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You Never Know What Tomorrow Holds, So Be Prepared
By glblguy
James 1:12 – "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
Update: 10/9/2007 – This post is dedicated to "Rich". "Rich" passed away on September 26th. He was surrounded by his family when he took his last breath. He is dearly missed here at work, and my only wish is I had gotten to know him better.
This is article is longer than usual, but I strongly encourage you to spend the time to read it. I am hoping it will change your life, and change the way you look at your finances and the risks you need to address in your life.
Rich* walked into my cubicle at work one morning this past February. "Do you have a minute?" Rich and I had been working on a project together and I figured he needed to discuss something concerning the project with me. I couldn't have been further from the truth. We sat down in a meeting room, and Rich began "It would seem we have more in common than I thought, we both have lots of children, we both have a son with diabetes, we both enjoy football, and now we both have a brain tumor." Before you get alarmed, mine is a rare but non-cancerous tumor. It can be dangerous, even life threatening, but mine is controlled with medication and is under control. I wish I could say the same for Rich…
Rich proceeded to tell me that he had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at the base of his cerebral cortex (the area of the brain that connects your spinal cord to the brain). He was already experiencing symptoms: loss of vision, dizziness, and he said in order to reach for something, he had to intentionally reach about 4 inches to the left of the the object to grab it. I of course was shocked and completely at a loss for words. See, Rich had recently married. Him and his new wife had a child no more than a year ago. Yes, their little boy came a little late in their lives, but was a welcome blessing regardless. The previous day, Rich and his wife had met with their financial adviser, and where informed they had met and exceeded their retirement goals and that Rich could retire whenever he wanted. He is in his mid-fifties.
Within days, Rich was unable to work, and quickly began both chemotherapy and radiation to treat the tumor. All was expected to go well, and his family and doctors had high hopes that he would return to work soon. They had caught the tumor early, and the doctors were hopeful it could be treated and removed.
Fast forward to yesterday. We visited Rich in the hospital. He was admitted last week due to a stroke along his right side. Due to the tumor, he has completely lost function of his left side. He could barely talk due to the loss of muscle control with the tumor, and to be honest didn't look well at all. To me, he looked like a completely different man. It was so hard to see this vibrant, funny, very strong man laying in a bed almost unable to move. After seeing him, I don't think I will ever look at life the same way.
We of course are hopeful that he will overcome this. He is strong, stronger than I think I would be, but the cancer and associated treatments are really taking their toll on him. I am not sure he will ever be the same, even if the tumor is gone.
My friend Craig* had it all, a great family, a wonderful group of friends that him and his wife met with at least once a month. He had a great job that paid well above the the average salary. Life was good, and it seemed nothing could take that away…
The police showed up on Craig's doorstep one evening. One of Craig's "friends" had accused him of horrible crime against one of their children. This of course was so far from the truth it wasn't even all together fathomable. Regardless, Craig was charged and arrested anyway. Life changed dramatically for Craig. He was suspended from his job without pay, and was removed from his home by child protective services (CPS). To this day, almost one year later he is still not home. He was able to return to work, but pending the outcome of his case He was out of work for more than 3 months with no salary.
Now, before you jump to conclusions about Craig, we were there, we know the situation and know beyond a doubt that there is no way he could or would have done what he was accused of; however due to the nature of the alleged crime, and to the public visibility and view on such crimes, the DAs office and CPS have gone after him with a vengeance. It could not have happened to a nicer family.
Where am I going with all of this you ask? My point is, these are just too many situations like this that I have run into during my 37 years in this world. Terrible, unexpected things happen to people all the time. Not just "bad" people, but good people as well. Life throws the best and worst of us unexpected curve balls that can completely change our lives, our priorities, our views, and test our faith beyond all we thought possible.
Even myself and my family have had to deal with a major life crisis that has, to be very frank, "rocked our world". I once heard a pastor say "For a Christian, life on earth is our Hell." Having recently gone through our situation, and seeing the two situations above first hand, this message from a long time ago has taken on a new meaning.
Be Prepared
Regardless of who you are, how well off you think you may be, bad things can happen. They may happen while you are reading this article, on your way to work or church, or maybe even while you are throwing the football in the back yard with your children.
These are things none of us want to think about, but are things that happen to people just like you and I every single day. I doubt the people killed in the recent Mississippi river bridge collapse thought they wouldn't make it to their destination. I doubt the people in the twin towers on September 11th thought they wouldn't make it home that night, or make it the gym that afternoon.
These are all things we like to put in the back of our mind, even though we see the tragedy occur to others everyday. We like to think those things can never happen to us. Well, the reality is the people we are watching or hearing about thought this very same thing the minute before tragedy struck.
My Best Friends Father
When I was in high-school, my best friend's father was hit with a sudden and major heart attack while, ironically enough, conducting a funeral. He died before he hit the ground. He was healthy, well respected in the community and loved by both his family and myself. It was horrible, and completely unexpected.
What can you do?
Now that I have your attention, and hopefully have you in the mindset of realizing that you are no different than the thousands, maybe millions of other people in the world impacted by unexpected, uncontrollable life changing events, here's a few things you can do to to prepare for when tragedy strikes:
Get Life Insurance
If you have a spouse or children that are dependent on your income, you need life insurance. It's no more or no less complicated than that. What of your chances of dieing? Slim, but do you really want to risk your families future on statistics? I don't.
Get term life insurance. Depending on your situation, I would recommend 8 – 10 times your annual salary. Term life insurance is cheap, and should be considered a necessary expense just like the power and water bill. I have mine with State Farm and they have a neat calculator that will help you determine how much you really need.
Do not and I repeat Do not let your insurance agent sell you whole life insurance. Do not confuse life insurance and investing, they are not the same. If you want to invest, open a mutual fund. Let you insurance company handle the insurance and your brokerage company handle investing. Insurance agents make big commissions on whole life insurance, and trust me they will really turn on the sales pitch, show you numbers, use your emotions, etc, etc. Just say no.
If you have a family and you don't currently have life insurance, stop reading right now. Open up another window, do some quick research and get life insurance. Maybe even call your companies HR department, as companies often offer life insurance policies at group rates that are very cheap. That is what I have. I am insured at 12x my salary. 8x through my employer, and 4x through my State Farm agent.
Don't wait, you might need it sooner than you think.
Health Insurance
It amazes me the number of people that don't have health insurance. I know, here in America our heath insurance and associated costs are just plain crazy, but you need it. Just like you need water and food, you need health insurance. Sure, for those twice yearly doctor visits it may or may not be worth it, but if some really bad happens, like a brain tumor it will make all the difference in the world.
As I said with life insurance, if you don't have health insurance, stop reading now and go get it. If your company offers it, get it through them, it is much cheaper. If they don't, go get independent insurance. A number of health care providers offer independent insurance. If you are self employed, a number of associations or trade groups offer group plans you can take advantage of for a small yearly fee. This is a good option.
What if you can't afford it? Can you afford not to? Seriously, if you don't have health insurance, take a hard look at your expenses. Make a budget, reduce your expenses, and include health insurance as part of your overall budget.
Long Term and Short Term Disability Insurance
Depending on your financial situation, you may not require short term disability. What I mean is if you have a significant emergency fund, you might not require the guaranteed income from short term disability.
Long term disability in my opinion is required. Regardless of your profession you need long term disability insurance. Some professional office workers don't think they need it, I mean after all, who much damage can a paper cut or carpel tunnel syndrome due right?
What if you have get cancer, have a stroke, take a baseball to the head while playing ball with your kids and get permanently brain damaged (yes this happened to a church member of ours)?
Talking with Rich's wife yesterday, she said the long term disability insurance was a God send. It has made all the difference in the world in her ability to pay the medical bills and cover what the insurance hasn't covered.
A number of large employers offer long term disability at a fairly low cost. I would strongly advise you to consider it. Unfortunately with my tumor, I applied and was denied so I am looking at other options and will keep you posted on these as I learn more. If your employer doesn't offer it, do a little Google searching, and you will find a number of companies offer really good plans.
Wrapping Up
I know this post isn't in line with my typical up-beat and positive articles, but visiting with Rich in the hospital this week, I was snapped into reality about what can happen to you in the blink of an eye. While we can't control the things that will happen to us, nor can we always control the outcome, we can take steps to mitigate the risk and impact of these events. We can take steps to make things easier on our friends and loved ones when life throws us curve balls, or when the Lord calls us up.
Remember, we don't know when today may be our last day. We don't know what tomorrow will hold. Be prepared and be responsible to yourself and your loved ones.
Proverbs 22:3 – "A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences"
* Names have been changed to protect their true identities


