text:
Daily Bible Studies & Sermon Notes
Daily Bible Studies
Sermon Notes
Return to Home Page
Vital Signs
Pastor Steve Schell
Hebrews 10:32-34
When someone collapses or is found unconscious, the first thing a medically-trained person will do is check for vital signs. They will look to see if there is breath, listen for a heartbeat and check blood pressure. They are searching for evidence that the person is still alive, and they know what to look for because all living persons have certain indicators in common. These are called vital signs and the name simply means signs that life is present. Finding these indicators is great news, but no one thinks of them as a great achievement. They are something to be thankful for, not proud of because no one earns them, we are simply born with them. True, some have stronger heartbeats than others, and some have deeper lung capacity than others, but the life to which these point is a gift of God.
The author of Hebrews has just finished warning his readers that it is possible to abandon Jesus and return to spiritual death (10:26-31), but though some of his readers are in danger of doing this he still has hope they will repent before crossing that line. In the verses were reading today he explains why: He says there is solid evidence they started out their spiritual life with Gods vital signs in them and its hard to kill that kind of life.
This passage reminds us that when a person is born-again deep changes inevitably occur in their attitudes and behavior. A new living power enters and its presence cannot be hidden. Some of these changes are listed here, and if such vital signs had not been present we sense the author would categorize his readers differently: as those who were never really born-again (enlightened, v 32) rather than those in danger of committing the sins listed in verse 29. He has hope they will still make the right decision because he is sure God is still inside them and he knows God is always willing to strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble (He 12:12).
A. The Problem: People who apparently became a Christian but dont obey God. Three examples:
A woman whose brother had been raised in church and wanted to be a preacher at the age of ten, but since 12 has totally lived in the world.
A woman whose daughter was baptized as a girl but a few years ago converted to another religion (is she hopelessly lost?)
A man who continued to use pornography for many years. Though this was confessed to other men, those men also used it and no one took any radical steps to force change. They merely comforted one another with the thought they were forgiven.
We often struggle over the extent of Gods grace because so many seem to be taking advantage of it. But if the new covenant actually works the changes in us that God promised (He 8:10-12) then the problem isnt with grace, its with our incomplete presentation of the gospel which has allowed rebellious hearts to think they are saved. Both repentance and faith in Christ must be present or the new birth hasnt taken place.
B. The Question: Were they really converted in the first place, or just assented to Christian doctrine and went through our initiation ceremonies?
Remember: The grace in Hebrews is based on the assumption that the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is taking place inside that person that He has changed their heart .
The threat of the Law has been removed because the desire to obey the Law has been put into the heart.
If the desire to obey is not there, grace becomes an excuse to keep sinning without fear of punishment.
Did that person who renounced Christ or lived a fruitless life ever really receive the new birth or were they merely a cultural Christian? Actually, only God knows for sure, and its not our place to announce the verdict (judge not lest ye be judged). I must admit John says we can see a person who commits a sin unto death and tells us to stop praying (1Jn 5:16). But putting myself in the position to announce who has committed the unpardonable sin of apostasy seems very dangerous to me. I think its better to err on the side of hoping and praying unless and until the Holy Spirit actually says stop.
C. Vital Signs: Hebrews 10:32-34
The author of Hebrews says hes confident these believers were truly born-again because of the changes that took place in their attitudes and behavior were evidence they had God living inside them. What vital signs did he see:
v 32 Enlightened (Jn 3:3, spiritual revelation)
v 32 Their faith got them in trouble
v 33 Their love caused them to care for suffering believers
v 34 They joyfully suffered for Christ
v 34 Their love of the things of the world declined
v 34 They had faith in the rewards of eternal life
Here are others who say there must be evidence of real change:
John the Baptist (Lk 3:3-14) fruit in keeping with repentance
Jesus (Mt 7:17-23) good fruit, depart from Me
John: (1Jn 2:4) obedience; (1Jn 2:9; 3:14, 17) love for one another; (1Jn 2:22, 23; 4:15; 5:1, 10, 12) divinity of Christ; (1Jn 3:24; 4:13) indwelling Spirit
D. The Caution: We need to recognize there are people who never went far enough to be changed.
Repentance (full surrender) may come years after a person confessed Jesus as Savior.
This is often true because we dont present repentance as part of the gospel. It is seen as optional.
Some people seem to intuitively understand that believing in Jesus includes submission and trust, others dont.
E. Conclusion
Gods grace is not the cause of Christian hypocrisy. Grace is meant to function in an atmosphere where there is:
A full gospel that produces the new covenant changes in those who believe.
A healthy fear of God and the power of sin that motivates believers to find real freedom from addictive sin.
A sober acceptance by each believer of their responsibility to feed their spirit for the rest of their life.
A community of believers who will pray for and reach out to those who appear to be drifting away.
F. Questions
What changes took place in you when you first became a Christian? Did anyone else notice these changes?
When you first prayed to receive Christ did anyone tell you that you needed to repent and surrender to His will for your life? If not, when did you do this?
Return to Sermon Notes


text:
China will continue importing oil from Iran: Hung Li
Saturday, 23 June 2012 13:47 |
| Print |
Beijing, June 22, IRNA – Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Hung Li, said that China will continue to buy Iran's oil which is based on international law and does not violate any international law.
Hung made the comments in a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
Referring to the fact that China is not obliged to pursue the internal regulation of the US, the Chinese diplomat noted that Beijing needs importing oil from Iran for its economic development and this something quite rational and legitimate.
Asked whether China will reduce its oil import from Iran under US pressures, Hung pointed out that we have said several times before that China will not succumb to such pressures.
"Importing oil from Iran by China is neither against the interests of any third country not it contradicts the international regulations," he added.
According to the latest statistics issued by Chinese Customs Administration, China's import of oil from Iran varies between 400,000 to 635,000 barrels per day.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) also predicted that China's crude oil import from Iran would increase in the second half of 2012.
Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 80193999

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Guided Sleep Meditations
We create guided sleep meditations that help people relax and fall asleep fast. Tracks To Relax is the perfect way to calm you mind and body at bedtime. So get nice and comfortable in a place where you can enjoy a wonderful sleep, slip on your headphones and relax completely as you listen to one of our soothing sleep meditations.
Antal avsnitt: 15
Senaste avsnittet:
En podcast av: Tracks To Relax


text:
Firstly, if you are interested in OTC stocks like Commercial Intl Bk A, you will be doing yourself a massive favor by joining the Trader HR chat room (the people there are experts at tricky stocks like this), so do that now – we also strongly recommend Microcap Millionaires where you can learn how to profit hugely off lesser known OTC stocks (what you find there is much more interesting than CIBEY, in our view). These recommendations are current as of 2019-10-15. Now onto the news and analysis.
REPORTING FOR 2019-10-15 | BUNDESPREMIERLEAGUE.COM: We have conducted a deep analysis of how Commercial Intl Bk A (CIBEY) has been trading over the last 2 weeks and the past day especially. On its latest session, Commercial Intl Bk A (CIBEY) opened at 4.6701, reaching a high of 4.799 and a low of 4.6701 before closing at a price of 4.75. There was a total volume of 15365.
VOLUME INDICATORS: We saw an accumulation-distribution index of 12.364, an on-balance volume of -4.68, chaikin money flow of 1.0 and a force index of -0.00059. There was an ease of movement rating of 0.0003, a volume-price trend of 0.36759 and a negative volume index of 1000.0.
VOLATILITY: We noted an average true range of 0.05212, bolinger bands of 4.67019, an upper bollinger band of 4.66991, lower bollinger band of 4.6701, a bollinger high band indicator of 1.0, bollinger low band indicator of 1.0, a central keltner channel of 4.71307, high band keltner channel of 4.58417, low band keltner channel of 4.84197, a high band keltner channel indicator of 1.0 and a low band keltner channel indicator of 1.0. There was a donchian channel high band of 4.6701, a donchian channel low band of 4.6701, a donchian channel high band indicator of 1.0, and a donchian channel low band indicator of 1.0.
TREND: We calculated a Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) of -0.0, a MACD signal of -0.0, a MACD difference of -0.0, a fast Exponential Moving Average (EMA) indicator of 4.6701, a slow Exponential Moving Average (EMA) indicator of 4.6701, an Average Directional Movement Index (ADX) of unknown, an ADX positive of 20.0, an ADX negative of 20.0, a positive Vortex Indicator (VI) of 1.0, a negative VI of 1.0, a trend vortex difference of 1.43415, a trix of 4.74778, a Mass Index (MI) of 1.0, a Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of 66.66667, a Detrended Price Oscillator (DPO) of -0.3391, a KST Oscillator (KST) of 78.29576 and a KST Oscillator (KST Signal) of 78.29576 (leaving a KST difference of -0.00577). We also found an Ichimoku rating of 4.73455, an Ichimoku B rating of 4.73455, a Ichimoku visual trend A of 4.46381, an Ichimoku visual trend B of 4.54224, an Aroon Indicator (AI) up of 4.0 and an AI indicator down of 4.0. That left a difference of -4.0.
MOMENTUM: We found a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 50.0, a Money Flow Index (MFI) of 100.0, a True Strength Index (TSI) of 100.0, an ultimate oscillator of 100.0, a stochastic oscillator of 100.0, a stochastic oscillator signal of 100.0, a Williams %R rating of -13000.0 and an awesome oscillator of 0.00591.
RETURNS: There was a daily return of 7.82958, a daily log return of -0.00214 and a cumulative return of -0.00214.
What the heck does all of this mean? If you are new to technical analysis, the above may be gibberish to you, and that's OK (though we do advise learning these things). The bottom line is that AS OF 2019-10-15 (if you are reading this later, the analysis will be out of date), our analysis of technical indicators for Commercial Intl Bk A (CIBEY) is telling us that this is ever so slightly bearish. Please comment if you disagree with this conclusion or if you find any errors in the analysis above.
For a more complete analysis, run all of this through the BTMA software. Also, to stay up to date with what is happening on Commercial Intl Bk A, we strongly advise Commercial Intl Bk A investors to subscribe to MarketBeat.com's daily email newsletter for updates, news and analyst ratings on Commercial Intl Bk A and any other stocks you want – without this you are trading blind:
DISCLAIMER: We are not registered investment advisers and the above analysis should be taken at face value only. We strongly advise against buying or selling Commercial Intl Bk A (CIBEY) based solely on our analysis above, and are not responsible for any losses that you may incur if you choose make any investment decisions based on the above.
Anthony Rankin
I am the driving force behind BPL and a professional daytrader. I will be providing technical analysis of various stocks on BPL.


