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Their name is Raintree. It's more than a last name; more than a notation on a family tree. It's a mark of destiny. Each family member has a special gift, an otherworldly talent. Gideon Raintree, a homicide detective, can harness electricity and talk to ghosts. He will need to wield gifts he's kept hidden to solve his newest case — a relentless serial killer unleashed by the dark Ansara wizards. But first he must deal with his reaction to Hope Malory, his alluring new partner. He'd never planned on love in the midst of battle. With evil lurking at every turn, Gideon and Hope are in a race against time to save their love, their family…and their newly conceived child.
This book actually takes place at the same time as the first book, "Inferno" which I love so you definitely want to read this in order and as quickly together as you can. 🙂 The book starts with Gideon on the phone talking to Dante about the casino fire. Gideon is homicide detective in North Carolina and the second in line to the Raintree throne but has been trying everything he can to avoid having to carry on the role. (Including sending fertility charms to his brother, but little does he know this backfires, LOL). Like his brother he also has abilities, his being that he can see ghosts and harness electrical energy.
Gideon is called out to a murder scene where he meets his new partner, Hope Malory, with whom there is instant tension of a certain nature **cough, cough**. His cousin Echo's roommate has been murdered. Using his skills to talk to the dead he finds out that her killer is not only female but a serial killer as well. Her name is Tabby and she is part of the Ansara clan working for Cael helping to carry out the plan to take over the Raintree clan. While investigating the murder there is an attempt on his and Malory's life and he asks that she stay with him at his home.
It's hard to give more than this without basically telling you everything that happened in the book, but I did like this story better than Dante's being as this one had a bit more humor (see fertility charm 🙂 ) Gideon's story ends at the same point Dante's but told from Gideon's POV on the phone.
Next up: their sister Mercy in Raintree: Sanctuary.
Pecans: 3.5/5


text:
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Contact Snaptron today for pricing information, to order new tactile domes, or to request samples of WT-Series domes.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Elf (or How Blaine Helped Kurt Find His Christmas Spirit) (3/?)
Author: sullyvann and rena_librarian
Rating: PG (May change in later chapters)
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Carole/Burt
Spoilers: None!
Warnings (if any): None.
Word count, this chapter: 2064. Total (so far): 3992
Summary: Blaine grew up in the North Pole with Santa and Papa Elf – and he was happy – until he realized he was a human, and he set out to find his birth father. Along the way, he meets Kurt Hummel, and nothing is ever the same again!
Author's Note: For the sake of this story, we've aged the boys to college age. Hope you enjoy!
( Chapter threeCollapse )


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The rebuilding of Longboat Key
Contributing Writer
The history of the development of Longboat Key includes the Key Club, which has played a major role in making the island a premier community, known for its bucolic, low density and low profile. Over decades of evolving as an affluent predominantly winter home community, several neighborhoods emerged, ranging from high-end homes and condominiums to two trailer parks, and everything in between.
Over the past thirty-five years, the bottom sixty percent of Americans have experienced a decline in real incomes. The recent recession, along with outsourcing, automation and computers, have reshaped the economic profile of America to now resembling an hourglass, with a hollowed out middle class. And that is a problem for Longboat Key going forward. Simply put, properties between $400,000 and $650,000 are no longer selling well on Longboat Key. That segment of the population, that bought middle class houses on Longboat, can no longer afford second homes.
The ordinances bought forward to the commission by Commissioner Brown and the PZB, ordinances 2016-32/35, are an attempt to address the changing American economic demographics and enable property owners to upscale their homes, so as to be viable in today's real estate market. However, I believe the ordinances are overly simplistic and fail to address several key issues, as our community moves forward.
The recent, and now ongoing, problem of too tall houses in Country Club Shores is systematic of the deficiencies, within the currently proposed land use ordinances, to address the rebuilding process that will sooner or later have to occur on Longboat, as American tastes mutate and Longboat becomes ever more affluent and exclusive.
I believe the biggest challenge confronting our community is minimizing negative impacts of the rebuilding process on neighborhoods, and preserving the low profile charm that makes our island so desirable to new, and evermore affluent home buyers.
Ordinances 2016-32/35 define a maximum envelope for redevelopment, but do not address what may be best for the diverse neighborhoods that exist on the island. Without any safeguards, developers and property owners will inevitably seek maximum profit, which translates into maximum allowable height and bulk. Country Club Shores is the first community to push back against too tall houses that residents feel have a negative effect on both surrounding homes and the community as a whole.
The proposed ordinances transform presently non-conforming properties, either to many units per acre or too much land coverage, as is the case with forty or more condominiums along the beach, into "conforming" properties, thus skirting the existing rebuild policy set by a previous referendum, that does not allow increases in height or square footage.
The new ordinances would allow much taller buildings and greatly increased bulk in a Planned Unit Development setting that allows the presently non-conforming properties to be reassembled in tall massive structures all along out coastline.
Perhaps the commission should pause and seek out a community consensus concerning the rebuilding process, and how the town can best serve its residents.


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BTC had five athletes deep-fry themselves on the highways at Kona for Ironman World Champs on Saturday. Reports are that it was brutally hot which saw a DNF rate which could be likened to Australian Prime Ministers DNF rate over the last five years. We're thrilled to see all five BTC athletes make it across the line! Thanks to the 20 or so members that travelled over to support and keep us updated during the day.
Matty Harris was consistent all day to place an amazing fifth in his age group in a time of 9:34:35. A mammoth performance on such a tough day! You may not know that Matty has been a BTC member since the very, very early days and if you go to the club room you'll see a photo of him as the 1992/93 Open Male Champion. Matty has a long history with the sport and is a popular race commentator here in Sydney. What a race to cap off a harsh winter of training. Congrats Matty!
Owain Matthews didn't quite have the day he was hoping for but what an achievement to persevere on a sub-optimal day and still place in the top 80 in the world and 13th in his age group in a time of 9:25:57. Waino has an exciting season ahead of him and we're sure it's not the last time he'll race at Kona.
Saxon Moseley in just his second ironman was brilliant all day and pulled off a 3:18 marathon. Reports are that he had the time of his life and will be looking to return to the big island again in the very near future.*
*Jokes. He's selling his TT bike. Check out the BTC basket for details!
Gary Aitkenhead who qualified as part of the Ironman Legends program was competing in what we believe may have been his 19th Ironman. It will be interesting to hear how tough this one was in comparison to the others! Congratulations Gary.
We also had Ben Coventry racing in the male 18-24 age group and come home in 10:36:30. Congratulations Ben!
BTC athletes results:
Owain Matthews, 9:25:57: 1:03:46 / 5:05:46 / 3:10:07 (13th AG, male 30-33)
Matty Harris, 9:34:35: 58:50 / 5:08:52 / 3:20:57 (5th AG, male 45-49)
Saxon Moseley, 10:21:01: 1:06:22 / 5:48:20 / 3:18:01 (100th in AG, male 40-44)
Ben Coventry, 10:36:30: 1:01:15 / 5:31:32 / 3:52:38 (27th in AG, male 18-24)
Gary Aitkenhead, 15:26:46: 1:31:08 / 7:27:50 / 6:18:39 (97th in AG, male 55-59)


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It all started when…
New Hope Lutheran Church, Foresthill, California, traces its beginning to 1982, when three families who were attending worship services at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Auburn, asked Pastor Bruce Lundberg of Bethlehem if worship might be held in Foresthill. Pastor Lundberg volunteered to go to Foresthill on Sunday afternoons to conduct services in members' homes. He alternated weeks with Doug Haugen, a lay minister at Bethlehem. A mass mailing announcing the new congregation was sent to 3,000 homes in Foresthill.
On Palm Sunday, April 12, 1982, services were moved to the Community Chapel. Ten people were in attendance. Lundberg and Haugen continued to hold Sunday afternoon services in the Community Chapel for two years, while offerings from the services were kept in a special account at Bethlehem.
In 1984, seminary intern Randy Bender arrived at Bethlehem and was given responsibility for holding Sunday morning services in Foresthill. The small congregation began to grow. When Bender returned to seminary, he was replaced by a second intern, Steve Brown. Services were moved to Foresthill Elementary School. Members began to search for a building site.
In 1986, Pastor Audrey LaPore was called by Bethlehem to serve part time in Foresthill. In 1987, Bethlehem purchased a little over five acres in Foresthill as the new congregation's building site. The land was eventually gifted to New Hope. Congregational member Harry Pieper designed the building and secured the necessary permits. Every congregation in the newly-formed Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was asked to become a Mission Partner by giving the congregation a special gift so that construction could begin. About $100,000 was raised for the building fund.
The first services on the new property were in a small clearing near where the outdoor chapel is now located. Worshipers brought their own chairs, and a parachute was used for shade. A tapestry hanging on the wall of one of the education rooms was the backdrop for an altar. Pastor LaPore left in 1991, and visiting pastors conducted worship until Pastor Gene Winterfield arrived in 1992. Groundbreaking for the new building was July 15, 1993. Members assisted volunteers from congregations across the country (called MMAPers, for "Mobile Missionary Assistance Program") in constructing the building, which was dedicated on October 30, 1994. Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley gave the altar, lectern, baptismal font, and most of the paraments. Many other gifts were received from Bethlehem in Auburn.
New Hope was organized as a congregation independent of Bethlehem on October 31, 1993. Forty-two people signed the charter. In May of 1994, New Hope was received by the Sierra Pacific Synod as a congregation of the ELCA. It was legally incorporated the same year.
Pastor Winterfield retired in 1997 and was replaced by Pastor Russ Paulson. Pastor Paulson retired in 2000 but stayed on for two years as the congregation's interim. He encouraged the congregation to apply for a grant from the ELCA that would enable it to call a full-time pastor. Pastor Michael Mechsner came to New Hope in 2002. Even with help from the ELCA, the congregation was unable to pay his full-time salary; so he left in November of 2003. Several disappointed members left at the same time.
The Sunday School rooms were added in 2002 and dedicated December 22 of that year. In early 2004, New Hope voted to lease use of its facility to St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. Other groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, a charter school, and the Boy Scouts followed. Outreach activities included support of Elijah's Jar food pantry and participation in the town picnic and 4th of July parade.
A part-time interim, Jim Munson, followed Mechsner and attempted to rebuild the congregation. In 2006, Pastor Holly Feather was called to a part-time position leading New Hope. The 25th anniversary of the first worship service was celebrated with a special service on April 14, 2007. Pastor Feather presided, and Pastor Lundberg preached.
Pastor Feather left in 2010, and the congregation used supply pastors for a while. Pastor Russ Paulson came back as an interim to lead the congregation until his second retirement in 2014. Pastor Virginia Ward was called to part-time service in 2014. She resigned in 2016. Pastor Tom Miller served as part-time interim from early 2016 through the summer of 2017, when Pastor Mark Vance became the part-time interim.
Throughout its many ups and downs, New Hope has been guided and sustained by God's Holy Spirit working through a dedicated core group of congregational members. It remains committed to proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ on the Great Divide and throughout the world.