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Having longevity in a business where the new young thing is an ongoing search is a daunting task. Actress Nia Long has done that and then some. Since stepping into the entertainment business some 27 years ago, Nia Long has played some of the most memorable characters in black film, most notably Nina Mosley in every black twentysomething's favorite romantic comedy "Love Jones."
Recently, I spoke to the gorgeous actress/director about her new role on the hit Showtime series "House of Lies" and how her character Tamara is the latest in a long line of strong female characters Long has embodied. During the funny and candid conversation, we got to talking about everything from the biggest lie she's ever told despite being a terrible liar to the correlation between Barack Obama's election to the resurgence of blacks being praised for playing slaves and maids in film.
TUD: What drew you to the role of Tamara on "House of Lies?"
NL: I am a huge fan of the show. I read the script for the show before it was actually on the air when they were getting ready to shoot the pilot. I just thought it was such a great show. The characters are complex and interesting. And let's just face it, Don Cheadle. That's the best way to answer that question. [laughs] I've always wanted to work with Don Cheadle. He's an amazing actor and he proved himself to be an amazing person just by being so helpful and gracious. His attitude, in the way he goes about everything, is uplift everyone that's there and make everybody great. That's refreshing because he's the star of the show and a producer. So he doesn't have to do that but the fact that he does says so much about his character.
Don is such a great actor. I've worked with a lot of really talented people and he is one of the best actors that I've ever worked with because he finds a way to take a scene that's good on paper and make it great by doing the total opposite of what you would expect an actor to do when you read the scenes. His choices are just always interesting and not what you expect. He's really funny and knows how to find the comedy even in the most dramatic moments. It's fun to watch. There were a couple of times where I would completely forget my lines because I was too busy watching him.
What is it like playing opposite him as his foe?
Our characters have a back story. They went to college and business school together. They sort of have a thing for each other, but I think Marty (Cheadle's character) was all over the place and Tamara was a bit more conservative and wanted a little bit more stability. So the attraction was always there. They challenged each other back then. Tamara is not as nice as she seems. She has an agenda. She is just as clever as the other complex characters on the show. Hopefully, everyone enjoys watching her because I've enjoyed getting to know her over the last few months.
Is there an opportunity for you to come the show as a series regular after your role is done this season?
I don't know. I signed on to do eight episodes which is most of the season. It wasn't extended into next season. But we'll see what happens. Maybe if enough people talk about the character the producers will bring me back.
What's the biggest lie you've ever told someone?
The biggest lie? I'm gonna have to think about that one. I pride myself on bring honest because I'm not a good liar. If you're gonna lie, you have to be good at it otherwise you get busted. I'm gonna have to think about that one.
Oh, I got one. I went away for a business meeting for a potential investment. When I got there I realized it was so wrong and so not what I wanted to do. I was originally supposed to stay for three days and I told them that my children were sick and had to rush home. They were like, "What!" You just got here!" I was like, "I'm so sorry, but my babies are sick and ice got to rush home. They've got high fevers and I've got to go." I hate to put my children in that, but boy oh boy, they can be the best excuse to get out of something.
Exactly. When you're a kid, you blame everything on your parents and when you're a parent, you blame everything on the kids. [laughs]
Absolutely! I blame everything on them. [laughs] I will tell you though, 95% of what I blame on them is actually real. I'm nonstop with these two. My big guy is twelve and my little guy is fourteen months so their needs are very different. So I'm constantly trying to balance between the two. I'm always making sure everyone has why they need and it's not easy, but at the end of the day, when I walk out the door, I can honestly focus on what I'm doing because I know that I've done what I'm supposed to do for my babies.
How do you balance working on television and film and motherhood?
There's a tremendous amount of organization and planning that goes into everyday. There's no way I could do all that I do without having a really organized life and schedule. In really good at organizing. I think it's the Virgo in me. I mean I am a Scorpio but I heard that one of my planets is in Virgo. So maybe that's the reason why. [laughs]
You've played some really memorable roles throughout your career like Nina in "Love Jones" and Jordan Armstrong in "The Best Man." Which one has been your favorite?
Well, I'm getting ready to play Jordan Armstrong again. I start shooting the sequel to "The Best Man" soon. The working title is "The Best Man Christmas" it might change though. We start that in April so I'm excited to relive Jordan. She's very feisty, very organized, and knows what she wants. She's all about business. But I think you're going to see her find her heart in the sequel. That's her big challenge.
My all-time favorite is "Love Jones." I have a special place in my heart for that film. It is visually beautiful and the story is amazing. You saw two black people finding love, being in love, and losing love in a way that was urban with an edge. But the story is so universal.
My favorite is Jordan Armstrong. She had the best lines in "The Best Man." When you smack Taye Diggs and do the whole, "I don't wanna hear about no goddamned peas!" That is the best line ever.
I think I made that up or maybe I didn't. Maybe that was a Malcolm Lee line. The greatest thing about being an actor is once you know the character you really get your wings and can fly. That's when you really start having fun and find those little moments and make the character pop off the page by adding little things you know the character would do. You get to deliver amazing lines that are written for you, but you also get the freedom to add your twist to it. Yeah, that's probably one of my favorite lines "I don't wanna hear about no goddamned peas!" I really don't wanna hear about no goddamned peas. [laughs]
A lot of the roles you've taken on have been really strong women. Is there a reason you've gravitated towards those roles instead of the roles of subservient females?
I just think playing a woman who's strong and dynamic is more interesting. It's not to say that I wouldn't play a woman who is subservient and maybe emotionally challenged in some way. But there has to be layers to any character. The layers are what make a project appealing to me. You don't want to play a one-not character. Having layers, having challenges, having emotional challenges are all things, I think, every actor dreams of when searching for that next character. Being one-note is boring. Even if she's feisty, you still want to find the reason behind those emotions and traits and then sprinkle some of that into the performance.
I remember you directed a few music videos. Will you be doing anymore directing?
I'm developing a project with a friend of mine named Ann Wolfe. She's a female boxer and it's her life story. That project is my baby and it's something that I'm working on diligently. It's my passion project so it may take a long time to happen but it will happen. I plan on directing that. So we're taking it say by day and developing the script and making sure we have a really solid story. So I'm excited about that.
I know you were very involved in the presidential election. With Obama being elected, did you find that the films that had black characters regressed a little bit? We got Obama in the White House and then we had "The Help" and "Django Unchained." Plus, there a few other slavery type films coming out.
I don't know if that has anything to do with him being the president. Genres come and go. If "The Help" comes out and there's huge attention and lots of money that's being made, then studios are going to jump in the bandwagon. But I liked "The Help." I think it was a story about a group of women. Octavia Spencer and other people who I know we're apart of that film. I happen to think it was really good. But I don't think that it was some sort of backhanded agenda to our us in our place because we have a black president. It's an interesting concept and theory but it doesn't resonate with me so much.
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Nia Long Still Don't Wanna Hear About No Godd*mned Peas! [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] was originally published on theurbandaily.com
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subset: commoncrawl


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So after a week off for traveling, I just finished Halo 3 on Legendary ... sort of. That is, I've literally played through every single mission and level in the game on the Legendary difficulty and beaten the game. (I finished the last two missions today.) There's just one problem: I didn't get the achievement because the game glitched on mission 7 a few weeks ago, and I didn't realize it hadn't recorded my completing that mission until I was part way through mission 8. (You can go into the UI and see which missions you're credited for completing on whatever skill level.) My assumption is that I can just play through mission 7 again, all the way, and get the achievement, so I'll do that now.
It better happen that way. :) Damn you Bungie.


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Celebrating 5 years, welcome to our new website.
Or loupes, as we call them. Glance at what its like working with us and get a sneak peak at upcoming product lines from our vaults.
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The shipping fee is charged based on the subtotal before taxes, discounts and non-refundable.
We offer free 30-day returns for all customers in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and Germany. Shipping fees are non-refundable. Please note that a return shipping fee of $20 is charged for returns shipped from the EU and $30 for all other countries. These return shipping fees are deducted from the refund amount. The return window starts from the day the shipment is delivered/picked up.To qualify for a return:
All below items are non-returnable:
Under our warranty, we've got your back. This means that for 2 years from the date of purchase, we'll take care of your product if any damage to the material or the workmanship of the jewelry occurs. Just contact us and we'll work together to find a resolution.We work with top manufacturers to create handcrafted, responsibly sourced pieces that are made to last. We're confident in the quality of our product hence the 2-year coverage. This also means that the warranty does not cover lost items, scratches that come with normal wear and tear (like a bent ring or broken chain), improper use or storage of your product, and any modification to your product done by a third party outside of Mejuri.Note: Items purchased through a third-party vendor (outside of Mejuri.com and/or Mejuri stores) will not be covered under Mejuri's warranty. Please reach out to the company the items were purchased from.


