Lexis Nexis, Manulife Financial, Mastercard Worldwide, Morgan Stanley & Company, National Bank of Canada, Natixis, Nordea Bank, Opus, Peoples Bank, Prudential, PWC, Santa Fe Group, Santander Bank N.A, Silicon Valley Bank, State Farm Insurance, State Street Corporation, SVB Financial Group, Synovus Financial Corp., TD Bank, UBS Financial Services Inc, US Bank, USAA Federal Savings Bank, Vanguard, Visa Inc, Wellington, Wells Fargo Bank
- Why Choose GFMI marcus evans?
marcus evans specialises in the research and development of strategic events for senior business executives. From our international network of 63 offices, marcus evans produces over 1000 event days a year on strategic issues in corporate finance, telecommunications, technology, health, transportation, capital markets, human resources and business improvement.
Above all, marcus evans provides clients with business information and knowledge which enables them to sustain a valuable competitive advantage and makes a positive contribution to their success.
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- "The very seminar was very good. Very informative discussion and questions from attendees." – Credit Suisse
- "Comprehensive and well structured program with an open and engaging style of presentation." - Investec
- "Very good event bringing a very impressive group of experts." – Scotiabank
- Latest Conference News & Resources
- Does hybrid advice provide the best customer experience? - An interview with TD Ameritrade
- Digital Transformation in Wealth Management - An interview with Pefin.com
- Join the Discussion
- Event Contact
For all enquiries regarding speaking, sponsoring and attending this conference contact:
Yiota Andreou GFMI
Telephone: +357 22 849 404
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The Archbishop of Rabat writes a letter to the people of Morocco on Tuesday confirming the Pope's March 2019 visit, one which he hopes will expand and encourage interreligious Islam-Christian dialogue.
By Francesca Merlo
In Tuesday's letter to his "Dear Christian brothers and sisters", Rabat's Archbishop, Cristóbal López, reiterates the Holy See Press Office's announcement that Pope Francis will be visiting Morocco from the 30th to the 31st of March 2019. Archbishop López highlights that there are many Christians in Morocco who are "passing through, on their difficult migration, towards Europe".
Memories of love and hope
He recalls the 1985 visit of Pope Saint John Paul II, a memory which he says is "still alive", and a visit, which he says brought "great hope, love and blessings" to the people and the Catholic Church in Morocco.


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Atlético Madrid seized control of Champions League Group G when Diego Costa scored twice, including one of the goals of the season, in a thumping 3-0 victory at Austria Vienna.
Playing at the Ernst Happel stadium, where Spain beat Germany 1-0 to win Euro 2008, Atlético took the lead in the eighth minute when Koke sent Felipe Luís clear on the left and he squared for Raúl García to tap int.
Brazil-born Costa showed why the Spain coach, Vicente del Bosque, wants to call him up when he made it 2-0 in the 20th minute after racing from inside the Atlético half, dancing past the last defender and slipping the ball into the corner of the net.
The home side tried to force their way back into the match but Costa dashed any hopes of a comeback when he controlled an Emiliano Insúa centre and struck from close range eight minutes into the second half.
Atlético have a maximum nine points from three matches, with Russia's Zenit St Petersburg on four after their 1-0 win at Porto. Vienna have one point in fourth and last place, two behind the Portuguese side.


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Our Staff
All of our professional staff are members of the American Physical Therapy Association, a national organization representing over 70,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students.
Richard Stoneking
Richard Stoneking has been a physical therapist since 1979 and in private practice since 1989.
Brandon Stoneking
In 2010, Brandon received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from The University of Dentistry and Medicine.
Cindy Stoneking
Cindy has been with Stoneking Physical Therapy since its inception.
Jeanette Adelman
Jeanette has been employed at Stoneking Physical Therapy since 1999.
Bill Bodor
Bill graduated from Penn State University with an undergraduates degree in Kinesiology.
Debra Wiley
Deb has been employed at Stoneking Physical Therapy since 2004 performing clerical duties associated with the physical therapy practice.