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Exclusive: Is this proof El Chapo is trying to escape AGAIN?
Construction work outside the maximum security prison holding Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman has sparked fears the drugs kingpin may be trying to pull another audacious jailbreak.
El Chapo became the world's most wanted man when he escaped from the same Altiplano prison in July through a mile long underground tunnel.
Digging of that tunnel, which took a year to construct – was muted by the 'deafening drilling' of building works directly adjacent to the prison.
Now back in the hands of the authorities, the latest digging outside the jail has prompted speculation that he is plotting yet another bid to get out.
And people living near the jail say if he is capable of getting out twice, he can do it a third time – as he fights extradition to the US.
'El Chapo is a hero to many ordinary Mexicans for defying the government,' said Teresa Lopez, who owns a hardware store beside the prison, 'I certainly wouldn't put it past him to escape again.'
The drug lord's engineers bought much of the building materials for the tunnel from local traders, and Teresa hopes her business will benefit from any upcoming escape schemes.
With a knowing smile on her face, Teresa told MailOnline: 'I don't ask questions... If someone walks in with a north-western accent [the region of Mexico where Sinaloa state is located] and wants fifty kilos of dynamite, then I'm at their service.'
Following his last jailbreak, El Chapo himself gloatingly tweeted that 'whatever happens twice, will certainly happen a third time'.
His son Alfredo, thought to be the direct heir to his father's billion-dollar empire, has also hinted at new plans afoot.
'Here we go again through this process,' he tweeted 24 hours after the recapture of his father in Sinaloa state last week.
'He's got all the money in the world,' said local woman Viviana Dominguez, referring to the drug lord's estimated $1billion fortune.
She added: 'As well as being the head of a very powerful criminal organisation... The law doesn't apply to him like it does to others.'
Since El Chapo's recapture there have been calls for his extradition to the United States, although Mexico's Federal Attorney has stated such proceedings may take up to six years to happen.
'That's more than enough time for him to get out,' said Viviana.
Santos Esquivel Sanchez, who spent 14 years in federal prison for involvement in organised crime, now runs a convenience store beside the Altiplano penitentiary.
He is less hopeful of seeing the Sinaloa Cartel boss's third disappearing act.
He told MailOnline: 'El Chapo seriously embarrassed the country's government, and this time around they're going to make him pay for it.
'Even if that means sucking up their pride and handing him over to the Gringos.'
His original escape tunnel has not been blocked at either end, but the exit is heavily guarded by state and federal officers.
For this reason, the idea that El Chapo might use his original tunnel to escape the prison is unlikely.
The world's most wanted man is thought to never spend two consecutive nights in the same room and is moved to a new, random cell by the prison guards every night.
The worksite around the prison, dedicated to the construction of a pipeline which will carry water to drought ridden Mexico City, is slung throughout with heavy machinery, excavation equipment and mountains of dirt.
The worksite also enters Altiplano's grounds, although technicians negated any chance of escape through the pipeline itself.
'The water pressure inside is far too great,' one technician informed MailOnline. 'If El Chapo managed to get into one of those pipes he'd be drowned or crushed within seconds.'
Security has been ramped up around Altiplano, with two military checkpoints required to pass within 500 metres of the perimeter fence, 24-hour federal police patrols, K-9 units and even two battle tanks guarding the main entrance.
Despite the high level of security, not a single Mexican soldier or Federal Police officer that MailOnline spoke to could say, with absolute certainty, that El Chapo would not escape for a third time.
'Who knows?' said one Federal Police officer charged with overseeing the security operation, who wished to remain anonymous.
'The Sinaloa Cartel is better equipped than we are, and we'd have to put up a good fight if they came with their guns blazing.
'But there's certainly more pressure on us now to ensure that their boss remains in state custody'.
The prison director on whose watch El Chapo made his escape, Valentín Cárdenas Lerma, is now himself an inmate of the correctional facility.
Local residents say that activity around the prison has surged since El Chapo's re-capture and some have been taking advantage of the increased traffic to launch their own moneymaking schemes.
Hilario Rodriguez, 17, who lives beside the only access route to the prison can be found, shovel in hand, constructing a speed bump on the road in order to slow traffic and ask for donations.
'I hope El Chapo escapes soon', he told MailOnline, 'The more traffic that moves along this road, the more money I make'.
The construction of the water pipeline beside the maximum-security prison caused other inmates to complain of 'heavy drilling noises' during the days before El Chapo's escape last July.
The invasive sounds have since been put down to the cartel's engineering department surfacing their tunnel, equipped with air conditioning, fluorescent lighting and a motorbike for a speedy getaway, at the exact square metre of their boss's cell that was invisible to the security camera.
El Chapo's first prison break occurred in 2001, when he managed to smuggle himself out of Puente Grande penitentiary concealed inside a laundry basket. He remained free for thirteen years until his recapture in January 2014.


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Beware of limiting your options! So often we believe we only have one or two options. That's almost NEVER the case! Find the 3rd, 4th and 5th options so you can stay more consistent with your actions and change your life!!! :-)
Hey Everybody, and Welcome to August! My name is Seann Jackson and thank you for joining me for a Few Minutes for this month. I just got done working out and I wanted to shoot this now because it actually times in to my message for you for this month.
You see, over the past few weeks or so, I've been becoming much more consistent with my efforts with my health, and consistency has been a thing that's troubling. It's difficult at times. My guess is you might be in the same situation. Because how many of you out there have a goal - probably an on-going goal - to get into better health? I think a lot of us have it, however we phrase it. Whether we say, "you know I need to lose 30 pounds" or "I need to become more fit" or "I need to be able to increase my strength." Whatever terms you use, health tends to be an important goal for us, but consistency is difficult for many of us and there's a reason for that. Life! Life somehow gets in the way and kind of circumvents our best intentions. Our intentions are great, but what we do consistently defines who we are.
Many of you know that I'm working on a program to help people stop smoking and the fact of the matter is, if you say, "You know what, I want to stop smoking. I want to quit," (whatever words you want to use) and yet you're still smoking half a pack a day., guess what? That's what you're doing consistently, and it defines you. You're still a smoker. Same thing is true for anything we try to do. You have to develop consistent action to change whatever it is you're trying to change. But, consistency in health can be difficult, and there's a reason for that I tripped upon recently, and that's the message I want to share with you.
You see, I think a lot of us get caught up in what I kind of call an "all or nothing" mindset. We basically define for ourselves that we've got two options; I'm either going to exercise today or I'm not. Those are our two options, and if life gets in the way, we shoot for the "not." We end up staying inconsistent because life intervenes.
So, as an example let's say you go to bed the night before, and you decide "You know what - tomorrow right after work I'm going to the gym. I'm going to work out for an hour. I'm going to hit the treadmill. I'm going to hit the elliptical!" Whatever it is you want to do, and you say, "Yes!" And, you're psyched for this. You truly are. You're ready to do this. And then tomorrow comes. Bam! Life gets in the way. It does something. What happens? You go, "Shit! I'm not going to be able to make it to the gym. I don't have an hour today." What do you end up doing? "I'll do it tomorrow."
Well, what happens is, if we build up enough tomorrows we end up with a whole bunch of yesterdays, and that's not what we want to do consistently.
So, I decided, I'm going to change this because I'm not a big gym person, but I do have a few of those Beachbody products; P90x, P90x3, Insanity. I've got that stuff, but they sit safely in my basement gathering dust most of the time because, hell, doing a session of P90x takes an hour. Sometimes I feel like I don't have an hour, and what I've been doing is going "Tomorrow." And then it dawned on me. Wait a minute. I'm using this "all or nothing." I'm leaving two options for myself, and if I've only got two options, I've got no options.
What's another choice? And I started to think. What's a third option? And then I went, "Well wait, what if I only did half of a P90x work out? Would I get closer to my goal of better health if I did that?" Well, of course the answer's yes! So I said, "Alright. I'm going to do what I can each and every day." And, it's really helped shape a change because I've been consistent for the last three weeks working out at least five days a week. That's pretty good moving from where I was, which was more like once a week I was working out. And the whole reason I'm staying consistent with it is because I do what I can, regardless of what it is.
I have a plan every day and I say, "Hey I'm going to do this." Sometimes my plan gets circumvented. Instead of going "Eh, I'll do it tomorrow," I end up going, "Great. What can I do instead?"
So what could you do instead? You can't make the gym and commit an hour, but maybe you've got 15 minutes. Does that give you enough time to throw on some running shoes and go out and run a mile or run for 15 minutes? If so, do that. You may go, "You know what, it's pouring like crazy. I'm not running." Great! What else could you do? Maybe what might make sense is to go, "You know what, I'm not going to run, but I've got 10 minutes. And, in 10 minutes I can go down in the basement bust out a set of 10 pushups, a set of 10 sit-ups, 10 squats, and 10 burpees. And I can do that three times. That will take about 10 minutes." If you did that, do you think you'd get to your goals of health, better health, sooner? I think we all know the answer's yes.
And this is for whatever you're trying to achieve. Let's say you're trying to learn Spanish and you're only grabbing your Rosetta Stone once, like for an hour a week. What are the odds that you're going to become fluent in a year? Do you think you're going to be better if you said, "You know what, I don't have an hour every day, but I have 10 minutes. For 10 minutes I'm going to bang out Rosetta Stone." Do you think you're going to become - your chances of becoming more fluent in that language are better by staying consistent? Because remember, what we do consistently defines who we are, and if you do that, in a year you're going to be able to find yourself as someone who speaks Spanish.
Whatever those things are, you've got to look for multiple options. You've got to look for that third option, and if the third option sucks, look for the fourth option, look for the fifth option. Because if you can do something every single day, it leads to somewhere if that makes sense.
So, that's the message for this month. Get away from this "all or nothing" approach. Get away from two options and start looking for more ways. Start looking for ways to become consistent with whatever it is you're trying to achieve, and you're going to find that you become that person through the consistency. Look for those ways in your life this month. Start to define it and start to figure out what those other options are. Do that and you're going to get closer to your goals, okay?
Alright, that's it for this month. I look forward to seeing you in September. September's a special month. It's my birthday month, and there will be a special message out for next month. There's your little teaser. Until then, look for those options and do what you can to Stay Strong, Stay Inspired, and do what you can Transform this year and your life. I'll see you next month. Thanks!


