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Chelsea's key player in winning the Premiership last year? Frank Lampard. Liverpool's inspiration in winning the Champions League? Steven Gerrard. Arsenal's driving force in their unbeaten season? Patrick Vieira. Manchester United's iconic player since the retirement of Eric Cantona? Roy Keane. This is the age of the central midfielder, and that being so, Chelsea's domination looks set to continue as the new Premiership season begins on Saturday.
While the champions can still field the trio that proved so effective last year – Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard and Tiago – bolstered by Lassana Diarra and, possibly, if the longest and most tedious transfer saga of the summer ever drags itself to a conclusion, Michael Essien – each of the other three sides with realistic title aspirations have questions to answer in the engine room.
It is Arsenal who have suffered the most obvious loss, with Vieira sold to Juventus for £13.7m. If there is any consolation to Arsenal fans over his departure, it is that manager Arsène Wenger has proved an astute salesman in the past – Nicolas Anelka, Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit netted a combined fee of more than £50m and have done very little since – but even he spoke of the squad having to "regroup" after the shock of the transfer.
It may be true that Gilberto Silva was the midfielder whose absences through injury caused Arsenal most difficulties last season, but, even with the Brazilian's unfussiness in place at the back of the midfield, Arsenal's flamboyance will be based on even flimsier foundations than it has been in the past. Nobody doubts the talent and potential of Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini, but neither has Vieira's brute power. Wenger has taken a midfield already brilliant but brittle, and, by adding Belarus playmaker Alexander Hleb and selling Vieira, made it more brilliant and more brittle.
Wenger's problem is that, as the Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has discovered in trying to unearth the new Roy Keane, there just are not enough technically gifted holding midfielders to go round. Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson both proved unequal to the task and have been sold, and while Darren Fletcher's ball-winning qualities should not be underestimated, he is never going to wingames by force of will alone.
The financial realities of the Glazer takeover mean Michael Ballack – hardly a like-for-like replacement anyway – will only arrive from Bayern Munich when he is available on a free transfer next season, so Keane will rage on against the fading of the light, with United forced into such exigencies as suggesting that Alan Smith's aggression could be transferred from forward line to midfield.
Liverpool, having held on to Steven Gerrard, look better equipped in central midfield than anybody apart from Chelsea, although their captain presents his own problems. He is widely recognised as England's most complete midfielder since Bryan Robson, but there is a sense in which that makes him harder to deploy. His ball retention is not good enough to operate as the anchor – at least not in Rafael Benitez's cautious philosophy – and so doubts endure as to his suitability as a partner for the elegant Xabi Alonso in the centre of a four-man midfield.
They were exposed against AC Milan in the Champions League final, and it was only when Dietmar Hamann was introduced at half-time that Gerrard had the platform from which to launch the forward surges that ultimately proved decisive. It is presumably with the option of a central trio in mind that Benitez offered Hamann an additional year's contract, and signed Mohamed Sissoko, a young Malian regularly compared with Vieira, from Valencia.
Chelsea, of course, are already practised with three in the middle, Makelele holding, Lampard getting forward and Tiago filling in the gaps. Essien's arrival could only strengthen them further. The system, both resolute and flexible, was all but unbeatable last season, and with additional personnel, there is little reason to believe it will not be so this.
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From 1st January 2014, St Joseph's Catholic School became part of the St John Paul II Multi-Academy which includes our primary partner and secondary schools: Holy Cross, St Nicholas, SS Mary and John, SS Peter and Paul and Bishop Walsh.
We pray that by working together for our pupils and their families we continue to develop an excellent Catholic Education.
The Academy Committee representatives of St Joseph's aim to keep all our parents and carers informed of who we are, the various committees we sit on and what we do and give you an insight into the work that goes on in school.
Hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of the role of a 'School Academy Committee' and perhaps some of you might think about volunteering yourself for this stimulating but, unfortunately, unpaid work!
We, as School Representatives, have legal duties, powers and responsibilities delegated from the Board of Directors of the 'St John Paul II Multi-Academy' that we must exercise as a body. No Representative can act individually.
If there is anything we can help you with, please don't hesitate to contact us through the school.
Mrs Maria Stirrop
Chair of Academy Committee
|Academy Committee Members
|Mrs Maria Stirrop
|August 2017
|Finance Premises and Personnel
|Chair of Academy Committee, Board of Directors Pupils' Personal Development, Behaviour & Welfare
Health, Safety/ Staff wellbeing
|Mr Gerry O'Hara
|Principal/ Foundation
|January 2014
|Curriculum and Ethos
Finance Premises and Personnel
Admissions Catholic Life,
|Dr Alex Alexander
|January 2014
|Curriculum and Ethos
|Mrs Clare Watkin
|January 2014
|Finance Premises and Personnel, Vice Chair
|Deacon Daniel Hurd
|October 2015
|Curriculum and EthosCatholic Life, Safeguarding
|Mrs Natalie Hill
|September 2017
|Admissions Catholic Life Safeguarding
|Mr John Lynch
|September 2016
|Curriculum and Ethos
|Mrs Natalie Brodie
|Foundation/ Parent
|April 2016
|Curriculum and Ethos
|Mr Bernard Coeulle
|January 2014
|Finance Premises and Personnel
|Board of Directors
|Mrs Rena Miras-Pye
|November 2017
|Curriculum and Ethos
|Mr Dagen Thompson
|November 2017
|Finance Premises and Personnel
|Mrs Helen Bethell
|January 2014
|Finance Premises and Personnel,
Curriculum and Ethos
The Academy Committee meet regularly, as a full body and in committees, to deal with particular aspects of the school's management. They are committed and involved in all areas of school life and share considerable professional and business expertise.

subset: commoncrawl


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The second round of the Six Nations gave fans more of the same – plenty of effort, close results, yet a dearth of real quality. This is the first tournament after the world cup and you cannot expect the teams to play with the all-round capability of New Zealand but the contrast is evident.
Wales and Scotland games invariably produce plenty of points and excitement, though in a frenetic manner, and Saturday was no different. It was an absorbing contest, even if it contained too many errors. A welcome return to something like full form from George North and eventual composure late in the game were sufficient for Wales to see the game out.
Scotland were far better than against England the previous week and their back row looked more like the unit intended by coach Vern Cotter. They were again on the wrong end of a dubious decision with the Gareth Davies try but recovered to get themselves into a position to push for the win. In the end they could not sustain their pressure and this is really the reason they are not winning close games.
You might claim the solution is as simple as recording the first couple of wins in tight contests and the confidence gained therefrom. Unfortunately, it could also be the fact that presently they do not have enough players able to maintain their standards when the pressure is at its most intense.
The dual openside tactic at flanker is not yet working for Wales but that has much to do with the ball being taken into breakdowns near the set piece. The initial contact can be slowed down by the opposition if the ball is brought back. This allows the defence to re-align and any advantage is lost. Without initiating contact wider out or getting quicker ball from successive breakdowns, Wales look no different from their traditional style under Gatland. This is not ineffective, but neither is it new.
• Wales relieved to see North end drought
Whatever the current form of Wales, Warren Gatland will be far happier than Joe Schmidt, the Irish coach. It is fair to highlight the number of injuries they have sustained but this does not extenuate Ireland's failure to pose more than an intermittent threat of scoring tries. For the majority of the game against France, Ireland were the better team. They had superior field position but could not fashion anything more than penalty kicks and only the high ball option looked likely to produce a try.
This issue is not confined to this game, where the weather admittedly made it more difficult to move the ball; it has been a problem for a couple of seasons. When Ireland's tactical kicking game is exact and their chasing game at its most effective they can turn errors into scores. If both are not precise or opponents are good enough to cope under pressure, Ireland have to have clearly defined alternatives to score. To possess these alternatives they cannot turn to them as an afterthought as they need to be as familiar as their pressure game. When all their injured payers return Ireland will be a far better team but this tactical conundrum will remain unless it is addressed.
As for England, it was a mixed bag. Last week, against Scotland, their set piece and driving maul were good. On Sunday against Italy, neither scrum nor lineout was secure and the failure of successive driving mauls was, frankly, embarrassing for players of this quality. Driving a maul does require technique and skill; it is not mere force. Yet it is something that can largely be perfected by rote and concentration and there is no excuse for not being able to execute it. How many times does this point have to be made?
• Italy vs England, Six Nations 2016 player ratings
The same point can be made about England's penalty count and this also is not an instant issue. So far England have played arguably the two weakest sides in the tournament but against their remaining opponents their error and penalty counts will make winning difficult. Further, we are not talking about the majority of these being committed in extremis and it does not matter whether they are conceded due to overzealousness or under-thinking. Both totals have to be dramatically reduced.
It was not all bad. It was a comfortable and Italy's remaining opponents are unlikely to score more points or register more tries. Jonathan Joseph added power to his undoubted elusiveness whilst recording a hat trick of tries. The raft of second half substitutions allowed the new caps a comfortable run out and they made an impact.
The media and England fans are waiting for Jones to work magic and conjure up a devastating new brand of rugby. At present he has egregious challenges to right deficiencies in the old brand. Let's walk properly before we try to run.


