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- Home
- Docs
- Whal Documention
- Getting Started
- Theme Installation
Theme Installation
Estimated reading : 2 minute
Method 1: Theme Installation Via Admin Panel
First of all, you need to download the theme's installable file from your ThemeForest account that you've used for this purchase. Go to your ThemeForest Account > Downloads Tab
Now, to add your new theme, go to your website's Dashboard > Appearance > Themes and click on the Add New button.
Now click on Upload Theme.
Choose the zip file that you have just downloaded from ThemeForest and click on the Install button. Then wait for the installation process to finish.
Final step, click on Activate theme button.
Congratulations! Your theme has been successfully installed and activated.
Method 2: Theme Upload and Installation Via cPanel
Sometimes, for some issues, you won't be able to upload the Theme via WordPress Dashboard > Appearance > Theme > Add New > Upload Theme. If so, you can try this method of theme installation.
- Go to the cPanel (https://yoursite.com:2083 or https://yoursite.com/cpanel)
- Navigate to the File Manager > public_html/wp-content/themes/, then click on the "Upload" button from the top section of cPanel.
Method 3: Theme Installation Via FTP
If you can't install the theme via methods 1 and 2. Try this method:
- Log in to your server via your FTP software (FileZilla, Transmit, etc).
- Unzip the Whal.zip file, only use the extracted theme folder.
- Upload the extracted theme folder into wp-content > themes.
- Activate the newly installed theme by going to Appearance > Themes.
- Go to Appearance > Install Plugins and install all the required plugins.
- Simply click the Install button on each plugin to install them.
- Done
Still Stuck?
We can help you. Our 24/7 support team are ready to help you.


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3 Crucial Instances You'll Need Divorce Attorney Services
Ending a marriage comes with emotional trauma, stress, and anxiety. And while many online resources can help you file for a divorce successfully, going on this journey alone may lead to costly mistakes. If you've decided to divorce your partner for whatever reason, it's advisable to seek divorce attorney services. Here's when you need these services.
1. When Your Spouse Is Violent
Divorce can breed violent emotions in some individuals. If your spouse starts abusing you because you've told them you're getting a divorce, you'll need the assistance of a lawyer. Hiring these professionals before it's too late will prevent your abusive partner from taking your property or harming you and your children.
An attorney can also help you file for a restraining order. This will ensure your spouse doesn't come close to you or your children, giving you peace of mind. It will also enable you to focus on your divorce without the worry of being coerced to make certain decisions. Some temporary restraining orders can also permit you to withdraw money from joint accounts to get yourself and your kids to a safe place.
2. When You Can't Agree On Your Divorce Settlement
If you and your partner can agree on a settlement, you are among the few. Unfortunately, most of the time, couples don't agree on who should get what during a divorce because of the intense emotions they harbor against each other. And even if you decide to settle things yourself, many unexpected problems may come up in the future.
Divorce lawyers understand the regulations governing settlements. Before you sign the divorce papers, they'll ensure you get a fair share of the property, child custody arrangements, and spousal support. They'll also explain your rights and options to enable you to make the right decisions and minimize mistakes.
3. When You Need Representation in Court
If it becomes difficult for you to solve your issues out of court, you may need to appear before a judge. It may be tempting to go to court without a lawyer, but this can give your spouse an advantage over you, especially if they're represented. Divorce laws are also complex and can easily overwhelm you if you aren't a professional.
Divorce attorney services can make this entire process a breeze. They're skilled in presenting cases before the court and will fight for your interests and rights. They also know how to draft agreements in the court's format, file for divorce, and handle other legal paperwork required by the court. Letting an attorney represent you in court will increase your chances of winning and receiving a fair settlement.
The divorce process involves a lot of complexities that can easily overwhelm you and increase your pain. But if you seek divorce attorney services, this process will be a lot easier and less stressful.
For more information, contact divorce attorney services near you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Annual Spaghetti Dinner scheduled for April 14th
The Italy Gladiator Band Booster Club is having a Spaghetti Dinner, Auction and Raffle Saturday, April 14th, 5:00 – 7:30pm at the Central Baptist Church Family Life Center at 117 S. Ward St.. Great night to have a chance to win some great prizes and eat some delicious food.
So far we have a 2 man dog hog hunt, 4 rounds of golf w/carts, acoustic guitar with lessons, $400 off a set of tires and many many more items. Great raffle items are an Nintendo Switch and an Apple Watch and much much more.
Don't miss out! Donations are still coming in.
Stay tuned.
Raffle tickets will be sold at the school during lunch by the Booster Club. $1 each or 6 for $5.


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Record Display for the EPA National Library CatalogRECORD NUMBER: 8 OF 10
|Main Title
|Patho-Physiologic Response to Single and Multiple Air Pollutants in Humans and Animals.
|Cor, Morton ; Kotsk, Nancy ; Stanto, Dolores ; Bel, William ; Thoma, Armand P. ;
|CORP Author
|Pittsburgh Univ., Pa. Graduate School of Public Health.
|Year Published
|Report Number
|Stock Number
|Additional Subjects
|( Respiratory diseases ; Air pollution) ; ( Sulfur dioxide ; Respiratory diseases) ; ( Public health ; Air pollution) ; Pathophysiology ; Cats ; Lung ; Sodium chloride ; Air flow ; Nose(Anatomy) ; Pharynx ; Concentration(Composition) ; Aerosols ; Trachea ; Respiration ; Air pollution damage
Twenty healthy, adult male cats were lightly anesthetized (Nembutal), tracheotomized and were then breathed by a Harvard pump at a fixed frequency and tidal volume. Purified Medical Grade breathing air with or without sulfur dioxide in air or sulfur dioxide in combination with sodium chloride aerosol in air, was delivered to the animals in predetermined exposure sequences and for fixed durations of time. Parameters of response used to judge adaptation of cats to the inhaled challenges of pollutants were pulmonary flow resistance and lung compliance. In addition, pollutant mixtures were delivered to animals via endotracheal catheter and/or face mask to evaluate the possible influence of receptors which may be present in the nasopharyngeal chamber and in the trachea above the tracheal cannula. The major finding was the variability of the responses of the test animals. Certain subjects showed increased pulmonary flow resistance at low SO2 concentration, and were the analogues of the 'reactors' in human populations. Approximately 20 ppm SO2 in air were required to evoke a significant change in pulmonary flow resistance in 'reactors'. The majority of animals showed no response at this concentration of sulfur dioxide in air, either alone or in the presence of NaCl aerosol. When the pollutants were administered via endotracheal catheter and face mask, an increased frequency of significant changes in pulmonary flow resistance in these animals was suggested. All alterations in parameters of response were reversible shortly after exposure ceased. Morphological examination of lung tissue sections after rapid freezing with Freon indicated that measurement of alterations in airway size is not possible in the range of changes of pulmonary flow resistance reported here (< 100%). Methods and data for all experiments are presented in detail.


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Merchant Spotlight – Cut LooseEncinitas 1012018-01-31T17:10:00-08:00
We at E101 are excited to introduce our Member Spotlights! Each week we will shine the spotlight on one of our amazing E101 merchant members. This weeks spotlight is for - Cut Loose Cut Loose is an extensive line of casual clothing that's sewn and dyed to order in San Francisco. We're known for our fabrics, our flattering fit, and our colors. The shapes


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+39 0918400258
10am to 1pm - 4pm to 8pm (GMT+1 Italy)
24h/7 Help Desk
Piero Lissoni
Cassina Moov Sofa
PriceAsk for a Quote
- Details
- Catalogues / Finishings
Cassina Dining Products 2020 (17.87 MB) Download Cassina I Maestri Collection (13.21 MB) Download Cassina Living Products 2020 (22.02 MB) Download The Cassina Perspective Catalog 2020 (20.33 MB) Download
Aluminium, Fabric, Goose Feathers, Leather, Wenge
Cassina Moov Sofa. A system of modular sofas joinable to each other so as to form different configurations, either with or without movable headrest. The elements of Cassina Moov Sofa are padded and a rest of a platform in poplar plywood. All with coating chosen from fabric or leather. The armrests and backrests of Cassina Moov Sofa have an internal structure in steel and polyurethane CFC-free polyurethane with different density inserts. The padding is in polyester wadding while the bed frame is made of steel. The feet are made of triangular section aluminum die casting and available in different finishes of the sofa positioned to extremes. The coatings are immovable and available in fabric or leather.