text:
"I bought this sofa second hand like the bicycle."
"I came to Melbourne first as a working holiday after finishing my military service. What I thought while working was 'I want to study more'." After a year, I came back to Korea, finished all necessary preparations and went to Australia again. I have many semesters left until I graduate and I'm having a hard time studying, but that one year was such a valuable time for me."
"Somebody told me that I look like Zlatan Ibrahimovic."
"I think you look like Shin Hyun-jun."
"What's the difference. They're both alike."
"I ate a pasta in an ordinary restaurant in Italy, and it was extremely delicious. I thought that I won't be able to make a pasta taste like this. I thought why and the answer was difference in culture. Although we don't know exactly how to make kimchi, we roughly know it. Since we know best about our culture, we can cook the best Korean dishes. Ironically, I went Italy to learn Italian food and decided to make Korean food that I know the best."
"Ah, I really don't want to go to work. I wish my boss would suddenly call me and tell me that I don't have to come."
"Did you dress alike? You guys look like Steve Jobs and his wife."
"Haha. Maybe. But your clothes are just like ours."
"I just came to Melbourne without a plan. I wanted to work as a barista as I did in Korea, so I visited cafes here for 2 weeks with my resume. Luckily, I am working in a cafe now. 6 months has passed since I came here and now I feel that I killed three birds with one stone; learning English, life in Australia, and working as a barista."
"I'm thinking about having a tattoo. Something without any meaning. If there is a meaning in the tattoo, I might regret later. A friend of mine always has a tattoo without any meaning. Then he makes the meaning of it."
"That's a great shift in the way of thinking. I have always worried about it but now I can have tattoo."
"It's been about 5 years since I came to Melbourne. I went back to Korea for about a month. I missed Korea but I didn't like selfish behaviors of Koreans. But what's scarier is that I began to adjust in that kind of environment."
"What did you write here?"
"Love & Respect"
"My baby is named Si-eun."
"Really? My cousin's name is Si-eun, too. I am meeting another Si-eun in Australia."
"I am going back to Korea when my husband's service period here ends in 2019. I'm a bit sad that Si-eun will not be able to remember her time in Australia later on."
"Sorry. I came here right after work so I'm not feeling well. Nowadays, I work in a sushi place only in lunch time. To work in the other times as well, I asked someone to recommend me a job. But the schedule became strange and I might not be able to sleep for a long time. It will work out somehow anyways."
"Then what are you going to do today?"
"I will go home and sleep well."
"This school is mostly supported by foreigners."
" You did a great job. It was hard, wasn't it hard??"
"No. I had such as great time. This is the first time I've ever done this. I think it will be a great memory in Melbourne. Thank you for making this opportunity."
"I'm the one to thank you."
"Imagine the thing you want to eat now. Your facial expression was great. What did you think about?"
"Pork and rice soup."
"I major in tourism. I love a trip like everyday life. I keep on walking alleys of the city while staying in Melbourne."
"I came to Melbourne just to learn English. But after learning English, I began to feel nervous. We cannot imagine such a leisurely life in Korea."
"I frequently searched the streets of Melbourne in blogs. I found your posting most frequently."
"Haha, did you?"
"I thought I really want to meet you some time."
"My service period in Australia is over but I like the life in Australia, so I decided to stay here longer. I exercise in the park or read books in the morning. I was sorry about my friend who work all day and sleep all weekends because they are tired."
"I work in a Korean restaurant for 3 hours in the afternoon."
"What's the most delicious menu?"
"Nap(fish paste) and bulgogi are the most popular."
"This is the point in this house."
"Yes. One of my housemates love this so much. He's a guy though."
"I bought this sofa second hand like the bicycle."


text:
The BBC report from California on video games in which the characters are controlled directly from a player's brain.
that has been on the site in the last week creep anyone else out? or just me?
haha. this is the dumbest thing ever. you need a keyboard and mouse. so wahts the point for that thing u wear on your head?. did u notice that everytime they pick something up it always crushes them lol. mouse ftw
Well this is definitely the start of something new and big! I can't wait for the Virtual era but just imagine the day it's all mind, eye, and motion controlled! Maybe one day even quantum physics will help us out in making very real worlds or who knows! This isn't dumb to me at all and something of a dream come true to me if there successful!
that one guy committed suicide. he was probably sent to a mental institution after playing that game.
Cool & Creepy. Why can I imagine having an acute schizoid imbolism, losing my memory and being stuck on Mars fighting for breathable air? These stories are freaky man.