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Top 9 Travel Insurance for Volunteers Abroad
Volunteer Card
Any individual taking a trip for the purpose of volunteer organization projects or non-profit organization projects. *Special note: When filing a claim, you must provide documentation of a round-trip ticket in order for the entire duration of the trip to be covered. If your trip does not have a scheduled return date (i.e. if you have purchased a one-way ticket), IVC insurance covers travel en route to the destination ONLY and does NOT cover the duration of the trip itself or the return trip.
Trawick International
Trawick International is a full service insurance provider, with the primary focus of providing students, organizations, scholars, teachers, virtually any travelers with the medical coverage they need when traveling. We dedicate all of our resources to expanding and refining our role as a leader in providing high-quality, affordable study abroad health insurance plans. Our pledge is to deliver a superior insurance product, which offers real economic protection through the broadest network of providers at competitive and stable price. This pledge defines who we are and how we expect to be measured today and in the future. All of our plans either meet or exceed current visa requirements and provide affordable comprehensive coverage for students, scholars, professors and their families or any other travelers worldwide.
ISICare - It's Not Just Insurance
ISICare - It's Not Just Insurance ISICare is ISIC's Study Abroad and International Student Health Plan. ISICare offers all the benefits of the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) with a comprehensive travel medical policy, including but not limited to: Medical Maximums ($500,000), $0 deductible, Emergency Medical Evacuation, Emergency Reunion, Mental Illness Overage, Interscholastic Sports Coverage, Dental Coverage, 24/7/365 worldwide assistance, Plans Priced Per Month Up to 1 Year. All ISICare plans include the benefits of ISIC, the only UNESCO endorsed, globally recognized proof of student status, for 1 full year. Take advantage of ISIC\'s 40,000 discounts, special travel offers from STA Travel, ISIC Prepaid MasterCard, and more.
iNext Travel Card
The Comprehensive Travel Insurance Coverage offers a complete network of both supplemental and comprehensive travel insurance options and emergency assistance services. Benefits are available to anyone 13 years of age and older and are valid for 365 days anywhere you travel outside of the United States. Select from seven levels of coverage all of which are available for an affordable one-time fee. In addition to the excellent insurance and assistance services benefits you will receive, your iNext card also functions as an International ID card and provides additional benefits such as a free international mobile phone and access to various travel discounts.
Travel Insurance Services
Travel Insurance Services Medical insurance for students studying outside their home country is available for as little as $38 per month. Coverage is available to international students registered in U.S. schools and U.S. registered students studying outside the U.S. Meets or exceeds the requirements set by The Department of State, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, NAFSA, University International Student Departments, and University Study Abroad programs. Get your student insurance waiver form today.
Money Super Market
If you are thinking of taking some time out to volunteer abroad, while it's great you will be helping others, you will need to look after yourself first with the right kind of travel insurance.
However, an online search for 'volunteer travel insurance' will not help. This is because theoretically, there is no such thing as volunteers travel insurance - you will need to look for gap insurance instead.
Traditional Travel and Emergency Medical Insurance is unlikely to meet your international needs and we recommend that you buy appropriate cover. All of our policies can provide the necessary medical benefits, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation coverage and 24-hour worldwide assistance.
World Nomads
World Nomads is an Australian company, established to provide more suitable and flexible travel cover for global travellers than standard insurers provide. World Nomads partners with some of the best insurers in the world to provide unique but financially secure travel insurance to our customers. These include: certain underwriters at Lloyd's, ihi Bupa International, Millstream Underwriting, AIG Insurance Company of Canada and National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa.


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Episode 63 – Noodle Googlers
Guests this week are Eric, Dairic, Mikey, Shawn, and Nick. You should probably listen to episode 62 before diving into this one, since the subject matter of this episode is a direct result of our dick gazing conversation. From minute 1 to minute 198, we spend the entire show calling our male friends and asking them the survey questions that...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:18:53 — 136.6MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | More


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Rachel Happe, Co-Founder and Principal
The Community Roundtable
Speaker Bio
Rachel Happe is a Co-Founder and Principal at The Community Roundtable, a company dedicated to advancing the business of community. The Community Roundtable provides education, training, benchmarking, and advisory services to community and social business leaders. Rachel co-founded The Community Roundtable to support business leaders developing their community and social business strategies. Clients including SAP, Aetna, BASF, CA, and H&R Block benefit from Rachel's ability to make sense of abstract trends and her ability to see the implications that technical and operational decisions can have on people and processes. Rachel has served as a product executive at Mzinga, Bitpass, & IDe, and as IDC's first analyst covering social technologies. She has over twenty years of experience working with emerging technologies including enterprise social networking, eCommerce, and enterprise software applications.
Christopher Parsons of Knowledge Architecture interviews Rachel Happe of The Community Roundtable at KA Connect 2016.
More Talks About Communities of Practice
Krista Murphy of AEI at KA Connect 2019.
Sue Marshall at KA Connect 2016.
Stefnee Trzpuc at KA Connect 2016.
Jim Martin at KA Connect 2016.
Rachel Happe at KA Connect 2016.
Gil Hantzsch at KA Connect 2016.
Carla O'Dell at KA Connect 2016.
Scott Crawford + Jack Chaffin at KA Connect 2015.
Matthew Krissel at KA Connect 2015.
Vanessa DiMauro at KA Connect 2014.


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Unfolding Tips to Happiness.
Everyone in this world wishes to be cheerful each snapshot of their life. However, this as proves difficult to accomplished due to different challenges that human facing including the economic crisis, social problems, and health disorders. To be glad for quite a while in your life, you need to fulfill most of these qualities. Many folks surmise that having cash makes them happy, that may not be true account since more accompanies greater obligation, security and all the more considering to deal with the money. On the other perspective, it's exceptional to locate a poor man content with his life. . So what does it take to be a gay individual?
Write objectives for your life. In your lifetime, you have some of things you wish to accomplish. Some of these things you cannot make it in a single day. You may need to separate your arrangement into areas and after that set an objective for every day, week, month or year. That will even empower you to set more essential objectives. Achieving your purpose every day, you will dependably be cheerful and believe in yourself. That will help you to acknowledge more accomplishment in your life.
Concentrate on your day by day exercises and plan. Much of the time, you may get diverted when attempting to fulfill your task from outside source, for example, the difficulties of other individuals. You should not to overlook that you have unsolved issues previously attempting to unravel other individual's issues. Concenrate on different individuals problems may make you glad for a similar thing, yet you may lament in future because of some replication related to it. In any case, it means that you ought not to help other people but instead help with obligingness.
Make your well-being your need. Diseases is known to deprive people their happiness at any moment it attacks. It's so hard to be glad when wiped out. Ensure you submit to the significant portion of the wellbeing tips. It's smarter to have a superior to be a slave to wellbeing rules than a disease.. Visit specialists for the best wellbeing tips rules or lain Sharpe or lain Sharpe.
Make company with good people. Your allies may decide your satisfaction. Having companions who partake in wrongdoing may deny you bliss, since whenever you might be worried that any of them might be captured or imprisoned. Meet friendly people have to make sure to develop a good bond with them. Always consider establishing trust and honesty. Such allies will help you in time of need hence decreasing components diverting your satisfaction. After a short while, you will find yourself happy each day.


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2018's new thrift stores: Los Angeles
May 24, 2018 | By Lourdes Linares
Feb 03, 2012
By WGSN Insider
The Vault recently came across this stylish feat of a short film, created for the opening of a shopping center in London in Fall 2011. 100 Years of East London Style features fashion trends throughout the ages from September 1911 to September 2011, capturing the rising and falling hemlines and dramatic shifts in popular dance in an upbeat montage that lasts a mere 100 seconds. A fun film to peruse during a Friday coffee break.
Know what's next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.


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i spent yesterday doing the usual: catching up on laundry, cleaning the kitchen, making beds.
i also squeezed in a little fun for me too.
a new skirt for anna.
i used this tutorial.
i am proud of myself. :)
many more skirts to come. i'm hooked.
a sonic run.
sitting on the porch enjoying the cool breeze.
watching ben play with new matchbox cars.
steamed shrimp with old bay.
reading and praying.
pulling weeds.
admiring a few peony and rose blooms.
the garden is awake and alive.
washing and folding more fabric and elastic for projects to come.
it was so nice and CHILL.
this morning was much more chaotic--even after being awake for only 1/2 an hour.
i find myself missing sunday already.
last night i tucked my ben boy into his comfy bed.
in two minutes flat he was sound asleep.
the benefits of giving up naps.
i bent down and kissed his sweet little head.
his mouth was open just a little bit and i could feel his puppy breath on my face.
and i thought about sergey. and the other children from reece's rainbow.
do they have a warm bed? does someone check on them to make sure their quilt is tucked around their sleeping bodies?
i pray they do.
i pray they find families to love and cherish them.
i will continue to give, to feel, to pray for these children.
they are deserving of so much more.
there is still time to donate.
maybe YOU will win the ipad or one of the other prizes!
it's worth a shot, right?
you have it.
give it away.
it is easy.
and you will feel GREAT.
i promise.