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Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland which is located near the centre of the brain. This gland releases melatonin which regulates the sleep-wake or circadian rhythms (the internal body clock). An external cue, such as sunlight, facilitates the release of the melatonin hormone into the blood. At night, when there is no sunlight, melatonin is released from the storage and it can have a drowsing effect.
Melatonin made headlines in the USA as a so called "miracle drug". Ever since then melatonin is considered to have all kinds of "miraculous" effects. It is not only meant to be "life-prolonging" but it is also meant to be effective in the treatment of AIDS, arteriosclerosis, Alzheimer's, cancer and have positive effects on fertility. According to the BgVV* [Lit-1] there is no sufficient scientific information on the effects (both positive and negative) of melatonin.
Melatonin production in the body decreases with age. This led to the belief that melatonin influences ageing and age-related illnesses. However, the age-related reduction of melatonin could simply be a consequence of ageing and not its cause.
Many scientific studies show indications of a drowsing effect of melatonin. Melatonin could therefore possibly be used to help people suffering from insomnia. There are, however, no studies to indicate which patients can profit from which dosage.
Literature references:
[Lit-1] Bundesinstitut für gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutz und Veterinärmedizin, 22/95, 30. October 1995,"Wunderdroge" Melatonin ist kein Nahrungsergänzungsmittel - *(a German federal institution for risk assessment)
[Lit-2] Gemeinsame Presseerklärung des Bundesinstituts für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte und des Bundesinstituts für gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutz und Veterinärmedizin, 13/96, 14. Juni 1996, Melatonin als Arzneimittel zulassungspflichtig - Empfehlung der Bundesinstitute erfolgt dosisunabhängig
Experts warn not to take uncontrolled amounts of melatonin. The long-term effects have not yet been examined. Side-effects have also not been scientifically examined and so they are usually based on assumptions. If the body is receiving an external supply of melatonin, it may "switch off" the body's own production.
Melatonin is a substance with a pharmacological effect. It is not a dietary supplement. [Lit-2]
What You Must Know about Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, & More: Choosing the Nutrients That Are Right for You,
M.D. Pamela Wartian Smith
Earl Mindell's New Vitamin Bible,
Earl Mindell, Hester Mundis
Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements, Phyllis A. Balch CNC


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We Are Wigan Builders
We pride ourselves on being professional, efficient & great value. Fill in the form for a free quote
Or call us on 01942 800104!
Why we're the best option for your structural work in Wigan
Structural works on a building are a job you only want to leave to the most talented, professional and experienced builders with a proven track record of past work. Lucky for you, our building team has all three of those! We have worked with brick, cement, wood and most importantly steel, throughout our company's trading. We have also worked on all building types: commercial, domestic, heritage and industrial, so we're fully aware of our limitations and challenges for each job when we're quoting a potential customer so nothing takes us by surprise!
When you contact us for a free, no obligation quote, we will ask you a few questions about what it is exactly that you need, some questions about your property, why the works are being done and we'll quote you from there. We don't have any hidden costs, we charge what we quote (unless of course you'd like to add some extra works on!), and we're always very open and transparent about our timelines for work.
So whether you need structural repairs, or just want to add on the foundations for a new extension, then get in touch with us now!
Structural works are a service that we get asked for at Wigan Builders fairly often because the structure of properties will naturally weaken, due to weather, being lived in and natural ageing of materials. However, it is very typical for us to get asked to perform these works in 4 situations:
The most common situation is when you're either buying or selling a house and you are informed from a surveyor or structural engineer that a specific part of your structure needs work. Usually this is in the form of either knocking down a load-bearing wall or pillar while keeping the rest of the structure secure, and rebuilding it. Or in some cases, can be just a simple case of reinforcing the existing structure. This can happen because of age, damp, weather or any other number of reasons.
If you're getting a renovation or conversion that needs construction, knocking through walls or anything that can affect the stability of your property, you will need a structural engineer in Wigan. This is because structural engineers are specially qualified to gauge and test the strength of any walls in the structure and make sure that they can keep the structure secure and steady through everyday use.
If you've had an emergency or disaster of some kind that may have affected the structure of your property by damaging walls or foundations. Flooding and wind damage are common examples in England, especially near coast lines. Structural works will rebuild any walls, foundations or structures that need it, as well as test them to make sure they can keep your structure sturdy and steady.
Finally, if your construction company is building a new property and wants to outsource the structural works to us then we are more than happy to take on the project for you! We have a reputation for being efficient, professional and experienced at meeting deadlines and working with other companies on projects.
While most companies don't take on structural work for whatever reason, we can assure you that we can work with steel, concrete, wood and any other structural materials that are used in the industry today with proficiency and skill. We can source the materials for great prices due to our reputation and relationships we've built with suppliers over the years, we can break down and rebuild parts of a structure quickly and with very little fuss and we always make sure to check back at a later date to make sure that you're happy with the finished product!
Due to the nature of structural works, and the range of works we can take on, it's very difficult to give an approximate timeline for works, however there are a few general rules of thumb to go by if you require structural works from us.
Size and scope of the project. Of course if you only need a single wall reinforcing while a renovation takes place, then this will take a comparatively short amount of time. If you're planning a new build and need foundations, walls, load-bearing structures and the like in your home, then you can expect something in the range of months as opposed to weeks!
Materials matter. If you just require wooden walls for a shed or outhouse in your garden, then the project won't take very long at all as it just becomes a case of cutting and shaping the wood required, then securing it into place where needed. Concrete is usually the next fastest material to work with due to it being readily available to builders in Wigan from merchants companies. It just needs temporary wooden structures placed to hold it while it sets and dries, then once poured on site, it's just a case of waiting 48 hours for it to set (though in industrial cases this will be 28 days to allow it to fully set and dry) and removing the temporary wooden structures. Finally, metal such as iron and steel can take longer because the metal will need to be heated and moulded into the right shape off-site from the merchants we use, then once on site, we will have to cut through where needed and bolt and secure into place for whichever purpose it is intended for.
If it's a standalone project or part of a larger project. One of the things that we take into account when planning and quoting for a job is the amount of labour we'll need and time taken away from other projects for prep work on the one we're quoting. This means that if we are performing a garage conversion or the like in your home and we find out that you need a load-bearing wall to be reinforced or are performing a loft conversion and have found problems with the wood in your existing roofing structure, then of course that will have a much shorter turn-around time than if we were just on site solely for the structural work. This is because we will already be on site working on other things and can perform other jobs while waiting for materials to be delivered, placed on site, waiting to set etc. and make much more efficient use of our time!
Structural work in residential properties normally fits into the following types:
Foundation work - Laying down foundations for new structures, such as extensions, basement conversions and new builds to keep them standing and steady. At the same time, we also perform foundation repair and reinforcement when there is underlying damage or decay to structures due to freak weather occurrences and natural disasters, wear and age over time or accidents. This can also be known as underpinning, and is usually required when changing the floor level of a basement conversion.
Wall work - This will involve work done to the walls of a structure. This includes work on load-bearing walls, such as reinforcing or repairing them from damage, or at other times, removing them entirely in a way that keeps the structure intact and shifts the load elsewhere in the structure. It can also involve work on free-standing walls that don't support and hold the structure's load which is much easier to do work on. Finally, it also includes any work done to the outside walls of a property, such as creating new walls for an extension, or even walling for gardens.
Propping work - Another popular form of structural works is propping. This is where if a property is severely damaged, or we are performing structure changing works to it, we will prop the structure up using temporary, external and internal props. These will quite literally hold the structure up while the construction works take place.
Roofing work - Finally, if we are creating a new build, then we will also create the supporting structure a roof requires to hold itself up. We can also reinforce a roof during a loft conversion to keep it from falling, or even adapt and modify it to fit your new loft conversion if it needs to go through the supports such as in the case of a dormer or hip to gable conversion.
If you need any kind of structural work in Wigan that isn't included in this list, then please don't hesitate to contact us anyway as we have experience with every type of construction and building work out there during the decades of service we've provided in Wigan and the north-west!


text: During our Saturday build days, our dedicated construction volunteers and homeowners are working alongside one another building what our homeowners will soon call home. As a way to say thank you, we offer our volunteers and homeowners lunch on each Saturday during our build season. As they work side by side and eat together, community grows, and people are engaged in the lives of others. We provide lunch as a thank you for their hard work through the contribution of churches, community groups, restaurants and community-minded businesses. We welcome prepared individually bagged/boxed lunches that your group can deliver to the build site (or we can pick it up) or a cash donation to order lunch for a build day. 2023 Lunch donation sign up