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September 28, 2018
Your Guide to the Old Mill District
By: Tyler Spragg
| Photo by Isaac Montoya |
A serene evening shot of the Old Mill District reflected in the Deschutes RIver.
The Old Mill District is a historic area situated along the Deschutes River that was further developed and re-purposed in the mid 1990's. Nowadays, it is a center for some outstanding shopping, dining, and art galleries. From the front doors of the Pine Ridge Inn, it is less than a mile walk on the Deschutes River Trail to enjoy all that the Old Mill has to offer! Here is an overview of the Old Mill District.
The history of Old Mill District is significant to the character of Bend and who we are as a community today. The following paragraphs were taken from the Old Mill District's website:
"For nearly a century, timber production was the unchallenged king in Bend, most of it taking place in the Old Mill District. Hardy men used axes, crosscut saws, horses, and 'high-wheel' rigs to cut down huge Ponderosa pines in the surrounding forests. The first of the big mills, operated by the Shevlin-Hixon Co., opened in March 1916.
A month later a rival company, Brooks-Scanlon, began operations at its "Mill A" complex on the other side of the river. In 1922 Brooks-Scanlon established a new, bigger mill complex upstream from Mill A. This "Mill B" site makes up the largest portion of the Old Mill District. At their peak, the Brooks-Scanlon and Shevlin-Hixon operations were two of the largest pine sawmills in the world, running around the clock and employing more than 2,000 workers each.
In 1950, facing dwindling timber supplies, Shevlin-Hixon sold its interests to Brooks-Scanlon. Brooks-Scanlon's Mill A closed in 1983 and was in a state of near ruin before being restored in the early 1990s. The old brick powerhouse buildings and their three towering smokestacks still stand, silently testifying to the district's colorful past.
For more history on the Shevin-Hixon and Brooks-Scanlon Mills, visit the Old Mill District's website
Nowadays, you will find an REI (Recreational Equipment Inc) in the Mill B building. This has some significance, as it represents a "passing of the torch" from lumber to outdoor recreation as Bend's primary industry. Other Bend born/based outdoor companies like Hydroflask, Cairn, Snoplanks, Ruffwear, and Blackstrap are testaments to not only the shift in industry, but how it has benefited our community. We love our outdoor recreation companies!
How to Get to the Old Mill District
The Deschutes River Trail runs through the heart of Bend and beyond along the Deschutes River. It is a great network of well maintained trails to hike and a great way to get a taste of our town.
Many guests of the Pine Ridge Inn walk to the Old Mill District on the Deschutes River Trail. This leg of the trail starts across river from Riverbend Park (pictured below) and is about 3 quarters of a mile long. It is a wide trail which makes plenty of room for hikers, cyclists and pups to enjoy!
Hey it is Riverbend Park as seen from the Pine Ridge Inn! The bottom of this photo is the Deschutes River Trail.
To start your journey from the Pine Ridge Inn, take a left out of our front doors and notice a trail across the lawn and between the two gazebos. Take this trail down to the street (Reed Market) and look left, or downhill towards the Bill Healy bridge. To the left of the bridge is where you will see a post and the start of the trail!
The start of the trail is between these gazebos, next to the green doggy station.
If you would rather drive, take your first two rights out of our driveway to get on Century. At the roundabout, turn right (or as Siri says, take the first exit) onto Colorado. From there, turn right onto Columbia and look to your left after you cross the bridge. Parking can be tight, so be prepared to take a couple of laps.
Once you arrive at the Old Mill District, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy yourself. Bring your surfboard and ride the man-made wave at the Bend Whitewater Park, or just watch from the Colorado Bridge! Once the sun sets over town, catch a flick at the Old Mill Regal theater (yes, you can order Boneyard's RPM IPA for the full Bend experience)!
Also, keep your ear to the ground (or just look here) for concerts and festivals at the Les Schwab Amphitheater! The concert series starts in late spring and goes all the way into September. Dave Matthews, Steve Miller Band, Modest Mouse, and Primus are some examples of recent acts to grace Bend with their tunes! Winterfest and various beer related events have been held at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in past years.
Interested in fly fishing? Check out the permanent 12 hole fly casting course throughout the Old Mill District. It is the first casting course of its kind in North America! For more information, see their website and stop by the ticket mill for a brochure.
Arts, Dining and Shopping
For the full directory of stores in the Old Mill District, click here. If you are interested in local and boutique shops, here are some quick hits on some of our favorites:
Art Galleries
- Tumalo Art Company - A fine art collective in Bend, Oregon, owned and operated by artists who showcase a variety of fine art in both modern and traditional styles
- Lubbesmeyer Art & Studio Gallery - Twin artists, Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer, blend their backgrounds in painting and printmaking to create strong visual statements in fiber. Expect Fine Art that expands the definition of painting.
- DeWilde Art Glass - Local stained glass craftsman Rich DeWilde has made a career of handcrafting fabulous entry ways and stunning conversation pieces in homes throughout Central Oregon. Check his shop out for examples of his work for windows, doors and individual hanging works of art in various sizes and price ranges.
Restaurants & Wine
- Greg's Grill - An excellent casual, fine dining restaurant featuring Northwest cuisine right along the Deschutes River.
- Naked Winery - Based out of the Columbia Gorge, Naked Winery pours exquisite wines out of their tasting room in the Old Mill District.
- Ps. The Pine Ridge Inn features a glass of their Outdoor Vino line at check-in for a complimentary beverage!
- Level 2 - Level 2 is a global fusion restaurant with great views of the Cascades from their second story location. Check out their happy hour!
- Desperado - Desperado mixes bohemian charm with the latest in on trend fashion for women and men. Whether work or play, Desperado's unique lines of clothing capture the essence of our Central Oregon lifestyle.
- Ginger's Kitchenware - Ginger's Kitchenware focuses on the personal connection with its customers, while sharing food stories and helping to create new memories. Their knowledge helps to add what they call the "key ingredient" for their customers to make meals at home, entertain and share with friends and neighbors.
- Confluence - Confluence Fly Shop is well stocked with flies, rods and tackle for a great day of fly fishing in Central Oregon. Fly fishing schools, instructional clinics and private casting lessons on the banks of the Deschutes River.
- Sweet Tooth Shoppe - A magical candy store designed to be a fun, memorable experience for kids of all ages! Featuring bulk candy (over 300 kinds!), chocolate, retro and novelty candy, Japanese candy and soda.
Visiting the Old Mill District in Bend, Oregon? Consider staying at the Pine Ridge Inn for spacious accommodations and gorgeous views overlooking the Deschutes River. Book direct for the best rates!


text: Nov 7, 2016 | Leave a comment MyBlueKc is an online service created by Blue Cross of Kansas, which caters to your health care needs and important decisions related to that. It helps you know about your biometric measurements so that you can map your health and if need be can get help at the right time. Staying healthy is very important, but is extremely difficult as well because we get careless when it comes to our health, mostly because we are unaware of the right procedures and measurements. MyBlueKc solves this problem. It is a complete health care and lifestyle package. It lets you know about your current health situation and help you build your life around that. Besides that, it can also help you with medical insurances, short term security, family planning. You can start your MyBlueKc experience by visiting, www.mybluekc.com. We are, what we choose to be, so choose your health above all. Services offered by My BlueKc After registering and making your own account you can enjoy multiple services offered by BlueKc. It will provide you with all the health related information, how to manage a disease and with family planning, along with the cost effective tools.So that you can manage a healthy living style with keeping a check on your pocket. The account will be a personalized account and will contain detailed information about various health and planning policies thus will help you make a fully informed decision. You can tract your whole history of bills and payments. You can learn about insurances and how they work.In short, the whole project is designed to help the members of Blue Cross Kansas to get the most out of their lifechoices and plans. Registration Procedure You can register to My BlueKc by following the steps below. This service is only for the members of Blue Cross Kansas. Visit, www.mybluekc.com to create a username and a password for your account. Click 'Register Now' present under the box heading of 'NOT REGISTERED YET?'. You will be asked to provide your BlueKC member Id, suffix, and Group number. All of which you can find on your member Id card. If you don't have a member Id card, contact at the given customer service numbers. They will help you get all the information that you need, to verify your membership and to create a username and password. Fill in the registration form as per the instructions and provide the required formation which is asked of you. At the end you will receive your username and password, which you can use to login to your account. And you will be authorized to all the services promised. Useful Links http://www.mybluekc.com/ https://members.bluekc.com/ http://www.bluekc.com/ Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)


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43rd Annual Rockbridge Community Festival
Downtown Lexington, Virginia
Saturday, August 24, 2019
9:00am - 3:00pm
The Rockbridge Community Festival is an annual downtown arts and crafts festival sponsored by the Lexington-Rockbridge Jaycees and the Lexington Rotary Club. All funds benefit Rockbridge-area charities. It is the only festival of its kind in the Rockbridge area. There is no admission fee for attendees of the Festival. If you would like to be a Vendor or to Sponsor the Festival, please register here. As additional information for vendors, online registration is required. Questions regarding this requirement should be directed to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Terms and Conditions:
General Information - The Lexington Rotary Club and the Lexington-Rockbridge Jaycees are pleased to begin accepting applications for the Rockbridge Community Festival. This year will mark the 43rd year of this popular arts and crafts festival conducted on Main Street in historic downtown Lexington. The Rockbridge Community Festival offers more than 200 outdoor spaces to crafts people and community groups. Musical entertainment from local bluegrass, jazz, and other bands will add to the variety of the event.
The Festival focuses on arts and crafts – not the sale of manufactured or mass produced goods. The Festival Committee reserves the right to decline any vendor application not compatible with the objectives of the Festival. Further, the Festival Committee reserves the exclusive right to sell liquid refreshments such as water and sodas, and prepared foods such as hotdogs. However, food vendors selling items other than those are encouraged to participate.
Deadline for Registering - Vendors must register for their space no later than August 7, 2019. However, online registration will remain open until 4 pm on Saturday, August 17, 2019. Anyone registering after the initial deadline of August 7 will be required to pay a $30.00 late registration fee.
Space Assignments - Starting in 2016, a new vendor layout will be used to improve saftey for patrons and vendors. Vendors will be notified of their space assignments by email no later than August 16, 2019. Every effort will be made to provide each vendor with the space assignment they request, but please know that space assignments are done on a first come, first served basis.
One Brand Vendor/Non-compete - On a first come, first serve basis, the Rockbridge Community Festival will only allow one particular brand vendor per brand so as to limit direct competition within brands.
Rental of Extra Items - Tables, chairs, and screens for hanging items are not included in the space fee but may be rented. All vendor items must be contained within the assigned space.
Generators/Electricity - Vendors are responsible for providing their own electricity/generator. Generator noise must be minimized. This may require Vendor to place generator in a location at a distance from the attendees and may require additional extension cord length at the Vendor's cost.
Set-up/Space Availability on Day Of - If you are bringing a tent, only tents 12' x 10' or smaller are allowed. If the tent is too big, you will be asked to take it down. This is a request from Emergency Services in the City of Lexington. Vendor spaces will be available by 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 24th. Members of the sponsoring clubs will assist vendors with unloading, which must be completed by 8:30 a.m. Vehicles will not be permitted to return to the exhibit area until the festival ends at 3 p.m. Vendors are responsible for cleaning their assigned spaces and should leave the area no later than 5 p.m.
Sales taxes - Festival sales are between the vendor and the buyer. The Rockbridge Community Festival is not responsible for the collection of Virginia sales tax; that will be the responsibility of the vendor.
Liability - The Rockbridge Community Festival accepts no responsibility for liability for injury to any food vendor or any employee or agent of any vendor while in attendance. Also, the Festival accepts no responsibility for the loss or damage of property of any vendor or that of any employee or agent.
Refunds - A refund of fees will be made to the vendors who cancel their registration prior to August 7, 2019. There will be no refund of vendor fees if the Festival Committee is forced to cancel the Festival due to inclement weather.
Special Information for Food Vendors - Virginia State Law requires that food vendors providing food during temporary events have a current temporary food permit and post it where readily observable. Vendors who have paid the fee for this year should send a copy of their receipt to email@example.com. Those who have not obtained this temporary food permit should contact the Rockbridge-Buena Vista-Lexington Health Department (540-463-3185, ext. 4) for food permit information. Food Vendors are responsible for providing their own electricity/generator.