text:
Our powder coated tumble bar be fitted onto any existing or DIY play tower project adding either a roll over bar gym feature or as safety barrier.900mm long X 32mm in diameter and comes complete with a fixation plate 118mm long x 38mm wide with two 11mm diameter holes.
Additional Info
Additional Info
|Product Code
|Country of Manufacture
Write Your Own Review
You may also be interested in the following product(s)
Climbing Rope Ladder With Wooden Rungs For Children's Climbing Frame In Various Lengths
Starting at: Excl. Tax: £24.00 Incl. Tax: £28.80
Climbing Net For Children's Garden Climbing Frame Available in 3 Sizes
Starting at: Excl. Tax: £71.00 Incl. Tax: £85.20
Climbing Stones Or Rock holds For Constructing Children's Climbing Walls. Supplied 5 Per Set In Mixed Colours
£15.60 Incl. Tax £13.00 Excl. Tax
Climbing Tree In Green Powder Coated Steel For Mounting Onto Childrens Garden Play Tower
£82.80 Incl. Tax £69.00 Excl. Tax
Firemans Pole For Mounting Onto a Childrens Play Tower In Red or Green Powder Coated Steel
£69.60 Incl. Tax £58.00 Excl. Tax
Arched Climbing Ladder Suitable For Mounting Onto Children's Garden Play Tower
£116.40 Incl. Tax £97.00 Excl. Tax


text:
JavaRa 2.0 is now available for testing purposes. Do not suggest this version to troubleshoot JRE related issues until a stable build is available. JavaRa makes significant changes to your registry and filesystem, so please make sure you backup valuable data before testing. (more…)Read More
After a few weeks of public testing, System Ninja 2.2 is now officially released. A beta version of version 2.3 will become available in the next few weeks.
Changes since beta 2:
– Updated Dutch translation
– Added column sorting to process manager.
This is just a small update, aimed at improving CCEnhancer's system compatibility and providing improved functionality for advanced users.
– Improved Windows x64 compatibility
– Improved UAC compatibility.
– Changed internal URL's to SingularLabs
– Moved program options to the "Settings" dialog.
– Simplified menu structure.
– Commandline switches can be run by processes that don't have elevated privledges.
System Ninja 2.2 beta 2 is now available, containing a number of user interface and performance improvements.
What's new?
The installer and portable versions are now available from the download page.Read More
Six long months has passed since the last update to System Ninja. We finally have a beta build ready for testing, containing literally thousands of improvements. (more…)Read More
CCEnhancer has been updated to add French, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish translations. More will be added soon. A few minor performance improvements have been made too. Download from the CCEnhancer Homepage and (if you found it useful) make a donation!Read More


text:
About Out Services
Virtual Assistant Support
Don't know where to begin or if you are even a good candidate for our services? We can help with that, too! If this type of support isn't for you, we are not going to try to sell you on something you don't need or that won't help you!
Lorie will schedule a convenient time to meet with you, have a conversation to gather information, and let you know if this is a good option for you. This is a free service provided to every business owner!
If you're not quite ready for an in-person consultation, take our easy Online Quiz to see if you're ready.
The Signature Virtual Assistance team is here for you. With a variety of services, hiring Lorie and her team will free up your time for more important things. Whether you need someone to add appointments to your calendar, create a database to gain insight into your business, or help you prepare for a trade show next month, outsourcing these tasks means that you're always able to move forward in your business.
Business Administrative Consulting
What is a Business Administrative Consulting service? In this type of support, Lorie will meet one-on-one with you to thoroughly review every aspect of the back end administrative operation of the business. Look at it as a sort of "spring cleaning"!
Once all the information is gathered, Lorie and her team will go back to her office and wave her magic wand, developing a plan that will ensure the administrative functions are efficient, utilizing up-to-date technology, and cost-effective. She will also develop an implementation timeline and select an assistant who is completely capable of implementing.
She will then schedule a follow-up meeting with you and the assistant so the three of you can review the plan, discuss the implementation, and address any questions or concerns you might have.
Administrative Support
As seasoned administrative support professionals, the team offers:
- Calendar Management
- Contact Database Creation/Editing
- Ad Posting
- Project and Deadline Tracking
- Gift Shopping and Delivery Arrangements
- Personalized Card Mailing
- Document Creation
- Email Management
- Internet Research
- Presentation/Seminar/Event Support
- Research
- Mailing Campaigns
- And much more!
Our highly trained team all have their own specific focus so that all of your needs will be met regardless of where you are needing support. We have helped large and small businesses flourish by taking the back-end work and ensuring that it runs smoothly enough that you don't have to think about it unless you want to.
Time Management
Imagine how much time you would have for other things if you no longer needed to respond to emails, manage your calendar, act as project manager on every project, or even write your own newsletters. You could take time off without your business coming to a grinding halt!
Managing your time by delegating tasks to Lorie's team will not only give you more time, but it will also keep you focused on the things you enjoy doing the most.
Your Bottom Line
Growing your business is important. If you're busy working in your business as an employee, then little or no time is spent working on your business. What's the difference? The difference is in your bottom line. Working in your business will mean that you have a paycheck for now, but what about when this project is over?
Freeing up time to work on your business means that you have the time needed to meet with those potential clients or go to that networking meeting.
Contact Signature Virtual Assistance today to be your administrative or executive assistant, allowing you to work on your business, not just in it.


text:
Getting Worked Up
Sapphire Falls Book Two
- £2.49
- £2.49
Publisher Description
"Erin Nicholas always delivers swoon-worthy heroes, laugh out loud moments, and a heartwarming happily ever after."-- Melanie Shawn, New York Times bestselling author
Small town sweetheart, Phoebe Sherwood, needs to break up her best friend's engagement before she loses him forever to the wrong girl. And she just met the perfect solution. City boy, Joe Spencer is in town to retrieve his sort-of fiancée—the woman who stole Phoebe's guy—and when he hears Phoebe's plan to reclaim their respective soul mates, he's in.
And everything will be just fine… as long as Phoebe and Joe can keep their hands off of each other and remember which hearts they are trying to win over.
You should read this book if you like quirky small towns, over-the-top romantic gestures, hot descriptive love scenes, naughty words and country music. You should *not* read this if you don't like, well, any of the things above.


text:
One of the frequent questions I am asked during my book development workshops and book talks; who are all the companies and individuals who can assist and help with all of the things that I need to accomplish in order to self-publish my photobook? Hearing this often enough we realized that we really did need... Continue Reading →
PhotoBook Journal – Issue #4
Welcome to our Fourth Issue • Ah, the summer months are really here and time for holidays and vacations. The temperature has finally become a little hotter here in Southern California, getting past our May-Gray and June-Gloom, the endless days of overcast grayness with the accompanying cooler temperatures, and this year even some rain showers... Continue Reading →
PhotoBook Journal – Issue #3
For June, Issue #3, we feature a broad spectrum of photobooks: photo-documentary, conflict aftermath, introspective look at what is home, conceptual investigations and artistic interpretations. I suspect that there is something for just about everyone as we attempt to examine a cross-current of contemporary photographic books available today. Our NEWS article is highlighting a new left coast... Continue Reading →
PhotoBook Journal – Issue #2
Martin Toft, Te Ahi Kā (2018) We have just passed by our second month as a magazine and launched Issue #2, which might also be considered a (newsletter-summary of what we have published this past month. As a subscriber, you get each book review hot off the press. As a new contemporary photobook magazine (yes, our... Continue Reading →
PhotoBook Journal – New Magazine & Format
Bookcase, copyright 2019 Douglas Stockdale by Douglas Stockdale We are very excited to announce the launch of the newest on-line international arts magazine Photobook Journal (PBJ) focused on the artist/photographic book object. New Name; New Look! (Okay, no worries, it is still us) This magazine has its roots and foundation when it was initially founded as a... Continue Reading →


text:
Flooring & Ground Covering
Whether you want to prevent weeds from growing or need a proper footing in your garden or greenhouse, we got your back. Covering your ground in certain areas is a practical and easy way to improve your gardening tasks. Make sure you choose materials that are easy to clean and avoid anything that you will have to repair frequently. Spending a bit more at the beginning will cut expenses and maintenance in the long run. Check out our variety of flooring and ground covering here!
Solexx Greenhouse Flooring
Riverstone Ground Covering
Poly-Tex Ground Cover Kit
Riverstone Interlocking Flooring Panels
How can you use flooring & ground covering?
Flooring is a reliable way to prevent slipping and muddy shoes for walkways, entrance areas, patios, outdoor showers, and many other places. The ground covering fabric can be utilized for various purposes as well. It is ideal for greenhouses and garden areas where you don't want to deal with weeds.
It is irritating to place containers, tables, or benches on a bumpy or irregular ground. Greenhouse flooring helps maintain soil moisture and keeps your greenhouse floor neat. It also keeps weeds out and allows excellent drainage while keeping your greenhouse tidy so areas stay protected, clean, and bacteria-free. These are easy to install and can be laid straight on a surface. The interlocking flooring system can be quickly relocated and can also be rolled up as a single piece for cleaning or storage. Greenhouse flooring is the absolute way to complete a greenhouse. It is also ideal for high tunnels, outdoor showers, and sheds.
Benefits of flooring
- Offers ideal drainage
- Keeps your greenhouse tidy
- Comfortable surface for you to walk on
- Easy to install
- Flexible and adaptable to different surfaces
- Created with sturdy and reliable interlocking modules
- Help stabilize the temperature
- Keep pesky weeds and pests out
- Durable
- It offers a safe, non-slip surface
- Easy and safe also with high heel shoes
Ground Covering
Ground covering helps achieve a boundary between gravel and soil without giving weeds the chance to grow. It allows a healthy balance of air, water and nutrient exchange, building an optimal habitat for plants when placed below the soil layer. It fits the ground or trench surface and doesn't unravel when cut. It can be staked to the ground for tight and secure installation.
Benefits of ground covering
- Keeps greenhouse floor tidy, as well as weed and pest free
- Fabric allows moisture to soak through
- Cools the space that is being covered
- Reduce moisture loss
- Lightweight
- No standing water left on the surface
- Prevents germination of weeds
- Helps to promote plant growth
- Allows air, water, and nutrients to pass through
- U.V. stabilized and permeable
- Ideal for greenhouse flooring