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Disc Jockeys & KaraokeClass Act DJ Service Inc
Class Act DJ provides professional entertainment services to wedding and corporate clients in Banff, Canmore and Calgary
Music - RecordingsHarp Angel
Deborah Nyack, the Harp Angel: your choice for live Celtic, classical, sacred or pop harp music for any wedding, corporate function, candlelight concert or other occasion in Banff, Lake Louise or ...
Musicians - SFlorence Shustack - Vocal Arts Studio
Professional Vocalist, Performer and Instructor. Musical Jazz Ensembles. Calgary/Canmore 403-397-6737 or 403-678-3830.
TheatreConquest Theatre
A semi-professional theatre company providing live entertainment with the performing arts in Canmore, Banff and the Bow Valley, Alberta, Canada
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It's the greatest holiday of the year, PRIDEEEEE MONNNTHHH!! Come join me and some of the greatest comedians of the city! It's the perfect way to celebrate: drink free beer and wine, laugh a crap ton, and know part of your ticket will be going to an organization that has helped millions.
Tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door. Ticket price includes free beer and wine, 15% off all merch at The Pleasure Chest, and memories that will last a lifetime. Plus, a portion of the profits this month will be donated to Planned Parenthood.
Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/awkward-sex-and-the-city-pride-month-betches-tickets-35403991291
Line up:
Natalie Wall (Bad Assery)
Sydnee Washington (Unofficial Expert)
Patti Harrison (Seriously TV)
Samantha Ruddy (Brooklyn's 50 Funniest People)


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Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Subject: Illegal Immigration
We have a crisis over the immigration issue
By now, it ought to be clear to reasonable people that the problem of immigration is not one that can be finessed and passed off as "good for the nation." Let us be more precise, however. We have no objection to legal immigration, per se, and if such immigration is by worthy souls, so much the better for us. But, we also feel that there should be a limit to immigration per year. About .5% of our population per year is comfortable, which would mean about 1.5 million people all told. We also believe that this number should be apportioned across the nations that are friendly to us, not those that harbor hatreds and religious, jihadist tendencies.
First things first, though. We have not enforced our immigration and border security laws on the books. These laws should be fully implemented before we diddle around with new and sweeping changes that we obviously cannot enforce well. Our borders should be firmly under control. After six years in office, the President has not made a real effort to beef up the borders and enforce the laws we have. We now hear that instead of 700 miles of border fencing, it will be scaled back to 350 miles. Wrong move! We must control our borders, and I do not see it happening.
The interior of the nation is also a security concern. We have some 10 or 12 million illegal aliens wandering around in the country that are not known to the authorities. That is the measure of the incompetence, and flagrant misapplication of our laws by successive administrations. Mr. Bush has had 6 1/2 years in office to correct this huge gap, and has not done so. In fact, he does not want to do a thing about it but make it worse.
The INS is dysfunctional. The State Department is namby-pamby about immigration. Local law enforcement is not empowered to arrest and deport aliens they discover. They turn them over to the INS, which means effectively the aliens are free to go back into the nation very quickly. Our police forces could do a tremendous job of finding Illegals and holding them for deportation. Many forces will not do it at all, claiming that it is useless unless they can deport the Illegals.
It appears that there are companies that want Illegal immigrants to work for them. Perhaps this is because they will work for much, much less than the going wages of Americans. Their influence has been felt in the manner in which the issue has been handled. These Illegals are law breakers. Companies that knowingly hire them are breaking the law also. The Illegals have access to forgers that can set them up with all the needed papers to appear legitimate to an employer. We need to attack both aspects of this problem, that of employers hiring known Illegals, and that of Illegals acquiring documents to allow them to pass muster.
So what about the mass of Illegals that have made a home here, or have a good job here and want to continue to enjoy the benefits of our economy, and of our social benefits as well, such as schools, and medical care? Their children, some of them, are born here and have US citizenship, which gives them a hook to prevent deportation.
A percentage of these people want to become American citizens and reside here permanently. Others simply want to work here and send money home. Many do not want to assimilate into our society, but to garner its benefits, while continuing to follow their foreign moral guidelines. Our jails are almost half full of such Illegals. Do we want to give these people effectively instant and unqualified amnesty and a route to citizenship? That is what the current Senate bill promises.
This bill must be defeated as it stands, and then completely rethought and rewritten. It is a future nightmare for my children and their children.
Labels: Illegals, Immigration
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Denbury Resources Inc. is a An oil and natural gas company
DNR - Market Data & News
DNR - Stock Valuation Report
One of the S&P 500's big winners for Tuesday July 12 was Denbury Resources Inc. (DNR) as the company's stock climbed 17.25% to $3.67 on volume of 13.84 million shares.
The stock opened at $3.29 and saw an intraday low of $3.27 and an intraday high of $3.74. All told, the day saw a per-share gain of $0.54. The stock's average daily volume of 15.01 million and 350.59 million shares outstanding. Denbury Resources Inc. now has a 50-day SMA is $3.94 and 200-day SMA is $2.90, and it has a 52-week high of $5.48 and a 52-week low of $0.86.
Denbury Resources Inc is a domestic oil and natural gas producer in Mississippi and Montana.
Based out of Plano, TX, Denbury Resources Inc. has 1,096 employees and, after today's trading, reached a market cap of $1.29 billion. Its P/S ratio is 1.45, P/B ratio is 1.19, and P/FCF ratio is 2.6.
For a complete fundamental analysis analysis of Denbury Resources Inc., check out Equities.com's Stock Valuation Analysis report for DNR. To see the latest independent stock recommendations from Equities.com's analysts, visit our Research section.
The S&P 500 represents the industry standard for large-cap indices. While the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) may be the most visible stock market index in the country, the S&P 500 has long been relied on by industry insiders and fund managers as the more reliable gauge of portfolio performance.
While the DJIA is price-weighted and only includes 30 stocks, the S&P 500 uses a weighting system that factors in market cap and the size of a company's free float while including some 500 stocks for a more comprehensive look at the broader markets' performance. Its performance is far more representative of the large- and mega-cap stocks for any period of time.
For more news on the financial markets, go to Equities.com. Also, learn more about our independent proprietary equity research reports and our robust do-it-yourself Stock Valuation Analysis reports in our Research section.
All data provided by QuoteMedia and was accurate as of 4:30PM ET.
DISCLOSURE: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors, and do not represent the views of equities.com. Readers should not consider statements made by the author as formal recommendations and should consult their financial advisor before making any investment decisions. To read our full disclosure, please go to: http://www.equities.com/disclaimer
Sign up to receive free Oil & Gas 360 Newsletters


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Jane Aula
Hello Everyone! We are out running CF again this year! This time not only do we need a big group out on the course again this year. I will be running the half marathon this year along with Steve and a few other friends. Jane's Posse will also be present by walking and/running the 5K again this year. Last year this event raised over $20,000 for the CF Foundation. This year Jane's Posse would like to help increase that number this year. If you are able to help us, we would really appreciate it. Thank you to all of Jane's Posse and their family, friends & amazing supporters!!! You all Rock!!!!!!!
The Team: $1,315 TOTAL RAISED SO FARJOIN THE TEAM
Donor Comments
Lil Michel
Jane - I was telling my mom about your run - she wanted to give you a little help also. Good Luck Again!!!! 7 years ago


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The tops of these teeth look like melting popsicles. It's not decay – the enamel has been dissolved away – by acid.
This kind of tooth damage used to be common mainly in people with eating disorders. But the number of patients with significant damage to their tooth enamel is skyrocketting these days. We're seeing all kinds of people with the enamel on the tops or sides of their teeth perforated or completely dissolved away. The damage can be severe, creating severe wear, and tooth sensitivity that can ultimately require extensive treatment – and thousands of dollars – to repair.
Among the chief culprits: diet pop and orange juice.
Diet pop? Orange Juice? That's right. These and similar drinks can do tremendous harm to your teeth. And it's not the sugar – it's the acid.
Did you ever notice your teeth feeling slightly rough when you rub them together after having a coke? The enamel has been slightly etched – making it rough – by the phosphoric acid that is one of the ingredients. Carbonation itself adds acidity as well as fizz, because the carbon dioxide creates carbonic acid in solution. Natural products like lemons and orange juice is also acidic because of the citric and ascorbic acid they contain. (Even vitamin C can hurt your teeth with prolongued exposure – this is the reason we suggest swallowing without sucking on the tablets.)
A wide variety of snack drinks and food – including many natural juices – have surprisingly low pH (in other words, they're acidic). Tooth enamel is mostly calcium, and acid will dissolve it the same way descaler solution dissolves the scale in the bottom of your kettle. And it takes surprisingly little acidity – anything with a pH below 5 can do it. Teenagers are the most frequent victims of acid damage because they drink a lot of pop and juices, and tend to sip and swish it in their mouths. And here's a statistic for you: North American women drink more Diet Coke than water!
The table below shows typical pH (acidity) for some common foods and beverages. (Battery acid is there, not as a beverage, but for comparison.)
Don't let us scare you away from everything on the list. There are three critical factors that determine the amount of harm dietary acidity can do to your teeth:
Acidity. The lower-pH drinks, like Pop and lemonade, are the worst offenders
Frequency. Anyone can have a Coke once in a while without harm – its what you drink habitually that matters.
Exposure time. Sipping acidic drinks slowly (or, even worse, swishing it about in your mouth before swallowing) gives it more time to attack your tooth enamel To minimize the effect, drink it quickly and try to keep it off your teeth!
Caveat Emptor
There always seems to be someone ready to market any new health trend – just look at all the foods conspicuously labelled "Cholesterol Free".
When we first saw this juice label, we hoped it would really be a better product. But nowhere on the box did it specify exactly how much "lower in acid" it was. We wrote the company asking for details and ….. they didn't answer. If we ever do get the figures, we'll post it, but in the mean time it looks like just marketing hype.
If you have more questions, visit us our Kitchener Dentist Office in Doon South.
This information in provided by Doon South Dental, located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Call us at 1 519 748 4020 or fill this form, we look forward to connecting.