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With all of my projects and side projects and all the other crap I have going on, the list of websites, blogs and Facebook pages became a little crazy. I decided to create a website that would house most of those links and stuff, so it would be all under one roof. Its still a work in progress, but check out www.chadberger.com and let me know what you think!
The new website will feature content about my photography and my motorcycle adventure touring travels.


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B.A.D.G.E. Meeting
- What
- B.A.D.G.E. Meeting
- When
- Where
- Robert K. Shafer Middle School (2nd floor library) 3333 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem
Ending the Silence: Mental Illness and Recovery Resources for Parents and Adolescents
Guest Speakers: Ms. Laurie Pepe and Mr. Nick Emeigh, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Bucks County (https://namibuckspa.org/)
One half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14. BADGE invites all parents, educators, and adolescents to learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions and what to do if you or a loved one show symptoms. Topics will include substance abuse and suicide and may be too intense for young children; parent discretion advised.
For questions about the meeting or gifted education, contact Bensalem Association Dedicated to Gifted Education at firstname.lastname@example.com; 267-520-0788; or www.bensalemgifted.org


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If you want to generate more real estate leads, keep reading to learn the ways of the Jedi, my padawan.
Here is your step-by-step guide to becoming a #lead generating Jedi master.
I know this might sound crazy, especially if you are new around here, and especially if you are not on my email list, but hear me out.
You will learn a few things and we'll have some fun along the way.
Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that you take up a lightsaber or get yourself into a podrace.
You'll learn how you can bump up your #real estate lead generation... which can lead to some extra transactions and commission dollars along the way.
You must unlearn what you have learned
The reality is, there is a lot of misinformation, outdated information and untested theories when it comes to #lead generation and online marketing.
If your idea of a lead generation strategy is posting and commenting on facebook and your internet marketing consists of only have a page on broker's website with no specific traffic getting strategies, we have a lot of work to do.
Let me know if this sounds familiar:
- Spend 30-45 minutes on Facebook in the morning
- Click over to your email and weed through a few emails
- Go over to a few of your favorite websites and "Pin" a few things
- Check your Google Analytics
- Head back to Facebook to see if you missed anything
- Stare at your CRM, decide you don't feel like calling these people because it's been so long since you talked to them last
- Walk out to coffee pot for a refill
- Jump on to a webinar to learn about the "latest" lead generation strategy
- Drop into your favorite #Facebook Group and post a question asking how everyone is generating their leads.
- Finally publish that blog post on the new local cupcake shop
You might think being online will bring you buyer leads, that time "hanging out with your sphere" on Facebook will lead to referrals and joining all those webinars and watching the videos helps you stay innovative and ahead of the game. Young padowan, you have much to learn.
You must start by forgetting what you think you know. Unlearn what you've learned. (Unless it's from me. ;) )
Find your Yoda
Every Hero has a Mentor. And you are the Hero of this Story.
Obi-Wan had #Qui-Gon Jinn. Luke had Yoda. A Mentor gives you guidance on your journey, helps you with limiting beliefs and pushes you to be better than you thought you could be.
They've already been there and done that, so they can seriously accelerate your learning process versus you trying to learn it on your own through trial and error.
Reading a book or taking a class is great, but it's generalized information. A mentor can customize and personalize it for you.
You need to find your own Yoda.
If you want to lower your golf score, find a local golf pro or someone that has a low handicap. If you want to eat better, find a nutritionist and learn how to grocery shop and prepare a few meals. If you want to make sure you're exercising with the right intensity and proper form, find a great personal trainer. If you want to generate more #real estate leads, talk to an agent in your office or company that is generating massive amounts of leads.
Learn the ways of the Force
In the original #Star Wars film, the #Force is first described by Jedi Master #Obi-Wan Kenobi as an energy field created by all living things, that surrounds and penetrates living beings and binds the galaxy together. When becoming a Jedi lead generator, you need to learn the ways of the Force and understand how everything in your life, business and world is interconnected:
- Drinking too much caffeine can affect your ability to focus.
- Your poor sleeping habits can and will affect your energy level.
- Having alerts on your phone or computer for new email or Facebook messages can distract you and take you out of your flow.
- Reading a negative email in the morning can put in you a bad mood for the day.
- Not time blocking your To-Do List can lead to not getting your Top Priorities done.
- Being "too busy" coordinating transactions to lead generate.
- Marketing a great listing will lead to a new buyer lead.
- Working with a great client who gives you referrals to other great clients.
The Force binds everything together. One thing going wrong can cause a "disturbance in the force". You need to identify your priorities, find a balance in rest, and focus on Consistent-Focused-Action that are connected to your goals. And everything is connected. And everything you do and how you respond to everything that happens affects everything else.
Recognizing this will change your life and business. Showing discipline in one area can carry over as a positive into other areas.
For example, the better you manage your time, the more leads you can generate. It really works like that.
You might think you have a lead generation problem, but what you really have is a time management problem. You might wish you could be more productive and get more done, but what you really have is a limiting belief and mindset problem. The Force is always there, just depends if it is the darkside or lightside.
Control your emotions
"Control, control. You must learn control." - Yoda
"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." - Yoda
Yoda is telling you to recognize your emotions and get them under control. Most people don't realize when they are angry that there is another emotion causing that anger. Knowing this is the first step to owning your emotions.
Let's first take a look at things that cause failing businesses, poor business practices, frustration and burnout.
Emotions and ego.
When you make business decisions based on emotions or ego, you are almost certainly setting yourself up for failure, sooner or later. When you make decisions based on emotions, instead of relying on metrics, you are letting your fear of failure or rejection or desire to please people, run your business.
What this means is when you get a complaint from a small percentage of people, you're listening. Instead of looking at numbers that matter, you are listening to people who don't. These are people that are probably never going to buy from you, sell with you, refer you, recommend you and are just perpetually unhappy in their own life.
That's why, I don't care about unsubscribes from my email list, and you shouldn't either.
Emotional Business Owners concern themselves with making people feel comfortable and not offended. Success Business Owners help people get the results they desire.
For example, "How do I stop getting unsubscribes?" is such the wrong mindset to have, but so many people do. This prevents them from even getting started with email marketing or effective follow up.
Do you know how to make sure you never strike out at the plate?
Don't ever step up to bat.
Do you know how to make sure you never miss a shot?
Don't ever take one.
Do you know how to make sure you never have an omelet?
Don't ever break any eggs.
If you want to do effective marketing, prospecting and lead generating, you are going to lose some people along the way. The key word in that last sentence was effective. Thus the reason I italicized it. It would be a mistake to make your objective be to make sure no one unsubscribes from your email list. That is operating your email marketing from emotion.
Guess what?
My emails that make the most sales ALSO have the highest unsubscribe rate. My emails that get the most replies of gratitude and thanks ALSO get the most hate mail and unsubscribes.
Email marketing is like business. It's not for people that want to play it safe and can't deal with rejection. Your marketing, business development, lead generation and lead conversion can't be driven by the few that complain or even the few that "tell you" you are awesome. You're letting your emotions and ego run things. The only thing that matters is the result.
- Do people take action on your marketing?
- Are you generating leads? Are you capturing leads?
- Are you people signing up on your website?
- Are you getting referrals?
These metrics are the true feedback, not the the person that feels you are too "salesy".
What I've been talking about here is negative feedback causing you to making decisions with your emotions. Positive feedback can cause poor decision making also. TIm Ferriss writes in his book,"The 4 Hour Work Week" about testing products.
"Ask ten people if they would buy your product. Then tell those who said "yes" that you have ten units in your car and ask them to buy. The initial positive responses, given by people who to be liked and aim to please, become polite refusals as soon as real money is at stake. To get an accurate indicator of commercial viability, don't ask people if they would buy -- ask them to buy. The response to the second is the only one that matters."
Decision making on #lead generation strategies and systems need to be made on metrics, and enough of them. Not emotions, negative or positive.
Don't go crazy and let your emotions take you over to the Dark side.
That's how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vadar.
Have A Plan
"This is some rescue. You came in here, but you did you have a plan for getting out?"
Remember the scene when #Luke Skywalker busts into save #Princess Leia? Princess Leia questions their rescue plan. They then find themselves stuck inside a trash compactor with the walls moving in to crush them. Let this serve as lesson that you must have a plan.
"I want to sell more homes" is half-assed. "I want to increase my sales production by 50% in the next 6 months" is a plan.
"I'm going to prospect today" is half-assed. "I am going to call all of yesterday's new leads, call every lead that has been active in the last week and then call 3 people in my sphere today" is a plan.
"I'm want to get better on the phone" is half-assed. "I am going create a script and practice for 15 minutes a day" is a plan.
"I'm going to #generate more leads on my website" is half-assed. "I'm am going to create a traffic generating strategy and make a lead capture offer on each page" is plan.
When you plan ahead, you don't have to make it up as you go along. You don't have to wake up in the morning and wonder what you are going to do today.
When you plan ahead, you reduce your chances of ended up in a trash compactor.
If you want to be a master Jedi, you need to plan out your #lead generation activities (calls, script, objective, etc) before you walk into the office in the morning. Know exactly what you want to achieve.
Be intentional. Be purposeful.
Need help putting your #lead generation plan together?
Get committed
A Jedi must have the deepest commitment.
If you want to be a Jedi, it takes training, being mentored, learning and dedication. There's no online Jedi webinar you can take. You can't learn lightsaber skills via some Youtube videos. You don't develop your fighting ability by reading a PDF.
If you're going to generate more leads, it takes training, being mentored, learning and dedication. And then you have to do. Not just try, but do.
You must implement.
Being a Jedi isn't a job. It's who they are. Being a real estate agent, a business owner, an entrepreneur, isn't a job. It's who you are.
If Obi-Wan wanted to stop being a Jedi, he couldn't walk up to Yoda and say "here's my letter of resignation." He is a Jedi, and that will never change. Even when he is living in a cave on Tatooine, he is still a Jedi.
You need to take this committed mindset with your path as a real estate agent and business owner.
Do or Do Not. There is No Try
This isn't just one of my favorite quotes from the Star Wars franchise, it's one of my favorite quotes ever. About anything.
Think it's a stupid movie quote and doesn't make any sense?
Do this... Is there pen or pencil nearby? Try to pick it up.
Or if you're reading this on a phone or tablet, try to put your phone or tablet down.
Did you or did you not pick up the pen or put down the phone/tablet?
You can't try to do something. You do or you don't.
And this is what Master Yoda is saying to Luke, "Hey Luke, You can either lift that x-wing out of the swamp, or you can't."
You can either drive traffic to your website and convert it, or you can't. You can either pick up the phone and call your sphere, or you can't. You can either write copy that gives people clarity and compels them to take action, or you can't.
Every January, agents start off the year with some goals and good intentions. Sure, they try to make some calls for a couple of weeks. They try calling some expireds. They try holding an open house or two. They try to put together a newsletter.
But it gets hard, or boring. They run into roadblocks, or rejection. Urgent things and emergencies show up to distract them and pull them off course.
A Jedi is 100% committed. They are a Jedi. You have to be 100% committed to lead generation. Do just try. Do.
Now, I'm not saying you have to start prospecting for three hours a day. Or that you have to door knock 100 homes a day. Or that you have to make a 100 contacts a week and ask, "Who do you know who...".
Instead, you need to pick one lead generation strategy this month, look to enhance it, systemize it and do it. And/Or give you one tactic or activity that you know deep down is not working. If it's not bringing you leads, or closings, quit it. (And you know what it is, even if the EXsperts and GoRubes are telling you to do it)
As Obi-Wan asked, "Who's the more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?"
Then next month, continue to work on it while you pick another lead generation strategy to implement it, enhance it and systemize it. Just one thing a month and then focus on doing it and being consistent every day without fail.
- Give up a social media platform - Between Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. There is probably one of those that you can give up to get back some time and reinvest that time somewhere else.
- Remove yourself from one Facebook Group - There is probably at least one Facebook Group that not only sucks your time, but your energy and emotions because of the constant debate and disagreement that goes on.
- Work on Connecting with 1 Sphere a Day - Eventually, work towards connecting with 3.
Think Bigger because size does not matter
After Luke uses The Force to move some stones around, he attempts to move the X-wing out of the swamp. He fails and whines, "Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different."
Yoda responds, "NO! No different. Only different in your mind."
What Yoda is trying to do is shift the mindset of Luke and get him to realize that if you can do one thing, you can do another. Just because the stones are small and ship is large, what's the difference?
Luke: I can't. It's too big! Yoda: Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm.
If you can do one thing, why can't you do another? This is what I talk about when I talk about 10x your business.
If you can do one transaction, why can't you do 10? And if you can do 10 transactions, why can't you do 100?
If your mindset is "because 100 transactions is too big" or "doing 100 transactions is totally different than doing 10", stop.
It's only different in your mind.
After Yoda raises the X-wing out of the swamp, Luke goes to Yoda wide eyed and tells him, "I don't believe it."
Yoda responds, "That is why you fail."
May the Force be with you
So there you go. You now know how to move from padawan to Jedi Master. How The Force can help you start to generate more real #estate leads.
If you need a Mentor, aka a "coach" to work with you and help you "do", let's talk.
I'll leave you with this thought from Qui-Gon Jinn.
Remember: Your focus determines your reality.


