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Will Platnick- Seminarian
When I was a kid growing up on Long Island, I absolutely loved playing in the snow. Though the amount of snow we typically got paled in comparison to the snow that some of the south towns got a year ago, we would typically be shutdown for snow at least a couple times per year. Snow ball fights…no school…building snowmen…no school….making snow angels…no school…I loved every second of it. One day, my friends introduced me to a game called King of the Mountain, or King of the Hill, do you all know what I'm talking about? What do you call it out here? So, for those who don't know, King of the Mountain or Hill is a game where the object is to make your way to the top of the pile of snow while keeping the people you are playing with off the top of the snow pile and when you claim your rightful place on top of the snow pile, you yell out something like "I AM THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN". As you can imagine, the game necessitates a bit of rough housing, and with my friends, a lot of rough housing. People were getting thrown down or tumbling down this gigantic 30-foot snow pile at an alarming rate, and looking back on it, it's a miracle none of us were extremely injured that day, because although it was a lot of fun, it was also really, really violent.
When we look back throughout the ages, we can see many battles and wars fought between different kings and rulers with an amped up version of the violence we associate with that childhood game, with each king or ruler trying to throw each other off whatever piece of land they were fighting about and trying claiming sovereignty over. If you've ever seen the HBO television show Game of Thrones, you have seen this battle between kings and rulers play out, and it is often us, the subject of the monarchy, who suffers most greatly. Historically, we don't trust our kings and rulers.
Because of our lack of trust in kings and monarchy, we setup a different system of government when we overthrew the British monarchy here in America…but we don't trust our government much now either, do we? A week ago, the polls showed the congressional approval rating was 11%. In our society, it feels like we are always at odds or fighting with someone because of lack of trust. This lack of trust in each other divides this country bitterly in just about every area. Why do we find it so hard to trust?
In our Gospel reading this week, we hear the story of Jesus being interrogated by Pontius Pilate. In Verse 37, Jesus answered Pilate calling him a king with "You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me, to which Pilate retorts "What is truth?" That's a question that I think all of us constantly grapple with at some level, and I think it contributes to our inability to trust, because what else can we trust in but something or someone that is actually true…and true not like the world looks at true where you have your truth and I have my truth and they're both true, but real, absolute truth.
I grew up in a non-religious household, my father was a non-practicing Jew and my mother a non-practicing Methodist. My mom grew up the daughter of the church secretary, and was turned off of Christianity because she had an intimate view of how the members there treated each other. When my dad and I talk, he doesn't have many good things to say about his religious upbringing either. Growing up, I had a curiosity about Christianity, so when my parents would drag me to antique shows, I would sometimes pick up a Bible in the hotel drawer that the Gideon's left, and start reading Genesis and I would get to family lines and lineages and become so bored that I put the book away, wondering how on earth anybody could read such boring crap. That curiosity soon gave way to hatred and animosity towards organized religion, and Christianity in particular. The only Christians I knew in real life were my Catholic friends, who hated everything about the church, and the ones in Catholic School had the love of God physically beaten out of them by the nuns at the school. I saw this happening to people I cared about, and I got angry. In history classes I read about the Crusades and the ridiculous amount of innocent people killed in the name of Christianity. On television, my view of Christianity was shaped by greased up televangelists trying to swindle poor people out of their money and groups like Westboro Baptist Church, spewing messages of hatred and bigotry. All these things I experienced were 100% true, and because they were all true, I felt confident and justified in my hated towards anybody who was stupid enough to believe in God. Truly, while growing up, I hated every single person here, without ever having met you.
Then one day, God started dismantling this false truth I had created, funnily enough on an online dating site called OKCupid. I was browsing my matches and came across the profile of a woman who was cute, but was finishing up seminary and was going to become a Pastor. Not wanting anything to do with a Christian, let alone a Christian Pastor, I moved on without a second thought. The next day, I saw she visited my profile as well, and apparently she didn't see anything that she liked about me either, since I didn't hear from her. Then, one day, I was sitting at work on a Friday around 11 AM, and I get this strong and sudden urge to send that Pastor woman a message, so I hop online and I see that she's online and send her an instant message. As it turns out, the woman was on the page to delete her profile from the site entirely because of one too many bad dates. If I hadn't messaged her in that 30 second window, we never would have met. As you can probably guess, the woman in the story was Pastor Becca, my lovely wife.
When Becca and I first started dating, she had no requirement that I be a Christian, just that I be respectful of her views as a Christian…though to be honest even that was hard, since I was definitely a bit of a jerk. Being the master of subtlety that my wife is, she invited me to the Alpha course, which is sort of an introduction to Christianity course that, incidentally, is starting up here in a little over a month. One day, it occurred to me that I really don't know a lot about a group of people who I hated, so wanting to not be completely lost, I downloaded the first Bible app I found, called YouVersion, onto my tablet, and started a reading plan that would walk through the Bible in a year, with not just the boring parts of Genesis I was used to putting down, but also Psalms, Proverbs and Matthew, and it was a completely different experience. One day, I was in the reading plan, and I get to the point in Genesis where God is breathing life into man through his nostrils, when all of a sudden I have this huge, crushing blow on my nose, like someone is placing the palm of their hand against my face and pushing as hard as they can. I was scared out of my mind, and I remember sending Becca a text message saying that either my brain was really enjoying playing tricks on me…or the Holy Spirit just punched me in the face.
I had spent my entire adult life building up this big, false truth, based on smaller, incomplete amount of true things, that God didn't exist, and people who believed in God were idiotic, hate-filled hypocrites who the world would be much better off without. It was right then that God started tearing all these walls that I had built down to the ground, and showing me that this false story I had created, that the world around me seemed to affirm, was in fact, completely false. Through God, Becca and the congregation at Prince of Peace setting a positive example about what it means to be a Christian and challenging my expectations, the false story I created fell apart…and a few months later, I was baptized and joined the church.
Though my negative experiences with Christianity were true and I thought I could trust what the world was telling me about those experiences, they weren't together the truth. The world asks us to put our trust and hope in lots of things: wealth, power, our own opinion, and all sorts of vices that make us feel good temporarily. The world lies to us and tells us we can turn to these things to make us happy or to give us purpose, but if we've ever looked back in our pursuit of these things, we know that it's all one big lie. In our text today Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world…that it doesn't look like what people would expect the kingdom of God to look like. Jesus Christ didn't come as a conquering king, he came as a suffering servant. Jesus didn't setup his kingdom through brute force, he built it while dying the death of a criminal on a cross. Nobody saw that coming…that wasn't anybody's expectation. I thought I could trust what I saw in the world about God and Christians…but I put my trust in things that were false and would only bring me frustration and death.
It's important to know that the reason that Jesus was born and came into the world was to testify to the truth because being able to trust in God's truth…in God's promises for us, is the cornerstone of our faith. When we are able to trust Jesus Christ as the good and perfect King who loves and cares for his servants well being, we get to see glimpses of God's Kingdom starting to come down from heaven into our time on earth right now, and there is nothing more amazing than seeing that happen in front of you.
Because Jesus came to testify to the truth and through his death on the cross for our sins and his resurrection 3 days later, we can trust that same God who created life, the universe and everything also cares and loves each person here, intimately. Because Christ is King, we can trust him to lead us not only through the amazing experiences where we see God acting in big ways right in front of us, but we can also trust him to lead us through the really hard and difficult times as well.
When Becca and I's son Gideon died just a little over a year ago, that trust in God kept us afloat when the world threatened to drown us. Being able to cling to the truth that Jesus loves us and is for us and is mourning with us helped keep us going, even if sometimes it was hard to believe. We clung to the truth that it's in Jesus's character as the good and perfect King to be able to take the worst experiences we will go through in life and use them for good, and we got to see tiny glimpses of that good as we mourned. Because we were able to be transparent about our faith, struggles and trust in God in a time in which the world expected us to crawl under a rock and die, lives were changed. Friends and acquaintances, moved by our blog and Facebook posts wanted to talk to us about Jesus. People who hadn't gone to church in years found themselves wanting to go because they could see God's truth in our story. We were able to minister to so many people who had been carrying around grief and pain related to birth and parenthood that society had forced them to remain silent about, and in many cases, they were able to minister to us as well. And, I should also say, Pastor Becca and I would not be here at Zion if our son had lived, and while I miss my son tremendously and nothing will ever make his death OK, we also love it here at Zion, and we are grateful to now be a part of this amazing congregation.
We may not trust our government…we may not trust our rulers…lord knows we shouldn't trust ourselves given how often we're wrong …but we can trust in Jesus. In our story, Pilate asked, what is truth? The truth is that Jesus' love for us…it has no end, it's as deep as the sea and as high as the sky and encompasses everything in between. Life may be going really well for you right now…everything seems to be lining up perfectly…or maybe you're going through a really hard time and your faith is being tested and it feels like God is far away, but that's not the truth. The truth is that neither death nor life…neither angels nor demons…neither the present nor the future nor any powers…neither height nor depth nor anything else in all of creation is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord and king…and that's truth that we can trust in.