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DESCRIPTION: The Ari floor light is the essence of sculpture as form and function. Set upon a round white marble base to contrast a brilliantly designed matte black curvilinear frame with peaked shade. A floor light and circular side table all in one.
DIMENSIONS: 22"w x 14"d x 65"h
MATERIALS & FINISHES: Matte Black Shade and base, White Marble base


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A field of 70 players took part in the South East Open 9-Ball Tour Season Finale at Mr Cues II in Atlanta, Ga last weekend.
Play on saturday went late into the night, but the players were back at it first thing Sunday morning to battle it out for the $2000 first prize. As the dust cleared Sunday night, it was BJ Ussery emerging in the hot-seat after an 11-5 win over Stoney Stone.
Stone would have to beat Bruce Berrong on the one-loss side to earn the rematch with Ussery in the finals. Beating Berrong was something that only Ussery had been able to do so far in the event and it remained something that Stone could not accomplish in this event as Berrong handed Stone the loss and relegated him to third place.
This set up the finals between Ussery and Berrong. Berrong had made it through all of his matches on Saturday undefeated, but lost to Ussery in his first match Sunday morning. After five straight wins on the left side of the board, Berrong got his chance to avenge that early loss. The second chance against Ussery was all Berrong needed as he earned a hard fought 13-10 victory in the finals.
Berrong pocketed $2000 for first, while Ussery settled for $1000 in second place prize money. Stone and Tony Crosby filled out the top four spots.
Although the SE Open Tour season is complete, there is no rest for tournament director Tommy Kennedy. The new season begins on March 20th-21st at Pockets in Dothan, Alabama. Look for more dates to be announced next week.
Complete Payouts:
1st Bruce Berrong $2000
2nd BJ Ussery $1000
3rd Stoney Stone $600
4th Tony Crosby $500
5th/6th Chris Bishop, Robbie Daniel $300
7th/8th Mike Staubes, Duane Davis $200
9th/12th Bill Ferguson, Chris Hightower, Jessie Middlebrooks, Brian White $175
13th/16th Todd Drake, Nomar Paula, Tommy Kennedy, Steve Moore $150


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Home › Forums › Creating Housing Options › Funding
Tagged: apartment community, funding sources, Intentional community
If we don't want to rely on grants or government assistance what other funding opportunities or ideas are available, we are trying to build an apartment opportunity
I'm interested in this also and interested in finding like-minded others with whom to potentially partner. Please keep me in the loop. Thank you!
JoAnn Dullahan
[email protected]
Joanna where are you located
Santee, California 92071
Hi! I am also interested in this. I am in largo, Florida


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Online Legal Research Tool
Eighth Amendment Supreme Court Cases
United States Constitution, Eighth Amendment Supreme Court Cases: In Lockyer v. Andrade (2003) 538 U.S. 63, and Ewing v. California (2003) 538 U.S. 11, the United States Supreme Court reexamined its opinions on the question of the proportionality of a term-of-years sentence under the Eighth Amendment. In Ewing, the high court stated that the Eighth Amendment does not require strict proportionality, but only forbids extreme sentences that are grossly disproportionate to the crime. (Ewing, at pp. 23-24.) The court affirmed California's power to make "a judgment that protecting the public safety requires incapacitating criminals who have already been convicted of at least one serious or violent crime," concluding "nothing in the Eighth Amendment prohibits California from making that choice." (Id. at p. 25.) The court further noted that "in weighing the gravity of a defendant's offense, we must place on the scales not only his current felony, but also his long history of felony recidivism." (Id. at p. 29.) In Ewing, the defendant was convicted of felony grand theft for stealing three golf clubs and was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison under the three strikes law. (Ewing, supra, 538 U.S. at pp. 18-20.) The defendant had four prior strike convictions for burglary and robbery as well as numerous other convictions, and committed the current offense while on parole. Justice O'Connor's lead opinion, in which two justices joined and two others concurred, states the defendant's sentence was "justified by the State's public-safety interest in incapacitating and deterring recidivist felons, and amply supported by the defendant's own long, serious criminal record." (Id. at pp. 29-30.) The sentence reflected "a rational legislative judgment, entitled to deference, that offenders who have committed serious or violent felonies and who continue to commit felonies must be incapacitated. The State of California 'was entitled to place upon the defendant the onus of one who is simply unable to bring his conduct within the social norms prescribed by the criminal law of the State.' Ewing's is not 'the rare case in which a threshold comparison of the crime committed and the sentence imposed leads to an inference of gross disproportionality.'" (Id. at p. 30.) In Andrade, the defendant was sentenced to two consecutive 25-years-to-life terms under the three strikes law based on two convictions for petty theft with a prior ( 666), an offense which may be charged either as a felony or a misdemeanor, but which the prosecutor elected to charge as a felony, for stealing videocassettes valued at less than $200. (Andrade, supra, 538 U.S. at pp. 66-68.) The defendant had suffered three strike convictions, each for first degree burglary. A five-Justice majority upheld the sentence, concluding that "the gross disproportionality principle reserves a constitutional violation for only the extraordinary case." (Id. at p. 77.) In Ewing v. California (2003), a majority of the United States Supreme Court concluded that in noncapital cases, the Eighth Amendment either contains only a narrow proportionality principle (Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices O'Connor and Kennedy) or that it contains no proportionality principle at all (Justices Scalia and Thomas). (Id. at pp. 20, 31-32.) Under the narrow proportionality principle recognized by the plurality, the Eighth Amendment does not require strict proportionality between the offense and the resulting sentence and does not mandate comparative analysis within or between jurisdictions. (Id. at p. 23.) Rather, it forbids only extreme sentences that are grossly disproportionate to the crime. (Ibid.) In weighing the gravity of the defendant's offenses, both his criminal history and his current felony must be considered. (Id. at p. 29.) The Ewing plurality noted that, outside the capital context, successful challenges to the proportionality of a particular sentence are exceedingly rare. (Id. at p. 21.) Ewing was convicted of shoplifting and sentenced under the "Three Strikes" law to 25 years to life. Without comparing Ewing's sentence to the punishment for other crimes in California or to the punishment for the same crime in other states, the court found that the case was not one of the rare cases in which a proportionality challenge could succeed. (Id. at pp. 29-30.) It found the sentence "justified by the State's public-safety interest in incapacitating and deterring recidivist felons, and amply supported by his own long, serious criminal record." (Ibid.) In Harmelin v. Michigan (1991) 501 U.S. 957, a majority of the Supreme Court determined that the Eighth Amendment does not guarantee proportionality of sentences. (Harmelin, at p. 965.) Justice Kennedy, joined by Justices O'Connor and Souter, concluded that the Eighth Amendment prohibits only sentences that are "'grossly disproportionate'" to the crime. (Harmelin, at p. 1001.) Even those justices in the Harmelin plurality who recognized a guarantee of proportionality review stressed that, "'"outside the context of capital punishment, successful challenges to the proportionality of particular sentences are exceedingly rare"'" because of the "relative lack of objective standards concerning terms of imprisonment . . . ." (Ibid.)