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|US regulators probe Google's Android: report
Rival technology companies allege that Google gives priority to its own services on Android while restricting those of competitors, the report said. Google +. Like this story, share it with millions of investors on M3. US regulators probe Googles …
Google Reportedly Facing FTC Antitrust Investigation over AndroidTop Tech News
FTC Is Said to Investigate Claims That Google Used Android to Promote Its ProductsThe Market Business
FTC to investigate whether Google uses Android dominance to hurt rivalsNorthern Californian
Wall Street Journal –Reuters
all 218 news articles »
US regulators probe Google's Android: report - Moneycontrol.com>http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKA31wpRPncYnBxmMsxtZFRjHmbL39mjFdHDnNo9zXv1i8txG0HCBPzD1kMHjupcOMAmbk4Kw


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Local free-heeler wants to make mark among freeskiers
Dropping cliffs for a living is a risky way to earn a dollar in the best of conditions, but what about freeskiiers such as local legend Steve Leeder who choose to compete on telemark skis?
Telemark skiing or "free-heeling" dates back to the origins of skiing when mountaineers only clamped their toes into their skis and used them, mostly, for going uphill rather than straight off a mountain.
But this week at the Canadian Freeskiing Championships in Whistler, Leeder will attempt to use a modern version of an historic ski technique to make a name for himself against some of the best skiers in the world.
While Leeder has a different method of competing, his struggle for sponsorship and recognition in an industry that does not have a lot of disposable income is a common one.
His methods of mental preparation for a big competition and his strategy should also serve as an inspiration for those hoards of locals who have contemplated competition.
"My plan is dont fall, dont stop and give er like a skidoo," Leeder said on the eve of qualifying.
Leeder admitted the runs he had chosen for this competition were dominating his thoughts every day, and also in his sleep.
"I havent been sleeping too well but Ill probably go partying and then Ill definitely get some sleep," he said.
Leeders comments about competition might sound blasé but his story changes rapidly when he talks about winning.
Leeder spent all summer painting houses just so he would have the money to ski full-time. Hes been training in Whistler all season while his wife is in Australia.
He came fourth last year in qualifying. To save money, he lives in a recreational vehicle on Blueberry so, for many reasons, Leeder harbours an intense desire to improve this year.
"If I do well here this year my sponsors might finally start to realize Im not just a chump trying to get free gear," he said.
Leeder conceded he probably would have missed the Freeskiing Championships had local shop Escape Route not paid for his $300 entry fee.
"The first year I travelled on the world freeskiing tour it cost $3,200 in entrance fees, thats not including the money I needed to just get to contests, and I got in so much debt its ridiculous.
"A lot of companies dont account for the (skiers) everyday costs or the money it takes to get to things like photo shoots.
"I havent won any money yet, but I think if we all try and do better as competitors then there will be more money from the sponsors, which will mean more money for the sport."


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ON AIR - The Jam
with Ben Murray
It's reported that there's dressing room unrest at Chelsea with one paper suggesting that Jose Mourinho told many players he should have sold them.
Another report says the manager won't be given money to spend in January.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will hold an emergency meeting today as the club decide on the future of the blues boss.
Midfielder Cesc Fabregas says the club's players need to start justifying their wages.
The 2-1 defeat at Leicester on Monday was the side's 9th in 15 league games. Fabregas says the champions know they need to improve.


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Our professional team boasts a strong academic background with all members having Ph.D's from Iowa State University, Ames. We are committed to providing you with the best quality technical service. We take pride in our one on one service which helps us to put ourselves in your shoes and understand your problems. This helps us in serving your problems in a better way and suggest an optimized solution.
All projects at Polymer Advantage are serviced by professional with Ph.D.'s to ensure that your problems are served better and produce reliable results.


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I have some news. I can't talk about it now, however, I wanted to do a quick update in non-related regards.
I have been working on a construction project, for the last year. This was initially intended to get me into a position where I had a place to sleep and park once I found a good spot for landscape photography. It is nearly complete, and unfortunately I'll have to pause that for now due to financial issues.
I'll be frank, I have not properly promoted this 'side venture' and therefore it hasn't brought me a single penny, in fact, it has costed me around $4000 at this point in time. I may need to shut it down while I go through some life stuff, and re-evaluate what I'm doing. or I may decide to go all-in and risk it all. As I mentioned before, I have not put enough work into it. I don't really have an outline of what I want to do with it, what services I want to do, I had the Naive thought that my photos would stand on their own, but the fact is, nothing does. You need to elbow grease the heck out of it, print them out, show them at markets, get social media acceptance and range. As a person who does not like lots of attention, this is an extra hurdle. I expect you'll be hearing more from me in the next few days.