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acts of God?
Climate change triggered by human activity is an unprovable hypothesis. Without access to a parallel biosphere – where large primates didn't systematise the use of fire to cook food, work metal and fly to Thailand for the weekend – we don't have an experimental control. We and our descendants are living this investigation into the sustainable limits of human organisation in an uncontrolled, unscientific way.


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Whenever some of my progressive friends become especially agitated about guns in the hands of policemen, I try to bring to their attention the possible consequences of policemen without guns in their hands.
We as a democratic society, where decisions are made by the majority of those choosing to vote, even if the processes have developed democratically, but in a somewhat arcane fashion. We as a democratic society have determined that, in a situation of citizen confrontation, we need an arbiter, and that arbiter shall be law enforcement.
Law enforcement officers are ordinary citizens, chosen ultimately by democratically-elected officials, to which law enforcement officers we give special powers and weapons, to ensure that they can arbitrate successfully.
While citizens always need to be vigilant that law enforcement officers do not exceed the authority given to them, I say that we need to be certain that law enforcement officers have sufficient powers and weaponry to overcome the protagonists in any confrontation, with brute force if necessary, if mediation and negotiation fail.
There are some who are questioning the 50 shots fired by the police who brought down the three London attackers. In all the circumstances, as we know them only from the media at present, and bearing in mind it appears that at least one of the three attackers was recorded as having a hoax bomb attached to him, I think the force employed was reasonable.
However. We are talking about the force used by officers emanating from Armed Response Vehicles, who were called onto the scene only after the attack had begun.
Before then, police officers armed only with batons struggled bravely to protect citizens, without concern for their safety.
I ask those of my progressive friends who are most vocal in their condemnation of the police, often for their own political reasons, to take a moment, as I am right now, to think of this incredibly brave citizen. Whose whole life has been utterly ruined. Because he wanted to do the most noble thing he could think of. Protect his fellow citizens.
There are always bad apples. Excoriate them. But also remember amazing officers like the one the subject of this article. Remember him and his fellow officers. And keep the condemnation focused. Please.
(Facebook comments here.)


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Quality starts from within – in each of us. Striving for the highest quality as an integral, creative process is an elementary approach of our company's philosophy and indispensable cornerstones for our future growth.
As an ________and ______ company, we have processes and security measures in place to execute and deliver on software projects. Cloudway follows PMI aligned Project Management principles to manage scope, cost and schedule.
Scope: Development –Product Implementation & Enhancements.


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Following-up with the sweet pumpkin spice grilled cheese, I present to you my savoury version of this yummy classic!
- 6 slices gluten-free bread of choice
- 3 eggs
- milk (splash)
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Camembert cheese
In a small bowl whisk eggs. Add a splash of milk and pumpkin pie spice – whisk until combined. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Dip bread individually in egg mixture and place in pan. Cook until golden brown and remove from heat. Cut Camembert into thin slices and place on bread. Place two pieces of bread together to create a sandwich. Over low heat, place sandwiches back in pan to melt cheese. Remove from heat once desired consistency is reached.
Makes 3 sandwiches
Check out the video below for the full recipe:


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Mortgages Aint Magic, Get the Real Deal Here!
Are you afraid to chat with a Mortgage Lender because of fear of being let down? Think your questions are stupid?
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Peace and Love,
JD aka #NewBuildNinja


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Clinton Foundation admits receiving $1M from Qatar and who knows how many more millions After previously denying the claim, Hillary's Clinton Foundation admits accepting $1M from Qatar without State review.
The Clinton Foundation has admitted to accepting a 1 million dollar "gift" from Qatar in 2011, during Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's term as Secretary of State, in violation of her agreement with the White House.
Before she became Secretary of State, Clinton signed an agreement allowing the State Department to review any new or increased support of the Clinton Foundation from foreign governments.
Qatari officials donated the money in an attempt to gain a face-to-face meeting with former US President Bill Clinton.
The admission came about as a result of the WikiLeaks email hack, after Clinton had repeatedly denied accepting any questionable donations.
In the leaked emails, Clinton and her campaign manager, John Podesta, discussed in 2014 the fact that Qatar was directly funding ISIS. And apparently, Clintion knew about this quite a few years before the 2014 email exchange.
This is not the first shady Clinton deal that has come to light in this year's race for the US presidency. Previously, Clinton tried to make a deal with the FBI to reclassify emails regarding overseas missions. She also received debate questions ahead of time, and has admitted to lying to the public in order to further her campaign. In addition, her "Donald Ducks" campaign violated election campaign regulations.


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Professional basketball player, Austin Freeman (@_sugarfree5 on Instagram), is the Diabetics Doing Things guest of the day. You may know him from his time at Georgetown or even when he attended DeMatha Catholic High School, but today you get the inside scoop. Diagnosed his junior year of college, Austin and I go hard in the paint with our discussion on T1D.
During the most prominent part of the season, Austin found himself frequenting the bathroom, having no energy (despite IV fluids before practice and games), and staying clear-headed on the hardwood proved to be difficult. What was thought to be a stomach-virus became a full-blown case of type 1 diabetes. If you're a T1D athlete, you may relate to Austin as he knows his coach keeps an extra close eye on him, "just in case," and is constantly being asked about the diabetes.
Austin shares how T1D has impacted his life. As a professional basketball player, he travels to other countries, sometimes for years at a time. He discusses how he manages having multiple doctors and talks about how different doctors can require different sugar ranges, which isn't easy. If you love basketball and/or traveling, have T1D, or just want to listen to the awesomeness that Austin Freeman is, take a listen!


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I just saw something pretty funny over at Kotaku: The DS Sucks Folks, Look it up! I haven't seen this guy before, but apparently he's Jonathan Harchick, and he's been doing his Talking With Jon show since 2002. It's a pretty terrible show, yet at the same time, there's something oddly compelling about it. At any rate, it's worth a few chuckles, and will probably remind you all-too-well of some dork down the street who thinks he knows gaming.
Well, after about 20 seconds I knew the guy wasn't for real. But, I couldn't stop watching the darn thing. 12 minutes I sat through that!!! Pretty funny, especially when he talks about the DS not being a controller for the PS3 and the DS can't connect to a PSP!!! The guy should be on G4 Tech TV, they're just as crazy!!