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Starting with a passport and duct tape, Brett Gonzenbach travels his best life path through the Elevate community
A 30 year old guy at his mom's house wearing an athletic jacket might (at first glance) be unremarkable. However, let me assure you that Brett Gonzenbach is worth knowing. He holds not only the top affiliate spot — but the top two.
In fact, in October 2020, Brett made 68 sales by applying the method, knowledge, and network he gained through Elevate.
So why is he at his mom's house? Because Brett has fulfilled his dream of living a life full of travel, culture, people, and food. And today, he happens to be visiting his family in Florida.
"Looking back on it," Brett says, "I say that I was lucky."
Just 3 years ago, Brett was working hard and playing even harder in a high level service job at a corporate casino in Las Vegas. Having a blast, he truly thought this was his dream job — achieving the only definition of success he knew.
Then, a colleague died of a heart attack at age 30. "That was my moment that I realized this is serious. He was like a brother. He was like a co-worker brother of mine."
Knowing something had to change, Brett went to Office Depot of all places. He bought a giant white board, duct taped his passport to it, and wrote at the top "How to create lifestyle around travel."
Every morning he woke up looking at this board that remained blank for 3 months. Despite having no awareness about visualization at the time, Brett had set the energy in motion.
First, he joined Facebook entrepreneurial groups and communities. Through this portal, Brett witnessed people doing, living, and creating a new way outside the corporate path.
That's when Brett noticed Andrew running a big business and traveling the world — doing exactly what Brett wanted to. Reaching out, he asked Andrew how this was possible. Through sharing tips, they soon built a solid friendship.
And Brett did more than watch and listen. He took consistent action with online businesses during nights and weekends while still at his corporate job.
Yet, he couldn't even speak of this new venture to anyone in his day-to day-life. "I was just worlds apart." Heck, it confused and awed Brett every time he opened his computer. "I think this is real," he remembers saying in the midst of the process.
And indeed, it proved to be real. Results after results after results added up. Finally…"Oh my god. I think I can actually quit my job." And he gave two weeks notice.
Ending his corporate life in Vegas at 7pm on a Friday, Brett was on a red eye flight to Hawaii four hours later.
As wild as that sounds, the best was just around the corner. Due to a glitch in time zone scheduling, Brett had 10 minutes after landing to get on his first sales call.
With the intercom blaring, he raced through the airport — looking for a quiet spot. 5 minutes. 2 minutes. Brett ducked into a little nook and closed a $8000 deal.
Hanging up the phone, he met Andrew in town saying, "I don't know what's going on right now, but let's go, man!" That's how it all started.
Throughout the call, Brett emphasizes getting clear on what you are looking for. Desire will propel you forward. Dive deep into what you want on your whiteboard. What are you actually looking for?
"You can make money in anything. It's about… what do you truly want. For me and what I look at with Oasis and the whole ecosystem that Andrew has built around affiliate marketing, it provides everything that I was personally looking for. All the freedom of being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want, with whoever you want, and make money in the process."
Transforming a dream into a reality takes work — not only time on the clock and learning skills but also overcoming self doubt. Being clear on your goals and the why behind them will get you through. This clarity will gift you endurance in the challenges and celebration in the successes.
Moreover, gather a community around you. Brett never could have taken the leap into this dream life without joining groups of solid people working and living the way he wanted to — by befriending Andrew.
And this inspiring friendship has carried over into Elevate. At the heart of ths affiliate marketing program is a core belief in creating win-wins for mutual investment. "It all comes down to the community, really." The positivity. The encouragement. The support. The results.
So when an Elevate community member asked in the private Facebook group if it's even possible to get 7 sales calls in a month, Brett knew he had to share his truth of closing 68 sales in October.
"We're all in this together….When one person wins, everyone else wins."
For Brett this winning includes: a three week skydiving immersion, one-on-one time exploring Arizona with his sister, solo cabin escape in Idaho for a week, Vegas reunion tour, and (of course) a visit with his mom. "This is what I was dreaming about." That whiteboard is off the wall and in action.
And what action is that? What work creates the opportunity for this lifestyle?
Mastering the craft of driving paid traffic through online ads. The rest of the heavy lifting is done through Elevate.
And it suits Brett very well.
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Title: Fire of Conscience
Country: Hong Kong
Year: 2010
Box Office: -
Director: Dante Lam
Producer: Dante Lam, Candy Leung
Writer: Jack Ng
Starring: Leon Lai, Richie Ren, Vivian Hsu, Michelle Ye
Genre: Action/Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Year: 2010
Box Office: -
Director: Dante Lam
Producer: Dante Lam, Candy Leung
Writer: Jack Ng
Starring: Leon Lai, Richie Ren, Vivian Hsu, Michelle Ye
Genre: Action/Thriller
Dante Lam succeeds in delivering a character driven action picture, but fall flats on film pacing and storytelling...
To be honest, it took me a few attempts and weeks, before the film was able to keep my undivided attention to get pass the 20 minute mark. It is rare that I encounter a film that bores more in the beginning. Still, once the film hits the quarter time interval, it begins to discern into a tad more interesting. There is really nothing wrong with the film on a technical level and probably a joy to endure with a decent sound system. However, the film fails by a dragging storying that moves toward routine and boredom than excitement. Still one must be impressed with the numerous smash-buckling action sequences by Chin Kar Lok, especially in the fabulously staged form of the restaurant scene which never fails on the brutality scale. Credit must also be given to Lam for trying to develop almost everyone of its film characters, but at the end of the day, it just seems too much. It is a rare case for Hong Kong action cinema where it is character driven and unfortunately it is also the biggest flaw in the film.
Leon Lai attempts to don a Aaron Kwok style career intervention, but fails to show enough emotions to cultivate what is a very complicated role. Unfortunately, Lai is no Kwok and his inability to shred off his wooden face effectively disables any heartfelt emotions from the audience. Contrastingly, Richie Ren shines in his role as the corrupt cop. Ren chews his scenes with a menacing confidence and in the end; he is far more human than the wooden figure of Leon. While not exactly award winning, but a nomination or some sort is not out of question. As usual Liu Kai Chi does a fine turn in yet another supporting cop role and the scene where he encounters Leon about his possible involvement of the prostitute death is a brain explosion of a joy to watch. The much loved Vivian Hsu makes a flower glass appearance and Michelle Yip adds some female testosterone to the proceedings.
All in all, Fire of Conscience is a fine example when a film works well on a technical level, beautiful to look at and even wonderful to watch, but falls to the ground when it comes to uneven pacing and slow storytelling. It is a shame as Dante Lam's Beast Stalker looks like a return to form and while Fire of Conscience isn't a bad film by all means, with the cast and crew on hand, one just expected a little more. A distant film that entertains in parts...(Neo 2010)
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Who Ya Got? Triathlon Fantasy Matchup #2
We tap two experts to debate the age-old question: "Who would win if…" This month we look at long-course legends, speedy swim/bikers, short-course monsters, and more.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Welcome to the second installment of "Who Ya Got?" Each month in this column, we'll choose two experts to debate tri fantasy matchups with former world champions, current pros, athletes outside of our sport, and even celebrities. This month we've asked pro triathlete and commentator Alicia Kaye to debate with former race director and former president of USA Triathlon, Barry Siff. They'll argue the undercards first, then the celebrity matchup, then square off in the main event at the end. Be sure to weigh in on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Related: Who Ya Got? Triathlon Fantasy Matchup #1Section divider
Undercard 1: Peak Leanda Cave Vs. Current-Day Lucy Charles-Barclay (70.3)
"I got Leanda"
Leanda was one of the most dominant females in the sport, ever. Her resume is only missing an Olympic medal, but that does not mean she didn't have tremendous success over Olympic-distance racing. I watched her, in person, pass a collapsing Barb Lindquist in 2002 in the finish chute at the ITU Short-Course World Championships in Cancun.
She is a phenomenal swimmer and could swim on the feet of Sara McLarty at ITU events—which very few female triathletes could do. In a 70.3, Leanda would likely swim on Lucy's feet, though I do think Lucy could pull away in a full-distance swim, thanks to her experience as an open-water swimmer.
Leanda and Lucy may ride together, but my intuition is that Leanda would out-transition her thanks to her short-course racing experience and create a gap early in the bike that Lucy couldn't close. Leanda won many races from the front with her nose in the wind, and while Lucy also likes to win this way, she tends to get caught and passed by athletes with short-course racing experience fairly early in the bike in a 70.3. Lucy is an incredibly consistent rider, but went long VERY young and doesn't have that same ability to burn a few matches to respond to moves.
Leanda was an exceptional runner and would likely outrun Lucy by 90 seconds to two minutes in a half marathon. If I were a betting person, Leanda would win by about four minutes. Over a full distance I think this race would be much closer.
"I got Lucy"
Leanda Cave was the first woman to win both the Ironman 70.3 and Hawaii Ironman World Championship in the same year—2012 (only Daniela Ryf has done the same since). In 2010, she was second and third in 2007. Lucy Charles-Barclay stormed to the top echelon of long-distance triathlon in the last three years: second at the Hawaii Ironman World Championship three years in a row, and second at the 70.3 World Champs in 2018. A drafting penalty at the 70.3 Championship led to a fifth place in 2019.