Dr. Robert Zielinski
There is an old movie, called "Grumpy Old Men", about two old retirees, slugging through a cold winter in the north Midwest. One morning, as they are getting ready to go ice fishing, one says to the other, "Hey, did you hear about Harry? His daughter went to bed, left him watching television on the couch, and when she got up in the morning, there he was. Gone."
After a pregnant pause, the other one replies, "Lucky jerk."
I often tell my patients and their families that we all want to live to a ripe old age in full control of all our capacities, and then one day, like our fictional friend Harry, just not wake up. But for some reason (and it's on my list of Things To Ask When I Get There), few of us are that lucky. Hard times befall all of us sooner or later, whether in health or relationships or finances or career. The world can be a difficult place.
And today Jesus delivers us a message about all that.
Don't worry! Be happy!
In our Gospel reading, the disciples are all giddy about how beautiful the Temple is in Jerusalem. They are not Judeans, remember; it is a couple days hard travel from Galilee, so they don't get to see Jerusalem and the Temple very often. Many Jewish travelers of the day, when they arrive at Jerusalem, the first thing they do is go to see the Temple. When we went, about 2000 years after this, that's the first thing we did. Got pretty lost, and it was getting dark, scared the heck out of ourselves, and we were only going to see what was left of one wall on the Temple Mount! So like us excited tourists, the disciples are reveling in the beauty of this magnificent human achievement. And instead of joining them in their joy, Jesus says, "Better enjoy it while you can, because it won't be here much longer".
Now note the break in time between this verse and the next. The next words are spoken much later, on the Mount of Olives. This might have taken them an hour, depending, I suppose, on where exactly they stopped on the Mount. Whatever, it's a long way.
I bet it was very quiet walk. The disciples are probably stunned in to silence, and during this long stroll, they are no doubt wondering, worrying about what the heck Jesus meant, and what awful thing is out there on the horizon waiting for them and the Temple.
It's similar to the anxiety or fear we may experience when we think about death or coming blizzards or ISIS, or the end of the world, which is what seems to be going on in Daniel's vision from today's reading. It can be scary stuff, and having a firm picture of what is to come can be a way to calm those fears and anxieties. No matter how awful the reality winds up being, we generally find it less difficult to deal with than not knowing.
Now let's think about Jesus in this situation. During that silent walk down from Jerusalem and up the Mount of Olives, I imagine him thinking what a can of worms he opened up by saying that about the Temple, and how he's going to have to explain that somehow. He's thinking how difficult this is going to be to get in to with his disciples, his friends. And maybe the human Jesus was a bit overwhelmed by it all himself, knowing all that is to come.
We can empathize with this. Sometimes as adults, you can see so clearly what a child needs to do and why, for their own safety and well-being. Like Jesus, you can see the long run, but the kids can't. And you can't really explain it to them because they just don't have the maturity and experience yet to really get it. So you say "because I said so!" No, wait, that's not right. When you really can't explain something you know to be true, you ask them to trust you. Have faith, in other words. Just believe that I understand what you can't, and trust me that it will work out.
So Jesus says, a lot of bad stuff is going to go on around you, but it isn't the end of the world. It's just how the world is. There will always be people who will want to give you all the answers, but don't be fooled. Instead, as the writer of Hebrews wrote, trust that "he who has promised is faithful."
I have a friend whose Dad was in the very late stages of prostate cancer. He was dying, and he knew it. He wasn't in much pain, but so weak that his quality of life was poor, and he was ready. My friend describes how in those last days sometimes, his Dad would awaken from sleep, look around the room for a moment, as if being sure of what he was seeing. And then he would say "O, crap, I'm still here".
Now that's a man with faith that whatever came next was going to be OK.
So when it comes to what happens at the end of life, or the end of ALL life, or a lot of other things along the way….. I think sometimes we're not supposed to know. He wants us to trust him, to have faith sometimes, instead of trying to figure everything out. Or believe someone else who thinks they have.
Now, he knows this uncertainty is scary, and the world will be filled with scary times. Wars and famines and earthquakes. But in the passage of Mark that follows today's reading, Jesus tells the disciples, "no one knows the day or the hour." And he specifically includes himself in the "no one".
Some of the people of Paul's day thought they knew the hour and the day. They were convinced the end of the world and the second coming were right around the corner, and you know what they did? NOTHING. They stopped working, they stopped contributing. Why bother? How do you think that worked out for them? Then again, in the polar opposite, thinking we've got nothing but time, we still get complacent. And do NOTHING. "I should really get over there some time". "One of these days, I'm get that started." "Someday, I'd like to volunteer some time there".
Nah, don't worry about it today, there will be other chances, do it later, you have time.
Do you? How do you know that?
So here's the wisdom in our not knowing. When you don't know the day or the hour, and you accept that you never will, you can hope you have all the time in the world, but realize that maybe you don't.
When you don't know the day or the hour, and you accept that you never will, you can try to let go of the worry, trust that He has your back, and just live; live in this moment, not the future you can't see; live in contentment with whatever blessings you still have, for as long as you have them; live in a way that Jesus would be proud of. Every day, each minute as much as possible, for as long as you have. Don't worry about what you can't see, be happy in what you can.
I suppose it's true that it's never too late to do something, but the wisdom, the beauty in our not knowing is that it's never too early either. To do the right thing. The generous thing. The compassionate thing. The forgiving thing. The thing that Jesus would do if he were in your shoes. The thing you'd do if you knew it was going to be your last thing. Go ahead and do that now. Because you really don't know if you will get the chance again.
Pastor Randy
John 11:32-44, Revelation 21:1-6b; Isaiah 25:6-9
This year our All Saints celebration has a special meaning for me. As most of you know – on March 1st of this year, I lost my mother. On that day, she went from this life and entered into what we call the church triumphant. On April 25th, my beloved wife Nancy with whom I am well pleased lost her mother as she also left this life, and entered into the church triumphant. And for Pastor Becca and Will, yesterday/two days ago was the one year anniversary of the birth – and death – of their beloved son Gideon.
There's not a one of us here today who hasn't experienced the loss of a loved one. And on those occasions – our tears flowed. And I want you to know – especially you men – I want you to know that that's okay. It's okay to cry. It's okay to let those tears flow – as they did for me when I was writing this sermon on Tuesday. Couldn't help thinking of my Mom.
Now I don't know if you caught it or not – but all three of our readings today mention tears. Isaiah says this. Listen!
"[God] will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces."
And the book of Revelation says this:
"See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,"
Wonderful stuff! Words that perhaps more of us might want to think about having read at our own or a loved one's funeral, yes? And yes, this reading from Revelation is going to be read at mine. You know. Someday.
And then there's our Gospel reading – the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus was a friend of Jesus. He had two sisters by the name of Mary and Martha. They lived in a place called Bethany.
As our Gospel lesson unfolds, Lazarus has fallen ill, and died. When Jesus arrives on the scene, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, falls at his feet, and says, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." "Where have you laid him," Jesus asks. "Lord," she says, "Come and see."
They go to the place where Lazarus is buried, and everybody's crying. When Jesus sees Mary weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, we are told that, "Jesus began to weep." Jesus wept.
I want to suggest to you today that Jesus wasn't crying because Lazarus had died. Jesus knows that death is nothing to be afraid of. AND Mary was right. If Jesus had been there, he could have kept Lazarus from dying. But Jesus used this moment – not just in order to give Lazarus a few more years of life – but in order that God might be glorified.
But the point is that Jesus wasn't crying because Lazarus had died. He cried because of the grief of his friends Mary and Martha. They were hurting, and therefore Jesus hurt. Jesus cried along with them. Please do not miss this point. When we grieve – Jesus grieves with us. When we cry – Jesus cries too! That's how much he cares for you.
So Jesus performed a miracle that day. A real miracle. Not some pie-in-the-sky type of thing. You know – like – "If the Bills ever win a Super Bowl – it will be a miracle." No. This was a real miracle. A living – transforming – display of God's power in action.
When they arrive at the tomb, Jesus says, "Take away the stone." By the way. How many of your remember the TV program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?" What would they say just before they show the family their new house? That's right. "MOVE THAT BUS!"
I can just picture Jesus saying something like that. Except instead of saying move that bus, he says, "Move that stone!" Say that with me. On three. 1,2,3. MOVE THAT STONE! Yeah. "Move that stone – and then stand back – and watch! See what God can do!"
So they moved the stone. And Jesus cries out with a loud voice, "Lazarus! Come forth!" And Lazarus comes out of the tomb wrapped in strips of burial cloth. They unbind him – deqth unbinds him – and he is set free.