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Symantec's chief operating officer, Stephen Gillett, has an impressive resume that includes executive stints at Starbucks, CNET and Best Buy. He's also a level 70 paladin and priest with a particular focus on healing abilities.
If it isn't clear already, we're talking about the online video game World of Warcraft.
"I put my qualifications on my resume when I apply for jobs," Gillett said. "Here's my guild. Here's my ranking. Here's my biggest online achievement. Some people look at it and say, 'What the hell is this?' And others will be like, 'That's exactly what I'm looking for.'"
It paid off. It helped him land a job at Corbis, and eventually Starbucks. Starbucks (SBUX)CEO Howard Schultz hired Gillett to be the company's chief information officer when the company was in a rut in 2008.
Related story: Amazon unveils 3-D Fire Phone
Gillett said he includes his World of Warcraft achievements on his resume, because it's not just about role-playing games. It shows he exercises leadership in both the physical and virtual realms. Plus, he understands the current societal fascination with earning points and interactive entertainment.
As a guild master, his current duties and responsibilities include organizing dungeon raids and managing the group's virtual bank. And he has a knack for recruiting key talent. Think mages and warlocks.
Those skills transferred to his position as Starbucks' CIO, Gillett says. In that role, he was tasked with saving the company's suffering technology assets. Cash registers were outdated. Computers were scarce. Customer sales were down.
Gillett's answer: Take Starbucks executives on a field trip to the Irvine, Calif., headquarters of World of Warcraft maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI). The goal was to expose them to a business model that capitalizes on gaming.
Gillett got approval to start a new business unit, Digital Ventures. The cross between IT and marketing focused solely on improving Starbucks' interaction with customers' devices, like smartphones and laptops.
The result: The company "gamified" the Starbucks experience. Customers can now whip out their smartphones and use a rewards program to rack up points, level up and unlock special abilities -- err, deals. Sound familiar?
The coffee shop chain now considers its "My Starbucks Rewards" program, which boosted sales and customer loyalty, a success.
Related story: Bitcoin Bowl comes to college football
Gillett now plans to take that approach at cybersecurity and antivirus firm Symantec (SYMC). He thinks it will start internally -- using games and simulators in the hiring process -- and eventually make its way out to customers. Maybe users will gain points for reporting back software bugs and avoiding bad links.
"I think gamification and the way of thinking about it is applicable to any industry," Gillett said. "Right now we get really good information on malware -- what it does, how it acts. But we have no telemetry on the human part of it -- what people were doing, thinking and believing when they encountered that particular threat."


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Prabal Gurung celebrates the churning creative energy of NYC
NEW YORK (AP) — In celebration of the grit and eclectic glamour of his adopted New York City, Prabal Gurung staged his New York Fashion Week show Tuesday night at the famed Rainbow Room high above Midtown with his favorite street musician on a piano emblazoned with the message: "This Machine Kills Fascists."
But Gurung, a fashion darling who has dressed Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton and Oprah Winfrey, went distinctly non-political this go-around, choosing to honor the city's impossible dreamers and creative energy instead in a colorful, sensuous collection that included a strapless ice blue taffeta gown made of recycled plastic bottles. Last September, he draped models in beauty pageant style sashes that read: "Who Gets to be American?"
In the Rainbow Room, the Nepal native put out looks of black, white and jewel tones, along with lively surrealist floral prints by the painter Isabelle Menin as Washington Square Park pianist Colin Huggins played while models from around the globe in a range of sizes and ages walked a circular runway.
He showed evening gowns along with jacket and trouser sets, and elegant coats and jackets. There was one coat in mint and a jacket in white with fluttery ostrich feathers. Expressing the dichotomy of New York's boroughs and neighborhoods, from high society to bohemian, Gurung included a Fair Isle turtleneck, a tartan draped dress in ivory and black, and a leopard print coat with matching boots, all after Huggins opened the show with a rousing rendition of the Frank Sinatra standard "New York, New York."
"There's no place like New York," Gurung told The Associated Press backstage. "I left Nepal 20 years ago to come here because I wanted to live my American dream. I wanted to come to the Rainbow Room because it's such an iconic place. ... I wanted to remind all of us why we do what we do when the relevance of New New York Fashion Week and the city itself is being questioned. Let's not forgot what it stands for. It's a true melting pot of diversity."
Gurung lives near Washington Square Park and since his days at the Parsons School of Design has taken solace there, sketching and often listening to Huggins play the piano. He was thrilled when the classical pianist agreed to compose music for his show, matching the emotion of the collection at Gurung's direction.
"I used to miss home, and classical music always calms me down," Gurung said. "There are so many memories attached to Colin and his music in Washington Square Park."
As for the taffeta gown made of recycled bottles, he said he wanted to do his part in an industry counted among the world's greatest polluters.
"If you can just do the smallest bit we can collectively become such a force," he said.
Gurung also worked in a different shade of blue from the bottle dress with a crystal-encrusted neckline. It was a sky blue color he used in a voluminous skirt worn with a feather-adorned oxblood turtleneck, and for a riot of taffeta at the shoulders of a low cut top worn with black trousers and long black gloves.


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[This is a localized version of the article originally published at TheBlaze.com]
The oil painting depicts two bloody hands reaching out in a position reminiscent of Michaelagelo's Creation of Adam with a check in between. The check is made out to "Senator" and signed by the NRA's Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre. The amount of money is covered, but it is dated April 17 with the section stating the purpose of the funds as for "killing the gun control bill."
"I hope to motivate people not to be complacent and demand that they be represented," D'Antuono told TheBlaze in a phone interview Wednesday, referencing a February poll that indicated 90 percent of Americans would support universal background checks.
The painting's description on D'Antuono's website Art and Response states:
In the wake of Newtown, 45 senators disregarded the will of 90% of Americans who support universal background checks for gun buyers. They willingly put more innocent lives at risk just to ensure that their campaign contributions from the NRA keep coming. This is the most blatant and egregious example of special interests subverting our democracy with great sums of money.
D'Antuono said he started the painting well before the Senate voted against gun control legislation last week, which included universal background checks and a ban on so-called "high-capacity" magazines.
"I was hoping to influence the vote with it," D'Antuono said, explaining though that he didn't rush finishing it. "I had faith the bill would go through."
Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, which depicts God reaching out a finger to Adam's own outstretched hand, D'Antuono said is one of the most iconic symbols of humanity.
His allusion to it in his painting shows "is this where humanity has gone?"
D'Antuono's painting will be on display Silent No More — March on The Lobbyists event in Washington on Thursday, April 25. This event, according to Washington Peace Center, is being organized by a coalition of progressive organizations, gun violence advocates and others naming lobbyists for the gun industry.
"We will name them, shame them, and then march on to their K Street offices," the event said.


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Mammut Shasta GTX – Women's
An all-purpose hiker with a bargain pricetag.
Brand: Mammut
Model: Shasta GTX - Women's
Best Value
Talk about a stimulus package. This all-purpose boot gets hikers going for a fraction of the price of similarly featured models. Testers were impressed by the reliable waterproofing, which is often a weakness in budget boots. "In six months of hiking exclusively in these boots, during an incredibly wet spring and summer, it never failed," says one Vermont-based tester.
Credit a proprietary waterproof/breathable membrane and the well-designed tongue gussets, which keep water from entering below the cuff. The fabric-and-leather upper—with a slight drop in the back of the ankle cuff, around the Achilles—provides no-rub flex for easy striding. Underfoot, a cushy EVA midsole absorbs shock, and there's also plenty of protection and support—a gumstick-length nylon shank prevented bruising even on a traverse of New Hampshire's rocky Presidentials. Despite the soft upper, "it never felt too loose or floppy," said one tester after hiking 300 miles—on treks from the Adirondacks to the Canadian Rockies—with loads up to 30 pounds.
Quibbles: An Arizona tester reported that the upper's ample padding, combined with the waterproof membrane, made the boots warmer than a Gore-Tex-lined boot in hot weather. The padded tongue bunched initially, making it hard to cinch the laces until after a few days of break-in. Fits a range of feet, thanks to regular and wide sizes. $89; 2 lbs. 12 oz.; m's 7-14, w's 6-11