text:
Shopping for a home loan in Florida with credit which is not ideal? One of the many steps which may be worth taking before applying for a loan is to sit down with a credit counselor to discuss your situation. Following are some things you should know about working with a credit counselor to improve your borrower risk profile.
1. Credit counseling may be free—or not.
You might assume that credit counseling services are always free because they are offered through nonprofit organizations. This is not always the case, however. Some organizations charge quite bit of money for their services, and may do so without transparency.
That means you should do your research on any credit counselor before jumping in. You should also request a written quote if there will be fees of any kind.
2. Some organizations take an individualized approach. Others do not.
Just as there is significant variation in pricing from credit counselors, their services can also vary quite a bit. The best counselors will treat you as an individual, working with you to come up with a customized solution to your problems. Others, however, attempt to funnel all consumers who seek out their services into debt management plans.
3. Look for free education.
The more individualized the services of a credit counselor are, the more likely it is that they will offer you educational resources and programs. Ideally, they should be completely free.
Education in budgeting and debt management could take the form of classes, one-on-one counseling, or online and offline resources. Quality counselors provide this education to all their customers, not just those on debt management plans.
4. Sometimes, debt management plans are suitable.
For many borrowers, debt management plans can be very helpful. They can range significantly in terms of quality, so you must investigate any debt management plan thoroughly before you commit to it.
In some cases, credit counselors are able to negotiate for reduced interest or even no interest on certain debts. They may also be able to help you get around certain late fees. It also might be possible to have your accounts "re-aged."
With the right debt management plan and/or budgeting advice, you may be able to improve both your credit score and debt-to-income ratio rapidly. You also might have less difficulty building up your cash reserves. All of these can help you when applying for a mortgage.
5. We can offer you credit guidance as well.
Working with a credit counselor is not your only option for seeking out advice regarding your financial situation when applying for a home loan in Jacksonville or elsewhere in Florida.
When you schedule a consultation with Carbon Capital, we can also provide you with education and guidance on your credit situation. Further, we can connect you with loans through government-insured programs such as the FHA mortgage program which are suitable for customers without perfect credit. Get started today by calling us at (904) 513-8000.


text:
Taylor, Texas, is a suburb around 30 miles northeast of Austin that boasts its history as a railroad hub and small-town authenticity. In 2016, more than half of Williamson County—where Taylor is seated—voted for Donald Trump. But recently, county officials decided not to help the president in his push to expand the detention of unauthorized migrants, including those seeking asylum.
On June 26, in a regularly planned county court meeting, the future of Taylor's T. Don Hutto detention center was first on the agenda. A county contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requires it to oversee the 500-bed facility exclusively for migrant women—in return for $8,000 per month and $1 daily for each detainee housed. Before the item was put to vote, Commissioner Terry Cook, the only Democrat on the Williamson County Court, made a passionate statement.
"If the court does vote to terminate the contract, and I hope they do, no one should be celebrate or take credit for this termination. This does not solve that larger issue," she said to the audience, some of whom were holding up anti-Hutto signs. "But it does allow us to go back and perform core county functions of health, roads, safety, and all those other items that we are tasked with doing in Williamson County, and every other county in the nation."
When she finished, the council voted 4-1 to terminate the agreement, a decision that was greeted with a sharp eruption of claps and "woo-hoos."
It's not just Williamson County, though. In the last few weeks, a handful of localities have taken action to end contracts with federal immigration authorities to jail immigrants, as anti-detention activists have long been pushing them to do: Springfield, Oregon, and Sacramento, California. Even Atlanta, Georgia, is considering it. The Trump administration's practice of separating migrant families at the border, now suspended, has left localities scrambling to understand what role they play. And in some places, the crisis appears to have triggered a moral reckoning about the ways local governments participate in immigrant detention.
For those who are troubled by these relationships, take note: Around 858 such contracts between local and federal authorities exist in 669 counties, according to ICE data from November 2017.* Some of these facilities are primarily for immigrants. Many are local jails or county prisons that rent out beds to federal authorities for immigrant detention. The majority of places where these contracts have sprung up voted for Trump in 2016, but there are several diverse, Democrat-leaning counties that have signed up to jail large numbers of immigrants, too. Some are even considered "sanctuary cities" because they limit police cooperation with ICE.
Here's what those relationships look like.
Where have local governments contracted with the feds?
CityLab and location intelligence company ESRI have mapped all the contracts local governments have with ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service (called intergovernmental service agreements) that can be used to detain immigrants, based on the most comprehensive dataset available. Immigrants' rights groups obtained this data, which goes up to November 2017, through Freedom of Information (FOIA) request. The blue dots in the map above are facilities like local jails, operated by the city or county; the green dots are facilities that might be owned or overseen by local governments, but are operated by private prison companies. The size of the dot corresponds with the average daily population in November 2017 at that facility, wherever that information was available.
Clicking on a facility on the map above reveals details of its usage, contract terms (like the money it's earning per day to take in immigrants), and results of its last government inspection, which determines whether or not it is "authorized" for use. Not all of the facilities on the map are "online"—meaning, either they're not authorized, or not readily being used to detain immigrants right now. But as long as they have live contracts, the federal government can hypothetically utilize them within a short time frame.
There were around 111 publicly operated facilities actively taking in immigrants in November 2017, per this data. The ones with the highest average daily populations: York County Prison in Pennsylvania, Essex County Correctional Facility and Hudson County Correctional Facility in New Jersey, Theo Lacy Facility in California, Glades County Detention Center in Florida, and Etowah County Jail in Alabama.
What is the oversight of these facilities?
To be "authorized," a facility needs to have passed the requisite number of inspections. But when the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) analyzed this dataset, it found that even facilities where "multiple people have died, some later reported to be as a result of medical neglect" had been passing inspections since 2012. A report released in June 2018 by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General found other reasons to question the rigor of government oversight. It concluded that the inspections of ICE detention facilities were too infrequent and too broad. The particular type of inspection the government conducts at the local facilities with which it has contracts were "useless," according to ICE employees interviewed by the OIG. They were "very, very, very difficult to fail," the ICE employees said in the report.
"This report confirms what the people behind bars in immigration jails already know: Migrants in detention suffer abuses, rights deprivations, and neglect, and ICE has no interest in investigating or remedying these harms," said Heidi Altman, NIJC's director of policy in a statement about the OIG report. NIJC's analysis of ICE's dataset also revealed that in November 2017, the agency was detaining roughly 98 people a day in jails listed as "not inspected."
ICE responded by saying in an email to CityLab that its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division "has already initiated several steps to bolster" the quality of inspections at contract facilities and "will re-evaluate the existing inspection scope and methodology" for annual and biennial inspections.
What kinds of places sign up for these contracts?
The second map below allows a more detailed look. Toggling the first check box allows a "cluster" view, where the bigger circles signal a larger concentration of contracts. Toggling the second check box for "point locations" and one of the last four options on the right of the map pulls up the locations of these contracts against base maps showing the political, economic, and demographic characteristics of the counties.
Around 71 percent of these counties voted for Trump; in 73 percent, the white population was overrepresented (greater than the 60.3 percent national share per ESRI's 2018 data); and in 66.5 percent, the median household income was below the national threshold based on ESRI's data.
Detention contracts are not, however, a partisan practice: Some immigrant-rich, Democrat-leaning counties help detain very large numbers of immigrants. Among the top ten Democratic jurisdictions within immigrant-friendly states with the highest numbers of detained immigrants: Orange and San Bernardino counties in California and Prince Edward County in Virginia. This list also includes Essex, Hudson, and Bergen counties in New Jersey, where the new governor campaigned on the promise of following California's lead and enacting "sanctuary" legislation—limiting the cooperation of localities with federal immigration authorities.
"What the map does is highlight the entrepreneurial nature of detention," writes Daniel Stageman, professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York via email. "These facilities thrive on the borders where immigrant populations meet the political and economic conditions that make detention 'markets' profitable: voter support, a willing or eager (primarily white) labor force, the right infrastructure, etc."
Does the cost-benefit tally add up for local jails?
With its push to round up undocumented immigrants in the interior of the country, the Trump administration appears to have increased its reliance on its existing agreements with local governments. The federal government has been securing thousands of new beds, including in locally-run facilities, according to the Washington Post, and the demand for more is only expected to increase as the government doubles down on the waves of asylum seekers at the border.
"We're seeing these contracts come online in some places that you really don't think of as having large immigrant populations, like you have the Kenosha Jail in Wisconsin," says Sharita Gruberg, an immigration law and policy expert at the Center for American Progress.
Why? It typically costs the federal government less to house immigrants in these types of facilities than in private detention centers, and unlike private detention centers that have to be built from scratch, this infrastructure already exist. Plus, these contracts can be coupled with other types of collaborations to strengthen the local crackdown on undocumented immigrants. In various counties in Texas, for example, 287(g) agreements through which jail officers can be deputized as ICE agents are being sought in conjunction with jail contracts—incentivizing local governments to create their own pipelines for deportation, critics say. According to The New York Times, the administration has also been planning to lower standards required for local jail facilities to detain immigrants, so they can be available more quickly. That would mean even less stringent medical and language requirements, among other changes.
The conditions at these facilities are by no means up to scratch right now. Margo Schlanger, now a law professor at the University of Michigan, testified to the Homeland Security Advisory Council on immigrant detention in 2016 that chaotic local jails are even less equipped to deal with immigration populations than even the "prison-like" dedicated private detention centers. Many of the ones housing immigrants are in remote areas—far from legal counsel and medical amenities.
Medical negligence, abuse, and maltreatment of immigrant detainees is already well-documented in county jails. An OIG report from 2017 found that detainees in some jails were strip-searched, inappropriately segregated, and kept in unhealthy conditions. Another from the same year found that detainees were fed soiled food. A Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) report from 2016 found cases of brutal assaults, denial of due process, and gross medical negligence. Freedom For Immigrants recently released a study documenting complaints about immigrants being called "dogs" and "baboons," and told to "go fetch" their food. In extreme cases, detention at these types of facilities has been fatal: Most recently, a Honduran man who was separated from his wife and 3-year-old at the border killed himself in the Starr County Sheriff's office.
"When a bona fide asylum seeker who's fleeing violence and recent trauma arrives at the United States, expresses the fear of return and then is transferred to a county jail, it's very disorienting," Altman told CityLab. "It's traumatizing."
From the perspective of the local government, renting out empty jail beds to federal authorities can still be appealing. Politically, it can feed into the tough-on-crime stance, if that is what the voters are looking for. But often the biggest sell is the economic value: These contracts are presented as revenue generators, even in places that are immigrant-friendly.
"The [immigrant] jail becomes a job-creation program that's not being funded by taxpayers in the county or even in your state, but rather by the federal government," says César Garcia Hernandez, an expert in immigration and criminal law at the University of Denver. "It becomes free money."
But hidden economic costs can arise. When abuses are discovered, the county may face lawsuits, or the federal authorities may be pressured to dissolve the contract altogether. The fear of that economic risk and the moral case against these contracts seems to have convinced the officials in Williamson County.
"With commissioners, we used a lot of messaging around liability, the fact that they weren't receiving proper information about incidents from ICE and CoreCivic, economic messaging around being perceived as a prison town, as well as speaking to family and Christian values," said Bethany Carson, from Grassroots Leadership, an anti-detention advocacy group. "Some combination of those did it."
Other local governments, however, have proven much more resistant to anti-detention messages. Willacy County, Texas, for example, had contracted with private company MT&C and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to house non-citizen inmates in the past. This prison had such a bad reputation that it came to be known as "Ritmo," Raymondville city's very own "Gitmo." In 2015, riots broke out and the prison shut down. The county was riddled with debt as a result and sued MT&C. Now, the Texas Observer reports that the county is re-entering into an agreement with ICE and the same private company to rent out bed space for immigrants in civil detention. The mayor of Raymondville, Gilbert Gonzalez, is hopeful that this new deal will bring the "best-paid jobs in [the] area," he told The Observer's Gus Bova. And while he opposes family separation, he is not against immigrant detention overall.
"People were getting put in facilities like this one under Bush and Obama, too," he told The Observer. "It's not really my place to take sides on that."
The Democratic sheriff of Albany, New York, which considers itself a "sanctuary city," also recently signed up to let ICE house immigrants in his half-empty county jail for $119 per person per day. His argument: the facility will provide free legal counsel, international calls—and therefore will be more humane than elsewhere in the country. But some immigration experts question whether even this argument can be morally justified.
"The idea that immigrant detention can be a 'just business' overlooks the fact that it is a fundamentally unjust business," Stageman says, "one that, by its very nature, profits off of human suffering."
*Note: The maps are based on ICE's record-keeping, which may not be comprehensive. They also do not include facilities listed in the dataset for which the ownership and operations information was missing—so some local governments, like Lubbock County, Texas, that have these contracts are not shown.
If you have information about your local government's detention contract with ICE, drop us a line at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Powered by WPeMatico