Almost every year I tell you that one of my favorite songs to sing on All Saints Day is the well-known, "Shall We Gather at the River." Just love that song. And in preparation for this sermon, I went back to the funeral planning forms that I had filled out three years ago – by the way – you would all make your pastors' and your loved ones lives so much easier if you would fill one out as well. I know that this is a shameless plug – but there are forms for that purpose on the table in the gathering area. You get to choose which hymns – which Scripture readings – you want at your funeral.
Anyway – I reread my own plans – and to my own surprise – I saw that I had not included "Shall We Gather at The River." So I've made that correction. Thankfully I included "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," and "O Zion Haste." I mean, how could I leave those two out! Again – as far as my own funeral goes – I have no plans for those arrangements to be implemented any time soon.
But I love this hymn, "Shall We Gather at the River," because it's a song about eternal life with God. Revelation 22 talks about "the river of life,… flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city."
Today – the day in which we celebrate All Saints Day – is a day in which we honor and remember the departed saints who have gone before us. And in the tradition of the Lutheran Church, all baptized Christians – not just the departed, super Christians who the church has declared to be saints – but all baptized Christians can rightly be called the saints of God.
So you – my dear friends – are saints! And those who we remember today are those who have gone on before us. Those who have already crossed over that river – that flows by the throne of God.
So in our Gospel reading, Lazarus had already crossed the river – and is called back. Now have you ever wondered about that? Did God the Father talk to Lazarus and tell him, you're going back? Did Lazarus say, "Who! What? No! Nobody asked me if I wanted to come back." Do you think that Lazarus was happy to be back? Well, I don't know. But I've gotta believe that Lazarus – more than anybody – was no longer afraid of death or dying. Lazarus had already been on the other side of that river where the departed saints of God reside. And he is called back.
And I've also gotta believe that this experience changed his life. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that he had a new appreciation for God and the power of God. And isn't that what this story is really all about? Isn't that what All Saints Day is all about? All Saints Day is not about how good or how great certain Christians lived their lives in the past – and were posthumously elevated to the level of sainthood by a church decree. No.
What we celebrate today is the power of God.
We celebrate the power of God that can take sinful human beings like you and me – and transform us into people that the Bible calls saints. Every. Single. One of us.
We celebrate the power of God that forgives our sins and takes them completely away.
We celebrate the power of God that moves our stones of guilt and shame. That's what today is all about.
Today we are bold to talk about the power of God that can restore lives that are shattered and broken. Today we are bold to talk about the power of God that raises us up to new life in his Son Jesus Christ. Not just for the life to come – but for the lives that we are living – right here – right now!
God has the power to move stones. God has the power to restore your life to what God designed it to be. It's not just about what God did for Lazarus. It's what God has done and is still doing for you and me as well.
To those among us dealing with grief and despair, Jesus says, "I have the power to move that stone."
To you who are skeptics – dealing with doubts about God – doubts about yourself – or fear of the future, Jesus says, "I have the power to move those stones."
To you who are dealing with a harmful addiction – alcohol, food, drugs, sex, pornography – whatever – Jesus says, "I have the power to move those stones."
Folks – when you walked into this building this morning/evening you entered into a place where new things are possible.
A new beginning. A new life. A new hope.
Jesus says, "Move that stone!" And when those stones that are holding YOU back are taken away – let me tell you – it does indeed give you a new appreciation for life. For living. For those things that are truly important.
There isn't a person here today – including myself – who doesn't now – or hasn't at some point in their life – had a stone that needed to be taken away. And I'm here to tell you that they have been – and they can be – taken away by the power of God. God still moves stones. For our own good and for his glory.
So yes – as disciples of Jesus Christ – as beloved sons and daughters of God whom God does not hesitate to call His saints – we look forward to that day. And that day will be a great family reunion. That day when God shall wipe every tear from our eyes. To that day when death and dying shall be no more. To that day when it is our turn to cross that beautiful river.
But until that day arrives – we have a life to live in the here and now. So let me ask you. Have you ever looked back over your life – shaken your head in wonder? Wondering – what your life would have been like if Jesus Christ had not moved your stones – and touched your heart and changed your life?
Where is Jesus Christ at work in your life today moving stones? Rolling – rolling those stones away? Because let me tell you – in this life, when you can't get no satisfaction – what you need is a rolling stone!
Jesus Christ is in the business of wiping away tears and moving stones. Giving new life to all who desire it. He wants to give you that new life today.
[1] Based on "Take Away the Stone" from Dynamic Preaching, O/N/D 2000, pp. 37-40.
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Tuck pointing
Tuck pointing. (Masonry) The finishing of joints along the center lines with a narrow ridge of putty or fine lime mortar.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Tu"cum(?), n. [So called by the Indians of Brazil.] A fine, strong fiber obtained from the young leaves of a Brazilian palm (Astrocaryum vulgare), used for cordage, bowstrings, etc.; also, the plant yielding this fiber. Called also tecum, and tecum fiber.
[1913 Webster]
Tu*cu"ma(?), n. (Bot.) A Brazilian palm (Astrocaryum Tucuma) which furnishes an edible fruit.
[1913 Webster]
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Grandparents Week
Our Grandparents Week was a huge success! We had 175 Grandparents visit and eat lunch with their students this week!! Riverbend students, teachers, and staff just want to thank all our wonderful, loving Grandparents that came out this week to share lunch with their student. Your love and support are what make Riverbend such and awesome school and community!!
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Chronic pain is generally defined as lasting at least three months beyond the body's usual healing time. Unlike acute pain caused by tissue damage, chronic pain, also known as persistent pain, is less about structural or tissue damage and more about the sensitivity of the nervous system and non-tissue related factors. For most people, chronic pain triggers avoidance of activity in an attempt to prevent achy flare-ups. However, sitting still leads to a downward spiral of deconditioning and a diminished quality of life. Chronic pain causes many problems beyond the pain itself, including fatigue, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. Chronic pain affects as many as one in five American adults.
How Genevieve and Harry became inactive
Genevieve and Harry meet the markers of the chronic pain criteria. Genevieve has fibromyalgia, a widespread pain condition that has only recently been acknowledged as a bona fide condition requiring real treatment. Harry has intermittent claudication, a cramping pain in the legs that limits his ability to engage in physical activity. Both live with sufficiently severe and disabling pain that caused increasing immobility, which eventually led to consultation with specialists.
Historically, people like Genevieve and Harry who are troubled by chronic pain were told to rest. In this day and age, general medical advice has changed, and the prescription is to keep active, whether physical activity directly eases the pain or combats other symptoms and problems associated with it. New research in kinesiology, anesthesia and pain medicine and population health provides evidence that physical activity reduces the severity of pain, improves physical function and positively affects a sense of well-being and quality of life. Physical activity is defined by the World Health Organization as "any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure, including activities undertaken while working, playing, carrying out household chores, travelling and engaging in recreational pursuits. Exercise is a sub-category of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive and aims to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness."
Genevieve's story is interesting. "I am in my mid-40s and worked for nearly 15 years as a third-grade school teacher. Two years ago, I caught a bad case of the flu, got up from it too soon and relapsed. It took me forever to feel better. I returned to work even though I wasn't feeling completely well. I progressively developed widespread pain over my whole body, extreme sensitivity to noise and light, stiffness and I stayed fatigued all of the time. To add insult to injury, I started having a low-grade, non-remittent headache and an irritable bowel. My brain felt like I was in a fog much of the time. I kept thinking I would get better if I rested and took my time, but the symptoms just got worse. After about six months, my internist referred me to a rheumatologist who diagnosed fibromyalgia. I have been prescribed anti-seizure medications and told that I should exercise. The medicines have helped the pain some, but I can't find a way to exercise when I am achy and foggy. The closest thing I've done to an exercise program is to lift my credit card to join a gym. I haven't been back in the front door of the place and am scared to go. I'm still not working, am on short-term disability and just don't know what to do."
Harry's story has similarities to Genevieve's. He, too, is in his mid-40s and says, "I was quite a jock most of my early adult life. I've always been a runner and a few years ago began getting more and more frequent charley horses in my calves during exercise routines. Doing the things that I knew to relieve the cramps seemed to help, but the problem became more prominent over time. I visited my [doctor], who did some tests and diagnosed me with intermittent claudication, which I learned is a symptom of muscle pain on mild exertion. I can describe the predictable ache, cramps, numbness and increasing sense of fatigue that I felt in both calf muscles. I thought it would pass, but the cramping started happening when I was just walking, not running. Even with careful stretching and warm-ups, I could not stop the cramps from happening. I went back to the [doctor], who told me that it was early-stage peripheral artery disease. I was eventually treated with a surgical intervention putting stents in my legs. I also revised my diet. I want to return to my exercise program. The trouble is, I'm scared to death now that I have lost my stamina. Any hint of pain just sends me reeling. I'm scared of hurting. I sit down, try and relax, but do not trust that the pain is telling me how to manage my body. My [doctor] says, 'Exercise!' He might as well say, 'Grow wings and fly to the moon.'"