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One day after his suspension in the NFL's bounty probe was overturned, Jonathan Vilma moved forward with his defamation claims against Commissioner Roger Goodell, while Drew Brees and other teammates went on the offensive against Goodell and the league office.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - One day after his suspension in the NFL's bounty probe was overturned, Jonathan Vilma moved forward with his defamation claims against Commissioner Roger Goodell, while Drew Brees and other teammates went on the offensive against Goodell and the league office.
"What I would like to see is a level of accountability on the part of the NFL and Commissioner Goodell in regards to mishandling of this entire situation," Brees said after practice Wednesday. "We as players hold ourselves and are held to a very strict code of conduct both on and off the field. We have to be accountable to that, as it should be, and I feel like they should be held to the same standards.
"If someone would just come out in the league office and admit, 'You know what? We could have handled this situation better,' it would go such a long way with both players and fans. People would really come around to realize what this thing was all about because right now the league office and Commissioner Goodell have very little to no credibility with us as players."
Speaking later at a special league meeting in Dallas, Goodell, when apprised of Brees' comments, said he wouldn't apologize.
"To have a bounty program where you're targeting players for injury is completely unacceptable in the NFL, and it is clear that occurred for three years despite all of the denials," Goodell said.
Vilma was initially suspended an entire season while three other players - Saints defensive end Will Smith, Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita and free-agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, received various suspensions of shorter lengths.
Paul Tagliabue, the former commissioner appointed by Goodell to handle the final round of appeals, threw out the suspensions and ruled there would be no fines, either, for any of the players. However, he absolved only Fujita. Tagliabue still found that Vilma and Smith took part in a Saints program that rewarded injurious hits and that Hargrove was not entirely truthful when NFL investigators asked him about the pool, but he said the suspensions levied by Goodell were disproportionate to how players had historically been punished for similar behavior, and because there was no clear link to "tough talk" about taking opponents out of game and the actual play on the field.
In motions filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Vilma and the NFL Players Association filed motions dropping their claims against the league over the player-discipline phase of the bounty probe.
However, Vilma notified U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan he would continue to pursue defamation claims he filed against the commissioner back in May, and asked the judge to open the discovery process which includes the collection of evidence and deposing of witnesses.
Later in the day, Berrigan ruled against opening discovery at this time, likely because she has yet to rule on the NFL's motion to dismiss Vilma's claims.
Vilma made it clear that he still believes his reputation has been harmed by the way Goodell spoke publicly about allegations that Vilma was the ring-leader of a bounty program which rewarded hits that injured targeted opponents, and that he put up $10,000 bounties on Kurt Warner and Brett Favre in the 2009-10 playoffs.
"Well the most important part of me being able to play now and not having to worry about a lingering suspension, that part is over," Vilma said. "I'm excited about that. The next part is really, that's outside of football. That's talking about attacking a man's character, attacking a man's integrity.
Vilma said he could not be sure what kind of settlement he might be willing to accept, but sounded like he was more interested in seeing through a court case with evidence made public than taking a financial settlement and keeping quiet.
"This is my career. There are no do-overs in football. I don't get to stop, wait five years and start over and come back with a new attitude, or a new face, or anything like that," Vilma said. "This is my legacy. This is what I leave behind. If I were to stop now, the only thing people are going to remember is the bounty. They're not going to remember anything before that. They're not going to remember all the accolades. That's why it's very important."
Goodell said Tagliabue's report "made it quite clear that he holds the management and the coaches responsible. My personal view is I hold everyone responsible. We have to have a personal responsibility here. Player health and safety is an important issue in this league."
Saints head coach Sean Payton is serving a full-season suspension, while general manager Mickey Loomis served eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt six.
Smith, the Saints' defensive end, also was critical of Tagliabue's opinion, saying that while he was pleased his suspension was overturned, he did not understand why he wasn't completely exonerated. He said he thought the testimony of two key NFL witnesses in the probe, former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former defensive assistant Mike Cerullo, cleared him, though the NFL disagreed.
According to transcripts of closed hearings obtained by The Associated Press from a person with the role in the case, Williams and Cerullo both testified that Smith contributed money to a pay-for-performance pool that among other things rewarded hard legal hits, including those that knocked players out of games. However, when asked directly if Smith every put a bounty on anyone or even suggested that the Saints should try to injure any opposing player, both former coaches answered, "No."
"People actually think that we actually went out and did this, and we didn't do this," Smith said of the bounty program, adding that he had not decided whether to pursue any defamation claims of his own. "The only thing that was going on was a pay-for-performance that pretty much every other team in the league has and have had for years. That was it, I never participate in a bounty or put money down to injure another player or encourage other guys to injure other players."
Vilma said he was not bothered by the wording of Tagliabue's ruling, saying he fully expected the former commissioner, who works with a firm that represents the NFL, to be careful not to expose his client to liability.
Brees had a dimmer view.
"I hate to say this because it sounds so conspiracy theorist, but it seems like the last, at least, month or so, especially once Tagliabue stepped in, it's very staged, as in, 'OK, how do we get ourselves out of this mess, let the players off," Brees said. "Thank God we have a union that can represent the players and fight the process and represent our guys. Unfortunately, the coaches don't have that. The coaches are told the way it's going to be, and they have no way to fight back unfortunately, because I'd say certainly Mickey Loomis, Joe Vitt and Sean Payton didn't deserve what they got.


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Discuss: Reading Aloud
5 comments:
Hi there! You won my giveaway over on www.rebeccalately.blogspot.com. Could you please e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com?ReplyDelete
Thank you and congratulations!
I usually prefer to read to myself. But then I get awfully car sick just sitting still so I could never read aloud in the car (I really wish I could read in the car). In those instance, I would be happy to have someone read to me. One of Neal's and my favorite car ride things is to get a book on CD or podcast and listen and pause every few minutes to discuss. We find Radiolab particularly enjoyable and thought-provoking.ReplyDelete
Rebecca -- awesome (even if it is off-topic)! I have emailed you.ReplyDelete
llcall -- Jacob and I love audiobooks, too! As long as they have a decent narrator. Sadly our CD player in the car just fritzed out. :( That's why we braved potential carsickness. Thanks for the tip about Radiolab, I'll check it out.
I love to be the reader! When my husband reads I enjoy it too, but sometimes have a hard time staying attentive. I lose tack of what is going on. I also have very strong ideas about inflection, so sometimes when I'm not the one reading I'm distracted because I would have done it "differently" (better)! ;)ReplyDelete
Good luck on your trip & enjoy the book!
Bethany I love that! I find myself interpreting what other readers say with different (better) inflection, too.ReplyDelete
Our trip was great -- just a day trip (3.5 hours each way) down to St. Louis. Our temple is there. :)
And the book is good so far!


