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I was recently asked if I knew of anyone who would be interested in speaking at The Hammer Festival, an endurance sports gala in San Diego. I immediately thought of my sister, Sharlie.
Her story is one of struggle, tenacity and of overcoming challenges. While we, as endurance athletes are able to choose our challenges, Sharlie, who was born with Cystic Fibrosis, had her struggle forced upon her. And, even though our struggles and obstacles are different, Sharlie and I, and everyone who participates in endurance sports, share that universal joy and sense of accomplishment as we cross our own finish lines after months of training and preparation.
Sharlie's attitude and the way that she handles every challenge has inspired me and keeps me motivated every day. She motivates me to overcome my own comparatively small challenges, to keep training, and to keep pushing my own perceived limits.
The speech she gave on Friday night really touched me, and I have included it below. I hope you enjoy it.
|Me and Sharlie after the Lost Boys 50 Miler
Nine months ago I was surrounded by my family and my dearest friends, while I sat on a gurney waiting to be wheeled into the operating room at Stanford Hospital. I had been on a waiting list for five months and the call had finally come, I was going to get new lungs and a new heart.
I was born with Cystic Fibrosis, which is a terminal, genetic, lung disease that causes life threatening infections and permanent lung damage. Over the years my lung function had deteriorated to a dangerously low percentage. I needed a double lung and heart transplant to survive.
The first time I realized I was different than other kids, I was doing something that many of you love to do (or you don't love it but you do it anyway!) I was running. My first grade class was at PE and we were running around the track. I was having a hard time keeping up with my friends, but was determined not to fall behind, so I pushed myself to go harder and run faster. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor in my classroom with my legs up on a chair and my worried mother looking over me. I had fainted on the track. My lungs could not keep up and my body couldn't get enough oxygen. That was when my mom explained to me that I had Cystic Fibrosis a little bit about what that meant. She told me to be careful and listen to my body so I wouldn't hurt myself. And, of course she said that this meant I was extra special!
I'm not sure if it is because of that specific experience, or just because I have been so physically limited throughout my life, that I've always yearned to be an athlete. Not necessarily a professional athlete but I just wanted to be able to use my body and feel a freedom I had never felt before. Don't get me wrong, I was not a couch potato. I did what I could to strengthen my body. I found low impact exercises I could do and fell in love with yoga. I would turn up my oxygen all the way and walk on the treadmill but didn't know if I was doing more harm than good as my head pounded, my fingers turned blue, and I ferociously sucked in air. Leading up to my transplant, it was difficult to even talk, let alone exercise.
When my brother started running and started writing about his experiences on his blog, I was incredibly inspired. I devoured every blog post and would visualize myself running the trails with him as I read. I clearly remember giving him one last hug before the surgical nurses came to prep me for my transplant. I knew in reality I could be saying goodbye for the last time but I was filled with hope and truly believed I would experience a miracle. As I gave Dax a final squeeze, I whispered to him, "I love you, I'll see you on the trails."
A month ago that dream was fulfilled. Dax asked me to run the Lake Hodges 5K trail run with him. It was super hard. After months in the hospital, my muscles had completely atrophied and I am still getting used to being able to take a deep breath and use my body. I was unsure of myself but as I ran alongside my brother and my husband, two of my heroes, I thought about where I had come from and how the experiences I had dreamed of having and had visualized when the journey seemed hopeless were actually happening. I also thought about my donor, someone who had decided that if anything should ever happen to them, they wanted to give the gift of life to someone else. Such a selfless gift. It was an amazing race and I was so overcome with gratitude and joy. I can tell you, it's harder to run when you're crying! They were happy tears. Even though I was one of the last to finish, Paul Jesse, the race organizer surprised me at the award ceremony with such kind, encouraging words and a very generous gift card to get some new running gear and a subscription to Trail Runner. It felt like I won first place!
|Sharlie finishing the Lake Hodges 5K
I am so grateful to be here tonight. I am so inspired by this community of endurance athletes. Living with Cystic Fibrosis has given me a unique perspective. I do not take life or even one breath for granted. I have faced death many times and know how blessed I am to be here. I think athletes share this unique perspective. You push and thrive and dream and conquer, you are grateful and most importantly, you give back. When I was first accepted for Transplant, the first thing they told me to do was start fundraising. They said my medical costs could reach up to a million dollars. Dax set up a fundraising page for me and reached out to this community and we were incredibly humbled by the generous support we received from so many of you. I have come to learn that that is just who you are and what you do. I am so grateful the funds raised tonight will go to the CF Foundation and will be used to find a cure for this relentless disease.
As a beginner athlete, I'm most likely never going to be at the elite level that you all are. However, living with 15% lung function and surviving and recovering from a double lung, heart transplant has taught me a little bit about endurance and now instead of spending hours a day on my bed doing breathing treatments, respiratory therapy and running I.V.s, I am trying to follow in your footsteps. I know you also know about endurance, I know you have all experienced the feeling of thinking you cannot take one more step or pedal one more time or swim one more stroke but you dug deep and you did. That is what endurance is and I have learned it is the most painful and sweetest experience at the same time. Thank you for inspiring me. I am learning how good it feels to drip sweat, and how delicious sore muscles feel. I promise to continue to push myself and honor these new organs of mine. I also promise to follow your lead and give back. I have a lot to pay forward! On behalf of the CF community I thank you for your generosity tonight. It means the world to us. We have a saying that we hope one day CF will stand for CURE FOUND!! Thank you for helping us get closer to realizing that dream! God Bless.
To become an organ donor, please visit www.organdonor.gov.
To learn more about Cystic Fibrosis and become involved, please visit www.cff.org.


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Recent high-end sales in Kalorama, Wesley Heights, Georgetown, and McLean
By Mary K. Mewborn
The District
Washington Fine Properties' realtor Jim Bell has announced he has listed and sold 2119 S Street NW in the Kalorama neighborhood to Steve Raber, a partner at Williams & Connolly LLP, and his wife, Blair Raber, who recently initiated the Celiac Disease Program at Children's Hospital. The fully-renovated six-bedroom, five-bath row house was listed for $2,395,000 and had belonged to Jeffrey A. Wade, who purchased the home in 2005 for $1.75 million. The four-story residence was constructed in 1908 and features grand entertaining rooms with original hardwood floors, a two-bedroom in-law suite with its own kitchen, and a carriage house with a loft.
In Wesley Heights, Penthouse #1003/4 in the Foxhall Condominiums East at 4200 Massachusetts Avenue NW has sold for $1,075,000. Two units were renovated and combined to create this 2,950-square-foot residence with three bedrooms, three and a half baths, a wood-lined library, breakfast room, formal dining room, and breath-taking views. Amenities include an indoor pool, tennis courts, gym and concierge service. The seller, John Farina, an attorney and a professor of Religion at George Mason University, was represented by Bobbie Brewster of Washington Fine Properties. The purchasers were physicians Luke and Grace Kao.

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"I must say, I do prefer the more masculine, superior male form"
A girl is a human who is usually quite sexy or fat, well suited to live. They are species that usually wear panties (Some people say that girls have POCKETS but it's not true. Go on, see for yourself. Buy a pair of panties and look for the pockets!), which males often find insanely arousing. Girls are sometimes high maintenance (but usually aren't). It was once believed that a girl was basically a mutation of a boy, only a lot weirder (according to Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes). But that theory has since been proven false. They also seem to have mounds of fatty tissue on their chests, which men think are absolutely GLORIOUS!!!!!!! A girl's real main use is to give female company to a man (usually for marriage's sake). Unfortunately, girls eventually morph into a less likeable creature known as women. There ... you've been warned. A girl is also known to be used as a sex tool and as another species after the process known as marriage.
Girls consist of at least 30% spice, which can make them extremely hot.
The rest is mostly sugar (which makes them sweet and fun to eat) although for calorie-reduced diets sucralose and xylotol may be substituted, but not aspartame, as this makes them hazardous to one's health.
Those with diabetes are doomed to die of them (unless the diabetic has one with a sugar substitute).
When mixed with water they may be excited to a state known as wet, however this state is unstable and decays back to regular state with a half-life of 18 minutes, emitting various forms of insanity in the process, the most common being a single SEXY SEXY COZY POOL FUN MOMENT!
Important Information
You will never get girls. Your friends will get girls and brag how great they were whether in bed or making out with. You will want to get girls so you can have sex and not be a Star Wars nerdy virgin the rest of your life. Too bad. Girls like famous guys with nice cars and lots of money, not fat ugly nerds with bacon and barbeque sauce stains on his sweatpants.
Your best bet is to go look at porn, which has been proven by very smart scientists to be 87% less needy than girls, and 113% more emotionally fulfilling. Also, midget porn has been proven to make you immortal.
Girls and the Real World
A recent study conducted by Aubrey de Grey in April 2006 concluded that girls have absolutely 100% industrial value. His abstract stated that men are no more important overall. Here are qualities that are required of both men and girls:
- Hard workers
- Strong
- Don't bitch about stuff
- Actually accomplish things
- Mature
- Opening bras
- Screw this, I give up! Girls are not like this. They are just the OPPOSITE
- Can shoot lasers out their eyes
Most Girls dream of becoming women. Few ever dream of becoming men. They also want to own ponies, become ballerinas, become doctors, become fashion models, or become Miss America. Only some never reach these goals, including becoming women. Their dreams have mutated into a FEMINIST right movement that have gained them an ALMOST equal status.
Another common ambition among Girls is the desire for the Super-Mate, a mythical creature who is clean, ruggedly handsome, wealthy, and , as declared by Susan B. Anthony, "Not Too Grabby." Upon entering adolescence, the average girl begins her long hunt for the Super-Mate, a task that is deeply ingrained into their GiNA (Girlyriboneucleic acid). Unfortunately, the gene that triggers the Girl's desire for the S.M. is not left over from the early stages of the species' evolution, when they could have high standards and still find an acceptable mate. In the modern world, however, the existence of a Super-Mate in the ecosystem is only ever the result of a genetic mutation that occurs due to one of the subject's progenitors being exposed to any form of Splenda for prolonged periods of time.
Despite the absence of their preferred species of Mate, the adolescent Girl will go to great lengths to appear desirable to the Mate through a number of methods which are also ingrained in their genetic code. Early on in the bizarre ritual known as Puberty, Girls with the ability to do so will enlarge their own breasts with mind powers. Girls who are unable to perform this task are said to be "Unloved by God" and are forced to use tissues or over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.
Eventually, after years of hunting for the Super-Mate and finding only chubby Naruto fans, the majority of Girls become Women and abandon their quest, having become bitter and bitchy, and having developed an addiction to feline dander, compelling them to surround themselves with housecats and John Grisham novels.