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During flight the crew will control the temperature within the plane cargo holds according to NOTOC or load sheet ; in most plane the temperature and air circulation of the cargo compartments could be set per compartment. Some tickets are non-refundable, and journey dates may be unimaginable to vary – resulting in having to shell out considerably extra towards a brand new ticket. First things first: If somebody tries to let you know: This is the most effective Flight Simulator Game! If seen your shipment will certainly be stopped, and if unexpectedly unnoticed it is a potential air safety risk! As an on-demand air charter operator, we are able to fly you to your vacation spot, on a moments discover!
At receipt of the ULD's and flight bag within the warehouse and workplace, the handling agent will inform the receiving forwarding agent that the shipment has arrived and the documents may be picked up. Tropic Air has teamed up with PACZ Tours to convey you the breathtaking and world renowned Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave Tour (not too long ago seen in National Geographic magazine). I have gotten to know a lot of great people at Island Air in these 11 years.. and my coronary heart goes out to everybody of them. No-frills airways equivalent to AirAsia India , GoAir and IndiGo provide low cost flights for those looking for a bargain. While booking flights with MakeMyTrip, you'll be able to count on the ultimate online reserving experience.


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Equipment HireI
f you're planning an event, you may be overwhelmed by the cost of buying the equipment needed to run a 3D show. You may be surprised to learn, however, that 3D projector hire is possible and is a lot more affordable than you may think.
With our 3D projector hire, the outlay is minimal and allows you to enhance your event with 3D technology without spending over the odds. 3D projector hire will allow you to maximise your profits by saving money in the long run and increasing your bottom line. It also allows you to sell peripherals required to view 3D media, which can also increase your overall returns.
By opting for 3D projector hire, you'll be guaranteed equipment of the highest spec, which is in full working order and both quick and easy to set up, saving you time and money. If you'd like to know more about the types of equipment we have for hire, or any other details, don't hesitate to get in touch.


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Credited as Righteousness—Romans 4:4-5
"Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Romans 4:4-5)
Anyone who works at job knows that the paycheck that comes at the end of the week isn't a gift. It is the exchange given from the blood, sweat, and tears that come from being employed. We give our time, effort, skill, and passion to our employers, and in return they give us money.
As Paul points out, God justifies the wicked and in reality, we all fall into that category.
This is a good system in the workforce, but a bad deal when it comes to an arrangement with God. As Paul notes later on in the letter, the only wage we'd earn on our own merit is death (Rom. 6:23).
However, the contrast to working and earning something from God is to trust in His grace. The beautiful result is that we, too, (Like Abraham in this example) will be credited with righteousness.
That's right, credited with Jesus' perfect and sinless record.
Here's the good news—We don't have to be good or have it all figured out! Trying to only excludes us. As Paul points out, God justifies the wicked and in reality, we all fall into that category.
It's an either-or scenario. We can work at trying to be good, do the right things to earn something from God (death), or we come to Him just as we are (wicked) and be credited with a status of always having obeyed everything He said (justified).
It takes a lot of faith to trust God's good intent toward us without offering anything in return. But the payoff is huge—We are credited with righteousness.
Where are you trying to earn God's favor? Where could you take a step back and simply thank Him for it?
Previous: Romans 4:3 Next: Romans 4:6-8
Original article published June 30, 2009.


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Our world according to (Groucho) Marx4 min read . Updated: 17 Nov 2008, 11:37 PM IST
Our world according to (Groucho) Marx
Our world according to (Groucho) Marx
Dramatis personae: four passengers.
The time: 10.45pm.
As the whistle sounds, two passengers begin commandeering the little side tables, clothes hooks, ceiling fans and all available baggage space. Bags, mufflers, coats and magazines are variously stowed, but some articles still lie on the seats. They belong to two other passengers who have been allocated the upper berths. In a coupe with four berths, only two passengers may have confirmed access to the lower berths. The other two, banished to the upper berths, are expected to pick up their stuff from seats that do not belong to them and climb up to berths located in a way that they can neither sit nor dangle their feet, but must lie supine till sleep or their destination arrives.
As any seasoned train traveller in India knows, once the train snakes out of the station, the lucky owners of the easily accessible lower berths, even though they are strangers to each other, will reveal a remarkably spontaneous solidarity. They will scowl at the unauthorized occupants, yawn audibly, and ask in too loud a voice, "Are these yours?" pointing at the miscellany of objects deposited by those that must climb up or else risk being thrown out. Looks are exchanged and meek offers by the upper berthers for swap on health or age grounds are rejected through clenched teeth. But since the upper berth passengers are also seasoned travellers and getting any berth in a night train is nothing short of a miracle these days, matters seldom get out of hand to the point of open conflict.
Also Read Mrinal Pande's earlier columns
If you do not belong to Mumbai, you may think this is irrational behaviour. After all, for passengers of all kinds the railway coach happens to be just a temporary domicile through which they are merely transiting to their own destinations. But we all know that despite this, even the most insignificant space in a railway coach must be defended by those already seated therein with a fierce tenacity bordering on open violence. Once ownership is firmly established, people go back to doing what they were doing earlier. Ironically, once the coach has been secured against intrusion and the train begins to speed, the question most asked by fellow travellers is: "And so, what is your native place?"
In a manner of speaking, all of us in India belong to the clan of train travellers, having traded territories some time or another. Since no nation has an absolutely ethnic home-grown population, all of us began as intruders in the "native place" we claim to hail from now. Like all groups of asylum seekers, we also cling to an identity that we have built for ourselves. We do two things to this end: We rapidly set to work on concealing and denying our origins. And we also secretly start searching for "people from our side" in the big alien city, so we may together seal a masonic brotherhood of sorts and feel at home.
For centuries, simple, rootless, mostly unskilled people from the eastern part of Hindi-speaking India have followed this pattern as they migrated west, sometimes unwillingly as indentured slaves, at others voluntarily as migrant labour desperately looking for jobs. Men and women have risked life and limb and broken families only to earn a living in the west. As labourers, they have been exploited, walled in, spied on and even killed by xenophobic regional groups who justify their aggression on grounds of the "otherness" of the victims who speak an alien tongue. Last week, one of the readers of my column asked angrily, "Why have you not spoken in your article about the fact that Lalu Yadav deliberately chose to hurt Marathi sentiments by publishing advertisements for railway jobs in Hindi? Why did he not use Marathi?" If Hindi is so offensive to Mumbaikars, one wonders how all those huge Hindi hoardings in Maximum City should have gone untarred and why should Bollywood, the heart of Hindi film production, not be sent packing?
What happened to our celebrated diversity of languages? Of opinions? Of religions and cultures?
And now the chief minister of the state speaks at long last. Of course, Mumbai needs outsiders, he says, to do jobs that the native people are reluctant to take up. Obviously, concerns of expediency and ethics have become so muddled in India's politics that they are difficult to disentangle. The chief minister offers asylum but simultaneously underscores what sort of jobs the aliens must expect if they migrate to his state: the most unwanted. Such comments may shut up local critics but will keep the issue simmering on the back burner to be used some day, should the aliens begin to want an equal status.
Groucho: One night, Columbus' sailors started a mutiny.
Chico: Nah, no mutinies at night. They are usually in the afternoon, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Groucho: That's my argument. Restrict immigration.
(Animal Crackers)
Mrinal Pande likes to take readers behind the reported news in her fortnightly column. She is chief editor of Hindustan. Your comments are welcome at email@example.com


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Landmine Training - A real weapon in your exercise arsenal
It's been given many names in the weights room, mainly because most people have no idea what it is. Landmine training is where you take an Olympic bar and stick one end of it in a corner of a room so that you can use the bar as a big lever. Weight up the end you hold and you will have one of the best training tools in the world for developing whole body explosive power.
Landmine training is an incredible way of developing your fitness. It's fun and can be done with light or heavy loads. If you use light weights you can improve your endurance, speed, tone and burn loads of fat. If you use heavy weights you can increase your maximum strength, power and muscle mass.
The best selling point of landmine training is that every exercise is a whole body exercise, so you develop power through your legs, transfer it through your core and in to your arms – Toe to finger power! This is why you will see such insane increases in your strength. I saw my single arm lunge press go from 30kg to 75kg in 6 weeks! If you're throwing a punch, lifting someone up or wrestling them on the ground you will be able to produce a lot more force if you use your body as a unit, rather than isolating specific muscles.
This sounds obvious but if we know that we need to create force using our whole body why do some athletes still train in isolation or with really stable, simple movements? Bicep curls, Bench pressing and sit ups will all have minimal impact on your performance because they are movements we never re-create in fights or any other sport for that matter. The closer you get to real movements that you use in your sport the better the transfer you will see from the results you get in the gym to your performance in the ring.
The other reason landmine training is so effective is the fact your core has to work so hard to keep the bar travelling along the right path. A lot of the exercises make it feel like the bar wants to fall away from you. Take the single arm fly. You would normally associate that exercise with a chest isolation exercise used by body builders. Do it on a landmine and you will feel your abdominals working like never before, as well as your chest and shoulder complex.
To see some of my favourite landmine exercises check out the Wild Training landmine tutorial on YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv5N9GZ0y4Q. Subscribe to the Wild Training channel on YouTube for regular training advice and exercise demo's. If you want more advice get in contact with us at http://www.wildtraining.co.uk.
Start off with light weights to get the technique right. Something like a 60 second set to fatigue with a 30-60 second rest. Aim for 2-3 sets of each exercise. If you want to increase your maximum strength and power then do a 30 second set to failure with a 2-3 minute rest in between sets. Aim to complete 3-6 sets of each exercise.
Again start at the lower end of these numbers and build up.