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The 12 most incredible games of the decade
The games we took sick days for over the last 10 years
It's not only the traditional time of year for us to compile our lists of favourite things, it is the time of the decade for definitive lists of favourite things.
Add this to the fact that geeks, tech-heads and gamers just love to compile definitive lists, and you will understand what a job it has been trying to identify a list of only 12 games that could genuinely be described as 'definitive' of that strange decade we are just leaving which we (always slightly uncomfortably) called the noughties.
The last ten years has seen gaming become the number one mainstream entertainment medium of choice for millions worldwide, with Sony's market dominance with the PlayStation 2 earlier in the decade gradually giving way to the new dominance of Nintendo's Wii, the latest rising (and glowing) star in the most recent round of what we all now call 'the console war'.
And throughout it all, the humble PC has retained its foothold as many true hardcore gamers' format of choice, particularly if you happen to be a fan of strategy-gaming or massively multiplayer online games such as Blizzard's mighty World of Warcraft.
On which note, we debated long and hard about WoW's worthiness for inclusion in the following list, on the back of its sales, its 11 million-plus regular subscribers, its overall scope and its developers sense of ambition for what is possible… but we eventually knocked it off the bottom of the list.
As we then did with about 50 other games that a number of our writers demanded should be on there. Which, if nothing else, is proof positive that the noughties were the decade when videogames really started to matter. And while we cannot wait to see what new gaming tech the Tenties (the Teenties?) serves up, let's pay our dues to the games
Strangely, there are no mobile games or handheld console games on our list, which is perhaps indicative of the fact that we are no longer teenagers (Zelda on the DS was utterly charming, but didn't make the final cut). And the fact that mobile gaming, by and large, has been rubbish - with only a few recent exceptions to that rule on the iPhone suggesting a brighter future is hopefully in store for gaming on the go.
There was no real system we employed in whittling down the list to the following12;, we might have made the choice of a particular game because of the media storm around it (GTA), its massive sales figures (Call of Duty), because it was responsible for shifting a console or popularising a new way of playing (Wii Sports) or simply because we smiled a lot when we remembered the fun it had given us (all of them).
12 - Call of Duty (2003, PC)
OK, sure, we can all debate whether or not the original CoD or the most recent outing in the franchise Modern Warfare 2 should have been included in this list, but for the sheer fact that this was the game that utterly redefined war-gaming in the last decade and kickstarted what is arguably the most important and lucrative series in gaming today, we plumped for the original.
SETTING THE TARGET: Infinity Ward's first Call of Duty game defines modern wargaming
Infinity Ward's masterpiece garnered high scores, with 10/10s and high 90 per cents across the board. The UK's leading PC mag, PC Gamer, summed it up at the time in its December 2003 review, noting:
"It's the 24-mission single-player experience that you'll remember for years. Call of Duty is a first-rate achievement. The sensory overload is amazing, and the interaction with intricately scripted action set-pieces is a big step forward in the art form."
11 - Timesplitters 2 (2002, PS2, GC, Xbox)
Free Radical developed Timesplitters 2 for UK publisher Eidos back in 2000, originally on the PlayStation 2, and it quickly became one of the original hardcore gamer's games of choice on Sony's new console at the time. It was fast, funny and really showed off the potential of where multiplayer gaming was to go later in the decade. And it had lots of monkeys and stuff in it.
WITH MONKEYS: Free Radical's Timesplitters 2 was proof positive that shooters worked well on console
Games Radar UK noted back at the turn of the 21st-century that Timesplitters 2 was, "an unconventional - hence invigorating - impetuous, inciting, and utterly, utterly playable first-person multiplaying affair."
10 - Wii Sports (2006, Wii)
While the hardcore wince at its mere mention, Wii Sports (bundled with the new Wii console at launch in late 2006) very quickly became the fastest selling game of all time, while being largely responsible for Nintendo's much-vaunted opening up of the gaming market to casual gamers, female gamers, elderly gamers and those that had not picked up a joypad in around twenty years. And while we might not play it so much throughout the year, we still pull it out every family Christmas. So there.
If you genuinely don't like it, then you genuinely don't like having fun.
PROPER FUN: Wii Sports has become a Christmas fixture for many gaming families
"When you're introducing people to something radically different from what they're used to, it's a good idea to start off slow and simple," noted GamesRadar at the time. "With that in mind, Wii Sports is the perfect pack-in for Nintendo's Wii console; not only are its simple minigames fun and ultra-accessible for casual gamers, but you couldn't ask for a better tutorial on using the motion-sensitive Wii remote.
9 - God of War (2005, PS2)
God of War came out in 2005, fairly late in the PS2's lifespan, at a time when many were more interested in what was due later that year from Microsoft with its new Xbox 360. As such, it was very nearly (and very criminally) overlooked. Thankfully, though, the quality shone through and it now stands as one of PlayStation gaming's greatest moments in the noughties. A mythological hack and slash romp of biblical proportions.
HACK 'N' SLASH: Sony's God of War was the moment the PlayStation 2 could seemingly do no wrong
"God of War is the finest action adventure we've seen for ages," enthused CVG at the time. "It's the spiritual successor to games like Golden Axe and films like Clash of the Titans. With a mix of thrilling combat, some gobsmacking locations and a storyline that doesn't get in the way of the action, you'll eat up God of War like pie."
8 - Gears of War (2006, Xbox 360, PC)
Gears of War was, for many, Xbox 360's first truly great game. Just as Halo was the Xbox's defining moment, Gears gave the hardcore what they wanted. In spades.
METAL JACKET: Gears of War - so good, they released it in a special tin can!
"Reptiles with guns. Chainsaw bayonets. Buckets of gore. Very little hope for humanity. No longer a covert operation, Epic's sci-fi shooter Gears of War has finally emerged, and it's pretty much everything we hoped it would be, as well as a few things we didn't expect," was Official Xbox 360 magazine's verdict on Microsoft and Epic's, er, epic.
7. Guitar Hero (2005, PS2)
Amazingly, many laughed at the concept of Guitar Hero back in 2004 prior to the game's release, claiming that it was an expensive folly and an attempt to cash in on the dance-mat craze in a gimmicky way. It proved to be neither. The slew of copycat titles and follow-ups over the last five years are testament to that, despite what some hardcore gamers might want you to think.
ROCKIN':Guitar Hero first hit the PS2 in 2005 - yet it seems to have been around for ever...
"This is exactly what video games are all about: putting us into the shoes of people with abilities we only wished we had," is how PSW magazine summed up the game back in 2005. "Guitar Hero offers the chance to become exactly that...With what is surely the best console peripheral ever designed coming as part of the package.
"It's the perfect workout for music lovers who wretch at the thought of warbling along to Girls Aloud in SingStar or skipping about on a dance mat to a Sugababes ditty. This is a sweaty, boozy, shouty alternative which is liable to make a hell of a mess of the living room. And the garden, too, if anyone gets carried away and starts hurling tellies through windows."
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Category: Fiction
Owner: Annie
Description: An exploration into fictional short stories and review writing using prompts from various memes. Posts are first drafts only and comments are greatly appreciated.
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8 sister states
And a step-fatherly Centre
Ever felt dumped on?
Changing tack
Uncle Sam won't give in
Royally subsidised
Autonomy for Delhi zoo
What's wrong with cheap energy?
What price subsidies?
Fortification plans
In Short
Brushing aside environmental costs
North gets soft options on subsidy cuts
Small increase in exports can boost income


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Interview: Kathryn Bigelow. By Peter Keough.
White-knuckle thrill rites: Bigelow puts the art into action. By Peter Keough.
The Hurt Locker | Directed by Kathryn Bigelow | Written by Mark Boal | with Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Guy Pearce | Summit Entertainment | 130 minutes
It begins with a bang — maybe the most beautiful explosion in film history, the detonation of an IED (improvised explosive device) in the streets of Baghdad in 2004 at the height of the insurgency. In extreme slow motion, the blast waves stroke the littered street, shivering rust off a derelict car. Had Sam Peckinpah been into explosions, he couldn't have done better. But this would have been just a flash in the pan if Bigelow had not already created the world in which it takes place.
That starts with the location — not Baghdad, but the slums and the desert outside Amman, Jordan, which Bigelow and cinematographer Barry Ackroyd have rendered in point-of-view shots that make you want to wipe the sweat and grit from your eyes. They capture the heat, the light, and the dust, the dun-colored streets strewn with rubble and trash that might conceal a booby trap, and the bullet-pocked buildings from which stare the unfriendly faces of persons who could easily be holding a detonator. Bigelow and Ackroyd transform this into her urban version of Monument Valley.
Patrolling the area are members of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) units. When a suspicious object is found, they clear a 300-meter perimeter. Then, if necessary, one of them marches in alone, clad in an armored suit that looks like something from 2001, to go mano a mano with what might be a stray wire or the fuse to a blockbusting IED.
This takes a lot of nerve, a steady hand, and a bit of madness, all qualities of Sergeant William James. Played in a career-making performance by Jeremy Renner, James, like his namesake, is pragmatic and philosophical and a fan of religious experiences — namely, the rush one gets from solving a lethal puzzle seconds before being obliterated. Renner makes his character seem utterly reassuring in his competence and totally unreliable in his recklessness. These qualities elicit an ambivalent response from the other members of his team, the stoic Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and the rookie Eldridge (Brian Geraghty). They can't decide whether to frag him or fall on their knees.
Mostly, though, Sanborn and Eldridge look forward to the end of their tour of duty. This countdown — which we see in periodic titles — mirrors the shorter ones James must beat in teasing out the secret of each bomb he encounters. As detailed in the script by Mark Boal, who served as an embedded journalist with one such unit, the defusing process unfolds with excruciating authenticity, and together with the bluntly fatalistic dialogue, these sequences pulse with an almost fetishistic fascination as well as with gut-wrenching suspense.
And what of the Iraqis? Is the war just a playground for thrill-seeking soldiers and filmmakers? James's sangfroid falters only when he gets emotionally involved and is drawn beyond the 300-meter perimeter to seek out the bad guys. But Bigelow is more than equal to the task, and with subtlety and detachment she, in a few harrowing and poetic scenes, evokes all the tragedy and absurdity of the war. The Hurt Locker is the first genuine work of art to emerge from the Iraq debacle.
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Reading by Liz Helgesen (Download file)
Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree. When a tree is cut down and reveals its naked death-wound to the sun, one can read its whole history in the luminous, inscribed disk of its trunk: in the rings of its years, its scars, all the struggle, all the suffering, all the sickness, all the happiness and prosperity stand truly written, the narrow years and the luxurious years, the attacks withstood, the storms endured. And every young farm boy knows that the hardest and noblest wood has the narrowest rings, that high on the mountains and in continuing danger the most indestructible, the strongest, the ideal trees grow.
Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.
A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail.
A tree says: My strength is trust. I know nothing about my fathers, I know nothing about the thousand children that every year spring out of me. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end, and I care for nothing else. I trust that God is in me. I trust that my labor is holy. Out of this trust I live.
When we are stricken and cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still! Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. Those are childish thoughts. Let God speak within you, and your thoughts will grow silent. You are anxious because your path leads away from mother and home. But every step and every day lead you back again to the mother. Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all.
A longing to wander tears my heart when I hear trees rustling in the wind at evening. If one listens to them silently for a long time, this longing reveals its kernel, its meaning. It is not so much a matter of escaping from one's suffering, though it may seem to be so. It is a longing for home, for a memory of the mother, for new metaphors for life. It leads home. Every path leads homeward, every step is birth, every step is death, every grave is mother.
So the tree rustles in the evening, when we stand uneasy before our own childish thoughts: Trees have long thoughts, long-breathing and restful, just as they have longer lives than ours. They are wiser than we are, as long as we do not listen to them. But when we have learned how to listen to trees, then the brevity and the quickness and the childlike hastiness of our thoughts achieve an incomparable joy. Whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree. He wants to be nothing except what he is. That is home. That is happiness.
by Hermann Hesse, Bäume. Betrachtungen und Gedichte (taken from this site)
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the author's notion that trees are wiser than we are as long as we do not listen to them? Can you share a personal story of a time when you felt the sacredness of a tree? What has helped you listen to trees?