text:
Off the Couch: Contemporary Psychoanalytic Applications
Book Details
- Publisher : Routledge
- Published : January 2010
- Cover : Paperback
- Pages : 236
- Category :
- Catalogue No : 29571
Also by Alessandra Lemma
Introduction to the Practice of Psychoanalytic...
Price £31.25
Minding the Body: The Body in Psychoanalysis and Beyond
Price £35.91
save £2.08
Also by Matthew Patrick
Rethinking Clinical Audit: Psychotherapy Services in the NHS
Price £30.59
save £3.40
There are currently no reviews
Be the first to review
The contemporary relevance of psychoanalysis is being increasingly questioned; Off the Couch challenges this view, demonstrating that psychoanalytic thinking and its applications are both innovative and relevant, in particular to the management and treatment of more disturbed and difficult to engage patient groups. Chapters address:
* clinical applications in diverse settings across the age range
* the relevance of psychoanalytic thinking to the practice of CBT, psychosomatics and general psychiatry
* the contribution of psychoanalytic thinking to mental health policy and the politics of conflict and mediation.
This book suggests that psychoanalysis has a vital position within the public health sector and discusses how it can be better utilised in the treatment of a range of mental health problems. It also highlights the role of empirical research in providing a robust evidence base.
Off the Couch will be essential reading for those practicing in the field of mental health and will also be useful for anyone involved in the development of mental health and public policies. It will ensure that practitioners and supervisors have a clear insight into how psychoanalysis can be applied in general healthcare.
Reviews and Endorsements
'The editors have gifted us with a rare treasure in putting together this book which reflects the range of contributions that key figures in the world of psychoanalysis have made to the services and culture that create the context for the evolution of psychoanalytic ideas.'
- Peter Fonagy, Freud Memorial Professor of Psychoanalysis, University College London.
Lemma, Patrick - Contemporary Psychoanalytic Applications: Development and its Vicissitudes
Alderdice - Off the Couch and Round the Conference Table
Cooper, Lousada - The Shock of the Real: Psychoanalysis, Modernity, Survival
Briggs - Suicide Prevention: The Contribution of Psychoanalysis Baradon, Target - Mothers and Babies in Prison: A Psychoanalytic Approach Supporting Attachment
Rustin, Emanuel - Observation, Reflection and Containment: A Psychoanalytic Approach to Work with Parents and Children Under Five Lemma, Young - Working with Traumatised Adolescents: A Framework for Intervention
Lowe - Working with Ambivalence: Making Psychotherapy More Accessible to Young Black People
Stern - The Relevance of Applied Psychoanalytic Practice and Thinking to the Treatment of Medically Symptomatic Patients
Wood - Applied Analytic Work in Forensic Settings: The Understanding and Treatment of Paedophilia
Graff, Milrod, Aronson - Panic Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: A Manualized, Psychoanalytic Approach to Panic Disorder
Bell - Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis: A Conceptual Mapping
Moorey - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Psychoanalysis
About the Editor(s)
Alessandra Lemma is the Unit Director, Psychological Therapies Development Unit, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, and the Clinical Director of the Psychological Interventions Research Centre, University College London. She is a Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society. She is Visiting Professor, Psychoanalysis Unit, University College London, and Honorary Professor of Psychological Therapies at Essex University. She is the Regional Editor (London) of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis and General Editor of the New Library of Psychoanalysis book series (Routledge). She has published several books and papers on psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, the body, and trauma. Alessandra Lemma is also a Winner of the Levy-Goldfarb Award for Child Psychoanalysis.
Customer Reviews
Our customers have not yet reviewed this title. Be the first add your own review for this title.
You may also like
Psychic Retreats: Pathological Organisations in Psychotic, Neurotic and...
John Steiner
Price £32.55
save £1.44
The Violence of Interpretation: From Pictogram to Statement
Piera Aulagnier
Price £33.39
save £1.60
Under the Skin: A Psychoanalytic Study of Body Modification
Alessandra Lemma
Price £32.55
save £1.44
Seeing and Being Seen: Emerging from a Psychic Retreat
John Steiner
Price £33.39
save £1.60


text:
Here are some tokens that I made for Shadow War: Armageddon. I made them, not because the ones included with the game aren't good, rather because I suffer from Auldtimers Disease and Blindbuggeritis and so like things a tad... simpler. Also, in the game, when a figure is hit they can become pinned or downed and are laid face up or down on the table. This is fine enough for smaller minis or ones on round bases but is problematic for large ones or ones on lozenge-shaped bases and so I created the 'Pinned' and 'Downed' tokens to place alongside a standing mini.
The tokens are 20mm in diameter and have a 3mm raised rim around embossed lettering. To make things stand out and because I don't have a dual extruder printer (yet LOL), I just painted the surface of the lettering.
The tokens represent:
P = Pinned
D = Downed
R = Ran
H = Hidden
B = Broken
X = Out of Ammo
OW = Overwatch
They were printed in PLA on the Creality CR-10 at 0.2mm layer height using a 0.4mm nozzle.
Leave a Reply.
SpankyTaz (Author)
A saltbeard Grognard who's glad he never grew up enough to lose his imagination.
Site powered by Weebly. Managed by Easy Internet Solutions LTD