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Tony Biasotti/Special to The Star Jason Enge, a fleet supervisor with the Team Nissan dealership in Oxnard, explains the features of a Nissan Leaf, an all-electric car, on Sunday in Camarillo.
Plug-in electric cars are still rare enough to turn heads, but they're being adopted at a faster rate than gas-electric hybrids were when they were new, an expert in the field told a group of electric enthusiasts in Camarillo.
When the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, the first mass-market hybrids, were released in the United States in 2000, about 9,000 were sold the first year, said Michael Chiacos, a transportation specialist with the Community Environmental Council, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit group.
Last year, the first full year plug-ins were widely available, about 17,000 were sold, led by the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt. Toyota will soon join the market with a plug-in Prius hybrid.
More vcstar.com


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A Brief Guide to the Catskills
I went to the Catskills in upstate New York in early September and explored some of the local towns and places. Here is a brief guide of some of the places I visited.
Milk Barn (Hankins, NY)
A farmhouse surrounded by lush greenery, a horse ranch and a pond, this lot spreads to over an acre. The main home contains amenities like a Turkish bath, sauna, and fireplace which are ideal during the winter months, while the open chef's kitchen is the perfect place to cook up a meal using locally sourced farmer's market produce.
The house also has two detached cottages on the property so that guests can enjoy privacy.
North Branch Inn (North Branch, NY)
A collection of converted fire houses and post offices transformed into a charming bed and breakfast complete with Malin + Goetz toiletries, subway tiled walk in showers and soft white sheets. The property has a giant lawn where you can sunbathe during the day and enjoy a bonfire at night. Ample hiking trails around the area make it easy to fit in exercise during your stay. The inn's restaurant serves a great breakfast buffet spread and the dinner menu is worth checking out, followed by a drink sourced from one of the area's local distilleries.
The Arnold House (Livingston Manor, NY)
A rustic vibe reminiscent of a hunter's lodge complete with jukebox and a bar serving Sancerre. Try the summer green asparagus salad with pistachios.
Brandenburg Bakery (Livingston Manor, NY)
An artisan bakery in Livingston Manor serving freshly baked sprouted sourdough breads and other confections like paninis, soups and of course, pastries. All made in house from scratch daily. Freshly brewed coffee and dairy from Calkins Creamery in nearby Homestead, Pennsylvania. A great option to grab breakfast or lunch.
The Kaatskeller (Livingston Manor, NY)
With menu options like vegan chickpea Cesar salad along side pizzas prepared in a brick oven using local farm to table ingredients, this outdoor restaurant is a great option for dinner during the warmer months. Enjoy patio seating and twinkling lights alongside an extensive cocktail list curated by Apotheke (NYC) and of course draft beer and cider from local breweries.
Prohibition Distillery (Roscoe, NY)
A distillery in Roscoe, NY selling bourbon, gin and vodka- all gluten free (and corn based). You can come for a tasting but will most likely leave with a souvenir because when products are made authentically and in small batches- they taste better for some reason.
Catskill Brewery (Livingston Manor, NY)
A famous local brewery where you can sample fleets of 5 beers at a time (the menu usually rotates around 10 options so you may want to order two). Beer is served with popcorn making for a great afternoon pick me up. You can also try the local nitro cold brew coffee which is probably one of the best I ever had.
Nest (Livingston Manor, NY and Narrowsburg, NY)
Carefully curated selection of clothing, jewelry, textiles and home goods. Perfect decor accents to finish an interior space, complete with Moroccan rugs, locally sourced candles and hand carved wooden spoons.
Main Street Farm (Livingston Manor, NY)
My favorite find in the Catskills, this gourmet grocer sells locally sourced products all handmade and grown in and around the area. Starting with essential oils and body care, Main Street Farm offers local beer, wine, ice cream and other provisions. You can also purchase produce from local farms depending on what's in season (currently it was apples, tomatoes and plenty of grains like rye, oats and barley). Freshly baked breads, jams, dark chocolate and so much more!
The cafe part of the store sells sandwiches (including veggie options like hummus avocado), delicious cold brew, local artisan teas and kombucha on tap (in 8 different flavors).
If you are renting a home in the area, this should definitely be your go-to market.
The Spa at the Arnold House (Livingston Manor, NY)
The spa menu is limited, but the quality of products used for the services makes it worthwhile. Enjoy an almond honey body scrub or a lavender oil facial, as well as deep tissue massages, reflexology and more. The spa also offers yoga classes in the farmhouse barn.
There are a number of hikes in the area but the beauty of staying in the mountains is that you can just walk outside your front door and any which way you go, you will find a steep hill to climb. Scenery unfolds with autumnal leaves, deer, birds and the meditative sounds of nearby streams and brooks.