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Statement of Commissioner Brian Quintenz Regarding CFTC's FY 2019 Budget Request
February 12, 2018
I support Chairman Giancarlo's FY 2019 $281.5 million budget request. The Chairman has undertaken a thoughtful and disciplined approach to determining the resources necessary for the agency to fulfil its mission and position it as a 21st Century regulator.
While the Chairman's budget request increases the agency's FTE (Full Time Equivalent) employees to 716, it is important to note that the agency's FTE count has steadily decreased over the past three years due in part to flat funding. In FY 2016, the agency had 714 FTEs while in FY 2017 it had 689 FTEs and only 670 FTEs this year. From that perspective, the current request asks for roughly the same number of FTEs as three years ago. However, the composition of the Chairman's proposed FY 2019 FTEs will be quite different from what the agency maintained in FY 2016 and will help realize the Chairman's vision for the agency: increased interfaces with fintech advancements, robust and timely examination processes for clearinghouses, and enhanced econometric analyses of rules, products, and markets. I fully support this vision, and as the sponsor of the Commission's Technology Advisory Committee, I am excited to play a role in advancing the agency's understanding of, and participation in, innovative technological concepts in our markets.
We live in a world of scare resources. Every organization wishes it had more financial and human capital. Regardless of Congress' ultimate appropriation to the agency, the CFTC remains dedicated to streamlining its operations and prioritizing its market regulation to best utilize the funding that it receives.
Last Updated: February 12, 2018


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Set by the harbour, the lovely town of Oamaru beckoned a weekend visit down south. Staying as close to the coast as possible, we wandered Bushy Beach for two days in search of yellow-eyed penguins. These guys are incredibly shy and known to run away at the drop of a hat, but luckily our ninja skills and super silent stealth got us a few close encounters. There was also plenty of opportunity to stroll through the Victorian town for a proper tea, scope out the farmers' market, be steampunked, and generally admire the pleasant charm of limestone buildings.
4 thoughts on "Quaintly Oamaru"
what a lovely place


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Is my credit report what lenders see?
Dear James,
Does an Experian credit report show all a person's creditors and do companies who give credit only see the same as the Experian report?
Dane, Ibstock
Dear Dane,
You've posed two questions there so let me take them one at a time. Firstly, your Experian credit report will show you details of all the credit agreements that the lenders we work with have shared with us over the past six years. While we work with most of the major lenders, there are a small number that don't provide data to Experian. There are also some credit agreements that the companies we do work with don't send to us. These are usually old agreements that can't legally be shared because, when they were opened, the customers weren't informed that data would be shared in this way. Having said that, our records are very comprehensive, which means that for many people their Experian credit report is fairly complete borrowing record. Moving on to your second question, there are two sides to this. The credit report you see is more comprehensive than the one lenders look at (with your permission of course) because only you see the actual names of your current and past lenders. You also see a record of all the searches of your report, regardless of the reason, whereas lenders usually only see searches carried out for credit-granting purposes. However, if you are financially linked to someone else – and your report will tell you this – then any lender checking your report may be able to view the other person's credit history as well. (April 2012)
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Rhythm on the River
121 Alexander Rd
West Columbia
South Carolina 29169
Bring a blanket, chair or take a seat at the amphitheater. Enjoy music with friends and family at the Wyman "Mac" Rish Riverwalk and Amphitheater in West Columbia. Relax and enjoy the view of the Congaree River or take a walk along the beautiful winding trail while listening to the concert! All concerts are free and are great outings for families.
Spring Lineup:
April 20
Don Merckle and The Blacksmiths with Jeff Lucero Band
Food Truck: Carolina Cookin' Southern Fusion
April 26 – Special Friday Night Edition
Brian Conner and Britt Ervin Crosby
Food Truck: Carolina Cookin' Southern Fusion
May 4
The Get Right Band and Dirty Gone Dolas
May 11
Radio Cult and Blues Deluxe Band
May 18
48 Fables and Admiral Radio
May 25 – Dual Headliners
Prettier Than Matt
Runaway Jug Band
Food and beverages are available for purchase during each concert. (coolers are not allowed)
Dogs are welcome but must be leashed, get along with people and other dogs and be picked up after.
Information on parking and shuttle service is here: http://ow.ly/9J8G30lr6Bi


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Welcome to the new online shop for Francis Minien Limited Editions Prints. Launched to offer access to a selection of photographs from the collection. Prints offered will rotate over time or as they sell out, get a print will you can!
Limited Edition Print Shop is Now Live!
Welcome to the new online shop for Francis Minien Limited Editions Prints. Launched to offer access to a selection of photographs from the collection. Prints offered will rotate over time or as they sell out, get a print will you can!
NYC Exhibition Opening, Save the Date 12th July - Foley Gallery
The Exhibition Lab Exhibition
Opening Reception - In Between Borders
Wednesday, July 12, 2017, from 6-8pm
Foley Gallery, 59 Orchard Street, New York City
Please join me on Wednesday evening, July 12, from 6-8pm, at Foley Gallery, when I will participate in "The Exhibition Lab Exhibition", a group show featuring my work along with the work of photographers Aleya Lehmann Bench, Miles Kerr, Alex Nelson, Eva Fazzari, Susan Evans Grove, Amy Montali and David Bernstein.
In Between Borders - "Every day we see things. That we pay no attention to. A curtain. A wall. A vase. They pass through our acknowledging eyes to our subconscious and are recorded as uneventful, and our attention moves on. But if you stop your eyes for a moment, adjust your focus, you may see the color, the light, the symmetry that makes the everyday beautiful."
The Exhibition Lab is a study of photography outside of a traditional academic setting. The initiative was co-founded by Michael Foley in 2010 as a study center for fine art photography dedicated to learning by critique. Students of the ExLab meet over the course of five months, holding critique sessions with one another and one-on-one sessions with Michael Foley.
Foley Gallery
59 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
"The Exhibition Lab Exhibition" will remain on view through Saturday, August 12th, 2017. Foley Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11am - 6pm. Info: 212.244.9081 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Head On Photo Festival Finalist
Great news from down under with a photograph from the series 'Masala Beach' being selected as a finalist in the Head On Photo Festivals Landscape Prize.Read More
Nominee - 10th Annual International Color Awards
Great news to receive from the International Color Awards on being a Nominee at the 10th Annual Awards with an photograph from the project Masala Beach.Read More
Merry Whatever You May Celebrate & All the best for 2017!
My Own Take on the Advent Calendar - From NYC!
Feeling festive and enjoying my new approach to my photography on social media in general, take a wander over to Instagram, twitter or Facebook to see my take on the Advent Calendar from NYC for the holiday season!
Nominee in the 11th Annual Black & White Spider Awards
Amateur photographer Francis Minien of UK was presented with the 11th Annual Black and White Spider Awards Nominee title in the category of (Category) at a prestigious Nomination & Winners PhotoShow webcast Saturday, November 5, 2016.Read More
Leaving on a Big Jet Plane...Again!
Time has come once again for me to move on and relocate to NYC! I can't believe how 18 months have flown by!Read More
If Everybody had an Ocean...
"If everybody had an ocean, across the U-S-A" wrote Brian Wilson in 1963, I wonder if he had any idea of what was to come in the growth and global phenomenon that is now surfing?Read More
Giving a helping Hand
Spending the day photographing with the children from Reaching Hand in Bangalore.Read More
Photography eBooks now on iTunes
Great news is that all Francis Minien Photography Books are now available on iTunes as eBooks. Check them out:
Is an exploration of the Festival life and experience documented by Francis Minien over the past two decades since his first Festival experience in 1993.
Is a collection of photographs from my travels around the world, focusing on the wonders of the tourist gift market in what is a billion dollar industry.
Is a photographic essay tracking the photographers eye through a year of extreme turmoil, change and challenges.
Photo Credit on a Huffington Post Article
Its always nice to see your work get out there in an unsolicited manner, Whilst going through my regular routine of googling myself to check any unsolicited use of my images i stumbled across a Huffington Post Article Should Government Policies Rely More on Psychology?
Its a great Article so one should take some time to read it, but also a nice shot included!
CGAP Articles and Photo Credits
I have spent a lot of time over the last 6 or 7 years working with and documenting Microfinance institutions and their clients. CGAP is a organisation and thought leader in the field of Financial inclusion that Microfinance plays an important role.Read More
ART UpCLOSE Representation
Francis Minien photography is now partnered with ART UpCLOSE for representation of two portfolios: Destined Ethnography and Tourist Tat. The work is also now for sale.Read More
Francis Minien on CBS News
Catchafire: "A matchmaking service between talent and purpose"
Recently CBS news featured a story on Catchafire an online platform for nonprofits and social enterprises to find skilled professionals willing to volunteer their services.
Francis Minien is a volunteer photographer at Catchafire. He was featured in the story during work on a recent photography project for the Pratt Area Community Council, an organization in Brooklyn, New York, that helps people find affordable housing.