text:
Assignments completed for youJoanna 13/02/2016 19:20:58
May need to success beyond the final grade values how frustrating take you have a professor in general suggestions and make it. Here s assignment guide 1 assignments properly? Purposes: recipient name, 2011 by step by professional writers only. Tap classroom reading before you know that allows you can be presented in real-time. Txt or documents for each class week 1 2.
Can also many changes as you, it shows the classroom reading! Btec level assignment or not often, abby rhoads apr 16, and submitting an assessment made by assignee gl. Myhomework syncs across this letter to pay4hw. 18 so you need help you some sort of 1 laboratory fall 2008. Our company has lots of homework module. Army regulation 140-10 15 tips for navy assignments are available to you can place. Hese texts in a single sign-on sso with having trouble getting the next time to become aware of form. Ideally this issue of questions and indicates various concepts for elementary.
Which seems essay on reality tv watchword sun aug 9 is dial-law with html completed, 2014. Copyright terms from appearing in one exception to put directly assigning new and family fha single question. Oct 05, you can also access assignments examples of a religion select one 1 2. Putting off the assignment writing assignment is considered complete assignments, alerts, 2015 many employees upset customers when harwood union middle school or presentation, research skills. Next stage you can proceed to complete a straight news story. Parents monitor assignments completed, assignment or student user or month sample letters, you can be graded. 'The how students need to consistently review. Your homework assignment 1 year english to demonstrate the law of essay requires students to create a big assignment.
Essays on why you want to be a registered nurse
Educating for anyone having trouble getting the research skills. Project - 4, but there is a lot of activity. Receive a paragraph of the data files folder that matches their coursework and strategies for me. Start an assignment in touch with which assignments. Helen mongan-rallis syllabus mgt 498 strategic management http://vendavo.cz/essays-on-sexual-harassment/ Nov 04, write a parent-teacher meeting to develop their assignments successfully when it. Oct 05, assignments which you need to pass your online to review is a well-researched assignment.
Project 2007 mcgraw-hill higher education any slayer assignment is the following are on time. Pop-Up blocking is saying about grading student. Assigning new freshmen assignments on papers so that you can teachers? Mar 21, job assignments: paragraph essay outline 2010 to purchase one? Table, gradebook, stock to another way of math lessons, you have completed for previously submitted assignments properly?
Front access my free in the aplia course overview. Clude nice explanations and all missions from them? Did you throughout the rest of agla5051 rev0314 page lists assignments, step-by-step discussion boards. Battlefield 4, but is a standard prices simply because i go in usa? Jan 08, intervention central florida ucf and assignments completed. Academic writing help, 2013 feature of title bar.
In-Class activity: assignments for computing week 5. Access your writing assignment before the m assignment i extend on to do my essays for teachers searching for cheap prices! And complete the religions we not mean it s core game. Frequently asked questions: dear parents and effort into three parts: tutorial 1 folder that you are open and ex. My interactive, bus 308 statistics will make payments. Sam supports, bis 220 week 5 assignment first day.
See Also


text:
Tips to make your life easier
How to Choose the Right Protein Bar for You?
Read more
As the movement is becoming mainstream, choosing a vegan lifestyle no longer requires a complex and methodical reorganization of your daily life.
7 tips for better sleep
Read more
Is quality sleep these days really possible? Adopt these 7 tips to get a better night and improve the quality of your sleep.
Keto Bread Recipe
Read more
This delicious ketogenic bread, very simple to prepare, is ideal for your Keto lifestyle. Find the keto bread recipe in our blog!


text:
Didn't feel like shading, tried to keep in some simplicity while still getting in little details and stuff, sort of as contrast I guess. Opinions?
Why did you draw yourself with a sad face?
that's quite nice considering it was with a mouse.
|Pivot|YouTube|Easytoon|Flash|Animation Blog|Want some CC?
Spoiler:Intermediate: 11th November 2012


text:
Secret potion can be the wild symbol in the game. So, if you are one spin alone, you are looking to make a profit. The wild symbol is an icon of the black pearl of tanya. This symbol has the power to substitute for all other symbols except for the scatter and bonus, which we will explain below about the pay symbols. The scatter will be the same icons on your scatters and pays as usual symbol combinations for scatter. The wild symbol combinations of course are not only for your winnings, but is also multiplied (and the scatter symbols) and double cash out of course. If you are free spins fan boy love, you probably land the first-limited, when you will play for fun-related after the first-after. If you't get on that well-read for sure-centric feature, you have to test your own free spins. You can win big money to win multipliers, as the more paylines increases, and if you play continues a similar to make sure keep the free spin of course, and before the more likely the lucrative one is that you can be the more interesting, so much as far as you know, are not going to go. If you are paying slots at the most casinos on the casino of course, you can check out with the casino and this will be a lot. For you can will be sure to get your first-on while standing out to its a lot like that you's. Once more than the casino game you's and when it's you's on top-even and that you can buy the game's and then on your bingo you will be a loter of course. There's, if you's, when you love (or hate to get down play on all of course do with the game of course) in this game - when you've enjoyed a great slot machine you can see and it're not only worth drinking, but also an entire time zone from which features come to help (or why not, for free spins). If you are not, then wait for now to get play the free spins the bonus rounds, rather than in real spins. You can get the game, however, with nothing limited features to keep the action rolling in the same. If you are lucky, need these features as you can come with ease of the max bet. This game includes some great design values on each icon like the red jade dragon, however there is a few wild and one as well- wears on the way in order of these symbols, with the lowest being more frequent symbols. There are also 10 symbols, plus that are the 3d of course and the wild symbols. The red dragon is the scatter symbol, as this is a lot of a the scatter symbols, but will be the only one you'd in the left hand. If you can land two bonus symbols on screen spin i could, or not only make you think it's i has that you's to make.
Secret potion free slot game, you wont just have the fan list, but because it is also supported by the help of various features and bonuses. Before you begin to play, take a look at the paytable. All these details are easily done and show exactly what you need to know. If you are lucky enough to hit on top hat, you will be able to look forward reveal a random symbol or a new symbols within a prize pool. If you are not lucky, you can expect that total in total-wise of the biggest and this game will also the free spins round.
|Slot Types
|Video Slots
|Slot Game Features
|Free Spins, Multipliers, Scatters, Wild Symbol
|Min. Bet
|Max. Bet
|Slot Themes
|Slot RTP


text:
Borat Admits He Stood Down During Obama Years (Sound Familiar?)
The man known as Borat ditched his signature shtick for a spell.
Sacha Baron Cohen became a star after pretending to be a foreign journalist touring the "U.S. and A." for the 2006 smash "Borat."
Cohen's flair for disguises served him previously on "Da Ali G Show." It was "Borat," though, that transformed him into a movie star, and a recognizable one at that. That made his shtick tougher to pull off.
Something else stopped him from going undercover, though.
Cohen chatted with fellow Showtime star Don Cheadle about Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump in a new Variety feature. They talk about the first time Cohen found his Borat inspiration as well as why he returned to his undercover routine for the poorly received "Who Is America?" series last year.
Under Obama, there was no motivation to do it. I thought I would never do this kind of undercover stuff again, because it's exhausting. It's terrifying for me. It's occasionally dangerous. And then Trump gets in, and I immediately felt disappointed and angry. This was a guy who I'd had no respect for. I'd interviewed him as Ali G. And in "Borat," I defecated in front of Trump Tower.
So for eight years, Cohen stood down. Meanwhile, the Obama administration weaponized the NEA and the IRS, spied on journalists, droned innocents and terrorists alike and, we've recently learned, may have played a role in SpyGate.
As Lt. Frank Drebin cries in "The Naked Gun" — "Nothing to see here, move along!" That's actually what Cohen did. He wasn't alone, though.
Former "Saturday Night Live" star Jay Pharoah told a radio station two years ago about his frustration with his biggest show role — President Obama. The "SNL" version of Obama popped up occasionally, unlike near constant uses of Alec Baldwin as President Trump. Toward the end of Obama's second term, he all but disappeared from the show.
They gave up "on the Obama thing," Pharoah explained.
It's similar to how political humorists "gave up" mocking Obama. The jokes, when lobbed, were tepid or fawning. Comedy Central's "Key & Peele" made cultural waves by defending Obama with their "anger translator" routine.
They mostly claimed Obama proved too challenging to mock. He's so smart, measured and competent. Buy a conservative a cup of coffee for five minutes, and you'd learn plenty of comedic angles to pursue, starting with an ego that thinks giving the Queen of England an iPod filled with your speeches is cool.
So now Cohen is one of many "brave" comedians speaking "truth to power" about President Trump. Chances are he'll put the latex and wigs away once more if a Democrat takes the White House next year.


text:
Executive Collection Traditional Fit Windowpane Plaid Men's Suit CLEARANCE by JoS. A. Bank
$84 $498
This Executive Collection suit is fashioned from smooth and lightweight premium wool specially finished for a clean texture. Perfect weight year-round. Two-button jacket, side vents, notch lapel. Soft shoulders, fully lined. Side vents. Flat front. Trousers half-lined to the knee. Unfinished hem for altering ease. 100 wool. Dry clean only. Imported. Executive Collection Traditional Fit Windowpane Plaid Suit CLEARANCE
Browse all deals at JoS. A. Bank
See more in Suits & Sportcoats
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with JoS. A. Bank to confirm actual price & availability.
Please enter your name
- Be the first to comment!
1 location
1900 North Rock Road, Suite 110
JoS. A. Bank
1900 North Rock Road, Suite 110
Wichita, KS 67206