Sustainable exercise
Jeff Ford, ACSM, is a wellness coach certified through the American College of Sports Medicine, working as the director of fitness for the Skyterra Wellness Retreat in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina. He helps individuals like Genevieve and Harry. He says, "There are good and safe ways for an individual living with chronic pain to exercise. Now in 2018, significant research has shown that exercise is an essential aspect in the treatment of pain. Gradual exercise helps those with chronic pain to engage more in enjoyable activities and return with greater ease to essential activities of daily living. There are some challenges, though, in starting and maintaining an exercise program when you hurt. Most prescribers tell patients to 'jump right in.' This is typically a setup for failure. A person living with pain has to worry less about how much she is doing and focus more on how the exercise is managed."
Ford continues, "The exercise goal for a pain patient is to be consistently moving, to stay constantly in motion. This starts with proper breathing, which influences the mobility connected to stiffness. Pain patients generally hold their breath more than necessary and don't fill their lungs with good air. Gentle yoga teaches good breathing techniques and is a well-examined place to start exercise. Then, walking is the number-one catchall exercise for everything. Those living with chronic pain should find that symptoms gradually improve with movement. For some, improvement will be gauged by symptom reduction, others by a subsiding of the intensity of the pain. I teach those in pain that exercise isn't about lifting weights. It is more about a goal of 15 to 20 minutes of activity within a safe range of motion. Intensity is measured by capacity and the amount of repetitions that a person can achieve. Less is better; consistency is everything."
Physical therapists and wellness coaches recommend combining multiple forms of exercise for those living with chronic pain. Stretching increases flexibility, loosens tight and stiff muscles and improves range of motion. When exercised on a regular basis, muscles stretch with greater ease and improve everyday movement. Then, strengthening exercises help maintain and build capacity. Cardiovascular exercises such as walking or swimming build stamina and recondition a body in pain.
Ford says, "Prioritize mobility, stability, then strength of exercise." He continues, "It is normal and expected to experience more pain in the beginning. This should not be frightening. The initial commitment to an exercise program is two to three weeks. Investing in a trainer who has a background in functional movement screening [see sidebar] has wisdom, particularly at the beginning. A good trainer or wellness coach can hold the pain patient's alarm and any fear that may arise as their exercise program changes the nature and intensity of familiar aches; she can also help to judge the degree of realized improvement. Consistent exercise, done properly, should have a person feeling better over a month's time. If not, there are additional problems to address. The human body adapts to poor physical positions because of inactivity. It takes time — but less than most think — to re-acclimate to movement, then to readapt to the right kind of movement. Lifestyle effects, including those caused by chronic pain, are cumulative. Fortunately, the body tends to adapt quickly to a proper exercise program. So, I tell trainees, 'Don't worry about how much you are going, worry about how you are doing it.'"
Physical activity and exercise can be adapted for each individual and are something that people in pain can do to help themselves. However, simply hearing advice to "Exercise!" does not work to bring about significant change. A badly prescribed plan that doesn't address the individual's physical concerns and present state of fitness, such as one that does not incorporate pacing and gradual progression, will likely fail when a person lives with chronic pain.
Again, Ford offers excellent advice. "Ask yourself: 'Where am I starting? What do I need?' Then benchmark these as starting points. Measure your abilities at the beginning. Even if you can't feel the difference, there will be a rapid quantitative shift. One hundred percent of people should see a lessening of symptoms over a few weeks' time. There is one important warning sign that a person should attend to, though, and that is onset of rapid, acute pain during the performance of an exercise. This is the indication that the exercise is not being performed correctly. At best, early exercise plans should be considered from a mobility standpoint. As pain shifts, particularly early in a program, I ask a person to stay in a state of ongoing self-assessment, considering 'If I'm a 10 [on a 10-point pain scale], then this is best for me. If I'm a 1, then I'm not OK with it.'"
Ford describes research that states the best sustainable exercise programs are characterized by group work. "Accountability helps," he says. "Finding an exercise partner who can work with you or attending age-friendly classes, such as Silver Sneakers, makes the process more agreeable and, ultimately, more fun. Finding good partners helps adherence to the exercise while the benefits of pain reduction begin to kick in. Then when the program is built into daily life, the social benefits of working with others become very satisfying."
So why exercise when I already hurt so much?
Exercise has specific benefits in reducing the severity of chronic pain, as well as more general benefits associated with improved overall physical and mental health, particularly associated with loss of mobility, depression, deconditioning and obesity. Current research demonstrates that a single bout of exercise increases the production of natural, internal opioids, and repeated exercise produces an increased and sustained production of the body's own natural pain-reducing chemicals. Aerobic exercise is strongly linked to weight loss, which has implications for the management of chronic pain as the pressure on joints is reduced. Strength training improves a person's capacity to support bone and cartilage through improved musculature that supports movement, relieving stiffness. Range-of-motion exercise around the waist and hips improves mobility, balance and flexibility and reduces the risk of falls and the potential for further pain or injury.
Ford and other wellness coaches emphasize the need for chronic pain patients to consult with a well-credentialed physiologist to help with an exercise management program. With help, an individual living with chronic pain can become more in charge of his or her physical health, psychological functioning and quality of life.
Functional movement screening
The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a tool used to identify physical imbalances that limit an individual's functional movement. The FMS assesses problems in mobility and stability during seven fundamental movement patterns designed to provide observable performance of basic locomotor, manipulative and stabilizing movements. Once deficiencies have been identified through the FMS, a program of corrective exercises can be developed with the goal of preventing musculoskeletal injuries. An individual who is being assessed with the FMS can expect to be asked to squat, raise his or her arms, shoulders and legs and rotate on his or her hips. The screening has strong validity and reliability and is used by professional physiologists as an initial diagnostic tool prior to prescribing a sustainable exercise program.
Want to learn more about exercising with pain? Read "Exercise 101: Finding the Right Exercise for Pain Relief," "Time for Yoga: Yoga Benefits for Arthritis," and "The Power of Tai Chi to Relieve Pain."


text:
GC/ BC Seven and above invited for the construction of Feeding Center , Berhale
Published: Saturday, 06 July 2013 Written by The Ethiopian Herald, Saturday 06 July 2013: Page 04
Under bid No Go-ET/HRP/001/13, Goal Ethiopia, an International Humanitarian Organization invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for the construction of Feeding Centre in Berhale Refugee Camp, Afar Region.
All Contractors of GC/ BC Seven and above are invited to participate by collecting the bid document form Addis Ababa Head Quarter or from Berhale Field Office.
Completed bids should be delivered on or before Monday, July 22,2013, 4:00PM
Tel : 011 6 47 8116/17
For Details: This announcement is published on The Ethiopian Herald, Saturday 06 July 2013: Page 04Hits: 884


text:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a well-packed carry-on. At least it should… if you want your trip to go smoothly from the get-go. Whether you're travelling for business or pleasure, the proper luggage allows you to pack all the things you need and organize them efficiently. If you plan ahead and anticipate your needs during your travels, you can best choose both the type and amount of clothing, personal care products and other items you'll require. The temptation to over pack is always there, but beware that those extra shoes, bottles of lotion and electronic toys could cost you a bundle in excess baggage fees.
When you're always traveling for your job, you're always expected to be ready. But what about jobs like a truck driver or freight broker? These workers are constantly on the road to the point where their office can be considered "on the road". Because of the nature of these kinds of jobs, you have to be prepared more often than not and have a great plan in place for when the road calls.
Make no mistake: The Conservatives pretend to be 'for the people,' but that couldn't be further from the truth. This is still very much the party of Stephen Harper, Trudeau said.==========================================Meaning we have nothing to run on. So we are stoke fear and hatred and division in the hopes the uneducated liberals will still vote for looks.
Hotels hate having empty rooms, so if you can, wait until the last minute to book your stay to get the best rates. On the other hand, if you need to cancel your hotel reservation last minute and want to avoid a cancellation fee, you can often manipulate a small loophole by rescheduling for a later date (which is usually free), and then calling and requesting a cancellation through another representative.
"Choosing thin clothing that packs flat over thicker, more bulky items makes a huge difference in how much you can fit in your suitcase," says Susan Foster, author of Smart Packing for Today's Traveler. Instead of packing a heavy sweater and jeans, try more travel-friendly options like a micro-fleece pullover and pants in lightweight, weather-resistant fabric. Diana Lane, an associate with Geiger & Associates, a Florida-based destination marketing firm, loves the versatility of lightweight sarongs, which can be worn as skirts, various styles of dresses, shawls, swimsuit coverups, shoulder bags or even used as a blanket. "There aren't many items that give us quite this much bang for the buck," she says.
Carry-on vs Checking Luggage: Business travelers tend to prefer to carry-on only, especially for shorter trips. This reduces the change of lost luggage and saves time when you arrive. Some frequent travelers hate lugging luggage through the airport and always check a bag. Personally, I think carry-on the way to go, even for long trips. If you are traveling for more than five days, plan on getting your dry cleaning done at your hotel or locally to save luggage space.