While Leanda was a tremendous swimmer, there has been no one as strong and consistent as Charles-Barclay—a former pro swimmer—and Leanda will want to get off the front on the bike. Cave's last two 70.3 swims were right around 26:00, while Lucy blistered a 23 flat in 2018 and 25:23 in 2019—a minute ahead of the pack. I would see this prowess leading to a minute lead out of T1.
Leanda was a great cyclist and, by working with two or three other women, she should be able to stay within striking distance of Charles-Barclay. Interestingly, while the latter has proven herself as an equally strong cyclist, Charles-Barclay just began riding in 2014. We could certainly be seeing even more improvement there.
Coming off the bike, Cave will work hard to overtake a fleet-footed Lucy Charles-Barclay, but I think she'd fall short. Lucy has run 1:20 in each of the last 70.3 Championships, while Cave ran a 1:23 in 2010 and 1:29 in 2012 (note: 2012 times were very slow due to extreme heat in Las Vegas). The "current day" Lucy Charles-Barclay is only getting better, and I'd have to give her the edge, head-to-head.
– BSSection divider
Undercard 2: Peak Peak Alistair Brownlee Vs. Simon Lessing (Olympic Distance)
"I got Brownlee"
My triathlon career was long enough to get to watch both of these athletes race in person, and a part of me would really love to be able to move the hands of time and have these two athletes race head-to-head; however they competed in very different times.
Both of these athletes are known to be very consistent across all three sports during their peaks. However, Simon was dominant 10+ years before Alistair was beginning to climb the ranks. Men's short-course racing took a major turn after the 2012 Olympics, and it had a lot to do with the Brownlee brothers and Javier Gomez. You could no longer stay away as a swim/biker, and you were sure as s*** not going to catch up on the run if you couldn't swim: I think from the gun Alistair would be gone, and Simon would not be able to do much about it.
That said, if you were to put Alistair back into the time of racing in the '90s, he could have swam and biked with Craig Walton and held off the field that way. But if you were to put Simon in today's ITU races, he'd be dealing with 70 guys who can all swim just as good, if not better than him, and still run 30min for 10k. Even in the heyday of mid '90s ITU racing, 31min would be the fastest 10K split. The sport evolved; it got better. Kids like the Brownlees specialized younger and have no weaknesses, and now much of the entire men's field is this way, and I'm not sure those dominant in the sport 20 years ago could be dominant today.
"I got Lessing"
Simon Lessing was arguably the greatest male Olympic-distance triathlete in history. After all, he won five ITU World Championships and broke the Olympic-distance triathlon world record with a ridiculous time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, 50 seconds in 1996 at the ITU Triathlon World Championships in Cleveland. He was an automatic in the very first ITU Hall of Fame class. Then, Alistair Brownlee came around, and the title of "greatest ever" suddenly became up for debate.
Brownlee has no weaknesses and, in fact, is near world-class status in all three disciplines. Pushing the pace from the gun, Brownlee's foot speed is virtually unparalleled in our sport. He has run an open 10K in 28:32, and sub-30 off the bike.
This slugfest would unveil itself quickly, as Lessing could not let Brownlee get away at all in the swim, given Brownlee's strength and propensity to blister the bike and never be seen again. Thus, they exit the swim and T1 close enough that they are together on the bike, and we have our own ITU/World Triathlon version of the Iron War in ideally hot and humid conditions.
Lessing, well aware of Brownlee's foot speed, together with a much more technologically advanced bike than he was using back in the day, pushes the bike for much of the 40K. Brownlee, who intended to do the same, smiles a lot and routinely remarks to Lessing how impressed he is, playing his usual mind games; Lessing, known for his own brand of brash personality would have none of it.
They enter T2 together and, essentially, Brownlee says, "See ya'." He takes off at full speed to make an immediate statement. But, Lessing, known for his brilliant tactics, steely demeanor, as well as his running speed, settles in and counts on a Brownlee meltdown—which we have witnessed in the past in extremely hot conditions. Just 200 meters from the blue carpet, signs of the meltdown would occur, as Lessing shifts into another gear and passes the tiring Olympic and World Champion just 10 meters from the finish line.
– BSSection divider
Celebrity Matchup: Peak Lindsey Vonn Vs. Peak Ronda Rousey (Olympic Distance)
"I got Vonn"
DISCLAIMER: I am a huge MMA fan, have seen "Rowdy" fight live, and would be cheering loudly for her. That said, as a journalist, I will remain impartial … just like CNN and Fox.
The pre-race stare down and intimidation factor goes to Rousey. She will dramatically and aggressively run to her start on the beach, while "accidentally" bumping into Vonn. Vonn, however, is not easily intimidated. Having won three Olympic medals and four World Cup Championships as a fearless alpine ski racer, Vonn would simply smile at Rousey, displaying a comfortable level of confidence.
Vonn also would take this challenge a bit more seriously than Rousey, focusing her three-month build-up on technique, rather than just strength and innate athletic ability. Therefore, I would see Vonn exiting the water ahead of the MMA fighter and two-time Olympian in judo. (Rousey was the first American woman ever to earn an Olympic medal in judo, a Bronze in 2008.)
That strength, brute force, and sheer determination will do Rousey well on the bike, as she will overtake Vonn easily, and come into T2 with a nice lead. But, with only a few months training for this race, Rousey will have unlikely learned the fine art of pacing, and a well-conditioned, less-aggressive Lindsey Vonn would take the win not far from the finish line.
"I got Rousey"
This is tough because both of these women were so dominant in their very different sports. As a downhill skier, Lindsey Vonn will have high power for short bursts, but she'll be short on endurance. And Ronda—while also very powerful—has trained her endurance system since her matches often lasted much longer than it took Lindsay to fly down a hill.
I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that due to all the knee injuries Lindsey has had, she's probably spent some time in the pool cross training. After researching whether or not they could swim, I found mostly photos of them in tiny bathing suits and not a whole lot of evidence of lap swimming—however, Ronda did mention in one article that swimming is also a part of her cross training. I would estimate that Lindsay, while comfortable in the water, might lose two to three minutes.
While it doesn't appear that either of these athletes rode a bike for training, they've both used one to warm up for workouts. Both would probably pick up biking very quickly, but Lindsay would be way more comfortable on a TT bike than Ronda, due to her expertise staying aero on skis. On a flat course with lots of time trialing I could see Lindsey being very strong and comfortable in her TT position, but if it's a hilly course, I could see Ronda closing some time on the climbs. On the run, I think Ronda's experience as a former boxer with a lot of run cross training would smash Lindsay—likely running 10 minutes faster over a 10K, making it an easy win for the MMA star.
– AKSection divider
Main Event: Current-Day Jan Frodeno Vs. Peak Mark Allen (Long Course)
"I got Frodeno"
Jan is already considered the best male triathlete ever in the sport of triathlon. To have captured all three world titles multiple times—including Olympic gold—is pretty unprecedented (and after 2020, I hate even saying that word).
Jan would have put four to five minutes into Mark Allen in the swim and would likely transition much faster than Mark with his short-course experience. Comparing their bikes is tough, but historically there is about a 30-minute difference in their bike splits—of course there have been massive technological and aerodynamic advances made to bikes since Mark's peak racing days. Even if I were to mentally put Mark on a wildly fast bike, I do not see him closing any time on Jan there. Jan has proven himself to be one of the most consistent riders of the iron distance and has made very decisive moves late in the bike when he needs to (Kona 2019, for instance).
While Mark would run well, likely in the low 2:40s, it wouldn't be enough to close what would likely be a 10-minute-plus deficit off the bike and put him anywhere near Jan. In my mind, Jan wins by 12-15 minutes. That said, I'd love to see this match up as both of these athletes were performers, and I think Mark would have killed himself to stay with Jan, or would have otherwise evolved his strengths to compete closely with the German.
"I got Allen"
I am not sure we will ever see—or can even conceive of—a more exciting iron-distance race than 1989's "Iron War" with Mark Allen versus Dave Scott. But, a mano-a-mano clash between "The Grip" and "Frodo" would certainly have the makings of all-out warfare.
Jan is a phenomenally consistent top swimmer in any race he does, and his 47:31 swim split in 2019 is just off the course record in Kona by one minute. Mark, meanwhile, had a 51:17 split when he battled Dave in 1989. I would project Jan taking out the swim at a ferocious pace, hoping to gain a two-to-three-minute advantage over Mark into T2. Mark would need to be on the heels of a strong pack to keep within that two-to-three-minute spread.
Again, Frodo's spectacular 4:16 bike split in 2019 reflects where I have to believe he will make his big statement. When Mark set the course record in 1989, his split was just over 20 minutes slower at 4:37. However, if technology has played a big role anywhere, it's on the bike, and with Jan off the front alone, Mark would be in a strong train of solid riders—allowing him to be within six to eight minutes into T2, where the real race will begin.
The amazing 2:40 marathon Mark ran in 1989—on the original and tougher Kona course—still remains the greatest run in Ironman history in my mind. On top of that, Mark had several amazing come-from-behind Kona victories, including making up 14 minutes on the run in his win over Germany's Thomas Hellriegel in 1995—his last of six Kona Championship wins.
No one has ever come close to the mental tenacity of Mark Allen, and I see this as the defining factor in this epic battle. Jan would be racing from the front to stay away from Mark, while Mark would be stalking his prey, mentally putting the pressure on yet another German. I see Mark Allen—once again—taking the lead on a slowing Jan Frodeno on the slight hill leading to the top of Palani, just two miles from the finish, and winning this classic contest.