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Sikhs and Sikhism
"Grant me this boon, O God, from thy Greatness
May I never refrain from righteous acts;
May I fight without fear All foes in life's battle,
With confident courage claiming the victory!
May Thy Glory be grained in my mind,
And my highest ambition be singing Thy praises;
When this mortal life reaches its limits,
May I die fighting with limitless courage!"
(Sikh national anthem, written by Guru Gobind Singh)
The Origins of Sikhism
Sikhism Originated in the Punjab in India, an extensive plain through which flow six large rivers. Between this spreads good farmland. The original name of the area was Sapta Sindhva, or "the Land of Seven Seas". The seventh river, the River Sarasvati, dried up. The name Panj-ab (i.e. the Punjab) means the Land of Five Waters. The sixth river, the Indus, is not counted because if forms the boundary with the neighbouring land. In climate, the Punjab is cold in winter and hot in summer. The time for spring and blossom is in February. Between April and June it is scorching hot and then the rains come, ushering in a time of great happiness and joy. The main produce is cane sugar, cotton and wheat, but we now can find rice, millet, maize, indigo and pulses. The Punjab is thus a rural state, covered with farming communities. A central forest used to be full of wildlife, but this has now been wiped out. Where the forest used to be is now desert, an all too common modern creation. The beginning of civilisation in India was in or around the Punjab - the so-called Harappa culture at Mohenjodaro, a rich prehistoric civilisation. To the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism was added that of Islam, after the Punjab was conquered by Muslims from 647 A.D. onwards. This was in one of the earliest phases of Muslim expansion after the death of Muhammad. There was in addition a Mongol conquest in l398. Therefore the Punjab is racially very mixed. It was also an area of constant conflict, since it formed a buffer against Afghanistan. We find in this area historically, the influence of Indian languages, philosophies and religious practices, Arabic, Persian and Turkish, and the religions of Islam and Zoroastrianism. There has always been a spirit of nationalism in the Punjab. The farming villages were linked through kinship and ruled by five elders. No central authority ever succeeded in harnessing them, and the spirit of freedom remained. The farmers, or Jats, were workers and warriors and tended to look down upon the Brahmins, the Hindu priests, as beggars; and on the Hindu Kshatriayas, or warriors as mercenaries. Throughout history, the Jat farmers had to defend their farms at any time against a host of enemies.
"Sikhism was born out of wedlock between Hinduism and Islam after they had known each other for a period of 900 years, but once it had taken birth, it began to develop a personality of its own and in due course grew into a faith which had some semblance to Hinduism and some to Islam and yet had features that bore no resemblance to either"
(Khushwant Singh, l977)
Sikhism could never be identified with either Hinduism or Islam, and was not in any sense an attempt to combine the two. The stories of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, show him pointing out the weaknesses and fallacies of Hindus and Muslims alike. He complained that the heart or essence of a faith was too easily obscured by inessential trappings, such as rituals and customs, which might continue for their own sake and not for the sake of the meaning they once symbolised.
Guru Nanak
"Burn up your love of possessions to make your ink,
Let a pure mind be your paper, make love your pen, and your heart the writer.
Write as God your teacher tells you; write his name and his praises.
However far you go, God is there. However deep you dive, God is still there.
He is absolutely great, and is beyond description.
This is the writing you ought to learn."
(Prayer of young Nanak)
Sikhism grew out of an Indian background from the l5th century C.E.
Sikhism's founder was Guru Nanak (1469-1539), although the writings of earlier theologians/holy men such as Kabir are also treasured. The worship of one God was important in this strand of Hinduism, a view strengthened by Nanak's early education in Hindu and Muslim schools.
For Sikhs, the concept of God is non-personal, and expressed particularly in the language of "truth". This is in line with the Hindu philosophical tradition. There is here an analysis of the question "What is God?": the answer is sought deep in the human soul rather than in any doctrine.
Nanak was born in Talwandi (the Punjab) in 1469). The Punjab was an area in which Hindus and Muslims naturally mixed. The historical material on Nanak is mostly poetry and hymns, with little biographical material, but there were four biographies called Janam Sakhis (Life-evidences) dating from much later. He is revered as the founder of the Sikh faith and the first teacher ("Guru"), but not worshipped as God.
His father, Kalyan Chand (or "Kalu") kept tax records for a Muslim official, and had a smallholding. His mother was called Tripta, his sister Nanaki and his brother Lalu. Stories tell how, as a baby, he had a marvelous horoscope: "He will worship and acknowledge but One Formless Lord and teach others to do so". By the age of 7 months, he could sit in the lotus position like a yogi.
At school at seven years old, Nanak wrote an acrostic poem about "learning" and was noted by Hindus and Muslims alike for his wisdom. With a Hindu teacher, he learnt Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures. 9 Moving to the Muslim school when he was nine, Nanak learnt Arabic and Persian, and soon began to write poetry in Persian. He was born into the Kshatriya (warrior/ruler) caste, but came to despise the whole caste system. At eleven, a story tells, he was forced into the Hindu "sacred thread" ceremony, in which high caste boys put a thread over their shoulders as a mark of initiation into their caste. Nanak's teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, as a collection of verses recorded in Gurmukhi. There are two competing theories on Guru Nanak's teachings. One, according to Cole and Sambhi, is based on hagiographical Janamsakhis, and states that Nanak's teachings and Sikhism were a revelation from God, and not a social protest movement nor any attempt to reconcile Hinduism and Islam in the 15th century.
The other states, Nanak was a Guru. According to Singha, "Sikhism does not subscribe to the theory of incarnation or the concept of prophethood. But it has a pivotal concept of Guru. He is not an incarnation of God, not even a prophet. He is an illumined soul." The hagiographical Janamsakhis were not written by Nanak, but by later followers without regard for historical accuracy, and contain numerous legends and myths created to show respect for Nanak.
The term revelation, clarify Cole and Sambhi, in Sikhism is not limited to the teachings of Nanak, they include all Sikh Gurus, as well as the words of past, present and future men and women, who possess divine knowledge intuitively through meditation. The Sikh revelations include the words of non-Sikh bhagats, some who lived and died before the birth of Nanak, and whose teachings are part of the Sikh scriptures. The Adi Granth and successive Sikh Gurus repeatedly emphasised, states Mandair, that Sikhism is "not about hearing voices from God, but it is about changing the nature of the human mind, and anyone can achieve direct experience and spiritual perfection at any time".
Guru Nanak emphasised that all human beings can have direct access to God without rituals or priests. The concept of man as elaborated by Guru Nanak, states Arvind-pal Singh Mandair, refines and negates the "monotheistic concept of self/God", and "monotheism becomes almost redundant in the movement and crossings of love".
The goal of man, taught the Sikh Gurus, is to end all dualities of "self and other, I and not-I", attain the "attendant balance of separation-fusion, self-other, action-inaction, attachment-detachment, in the course of daily life". Guru Nanak, and other Sikh Gurus emphasised Bhakti, and taught that the spiritual life and secular householder life are intertwined. In Sikh worldview, the everyday world is part of the Infinite Reality, increased spiritual awareness leads to increased and vibrant participation in the everyday world. Guru Nanak, states Sonali Marwaha, described living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" as being higher than the metaphysical truth.
Through popular tradition, Nanak's teaching is understood to be practised in three ways:
Vaṇḍ Chakkō: Sharing with others, helping those with less who are in need
Kirat Karō: Earning/making a living honestly, without exploitation or fraud
Naam Japna: Meditating on God's name to control the five weaknesses of the human personality. Guru Nanak emphasised Nam Japna (or Naam Simran), that is repetition of God's name and attributes, as a means to feel God's presence.
Sikhs Communities Today
There are around 13 million Sikhs in the world today. Originating in the Punjab which was divided through partition in 1947, many have dispersed across northern India, to Europe, East Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and the U.S.A.
In India Sikhs have made a great impact as farmers, members of the armed forces and police, as well as in sport, transport, industry and education. On the latter, Punjab state has four universities, with education free and compulsory to the age of 14. The impact of their beliefs also cannot be minimized - they stand against the caste system, child marriage, and the consumption of alcohol and tobacco; and for the remarriage of widows, and hospitality.
The Sikhs are a varied people, with longstanding links to the Police and Army in India, to the professions and merchandise, and to farming. The earliest Sikhs in Britain made a living for themselves as doorstep salesmen. The community grew steadily during the 1950s, often with the husbands coming to create a new life before calling the family over. There was a sudden boom in emigration from the Punjab to Britain in the early l960s, as new immigration laws threatened to tighten up procedures considerably. In the l960s, Sikh communities grew in established locations. Since there is a strong family unit, families bought houses for its members, often close by other Sikh homes.
A substantial sociological study of Sikh settlement in Gravesend, Kent was made by A W Helweg, Sikhs in Britain (1988). Britain at this time did not find the Sikh presence comfortable. The bitter resentment of many Sikhs focused upon the issue of motor cycle crash helmets, which were then made compulsory by law. The Sikh argument was that the compulsory wearing of crash helmets would force them to abandon their turbans if they wished to ride a motor cycle. They saw this as another example of their perspective not being respected. It was finally resolved by observing that head coverings do not have to be turbans. A later conflict also focused on the judicial hierarchy, after Lord Denning, one of the Law Lords stated that Sikhism was not a religion at all.
During the l960s and 1970s, a number of Sikhs abandoned the outward form of their faith (the long hair, turbans particularly) simply in order to get a job and create a life in Britain. Towards the end of the 1970s, there was a greater tendency for Sikhs to remain with their faith, proud of its richness. The tendency now was for Sikhs to move out of their local enclaves in the inner city and spread into the wider community. Today, Sikhs are found in all communities, professions and in all walks of life. They may or may not have decided to observe religious formalities.
The Gurdwara
The Gurdwara, sometimes called Sikh Temple, is extremely welcoming to outsiders. The main formalities are to remove shoes before entering and for both sexes to cover their heads. The word Gurdwara or Gurudwara means the "door or house of the Guru". In the days of the human gurus, the Gurdwara would be the place where Sikhs could come to seek advice and guidance from their leader. Since the death of the l0th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1708), the Gurdwara has instead housed the Holy Book containing writings of Sikh Gurus and earlier spiritual leaders.
The Gurdwara is still however set up as though a human Guru is in residence - that is the book is treated as the human gurus may have been in their day. The sacred book is called the Guru Granth Sahib. It is placed at the front of the prayer hall on a throne covered with a canopy. Its presence is dignified by the waving of the Chauri, made of Yak hair or similar material. Close by will be a kitchen and dining room, the latter called the Langar. The Langar or free kitchen is available to anyone inside or outside of the community. It symbolises the need to share and stresses that no-one should be too proud to share their food with other people. In many cities the free kitchen for down and outs is a form of Sikh service to the British community.
The Gurdwara will also obtain a bedroom, often on an upper floor. The Guru Granth Sahib is reverentially placed on a four poster bed for the night after evening prayers and brought down again next morning in a similar way.
The Golden Temple: Darbar Sahib
The Golden Temple is the tourist name for the Darbar Sahib or Harmandir.
Darbar Sahib means the place where the Lord holds his Court and Harmandir means the House of God. For a long time the Sikhs had no holy places, no cities or shrines which they visited as Christians sometimes go to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, or Muslims make pilgrimage to Mecca. In fact, the Gurus always said "God lives inside us, why search for him in holy places?" In spite of this the fifth Guru, Arjan, decided to build the Harmandir.
The foundation stone was laid by a Muslim, Main Mir, and the building was completed in 1604. However, the story goes much farther back than that. Just over 400 years ago, in a place in the Punjab, not far from Amritsar, in a village called Goindwal, an emperor visited a guru. The emperor was the mighty Akbar the Great, Mogul ruler of most of India. He ruled India well and tried to keep the peace among his many millions of subjects with their various languages and different religions.
He was a Muslim, and his queen was a Hindu. Christian Jesuits, and Sikhs frequently visited his court. Emperor Akbar had heard of Guru Amar Das and on a journey to Lahore decided to pass through Goindwal in order to meet him. When he came to the Guru's home he was surprised to see a large number of men and women, outside, sitting in rows, shaded from the sun by trees or canopies, eating together. In India people of different castes will not always share food. It was strange to see brahmins eating with sudras or people of other religions, such as Muslim or Sikhs. The Emperor was told that eating together was the custom. The Guru taught that all men were brothers. Everyone was equal so everyone should share the same food and eat it in the same place. If the Emperor wished to see the Guru he would first have to sit on the ground with everyone else and share a meal! This he did.
When he eventually did see the Guru, the Emperor told him how important he thought the langar (free kitchen) was. Travellers and poor people for miles around came to it and none went away hungry. He offered the Guru some local villages which he owned so that the taxes from them could provide food for the kitchen. The Guru refused. The langar must be supported by voluntary work, sewa . "Each day's collections are spent the same day, and for tomorrow I trust in God", said Amar Das.
The Emperor then asked if he could give the land to the Guru's daughter. According to some Sikhs this offer was also refused, but others say that it was accepted and that the town which grew up on this land became Amritsar, the city of nectar. To provide a water supply and a pool for ritual washing the Guru's son-in-law Jetha dug a large tank. On an artificial island in the centre of this pool the Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple now stands. The original building was destroyed in a war between the Sikhs and the Moguls but a number of things are known about it. It was about 40 metres by 30 metres. Unlike a Hindu mandir (temple) it had four doors, facing in each direction, open to everyone, not one only to the east. Another difference from a Hindu mandir, and most Christian churches, was that to enter it one had to go down a few steps rather than climb some. No matter how lowly a person is he must become even more humble to meet God in the Darbar Sahib, Guru Arjan taught.
The Scriptures:
The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh would not appoint another human Guru after his death, but indicated that the scriptures, the Adi Granth, would be Guru in his place. He gave the Adi Granth the title Guru Granth Sahib. The Adi Granth had been compiled in Pabjabi mainly from writiings of various Gurus, although there are some passages written by Muslim and Hindu writers. The first collection was made in 1604 by Guru Arjan, and added to by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Every copy should have 1430 pages, and contain 5,894 shabads (hymns) arranged into 31 ragas (musical measures). The book is shown the greatest respect, kept in an honoured place in the gurdwara, read on all occasions either by a granthi or a volunteer, and carried in occasional procession through the streets.