When you travel, you're in the sun more than most people thanks to months of island hopping and beach time, and entire days spent outside exploring. Wear sunscreen every single day, regardless of the weather and temperature, because you really don't want your trip of a lifetime to result in skin cancer. Plus, it prevents premature ageing! I wear sunscreen every day, even in the middle of winter.
Decades ago, before the Internet, one of the standard tips for travelers visiting Europe went this way: If you find you need to rent a car after you arrive in Europe, don't pay the high local rates. Instead, call the rental-car company's U.S. office and rent at the much lower rate quoted to U.S. travelers. Surprisingly, this recommendation is still valid. Book your car rental from a U.S. website to pay about half the local quote.
Here's a confession: I gained around 20 pounds over my first few years of travel, mostly thanks to eating out for every single meal. While it can be tempting to treat yourself to junk food, and Pringles and Oreos will fuel your every travel day, resolve to have at least a few days every now and then when you go for the healthier option. Your body and mind will thank you for it. Aim to cut out the rice, bread, and beer to keep your calorie intake low if you're feeling as though you're gaining too much weight on the road.
There have been so many times when I've been too shy to ask someone to take my photo in a place and I've almost always regretted it. After five years of travel, I probably only have around 200 photos of me around the world. Photos of the beautiful places you visit are great and all, but when you get home, they're not all that different to the ones everyone else has taken there, too. Photos with you in them are special and they'll come to mean a lot more.
Downtown San Diego is less than 20 miles/32 kilometers north of the Mexican border and about 130 miles (210 kilometers) south of Los Angeles. From Los Angeles, it's 385 miles/620 kilometers) north to San Francisco and from there, another 90 miles/145 kilometers) northeast to Sacramento. You'd put about 190 miles/305 kilometers) on your car driving from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park, and about 600 miles/965 kilometers) driving from Los Angeles to Mount Shasta in Northern California. Needless to say, California is ideal for road trips.
Don't forget to bring a few essential items to help save your sanity while traveling with co-workers. A pair of earplugs can be a lifesaver if you need to catch some zzz's on a flight or block out the sound of your snoring roommate at night. Headphones are a universal "I don't feel like chatting" sign, great for when you just need five minutes of quiet time. And a pack of cards are easy to fit in the pocket of your purse and can keep you and your officemates occupied during a layover or a lunch break.
This travel tip may not be as glamorous as tips about flying in business class, breezing through security lineups, packing ultralight, or finding swanky accommodations for pennies on the dollar (I have all these tips in my repertoire as well). But it's the travel tip that could save your life - or at least your finances - when the crap hits the fan on the road.
Get ready to roll. With its mild climate, outstanding highway system, and nonstop-gorgeous scenery, California stands out as the perfect place for a road trip. And renting a car is about as easy as it gets. Whether your trip itinerary is a statewide tour of California's greatest hits, a all-in-the-family visit to iconic theme parks, or an off-the-beaten-track adventure, there's a vehicle to match your mood and style—snazzy convertibles, family-friendly vans, rugged models that can handle all types of conditions (even snow), even campers and Rvs, all in excellent shape and with good road assistance and optional insurance policies.
Buy a sectioned vinyl pocket folder, preferably 6 to 10 pockets, and subdivide information. Pocket 1 holds travel info like ticket information, boarding passes and car/hotel reservations. Pocket 2 might be things to do or see at your destination. Pockets 3-6 might be work to do on the plane subdivided into different projects. One pocket could hold some fun things like a word search puzzle, my favorite.
Start with your sports jacket or the longest, most wrinkle-prone item you have. With the collar or waistband flat, place it against the bottom edge of the bag and drape the rest of the garment over the opposite side of the bag. Take another garment and place it in the opposite direction, flattening and smoothing out both garments in the bag and draping the remainder over the side. If you have trousers or other narrow items, do the same with them in the narrow direction of the bag. Keep alternating your items, ending up with the most wrinkle-resistant clothes you have.
On average, travelers save about 30 to 40 percent when booking a vacation rental versus a comparable hotel. So in most cases you're already ahead of the game when you sit down to haggle over price. That's right, haggle. Property owners may not advertise that prices are negotiable, but often they are; and if not price, then at least the length-of-stay requirement may be flexible. A property may say it requires a week's stay, or a Sunday arrival, or any number of other rules. What this really means is the owner would prefer it. It can't hurt to ask, politely, if there's room for negotiation.
Among the best business travel tips around, there are those that suggest how to pack. Indeed, packing for a business trip is not the same thing as packing for a holiday. There is an unspoken rule that one should dress smartly on business meetings. I always make sure to carry a pair of smart pants and a skirt, a couple of dressy tops and nice shoes that I can wear at meetings, and a dress and heels to wear at events and parties. Packing cubes help keeping things in order inside the suitcase, and minimize the risk of creasing.
Asking is the quickest way to get a discount but it's also the quickest possible way to piss off an Airbnb host. This is what differentiates the pros from the newbies. My general policy as a host — which I've been doing since 2011 — is to turn away hagglers because it signals a problem guest. It's still possible, though, to get a confirmed booking and save some money without irritating a host so much they end up declining a guest's inquiry outright. The trick is learning how to do it delicately.
Fit more in your luggage and avoid folds, creases, and wrinkles by employing the "Bundle Wrapping" method from OneBag.com. This packing strategy involves filling a small pouch with soft items (like socks, underwear, etc.) and then wrapping larger clothing items around the pouch to form a bundle. (Click here to see a helpful diagram of the Bundle Wrapping method.)
Let's say you're flying straight to Bangkok, where you've given yourself three days to see the main attractions. You can plan it all out, but you'll most likely end up jetlagged and sleeping away a chunk of that time in the city. When you're planning how long to stay in a place, take jetlag into account, as well as general travel fatigue. Remember you won't want to be outside exploring for 12 hours a day every single day.
The Bundle Approach: This ingenious method of packing, which we learned from Judith Guilford, co-founder of the Easy Going travel store and author of The Packing Book, has now become our favorite. It's a bit difficult to explain without a demonstration, but we'll do our best. You need luggage that opens up and lies flat to do this. You will also need a flat, soft, pouch-like rectangular "core" with dimensions that are at least 1/2 to 3/4 the size of your luggage compartment. This can be a pouch filled with underwear or something similar.
Analysts at CheapAir.com reviewed more than 351 million individual airfares sold on more than a million international routes in 2016. They tracked flights from the day they went on sale (usually about 11 months in advance) until the day of takeoff to see when each fare hit its lowest point. The resulting map shows how many days before takeoff you should buy your ticket to score the best deal, on average, depending on your destination.
This is all such great advice — thanks for sharing! My partner and I have been traveling full time for the past couple years, and we've found ourselves falling into these mistakes every now and again. We always take the time to reflect on each trip to pick out ways we can make our experience better (and the experience of people around us). You're right about traveling with someone requiring compromise, and your advice to just relax every now and then couldn't be better! Always being "on" can so easily prevent you from truly experiencing something. Thanks for this great post!
Use a partner to help out. Get them to stand a bit away, so they don't get drawn in, but still in earshot so they can hear. When you've done a bit of haggling, bring them over and say 'do you think this is worth the price?'. If they agree that it is, you've got a deal, if not it gives you another bargaining angle – 'I'm sorry sir, my friend thinks I'm still paying a bit too much, could you go any lower?'.
Before you decide to visit anywhere out of season, it's important to do some research. Many destinations in Asia have dry and rainy seasons, but overall the rainy seasons aren't too bad – with just a few hours of rain a day. If that's the case, then you shouldn't be put off by visiting out of season. If there are other reasons, you'll need to weigh up whether it's worth saving money to visit at this time. As long as you're happy going out of season then you'll have the added bonus of fewer tourists too – so it really is a win-win situation!
Traveler's checks are now widely considered outdated and a hassle. You run the risk of wasting time looking for a place that's actually able to cash your checks, and you'll be hit with hefty fees and poor exchange rates when you do. We advise you to rely primarily on plastic for travel money—credit cards for big-ticket items and debit (ATM) cards for cash.
Are drinks free in business class? Normally, yes. There are certain Middle East airlines that don't serve alcohol at all. But generally, drinks are free in business class, even on domestic flights. One of the best business class perks is the Champagne before take off. It always makes me feel so glamorous. Business class drinks are often of a higher quality than in economy, both for liquor and for wine.
We all want to keep our money secure while traveling. Prepaid credit cards, which are often billed as a safer and more convenient alternative to carrying cash abroad, might seem like a smart option. You purchase a card and load it with funds in your preferred currency ahead of your trip. And if your card gets lost or stolen, you can cancel it immediately. Simple, right? Unfortunately, it's not so simple.