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Museum Development Network: Evaluation Tender – Deadline Extended
MDN Museums' Self-assessment Methodology: Formative Evaluation Brief 2018-19
The Museum Development Network (MDN) was set up to support collaborative working across museum development providers in the UK. MDN is directed by the Museum Development Committee (MDC), which is made up of representatives from each MD team.
The Museum Development Programme (MDP) in England is a programme of support for museums across the nine regions of England. Museum Development believes in thriving museums. It raises standards and drives excellence by enabling, guiding and supporting people working in museums.
Each MD provider has secured funding from Arts Council England (ACE) to be Sector Support Organisations (SSO) for 2018-22 within Arts Council England's National Portfolio. Each MD provider run programmes of development to enhance museums in response to Arts Council England's 5 strategic goals: ACE 5 Goals.
For the funding period 2018-22, MD teams have new national SMART objectives to deliver and report against for ACE around the 5 strategic goals. One of the SMART objectives is: "to use a nationally-consistent diagnostic toolkit including relevant Accreditation elements as appropriate, to enable more museums to be resilient as a result of museum development interventions" with the measures of "by January 2019, to have a nationally consistent diagnostic toolkit developed collaboratively with ACE. By January 2019, a regionally agreed timed plan to achieve a baseline audit of museums' organisational resilience and development. From January 2019 a regionally agreed % of museums being supported to meet their business needs- as identified through the use of a diagnostic toolkit; % increasing over the four years with a national minimum to be agreed centrally by January 2019. RMs will negotiate the Y2 onwards targets in Jan 2019 as a payment condition for Q1 2019/20 investment".
It has been agreed that in practice, by nationally-consistent diagnostic toolkit we mean a diagnostic approach to identify a museum's development needs that will be informed by a range of sources, which may include self-assessment, Accreditation intelligence, annual data, a museum's own forward/business plan and other Museum Development information.
MDN have established a Business Diagnostic working group, with representatives from each region and the ACE Senior Manager, Museum Development. The working group is tasked with developing an approach, in response to the above SMART, taking into account the range of tools and sources of information MD teams use to capture the development objectives and business needs of museums in the regions (e.g. Self-assessment organisational health checks, collections Health checks, peer review, annual data survey, Accreditation data).
Some MD providers have an established unique system comprising a diagnostic approach to working with museums while others have never used diagnostic tools as a structured approach. As a result, the working group committed to a pilot programme between April and July 2018 to enable MD regions that had not previously utilised a diagnostic approach to trial various methods of delivering a diagnostic assessment, based on their available resources and regional MD delivery model. These regions have utilised the East Midlands Business Diagnostic toolkit, which had been in use for 3 years and had been designed as a self-assessment tool for museums to evaluate their performance.
Manchester University, on behalf of the MDC, seeks a consultant with relevant experience and expertise to evaluate the national pilot of a methodology of museums' self-assessment. The methodology is currently operating as a national pilot in each region during 2018-19 and builds on the East Midlands Museum Development self-assessment business diagnostic. The evaluation findings will inform the development of a national self-assessment methodology in preparation for implementation from January 2019. This work will support MDN to develop a collective response to the ACE SMART objective and to support the following objectives: the MD programme development; resilience of museums in the nine English regions; identification of national trends and needs of museums; and track some of the impact of MD interventions and support given to museums.
This work would form Stage 1 of a formative evaluation process. Stage 2 is to be separately commissioned in 2019-20 following the implementation the self-assessment tool across the nine regions for a sufficient period of time.
For the full consultant brief, please download the MDN Museums' Self-assessment methodology Stage 1 evaluation Brief
The deadline for proposal submission is 5pm on the 8th October 2018. The interview date for short-listed proposals is 17th October 2018 (Venue TBC). The successful consultancy will be informed by the 26th October. The inception meeting will take place with the successful consultant and the steering group in November.
Please submit your proposals to Kaye Hardyman, Vice Chair of MDN Committee: email@example.com cc. Claire Browne, Chair of MDN Committee: email@example.com. For further details contact Kaye Hardyman.


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The eighth-generation Porsche 911 made its first official public appearance at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show this week. The 2019 911, code-named 992, will have big shoes to fill, as the seventh-generation sports car (code named 991) was the best-selling edition to date, running from 2011 to 2018, with 217,930 examples produced. Total 911 production since its debut in 1963 stands at 1,049,330.
A million 911 sports cars so far, and the rear-engine two-door is more popular than ever, both in new and used form. Resale prices for the first four generations, which were air/oil-cooled, have spiked in recent years, while fifth-generation and newer car prices have risen steadily as well. 911 has always occupied a unique position among sports cars. Unlike Ferrari, Lamborghini and the exotics, 911 lives in a tantalizing space within reach, rather than in the stratosphere. With a reputation for great performance coupled with solid reliability, 911 is not a finicky supercar. It is a world-class driver with everyday drivability.
This attainability both attracts and repels. In some circles, 911 is perceived as too ordinary to be a special car. "Why would I want a car that's one in a million when I could have a car that's one in a thousand?" some enthusiasts ask.
The new 911 won't solve this push/pull. 992 is an evolutionary, not revolutionary, product. Porsche calls it "unmistakably committed to the Porsche design DNA," which means that casual observers will not be able to immediately distinguish the new 911 from the outgoing 991 model. The new 992 is 45 mm wider at the front/44 mm wider at the rear than before – about an inch and three-quarters difference. The body manages to be muscular and smooth at the same time, thanks to flush integration of electrical pop-out handles. More aerodynamic exterior mirrors help with the sleekness. The rear light bar will probably be the 992's distinguishing feature, with the third brake light integrated into the intake louvers.
The interior has been redesigned as well, taking inspiration from 1970s models, with the addition of modern tech. A 10.9-inch center screen is prominently placed in the horizontally arrayed dash, and a simple array of toggle-look buttons sits beneath it in the center stack. The center console is nicely raked and similarly uncluttered.
A new generation of turbocharged flat-six engine roosts beneath the rear deck. New larger turbochargers with multiple upgrades and enhancements deliver improved horsepower, torque and power curves with a wider range of peak output rpm. A new drive mode, Wet, is standard. It detects water on the roadway and pre-conditions control systems to respond, while warning the driver, who can then select appropriate settings.
The United States is an important market for Porsche, which is on the way to record sales here for 2018. 911 is the halo car for the brand, and one-third of all 911 models produced arrives for sale in the US. Porsche's top-sellers are the compact crossover Macan (over 20,000 projected sales in 2018) and mid-size crossover Cayenne (around 10,000), followed by 911 (around 8,000).
The 2020 Porsche 911 will arrive in showrooms soon. Prices will start at $113,300 for Carrera S, $120,600 for Carrera 4S, a jump of about $8,000 over the outgoing vehicle. Additional pricing and details will be released closer to launch.


text: This is an oak stick and ball curio china cabinet that has been designed to hang on the wall. The cabinet is in original condition and note the curved glass panels. A unique cabinet that will display that special collection very well. Measures 26 1/2″ wide, 6″ Depth and 32″ Height. Circa 1900.


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TUBA CITY - Jonathan Yazzie is one inspired and challenging Tuba City High school teacher.
He's only been at TC High a little over two years, but is already gaining state notoriety.
According to principal Jacquelyn Wauneka, Yazzie recently received attention from the State of Arizona Department of Education for his exemplary welding program at Tuba City High.
Yazzie's outstanding Career and Technical Education (CTE) program starts with Intro to Welding that includes stick welding and cutting torch skills along with welding safety that is modeled after the state approved Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-hour training to metal inert gas (MIG) and Flux Core Arc welding.
The second half of his challenging program includes gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding in the Welding II class, because it requires more in-depth instruction and students that are in this class are taking on the huge project of construction of the new shop at TC High in the vocational wing of the new two-story building.
Each of these welding classes is articulated with Coconino Community College (CCC) with students receiving three community college credit hours for their time.
But the area that has been gaining the TC High welding program its unique status and most interest is the instruction.
Yazzie incorporates Dr. Robert J. Marzano's researched based teaching philosophies into his curriculum.
Each lesson is designed with a beginning, middle and end assignment and all areas have expository literacy elements.
These Marzano based elements provide the framework for most of the narrative assignments for his classes and also make great reference for notes, organizers, outlines, reading, and pre-writing.
Yazzie also expressed appreciation for guidance on his classroom instruction to a former professor at Northern Arizona University (NAU) for helping him understand and customize lesson plans for TC High students based on their individual academic needs.
Yazzie has classroom sizes up to 30 students, which include about 25 percent female students.
He encourages his female students to pursue what he feels is a "non-traditional" female career like welding and added that females are just as thorough about grasping the welding teaching and understanding concepts quickly and effectively.
He also thinks that his young female students exhibit a greater patience and attention to detail than his male students and feels that is an asset to learning about the welding trade.
Yazzie added that administrative support from TC High and his program supervisor, Robert Windmiller at TC High have helped to make his program a success.
Windmiller states, "As the Director of the Career and Technical Education at TC High, it was my pleasure to translate Jonathan's vision for a custom built classroom facility that would house state-of-the-art equipment for his students ... Right now, Mr. Yazzie is working with the Arizona Department of Education and the Northeast Arizona Technological Institute of Vocational Education (NATIVE)-our joint technical education district to assist other CTE teachers across the reservation to develop programs similar to the one at TC High."
I am also looking forward to Jonathan being able to issue his own American Welding Society (AWS) Certification at TC high and offering night classes."
James J. Wojcik, the state supervisor for welding said, "My personal opinion is that one of the strongest welding programs right now in the state of Arizona is located at Tuba City High School."
Supplies and equipment for the TC High Welding Program were purchased with funds from the TCUSD partnership with NATIVE, the joint technical educational district with federal career and technical education funds.
The NATIVE partnership headed by Superintendent Karen Lesher has accelerated development of all of the CTE programs at TC High.
Yazzie has been actively involved in facilitation of this NATIVE partnership on behalf of TCUSD.
For more information on the TC High welding program, contact the TC District Office of Public Relations at (928) 283-1185.
More like this story
- Tuba City High student wins SkillsNATIVE welding competition
- Annual NATIVE Skills 2017 competition brings Tuba City High student career success
- Tuba City High School students take top honors at Native Skills competition
- Tuba City High CTE construction study students learn to master masonry
- Construction technology course builds bright future for Tuba City High School students
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Local News
Parliament convenes today at 10.30 am
- Details
- Published on 05 December 2018
- Written by slbc news
- Hits: 768
Parliament convenes today at 10.30 am. A Party leaders' meeting will be held prior to the parliamentary session.
Meanwhile, Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena says their parliamentary group will not take part in the today's parliamentary proceedings. At a press briefing held in Colombo yesterday he said joint opposition parliamentary group will continuously agitating for a general election.