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Brewers fan who modified Braun shirt told to leave
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Milwaukee Brewers fan says she was asked to leave Miller Park because she had made some changes to her Ryan Braun shirt.
Karen Eidem says security tapped her on the shoulder while she was standing with friends at the ballpark Wednesday night. Eidem had changed a couple letters on the back of her Brewers shirt to make it read 'Fraud' instead of Braun because of the slugger's recent suspension.
Security told her the modified shirt violated the fan code of conduct and that she would have to change the shirt or leave the ballpark. Eidem turned the shirt inside out and stayed for the game.
WTMJ radio says the Brewers later issued a statement saying security staff should not have interfered and offered Eidem another game ticket.


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Fire has rekindled at a Bridgeport warehouse that was gutted by a massive extra-alarm blaze earlier this week.
Fire officials had expected the fire to start up again because of the magnitude of Tuesday night's 5-11 alarm fire and the old timber in the warehouse, according to Chicago Fire Department spokeswoman Meg Ahlheim.
"We expected it. We have companies working there again," she said this morning. "We were working there well into yesterday."
A still-and-box alarm, standard for working fires, was called this morning and a rapid intervention team was on the scene in case any firefighters are hurt.
"No one's going in," Ahlheim said. "We do have (a team) at every working fire."
The Fire Department also deployed a piece of equipment from the 1960s dubbed "Big Mo" that can shoot 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of water a minute from two turrets that can be fed by as many as 10 water lines.
Firefighters had expected the fire to rekindle in areas where the roof and floors had collapsed, Ahlheim said. "There are hot spots under those collapses we haven't been able to reach. When debris gets moved, there's more oxygen for the fire to grow," she said. "Then we get to those hot spots."
"This is something we had expected and had seen before," she said.
The fire originally broke out at the former Harris Marcus Group building at 3757 S. Ashland Ave. Tuesday evening. Extra alarms were quickly called as the fire spread throughout the warehouse and the roof collapsed and the more than 200 firefighters contended with frozen hydrants and icy ladders.
Chicago Fire Cmsr. Jose Santiago said the fire was Chicago's largest in seven years. "This was a very large fire, unbelievable fire load, a lot of wood, timber, old stuff, varnish," Santiago said on the scene. "Once it caught, it caught and ran.
"Everything is wood inside these buildings, beautiful façades on the outside. They've been up for a long time. When they start burning like this, they start coming down," Santiago said.
Fire has rekindled at a Bridgeport warehouse that was gutted by a massive extra-alarm blaze earlier this week.