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Title: Gaining Insight Into the ROI on T&E Spend
Date: Tuesday March 20,2018
Time: 2pm EST | 11am PST
Duration: 60 minutes
Register Now
Most businesses have customer relationship management (CRM) systems, which contain large volumes of data relating to sales activities and revenue generation. Many businesses also have expense management solutions, which similarly hold large amounts of information regarding employees' travel and expense (T&E) expenses. Ideally, the combined data stored in these two solutions could reveal a wealth of valuable insight around the return on investment (ROI) between T&E spend and sales. However, this is typically very difficult to achieve, as there are limited ways to track and measure specific expenditures versus sales outcome.
Join PayStream Advisors and expense management provider, Chrome River, as we explore one of the newest and most exciting capabilities possible with a TEM solution—an integrated and transparent relationship between the sales process, CRM data, and T&E spend management. This event is catered towards companies with a high amount of sales-based revenue, and/or that are dependent on efficient sales processes in order to maintain their competitive advantage. This webinar will offer a glimpse into how a smarter, integrated, solution could benefit travel, sales, and financial leaders alike.
Attendees will learn
• TEM trends among sales-focused organizations
• Benefits of TEM automation for optimizing sales team management and T&E spend
• Best practices for leveraging TEM software to optimize T&E spend
Accreditation: Webinar participants can earn 1 CPE credit in Management Services.
Prerequisites: Previous experience in finance
Who should attend?
• Accounts Payable and Back-office Finance Professionals
• CFOs
• Finance Directors
• Controllers
• Expense and/or Travel Managers
Advanced preparation: None
Program level: Update
Delivery method: Group-Internet Based
Cancellation policy: PayStream Advisors may at its discretion cancel or replace a previously announced program with a program of similar content. We will make every effort to provide sufficient notification of such change. For more information regarding complaint and/or program cancellation policies, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Refund policy: no fee charge
Anna Barnett is an expert in several facets of financial automation software, including eProcurement, Sourcing, Contract Management, Human Resources Management, eInvoicing, and Invoice Workflow. She is also experienced in the organizational procedures and application of software in several specific industries, including Healthcare, Higher Education, and Non-profit institutions. Anna has extensive experience in research-based analytical writing and editing, as well as sales and marketing experience.
Frank has been with Chrome River for nine years in sales and sales operation. As VP of sales operations, Frank is responsible for the scale, efficiency and effectiveness of the Chrome River sales organization, which includes leading the RFP Department and Solutions Consulting Department to further support sales efforts. He is responsible for introducing new tools and processes the sales team needs to drive continued revenue growth.


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First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts from the past two weeks. Inspiration disappeared for a while, but has returned! Here we go…
Recently in our English class we watched the movie The Seven Samurai. This movie was about a team up of seven skilled samurai, some experienced, while some are new to the trade. They have been recruited by a village to protect the village from a group on bandits who keep torturing the villagers, leaving them with next to nothing. As I watched the movie, i began to think of another super seven: Snow White's seven dwarfs. Hmmm… I guess it's kind of strange to think people as tough as samurai could be represented by a tiny little dwarf. But, if you really think about it you'd be kind of surprised at what you find.
Like Doc, Kambei is one of the older people of the group, and is the leader as well. He is a veteran samurai, who possesses a lot of wisdom and skill, two key things about being a samurai requires. Each is able to control the group, without opposition or using any brute force. Also, each is very resourceful, and can use what is avaliable to increase the strength of the group.
Kikuchiyo is definitely the Grumpy of the group. Even though he is a very tough, hard shell on the outside, when it comes down to it Kikuchiyo definitely has his soft spots. Also, Kikuchiyo may be the outsider of the group, but despite his flaws, he is able to prove himself to the others, and even is able to become friendly and stand up for others. His own personal losses are the reason for his grumpiness. His overbearing passion makes him a stronger person.
Heihachi has a knack for keeping everyone "Happy" in the hard times. He is able to make the violent, somber situation into one that is a little lighter, and happier. One of the main reasons for his recruitment to the samurai group was his knack to make people happier. Heihachi always has a smile on his face, and even makes a flag to represent the Seven Samurai.
Shichiroji would be Sleepy. Despite the intense situation, Shichiroji is able to keep his cool and continue to fight. At time, he does become "unsleepy" and can fire up the villagers to fight to keep their village safe.
Gorobei is like Bashful, in that he keeps quiet most of the time, but when he opens up, will say something funny or very profound. Gorobei doesn't seem to like drawing a whole lot of attention to himself, like Bashful.
Kyuzo, was in my opinion, the coolest samurai. He was a skilled swordsman who could to almost anything. Like Sneezy, he has a very calm, cool, and collected attitude, but when his swordsmanship (sneezes) comes out, he blows away everyone else with his skill and power.
Finally, Katsushiro is the Dopey of the group. He is a young, apprentice samurai, who is really learning his way into the trade. Katsushiro is younger than everyone else, and like all youth, has that innocent feeling within him. Katsushiro follows orders given to him with the utmost effort and has a great drive to become skilled like the rest of the samurai.
Seriousely, watch this movie! It's really awesome! 🙂
The Seven Samurai… Dwarfs???
First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts from the past two weeks. Inspiration disappeared for a while, but has returned! Here we go…