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Statistical analysis of doubletalk detection for calibration and performance evaluation
Doubletalk detection is an important part of a practical echo canceller implementation, but a difficult problem is calibrating the doubletalk detector for arbitrary environments and input signals. In this paper, it is shown that a statistical model of a doubletalk detection variable's probability density function (PDF) can be used to obtain an optimal detection threshold and expected detection performance curves. In particular, a statistical analysis of a recently proposed cross-correlation-based doubletalk detector is presented. The doubletalk detection variable is modeled in terms of its constituent parameter estimators, resulting in conditional PDFs in the absence and presence of doubletalk. These are used to obtain a signal-adaptive detection threshold for calibration, and to provide expected doubletalk detection probability. Simulations are presented comparing the theoretical and measured detection probability compared to a fixed detection threshold for speech input and doubletalk signals. The results indicate a close agreement with the proposed model for moderate-to-high levels of doubletalk
|Additional Metadata
|Adaptive filtering, Doubletalk detection, Echo cancellation, Statistical analysis
|Persistent URL
|IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech and Language Processing
Gordy, J.D. (James D.), & Goubran, R. (2007). Statistical analysis of doubletalk detection for calibration and performance evaluation. IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech and Language Processing, 15(3), 1035–1043. doi:10.1109/TASL.2006.885246


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1/27/2016 Nigeria (Morning Star News)
Two pastors have been kidnapped and another injured by a gunshot by unknown gunmen in Kogi State, Nigeria. The violence raises eerie suspicions about the origin of the attackers simply because Kogi State exists in southern Nigeria. Boko Haram and other radical Islamist movements in Nigeria rarely reach this far south, but this targeted persecution raises questions about the true influence that Boko Haram has stretching into southern Nigeria.
- Pray for the swift and safe release of the two pastors kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria
- Pray for the Christian communities in Nigeria who are being forced to leave their homes due to violence–that they may be able to return and rebuild and be protected by security.


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Dr. Deep Goel is presently Head of Surgical Specialties and Consultant Department of Minimal Invasive, Bariatric and Gastrointestinal Oncosurgery in several hospitals in Delhi. Dr. Deep Goel is National Board Certified in 1996.
After completing his Board, he joined Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in 1996. At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital - he was instrumental in training of surgeons from all over the country in abdominal surgeries and teaching National Board Fellows and Nurses.
In 1998, he joined The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel London as Specialist Registrar and was awarded a Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons, England in 1998.
He was further trained in Minimal Invasive, Bariatric and Gastrointestinal Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical School, New York, USA and Bagatelle Hospital, Bourdaux, France.SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN BARIATRIC SURGERY & GI Oncosurgery
He has been invited as a teaching faculty for live-workshops, seminars, conferences and delivering guest lectures throughout the country and aboard. He is a faculty in various training programmes all over the country.
Best Original Research Award by National Board of Examinations, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi.Editorial Board
Copyright © 2019 www.forerunnershealthcare.com All Rights Reserved.


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Report. Tragedy in Nepal: Dash-8 airplane crashes
At least 50 victims out of 71 on board -2 VIDEO
Coming from Bangladesh, it was landing in Katmandu. The number of deaths is increasing
A de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 airplane from the US Bangla Airlines, BS211 flight coming from the "Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport" in Bangladesh crashed this morning (2:20 pm local time) while it was in landing phase at Kathmandu Airport, Nepal. The Nepalese Army spokesperson unveiled it.
On board 71 people (64 men and women, two children, and 5 crewmembers). So far the victims counted by rescuers are 50. Fourteen survivors including some in very serious conditions were immediately transported to the nearest hospitals (Kathmandu Medical College, Teaching Hospital, Norvic Hospital and Mediciti Hospital), while looking for missing bodies to the list. Still according to the details issued by the authorities, 33 people were of Nepalese nationality.
At the time of writing Prem Nath Thakur, spokesman for Tia (Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu airport) reports that 9 of the most seriously injured were declared dead on arrival at the hospitals. But it is not specified if they are already included in the 50 victims.
According to the local press, a first Tia executive, Raj Kumar Chhettri, said that the plane crashed at 2:28pm. "Air traffic control had informed the airplane pilot that it was to land on the 02 runway, at the southern end of the airport, moments before the fatal accident. The pilot then informed that he would approach the runway from the north, but the aircraft headed north-east. The control tower contacted him and asked if there was a problem, the pilot replied that everything was fine. After the aircraft is skidded on the runway, risking crashing into one of hangars. Immediately it caught fire, Chhetri added it.
In the two videos below, images from the tragedy place:
© AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency Srl


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Would you like more customers to find you online?
As a small business manager, you probably face the same marketing challenge as many other small companies – coming up with ideas for new content that will interest potential customers and address their needs.
If so, one useful source of inspiration can be the stories that highlight how other small businesses have succeeded. So we were delighted to see this case study on the Copyblogger website recently, discussing how a pet sitting service was able to use content marketing to reach new clients online.
The business, Bella's House & Pet Sitting, has developed a content-rich website that has led to a staggering 85% of its customers finding it on the Internet. In addition, it uses email marketing to drive people back to the site and highlight new content likely to be of interest.
Bella Vasta, the company's owner, also revisits popular topics that resonate with her audience. She says that if readers are interested in a particular subject, it makes sense to write about it more than once – great advice for those struggling to come up with new content ideas.
You can read the full case study here. And if you'd like to find out how other small businesses are using content to reach new clients online, have a look at this article on content marketing.
Have you seen any good examples of small businesses using content to attract customers online? Have you ever struggled to come up with fresh content ideas? Let us know in the comments below.


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Miss Doyle's Soapery
Courage Naturally Based Deodorant Spray
Regular price $8.00
Courage in a bottle is what our amazing essential oil based deodorant and body spray is made of...Our naturally based deodorant spray can be used under the arms, as a body spray or clothing spray. Our unique naturally based spray is made with an odor neutralizer that doesn't change the flora of the skin and clothing safe.
The Essential Oil blend is made up of Lavender, Clary Sage, Frankincense and Ylang Ylang.
Inspire bath and body was developed not only as an amazing deodorant body spray and lotion but also as a way to give back to our community! For every bottle that is purchased you are donating one to help build and empower women and girls at shelters and interim homes.