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Last year, James D'Arcy entertained audience of "Marvel's Agent Carter" as the very proper 1940s-era gentleman's gentleman Edwin Jarvis. D'Arcy charmed fans by portraying the character, as Sting famously phrased it, as an Englishman in New York. So just what will Darcy-as-Jarvis be up to now that, for Season 2, he's an Englishman in (gasp!) L.A.
RELATED: Hayley Atwell Opens the Dossier on "Agent Carter's" Second Season
Still in full regalia in one of Jarvis' smartly-tailored, woolen, Saville Row suits at the tail end of Los Angeles' summer long heat wave, D'Arcy held court before a collection of reporters -- including CBR News -- on the set of "Agent Carter." The actor dicsussed Jarvis' impending Hollywood escapades, the big in-the-flesh reveal of Mrs. Jarvis, the hierarchy of Jarvises when it comes to Paul Bettany, and turning the painful embarrassment of Dubsmash duets into a philanthropical phenomenon.
Jarvis doesn't like Los Angeles. Why? What's wrong with L.A.?
James D'Arcy: What's right with L.A.? [Laughs] I think, in Jarvis's world, it's too hot. Have you seen this suit? This suit's okay now, but this suit, when we started shooting at the beginning of September, was misery. Misery! And I think the writers did it to me on purpose. In fact, I'm actually certain they spent half a day unable to write, they were so gleefully enjoying the fact that they were going to put me in a three-piece, woolen suit in the middle of summer -- in the middle of a heat wave, as well!
What else doesn't he like about it? [There is a] scene where I talk about what exactly I think about L.A. That was, by the way, just a number of pitches of what we could have said. Reasons not to like Los Angeles -- by the way, I personally like L.A. very much -- just to create that little separation.
We're going to get to know Jarvis' wife this season. What's it like to actually explore that dynamic with a real-life scene partner in Lotte Verbeek?
I thought that they had no intention of ever revealing Ana -- I thought she was going to be like Niles' wife in "Frasier." I thought you were never going to meet her. But I was absolutely thrilled that they decided there's a good reason for us meeting her as well.
It was funny -- whenever I've been at one of those things where people are talking about this, people have been really interested in who she would be. It's sort of caught people's imagination, so I was unpleased for the audience in that regard. But actually, she's very good dramatically for the story that we're telling in Season 2. More than that, I can't tell you, or they'll drop the bomb on me here and now. But she's not just sort of introduced simply to satisfy the appetite for, what does she look like? What would she be like?
Lotte's fantastic. She's absolutely fantastic. I know, because I've done this before. Arriving into a show that's already set up, a second season of a show is very intimidating because, firstly, everybody knows each other. But secondarily, you feel like, well, the show worked the first time without me, so if it doesn't work now, then I'll feel like I'll probably bear a bit of the brunt of that.
And I have to say, Lotte, she was completely fearless from day one. She did something on day one, literally either day one or day two of shooting this season, and we had just met in makeup. She had just flown in. I hadn't met her at any of the table reads. I met her in makeup. We had a chat. Then, suddenly, we were on the set. We were doing the scene in front of the crew, and she did something which wasn't in the script which is she smacked me on the ass at the end of one of her lines. And as she did it, I thought, "That is great. That is brilliantly courageous." Firstly, to do with an actor you don't know that well, but secondarily, it fit so perfectly what they were hoping that Ana would be like. She's not like Mr. Jarvis at all.
How does his relationship with Peggy deepen or evolve?
How does one answer this question without telling you anything? I don't know how to answer that question without giving something away. There is added depth. They, obviously, are not starting from zero, and Peggy knows that Jarvis is someone she can trust, and a confidante, whilst not necessarily being the number one draft pick for going on missions. I think she quite likes him torturing him as well, so there's a sort of a glee in her face as she makes me do things that I don't want to do.
And, God bless Jarvis. He's game and ineffective, for the most part. [Laughs] Although -- again, I can't say anything else. It's a very difficult question to answer because it would give away plot points, and I can see Jeffrey sweating in the background, so I can't.
When you do your Jarvis voice, it's slightly different than your voice. Are you trying to sound like Paul Bettany at all?
No. I'm not trying to sound like Paul at all. I just wanted to sound period, like a period Englishman, 1940s Englishman which is a bit more clipped than I would sound. I talked about this last year. My feeling is, because I predate Paul, he should go back and re-voice everything he's done in order to fit in with me, rather than the other way around.
Would your Jarvis think [Tony Stark's A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S.] was creepy, or would he be touched by it?
I'm not entirely sure how to answer that question. Your question may or may not get an answer in the season.
Do we see more of the dynamic between Jarvis and Howard Stark?
Well, I mean, you do see Howard and Jarvis -- well, difficult to say because we haven't finished the season. You do see more. Again, it's just difficult to answer without, unfortunately, saying something that people get fired for saying.
When you were talking about the new season, how much has changed along the way?
I wasn't really told about the season. So nothing changed. [Laughs] I knew what everyone knew at Comic-Con [International]. And I knew what everyone knew at Comic-Con 30 seconds before everyone at Comic-Con knew. And then, the extensive conversations between myself and the writers' room went along the lines of two texts that were, "How do you feel about working with a flamingo?" Well, one text. And then a followup: "Bwah ha ha ha!" Them laughing. And that's pretty much all I knew about Season 2.
I'm sure if I asked, they'd tell me, but actually, I quite like reading it like the audience. They've just sent us Episode Nine today, so I don't know how the show ends. I've got a kind of vague idea what happens, but I don't know.
I understand you're filming two episodes at a time. Did you do that last season?
We didn't do it last season on this, but in Britain, they do it all the time. So I'm very accustomed to shooting two episodes, block shooting it. It makes perfect sense. If you're at, let's say this location, shoot two episodes at once. Then you don't have to move around quite so much. My feeling is it happens not very often in the States, and so it's been a bit of a head scratcher for some people. But I mean, it's only two hours worth of material, or an hour and a half if you take out all the commercials. It's like a movie, isn't it?
There's a certain alchemy you have with Hayley that shows up on screen and off. What's it been like to find that special groove with another performer?
It's pretty amazing. It's really amazing. I mean, I've been an actor for long enough to know that, firstly, I don't think chemistry onscreen necessarily has much to do with chemistry off screen. I don't know that that's an equation. You don't have to be great friends and get on really well off screen in order for it to look exciting and interesting. In fact, sometimes, when you don't get along very well, there's a sort of tension there that somehow osmosically -- if that's a word -- comes across.
As it happens, Hayley and I get along fantastically well, and it is a completely joy to go to work with that woman. I mean, she's amazing. She's carrying the show. She has all this action to do. She has endless dialogue. She's in more or less every scene, and she's always got a smile on her face. She's always kind to the crew. We laugh our heads off.
We have tried to share some of that, particularly through the Dubsmash thing that we did. It's not manufactured in any way. We just have a really good time, and it really helps that, in my personal view, they write such beautifully elegant, fun dialogue for us. It's really enjoyable to learn the lines and come to work and try and do it as you feel they've written it.
Okay, that's not true: I do improvise quite often at the end of the scene. But for the majority of the scene, there's no improvisation, you know, for the actual stuff they're quite likely to use. And then you audition something at the end in the hope that they might see something funny. Although I did invent a word which I think might have made it into the show, by and large, what they write is so brilliant, that there's nothing to improvise. And right from day one, they just somehow knew how to write for us, together. It's, without any question, the highlight of the show for me.
Let's hear about your encounter with the flamingo.
Ah, well, okay -- trade secret: in the pink box, there was actually no flamingo. Flamingos are very unsteady on their feet. I think they were worried with the braking and accelerating that the flamingo would not last very long. But there were four flamingos, as they told me, ranging in aggressive natures from quite mild to psychotic. And the nicest one was called Simon, and then the one that was a menace to society was called Cannibal.
And Cannibal, we had to do this scene where I had to chase the flamingo around, and maybe be chased by the flamingo. And it all looked very funny on paper, but then I sort of arrived and said, "Just checking: It's not dangerous? It's a flamingo, right? It's not dangerous?" And they went, "Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, Cowboy -- that thing will peck your eyes out." And I was like, "Okay..." And by the way, the handlers kept calling me "Cowboy," which did not inspire confidence. And so the girl put her arm out, and Cannibal just went to town, just, like, pecking away like a maniac. And so I thought, "This is worrying."
And then, it turned out that Cannibal really liked me! Cannibal sort of refused to peck me or chase me or be chased by me. Cannibal just wanted a hug. But then, as soon as the handlers came back in, Cannibal went nuts again. So we had to have them sort of stand off-camera, so that they would either run away from them or towards them. Poor Cannibal. I think he was pretty happy when his day was over.
Did you have a favorite of the Dubsmashes you two did, or a song that didn't --
Oh, man, ones that we didn't want to do? I think we did every song humanly imaginable. Honestly, for me, I thought the one with Chris [Evans] was the end. I thought it was the final word in Dubsmashing, full stop. And they should just take the app away at that point. But Clark and Chloe found a really sneaky way to keep it going, which turned out to be incredible.
We raised something like $155,000? I thought we might raise $3. When they first said, this is what we're suggesting, I almost died of embarrassment because I thought we would make nothing whatsoever, and we've raised so much money for charity. And it all was completely organic, initially. We never set out and thought about it. It just happened over Comic-Con and then turned into this thing that now has done a lot of people a lot of good. I've never really been involved in anything like that, so I have to say, it's one of the things that I'm proudest of in my life, that we were able to do that.