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The passion for what we do has no boundaries, our resilience is authentic and our courage is limitless when facing new challenges.
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We've created a remote onboarding process to ensure that new starters have all the knowledge they need to be able to start this new career phase.
We are currently looking for an DevOps Engineer.
We are looking for an enthusiastic Devops Engineer who is helping to build our backend platform for the growths of our Digital Retail Solutions. Customer value and automation are key in deployment and configuration of our landscape. We are working towards enabling autonomous teams and 'hands-off' deployments to facilitate DevOps practices. You would be mentoring other team members and considered an ambassador to both: our end-users and vendors or third parties. Therefore, collaboration and maintaining a healthy relationship with adjacent teams is key.
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In today's episode, I interview Brad Frost, known for coining the term "Atomic Design." Brad literally wrote the book on this subject, and now consults with companies on how to express their brand from language all the way down to the smallest piece of their UI.
Copyright 2023 Spec Network, Inc.


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Watch Your Speed And Help Save Lives!
Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina will again join forces this year for the third annual 'Operation Southern Shield,' a week-long speed enforcement operation. Drivers breaking the law by traveling above the legal speed limit on interstates, major highways and local roads beginning next Monday will face police officers and state troopers.
According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of traffic deaths reported in the state during last year's Southern Shield was 29 percent lower than the past several years during the last two weeks of July.


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With Hong Kong flooding under heavy rain and preparing for a Super Typhoon this week, most residents are just trying to keep dry. But one heroic man isn't bothered. He just chilled out in a Starbucks, drinking coffee and reading the paper as water pooled underneath him.
Meet Starbucks Uncle.
Uncle's nonchalant response to the flood made him the hero the Chinese internet needed this week. He's been celebrated all over social media and Photoshopped into all kinds of disaster scenarios. He even ended up with a sidekick, a younger man in headphones who sat down next to him.
Starbucks Uncle got thousands of shares from one TV station's Facebook page alone, not to mention the buzz he received on Weibo after the meme made its way to the rest of China. On Facebook, some said he embodied "Hong Kong spirit."
Maybe he just really wanted that cup of coffee?
By Thursday morning, a cleaning crew had reportedly pumped out the water and restored the shop to pristine status. Uncle will probably be back as soon as his table is returned to its proper place.


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Cool Mini Or Not have a record for producing top quality board, and miniatures related games. One of their latest is the A Song of Ice and Fire Tabletop Miniatures Game, which they have launched as a two-player starter set. For those of you don't yet know A Song of Ice and Fire are the novels which the phenomenally successful Game of Thrones TV series is based.
Beneath the sturdy box lid with its fantastic artwork, the first thing you find is three sheets of punch out tokens and full colour 2D terrain pieces, all usable within the framework of the rules. These are double-sided and made from heavy duty card.
After the tokens, there is a 31 page rulebook. This explains the key concepts, and offers sample scenarios. The rules are clearly laid out, with some excellent explanation of every single component for use in the game.
The rulebook contains not only the rules, with copious written and pictorial examples, but also a useful quick reference sheet. There are rules for 1 vs 1 or multiplayer 'team' games, and a series of scenarios that may be played through as part of a campaign or as one off games.
The next 'level' contains numerous game play cards, including 9 large Combat Unit cards, 52 Tactics cards, 14 Attachment character cards, 4 Non-Combat character cards, 12 Siege cards for Attackers and Defenders, 20 Secret Mission cards and 10 Objective Cards. All of these are used during the game, being drawn and played as directed by the rules and the information on the card. There are also 10 black D6 and 1 white D3 dice.
The same plastic storage tray which contains the cards houses the plastic movement trays, used for the figures that go with the game. In fact, the remainder of the box consists of plastic trays absolutely full to the brim with high quality plastic figures, based upon sculpts from Dark Sword Miniatures. These are simply stunning, and based upon the characters found in the novels written by George R.R. Martin. Robb Stark, Jaime Lannister, both are here, as are non-combatants such as 'The Imp' and Sansa Stark. However, the main focus is the provision of two forces, the Men of the North and House Lannister warriors that do most of the fighting and dying during the battles outlined in the story.
The Starks have cavalry, whereas the Lannisters don't, but, that apart, the forces appear quite balanced. All the figures are complete, requiring no assembly, and come with an integral base. The Stark 'army' is moulded in a cold looking icy white with a blue tinge, and the Lannister's are offered in a subdued red. This means that the armies can be used straight out of the box without painting, just slotted into the movement trays and into action!
This is a fantastic introduction to the A Song of Ice and Fire universe, at least the numerous battlefields in that wartorn land, and an excellent value one as well. Cool Mini have made the most of this licenced product and once again set the standard of what can be achieved. The rules seem like the battles will be fast and furious, with a simple approach to combat that belies the subtleties contained therein. An fantastic product that should satisfy fans of the novels and boxed miniature battle games alike.
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This is my eleventh year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. My words include: Balance (2011), Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), Believe (2018), Reach (2019), and Focus (2020).
My word for 2021 is Strengthen.
Some years, my words come to me early. Strengthen didn't come to me until New Year's Eve, but I'm certain it's the one. I'm looking forward to strengthening my mind, my body, and my relationships. I'm eager to see where Strengthen takes me throughout 2021.
As always, this year's One Little Word doesn't replace my previous words. I'll continue to embrace Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, Believe, Reach, and Focus. My tags hang together in the craft room. There are seven on the first string.


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Back in a December 2010 blog post, we discussed budgeting and mentioned that one option was to open an IRA. However, there are two different types of IRAs, and deciding which one is best for you is extremely important. While both Roth and Traditional IRAs currently have the exact same contribution limit ($5,000 in tax year 2010), contributions to Traditional IRAs are sometimes tax deductible, while Roth IRA contributions are never deductible. If neither you nor your spouse participates in an … [Read more...]
Roth or Traditional IRA?
Independent Contractor or Company Employee?
If you are a business owner, it is extremely important that you know the difference between employees and independent contractors, especially when it comes to taxes. For employees, you must withhold income taxes and Social Security/Medicare taxes, as well as pay unemployment tax on their wages. Conversely, you do not have to withhold or pay any of these taxes for contractors. Misclassification could result in fines and penalties from the IRS, as well as having to pay the required taxes plus … [Read more...]
New Guidelines for Gambling Losses and Winnings
If you like to gamble, whether periodically just for fun or regularly as a way to supplement your income, you'll want to know that there are different guidelines for amateurs and professionals. In addition, the IRS has issued updated guidelines pertaining to gambling winnings. If you are an amateur gambler who only gambles periodically and you end up losing more money than you win, you do not get that extra amount back on your taxes. You are only allowed to deduct your gambling losses up to … [Read more...]


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Prelate's reaction to church hosting of Pride events shows discrimination is real, says organiser
Prelate's reaction to church hosting of Pride events shows discrimination is real, says organiser
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The head of the Czech Roman Catholic church has criticised plans to host events in August's Prague Pride LGBT festival at the city's parish of St. Salvatore, headed by priest and professor Tomáš Halík. In a statement, Cardinal Dominik Duka said it was inappropriate for the church to be involved with events advocating for interests sharply at odds with its own.
"There are two events taking place at the Roman Catholic Academic Parish Prague. One of them is a debate with an American nun, Jeannine Garmick, who has been popular for her focus on LGBT issues and religion.
"The second event is the screening of a Polish film [In the Name Of… ], which is followed by a debate."
"Well, this is not the first time religious events are included in the programme of Prague Pride. In previous years we have had prayers and debates on spiritual topics.
"We've cooperated with Logos, which is a Czech organisation focused on LGBT issues and religion. This year they have come with a quite rich programme, consisting of prayers, debates, film screenings and other things."
Yesterday the archbishop of Prague, Dominik Duka, issued a statement saying it wasn't appropriate to emphasise "exceptionality" and advocate for interests at odds with those of church, referring to the Prague Pride festival and the parade in particular. What do you say to his comments?
"So I would love to invite Mr. Dominik Duka or any other person to see the programme of Prague Pride and maybe participate in some of the events."
But are you at all offended by what he said yesterday?
"Offended is too strong a word. What we feel is misunderstanding of what Prague Pride is.
"I would say there is discrimination of LGBT people within the church and that is why we are raising these topics at Prague Pride.
"I would say that the fact that Dominik Duka felt the urgency to issue this statement is one of the proofs that the situation of LGBT people in the church is not free and is not totally equal with other people."