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The Gaming Club offers HTML5 for Apple Users
8 Aug 2012 | Android , Apple , Smartphone | 0 comments
Gaming Club has long been known for its commitment to serving their customers. They have made the move into offering mobile casino services for their mobile customers. In order for this service to be functional, an interface has to be developed to permit mobile users to access the mobile site. In the past this was done by using Adobe Flash. However, this is no longer the case. Apple made the announcement in 2010 that they would no longer provide support for Adobe Flash. However, they did provide HTML5 as a suitable replacement.
While this announcement was rather unpopular with software developers, the Gaming Club stayed out of the mudslinging that ensued. They instead focused their efforts on keeping their Apple customers happy and connected with their mobile casino. Actually, the Gaming Club already had created a version of its mobile software using the now supported and preferred HTML5.
The majority of the Gaming Club's customers are Android users. Even though this move by Apple affected a minority of customers, the Gaming Club went ahead with plans and released the HTML5 version of the mobile casino for Apple users. With the new software, the mobile users could easily access both the iPad casino and the iPhone casino.
Some software developers scoffed at having to have a special version of their software for Apple users while offering Adobe Flash for their Android customers. The Gaming Club never blinked an eye at providing what their customers needed. In fact, customers were never affected with this smooth transition over to the new HTML5 powered casino.
Current Android users continue to access Adobe Flash through the downloading of Adobe Air at the Gaming Club site. Even though Apple customers account for 20% of the revenue of the mobile casino site, Gaming Club feels all customers are important and should be considered.