"I couple the carry-on mentality with wearing my bulkiest clothing items for the travel itself. If you sport your bulkiest shoes and a jacket, you can clear plenty of space for more items in your carry-on while having an extra layer for the chilly plane ride. I also pack a large plastic bag in my carry-on that I can use after passing security to redistribute any items from my luggage and store my shoes overhead during the flight. Bring a pair of comfortable socks and enjoy your upgraded shoe-free leg room, all while experiencing the relief of embracing the minimalist approach to packing and enabling your trip to be filled with experiences rather than clutter."
Seriously. If you do only one thing before you leave, make it getting travel insurance. I've heard far too many horror stories of travellers injuring themselves in remote places and ending up in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. Don't think that it won't happen to you, because you know those travellers they thought that, too. I use World Nomads for my travel insurance provider and I've been really happy with them.
Besides the normal things like clothing and body products, I take a traveling natural health kit. One of the key ingredients is essential oils: they're great for natural first-aid, to ward off germs and bacteria, and even for a bit of scent (smaller than any perfume bottle). I use lemon oil as my hand sanitizer wherever I go. It's easier to carry and better smelling than most products on the market. Santa Fe Travelers
Much of California has a Mediterranean-like climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. On the coast, the average daily high temperature hovers around 70°F/21°C and up), but can occasionally spike to 80°F 27° C or more on hottest summer days; freezing temperatures are rare, even in winter. The state's legendary fog often hugs the coast from roughly Monterey north, usually during summer months; it often burns off by midday before rolling in again at dusk. Farther inland, summers are hot and dry, winters cool and wet, with occasional brilliant blue days and temperatures cold enough to freeze puddles on the ground, but not much more than that. At higher altitudes, the weather reflects more of a four-season cycle, with beautiful summers, striking fall color, and cold, snowy winters followed by snowmelt springs (waterfall season!).
On average, travelers save about 30 to 40 percent when booking a vacation rental versus a comparable hotel. So in most cases you're already ahead of the game when you sit down to haggle over price. That's right, haggle. Property owners may not advertise that prices are negotiable, but often they are; and if not price, then at least the length-of-stay requirement may be flexible. A property may say it requires a week's stay, or a Sunday arrival, or any number of other rules. What this really means is the owner would prefer it. It can't hurt to ask, politely, if there's room for negotiation.
When possible, even on business trips, I try to avoid hotels and stay with a member of one of my homestay networks. I find the genuine contact and family atmosphere a welcome change from conference hotels. Yes, there's some transportation logistics, but generally, I find it worth the schlep across town to make new friends and get my batteries recharged.
I have a funny story that your peeing story reminded me of as the same happened to me. Even though I was begging the driver to stop I wasn't successful so… I guess my bladder made some Universe magic happen as 2 minutes later the bus broke down in the middle of a bridge in the highway so I ended up peeing behind the bus, facing the cars, my partner covering me with a jacket. I'm a woman so… it was pretty funny and yes, people quite laughed at me but whatever… I was about to burst so who cares jajajajaja
While the external stresses of travel are often outside your control, how you manage them is completely within your control. If you let an unplanned delay throw you into a state of panic or rage, travel can become unbearable. When faced with anything from unending delays to slow-moving crowds, pay attention to your stress levels and take a deep breath, listen to music, or otherwise maintain your calm, and you'll find travel much more bearable regardless of what's thrown your way. This is especially important in unfamiliar environments. I've been threatened with deportation, found myself in Beijing back-alleys and completely lost, extorted, and dropped off at the wrong location with no way to communicate with my driver, but a deep breath and a smile ultimately allowed for recovery.
You're unlikely to need nine pairs of shoes and your hotel probably has a kitchen sink already, so resisting the temptation to over pack is important. However, being prepared can save you from overpaying for basic necessities like shampoo or toothpaste in hotel or airport gift shops. Prioritize your packing by starting with medications, passports, and other things you can't do without. Then, when it comes to clothing, pack multiple light layers that fit compactly in your suitcase and can handle expected weather variances at your destination. Rolling clothes rather than piling them up can save luggage space, keep items accessible, and reduce wrinkling. If you'll be away for more than a week, planning a laundry day will allow you to bring less clothing.
In some respects, I'm amazed at how staggeringly little I've grown as a traveler: I still roam cities with nary a clue as to what I'm doing, I'm still motivated largely by my quest to stuff as many baked goods into my mouth as possible, I still weep a little when forced to read a map. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't learn anything. I have picked up a few tips and tricks that I've gleaned from my many copious mistakes. Here are the best of of them – my my top travel tips and lessons learned from the last few years.
Great advice! I'm a BIG fan of packing cubes… I can't believe I had never heard of them until a few years ago. Never have tried the tissue paper method. Will definitely have to, especially on business trips. I also recommend shoe bags as a way to keep organized and clean. Plastic bags are a great alternative but they often leak or get dirty too quickly. Hope you don't mind but I linked your blog on my own about essential travel items. Thanks again!
Joining an international business group like Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) can reap the rewards as you can then network with people whatever city you are in to maximize your time on any trip. EO has a large number of members from all around the world and is extremely easy to join — all you need to do is apply to become a member on their website. During any business trip, the schedule is pretty tight. It's very difficult to make plans once you are there as every minute of the day needs to be planned out beforehand. International groups can help as they give you the chance to get in touch with professionals prior to your departure. Getting to know someone before the trip will make it easier to plan a meeting that will fit into the schedule and will make sure your trip is full of great opportunities for both business-related and other travel.
I'd always been all about the packing cubes, until I discovered vacuum-sealed versions of them! You throw your clothes in, seal the bag, then roll it up to push out all the air. I can literally fit twice as many clothes in my backpack when I use these! Even if you don't want to carry more things in your bag, it frees up so much space that if you need to pack in a hurry, you can just chuck everything in.
While the external stresses of travel are often outside your control, how you manage them is completely within your control. If you let an unplanned delay throw you into a state of panic or rage, travel can become unbearable. When faced with anything from unending delays to slow-moving crowds, pay attention to your stress levels and take a deep breath, listen to music, or otherwise maintain your calm, and you'll find travel much more bearable regardless of what's thrown your way. This is especially important in unfamiliar environments. I've been threatened with deportation, found myself in Beijing back-alleys and completely lost, extorted, and dropped off at the wrong location with no way to communicate with my driver, but a deep breath and a smile ultimately allowed for recovery.
"After going on international adventures and suffering food poisoning, sudden fever, cuts and scrapes, terrible bug bites, and other ailments — and then having to navigate a foreign pharmacy — I've learned to always pack a small medical kit. I keep a toiletry bag ready to go stocked with Band-aids, Neosporin, pain relievers, cold medicine, medicine for stomach trouble, itch relief ointment, antibiotics (you can ask your doctor for an emergency prescription before you travel), and ear plugs (life savers on long-haul flights and trains). And if you never have to use it, all the better!" — Karen Chen, Digital Producer
MetroResidences has a great selection of serviced apartments in Singapore, one of the world leading business destinations. Some are even pet friendly, and a lot of them have access to a pool – which is great, because it means I can get my workout at the end of the day. Getting a good place to relax and be comfortable is one of the top business travel tips.
You can always spot the first-timers, hands subconsciously guarding their money belts, faces set to "suspicion", always trying to figure out what the scam is, who's trying to rip them off. It's hard when you first start out to spot the crooks from the friendly locals, so plenty of people just mistrust everyone. That's a mistake though. The vast majority of locals aren't out to get you. It can pay to trust them every now and then – you'll make a lot more friends.
Rushing around like this prevents us from being present as everything begins to blur together, and the travel experience becomes less connected and more superficial. It's good to have an idea of what you want to do in a place, or a destination in mind, but then allow yourself to be open to going off-plan, to getting lost along the way and discovering something completely different.
Hits the nail on the head on so many points. This brings back many memories of our travels, like when we packed too much and wanted to kill each other since we were both so miserable with our heavy bags. And the time we had to give up on the hostel in Morocco and paid for a pool day pass at the Sofitel. We felt like we were cheating, but in the end, we needed the rejuvenation. Always love your posts, thanks for the inspiration and congrats on all the years of traveling together!
I travel a lot for work, from Florida to Vegas to Ecuador, and I'm usually on a bus, train, boat or airplane! I visit trade shows, I speak at conferences, and I visit clients. The key to success when you are constantly traveling is organization. I have a written day planner where I can see my week at a glance, which helps me prepare my flights and schedule, as well as not overlap or miss any details.
Scan a copy of your passport, any visas, and any debit/credit cards you're traveling with. Password protect the documents, and email a copy of them to yourself and to a family member . If everything you own gets stolen, you can access them safely from your email account, take your copies to your embassy as proof that you're who you say you are. Plus, you'll be able to buy flights home and pay for accommodation with your debit cards to keep travelling/go home in an emergency.
Since then, I flew for free to Romania, to Cuba, and I am now about to spend the many miles accumulated in the last couple of years to fly to the other side of the world (location to be revealed soon). One of my favorite tips for business travel is to join at least 3 main frequent flier programs: one with Sky Team, one with Star Alliance, and one with Oneworld.