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You and your best friend (or brother, cousin, co-worker, etc.) come up with a great business idea for a dessert bar over drinks one night. Together you feverishly write down the business plan on a napkin. With her culinary talent and your background in marketing, it's sure to be a success, right?
Well, maybe.
When two or more people begin a business for profit, the company instantly becomes a general partnership. No paperwork required. It is entirely possible to be in a partnership without knowing it.
Each individual partner is liable for all of the debts of the partnership whether they agreed to that debts, whether they knew about that debt or even if one of the partners said, "no" taking on the debt.
Unfortunately, general partners have lots of responsibility – and liability – to each other and to the business; especially when things go wrong. If you're thinking, "What could possibly go wrong?" Believe me, many business partnerships turn south and many once-friendly partnerships do unfortunately end in ugly legal battles. Therefore, general partnerships should have an ironclad partnership agreement that states the rights and responsibilities of each partner.
The Partnership Agreement
A partnership agreement in business is akin to the prenuptial agreement in marriage. Just as prenups are often precursors to wedding day bliss, partnership agreements should be signed, sealed and delivered prior to starting any business activities.
It's important to preserve the relationship and the business when starting a venture with a co-founder before the money starts rolling in. No money or time should be invested in the business before the terms of the partnership agreement are laid out.
The partnership agreement should indicate:
Each partners current and expected contributions to the business. It's important to make clear what the expectations are of each partner's time and capital contributions to the business, that way its obvious if one partner is not meeting the standard.
The power of each partner to make decisions and incur debt on behalf of the business. It is hugely important to determine the power of each partner and whether all major decisions need to be made jointly or if one or another partner should have exclusive decision making power in certain areas of business.
What happens upon the death, incapacity or withdrawal of a partner? It's important to have an exit strategy in the event one partner is no longer able or no longer desires to remain a partner so that this does not trigger the dissolution of the business.
What happens upon dissolution of the business? It's important to lay out the terms of what happens in the event that the business is no longer solvent.
How disputes between partners regarding business decisions will be resolved. This is especially important when dealing with two partners who each own 50% of the company. If the partners become deadlocked on a business decision, that could be the end of the business without a legally-binding dispute resolution strategy.
How compensation and profits will be handled. Everyone gets along in the beginning but once the company becomes profitable, it's important to have clarity on what portion of funds will be used to compensate the partners, what portions will be reinvested in the business and what portion will be distributed at the end of the year.
Disagreements can arise from any of the aforementioned issues – and they do. It is unwise to attempt to save money on your businesses legal needs in general, but this rule of thumb applies even more to partnerships. Invest in a lawyer to draft your partnership agreement. A good small business attorney will see the signs of potential weaknesses in your partnership and be able to draft a tailored agreement that protects the company and provides a strategy to deal with the problems that may arise.
Once your partnership agreement is developed, you can start the exciting work of building your business, knowing that you and the business are protected.
This article was originally published in YFS Magazine.


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Atlas Copco ranks 18th among the 2013 Global 100 Most Sustainable Companies – a list presented on Jan. 23 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This is the seventh time that Atlas Copco has appeared in the Global 100 rankings.
"Sustainability lies at the heart of Atlas Copco's innovative products and employee mindset," said Jim Levitt, president, Atlas Copco North America LLC. "Next month we are celebrating our 140th anniversary. As a company with a long and cherished history, we know that being socially and environmentally responsible is not only the right thing to do, but is critical for developing and growing our business in a profitable way."
Along with being named in this exclusive list, Atlas Copco AB is also a member of the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index and over the last two years has been recognized by Forbes, Thomson-Reuters, and Newsweek, among others, for its commitment to innovation and sustainability.
Atlas Copco sustainability initiatives, both globally and in the U.S., include:
* Boosting customer energy efficiency by at least 20 percent between 2010 and 2020 by continuously designing and developing more efficient products.
* Membership by Atlas Copco Compressors with the U.S. Green Building Council.
* An initiative between Atlas Copco Secoroc and the U.S. Department of Energy, as part of President Obama's challenge to generate 80 percent of U.S. electricity from clean energy sources by 2035, to develop a down-the-hole (DTH) hammer design capable of low-cost, high-production drilling in the high temperatures of deep geothermal wells.
* Reducing Atlas Copco's water consumption and promoting clean drinking water in countries in need. The employee run Water for All organization will pass $200,000 in donations in the U.S. in 2013.
* Increasing employee diversity in both nationality and gender.
The Global 100 list is based on a selection of 4000 developed and emerging market companies, which are measured against key performance indicators such as revenues in relation to consumption of energy and water. For more information, visit http://global100.org.
Atlas Copco is an industrial group with world-leading positions in compressors, expanders and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools, and assembly systems. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 170 countries. In 2011, Atlas Copco had 37,500 employees and revenues of BSEK 81 (BEUR 9).
Atlas Copco in North America operates 109 locations and employs more than 4500 people in the U.S. The North American market contributed $2.4B in revenue in 2011 or approximately one-fifth of the company's overall revenue. Learn more at www.atlascopco.us.


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The launch of Orbital Sciences Corporation's Cygnus spacecraft atop an Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility pad-0A in eastern Virginia on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014. The mission, Orb-1, marked the company's first of eight operational resupply flights to the International Space Station under a $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract for NASA.
Content produced for AmericaSpace, Zero-G News & Wired4Space
All images © copyright 2014 Mike Killian Photography, all rights reserved.
Both north & south launch pad views, with launch commentary, capture the power of Antares rising, beginning an 18,000 mph chase to deliver Cygnus with fresh supplies to the crew on the International Space Station. Both views shot from 250-300 feet from the rocket.
Video Credits: AmericaSpace / Zero-G News / Wired4Space / Mike Killian / Jeff Seibert / Matt Travis / Mike Barrett


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We have all best gear for all Golden Flashes fans. Whether it be our unisex Women's Long Sleeve T-Shirts, our infant and toddler tees, our ladies cropped fleece or any of our other great items J2 Sport will have something for any fan. Whether enjoying a game at the stadium, strolling the streets of Kent or just showing your fandom at the gym, we are sure you can find exactly what you are looking for. We hope you find something you love in our J2 Sport Kent State University Golden Flashes Collections!
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STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE HxGN CAD/CAM APP
Stay connected with the latest news, customer stories, and connection to all social channels. Stay in touch and receive product notifications directly to your phone, locate your closest office, and share your work with our photo gallery. You have access to Tips & Tricks, CAD/CAM videos, and can upload photos to share with us and the Hexagon community.
Within the App, you will also find an extremely useful integrated SPEED & FEED calculator, for Milling, Drilling and Turning applications.


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Remarks Introducing Nominee for Secretary of State, Senator John Kerry at His Senate Foreign Relations Committee Confirmation Hearing
Secretary of State
This video is available on YouTube with closed captions.
As we've heard from both the Chairman and the Ranking Member and just now Senator Warren, he will bring a record of leadership and service that is exemplary. He has a view of the world that he has acted on, first as that young returning veteran from Vietnam who appeared before this committee, through the time that he served with such distinction as its chairman. He's been a valued partner to this Administration and to me personally. He has fought for our diplomats and development experts. He understands the value of investing in America's global leadership. And as we work to implement the Accountability Review Board's recommendations, he is committed to doing whatever it takes to prevent another attack and protect our people and posts around the world.
Now, working together, we've achieved a great deal. But the State Department and USAID have a lot of unfinished business, from Afghanistan to nonproliferation to climate change to so much. We need to sustain our renewed engagement in the Asia Pacific, continue ramping up economics as a tool for advancing American interests and jobs, pressing forward with unleashing the potential of the world's women and girls, keep championing the kind of smart power that looks to innovation and partnerships with governments and people alike to promote peace and stability.
John has built strong relationships with leaders in governments here and around the world, and he has experience in representing our country in fragile and unpredictable circumstances. He was in Pakistan and Afghanistan a few years ago, and we were consulting over the phone. He played an instrumental role in working with President Karzai at that time to accept the results of the election and to move forward. I had to call Harry Reid and ask Harry not to schedule any votes so that John could continue to stay there to see that mission through. But that's what he does. He is a determined and effective representative of the United States, has been as a senator, will be as Secretary.
Let me close by saying that leading our diplomats and development experts is a great honor. And every day, as I testified yesterday, I've seen firsthand their skill, their bravery, their unwavering commitment to our country. I've been proud to call them colleagues and to serve as Secretary of State. And I'm very pleased that John will be given the chance, subject to confirmation, to continue the work of a lifetime on behalf of our country.
Thank you.