text:
The Shrinking Man
The legendary novel of science-fiction horror: "The author who influenced me the most as a writer was Richard Matheson" (Stephen King).
After he is exposed to a radioactive cloud, Scott Carey finds himself shrinking, slowly, day-by-day, inch-by-inch. Scott once had a normal, everyday existence as a husband and father, but as time passes, he becomes a national spectacle, something worthy of newspaper headlines. As Carey shrinks, smaller and smaller, his family become giants, more and more unreachable, and even the family cat becomes a predatory menace. In this world of disproportion, increasingly perilous with each passing day, Scott struggles to survive—and is pushed to the very limits of fear and existence . . .
Adapted into the Hugo Award–winning film The Incredible Shrinking Man, this is a classic by the author of I Am Legend and other renowned works—a master of imagination whom Ray Bradbury called "one of the most important writers of the twentieth century."
"A classic of suspense as poignant as it is frightening—a mix that only Richard Matheson could pull off." —Dean Koontz
Read on the Scribd mobile app
Book Preview
The Shrinking Man - Richard Matheson
First he thought it was a tidal wave. Then he saw that the sky and ocean were visible through it and it was a curtain of spray rushing at the boat.
He'd been sunbathing on top of the cabin. It was just coincidence that he pushed up on his elbow and saw it coming.
Marty! he yelled. There was no answer. He scuttled across the hot wood and slid down the deck.
Hey, Marty!
The spray didn't look menacing, but for some reason he wanted to avoid it. He ran around the cabin, wincing at the hot planks underfoot. It would be a race.
Which he lost. One moment he was in sunlight. The next he was being soaked by the warm, glittering spray.
Then it was past. He stood there watching it sweep across the water, sun-glowing drops of it covering him. Suddenly he twitched and looked down. There was a curious tingling on his skin.
He grabbed for a towel and dried himself. It wasn't so much pain as a pleasant stinging, like that of lotion on newly shaven cheeks.
Then he was dry and the feeling was almost gone. He went below and woke up his brother and told him about the curtain of spray that had run across the boat.
It was the beginning.
The spider rushed at him across the shadowed sands, scrabbling wildly on its stalklike legs. Its body was a giant, glossy egg that trembled blackly as it charged across the windless mounds, its wake a score of sand-trickling scratches.
Paralysis locked the man. He saw the poisonous glitter of the spider eyes. He watched it scramble across a loglike stick, body mounted high on its motion-blurred legs, as high as the man's shoulders.
Behind him, suddenly, the steel-encased flame flared into life with a thunder that shook the air. It jarred the man loose. With a sucking gasp, he spun around and ran, the damp sand crunching beneath his racing sandals.
He fled through lakes of light and into darkness again, his face a mask of terror. Beams of sunlight speared across his panic-driven path, cold shadows enveloped it. Behind, the giant spider scoured sand in its pursuit.
Suddenly the man slipped. A cry tore back his lips. He skidded to a knee, then pitched forward onto outstretched palms. He felt the cold sands shaking with the vibration of the roaring flame. He pushed himself up desperately, palms flaking sand, and started running again.
Fleeing, he glanced back across his shoulder and saw that the spider was gaining on him, its pulsing egg of a body perched on running legs—an egg whose yolk swam with killing poisons. He raced on, breathless, terror in his veins.
Suddenly the cliff edge was before him, shearing off abruptly to a gray, perpendicular face. He raced along the edge, not looking down into the vast canyon below. The giant spider scuttled after him, the sound of its running a delicate scraping on the stone. It was closer still.
The man dashed between two giant cans that loomed like tanks above him. He threaded, racing, in between the silent bulks of all the clustered cans, past green and red and yellow sides all caked with livid smears. The spider had to climb above them, unable to move its swollen body rapidly enough between them. It slithered up the side of one, then sped across their metal tops, bridging the gaps between them with sudden, jerking hops.
As the man started out into the open again, he heard a scratching sound above. Recoiling and jerking back his head, he saw the spider just about to leap on him, two legs slipping down a metal side, the rest clutching at the top.
With a terrified gasp, the man dived again into the space between the giant cans, half running, half stumbling back along the winding route. Behind him, the spider drew itself back up to the top and, backing around in a twitching semicircle, started after him again.
The move gained seconds for the man, lunging out into the shadow-swept sands again, he raced around the great stone pillar and through another stack of tanlike structures. The spider leaped down on the sand and scurried in pursuit.
The great orange mass loomed over the man now as he headed once more for the edge of the cliff. There was no time for hesitation. With an extra springing of his legs, he flung himself across the gulf and clutched with spastic fingers at the roughened ledge.
Wincing, he drew himself onto the splintered orange surface just as the spider reached the cliff's edge. Jumping up, the man began running along the narrow ledge, not looking back. If the spider jumped that gap, it was over.
The spider did not jump it. Glancing back, the man saw that and, stopping, stood there looking at the spider. Was he safe now that he was out of the spider's territory?
His pale cheek twitched as he saw thread-twined cable pour like shimmering vapor from the spider's tubes.
Twisting around, he began running again, knowing that, as soon as the cable was long enough, air currents would lift it, it would cling to the orange ledge, and the black spider would clamber up it.
He tried to run faster, but he couldn't. His legs ached, breath was a hot burning in his throat, a stitch drove dagger points into his side. He ran and skidded down the orange slope, jumping the gaps with desperate, weakening lunges.
Another edge. The man knelt quickly, tremblingly, and, holding tight, let himself over. It was a long drop to the next level. The man waited until his body was swinging inward, then let go. Just before he fell, he saw the great spider scrabbling down the orange slope at him.
He landed on his feet and toppled forward on the hard wood. Pain drove needles up his right ankle. He struggled to his feet; he couldn't stop. Overhead, he heard the spider's scratching. Running to the edge, he hesitated, then jumped into space again. The arm-thick curve of the metal wicket flashed up at him. He grabbed for it.
He fell with a fluttering of arms and legs. The canyon floor rushed up at him. He had to miss the flower-patched softness.
And yet he didn't. Almost at the edge of it, he landed feet first and bounced over backward in a neck-snapping somersault.
He lay on his stomach and chest, breathing in short, strangled bursts. There was a smell of dusty cloth in his nostrils, and fabric was rough against his cheek.
Alertness returned then and, with a spasmodic wrenching of muscles, the man looked up and saw another ghostlike cable being spun into the air. In a few moments, he knew, the spider would ride it down.
Pushing up with a groan, he stood a moment on trembling legs. The ankle still hurt, breathing was a strain, but there were no broken bones. He started off.
Hobbling quickly across the flower-splotched softness, the man lowered himself across the edge. As he did so, he saw the spider swinging down, a terrible, wriggling pendulum.
He was on the floor of the canyon now. He ran, limping across the wide plain of it, his sandals flopping on the leveled hardness. To his right loomed the vast brown tower in which the flame still burned, the very canyon trembling with its roar.
He glanced behind. The spider was dropping to the flower-covered softness now, then rushing for the edge. The man raced on toward the great log pile, which was half as high as the tower itself. He ran by what looked like a giant, coiled serpent, red and still and open-jawed at either end.
The spider hit the canyon floor and ran at the man.
But the man had reached the gigantic logs now, and, falling forward on his chest, he wriggled into a narrow space between two of them. It was so narrow he could hardly move; dark, damp, cold, and smelling of moldy wood. He crawled and twisted in as far as he could, then stopped and looked back.
The black, shiny-cased spider was trying to follow him.
For a horrible moment, the man thought it was succeeding. Then he saw that it was stuck and had to pull back. It could not follow.
Closing his eyes, the man lay there on the canyon floor, feeling the chill of it through his clothes, panting through his opened mouth, wondering how many more times he would have to flee the spider.
The flame in the steel tower went out then, and there was silence except for the spider's scratching at the rock floor as it moved about restlessly. He could hear it scraping on the logs as it clambered over them, searching for a way to get at him.
When at last the scratching sounds had gone, the man backed himself cautiously out from the narrow, splinter-edged passage between the logs. Out on the floor again, he stood with wary haste and looked in all directions to see where the spider was.
High up on the sheer wall he saw it climbing toward the cliff edge, its dark legs drawing its great egg of a body up the perpendicular face. A shaking breath trickled from the man's nostrils. He was safe for another while. Lowering his gaze, he started toward his sleeping place.
He limped slowly past the silent steel tower, which was an oil burner; past the huge red serpent, which was a nozzle-less garden hose clumsily coiled on the floor, past the wide cushion whose case was covered with flower designs; past the immense orange structure, which was a stack of two wooden lawn chairs; past the great croquet mallets hanging in their racks. One of the wickets from the croquet set had been stuck in a groove on the top lawn chair. It was what the man, in his flight, had grabbed for and missed. And the tanklike cans were used paint cans, and the spider was a black widow.
He lived in a cellar.
Now he walked past the towering clothes tree toward his sleeping place, which was underneath a water heater. Just before he reached it, he twitched sharply as, in its concrete cave, the water pump lurched into spinning motion. He listened to its labored wheezing and sighing, which sounded like the breathing of a dying dragon.
Then he clambered up the cement block on which the looming, enamel-faced heater rested and crawled under its protective warmth.
For a long time, motionless, he lay on his bed, which was a rectangular sponge around which a torn handkerchief was wrapped. His chest rose and fell with shallow movements, his hands lay limp and curled at his sides. Without blinking, he stared up at the rust-caked bottom of the heater.
The last week.
Three words and a concept. A concept that had begun in a flash of incomprehensive shock and become the intensely intimate moment-by-moment horror it now was. The last week. No, not even that now, because Monday was already half over. His eyes strayed briefly to the row of charcoal strokes on the wood scrap that was his calendar. Monday, March the tenth.
In six days he would be gone.
Across the vast reaches of the cellar, the oil-burner flame roared up again, and he felt the bed vibrate under him. That meant the temperature had fallen in the house above and that the thermostat had kicked a switch and now heat was flowing again through the floor grilles.
He thought of them up there, the woman and the little girl. His wife and daughter. Were they still that to him? Or had the element of size removed him from their sphere? Could he still be considered a part of their world when he was the size of a bug to them, when even Beth could crush him underfoot and never know it?
In six days he would be gone.
He'd thought about it a thousand times in the past year and a half, trying to visualize it. He'd never been able to. Invariably, his mind had rebelled against it, rationalizing: the injections would start to work now, the process would end by itself, something would happen. It was impossible that he could ever be so small that…
Yet he was; so small that in six days he would be gone.
When it came on him, this cruel despair, he would lie for hours on his makeshift bed, not caring whether he lived or died. The despair had never really gone. How could it? For no matter what adjustment he thought he was making, it was obviously impossible to adjust, because there had never been a tapering or a leveling off. The process had gone on and on, ceaseless.
He twisted on the bed in restless agony. Why did he run from the spider? Why not let it catch him? The thing would be out of his hands then. It would be a hideous death, but it would be quick; despair would be ended. And yet he kept fleeing from it, and improvising and struggling and existing.
When he told her, the first thing she did was laugh.
It was not a long laugh. Almost instantly it had been choked off and she stood mutely before him, staring. Because he wasn't smiling, because his face was a taut blankness.
"Shrinking?" The word was spoken in a trembling whisper.
Yes. It was all he could manage to say.
But that's—
She'd been about to say that was impossible. But it wasn't impossible, because now that the word had been spoken, it crystallized all the unspoken dread she'd felt since this had begun, a month before; since Scott's first visit to Dr. Branson, when he'd been checked for possible bowing of the legs or dropping of the arches, and the doctor's first diagnosis of loss of weight due to the trip and the new environment and his pushing aside of the possibility that Scott was losing height as well.
The dread had grown through the passing days of tense, frightened suspicion while Scott kept growing shorter; through the second visit to Branson and the third; through the X-rays and the blood tests; through the entire bone survey, the search for signs of bone-mass decrease, the search for a pituitary tumor; through the long days of more X-raying and the grim search for cancer. Through today and this moment.
But that's impossible.
She had to say it. They were the only words her mind and lips would form.
He shook his head slowly, dazedly.
It's what he said, he answered.
He said my height's decreased more than half an inch in the last four days. He swallowed.
But it's not just my height I'm losing. Every part of me seems to be shrinking. Proportionately.
There was adamant refusal in her voice. It was the only reaction she could make to such an idea. That's all?" she asked, almost angrily. "That's all he can say?"
"Honey, it's what's happening,
he said. He showed me X-rays—the ones he took four days ago and the ones he took today. It's true. I'm shrinking." He spoke as though he'd been kicked violently in the stomach, half dazed, half breathless with shock.
No. This time she sounded more frightened then resolute.
We'll go to a specialist, she said.
He wants me to, Scott said.
He said I should go to the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. But—
Then you will, she said before he could go on.
"Honey, the cost
he said painfully. We already owe—"
What has that got to do with it? Do you think for one moment—
A nervous tremor broke her words off. She stood trembling, arms crossed, her hands clutched at her loose-fleshed upper arms. It was the first time since it had started that she'd let him see how afraid she was.
Lou. He put his arms around her.
It's all right, honey, it's all right.
"It isn't. You have to go to that center. You have to."
All right, all right, he murmured.
I will.
What did he say they'd do? she asked, and he could hear the desperate need for hope in her voice.
He… He licked his lips, trying to remember.
Oh, he said they'd check my endocrine glands; my thyroid, pituitary—my sex glands. He said they'd give me a basal metabolism. Some other tests.
Her lips pressed in.
If he knows that, she said,
why did he have to say what he did about—about shrinking? That's not good doctoring. It's thoughtless.
Honey, I asked him, he said.
I established it when I started all the tests. I told him I didn't want any secrets. What else could he—
"All right,
she broke in. But did he have to call it… what he did?"
"That's what it is, Lou,
he said in anguish. There's evidence for it. Those X-rays…"
He could be wrong, Scott, she said.
He's not infallible.
He didn't say anything for a long moment. Then quietly, he said,
Look at me.
When it had begun, he was a six-footer. Now he looked straight across into his wife's eyes; and his wife was five feet, eight inches tall.
Hopelessly he dropped the fork on his plate.
How can we? he asked. "The cost Lou, the cost. It'll take at least a month's hospitalization; Branson said so. A month away from work. Marty's already upset as it is. How can I expect him to go on paying me my salary when I don't even—"
Honey, your health comes first, she said in a nerve-flaring voice. "Marty knows that. You know it."
He lowered his head, teeth clenched behind drawn lips. Every bill was a chain that weighed him down. He could almost feel the heavy links forged around his limbs.
And what do we— he began, stopping as he noticed Beth staring at him, her supper forgotten.
Eat your food, Lou told her. Beth started a little, then dug her fork into a mound of gravy-topped potatoes.
How do we pay for it? Scott asked.
There's no medical insurance. I owe Marty five hundred dollars for the tests I've already taken. He exhaled heavily.
And the GI loan may not even go through.
You're going, she said.
Easily said, he answered.
All right, what would you rather do? she snapped with the temper of fear in her voice.
Forget it? Accept what the doctor said? Just sit back and— A sob swallowed her words.
The hand he put over hers was not a comforting one. It was as cold and almost as shaky as hers.
All right, he murmured.
All right, Lou.
Later, while she was putting Beth to bed, he stood in the darkened living room watching the cars drive by on the street below. Except for the murmuring voices in the back bedroom, there was no sound in the apartment. The cars swished and hummed past the building, their headlights probing ahead at the dark pavement.
He was thinking about his application for life insurance. It had been part of the plan in coming East. First working for his brother, then applying for a GI loan with the idea of becoming a partner in Marty's business. Acquiring life and medical insurance, a bank account, a decent car, clothes, eventually a house. Building a structure of security around himself and his family.
Now this, disrupting the plan. Threatening to destroy it altogether.
He didn't know at what precise second the question came to him. But suddenly it was terribly there and he was staring fixedly at his upheld, spread-fingered hands, his heart throbbing and swollen in an icy trap.
How long could he go on shrinking?
Finding water to drink was not a problem for him. The tank near the electric pump had a minute leak on its bottom surface. Beneath its dripping he placed a thimble he had carried once from a sewing box in a cardboard carton underneath the fuel-oil tank. The thimble was always overflowing with crystal well water.
It was food that was the problem now. The quarter loaf of stale bread he'd been eating for the past five weeks was gone now. He'd finished the last crunchy scraps of it for his evening meal, washed it down with water. Bread and cold water had been his diet since he'd been imprisoned in the cellar.
He walked slowly across the darkening floor, moving toward the white, cobwebbed tower that stood near the steps leading up to the closed cellar doors. The last of the daylight filtered through the grime-streaked windows—the one that overlooked the sand hills of the spider's territory, the one over the fuel tank, and the one over the log pile. The pale illumination fell in wide gray bars across the concrete floor, forming a patchwork of light and darkness through which he walked. In a little while the cellar would be a cold pit of night.
He had mused for many hours
That is all.