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Today starts the whirlwind that is the last few days of a session, and in this case, the last few days of the summer.
Today started with corn bread for breakfast, which is a camp favorite. Swimmers who are in advanced levels had the opportunity to swim to Frog Island- a half-mile round trip- and they couldn't have had a better day for it! About 12 swimmers went, and although they were tired, they felt accomplished. Lunch was meatballs and gravy with mashed potatoes, with a special dessert treat- cherry vanilla cake.
Tonight was eat-out, so cabins ate their custom made sandwiches all over camp! Eat out is always a fun chance to bond, sing, and just have a relaxed meal. Evening Program was Step It Up, a game where campers have to play mini games to win "beans" which keep their teams "robot" moving from a starting location back to the A-Field. It is a game of organized chaos, where everyone has something to contribute! It's a newer addition to our array of games, but campers love it!
This session continues to fly by- tomorrow is banquet already, Friday brings campfire, and before we know it Saturday morning will be here. In the meantime we will keep making memories and having all the fun we can!


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"OG" hoodie printed on Gildan 18500 Heavy Cotton sweaters.
Great hoodie for that old school Raider nation fan!
FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING VIA USPS (tracking included)!
**Most items are shipped within 24 hours once order is placed (weekdays). Items are delivered via USPS 1st Class Shipping. Shipping time to West Coast (We ship from Northern California) is 1-2 days and East Coast is 3-4 days.


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Christ assisted by Simon the Cyrenean to carry the Cross
We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
he fifth Station represents Christ fainting, destitute of strength, unable to carry the Cross. His sacrilegious executioners compel Simon the Cyrenean to carry it, not through compassionate pity to Jesus, but lest He should expire in their hand, before they could glut their vengeance by nailing Him to the Cross.
suffering Jesus! to what excess did Thy impious executioners' cruelty proceed! Beholding Thee faint under the Cross apprehensive of Thy death before they could complete their bloody intentions, they compelled Simon to carry the cross that Thou mightest expire on it in the most exquisite torture. But why should I complain of the cruelty of the Jews or the repugnance of Simon? Have I not again crucified Thee by my crimes? Have I not suffered with fretful impatience the light afflictions with which Thy mercy visited me? Inspire me now, my Jesus, to detest and deplore my sinful impatience, my ungrateful murmurs, and let me with all my heart cheerfully accompany Thee to Mount Calvary; let me live in Thee, and die in Thee. Amen, Jesus.
The furious Jews when Jesus fainting fell,
Simon the bear His Cross, by force compel;
Afflictions bear like Job most patiently,
And follow the Lamb with great humility.


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Inspiration: Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen's S/S 2010 collection was the first time I fell in love with pattern design. I think about this collection all the time, and it was a big source of inspiration when creating the prints for our Silkweed birthstone collection.
Something magical happens when you blend natural textures like snakeskin and moth wings with digital techniques. It looks otherworldly like it's almost something you recognize but it's from the future or another planet (McQueen also brilliantly styled the models to look like aliens).
The day McQueen died I skipped whatever university fashion class I had and thought about how these prints were the first thing in fashion that really struck a chord with me, and although I didn't know then that I would become a pattern designer, I knew at the very least I was completely in love with what he had created. Lately, I look at fashion and try to imagine how it would look different if we still had McQueen's point of view making an impact in the design world, but I can't for the life of me imagine what he'd be making now.