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Market Preview: Fall Numbers May Test Slaughter CapacityUS - Weekly U.S. Market Preview w/e 10th August, provided by Steve R. Meyer, Ph.D., Paragon Economics, Inc.
With the possibility of large numbers of hogs hitting the market this fall, packing capacity could once again become a critical issue for the U.S. pork industry. While the situation should not be nearly as critical as in 1994, and especially in 1998, taking a look at our ability to process hogs in a timely and efficient manner seems especially prudent. I have spent several days calling pork packers across the country to update the work I have done since 1995 tracking hog slaughtering capacity.
Every update has brought new knowledge and insight into the packing sector and this year's is no different. With last spring's closure of the Bryan Foods/Sara Lee plant in West Point, MS, and John Morrell's decision to close a shift at its Sioux City, IA, plant, I fully expected to see a reduction of U.S. slaughter capacity from the 420,875 head/day that I had reported in last year's update. But just as pork producers do the little things to maximize pig throughput, so pork packers have found new ways to increase their efficiency. Those efforts have resulted in an increase in slaughter capacity in spite of the two large losses last spring.
Comparing Apples to Oranges
Figure 1 shows the top 15 pork packing companies in the United States and their capacities. The total as of this past week is 424,835 head/day. That compares to 420,875 head/day last year -- but that comparison is apples to oranges. Allow me to explain.
When I started this project in 1995, I knew I did not have all of the plants accounted for in the United States, but felt I had enough of the large ones to allow us to simply add a "pad" for those generally smaller plants that I was missing. The "pad" then amounted to about 14,000 head/day and that worked well for awhile -- even through 1998.
However, as the business continued to consolidate, it became more and more possible to list virtually all of the plants in the United States. So in 2004, I added a number of plants to my list (See the footnote on the table). With the help of several industry contacts, I added another group of plants this year and have been able to confirm capacity of 3,930 head in seven additional plants. I still have not been able to confirm the capacities of 13 plants -- but believe they are small and would add no more than 2,000 head or so to this total.
So, the apples-to-apples comparison would be to deduct the 3,930 head of capacity from newly added plants to get a capacity of 420,905 head/day that is directly comparable to last year's number. The net gain is 30 head/day, and that is not a bad result considering that the two large losses amounted to 12,700 head/day.
Packer Growth Led by Smithfield Foods
Notable in this table is the growth of Smithfield Foods' capacity. That growth is mainly the result of acquisitions -- first of Farmland Foods in 2004 and then of Premium Standard Farms this year. Smithfield also increased the capacity of its Tarheel, NC, plant in 2000 when it received permits for increased wastewater treatment. A similar increase was recently granted for that plant. It has no impact on daily capacity, but does allow the plant to run full for six days/week.
Hormel's growth from 2004 to 2005 was the result of buying Clougherty Packing of Los Angeles and Triumph Foods' 2005 entry into the business, and rapid ramp-up of its second shift has added 17,500 head/day since 2004.
All of the other changes among these top 15 companies have been accomplished through plant expansions, new technology such as blast chillers or simply new operating procedures that allow higher throughput. Sara Lee remains at number 15 in spite of the closure of the Mississippi plant due to its large sow slaughter operation at Newbern, TN.
Will this capacity be sufficient for the larger slaughter runs I expect this fall? I think so but it could be tight.
Figure 2 shows my early-July forecasts of weekly slaughter based on the June Hogs and Pigs Report and my belief that we would see 1.0% to 1.5% more hogs the remainder of 2007 due to effective vaccines for circovirus. That increase is beginning to look a little low, but I don't expect the extra pigs to push weekly slaughter totals much over 2.3 million head this fall.
My estimated daily capacity of 424,835 head could handle the 2.3 million/week slaughter projection using 5.42 full days/week. That level of utilization has not historically put much pressure on hog prices beyond the normal downward pressure of the large meat supplies. Much more than that, however, could put producers in a decidedly disadvantageous position in selling hogs, and cause hog prices to decline more than would be suggested simply by the increase in meat output.
Look for a more detailed discussion of U.S. pork packing capacity, including a full listing of the top 50 pork packers, in the Sept. 15, 2007 issue of National Hog Farmer magazine.


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[dropcap style="font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;"] O[/dropcap]ne of the things I love most about blogging is the comments.
Although, when I'm spending too much time moderating spam comments, it can be tempting to think about shutting down the comments on Stonesoup.
But then I go and write a post like last week, that didn't exactly come out right.
And I'm reminded of the great thing about comments – feedback.
With the help of all of the fabulous Stonesoup readers who took the time to share their opinion, I could see where I had missed the mark. Which will make me a better writer in the future. And once again made me thankful for the comments function on my blog.
Those of you who are worried about Stonesoup becoming a 'food fashion' or 'fad diet' blog. Thank you for your concern and for taking the time to let me know. I really do appreciate it.
You'll be happy to know I have no intention of swapping my bedside reading from cooking and food books to science or nutrition journals.
I still love food and that's what I want to share here.
Stonesoup will continue to be a blog that celebrates food from the perspective of keeping things as quick and simple as possible without sacrificing flavour or healthiness.
What constitutes 'healthy eating' varies a great deal, depending on who you talk to. So I think it's important for me to share what my personal definition of healthy eating from time to time…
My Healthy Eating Story
This is going to get a little personal… but it seems like time to share the full story…
So last week, among my 'rant' on the perils of grains, I shared where I'm at with healthy eating.
For those of you who missed it, basically I'm avoiding grains, sugar & fruit and embracing vegetables, meat, fish, legumes and a little cheese and yoghurt.
That being said, 'avoiding' doesn't mean completely excluding.
We still have the occasional Friday night pizza session or a pasta feast. And if I come across a tray of ripe raspberries that look too good to resist, I'll buy them and enjoy.
It really is about moderation.
I also mentioned how I'm happy with this way of eating because it has enabled me to enjoy my food and love my waistline. Without running super long distances to compensate for my diet.
But there's been another more personal benefit that I didn't touch on.
Years ago, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovaries. No big deal.
It just meant I didn't get regular periods. And that things could be a bit tricky from a fertility perspective. Again, no dramas.
One of the biggest surprises for me changing my way of eating has been that I've started having a (relatively) regular cycle. Polycystic Ovaries no more.
Happy days.
5 Simple Steps to Healthy aEting, the Stonesoup Way
1. eat more vegetables
I'm yet to come across anyone who thinks we should be eating less veggies. For me the easiest way to do this is replace the grains in my diet with vegetables as much as possible.
2. embrace moderation
Moderation doesn't sound that exciting, but it's the key to finding the balance of a healthy diet that's also fun. And a big thank you to Kitchem for introducing me to my new favourite moderation quote from Dr John Tickell
'Everything in moderation except laughter, sex, vegetables and fish. But not all at the same time."
3. eat as wide a variety of foods as you can
I've always been a fan of variety and am definitely someone who is always on the lookout for new things to try. So I was happy to be reminded by an email from a Stonesoup reader about the benefits of variety in our diets. Not just about stopping boredom, variety also helps to spread our risks of eating too many harmful foods OR missing out on too many essential nutrients.
4. understand the role of carbohydrates
Regardless of your stance on eating grains and fruit, it's important to understand the role of carbohydrates in a healthy diet. If you have any questions around this, I'd really recommend taking the time to read Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes.
5. see what works for you, and tweak as required
One of the things I really failed at in my post last week was that I didn't explain my belief that everyone is different. And what works for me isn't necessarily going to be the best option for you.
I totally respect everyone's differences (and am excited about them – it would be boring if everyone was the same). I hope you'll develop your own definition of healthy eating based on what works for you.
Burnt Carrot Salad
Inspired by the grill master Francis Mallmann.
The first time I made this salad I cooked the carrots on the BBQ and served it with only a little cheese as a side dish to a BBQ rib eye steak. The salad completely outshone the meat.
Here I've upped the goats cheese to turn it into a light lunch salad. And I'm burning the carrots in a hot pan. While the results are pretty decent in the kitchen, it's not quite as mind blowing as the BBQ version. So if you can BBQ your carrots by all means do.
serves: 2
takes: 15 mins
1 bunch baby carrots
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 handfuls mixed salad leaves
100g (3oz) fresh goats cheese
1. Heat a large heavy frying pan on a very high heat for 3-4 minutes.
2. Meanwhile trim and discard carrot tops. Halve carrots lengthwise.
3. When the pan is super hot. Add a little oil and the carrots, shaking to make sure they are in a single layer.
4. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until carrots are a little burned and charred in places.
5. Meanwhile, combine balsamic, soy and 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
6. Turn the carrots and cook for another minute or until cooked to your liking.
7. Scatter leaves over a serving platter. Top with hot carrots, drizzle with dressing and finish with little chunks of the cheese.
vegan – replace the cheese with a generous handful or two of roasted almonds or sunflower seeds.
dairy-free – see the vegan option. Or try a couple of chopped boiled eggs instead of the cheese.
side salad – either decrease the cheese or skip it all together and serve as a side salad to BBQ steak or chicken.
more substantial – I'm keen to try this as a carrot & lentil salad. Just toss a drained can of lentils in the dressing. Or use home cooked lentils that have been boiled in water until tender (15-20mins) and drained.
carnivore – replace the cheese with shredded cooked BBQ chicken.
soy-free – just skip the soy sauce in the dressing and be more generous with the salt & pepper.
budget – replace the goats cheese with ricotta or another less expensive cheese. And use 5-6 regular carrots quartered lengthwise instead of the baby carrots.
video version of the recipe
With Love,
Jules x
ps. Looking for more Healthy recipes?


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Editor's Note:
Story highlights
CNN EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry moves to Kensington Palace
Harry occupies apartment close to Prince William and Kate
Move seen to reflect Harry's maturity and closeness to brother
CNN also reveals prince's military academy nickname: Harry Potter
Britain's Prince Harry has moved into the same west London residence that his brother William set up home in with new wife Kate last year, CNN can reveal.
Harry took a small apartment at Kensington Palace after moving out of the bedroom and study he occupies at nearby Clarence House - the home of his father, Prince Charles.
The move, on the heels of this month's successful official tour of the Caribbean, is seen as a sign that the increasingly mature 27-year-old is putting his wild past behind him.
It also appears to be evidence of the strong bonds between Harry and William, the brothers who will lead and define Britain's royal family over the next few decades.
Watch Harry talk about "emotional trip" to Caribbean
Harry is understood to have been looking to move into his own place for some time, and is becoming William and Kate's neighbor because the brothers "wanted to be together," a senior royal source told CNN.
"Prince Harry and Prince William are a double act for the rest of their lives," the source said. "They are very loyal and trust each other. Loyalty is key. Harry is very respectful towards William."
William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, currently live in Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace, but will move into a renovated apartment in the main building in 2013.
Harry, third in line to the British throne, is then expected to take over the cottage.
Kensington Palace was home to both the princes when they were being brought up by their mother Diana, the Princess of Wales, who lived there from 1981 until her death in 1997.
While Harry's Caribbean tour saw him graduate as a representative of the British royal family, the prince's official duties are expected to take a back seat to his military career in the immediate future.
According to the royal source, Harry relishes the ordinary treatment he receives as a captain and Apache helicopter pilot in Britain's Army Air Corps.
Read more on Harry's career as a helicopter pilot
His colleagues say they often forget his royal status. Kayon Mills, a Jamaican lieutenant who trained with Harry at Britain's Sandhurst military academy, told CNN the prince's nickname was "Harry Potter."
Captain Wales, as he is officially known, is preparing for deployment later this year to Afghanistan, where he served briefly four years ago until a broken media embargo led to him being rushed home.
There is not expected to be a news blackout this time. The royal source says but the prince won't require extra security despite being a potential priority Taliban target.
"The thinking is that being an Apache pilot is quite an anonymous job and the Apache is already a target," he said. "They can't be more of a target than they already are."