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If you're travelling in a group or a pair, talk to your travel buddy about what you're both packing so you don't double up. For example, girls, if you're travelling with a mate and can't live without your straighteners, maybe one of you can bring a hair drier and one of you can bring the straighteners (although do consider going au-natural – it's liberating!)
Tucked between San Diego and Los Angeles Counties, this region is known for flawless beaches and "the happiest place on earth," Disneyland Resort. Anaheim, the theme park's home, offers a surprisingly hip vibe in a refurbished downtown. Newport Beach has dazzling yachts, Huntington Beach has iconic surfing, and Costa Mesa beckons with top shopping.
In most large cities, travelers should always be on the lookout for pickpockets. The easiest way to keep your belongings safe is to keep them hidden and close to you. One way to do this is to stash your valuables underneath your clothing. Another way is by locking your bags closed and using reflective accents to help folks see you at nighttime. Consider these safety travel essentials:
If you disregard all other advice about carrying money when traveling, take this tip to heart: Whenever possible, divvy up your travel cash and even credit cards into multiple safe spots. If you've got all your money in one place, it only takes one time for a thief to totally wipe you out. You can even apply this idea when you're out and about by keeping some money attached to your person and some in a bag you carry. That way, if your bag gets lost or snatched, you'll still have enough to get to a police station or back to your hotel.
You don't even have to stick to the airlines' schedules. Many companies provide private jet memberships, for example, the Private Jet Membership program from Paramount Business Jets allows members to fly at the lowest possible price and enjoy extra flexibility as they can fly in as little as an hour after booking. The membership program lets you have access to the best jets without having to buy them.
Whether due to a travel delay, a never-ending meeting, or arrival in a different time zone, you're bound to end up hungry at some point with limited appealing food options. I always carry three to five energy bars of some sort for just these situations. Look for something that doesn't melt, crumble, or expire, and is well-packaged so it doesn't end up spilling in your bag. I like Kind bars, as they're still relatively tasty even when flattened and deformed after a few weeks in my laptop bag.
This advice is twofold: Wear layers and pack in layers. First, your on-the-road wardrobe should feature plenty of layers, which will help you jetset through multiple climates in style and comfort. Second, the items in your bag should be packed in neat layers for easy screening. According to the TSA, "Pack items in layers (shoes one layer, clothes one layer, electronics one layer, etc.)" so that the security agent screening your bag can get a clear picture of what's inside. The faster the TSA agent can screen your stuff, the faster you'll get through the security line.
Our favorite (above-board) tip is to download a program such as NetStumbler, which goes above and beyond your computer's built-in Wi-Fi detector by locating "hidden" Wi-Fi networks your PC might have missed. If you're on a Bluetooth-enabled Mac, iStumbler will provide the same service. Smartphone users can get apps like JiWire's Free Wi-Fi Finder, whose directory tracks the exact location of nearly 150,000 free networks worldwide.


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Esther 2:1
Esther Chosen Queen
1After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.
Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service.


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Fantastically located on a large pie shaped lot, backing onto a walking path! Over 2600 Sq Ft, this four bedroom home boasts attention to detail and design! 9 foot ceilings throughout the main! 8 foot double door access to the den, arched detail access to the formal dining room! The kitchen is a chefs delight with the top of the line whirlpool appliances including a wall oven and counter top stove with a free hanging hood fan! Beautiful granite counter tops, maple cabinetry and sleek stainless hardware with access to a huge walk through pantry! The large center island has a bar fridge and room for 3 stools! An open living concept featuring a cozy gas fireplace for the winter days ahead! Access to the upper deck from the eating nook, featuring iron railings, gazebo and under deck storage! The bonus room is a large space, perfect for all the families needs! The master has a walk in closet, 5 piece en suite with granite, tiled flooring, shower and soaker tub! Close to schools!
Watson & Associates, at Greater Property Group, 500 5940 Macleod Trail SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2H 2G4


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Bubble Tricks Kit
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- No ratings found yet!
We specialize in providing creative toys, books, games and all things awesome that exercise the imagination ~ something for everyone - newborn to 100+ - we've got it all! Voted "Best Toy Store in New Jersey" by N.J. Monthly Magazine!


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by Mike Shea on 25 February 2010
Earlier this month, at SynDCon, I had the privilege of running a Dungeon Master Tips seminar with my friends Dave "The Game" Chalker and Matt James. We discussed preparation aids and tools one could use at the table to make one's game run smoother. Dave was kind enough to post this podcast on Critical Hits.Campaign Design using the 5x5 Method.
If you enjoyed this article please consider supporting me on Patreon and take a look at Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master, Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures, and Sly Flourish's Fantastic Locations.
You can also support this site by using these links to purchase the D&D Essentials Kit, Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide, or metal dice from Easy Roller Dice.
Send feedback to @slyflourish on Twitter or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Finance or financial studies is an academic discipline that prepares students to acquire, analyze, and represent financial data into comprehensible forms. These data are then used to deriveinformative inferences. Analysis of monetary aspects of a company helps to assess its overall performance in a financial year.
Finance coursework hasmajor implementations of mathematics which is why students are advised to work on their mathematical skills to grasp the topics quickly. Students often prefer to steer clear out of subjects that include large calculations, but the best part about considering Finance Students Assignments as a major is that it makes way for endless opportunities. Every employment sector requires financial analysts, thus getting a decent job will never be a concern for a finance graduate.
School or college assessments can be quite stressful, especially tests in finance. General finance assessment tests a student's aptitude and their ability to analyze financial data. Besides, finance papers include multiple conceptual questions that might be tricky to answer if the basic principles of the subject are not clear. This is why preparing for subjects like these from the first of a semester is ideal to avoid unnecessary stress before exams.
Common challenges encountered with Finance test
A subject, whose 80% is comprised of complex terminologies, mathematical derivations, and calculations, solving papers and scoring good grades is quite the challenge. Especially, if a student does not have a proper grip on their mathematical skills, covering finance syllabus will be time-consuming.
It is important to figure out the simpler areas of the subject that can be used to one's advantage and start with to gain confidence. Diving into intricate topics can easily bring the morale down and students might end up losing complete interest from the subject. Here are some of the major finance topics are simple, scoring, and have comparatively less mathematical applications-
- Financial statement analysis–
This is the most basic topic in finance and is also one of the initial parts, to begin with. It involves the preliminary steps of collecting, assessing, and interpretation of monetary information and also other relevant data. This helps to formulate an idea about a company's present standing in terms of profits made, future financial prospects, and so on.
- Corporate finance–
Corporate finance comprises a relatively smaller portion of finance coursework, but compulsory questions are asked from this topic in all major tests. This involves little to no numerical deductions. Corporate finance describes the process by which the financial strategies of a company can be implemented to boost the value of that firm. It is responsible for allotting the company funds and shares.
- Behavioral finance–
Behavioral finance is based on the principles of behavioral economics. It uses psychology-based explanations to rationalize the anomalies or behavior of the stock market. It explains the probable reasons for impromptu rise and fall in stock prices. Behavioral finance also helps to understand the different financial choices commonly made by people.
- Employee benefits–
These are perks and features serviceable to the employees in exchange for their contributions towards the company. This includes short-term and long-term employee benefits, termination benefits, and post-employment benefits. Employee benefits can be both monetary and non-monetary perks that are provided to the present employees of the enterprise.
- Intangible assets–
These are assets that do not have any physical presence but is a term assigned for the long-term resources of a company. Intangible assets gain their value from legal rights and by adding value to the other physical assets.
- Cash management–
This emphasizes the processes by which a company uses its funds so that they enough for regular expenses that include office amenities, employee salaries, etc.This helps to ascertain that the company has a contingency fund to bear the expenses that were not anticipated this includes a hike in labor wage and raw material prices.
- Brand image–
Brand image in one of the advanced topics of financial studies which have no mathematical angle. It is purely based on the importance of building a positive perceptionof a brand in the eyes of the customers. The brand image of a company or a product illustrates the customer's opinion about them. An affirmative brand image requires time to establish and is thoroughly dependent on factors like brand-based customer experience, product or service review, and so on.
Most of these topics are strictly theoretical and simple, straight-forward questions are asked from these portions. Preparing them thoroughly can help is fetching some valuable scores that will further improve the overall grade.
Small changes go a long way!
Some of the notable mistakes that students make while preparing for a subject is not how much time they are investing in it but the pattern they are following. Making simple amends can improve the process by ten folds. Below are some proven techniques inside and outside the classroom that students can follow to enhance their finance scores-
- Plan a study strategy–
One thing common with students who perform excellently in exams is that they are disciplined and committed to their study plan. Scoring good grades does not necessarily mean that a student has to study 12-14 hours a day. Instead, it is important to build a practical plan and pledge to stick to it.
- Take practice tests–
The best way to eliminate exam jitters is to take practice or mock assessments at least twice a week. This is beneficial as students will have a brief understanding of the question pattern and mark distribution. Also, they will develop an idea of probable questions and how to answer them correctly.Practicing previous year papers can do the trick.