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Can A Facebook Page Replace A Company Website?20th October, 2017 by Neil Cumins
It's commonly stated that no business can afford to be without a website. Yet is this necessarily the case? Every firm certainly needs an online presence, but a standalone website may be unnecessary for a startup enterprise being run out of someone's spare room. You might not need to launch a website to offer local services like ironing or window cleaning, and few home-based charities need ten proprietary email accounts or an image slideshow.
For some microbusinesses and garage enterprises, a single online page could well be sufficient. Ten years ago, no self-respecting amateur musician or artist would have been seen without their MySpace page, and today, Facebook has become the default option for anyone who doesn't know their HTTP from their HTML. A Facebook for Business page can be assembled in less than five minutes, instantly plugging you into the world's largest social network and offering a foolproof way to establish an online presence.
Social Butterflies
So can a Facebook page replace a company website? Mark Zuckerberg would like you to think so. Despite repeated criticisms about the prevalence of fake news and the intrusiveness of its privacy policies, Facebook seems impervious to negative publicity. Even declining usage among privacy-conscious Millennials hasn't affected the platform's impressive growth in active monthly users. This figure now stands at over two billion, representing a 17 per cent rise over 2016's figures.
More pertinently, there are more than 60 million businesses with dedicated Facebook pages. This figure might pale compared to the quantity of businesses with their own websites, but it's still a hugely significant number. Blue-chip brands rub shoulders with sole traders on Facebook's servers, while a third of site users regularly engage with brands. This often involves customer service, since social media channels are perceived to be far more direct than emailing a call centre or sending a message through a chatbot.
Search and ye shall find
Facebook wants to be a search engine and aggregator in its own right, keeping its users away from other industry giants like Google and Microsoft. Its search bar is positioned at the top left of every desktop page, with algorithmic analysis predicting results akin to conventional search engines. Results aren't nearly as comprehensive or accurate as you'd get from Google and Bing, but the inclusion of "…nearby" results simplifies the process of looking for an unknown firm in a particular industry.
It's fair to say Facebook won't be troubling the major search engines any time soon, but if people know your brand or business name, a Facebook page does offer notable advantages:
- It's free. Facebook sells vast amounts of user data to advertisers, and creating a business page generates additional information it can provide about you and your latest enterprise. That's how Facebook can offer space on its servers at no cost.
- It covers the basics. If you don't need ecommerce functionality or interactive timelines, a Facebook page will provide the essentials. Your contact details, Facebook stats and previous posts are all uniformly displayed in a clean one-page view.
- It's user friendly. No programming skills or HTML knowledge are required to launch a business page on Facebook. You don't even need any design skills. Populating a page is simplicity itself, and the page stays live for as long as you wish.
- It's very popular. Almost a third of the world's population is on Facebook, with near-blanket coverage in many Western countries. That means people are already on the site; all you have to do is use the right tags and terms to ensure they find you.
- Its advertising algorithms are very clever. As you might expect for a business funded by ad revenue, Facebook offers extensive advertising opportunities. These place pay-per-click ads in front of your chosen demographics, from age and gender to interests.
However, there are obvious drawbacks to relying solely on a Facebook for Business page. As stated above, the Search option lags far behind arch-rival Google in both depth and relevance – it's not uncommon for long-abandoned pages to be among the top results. And while many people have no issue uploading information that will be supplied to advertisers around the world, others resent Facebook's belligerent approach to data harvesting and resale.
More pertinently from a corporate perspective, these are some of the drawbacks involved in pinning your online presence to Facebook's mast:
- It seems amateurish. The simplicity alluded to in point 3 above is a double-edged sword. Because anyone can assemble a Facebook page, there's no sense of professionalism. In fact, the generic presentation may imply you're really an amateur.
- Lack of ownership. If you fall foul of Facebook's labyrinthine guidelines, they can edit or remove your page as they see fit. Facebook controls your content – and the page's existence – while its customer service is infamous for not resolving queries.
- Lack of functionality. A Facebook page is fine for providing basic corporate information, but it's hopeless for ecommerce. It's good at accepting comments, but awful as a forum or message board. Its one-page design imposes many restrictions.
- Every page looks the same. There's no scope for customisation, and your page is as much an ad for Facebook as it is for your business. Individuality extends to a logo or background photo at best, which creates a dull and instantly forgettable online presence.
- Poor reporting statistics. Using platforms like Moz or SEMrush on a website reveals a treasure trove of visitor information. Facebook has no in-depth reporting on page visitors, and the desultory Notifications often serve no practical purpose.
Ultimately, it's hard to recommend a Facebook for Business page as a straight replacement for a company website. It's simply too limited and proprietary to establish the trust and credibility inferred by a dedicated website. And though Google and Bing display Facebook pages prominently in their listings, a standalone website has far more scope for performing strongly in results. You can't adjust the title tags on a Facebook page, or choose a powerful domain name relating to your chosen industry. You won't be able to encourage search engines to trawl it with a robots.txt file or XML sitemap, and proprietary email addresses aren't an option. Unless someone searches for your brand name (or it has a set of search criteria no other company can match), they're unlikely to find your Facebook page through a generic web search.
Don't conclude that a Facebook for Business page is worthless, however. Having a presence on the world's most popular social media site still provides a significant source of free advertising, as well as offering an invaluable channel for generating social media traffic and activity. Facebook's predictive algorithms are evolving all the time, while a dedicated page creates another way for customers to find or communicate with you. And it's hard to argue with a pay-per-click advertising platform which has two billion active users already in situ, spending an average of 35 minutes per day browsing through the site…