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- "Article of Faith 9" (September 2011 Friend)
A visual explanation of revelation and prophecy.
- "The Best Brigham Young" (January 2011 Liahona and Friend)
A girl tells the true story of Brigham Young after a school assignment portrays him as dishonest.
- "Callings and Prophets" (May 2003 Friend)
Elder Stephan A. West of the Seventy testifies that prophets know our struggles and let us know what we should be doing.
- "Families Are Blessed When They Follow the Prophet" (May 2014 Friend)
Tomás helps his family follow the prophet by holding family home evening.
- "Follow the Signs" (May 2006 Friend). What instructions does he give to help us be safe spiritually? Draw six signs to remind you of his counsel and place them around the house.
- "Finding Safety in Counsel" (November 2001 Liahona and August 1998 Friend)
President Henry B. Eyring share the story of the early Saints in Missouri and how they didn't follow the counsel of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
- "Following a Prophet" (August 2007 Liahona and Friend)
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) shares what happened when his parents followed the counsel of living prophets and decided to hold family home evening.
- "Following Prophets and Apostles" (April 2016 Liahona and Friend)
Learn more about what prophets are and how you can follow them.
- "Follow the Prophet" (August 2005 Friend)
Elder C. Scott Grow of the Seventy shares lessons he's learned from following the prophet, including keeping the Sabbath day holy and honoring temple covenants.
- "Following Christ at Christmas" (December 2012 Friend)
Stories from the lives of the latter-day prophets about following Christ at Christmas.
- "Following the Prophet" (January 2001 Friend)
Children share their testimonies based on guidance and instruction from President Hinckley
- "Going on an Errand for the Lord" (January 2012 Friend)
President Thomas S. Monson feels impressed to visit a man before he dies. Includes pictures of errands a prophet does for the Lord.
- "How Are Prophets Called?" (April 2016 Friend)
A description of how a prophet is called along with a chart of the current apostles in the order they were called in.
- "How does Jesus Christ speak to prophets?" (October 2013 Liahona and Friend)
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shares some thoughts on this subject.
- "I Know the Prophet's Voice" (October 2012 Friend)
A young girl recognizes the voice of the prophet as her family listens to the radio on the way to her grandma's house.
- "I Want to See the Prophet" (October 2003 Liahona and Friend)
Sally is disappointed when she doesn't get a chance to talk to President David O. McKay (1873–1970), but the spirit still testifies that he is the prophet.
- "King Benjamin Teaches His People" (March 2016 Liahona and Friend)
A retelling for young children about King Benjamin and how he spoke to his people.
- "Lessons from the Prophet Joseph" (February 2014 Friend)
President Henry B. Eyring shares four principles that Joseph Smith taught.
- "Our Living Prophet" (May 2003 Friend)
Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles promises that we will not go astray if we listen to our living prophet.
- "Peace in My Heart" (April 2016 Liahona and Friend)
Sister Carol F. McConkie of the Young Women presidency shares her experience of listening to the prophet speak when she was a little girl.
- "A Prophet's Counsel" (May 2001 Friend)
A young girl and her mother discuss the importance of listening to the prophet's counsel.
- "Prophets Teach Us to Live the Restored Gospel" (May 2013 Friend)
An explanation of how the prophet teaches by example and by speaking to us. Includes an activity to draw a picture of the prophet.
- "Scriptural Giants: Nephi Confounds the Wicked Judges" (November 1985 Friend)
A retelling of the story of Nephi.
- "Seeing God's Prophet" (May 2018 Friend)
Norah is sad because she wants to meet the prophet in person. Her mom teaches her about believing in things even if we can't see them.
- "Seeing God's Prophet" (March 2017 Liahona and Friend)
Elder Kim B. Clark of the Seventy talks about hearing President David O. McKay speak and shares his testimony of living prophets.
- "Stories of Jesus: Jesus Christ Speaks to Latter-day Prophets" (August 2013 Friend)
- "A Testimony of the Prophet" (March 2010 Liahona and Friend)
Elder Cecil O. Samuelson Jr. talks about the first time he heard the prophet speak in the Tabernacle.
- "Thankful for the Prophet" (November 2005 Friend)
A family is protected from uncertainty because they followed the prophet's counsel to prepare for an emergency.
- "Why are prophets important?" (March 2012 Friend)
Elder Neil L. Andersen teaches about the importance of living prophets.
- "Why is it important to follow the prophet?" (December 2007 Liahona and Friend)
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf shares some thoughts on this subject.
- Coloring Page: "Alma Followed the Prophet" (May 2020 Friend)
- Coloring Page: "God's prophets and apostles speak to us in general conference." (March 2012 Liahona and Friend)
- Coloring Page: "I Will Follow the Prophet." (April 2008 Friend)
- Coloring Page: "Prophets speak for Heavenly Father" (March 2011 Friend)
- Coloring Page: "Prophets teach me how to strengthen my family." (September 2009 Liahona and Friend)
- Coloring Page: "We Listen to Our Prophet Today" (March 2016 Liahona and Friend)
- "Conference Messages" (October 2012 Friend)
Follow the path of each letter to the circle at the bottom of the page to learn who speaks to us at general conference.
- "Conference Quote Cards" (March 2015 Friend)
Favorite quotes from the last general conference.
- Digital Coloring Page: "President Monson"
- Family Home Evening Idea: A Living Prophet
Read together the story "I Want to See the Prophet" (October 2003 Liahona and Friend). Pray to strengthen your own testimonies of the prophet, and plan to listen to general conference or read the talks as a family.
- "Follow the Prophet" (March 2012 Liahona and Friend)
Look for hidden objects in this picture of President Thomas S. Monson greeting some children.
- "Follow the Prophet" (May 2001 Friend)
Includes coloring figures that tell the story of Enoch.
- "Follow the Prophet Maze" (May 2013 Friend)
Follow the instructions given by each prophet to make your way through the maze.
- "Guess Who!" (September 2016 Friend)
Can you match these pictures of prophets and apostles today with their childhood pictures?
- "Heavenly Father Speaks to Us through His Prophets" (March 2011 Liahona and Friend)
Includes a general conference activity with pictures of the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles.
- "Living Prophets Teach Me to Choose the Right" (March 2012 Liahona and Friend)
Includes an activity to help children learn the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- "Prophets" (May 2003 Friend)
An overview of various prophets and their prophecies. Includes a picture testimony matching game.
- "Prophets—Called of God for Us" (January 2001 Friend)
- "Prophets and Apostles" (October 2019 Friend)
A coloring page of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- Includes a printable coloring activity about prophets from different dispensations.
- "Sharing Time: Blessings Come When We Follow the Prophet" (June 2001 Liahona and Friend)
An illustrated matching game that pairs prophets with their teachings.
- "Sharing Time: Follow the Prophet" (October 2004 Liahona and Friend)
Includes activity that focuses on listening to what the prophets say in general conference.
- "Sharing Time: Follow the Prophets' Examples" (November 2000 Liahona and Friend)
Includes a matching game to match prophets' works with their pictures.
- "Sharing Time: God Speaks through Prophets" (March 2010 Liahona and Friend)
Includes pictures of prophets to match with scripture references.
- "Sharing Time: God Tells His Prophets" (January 1998 Friend)
Includes instructions for a mobile about truths God has revealed through his prophets.
- "Sharing Time: Listen to a Prophet's Voice!" (April 2001 Liahona and Friend)
Includes a carousel of pictures showing what prophets have asked us to do, and lists of what we can do to follow.
- "Sharing Time: Obedience Brings Blessings" (May 2001 Liahona and Friend)
Color and label illustrations of children following the prophet.
- "Sharing Time: President Gordon B. Hinckley Is Our Prophet Today" (February 2001 Friend)
Includes a wheel with latter-day prophets from Joseph Smith to Gordon B. Hinckley.
- "Sharing Time: The Prophet Speaks for Heavenly Father" (February 2001 Liahona and January 2001 Friend)
This mobile illustrates how that prophets teach us what Christ wants us to do.
- "Truth Revealed" (June 2011 Friend)
A scrambled word puzzle about prophets and revelation.
- "Words of the Prophet" (January 2013 Friend)
Decode the message to find a quote from President Thomas S. Monson about temples.
- Bright Idea Poster: "When I listen to the prophets, my faith in Jesus Christ grows strong!" (March 2020 Liahona and Friend)
- Gospel Art Collection: "Latter-day Prophets"
- Gospel Art Picture: "Building the Ark"
- Gospel Art Picture: "Moses and the Burning Bush"
- Gospel Art Picture: "Samuel Called by the Lord"
- Gospel Art Picture: "The First Vision"
- Gospel Art Picture: "The Prophet Joseph Loved Children"
- "Heed the Prophets—Follow What They Say" (April 2008 Liahona and Friend)
Includes a picture of President Thomas S. Monson
- Image Collection: First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- Image: Mormonad, "Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice"
- The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles
- Matching: "Latter-day Prophets"
- Music: "We Listen to a Prophet's Voice" (Hymns, no. 22)
- Music: "The Sixth Article of Faith" (Children's Songbook, 126)
- Music: "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" (Hymns, no. 19)
- Music: "Follow the Prophet" (Children's Songbook, 110)
- Music Video: "When I Hear the Prophet's Voice"
- Poem: "Listen to the Prophet" (April 2007 Friend)
- Poem: "The Prophets and Me" (January 2001 Friend)
A poem about the prophets.
- Poem: "When I Think of Prophets" (October 2008 Friend)
- Prophet Portraits
Illustrations and captions about the lives of modern-day prophets.
- Sheet Music: "A Prophet Lives Today" (October 2003 Friend)
- Sheet Music: "I Heard the Prophet" (October 2001 Friend)
- Sheet Music: "I Like to Listen to the Prophet" (August 1997 Friend)
- Sheet Music: "Latter-day Prophets" (May 2018 Friend)
A revision of the song including President Russell M. Nelson.
- Simplified Sheet Music: "Follow the Prophet" (May 2013 Friend)
- Simplified Sheet Music: "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" (March 2017 Friend)
- "Thomas S. Monson"
Short biography and photo of President Thomas S. Monson.
- Verse: "Portrait of a Prophet" (August 2010 Friend)
A poem about following our prophet.
- Verse: "Why I Love the Prophet" (March 2010 Friend)
- Video: "Golden Days: A Celebration of Life"
President Thomas S. Monson's 85th birthday celebration.
- Video: Old Testament Stories, "Chapter 47: The Prophets Tell about Jesus"
- Video: "One in a Million: "Aaron, Chile"
- Video: "One in a Million: Emeri, Australia"
- Video: Truth Restored, "Modern-day Prophet—Noelle"
- Video: "We Need Living Prophets"
Members of the Church from around the world bear testimony of living prophets and apostles.