- Work on basic mathematics–
While certain finance problems comprise of intricate mathematical operations, a considerable number of them require just simple numeric manipulations. It will be totally unfortunate if students jump through the questions at the first sight of mathematical applications. Knowing the basics will again come handy in these situations.
- Consult teachers and peers–
Teachers are our first knowledge-givers and that is a reason enough for them to be a great source of assistance. Students must not refrain from reaching out to professors post class hours and clarify their doubts. Interacting with classmates will help share perspective on different topics that are beneficial in several ways. Although the advantages of self-study are immense but solely relying on it would be a naive step.
- Do leave modules unattended–
This is possibly the greatest fault of students while preparing for a subject. They frequently leave out topics that do not interest themunattended. These wrong practices need to change for the better. Students must know the summary of every topic to be able to secure a minimum credit instead of blatantly skipping a question.
Finance is an intense course that requires diligent preparation and religious practice. A key prerequisite to succeed is to be committed to the discipline and make the most out of the resources available around.


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These 23 Reality Shows Will Seriously Make You Say WTF & Wonder How They Ever Made It To Air
Thanks to the explosion and global popularity of reality TV in the late '90s and early 2000s, viewers have been blessed with so many series that it's often difficult to remember them all. While there are quite a few "unscripted series" that have made for iconic TV throughout the years — Real World, Road Rules, Real Housewives, Vanderpump Rules, Survivor, The Bachelor and the omnipresent Keeping Up with The Kardashians — there are many reality shows from years past that'll make you say WTF. Although reality TV can provide a much-needed escape from the actual jarring reality of current times, some of these series are so far-fetched that it makes you question how they ever had an opportunity to see the light of day.
From outdoor births and plastic surgery beauty pageants to tricking women into dating and falling in love with a faux-version of Britain's Duke of Sussex, reality TV has figured out how to continuously cross the line when it comes to odd, awkward — and, at times, offensive — programming. With far too many to name, this list of series only scratches the surface of mind-blowing reality entertainment that fans have been privy to over the years.
1. 'Born in the Wild'
This 2015 reality series aired on Lifetime and featured couples who had, for some reason, chosen to give birth to their children in remote places sans the assistance of traditional medical professionals. Truly a "wild" experience.
2. 'Joe Millionaire'
Fox's 2003 series Joe Millionaire literally tricked women into falling in love with a man who was lying to them and pretending to be rich. In the end, the bachelor in question, Evan Marriott, revealed his secret to the unsuspecting winner, and after she chose to be with him, they jointly won $1M.
3. 'Bridalplasty'
Bridalplasty lasted just one season on E! in 2010, and followed 12 engaged or already married women embroiled in a competition for both the wedding of their dreams and their dream plastic surgery procedure. The winner of each week's wedding-themed challenge won a procedure from her plastic surgery wishlist, and the winner of the overall competition received a dream wedding as well as her entire list of plastic surgery procedures.
4. 'Boy Meets Boy'
As one of the first same-sex dating competition, Bravo's Boy Meets Boy could've easily been a groundbreaking moment for television when it premiered in 2003. However, a cruel and offensive twist on the narrative would quickly stifle the show's progress. It turns out that neither the bachelor nor the gay contestants were aware that almost half of the contestants were only pretending to be gay, as reported by ABC News. And to make matters even worse, a straight man would be awarded with money if he was chosen as the winner.
5. 'The Briefcase'
Named the "the worst reality TV show ever" by TIME when it premiered on CBS in 2015, The Briefcase featured two families in the midst of financial issues who, in each episode, are are surprised with a briefcase filled with $101,000. After being shown the cash, they're told that they can either choose to keep the money or offer it to another family in desperate need. Each family is not aware of the other family's participation as they contemplate who needs the money most.
6. 'Married By America'
Before the days of Married at First Sight and 90-Day Fiancé, Fox's Married by America made its attempt to force strangers to marry on reality TV in 2003. However, this one never made it past its first season.
7. 'Naked and Afraid'
This hit Discovery Channel show, currently on the air, chronicles the lives of two people who meet for the first time and try to stay alive in the wilderness together while naked for 21 days. WHY?
8. 'Beauty and the Geek'
The premise of this CW show, which ran from 2005-2008, revolved around a group of "Beauties," women who had relied primarily on their looks, and a group of "Geeks," men who had relied heavily on intellect, who are paired up as couples in a competition for $250,000. Challenges included lessons in picking up women, makeovers, and, of course, more scholarly challenges for the ladies.
9. 'Playing It Straight'
This 2004 reality series featured a woman who spent time with group of men as she tried to figure out who was gay and who was straight. In the end, the woman had to choose a man that she thought was straight and the pair would split the prize. If the man chosen was gay, he would receive the entire cash reward.
10. 'Vanilla Ice Goes Amish'
Rapper Vanilla Ice took a trip to the Amish country in Ohio and worked to learn their master craftsmanship methods, while renovating homes for Amish families in need. The premise, although thoughtful, made for some really odd TV moments when it aired on the DIY Network in 2013.
11. 'I Want A Famous Face'
While plastic surgery has been around for years, participants of this 2004 MTV series would go to major extremes to look like their favorite celebrity. Contestants on I Want a Famous Face routinely went under the knife in an effort to look more like famous people, such as Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt, Jessica Simpson, Ricky Martin, and Britney Spears.
12. 'Temptation Island'
This recently rebooted series features a group of couples who agree to live amongst single people of the opposite sex as a means to test the strength of their relationships. Not exactly the most romantic of televised social experiments.
13. 'The Swan'
Not only did contestants undergo extreme plastic surgery makeovers the knife to become more "beautiful" in this 2004 Fox show, but they also participated in a beauty pageant at the end in an effort to judge who had become the best looking revamped participant.
14. 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here'
This show featured the likes of Tyson Beckford, Melissa Rivers, Caitlyn Jenner, Stephen Baldwin, and Robin Leach in two seasons on American airwaves, and continues to run new similar version in the U.K. and Australia. The celebs are abandoned in jungle-like conditions with only small tools for survival. There are eliminated weekly and the winner ultimately donates their prize to charity.
15. 'Date My Mom'
An early 2000s MTV series, Date My Mom featured a contestant between the ages of 18-24. Each contestant would go on three separate dates with three moms who ultimately tried to convince them to pick their son or daughter as a romantic interest. The contestant only met the mother and made a decision solely based on their impression of the mother and the description of her child.
16. 'I Wanna Marry Harry'
Long before Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, a group of American women were flown to London to compete for the affection of a rich British guy whom they were told was Prince Harry. However, the guy eligible bachelor wasn't a prince, but rather an oil spill cleaner named Matt Hicks who resembles His Royal Highness enough to fool potential suitors.
17. 'Are You Hot?: The Search For America's Sexiest People'
This short-lived 2003 reality series featured celebrity judges like Lorenzo Lamas and Rachel Hunter who rated contestants on their faces and bodies, ultimately deeming them hot or not.
18. 'Cheaters'
A mainstay on television for over 17 years, Cheaters continues to be a hidden camera series that follows people who are suspected of or cheating on their spouses or partners.
19. 'Who's Your Daddy?'
In an episode of Who's Your Daddy, Fox's 2005 reality show, a person that had been adopted as a baby would be placed in a room with 25 men, one of whom was their biological father. If the contestant correctly picked out their birth parent, they would win $100,000. If they chose incorrectly, the man that they selected got the money instead. Needless to say, this one was cancelled shortly after its premiere.
20. 'Dating Naked'
This reality dating game paired contestants together for three whole seasons starting in 2014. The only catch: they had to be naked all the time while trying to decide if they'd like to pursue a romantic relationship with one another.
21. Girlfriend Intervention
2014's Girlfriend Intervention was just socially inept on so many levels. According to Huffington Post, it featured four Black women — interior decorator Nikki Chu, fashion maven Tiffiny Dixon, beauty expert Tracy Balan, with Bad Girls Club alum Tanisha Thomas serving as "soul coach." Similar to the premise of Queer Eye, the ladies would travel around the country, helping white women change their lives. Or, as the tagline explained, "inside every white woman is a strong Black woman waiting to bust out."
22. 'Wife Swap'
The program, which first aired in 2004, featured two families, typically from totally different lifestyles, and would swap out the wives/mothers for two whole weeks. Not only was this show incredibly successful, it also birthed celebrity spinoffs.
23. 'Married at First Sight'
As if relationships weren't hard enough. Married at First Sight, which is still on today, follows three couples, paired up by relationship experts, who agree to marry when they first meet. After tying the knot, the couples head off to their honeymoon. And when they return home, they have to live together as a married couple for eight weeks before they can decide to divorce or stay married.
With reality TV showing no signs of going away anytime soon, it's safe to say that there will definitely be many more cringe-worthy reality series introduced for years to come.