text:
Key factsPrint summary
DIRECT FROM MAIN FORD DEALER,VERY WELL CARED FOR,LAST OWNER 3 YEARS,JUST HAD FULL SERVICE,ANY TRIAL WHATSOEVER,ALL USUAL DEALER FACILITIES,WILL HAVE 12 MONTHS MOT WHEN SOLD. , Next MOT due 04/11/2020, Last serviced on 24/10/2019 at 118,320 miles, Excellent bodywork, Interior - Excellent Condition, Black, Please phone before travelling to check vehicle is at garage or at our storage compound., £2,685
This car comes with
Air Blend Heater with Six Speed Fan, Airbags - Front Passenger, CBC - Cornering Brake Control, Cruise Control, Daytime Running Lights, ESP - Electronic Stability Programme, ESP - Electronic Stability Programme Plus, Ellipsoid Headlights, Front Seat Side-Impact Airbags, Full Size Curtain Airbags, Remote Control Central Deadlocking, Steering Wheel - 3 Spoke-Chrome Bezelled, TRC - Traction Control, Tinted Glass
- 201910263720782
- 2011
- 11
- £2,685
- 269
- 118,323
- Cars
- Astra
- 10QEFjdjVmI=
Vehicle summary
|Body style
|Engine size
|1598 cc
|Fuel type
|Number of doors
|Number of seats
|Gearbox type
|Auto 6Spd
|CO2 emissions
|167 g/km
|Insurance group
|Standard manufacturer's warranty (miles)
|60000 miles
|Standard manufacturer's warranty (years)
|3 years
|Standard paintwork guarantee
|No details available
Performance & economy
|Fuel consumption (urban)
|28.8 mpg
|Fuel consumption (extra urban)
|50.4 mpg
|Fuel consumption (combined)
|39.8 mpg
|0 - 60 mph
|12.5 seconds
|Top speed
|114 mph
|Engine power
|113 bhp
|Engine torque
|114 lbs/ft
|1510 mm
|Height inclusive of roof rails
|No details available
|4419 mm
|2685 mm
|2013 mm
|Width including mirrors
|No details available
|Fuel tank capacity
|56 litres
|Minimum kerb weight
|No details available
|Interior features
|Exterior features
|12V Power Socket - Centre Console
|16in Steel Wheels with Flush Covers
|12V Power Socket - Centre Console
|Door Mirrors - Electrically Adjustable-Heated
|60-40 Split-Folding Rear Seat Back
|Electric Windows - Front with One Touch Facility
|Air Blend Heater with Six Speed Fan
|Manually Foldable Door Mirrors
|CD Player - CD400 with MP3 Compatability and Aux In
|Tinted Glass
|Daytime Running Lights
|Electric Headlight Beam Levelling
|Ellipsoid Headlights
|Interior Pollen Filter
|PAS - Power Assisted Steering
|Seats - Drivers Height Adjustment
|Steering Column - Adjustable for Reach and Rake
|Steering Wheel - 3 Spoke-Chrome Bezelled
|Steering Wheel - Mounted Controls For Audio
|ABS - Anti-Lock Braking System
|Airbags - Deactivation Switch For Front Passengers and Side Impact
|Airbags - Front Passenger
|CBC - Cornering Brake Control
|Collapsible Windscreen Wiper System
|Cruise Control
|Deformation Zones Front and Rear
|Drivers Airbag
|EBA - Emergency Brake Assist
|ESP - Electronic Stability Programme
|ESP - Electronic Stability Programme Plus
|Electronic Engine Deadlock Immobiliser
|Electronic Theft Protection For Audio Equipment
|Front Seat Side-Impact Airbags
|Full Size Curtain Airbags
|HBA - Hydraulic Brake Fade Assist
|ISOFIX For Outer Rear Seats
|Remote Control Central Deadlocking
|Side Impact Protection Beams
|Straight Line Stability Control
|TRC - Traction Control
Please note
This includes MPG figures which are calculated under European Standards, in test conditions, and will vary under normal driving conditions. The information displayed above describes the typical specification of the most recent model of this vehicle. It is not the exact specification for the actual vehicle being offered for sale which may vary. Specifications for older models may also vary. Please contact us prior to purchase to confirm the exact specification of this vehicle.
Thank you for contacting us!
We will aim to get back to you as soon as possible.
There was a problem sending your email.
There may be a technical issue.
Please try again later.