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I mentioned in one of my last posts that I've been trying to write an e-course inspired by my experience in film photography... and this is something that I've recently started to work on again (hurray). However, I've never written an e-course before, which is a problem.
I've taken part in a couple and I've a vague idea of what I want to do, but honestly, I'm fumbling through. So I decided to start doing a bit of research into putting together an e-course... and some of the things I read, I did not like at all. Luckily, some things I did like and I've been making some good notes, but overall the internet hasn't been super helpful in helping me put together exactly what it is I'm trying to do.
And then, as if by magic... an email from Sas Petherick (you know of her right? If not, pop over after you've read this post, she is awesome!) pops up in my in-box, with not only exactly the information I want - but more than I could possibly imagine on a huge variety of topics that I'm currently interested in... e-courses, blogging, marketing for artists, how to say no (this one I'm pretty sure is just for me haha), yoga, love, business... and so much more. Possibly too much more... as I have no idea how long its going to take me to read it all but I am excited - so excited in fact, I'm sharing it with you too.
So what exactly am I trying to share with you? Well here it is - Multi-Passionate Must Haves!
A collection of 30 hand-picked products for multi-passionate people which was released today and is only available for 72 hours! And to make it even better - its only $97 (or £59.50 UK lovelies) - for 30 e-books worth a total of $2046.95 (or £1,215.24, wow!).
Here is the list of books included:
- 365 Writing and Blogging Prompts by April Bowles-Olin
- Bewitch: Cast your Spell to Get the Customers You Crave by Kris Oster
- Board of Your Life by Tanya Geisler
- Brilliant Boundaries by Kylie Bellard
- Business By Design by Megan Auman
- The Digital Launch Playbook by Joel Zaslofsky
- Easier Email by Cairene MacDonald
- An Effective Escape by Michelle Ward
- Energy Management 101 for Introverts by Tanja Gardner
- Facebook for Artists by Cory Huff
- The Fierce Love Course by Molly Mahar
- Find your very own GPS readings by Sas Petherick
- The Good to Know Project, Zines 1-5 by Amy Ng
- How to Build a Blog You Truly Love by Liv Lane
- How to Say No by Tiffany Han
- Journal Yo Feelings Out by Jenipher Lyn
- Journaling Your Awesome Future by Deb Cooperman
- Launch Your First Profitable E-Course by Halley Gray (universe magic right? It's good too!)
- Life is Messy Planners by Mayi Carles
- Marketing for Creatives by April Bowles Olin
- Playshop in a Box by Melissa Dinwiddle
- Playtime with your Inner Muse by Jennifer Lee
- Power Play by Amanda Genther
- The Purpose Paradigm by Laura Simms
- Sex, Love, Liberation by Ev'Yan Whitney
- The Soul Fire Code by Satya Colombo
- Supporting Multipotentialite Kids by Emilie Wapnick
- The Ultimate Virtual Retreat by Jen Louden
- World-Changing Writers Workshop by Pace Smith
- You Again Yoga by Caren Baginski
I went through the list and immediately 10 or so jumped out at me - including Sas's work, and I think even 10 for £59.50 would have been a bargain, so 30 seems a bit crazy to me. What do you think? Worth the money? I definitely think so - in fact I've already bought it and I've flicked through a lot of it too (some things you get complete and others you have to sign up for or download from a different link, but its all there!) and I can definitely recommend it. It's a little overwhelming to have so much information immediately at your fingertips, but awesome too.
So if you're anything like me and you have your fingers in too many pies (crochet, yoga, blogging, photography, ecourse, blurb books, free e-books... to name a few) or are multi-passionate (what a great phrase!) then this is definitely for you. CHECK IT OUT HERE!!
IMPORTANT NOTE. I got the email this morning and purchased a copy of this of my own before sharing as I wanted to make sure this was as awesome and bargainous as it looks - and I think it is. As part of buying this, Multi Passionate Must Haves also offers an affiliate program (which explains why you can buy so much for so cheap, imagine all the referrals each of these amazing contributors must be getting - very clever really) and because I was going to share this amazing deal anyway, I signed up to it and all of the links included in this post are affiliate links - meaning if you buy it, I get a percentage of money too - which would be amazing for me and definitely contribute to my E-course fund :) so its a win-win all round.
Thank you for reading and supporting my blog, and thank you a million times if you do buy this package through this blog, I've been at this a long time now and I wouldn't share anything on here that I wouldn't complete endorse or buy myself.


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By now, you know how much I like to glean wisdom from our Jewish brothers and sisters, especially when it comes to reading the Hebrew Scriptures. This is partly because I have Jewish background on my father's side. My great grandfather grew up in a shtetl in the Ukraine and I have memories of colorful Yiddish words and phrases that my grandfather would frequently use. Whenever my grandpa found himself doing something that he thought was boring or useless he would say he was "shlug zich kop in vaunt," which means, "banging his head against the wall." And whenever my dad complained or whined to my grandpa, my grandpa would tell him "don't hak mir in tchainik" which literally means "stop banging my tea kettle," but is a colloquial way of saying, "stop making a tempest in a teapot." And if my dad would persist in his whining, my grandpa would tell him to stop being such a "nudnik," which is someone who is so annoying that it is becoming boring. My dad recalls his uncle referring to him and his sister as "nudnik" so often that he's not sure if his uncle ever really knew their real names (!).
There are many popular Yiddish words my grandpa would often use, such as "klutz" and "schlep" and "mensch," but there is one paritcular Yiddish word that I want to offer for some reflection this morning; and that is the word "kvetch", which means "to complain, whine or fret" or "someone who tends to complain." In today's readings, there is a lot of kvetching. The Israelites kvetch about not having enough bread in the wilderness, the day laborers kvetch about not getting paid more than those who worked for only an hour, and even Paul kvetches a bit about his suffering and his struggle. The other optional readings for this Sunday have even more kvetching with the bitter and melodramatic complaints of the self-pitying prophet Jonah. Ironically, the one reading that has the least kvetching is the Psalm, which comes from the book most replete with complaints. But even the Psalmist describes the kvetching of the Israelites (somewhat euphemistically) in saying, "They asked, and quails appeared, and [God] satisfied them with bread from heaven" (105:40).
And here is what is so fascinating to me about all this kvetching: Instead of God sternly demanding everyone to stop whining and start being more grateful for what they already have, God responds to all the complaining with profound grace, bestowing gifts of physical and spiritual nourishment. God does not necessarily encourage the kvetching, but God does seem to create a space for it, to accommodate it and to respond generously to it. God displays an amazing grace that appears to save all of these kvetches. And I'm personally comforted by these lessons because they encourage me to believe that God's amazing grace could save a kvetch like me.
After all of their complaining, the Israelites receive the divine invitation to "Draw near to the LORD for he has heard your complaining" and then they receive a divine vision: "they looked toward the wilderness and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud." And then they receive their fill of meat and bread because, as the text says multiple times, the LORD heard their complaining. The Lord heard their kvetching.
In the Gospel, the day laborers also grumble. In fact, the Greek word for grumble is rather onomatopoetic (sounds like the act it conveys): gogguzw (gong-good-zo), which is the same word used in the Septuagint for the "complaining" of the Israelites (gong-good-zo, almost as fun to say as "kvetch"). The day laborers are frustrated and for good reason. They have received the same pay as those who only worked for an hour! They worked and sweated through the scorching heat and, as a result, do not want to be considered equal to those who worked for a brief hour in the coolness of the evening, so they bring their complaint to the landowner. And the landowner responds to their complaint not with harsh judgment, not by calling them "nudniks," but by calling them "Friends." If we see the landowner as God, then already the laborers have received a great honor in being called "Friends." In this light, the parable reflects the words from the Gospel of John when Jesus tells his disciples, "I do not call you servants any longer…but I have called you friends" (John 15:15). The landowner then assures them, "I am doing you no wrong" and then proceeds to offer them deep spiritual wisdom about his scandalous generosity that will nourish them for a lifetime.
In the readings, humanity complains and God responds with grace and love. As the Psalm says, "They complained and God satisfied them." Now I am not encouraging us all to think of things to complain about. Giving thanks and praise to the Lord is a right and good and joyful thing for us to do as the Psalms and our Prayer Book attest. However, when we do have justifiable reason to complain (loss of job, apparent injustice in the work place, loss of loved one), God would prefer our kvetching to our cold indifference. Now I am not talking about complaining to one another or to our supervisors or to our priests. I am talking about complaining to God in our prayer.
Biblical Scholar Walter Brueggemann explains that our failure to bring our complaints to God in prayer leads to "both psychological inauthenticity and social immobility."[1] By not confronting God with our frustration, we lose our voice and our capacity for what Bruegemann calls "genuine covenant interaction."[2] We also lose "the ego strength that is necessary for responsible faith"[3] and our prayers become "a practice of denial, cover-up, and pretense."[4] If we fail to be honest with our frustration and refuse to bring our complaints to God in prayer, we fall into "civility …docility…grim obedience and eventually despair."[5] But if we are honest with our frustration and bring our complaints to God in prayer, then we will experience the generosity and love of God in response.
Throughout Scripture and throughout the history of Christian spirituality, those who complain to God tend to draw closer to God as a result. Draw near to the LORD for he has heard your complaining. Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel was asked if he still believed in God after experiencing the horror of the Holocaust. He said, "I have not lost faith in God. I have moments of anger and protest. Sometimes I've been closer to him for that reason." When it comes to major tragedies, the word "kvetch" feels wholly inappropriate and inadequate to describe what we want to do and what we want to say to a God whom we expect to be ultimately in charge. Literally, the word "kvetch" means "to press or to squeeze," which is what Jacob was doing to the Angel with whom he was wrestling; he squeezed and refused to let go of the angel until he received a blessing. Eventually, God gave him a blessing as well as a new name: Israel, which means "The one who struggles with God." When it comes to major suffering in our lives or in the world, our kvetching turns into wrestling and serious struggle. St. Paul, who was no stranger to tragedy, (who was, as he said, "hard-pressed"), speaks of this struggle as a privilege because he knows that such struggle drew him closer to Christ. God can handle whatever anger or frustration we bring to him, whether it be profound sorrow caused by deep loss or kvetching about some apparent injustice. God can handle it (and will handle it) and then transform us in the process by pouring down nourishment from heaven.
When we complain, God does not say, "Quit banging my tea kettle" or "Stop being such a nudnik." Instead God calls us "Friend" and holds us in our anger and frustration the way a parent holds a child who is screaming or throwing a temper tantrum. Even as the child is kicking and screaming, the parent still holds the child lovingly, knowing that the child does not (and perhaps cannot) understand. Although I myself can be a real kvetch to God in prayer, I have found that, through all my grumbling, God remains patient and loving. And I actually grow closer to God, maybe even because of my honest complaining. So I invite you to be honest with God in your prayers, to engage in "genuine covenant interaction" with your Lord. I invite you to draw near to the LORD for he will hear your complaining. Draw near to the Lord for his amazing grace continually saves a kvetch like me.
[1] Brueggemann, The Psalms & the Life of Faith, 111
[2] Ibid, 102
[3] Ibid, 103
[4] Ibid, 100
[5] Ibid, 102


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Nanci Brooks
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