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Revive & Renew Wholistic Therapies & Revive Cafe
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Monday, Tuesday Friday 9:00am - 5:30pm
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Between Avenue of the Cities & John Deere Rd in East Moline. Across from Hope Creek Nursing Home.
About Us
Revive & Renew Wholistic Therapies & Revive Cafe is promoting health & wellness is the Quad Citites. Revive is a healthy cafe with fresh food that is organic when possible & we purchase produce from local farmers when in season. The Wellness center offers health talks, yoga, nutrition, massage therapy, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, thermography, and other healing topics.


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There's rejoicing and commotion in Heaven, as the earth is moving from one kingdom to another. History will record our current times as the end of the old kingdom, governed by paganism and hedonism, and the birthing of a new kingdom, governed by sons and daughters of righteousness, truth and justice alongside their eternal King, Jesus Christ.
May you be encouraged, activated, and mobilised as I share His Words of hope and love for His Beloved.


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Your Smart Home Can't Keep a Secret: Towards Automated Fingerprinting of IoT Traffic with Neural Networks
The IoT (Internet of Things) technology has been widely adopted in recent years and has profoundly changed the people's daily lives. However, in the meantime, such a fast-growing technology has also introduced new privacy issues, which need to be better understood and measured. In this work, we look into how private information can be leaked from network traffic generated in the smart home network. Although researchers have proposed techniques to infer IoT device types or user behaviors under clean experiment setup, the effectiveness of such approaches become questionable in the complex but realistic network environment, where common techniques like Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT) and Virtual Private Network (VPN) are enabled. Traffic analysis using traditional methods (e.g., through classical machine-learning models) is much less effective under those settings, as the features picked manually are not distinctive any more. In this work, we propose a traffic analysis framework based on sequence-learning techniques like LSTM and leveraged the temporal relations between packets for the attack of device identification. We evaluated it under different environment settings (e.g., pure-IoT and noisy environment with multiple non-IoT devices). The results showed our framework was able to differentiate device types with a high accuracy. This result suggests IoT network communications pose prominent challenges to users' privacy, even when they are protected by encryption and morphed by the network gateway. As such, new privacy protection methods on IoT traffic need to be developed towards mitigating this new issue.
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Act now can reverse takeover Organization of Iran «Islamic State» on the path of power in Iraq
From our point of view, and based on the considerable experience in the affairs of Iraq, we can say that the country has not developed, but going through a critical impasse. Many remained, which worked Washington to achieve there, but contradictory forces, both Maaditan the United States, are the organization «Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant» («Daash») / «Islamic state» and Iran, seeking to control Iraq and destabilize the region. In this context, can the United States help Iraqi friends and increase stability, starting with the launch of a quick and more effective campaign against al «Islamic state» and by strengthening assistance to the governments in Baghdad and Erbil. But if you do not do so, it will be the effects of the regional system scary.
We have worked together at the US Embassy in Baghdad between 2004 and 2005, when Iraq was sliding toward internal conflict and fighting horrible. Each one of us have volunteered to do additional lengthy tours of duty in Iraq, adding to our views on the Iraqi developments. We were close to the fighting, and we have seen very closely the great effort made by the US military and civilian personnel to help the Iraqis to preserve the cohesion of their country. Given the expectations of some analysts that Iraq is a failed state or in failure, we have just visited Iraq to see the situation closely.
The Americans have paid a heavy price in Iraq, and therefore they have high standards around the shape, which should appear by the Iraqi state. Iraq did not adhere to many of those standards, but our disappointment with the lack of Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds, Christians and Turkmen work and many other ethnic and religious groups all of them with each other easily does not mean that Iraq is a failed state, or will be. In fact, after the end of fierce fighting in Baghdad, less than a decade, it is considered the capital now relatively quiet and look much better in terms of appearance. Iraqi parliament discusses irregularly major issues and chooses the prime minister and his government in a peaceful manner and in accordance with the Constitution. And can raise the question, what is the number of other countries in the region that can say that? All the Sunni Arabs of the three main Arab Sunni provinces who met with them had urged the establishment of local governments is authorized within the unified Iraqi state. This is a far cry from their demands ten years ago that has Iraq, like its Arab neighbors, central government acquires power, and that the new Sunni Arab thinking is much closer to the vision contained in the 2005 Constitution, which the Iraqis drafted by Shiites and Kurds, to a large extent. The relations between the central government in Baghdad and «Kurdistan Regional Government» in Erbil are tough. However, Erbil did not declare independence, as the Kurds of Iraq's autonomous widespread within the Iraqi state and the Iraqi Kurdish politics itself is evolving. It continues to Baghdad and Erbil to negotiate on how to deal with oil export revenues. In addition, the tone of the interaction between the central government in Baghdad and officials in the «Kurdistan region» Best became significantly more realistic than it was a decade ago. Among the factors helping here that both governments both recognize that they face a common enemy is the organization «Islamic State». Thus, the success in the construction of a federal Iraqi state is uncertain, but it is possible to a large extent.
However, if this stage is particularly difficult. . Baghdad and Erbil are facing political and financial crises are interrelated, and the latter are more dangerous for the Kurds, but for the most serious political crises to Baghdad. And created this political and financial crises and partly because certainly exacerbated organization «Islamic State». Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and faces great challenges from political hardliners and those in the ranks of Iran-backed militias, who refuse to reform and look dim view of the idea of national reconciliation. Iraqis from all spectra believe that Iran, as is the case in Syria, are following a radical turn to gain power in Iraq and the exploitation of the lack of success against al «Islamic state.» It may be currently may enhance it with Russia, due to intelligence coordination agreement (although the Iraqi government says it will not coordinate operations with Moscow). And if you fall of Baghdad and southern regions of Iraq's Shiite-dominated under the control of Tehran, will end reconciliation between the three main groups in the country, which will pay to "more sectarian to be even closer to the Iranians," a Shiite state. This is the equation that reliable leader of al «Daash», where would the sectarian and bad Shiite state to ensure that a large number of recruits for "successor" organization «Islamic state» in order to make up for his battle losses.
It is essential that Iraq is not sliding into this road . If so, the Iraqis and the region would receive the blame on the United States for not losing organization «Daash» and then allowing the fall of her partner. The accession of Iraq to Iran and Syria to create a "Shiite crescent" who warned him to Jordan's King Abdullah. In addition, the oil reserves in southern Iraq, which amounts to 140 billion barrels of reserves, along with Iran similar, higher than Saudi Arabia amounting to 268 billion barrels of reserves. The shift in the power of this dimension in the middle of the region in favor of Iran (and less so, for the benefit of the organization «Islamic State») could push the region, and some of Washington's closest allies and partners, and eventually the United States itself, to a large-scale regional conflict between Sunnis and Shiites. This long-term war between Sunnis and Shiites could benefit both Russia and the extremists who hate the West also, and especially the United States.
The preservation of a unified Iraq and pro-US is in the vital interest of the United States. At the heart of maintaining this interest lies more aggressive campaign against al «Daash.» "Projection and destruction" strategy pursued by the United States and assume that time is in its favor ("3 to 5 years", and sometimes you hear Washington's "decade"). However, that was not the case. Failure to act in Syria has led to the emergence of the organization «Islamic State», then the refugees that threatens the political stability of the European Union flow, and now serious return of Russia to the region. In addition, the additional unpleasant surprises are among the few reliable predictions that the United States can do if you do not put itself at the forefront of events. The how to make the US military campaign against al «Daash» bolder and faster action constitutes a military issue beyond the framework Almamna, but due to the large US military force, one can assume that the restrictions that prevent this is a political first place, and therefore constitute the subject of quite a bit public discussion. Through the use of military Putin tool weaker, did not let the political and logistical concerns that inhibit his movements around the region. The brilliant rescue operation carried out by the American "special forces" in the October 22 / October indicate further steps that the United States can do. The public support exists in this context, in accordance with the "Chicago Council survey of 2015" recently released. Apart from any military action, the United States should focus on a few important goals, to help Baghdad and Sunni Arabs to reach an agreed agreement mutually, and alleviate some of the financial burdens that plague the Kurds, and this would be a more practical by helping to pay the costs of refugees and internally displaced persons and the provision of weapons that you need Erbil, and not to ignore the internal problems of governance but also stimulate Baghdad and Erbil to be addressed in order to promote long-term stability.