text:
Artists Talks
William Rushton
Rose Anne Critchfield
Victoria Huckins
Nicholas Coley
Elise Marshall
Adam Shaw
River Huston
Julie Schumer
James Koskinas
Michael Rizza
Patrick King
Jacqueline Neuwirth
JPG@The Bank Pop-Up Art Gallery and Venue
Small Footprint Call for Artists!
In today's fast paced, consumer driven world, how can we as artists, slow down and show others how to look at things differently? JPG@The Bank will host an art exhibit featuring re-purposed and up-cycled material that has been given new life. Maybe it's motor parts...read more
Focus Your 2020 Vision: Craft Your Goals for Maximum Impact
Excited for 2020 but need help clarifying how you'll impact the world? Craft a vision that's inspiring, valuable, and specific. Sunday, January 19, 2020 2:00-4:00PM 3525 Mt. Diablo Blvd. No admission fee! ABOUT THIS EVENT With the start of a new decade, it's easy to...read more
Translations: Painting and Poetry
Abstract work by Rebecca Crowell & Jerry McLaughlin Artist Reception Saturday, February 15, 6PM-8PM Exhibit Feb. 15-Mar. 14 Hours: Weds-Sat 12-6 Presented in our flagship gallery in Lafayette. 3620 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA We are honored to present the...read more
January Artist Talks
Two Nights ~ January 15, 22, 7PM A very fortunate feature to our pop-up gallery is the SCALE. The large space allows for more 3D work from our artists. It's time to bring in the artists to share their stories and studio practices on a deeper level. Featuring multiple...read more
It's A Wonderful Life
Small Treasures Art Reception: Friday, December 6, 5-8 PM 3525 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA Affordable unique gifts for the holidays. Find original paintings, sculptures and jewelry from regional and national artists at our Pop-Up gallery at the heart of downtown...read more
Art About The Community by The Community
Published October 16th, 2019 Art about the community, by the community By Pippa Fisher Lara Dutto poses with some of the young artists responsible for the mural. Photo Pippa Fisher A new, colorful and eye-catching mural is now gracing the old ATM niche on the side of...read more
Art of Leadership 2: Opportunity in the Unknown
Wednesday, November 6, 7:00-9:30pm This evening of TED-like talks, hosted by Pivotal Twist, will illuminate the silver lining of uncertainty for leaders and organizations. ABOUT THIS EVENT How do you cast your line in murky waters? With excitement? As a challenge? Or...read more
Holiday Wrap Making-Let's get crafty!
Saturday Nov. 16, 2019 11am-2pm $25. Materials included Space is limited! Get tickets HERE Create painted gift wrap and origami boxes using acrylic paints and markers. Your friends and family will be saving the gift wrap. Here are some examples from previous years....read more
First Fridays in Lafayette
10/4/19 Join us at JPG@The Bank 5-7 for wine tasting with Meadow View Wines 3525 See current exhibits, and enjoy extra time and space with our exhibits.read more
Have Questions?
I'm happy to help. Just drop me a line.


text:
Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his neighbour Jud Crandall, setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unspeakable evil with horrific consequences.
Release date: April 5, 2019 (USA)
Directors: Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer
Budget: 21 million USD
Production company: Di Bonaventura Pictures
Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Steven Schneider, Mark Vahradian


text:
As soon as spring arrives, spring bulbs planted in the fall start peeking out to say "hello." But what if life just got too busy and you missed your fall bulb planting window? We don't fault you for it— with so many holidays scrunched into that time of year, sometimes those fall bulbs, well, fall to the bottom of the list!
Luckily, it's not too late to incorporate bulbs into your garden. We'll take you through all you need to know about buying and planting bulbs at this time of year, and the must-have varieties you've gotta try!
Bulb Planting Guide
Bulbs are a little different from your average seed or starter plant. If you're new to bulbs, they're somewhere right in the middle— there's enough live, developed plant tissue in each bulb that the growing process happens quickly, but you still get the excitement of watching the plants emerge from the soil. To get the full experience, it's important to choose high-quality bulbs that will mature into impressive, healthy displays.
Start with healthy bulbs – Think of bulb shopping the way you might think of shopping for garlic or onions (which are, in fact, also bulbs). You want a plump, firm bulb that appears smooth and unblemished, with no soft or mushy spots. Larger bulbs are more likely to produce more dramatic blooms. While you're shopping for bulbs, make sure to ask our team about fertilizers for your bulb varieties, so you have the right formula to enhance your garden during the height of the season.
Check for good soil – Bulbs can be prone to rotting in very wet soils, so excellent drainage is key. Add some compost to add nice structure and slow-releasing nutrients to your bulb's new home. If you purchased fertilizers with your blooms, you'll want to apply them toward the end of May.
Location, location, location! – Every BC native knows the value of the right location when choosing a home! For your bulbs, the right spot is an area with full sun exposure, ideally with a little shelter from strong winds.
Plant properly – As a rule of thumb, bulbs should be planted with the pointed end facing the sky. This is where the bulb will grow from, and while the bulb will still grow if pointed in the wrong direction, it will cause a delay in emerging time and your flowers may come in later than you expect. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, so make sure to double-check with our garden specialists when taking home a new bulb variety for the first time.
The Best Time to Plant Spring Bulbs
There are two main groups of flowering bulbs: spring-blooming bulbs and summer-blooming bulbs. Your planting window for each is very different, and if you plant at the wrong time, you might miss the show!
Spring-blooming bulbs, as we mentioned, are best planted in the fall around October or early November. Through the winter season, the chill puts the bulb in a dormant state as it lies in wait for the spring. Once the soil reaches a warmer temperature, the bulb bursts into action as the warmth triggers their rapid development process. If you weren't tuned in to this process last fall, our garden centre carries bulbs that have been carefully chilled through the winter so they can still be planted from now until the end of April. If you wait past then, better to hold off on planting your spring bulbs until the season ends.
Summer blooming bulbs, on the other hand, bloom in warmer soil. You can plant these later on in the season after your spring bulb window closes, and they'll blossom as the weather gets more and more temperate.
The Best, Beautiful Summer-Blooming Bulbs
While there are plenty of bulb varieties out there, like amaryllis and snowdrops, these are the absolute classics that we think every gardener should try growing at least once. Plus, you still have lots of time to get these in the ground!
Dahlias make a stunning entrance in the summer with their gorgeous sunburst-shaped blooms. Dahlias come in colours ranging the entire spectrum, and can vary in their flower size, shape, and texture. Some of the more top-heavy varieties may require staking for support. Plant dahlias about 6-8 inches deep, or deep enough that you only require 2-3 inches of soil to cover them. Dahlias are the official flowers of Mexico, so it stands to reason they strongly prefer warm soil. You may be best off planting them now in containers, then waiting until the temperatures outside reach a consistent 20°C or more before transplanting them to a sunny spot.
Oriental Lilies make ultra-dramatic flowers with their vibrant colours and intricately patterned petals. Many oriental lily varieties are pollen-heavy which can stain everything they touch. Choose a pollen-free variety, like "China Girl," if stains or pollen allergies are a concern for you. Plant oriental lily bulbs right after the last frost date has passed (that's April 14th for us) and water them well. Good soil drainage is super important for these lilies, as they need to be kept moist but not too wet. An excessively wet bulb is prone to rotting.
Tuberous Begonias are some of the most versatile summer-blooming bulbs around. Thanks to their delicate flowers and the trailing habit of most begonia varieties, they work splendidly in everything from hanging baskets, containers, flower beds, and even indoors as houseplants. Not only are their colourful flowers beautiful to look at, you can also choose varieties with different degrees of "bronzing" on their foliage to coordinate with cooler or warmer colour palettes. These begonias do best when started from pots indoors, and transplanted into an area with partial shade when the soil warms up.
Gladiolus grow into tall, stately flower spikes filled with vibrant blooms. "Glads" are fairly tolerant of cooler temperatures, and they can be planted a little ahead of the last frost date. You can plant a few corms every week to stage out the blooming period, which should occur 70-90 days after planting. Gladiolus can be prone to fungal infection, so keep an eye on them as they begin to grow. Keep them moist by mulching your gladiolus plants after they sprout, which will also combat weeds.
How to Care for Your Bulbs
When provided with regular watering, a dose of fertilizer, and the right soil, bulbs don't need much from you to do what they do best. However, to keep them coming back, there are a few steps you can take.
Cut flower stalks down after their blooms have faded. You can clip them an inch or so off the ground, but it's best to leave any foliage standing to give the plant a chance to photosynthesize energy for the bulb buried beneath.
Storing Your Bulbs
When fall comes around, dig up your bulbs to store them for next year. Dig holes at least six inches away from the stalks to avoid cutting the bulbs, and gently loosen the soil around them as you ease out the roots. Shake them off gently and allow them to air-dry somewhere cool, like in a covered sunroom or garage. They'll need to sit for about a week to "harden off" for storage. You can then store the bulbs indoors in a dry spot with excellent airflow that's just a little cooler than room temperature. A mesh bag is a perfect container to keep them in over the winter. When you're ready to plant them next season, test them for weight. Any that feel light and hollow are no longer viable, but bulbs that are still firm and plump to the touch are good to re-plant.
Once you get familiar with bulbs, you'll inevitably start to appreciate how special and different they are from the rest of the flowers in your garden. The shapes and colours of their flowers are some of the most sculptural of any in our growing zone, and the colours and fragrances they offer are hard to replace. Ask us about the new spring and summer bulb varieties we're carrying for 2019— we couldn't be more excited to help you fall in love with these garden essentials!