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Sidney High (SHS) Class of 2004 Alumni List
Help us Update the Sidney High 2004 Class List by adding any names missing from the list below:
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2004 Class List
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The top movie in theaters during 2004 was Shrek 2, grossing over $441,226,247 in its lifetime. The most popular television series for 2004 was American Idol
Reunions and Sidney High School News
More 2004 alumni from Sidney HS Sidney, IA have posted profiles on Classmates.com®. Click here to register for free at Classmates.com® and view other 2004 alumni.
If you are trying to find people that graduated in '04 at Sidney High in Sidney, IA, check the alumni list below that shows the class of 2004.
If you are a former student of SHS in Sidney, Iowa, register now to add your name.


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Today, the internet is an important part of everyday life and you, as a user, of course understand that. However, away from those entertaining memes on Facebook and those humorous tweets on Twitter, there is an internet built for business and professionalism. To earn money online, you will have to integrate yourself to this section of the online world – where your job will be no more than that of a provider or a client, and your identity limited to that of your device. Earning money is seriously not that difficult if you know where to go. If you don't, we're here to show you. Read on below.
1. Advertisements
If you have a blog or website of your own and also have a Google account, try using AdSense by Google. This simple to use application will place advertisements on your blog or website and pay you in return when people click and visit those advertisements. If you know how to code, you could also put in your own advertisements after accepting contracts from a company of your choice. The same can be done if you make YouTube videos – all you need to do is add a line about the firm sponsoring you at the beginning of the playback.
2. Online Jobs
A lot of sites offer money in return for petty online jobs. These include pasting ads on different webpages and advertising sites, or copy pasting content. Other jobs include proofreading, illustrating content, content writing and loads of other stuff to do. There are dedicated websites, such as primary affiliate catering to such people looking for online jobs that suit their convenience and time frame. You could also contribute to blogs and online magazines on a regular basis.
3. Surveys with Several Panels
You have probably heard about this one at some point of time. A lot of companies use survey panels to rate their products and other services. These survey panels, in turn, look for people to participate in the surveys and reward them with points. A simple online search can lead you to many such panels, who will ask you questions about a preference or product you have used. Google Opinion Rewards is Google's own version of a survey panel and rewards you in Play Credits.
4. Online Courses
If you have a special skill, you could conduct an online course for students across the globe. When you consider the internet's positive effects, the most common of them would be that it has actually made the world smaller. This means, you can access someone sitting across the world from you pretty easily. Students prefer to learn from the internet and if you could put your valuable skills to good use, you would come up with something good to teach. There are sites that look for both teachers and students, serving as platforms of intercommunication. Payments are always made digitally.
5. Write, Write, Write Again
Do you like writing? There need not be a specific topic or fixed subject for expressing your views – something that you like should serve the purpose very well. You may write for your blog or even write a book. With the advent of the internet, the entire process of writing, proofreading and publishing can be done online in a hassle free and effortless manner. What's more, people actually prefer reading from online sources these days – so there is a greater possibility your book shall be read and reviewed. Bring out the keypad!
If you've ever felt broke, there is a small chance that you've looked this up before. There may be a chance that you've attempted to gain money from the internet, but your profits were slow or absent – in short, you failed the first time. No need to worry, however, because this is one place that keeps changing in form each day and there are new methods to earn every day. Your job, therefore, remains in looking for these methods and finding the right place to put in your efforts, so that you land up with the bucks you're looking for.


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This Wine Is Rated:
Colour and perlage:A lively, bright straw yellow. The perlage is fine and persistent.
Nose:A fresh and intense bouquet, with a broad fruity note of ripe Golden Delicious apples, white flowers and a delicate scent of yeast, deriving from more than two years' ageing in bottle.
Taste:Harmonious and well-balanced, with a faint suggestion of ripe fruit and attractive hints of crusty bread.


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8th Annual Follypalooza Cancer Benefit
The 8th Annual Follypalooza Cancer Benefit was held on Center Street on Folly Beach on Saturday, October 24th from 11-5pm. Thousands of people flooded the streets in support of the event, and fun was had by all. Over 50 vendors lined up the streets with hand-crafted art, photography, specialty food items and more. Tickets were sold for a 50/50 draw as well as for childrens activities such as jump castles, rides and face painting. Exuberant kids and adults enjoyed Riding the Bull, and you could hear giggling as you wandered through the hundred and fifty or so tents along the closed off area.
The event is held annually to support locals who have endured cancer, and festival goers may enter for free. Arm bands for 21-and-over were sold for $1 apiece with funds going directly to the cancer fund. Silent auctions included donated items from many local businesses and raised thousands of dollars for charity. This year, a local art competition garnered a huge amount of support at the Community Center. After the event was over, an official After-party and Date Auction was held at Chico Feo. The success of the event reached far and wide, and an estimated $30,000 was raised for charity.
Attendees were greeted with live music on two stages that rotated throughout the day. Bands included Deadwin, a Folly Beach rock and roll band with Bob Dylan influences; Noelle Brown & The Troublemakers; The Outervention; Jazz on the Edge Allstars (who reminded us to catch the upcoming Jazz Festival in November); Champagne with Friends; and Wire Wood. Thomas Champagne, of Champagne with Friends, also handled sound for the day as well as performing a rockin set in front of the huge crowd.
If you missed this years event, please plan to attend in 2016. The popular family-friendly event is also dog friendly. Please remember to keep your pets on a leash. Plan to enjoy the next festival and support a good cause. Chairs and blankets are recommended, so you can find an easy place to relax and enjoy a cocktail while listening to the bands. Or, find a seat at one of the many local bars and restaurants that are open for the event.
Sponsors for this year's event included Holy City Brewing Co., Dos Equis, Thurmond Kirchner Timbes & Yelverton Law Firm, Peter McCoy/McCoy & Stokes Attorneys at Law, Dunes Properties, Planet Follywood, and Follywood Productions.
Plan Your Next Visit
Search Folly Beach Vacation HomesBook Now


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Westport Innovations has received $1 million grant from the Canadian federal government to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of using natural gas engines in heavy-duty commercial trucks.
The project, funded by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), will use the Cummins Westport 15-liter ISXG engine prototype in several test trucks operating along Highway 401, the main artery linking Ontario and Quebec.
The ISXG, which is scheduled to become commercially available early in 2004, can provide up to 500 horsepower. The engine uses high-pressure direct injection of natural gas into a diesel engine platform, which allows the ISXG to match the performance and efficiency of the comparable diesel engine but with significantly lower emissions of particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen and greenhouse gases, said Westport.


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Google introduces Instant Previews after the introduction of Google Instant. Though it gives added benefit for the Google users, however, it can potentially hit the Publishers.
Google Instant provides a fast search experience for the users. Search results are being built as someone search in the Google search box. As and when the search results are displayed, users can review the Google predicted search results based on Google's best understanding of the search query. For example, if someone is trying to search for "antivirus 2010", Google instant will provide you an instant search result after you complete "anti". As and when the user gets the instant result, the user may not continue to pursue the search they wanted instead, but opt for one among the results listed under the instant search result.
As you can see the search results, it is seriously different from the one another.
Instant search results can influence the customer on deciding what to search instead of providing the result for what the user has searched for.
Adding to this, Google introduced the Instant Previews. It might work good for the Google users, I presume, but may not be a good thing for bloggers and other content authors. When someone try to search for a topics, the Google search results are being displayed with an option to preview the pages. A user can just move the mouse over the link and then get a pop-up window displaying a screen capture of the page.
A user can decide at that point whether to go to the page or just move on to another link without actually hitting the page. The user may decide based on the color combination or site design instead of the real content, which is pretty difficult to read in the screen capture. If the looks of the site is poorly designed, then the chances are higher that the user will leave the site and move on to the next site.
Advice to site owners: Get better with the page design and content might help in generating the traffic to the sites


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A Longer View (In Honor of Gene Cernan)/
Humanity will leave the Earth to learn to live in other places. The history of human progress leaves no doubt. Besides, courageous pioneers already live in low Earth orbit 250 miles above Earth's surface. The Moon can support larger outposts of humanity with gravity and shielding from galactic cosmic radiation. Mars is within reach.
We will leave Earth for several ancient, fundamental reasons: for survival, for treasure, for fame, for adventure, and for all the practical and noble reasons that humans have spread around the globe throughout history. We value life, we want to improve our condition, we want opportunities for our children, we seek excitement, and we are curious about the unknown.
Yet, a citizen of Earth two centuries from now will have to wonder what happened. Why, after Gene Cernan took the last step on the Moon, did we pause for decades after?
We are not a people who pull back after a discovery. Forty years after 1493, when Columbus returned to Europe from his first western voyage, there were explorers and settlers throughout the Americas and the Pacific. Now, in 2013, when technology advances much more quickly, why this hiatus in? Now, when we have the tools to measure the positive effects of exploration and expansion, why do we fail to claim the certain value of discovery and innovation in space?
A new future clearly lies within our reach, when people and machines will live and work in space, creating an extraterrestrial economy, producing goods, exploring, and benefiting from a new perspective on our place in the universe.
Overcoming the obstacles to achieving these significant benefits requires a commitment by citizens and leaders toward sustained investments in space. Only with such a long-term commitment will our best thinkers, managers, engineers, scientists, and technicians devote their lives to space and its vast, calculable returns.