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|Farming snails 2: Choosing snails; Care and harvesting; Further improvement
source ref: fb34fe.htm
The first twenty- six volumes in FAO's Better Farming Series were based on the Cours d'apprentissage agricole prepared in Côte d'Ivoire by the Institut africain de développement économique et social for use by extension workers. Later volumes, beginning with No. 27, have been prepared by FAO for use in agricultural development at the farm and family level. The approach has deliberately been a general one, the intention being to constitute basic prototype outlines to be modified or expanded in each area according to local conditions of agriculture.
Many of the booklets deal with specific crops and techniques, while others are intended to give the farmer more general information which can help him to understand why he does what he does, so that he will be able to do it better. Booklets No. 33 and 34 were added to the series owing to a growing interest in small- scale snail farming for food and profit in many countries where FAO's Better Farming Series is widely used.
Adaptations of the series, or of individual volumes in it, have been published in Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Creole, Hindi, Igala, Indonesian, Kiswahili, Malagasy, SiSwati, Thai and Turkish.
Requests for permission to issue this manual in other languages and to adapt it according to local climatic and ecological conditions are welcomed. They should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.


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The United States Actuator Sensor Interface Market is projected to grow with a significant CAGR in the forecast period. Economic development and substantial infrastructure development have constituted regional revenue generation. Further, the patterns associated with domestic production, import and export, and consumption have helped market participants to analyze and capitalize on potential opportunities. Besides, the qualitative and quantitative parameters provided in the report with detailed analysis highlights the driving and restraining factors of the United States Actuator Sensor Interface Market.
Market Segmentation & Coverage:
This research report categorizes the Actuator Sensor Interface to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:
Based on Component , the Actuator Sensor Interface Market studied across AS-Interface Cables, AS-Interface Gateway, AS-Interface Slaves, and AS-Interface Power Supply.
Based on Industry, the Actuator Sensor Interface Market studied across Aerospace & Defence, Automotive & Transportation, Chemical & Materials, Food & Beverages, Metal & Mining, Oil & Gas, Paper, Pharmaceuticals, Semiconductor, and Water & Wastewater Treatment.
Based on Application, the Actuator Sensor Interface Market studied across Building Automation, Drive Control, and Material Handling.
FPNV Positioning Matrix:
The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Actuator Sensor Interface Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.
Competitive Strategic Window:
The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.
Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:
COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.
The report provides insights on the following pointers:
1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players
2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets
3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments
4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players
5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments
The report answers questions such as:
1. What is the market size and forecast of the United States Actuator Sensor Interface Market?
2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the United States Actuator Sensor Interface Market during the forecast period?
3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the United States Actuator Sensor Interface Market?
4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the United States Actuator Sensor Interface Market?
5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the United States Actuator Sensor Interface Market?
6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the United States Actuator Sensor Interface Market?


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Google has opposed moves by the U.S. Department of Justice to extend the warrant issuing authority of magistrate judges to searches of computers in districts other than their own.
Innocuous as that may sound, Google is concerned that the proposed amendment would likely end up being used by U.S. law enforcement to directly search computers and devices anywhere in the world.
There is nothing in the proposed change to the Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41 that would prevent access to computers and devices worldwide, wrote Richard Salgado, Google's legal director for law enforcement and information security, in a blog post Wednesday.
The rule currently gives authority to a judge in a district to issue a warrant to search for and seize a person or property located within the district, with certain exceptions.
The amendment would allow a magistrate judge of the location, where activities relating to a crime may have occurred, the authority to issue a warrant "to use remote access to search electronic storage media and to seize or copy electronically stored information located within or outside that district," if the location of the media is concealed using technology or the media are protected computers that have been damaged without authorization and are located within five or more districts.
The little known Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure proposed the amendment and the last day for comments was Tuesday. The move to amend Rule 41 has been opposed by a number of privacy and civil rights groups. Google also filed its comments.
The Department of Justice in a submission in 2013 argued that it is becoming difficult to identify the location of a computer suspected to be involved in a crime, as criminals are, for example, increasingly using anonymizing techniques. Criminals are also using multiple computers in multiple districts simultaneously and effective investigation and disruption of their schemes requires remote access to the Internet-connected devices in many districts.
The DOJ gave the example of a large investigation into a botnet of compromised computers under a central control that could require investigations in a large number of districts. Obtaining warrants in all the districts simultaneously would be practically impossible, it said.
The U.S. has diplomatic arrangements with many countries, called Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs), for cross-border crime investigations. The repercussions of the amendment on relations with other countries should be addressed by the U.S. Congress and the President, not the Advisory Committee, Google said.
The definition of "remote search" and under what circumstances and conditions it can be undertaken are not specified by the amendment, according to Salgado. "It carries with it the specter of government hacking without any Congressional debate or democratic policymaking process," he added.
The reference to obscuring a location using technology would also bring under the amended rule a whole number of computers that use VPNs (virtual private networks), used by businesses like banks, online retailers and communications providers, according to Salgado. VPNs can conceal the actual location of a network, "and thus could be subject to a remote search warrant where it would not have been otherwise," he wrote.


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2022-2023 Annual Report
2017-2018 Annual Report
2016-2017 Annual Report
2018-2019 Annual Report
2019-2020 Annual Report
2020-2021 Annual Report
2021-2022 Annual Report
NCS is a multi-service, multi-funded non-profit agency that has been serving our community since 1972.
NCS has a volunteer Board of Directors who share their vision, mission and values.
To support the well-being of families, youth, and individuals in our community by providing counselling, housing, support, and outreach services.
A compassionate and empowered community where families, youth and individuals receive the supports and services they need to live dignified, resilient and hopeful lives.
Nelson Community Services acknowledges that the land upon which we offer our services is the traditional territory of the peoples who have lived here for thousands of years — the Ktunaxa, the Syilx, and the Sinixt. We respect and honour all our relations.
© 2016 GRAPHIC + WEB DESIGN BY: rbrand.ca