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Our team of experts will collaborate with you to determine the best stock, color, and size options for your product. We take into account factors such as product weight, durability, and environmental considerations to ensure that your packaging meets all of your requirements.
Don't let a limited budget hold you back from launching your product. Let PIP help you create custom packaging solutions that will set your product apart from the competition. Contact us today to discuss your business objectives and see how we can help you achieve success.
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Saturday, April 12, 2014
"Things are going great"
64 comments:
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 3:24 PM
Don't feel bad, we had a chance to hear about Jessas courtship for months, a little glory for Jill is nice too.I was just thinking that I love every member in that family equally,I don't have a favorite.Bless them all! I hope I'm still around for Josies wedding and us fans get to see that one on T.V. too , that would be awesome!!!!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 3:32 PM
Can't get enough of these four lovebirds!!! It is so refreshing to see how they love and respect each other. When God is in it, love is a beautiful thing!!!!!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 3:41 PM
When will the most recent episode be put on here? I only trust this website. ThanksReplyDelete
I don't think the video is working. It shows up on my phone, blank. It might be my phone but I don't think so. Would love to see the video!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 3:52 PM
So excited for Jill and Derek! Also, Ben and Jessa just need to get engaged so they can have a double wedding!ReplyDelete
- Hannah L.April 12, 2014 at 3:55 PM
Jessa and Ben look soooo in love in that video. It's sweet to see. Hope they get engaged soon!ReplyDelete
Hannah L.
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 4:01 PM
Do you know if the new episodes are on youtube or if the will be there?
Can't get to see their comments. Would like to.ReplyDelete
awe... many blessings over your relationship....May the Oil of the Holy Spirit and the Blood of Jesus consume you in your journey together.ReplyDelete
Can I get the link? There's no video showing up. :( thank you!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 4:49 PM
Its not showing up is there any where else I could view it?ReplyDelete
Can you post the link in the comments, like last time? Can't see it on my phone. Thank you! :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 5:28 PM
Jessa and Ben have that sizzling eye contact going on. My gosh.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 5:42 PM
LILY AND ELLIE,ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for doing this blog! I enjoy it so much! Your hard work has shown!
I wanted to know if you could change the pictures on the front page to possibly newer ones... Because the twins and Joy Anna look so much younger! Do you think you could use the pictures from the new season or do you not have access to those yet?
The video isn't embedded for my iPodReplyDelete
As an Orthodox Jew whose community always has courtship without any touching whatsoever and chaperones, I am actually dismayed at the courtship I am seeing with Ben and Jessa and I would be surprised if it went to marriage. People watching may not realize that courtship is actually a very enjoyable, meaningful experiance to achieve real closeness. JimBob is really having a very intrusive needling role here- his screening of Ben should have been done before he permitted the courtship. The rules of no touching are understood- why is this constantly being brought up? Why are the chaperones constantly being so intrusive?ReplyDelete
This is so beautiful. So happy for these young ladies. My husband and I will be celebrating 25 yrs in June. I pray your first 25 yrs are just as wonderful as mine have been. Nothing like a beautiful marriage that God puts together. Congrats to you both. Just wish I could be there to see this beautiful day take place.ReplyDelete
They are so in love!! That was adorable! And the way they gaze into each other's eyes...sigh.... :-) So very happy for you Jessa!!!ReplyDelete
They look so cute together and seem more in love now than before. Great to hear the update. Thank you for putting it on here.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 7:28 PM
Thanks for posting! It must be loading slowly, for I am unable to play it....ReplyDelete
♡ Ellie S.
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 7:49 PM
They looked really in love. Can't keep there eyes of each other. They will be the next to get married. Can see they wanted to kiss in the vedio.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 7:49 PM
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 8:02 PM
They look so in love. to bad they can't kiss or hold hands. They can't stop starring into each other eyes. May they will start having kids right away marriage.ReplyDelete
Ben and Jessa are so sweet. There is much wisdom in not rushing things for the sake of entering into the next phase just because "it's about time they did", but instead to trust wholly on God's timing even within the relationship. That's not to say it has to go according to when the world deems okay to be engaged either (eg. attaining full college qualifications, etc). They are an exemplary godly young couple.ReplyDelete
I would be so interested in hearing their personal testimonies of how each of them first got saved (including Derick and the other Duggars who have been born again -- apart from Michelle as she has shared how God saved her), but I don't suppose we'd be reading anything like that in mainstream media... Hopefully someone will be able to ask them and share with us one day :)
And it'd be so wonderful if both Dill and Bessa - and maybe even Michelle and Jim Bob - adopt!
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 9:30 PM
I cant seem to be able to watch the videosReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 9:30 PM
What a nice interview, impressed that these two are so comfortable together and have such a mature and positive attitude about their relationship parameters, chaperones, etc. They are respectful of each other, their families, their upbringing, what a great attitude they have. They just take it all in stride. Seems to me that if they can keep their commitments to the Lord and the precepts of their faith, then they will be well equipped to keep their commitments to each other.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 9:44 PM
I can't see the video :( but I love you guys! They're both super cute couples!!!! People need to stop hating on the Duggars' flaws and focus on their good characteristics! Love from Ava <3 :DReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 12, 2014 at 9:56 PM
Congratulations Derek and Jill! This is so exciting to hear of your engagement! Congratulations Ben and Jessa! on your courtship! Both of you couples look meant for each other. Praise God! I have watched you girls grow up on your show and this is exciting. Thank all of you for sharing with us and may God continue to bless you on your journey through life.ReplyDelete
I am so excited for these girls!! You would think I was part of the family - just love this family and how they live their lives. I feel Ben and Derick will make the girls Godly wonderful husbands. May God bless them always.ReplyDelete
Looks like they are people of few words!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 5:30 AM
There's no video. I've tried on my ipad and my laptop, please can you post it again?ReplyDelete
Is it sopose to show something under the post because it is not showing anything. Thanks!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 8:27 AM
Watch new episode on YouTube (not the best quality) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgYLmtFvSx4 :) :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 9:46 AM
Glad that things are going nicely for Jill and Derrick, I really am. I can't help but have a question for JimBob and Michelle. Given their strict stay at home daughter beliefs, and their daughters don't officially train or educate themselves to be anything real in the professional world, what safeguards do their belief system build in, if any, if the unthinkable happens, ie, wives become widowed and have themselves and children to support? How can they justify leaving their daughters vulnerable to something that could happen to anyone? The Lord provides, yes, but he also helps those who help themselves. You need something to fall back on in life, and I don't think there is anything for these wives to fall back on. Not all fundamental families like their family have the financial resources that they do. Yet again, when the Lord calls JB and Michelle one day, splitting up this inheritance 20 ways won't go that far. Thank you for allowing me to bring up this very real and serious potential life matter. I would love to read a response from them to this issue.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 9:49 AM
Advice to Josh: Think carefully with the intellect that God has given you. Your parents' lifestyle with multiple mega children isn't a realistic lifestyle when living in the real world; ie set work hours, housing costs, getting around in a real city.. It may be easier in a rural, single family home type of environment like Aransas, and the like, but not so easy to take public transportation with rubber flip flops when running after multiple children. The stress it will put upon you, the sole provider isn't a cake walk. Advice from someone older than your parents who has had children to care for..ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 9:51 AM
Josh, you also can't expect your siblings to move in and help out. That is NO life for any of them. Anna and your household is your responsibility, not theirs. You both will age and it isn't fair to strap an apron on MacKynzie. Let her grow and bloom in her own pot.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 12:07 PM
I think they are wonderful together and it's nice to see Jessa go through this phase of life. I'm glad that they are taking their time courting before becoming engaged and married. One thing I don't like about courtships is when they last only a couple of months and then they are immediately rushed into the entire physical side of the relationship in one night. I think Jessa is very mature and smart about relationships. You can tell by Jessa and Ben's Facebook and Ben's Twitter that they hang out a few times a week…I think that's great because it worried me that Josh and Anna only hung out face to face a few times before getting married. I wonder when Ben and Jessa will tie the knot…and I hope that whenever they do Ben continues his education!ReplyDelete
Well? Let's hear.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 2:24 PM
Lily and Ellie, hello there:*) I have been trying to get this message to the Duggars ever since the Joplin tornado.I was in an F5 tornado and every spring I worry so much and have extreme anxiety for those people I love and have no underground shelter.I know they have a steel frame home, but a direct hit of a category four or five really would cause severe destruction to their home.I know the family has the know how and the equipment to build one, I also think it would be a fun family .project.I would really appreciate if you passed this message on so I can finally rest easy this tornado season.You see when you survived through something so horrific it heightens ones fear immencely.Will you please let me know you passed this message on? Thank you and sorry this has nothing to do with this post.Sincerely,Natalie from NebraskaReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 2:40 PM
I predict that by the end of this year Derick and Jill will be married, Ben and Jessa will be engaged, and Jinger (and possibly Jana) will be in a relationship that will turn into courtship.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 2:57 PM
I love the duggars and a lot of their beliefs and everything. There's a lot to learn from them. However, their "boundaries" on dating dont really make much sense to me. They say no hand holding till engagement yet they have really close physical hugs and they are touchy feely with putting their hands on their man's arm and chest. In that video jessa and ben sure got pretty close face to face. Then they say they are saving the physical stuff for marriage. Idk but it sure seems like it should be the opposite. I think hand holding is the most innocent of all affection. Their "rules" dont make much sense to me regarding courtship.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 3:06 PM
I can't see this video on my tablet nor on my smartphone. Any way to update the format to enable that? Thanks for all you do!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 4:03 PM
@Anonymous....and how about John David?????ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 4:05 PM
@AnonymousRemember, Josh does not seem to have "set hours"! He's been traveling more than he's been "at " FRC!ReplyDelete
It's so sweet to see them growing together as a couple...however, like some other fans, I think the most innocent of hand holding is taken to another level. Not sure why they feel that this is crossing boundaries. I guess their rules are their rules, and they are obedient enough to listen.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 6:27 PM
I could not see this video but I saw the internationally published television show where JimBob laughed so hard at Ben's mini golf playing that he had to get up and leave the seat. The attitude displayed on the television shows is that Ben is a source of a 'joke' and a 'laugh', someone to make some jokes about and get a good laugh 'at' , but not with as far as it looks so far. JimBob does have a sense of humor, such as when he said that Jill might get all the way over seas to meet her love prospect and find out he has some weird mannerisms and then just want to be friends, so it is best to figure this much out before investing anymore of oneself into words of love long distance. That was kinda funny but not picking on Derrick at all. I kind of agree with M. Y. ' s (currently # 16) the parents and family should take an appropriate role in the relationship. Not knowing much about televised reality television I am not sure if this is very deviated from what would be normal, I am sure prospective in laws do have a lot to say and laugh at about their future in laws but most people don't see it. I wonder how Ben takes all the jesting and if his responses really are a fair indication of his personality - I guess everyone thinks he should just laugh along with them (at himself). I think it might be a bit confusing to be the brunt of jokes.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 6:45 PM
When I read anon 39 remarks about the close hugs and hands on the chest and all that I kind of agree that the girls really shared a lot about the purpose of courtship being to get to know the person before the physical relationship happens in marriage. Now that she is engaged Jill is not really being a clear example of her own pre marital behavior messages to the world. Jill had bothe her hands on Derrick's hand and her fingers completely entwined in his in the video where they talked about being newly engaged and she said she was maybe going to be so mindless entwined with him that the others would be doing all the real planning for her wedding. That is not really focusing on anything practical anymore girl. Jill's going to influence Jessa who is already getting into la la land where Jill said she and Derrick will be residing for the duration of the engagement.ReplyDelete
Hey I was just wondering if you knew whether or not they were going to broadcast Jill and Derick's wedding the day of, or later when the season starts back up. Thanks!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 9:48 PM
Jill was interviewed and said the main difference between courting and dating is that in courting you set rules and boundaries and you don't cross them. I believe you can do the same thing in "dating" and not cross your boundaries either. It's all about standards. If you have them,,,, you have them. You don't need parents listening in on texts, skypes, and phone calls! What are these young adult women 10 yrs old?ReplyDelete
In the same interview, Michelle and JimBob say that they didn't save their first kiss for marriage... So what? They absolutely claim to have a wonderful, loving stable marriage, and it didn't make one bit of a difference, did it? They should address that.
I think the poster suggesting that the Duggars read this blog and respond to some good questions meant that they didn't necessarily need to type answers here, but respond to these issues on their show.
- AnonymousApril 13, 2014 at 10:25 PM
I am reminded of the passage, "For by grace are you saved through faith, it is the gift of God, it is not of yourselves". Some of the things are not 'wrong' unless some 'standard' says they are 'wrong' but we are supposed to have no other God's before the God of the ten commandments and to get our standards from God and Jesus.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 14, 2014 at 12:25 AM
@AnonymousI know that they don't, Jim bob stated in the past that they go to a room in the middle of the house. That will not suffice an F4 or F5. I hope they get that message.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 14, 2014 at 9:22 AM
I know, I know everyone has an opinion, but my goodness the responses in these post. If some of you have questions about hand holding and touching, you may want to check out Kelly Bates blog she answers a lot of questions on their thought process on courting.ReplyDelete
Based on what i have read and viewed it seems as if the couples do decide on their own boundaries. The parents and chaperons are basically accountability partners. These accountability partners only help the couples maintain the goals they have set for themselves.Similar to a disciplining relationship.
Examples: Josh and Anna waited until engagement to hold hands. While Zach Bates and Whitney Bates were ok with holding hands prior to engagement.
Here is a link to Kelly Bates Blog. She answers many questions about courting for both Erin and Zach. But this link is to Zachs courtship post. http://blog.thebatesfamily.com/2013/07/17/courtship-chronicle/
- AnonymousApril 14, 2014 at 2:14 PM
I think Jessa and Ben won't get married because Ben does not his own job or house yet!!! And they are too young to thinking about getting married or engaged!!!ReplyDelete
@Amber MeghaniReplyDelete
Hi Amber,
TLC hasn't announced the timing of the wedding episode yet, but we will let you know when they do. Rest assured, they will air it as soon as they can.
~Lily and Ellie
Hi Anonymous 42,
Thanks for the feedback. Are you able to view other videos we post on your tablet/smartphone?
~Lily and Ellie
Hi Sadie,
Here's the direct link to the video: http://www.people.com/people/videos/0,,20806048,00.html
~Lily and Ellie
Hi Readers,ReplyDelete
For those of you who are having trouble viewing the video, here's the direct link: http://www.people.com/people/videos/0,,20806048,00.html
Enjoy! :)
Lily and Ellie
HI! Loved the video :) I could watch it on the computr,but not my iPod. Strange ( and frustrating :) ),because it really hasnt happened before. I the colors theywere wearing in the pictures, do you kow if those pictures will be used in the show? Is Josiah still at ALERT training? because I didn't see him in there :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 15, 2014 at 7:20 AM
Anna stated on a recent show that life is different now that Josh has set hours.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 15, 2014 at 1:18 PM
I agree with you! Supposedly, JimBob and Michelle raised and are raising their children to walk in faith. Therefore, why do the over 18 young adults require all this monitoring; It sounds like Michelle and JimBob do not trust them!
- AnonymousApril 15, 2014 at 4:17 PM
Someone mentioned in one of these post about intimacy and how difficult it would be to be so intimate after no intimate contact. Personally, I think that must be the fun part. Not all couples rush into this area once they get married with consummating the marriage. They can hold hands, kiss, and do other things with out any guilt, worry about being caught and even pregnancy. Perfect time to enjoy the process.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 16, 2014 at 4:20 AM
@Marlene Young I agree about Jim Bob being intrusive and his needling. I was very encouraged by Jessa defending Ben when Jim Bob asked Ben if he was "lovesick" on the April 15th episode. She should do that for her beau when her family becomes overbearing or rude and Ben should defend Jessa if his family is rude. Go Jessa!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 26, 2014 at 6:47 PM
Awww.... so sweet. I am so happy they are now engaged and I am happy Jessa and Ben are so in love. I am so excited for Baby Dilly! Aaaaaahhh! Can't wait for that baby! I really want to find out the gender and what the 2 are going to name the baby!ReplyDelete
Thanks for leaving your comments! We answer as many of your questions as we can, but due to the number of comments we receive daily, we are unable to answer every one. Our aim is to post all points of view, but we do not post anything that is profane, insulting, derogatory, or in poor taste.