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Background: For nearly a century, California's electricity has been provided by electric utility companies, each with their own local monopoly. For many technical and economic reasons, it has been cheaper for one electric utility to provide electricity than for several.
During the 1970's and 80's, the state's three largest electric utilities foolishly built expensive, dangerous nuclear power plants costing billions of dollars. The nuclear power plants caused their electric rates to skyrocket. (Other utilities that wisely avoided nuclear power were able to keep their electric rates lower).
Since they use tremendous amounts of electricity, large industrial corporations began complaining about the high cost of electricity from their local monopoly utility. They began to push for the right to avoid the local utility and shop for the cheapest power available. The utility companies were worried that if large industrial customers are allowed to shop for the cheapest power, they might be unable to pay off the debt owed on its power plants and other assets.
"Deregulation" Proposals: To solve their problem, the utility companies joined with big corporations in a legislative proposal to force residential ratepayers to pay off their power plants and assets, so that those utility companies could then "compete" against other companies which did not invest in non-economic power plants.
The deregulation bills enacted in California, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, and other states include multi-billion dollar bailouts of the utilities for their bad investments in nuclear power. California utilities have already received about $17 billion, much of this sum coming from the backs of hardworking families to pay for their poor management. In Illinois, the utilities are receiving about $14 billion; in Texas, nearly $5 billion; in New Jersey, nearly $9 billion. Nationwide, the utility bailout could total over $200 billion, making it one of the largest bailouts in history. And this bailout money is coming straight out of ratepayers' pockets.
The energy industry promised that deregulation would bring competition and lower prices. But those promises have proved empty. Just the opposite has occurred in the first region in the nation to experience deregulation.
The California Law: In 1996, the California Legislature unanimously approved legislation backed by the utility industry to "deregulate" electricity. The Legislation promised competition and at least 20% lower electricity rates by 2002.
Under the 1996 plan, rates would be frozen at rates roughly 50% higher than the national average for up to four years (1998-2002), during which time residential and small business ratepayers were required to pay off the utilities' "stranded assets" — debts from dirty, non-economic power plants, including nuclear. (So far, California ratepayers have paid an extra $17 billion under this tax). Money was borrowed to lock in these payments — and to finance a "rate reduction" for ratepayers. This money will be repaid for a total of ten years (1998-2008). Because it must be repaid, the 10 percent rate cut will amount to less than a 3% reduction in electricity costs for residential and small business consumers over the course of the next several years.
Additionally, under the legislation, the Public Utilities Commission encouraged the utility companies to sell off their power generation facilities. However, some nuclear and hydropower facilities were retained by the utilities.
The California law became the model for similar efforts nationwide (more than twenty states have deregulated electricity) as well as preemptive federal legislation, a portion of which will be the subject of congressional hearings shortly.
Under the 1996 law, California was supposed to open its electricity markets to competition in April 1998. Because the California deregulation scheme provided billions of dollars to the in-state utility companies, competition never materialized. Less than 2 percent of all California customers, including large industrial customers, have switched suppliers. Almost no residential customers have switched. Thus, nearly everyone in California is now being served by a largely unregulated monopoly. (New Jersey opens its markets for all customers in November 1999; Illinois opens for all non-residential customers by January 2001 and all residential customers by May 2002; Texas opens for all customers in January 2002).
Flush with billions of dollars in ratepayer subsidies, the parent companies which control the three utility companies went on a spending spree, repurchasing their own stock and spending billions of dollars buying power plants throughout the United States and in other countries.
1998 — Ratepayer Revolt Part I — Proposition 9: The only challenge to the 1996 deregulation plan was the decision of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, TURN and the Public Media Center, with the support of Consumers Union, to amend the law through a 1998 ballot measure that would have reduced the amount of the bailout of the utility companies, lowering rates by 26%, according to a California Energy Commission study. However, the utility companies spent $50 million on their campaign against Proposition 9, as well as millions more in donations to non-profit, community, environmental and low-income organizations which then opposed the measure. It was defeated in November 1998.
Summer, 2000 — Revolt, Part II: The San Diego Crisis: San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) ratepayers paid off that utility's debt early. Effective July, 1999, that companies' rates were unfrozen and subject to the free market. Between May and June, 2000, the price of energy rose 240%, and utility bills doubled. The cost to San Diego's economy has been estimated at $100 million per month. The region is in chaos, and San Diego's state Senator — the architect of the deregulation law — has been subject to so much public criticism that he has urged ratepayers not to pay their bills. In effect, San Diego has become the guinea pig for the deregulation experiment that has gone awry.
On July 20, former San Diego Mayor Maureen O'Connor and FTCR proposed the following actions:
1. Declaration of a local state of emergency.
2. An immediate rate rollback to electricity rates in effect prior to deregulation (July, 1999), and a freeze on those rates.
3. Repeal of the 1996 deregulation law and re-imposition of regulation at the state and federal levels.
On July 25, the San Diego City Council and County Board of Supervisors declared a State of Emergency and adopted resolutions addressing the crisis, including: (1) demanding that the Public Utilities Commission impose a rate rollback to July, 1999 rates; (2) calling for legislative hearings on whether to repeal deregulation; and (3) exploring the use of local utility franchise fees to provide ratepayer relief. When the state Public Utilities Commission refused to act, advocates turned their attention to the Legislature. In August, the Legislature approved a rate rollback and freeze until 2003 for San Diego ratepayers. However, at the behest of SDG&E, the legislation suggested that ratepayers would ultimately have to pay the utilities back for the higher cost of electricity they pay during the rate freeze. The Public Utilities Commission is required to decide how much ratepayers must pay.
December, 2000: The Statewide Christmas Power "Shortage"
A few weeks ago, the private utility corporations told the people of California not to turn on their holiday lights next month. Meanwhile, with winter only weeks away, the state-created but industry-controlled agencies that govern our power system have repeatedly issued power shortage warnings that we used to expect only in mid-summer, when air-conditioning use is high. On Thursday evening, December 8, a Stage 3 alert was declared. Under a Stage 3 alert, communities throughout the state can be subjected to systematic "rolling" blackouts, for period of an hour or more, with no notice.
What the Utility Companies Are Saying: The utility companies are attempting to portray themselves as victims, like ratepayers. They say the fault lies with the power generators. Edison and PG&E claim they are simply pass-thru mechanisms and that they have paid $6 billion more for electricity than they can collect under the rate freeze. They want to change the 1996 law to be able to force ratepayers to pay for the higher energy costs, even though the 1996 law clearly states that the utilities cannot do so. The state Public Utilities Commission — which is appointed by the Governor — has rejected their pleas — so far. The utilities have gone to federal court for relief, and are also asking the Legislature to change the law.
But the utility companies are themselves are still power generators. According to a report by TURN, Edison produced $1.45 billion in net revenues from January through August of this year from power sales; the company reaped $1.8 billion in profits between 1997 and Q2 of this year. PG&E's generation brought it $1.47 billion this year; its cumulative profits were $2.6 billion.
The utilities have collected $17 billion from ratepayers for "stranded assets," far more than they have paid out in higher energy bills. Additionally, the parent companies of PG&E, Edison and SDG&E own unregulated energy generation companies that provide substantial power supplies to the state and throughout the nation.
What the Energy Companies Are Saying: The energy generation companies claim that there is a shortage of power plants in the state. They admit that many of their plants — roughly 25% of total capacity in California — are not producing energy at this time. But they claim the plants are out of service for "maintenance and repairs."
Independent investigations have stated that, using the 1996 deregulation law, the energy companies are able to manipulate supplies and prices. In a report issued July 17, the California PUC found:
"[S]ellers may have been withholding power from this market in order to drive up prices in other parallel markets." (California's Electricity Options and Challenges, p. 14).
It continued: "When supply becomes tight in relation to anticipated demand, prices in all markets increase, in part because of the knowledge that unfilled demand in the final real-time market must be met – even if it is met at a very high price. This knowledge may induce sellers to withhold supply in order to raise prices in all markets. Withholding can be accomplished in very sophisticated ways." (Id.)
Further: "During some periods, it is in the generator's interest to withhold some power because in so doing it can drive prices up, according to Severin Borenstein, a professor of business at UC Berkeley and PX Boardmember. According to Borenstein, restructured electricity markets may have attributes where 'if firms of noticeable size are not exercising market power, they are doing so out of the goodness of their heart, and against the interest of their shareholders.'" (p.28).
Under deregulation, there is no incentive for companies to invest in construction of new generation facilities; indeed, doing so would undercut their ability to limit supplies and reap windfall profits. In a cartel-controlled market, the energy companies maximize profits by keeping supplies tight, a phenomenon known as "scarcity rents." The extremely high cost of power plants discourages others from entering the market.