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Boise State Football
Koetter's ship is sinking fast in Tampa Bay, after 1-0 start
This isn't supposed to be happening. This isn't where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are supposed to be.
New coach Dirk Koetter (Highland High/Idaho State/Boise State) is concerned about turnovers — and the overall culture of the franchise.
Star running back Doug Martin (No. 22, Boise State) is just trying to get on the field.
At the quarter pole of the NFL season, the Bucs feel more than a quarter of the way underwater. They won their season opener but have lost three straight since and are in last place in the NFC South — where they have finished for five consecutive years.
Now a 1-4 start is lurking with a Monday night date at defending NFC champion Carolina.
With Koetter in charge of quarterback Jameis Winston, and Martin healthy at the beginning of the season, there was so much hope that this could finally be the year the Bucs ended a string of losing seasons.
But just a month into the season, it feels like all the optimistic predictions must be revised and the expectations must be lowered.
What the heck happened?
"We're hurting ourselves," Koetter said. "We're just not playing good complementary football, and being minus-nine on the turnover ratio for the season is killing us right now."
Since the opener, not much has gone right for Tampa Bay. That includes three losses, two of which weren't even close.
Winston has thrown four touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Martin, who had 85 yards and no touchdowns on 25 carries before getting hurt, has a bad hamstring. Wide receiver Vincent Jackson has been invisible. Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has been arrested and released. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has gotten hurt.
Koetter, in his debut season as an NFL head coach, has said some things that have been brutally honest, extremely critical, yet absolutely true about his team.
He said something is missing in the Bucs' culture. Yes, there is.
He doubted that his offense last Sunday against the Denver Broncos was good enough to convert a fourth-and-7. It probably couldn't have.
He lamented how Winston has not gotten past his penchant for turning over the ball. Winston hasn't, and Koetter now admits he's "very concerned" about his QB.
Koetter even called his team unprofessional for how it ended last Sunday's game, pushing and shoving after a game-ending kneel-down play by the Broncos. He's right again. It was unprofessional.
It's never too late to turn around a season. And maybe we can't judge the rest of the season based on a mere four games.
But the first four games have revealed major concerns, trends that are often difficult to buck.
Tampa Bay's turnover differential is minus-9. Only the 1-3 Jets are worse at minus-11. Same with giveaways. Only the Jets' 13 are worse than the Bucs' 11.
Tampa Bay is giving up an average 32 points a game. Only 1-3 New Orleans is giving up more and only by a mere half-point.
Meantime, the Bucs are 25th in points, averaging only 19.5 per game.
Hmm, they are giving up a bunch of points and not scoring a whole lot of points. That pretty much adds up to a bad quarter of a football season that suggests more pessimism than optimism.
A poll at bucsnation .com asked readers to grade Koetter's performance so far this season. With 1,141 votes, 49 percent gave him a C.
Then again, as the NFL season is shaping up, it took only a quarter of the season for the entire league to go off the rails.
Before the season started, did you see the Vikings going 4-0 with Teddy Bridgewater and without Adrian Peterson?
Did you see the Broncos starting 4-0 with Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch at quarterback?
Did you see the Cowboys going 3-1 without Tony Romo and the Patriots going 3-1 without Tom Brady?
Did you see the Falcons going 3-0 after losing the opener the way they did to the Bucs?
Or how about the other way?
The Panthers are 1-3. The Cardinals are 1-3. Andrew Luck and the Colts are 1-3.
You never know what the league will give you. You never know what you're going to get. You never know what's going to happen next.
The unexpected has become the expected.
Just ask Koetter, Martin and the Bucs.
Koetter to enter ISU Hall of Fame
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and be inducted into the Idaho State Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 22.
The 1981 graduate played for the Bengals from 1977 to 1981. He earned a bachelor's in physical education (1981) and a master's in athletic administration (1982).
Additional inductees include Corky Federico (football, 1987 graduate), Nick Whitworth (football, 2000), Paul Litchfield (track and field, 2004) and Story Hurst Holston (tennis, 1991).