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Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A Quick Trip To Webster
28 comments:
- Unknown said...
I love all your pictures, you found such unusual stuff! Thanks for sharing...wish I had been there, they would have taken less home!!
- February 13, 2013 at 9:29 AM
- Andi's English Attic said...
Thanks for the tour.
It's probably just the way the body is positioned but that baby seems to have an extraodinary large head! xx
- February 13, 2013 at 9:41 AM
- Kay San Nicolas @ Gallery Fifty Eight said...
Wonderful post and great photos.
- February 13, 2013 at 10:08 AM
- Pura Vida said...
whew! you and me have the same eye!
- February 13, 2013 at 10:20 AM
- Ariadne said...
Oh I love seeing these!AriadnefromGreece!
- February 13, 2013 at 10:33 AM
- Jane said...
Is this the flea market in Webster, Florida?
- February 13, 2013 at 11:01 AM
- Curtains in My Tree said...
I thoroughly enjoyed looking at all those pictures, felt like I was walking besides you.
And I WANT those Staffordshire dogs, Love them
- February 13, 2013 at 11:29 AM
- Tina@WhatWeKeep said...
Thanks for the ride along! So many wonderful things to discover. I loved so many things that you showed us...I think I might've gone broke in that environment!
- February 13, 2013 at 12:08 PM
- It's me said...
Love it Laura !!,,...that turqoise cabinet !!! WOWWW....LOVE FROM ME...XXX...!!
- February 13, 2013 at 12:15 PM
- Anonymous said...
I love it all, but the aqua glasss jars, the little girls dresses, oh my gosh i could on and on,
- February 13, 2013 at 1:58 PM
- Livsnyderhaven.dk said...
Waw - I love it all... I wish I was there.
Maria - den eksperimenterende have
- February 13, 2013 at 2:48 PM
- Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage said...
Quite a few heartbreakers here! The little dress, all the ironstone... So fun to tag along!
- February 13, 2013 at 4:17 PM
- Anne said...
Oh such fun!Thank you for sharing!
- February 13, 2013 at 6:03 PM
- janet lomajan said...
I visited the same guy that throws his stuff on the ground. I sheepishly picked up some papers that were buried in dirt and asked how much he wanted for them and he said $25.00. I said OH, uh... thanks anyway, to which he snatched the papers out of my hand and threw them on the ground and hollered "don't waist my time!" Yikes! I almost cried. The other folks were nice thankfully! Thank you for sharing your finds! =D Janet
- February 13, 2013 at 11:21 PM
- Sussi.Sussinghurst said...
fabulous !!!
- February 14, 2013 at 4:59 AM
- Andy's Attic said...
Your tours are always so interesting. A little bit for everyone. I miss fresh kumquats!
- February 14, 2013 at 2:44 PM
- Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...
Perfect flea market fix in the middle of the winter for me...thanks!
- February 14, 2013 at 3:06 PM
- Michelle Palmer said...
All of your photos are such a treat! The sunshine and little dress blowing in the breeze... Mmmm... spring will soon arrive!
Goosebumps when I saw your STUNNING photograph of red & white wood fishing bobs... that would make a beautiful watercolor painting!!
Hope you're having a wonderful time~
Thank you for your peeks!
- February 14, 2013 at 5:39 PM
- Carole said...
Great stuff. Yicks that dealer with his things all on the ground like that. Maybe it works for him:) I think I saw similar heads with graphics at the show.
- February 14, 2013 at 7:24 PM
- June said...
I LOVE it when you take me to the flea Laura. That little green chest of drawers was a sweet thing!
sending hugs...
- February 14, 2013 at 8:06 PM
- The Feathered Nest said...
I just LOVE it when you do this girl...take us along with you!!! Thank you for so many wonderful pics, I almost felt as though I were with you ~ I hope you are doing so good sweet friend, hugs and love, Dawn
- February 15, 2013 at 12:47 AM
- Vickie @ Ranger 911 said...
Thank you so much for taking us along to the flea market again, Laura! As usual, you picked the stuff that makes this heart go pitter-pat. :)
- February 15, 2013 at 8:17 AM
- Nadja said...
l love your blog!
Everithing is beatiful, nostalgic.
I love Vintage! All this pieces brings back good memories.
- February 15, 2013 at 2:35 PM
- miss flibbertigibbet said...
I'm SO jealous! What fun! I can't believe that guy dumps his stuff on the ground! Too funny!
- February 16, 2013 at 8:39 AM
- Rustique Gal said...
Hi Laura,
That looks like a fun day of flea-ing!
After being stuck inside so much this winter, I am looking forward to getting out and seeing some goodies soon! I heard the chickadee's spring song this morning, it's coming!
- February 16, 2013 at 11:38 AM
- www.MaisonStGermain.com said...
Oh what fun!!!!!! I can't wait until ET opens in March:) Hope you bought some great finds.
~Debra xxx
Capers of the vintage vixens
- February 19, 2013 at 1:19 PM
- My Realitty said...
Love it all but that sheer baby dress is a beauty. Can you tell me what happened to the Brocantess? I have been looking for her blog, last I heard she was getting married in Paris. Quelle mystery! Thanks CM
- February 20, 2013 at 4:26 AM
- Cindy said...
I love the photos and all the treasures you found! I had to laugh at the picture of the stuff thrown on the ground. I have a feeling this guy doesn't stress over perfection!
I always love stopping by your blog, a feast for the eyes!
- February 21, 2013 at 10:35 AM


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