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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Jake Heaps is BYU's bowl-winning quarterback, and that's no easy feat for a freshman.
Heaps threw four touchdown passes, connecting with Cody Hoffman on three scores, and finished with 264 yards passing to help BYU beat overmatched Texas-El Paso 52-24 on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.
While he was one of the nation's top recruits a year ago, Heaps has come a long way from earlier this season when he was sharing snaps with Riley Nelson, who later was injured, and struggling to throw TD passes for the first time in his life.
|First Downs
|Third Down Conv.
|Fourth Down Conv.
|Total Yards
|Passing Yards
|Rushing Yards
|Time of Poss.
"But as a group, as an offense, we really stepped it up. We really improved," Heaps said.
Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall admitted he mismanaged the team when Heaps was splitting time with Nelson, whose injury allowed Heaps a chance to develop.
"He has a very bright future and he continues to learn to lead our team," Mendenhall said. "He continues to learn what it means to be the quarterback at BYU and now he knows what it feels like to win a bowl game. That's something a lot of first-year quarterbacks don't have the opportunity to do."
Heaps showed some toughness, too. He disclosed in the interview room that he has had a broken rib since BYU's last game, a 17-16 loss to Utah on Nov. 27.
"Not because I got sacked," Heaps said. "Because I was being a knucklehead out there, running around."
The victory capped a triumphant turnaround for the Cougars (7-6), whose 1-4 start included a rare loss to instate rival Utah State. At that point, Mendenhall told his team it would be a remarkable feat to reach a bowl game and win it.
Mission accomplished after the Cougars won five of their last seven regular-season games to become bowl eligible. In the first game of college football's bowl season, Mendenhall's team showed just how far BYU came by dominating the Miners (6-7).
"I'm just really proud of our team. In all facets of the game, we have improved," Heaps said. "It's so rewarding, looking back on this game and the way our season has gone. It has just been a very special season."
Hoffman had eight catches for 137 yards, while Joshua Quezada ran for 101 yards and J.J. DiLuigi added 98 yards on the ground to help the Cougars in their final contest before they begin play as an independent in football next season.
Heaps became the first freshman quarterback to start any of BYU's 29 bowl games. For most of the day, he looked like a polished veteran and showed why he was one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school in the Seattle suburbs in 2009.
QB Comparision
|J. Heaps
|T. Vittatoe
He completed seven of his first nine attempts, with both of those incompletions on drops.
"He was composed," UTEP coach Mike Price said. "He didn't play like a freshman. He played like a veteran. He threw the ball in there very accurately and was tough. He commanded their offense."
The Cougars raced to a 14-0 lead. J.D. Falslev returned the game's first punt 43 yards to set up a 4-yard TD run by Bryan Kariya. Heaps threw a 9-yard strike to Luke Ashworth, a 31-yard pass to Hoffman and made it 31-3 midway through the second quarter on a 3-yard pass to Hoffman.
On that play, Heaps also broke Ty Detmer's 22-year-old BYU freshman record for most passing TDs in a season. Heaps, who finished with 15 TD passes on the year, was 25 of 34 with one interception and was selected the game's most valuable offensive player.
"Our offense had to regroup," Heaps said. "We kind of had to start over when I got named the starter because now it was focused around what my strengths were. And this last game, we showed what we're capable of on offense."
BYU also got two interceptions and one of the team's four sacks from Andrew Rich, voted the most valuable defensive player.
Afterward, Rich said Heaps has worked hard to lead BYU's younger players and the older players noticed.
"From my standpoint, he earned it. He worked and worked and worked," Rich said. "And our team worked and worked and worked.
It wasn't something magical, where he just started throwing touchdown passes. He worked his butt off."
UTEP's season went in the opposite direction compared to BYU, with the Miners losing six of seven after opening 5-1. They still reached a bowl game for the first time since 2005 but dropped to 0-5 since beating Mississippi 14-7 in the 1967 Sun Bowl.
Trevor Vittatoe, who postponed surgery on his left ankle so he could play in the postseason, threw three TD passes, all to Kris Adams on plays of 67, 37 and 49 yards. But that was the bulk of the offense for the Miners, whose 233 total yards included minus-12 yards rushing.
"We had opportunities and didn't make plays," said Vittatoe, who was 14 of 29 for 245 yards with two interceptions. "It would have been nice to me if we could have won this game, since it was our one and only opportunity at a bowl game."
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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At the beginning of the week, we found out that Kathleen Sebelius had been huddling with the NFL, hoping to move the ball forward on public acceptance of ObamaCare. Apparently, the pass fell incomplete, because the NFL now says it has no intention of lining up with the White House for this kickoff, according to play-by-play man Philip Klein at the Washington Examiner:
UPDATE: NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy emails:
We have responded to the letters we received from members of Congress to inform them we currently have no plans to engage in this area and have had no substantive contact with the administration about PPACA's implementation.
Letters from Congress? ObamaCare opponents on Capitol Hill had to call an audible after getting surprised by the Obama administration's attempt to draft the country's most popular sports league:
The top two Republicans in the Senate cautioned the National Football League against teaming up with the Obama administration to promote the president's controversial health care reform.
Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confirmed the NFL and a "variety of sports affiliates" have been "enthusiastically engaged" with the administration over the idea.
But in a letter sent Friday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn advised the sports leagues that it would not be a smart move.
"Given the divisiveness and persistent unpopularity of the health care [law], it is difficult to understand why an organization like yours would risk damaging its inclusive and apolitical brand by lending its name to its promotion," stated the letter.
In fact, the two leading Republicans tried to head off expansion teams from joining the league:
In addition to the NFL, the letter was sent to the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, Professional Golf Association and the chairman and chief executive officer of NASCAR.
It's good to know that we'll be able to watch American football without having to endure chalk talk on ObamaCare. Maybe Sebelius should have kept her playbook a little more covert.


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Makers of breakfast foods have long been known for innovation.? New cereal and frozen foods hit the shelves regularly.
But it would seem that not everyone's invited to the table.
Pick up any cereal box and you'll often discover a world that speaks only to moms.? Despite all the newfound innovations in the grocery store, marketers remain convinced that the family dynamic hasn't changed – that dads don't take care of children, don't tend to the home, or even spend their morning ritual with the family.
The Rice Krispies Twitter page reinforces this outdated stereotype with a Twitter bio (right)?that excludes dads from the outset.? The exclusion is?particularly surprising for a brand that's?well accepted and loved by families everywhere — families which include dads.
Its approach is surprisingly consistent with a few of its iconic shelf mates.? It wasn't until 2015 that Cheerios changed its webpage touting itself as "Mom's Choice."? Kix defers to mom in both slogan and message on every box.? Even the back of Frosted Mini-Wheats exhorts kids to specifically ask mom for more.? And El Monterey has long used the hashtag #momwins throughout its social media.
Our tweets on the Rice Krispies bio?recently caught the attention of Kellogg's, but the communication fell flat when?subsequent tweets?weren't returned.? We're still waiting for what could be a quick fix and thus restore balance to the cereal shelves.
Of course, this particular cereal stretches far beyond the bowl.??The?oft-duplicated?rice puffs?are a virtual kitchen staple, useful in many recipes around the kitchen.? Its Twitter page frequently touts its?popular endearing spinoff, the Rice Krispies treat. Even its venerable mascots Snap, Crackle and Pop resonate with everyone.
Given its prowess in our daily lives, let's hope Rice Krispies can turn things around soon and become close with dads again.
Like super close.
Like white on rice.


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Iran admiral: US ships are a target in case of war
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran will target American aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf should a war between the two countries ever break out, the naval chief of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard warned Tuesday as the country completes work on a large-scale mock-up of a U.S. carrier.
The remarks by Adm. Ali Fadavi, who heads the hard-line Guard's naval forces, were a marked contrast to moderate President Hassan Rouhani's recent outreach policies toward the West — a reminder of the competing viewpoints that exist at the highest levels within the Islamic Republic.
Iran is building a simple replica of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in a shipyard in the southern port of Bandar Abbas in order to be used in future military exercises, an Iranian newspaper confirmed last month.
Fadavi was quoted Tuesday by the semi-official Fars news agency as saying the immense size of the U.S. carriers makes them an "easy target." He said contingency plans to target American carriers are a priority for the Guard's naval forces.
"Aircraft carriers are the symbol of America's military might," he said. "The carriers are responsible for supplying America's air power. So, it's natural that we want to sink the carriers."
The Revolutionary Guard's naval forces are separate from the main Iranian navy. They are primarily based in and around the Gulf and include a number of missile boats and fast-attack vessels.
The commander said the Guard navy has already carried out exercises targeting mock-ups of American warships. In one case, he said, it took 50 seconds to destroy one of the simulated warships.
Tasnim, another semi-official news agency close to the Guard, reported that "an investigation" has found that the Nimitz-class carriers used by the U.S. could be seriously damaged or destroyed if 24 missiles were fired simultaneously.
An American Navy official in the Gulf was dismissive of the Iranian claims, and of the simulated carrier in particular.
"Whatever Iran hopes to do with the mock-up, it is likely to have zero impact on U.S. Navy operations in the Gulf," said Cmdr. Jason Salata, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which is based across the Gulf in the island kingdom of Bahrain.
"Firing weapons at a stationary structure floating on pontoons is not a realistic representation of having the capability to target a 100,000-ton warship ... maneuvering at speeds in excess of 30 knots," he said.
Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren mocked the Iranian mock-up, saying he had seen a classified image that showed it listing to the side by about 30 degrees. "My guess is you could sink the mock-up in 50 seconds," he said.
Warren said the photo would not be publicly released. "We are wholly unconcerned about the Iranians' mock-up of an American ship," added.
Iran's military leaders believe future wars will be air and sea-based. Tehran has sought to upgrade its missile and air defense systems, as well as its naval forces in anticipation of such a possibility.
Fadavi, however, said the Guard's navy is in "daily" contact with passing American warships in the Persian Gulf.
"At the Guard Navy Command Control Center, we talk to Americans on a daily basis. This has been going on for years," Fadavi said.
American naval forces in the region say they routinely monitor Iranian naval operations and frequently communicate with their Iranian counterparts.
Fadavi said Americans have formally demanded a hotline to contact Iranians in case of emergency but the Guard has turned down the request.
"Nothing (bad) will happen if they leave (the region)," he said.
Associated Press writer Adam Schreck contributed reporting from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and National Security Writer Robert Burns from Washington


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The Villeroy & Boch tiles shown are licence products from V&B Fliesen GmbH
The sophisticated look of slate meets modern design
The TOWNHOUSE wall and floor concept, which combines nature with sustainability, makes it possible to create rooms in a balance that makes a sense of well-being a first-hand experience. The high-quality slate design was transferred to a colour scheme that features muted hues of White, Beige, Grey and Anthracite. In this way, TOWNHOUSE lends a decidedly urban and at the same time modern natural appeal to freely designed rooms– a character underscored by the graphic 3-D borders, their colours and patterns harmoniously fitting in with the atmosphere of the room.