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One of my favorite songs is sung in one of my favorite movies. In the 1997 film The Sweet Hereafter Sarah Polley sings the Tragically Hip song Courage. It's a haunting movie, it is a haunting song, where Polley's character is summoned to a moment of courage. In an almost existential manner this character becomes the embodiment of courage for a small community where defeat, hopelessness and surrender are becoming the norm. Without giving the plot away Polley's truth both undermines the town's thirst for a quick and needed infusion of cash and reminds everyone that speaking and living the authentic truth, regardless of its cost, is the essential quality of the human condition.
The key lyrics of this special song are stuck in my mind:
There's no simple
For anything important
Any of us do
And, yeah, the human
Consists in
The necessity
Of living with
The consequences
Under pressure, under pressure
It couldn't come at a worse time
It couldn't come at a worse time
Some people say character is what you do when no one is looking. I say courage is what you are when it couldn't come at a worse time. I remember asking a previous organist and choir director if the choir could sing this song at a Good Friday service. I think she saved my bacon, being the new minister and all, when she reminded me that some of the lyrics, not included in this blog, could prove problematic for a congregation attending church on one of its most Holy days. Thank you Gina! Still, the notion that Jesus would show courage at a moment he most certainly knew would result in his death meant his act of love could not have come at a worse time.
When the Tragically Hip, the authors of this song, announced their 2016 tour many of us Hip fans were very excited. But when it was revealed that lead singer Gord Downie had terminal cancer we all assumed the tour would be cancelled, that we would never see the band perform live again. But the band and Downie had other ideas, courage came to the lead singer. His cancer could not have come at a worse time. 52 years old, my age, at the top of his game as a singer, song writer, poet, Downie in the prime of his life, could do anything his limitless talent could create. But chance will not permit this. And into this period of facing his death Downie has chosen to play a series of concerts. Hearing him tonight, his last concert, it is obvious how hard this tour has been on his body, his voice and his mind. I am grateful for his courage. Watching Downie is an inspiration for all those who face their mortality. Courage.


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45 Day Sprint
I just spent the last 45 days putting in extra work and extra hours into a great company. I spent 12 hours a day learning AngularJS and CSS best practices to work on The Horse (http://instagram.com/p/uYqiemCMss/). The team really came together and now there's a really positive energy that will carry us through beyond these 45 days.
Ask me about my 45 days next time you see me. I seriously learned a ton.
But that's not the focus of this post. There's way too much that happened to be encapsulated inside a blog post. This post is about what I want to do with my newfound free time. I moved into my new apartment at the same time the 45 day sprint started, so I haven't had much time after work to do anything.
Things I want to continue/expand
- Learning iOS 8 and Swift programming
- Reading interesting books
- Writing to really digest my ideas
- Exploring New York City with old and new friends
Things I want to continue phasing out of my life
- Any television, movie, or video game outside of a social setting


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Stage Chandeliers
I'm always looking around at restaurants, stores, mall & pinterest for concepts that could work for staging. I walked into a restaurant in Downtown Denver in January '09 & spotted these fantastic lights and I knew someday we'd do something with them.
2 yeas later, we were approaching our ROMANS XII series & I thought back to the lights...
Then we decided to wait until "ADVENT," our Christmas series.
I have an amazing carpenter volunteer who met me at Lowes & we began to scout out what materials could work. We found that 6' x 4' sheets of synthetic lattice, a metal disc for the top to attach all of the string & then he was going to work on if we use string or wire.
We also liked the stripes in the original lights & tried a few options...
Electrical tape
Silver electrical tape...
Here he is! Master carpenter, Larry Heckel! He found that painting was going to be 100x faster..So he tried gold & silver & came by to see which one I liked better....
I really liked both, but silver it is!
Strings are being added....
They thought of making the center light more dramatic by adding a third tier & that was brilliant. It adds so much to our large room.
Here come the others..
They're going up..
3 on the stage..6 flow into the room
We have light kits in the 3 on stage. We used led light bulbs that were around $40 & the light was too direct, straight down & we were looking for more of a glow, so we used paper lanterns we had back stage from our "Heroes" stage.
There are 9 total. 1 large, 8 smaller.
I also love the shadows that case on the wall projection..