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This reminded me of some sticker foils I had purchased not too long ago from Maytheps for about $1. (I forgot to take the picture of these before I cut out the one I wanted to use that is blue and yellow, WHOOPSIE!)
Since I usually can't stand to have wraps on all my fingers I usually just do an accent nail with my ring finger. I then painted the rest of my nails with two coats of Sinful Colors in a muddy brown color called Nirvana.
What do you think? I wish the flower was a bit bluer but besides that not too many complaints. Hope everyone is enjoying their beautiful May!


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Leo Trottier and Dan Knudsen have invented a new interactive game that they are hoping to raise enough money to market. This is not just any game console; it is a game console just for dogs. CleverPet is a device that will entertain, train and reward your dog while you are not home, showing that dogs can be gamers too.
CleverPet was introduced to the online fundraising website Kickstarter just 23 days ago, and has already raised close to $100,000. There are almost 700 people backing the project, which goes to show that Trottier and Knudsen are not the only ones that using interactive games to keep a dog happy is a great idea.
These clever inventors did their homework, too. They researched what kind of buttons, if any, dogs would be likely to press. They found that man's furry best friends did not care much for hard plastic devices, so CleverPet instead features rubber touch pads. It was designed to prevent tipping and also does not contain any parts that would make it more of a chew toy than a game console.
The idea for this game came about because dogs get lonely. In their video on Kickstarter, the founders explain that when a dog looks his or her owner in the eyes, all they really want to do is understand. When a master is not happy or simply not around, dogs are not happy. CleverPet is a dog entertainment tool that not only curbs the depression and anxiety some dogs get when left alone for long periods of time, but it also teaches them some basic reinforcement for good behavior by dispensing treats.
A game that dispenses treats—it would be nice if there were games for humans that could boast that feature. Knudsen explains that the CleverPet device has three large touch-pad buttons that perform a variety of functions that increase in complexity as the dog uses it and learns. The console also features a moveable tray that dispenses kibble as a reward, at first spontaneously. Eventually through conditioning, the dog learns that touching certain buttons and performing certain behaviors will earn them a treat.
"It starts out really easy," says Knudsen. "Once they get really good at that we make it so they have to press a specific button that we've indicated with a light or sound."
This new toy that proudly celebrates the idea that dogs can be gamers too also incorporates sounds of the owner's voice, so the dog can not only play along and master new challenges, but also be comforted by taking directives from a person they already know and love.
Owners can monitor their pooch's progress too. CleverPet will be able to connect to Wi-Fi and Android so that users can download an app that allows them to track the dog's activity to see when and how they are improving their learning and behavior. Depending on what they see, owners can make tweaks to the CleverPet software so that the challenges are rolling out at the appropriate pace for the dog.
Knudsen stated that he and Trottier have an initial goal of raising $100,000 by the beginning of June, which will likely happen in a much shorter amount of time. When CleverPet goes on the market, Knudsen estimates that each game console will go for about $279. Kickstarter donations will not go unnoticed, though. Knudsen also stated that any contributor that kicks in $159 or more is entitled to a unit from the first production run estimated to begin in early 2015.
CleverPet is expected to prove that dogs can be man's best friend and gamers too. The Kickstarter video below shows people how it works.
By Erica Salcuni

subset: commoncrawl


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Imran Khan's first speech to the nation after taking office as Pakistan's prime minister was impressive in its range of reforming ambition. Government spending would be cut but an Islamic welfare state with Scandinavian characteristics would be created. Governance would be devolved and strengthened from the bottom up, corruption must be curbed, meritocracy would replace corruption and clientelism. He appealed to fellow citizens to pay their taxes to help him tackle the massive deficiencies of the education and health sectors and eliminate water scarcity. The Quran provided goals: equality before the law, compassion, merit and education.
This vision of a renewed Pakistan is certainly one for which many of Pakistan's 200 million people have been waiting. Imran Khan's offer of sincere new leadership was directed to the common man, frustrated with Pakistan's many problems. It seems especially to have enthused many young voters. The surge of support was enough to raise the representation of his small PTI party beyond that of the established PPP and PML-N built by the Sharif and Bhutto political dynasties. Not, however, by enough to give the PTI a majority in the legislature without the adhesion of some smaller groups.
As signs of intent, Imran's first cabinet meeting set up a task force to fight corruption. He himself drastically cut his prime ministerial pool of official limousines and staff. A reformed police model developed in his own frontier region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was suggested for the Punjab.
Almost immediately sceptical press comment pointed to a more sombre reality. Was a new Pakistan really feasible, particularly in a four-year mandate and without even a solid majority?
The PPP and PML-N are at loggerheads and therefore not likely to unite against the new government. Bilawal Bhutto is young and inexperienced as a PPP leader and the Sharif brothers, leaders of the PML-N, are shackled by corruption charges. Nevertheless, the PPP still dominates in Sindh and the PML-N in Punjab. The PTI's own Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the north-west cannot compete with those core centres of Pakistan's wealth and population.
Apart from the limitations of this political scenario, how far can determined and sincere leadership make headway against the massive vested interests defending the status quo? The security services and large army have long constituted almost a parallel government. In General Bajwa they have a commander quite prepared to make his views powerfully known and many believe that Imran Khan could not have won the election without army support. Generally, Pakistan's society is marked by extreme inequality of wealth and power. It is dominated by sophisticated elites, many with great land holdings and with almost feudal local power. Elite intellectuals realise the need for substantial changes, but many more will resist any reforms which challenge their position.
Even if he can find and appoint dedicated heads of leading ministries and institutions, including the police, reforming the bureaucracy and eradicating corruption will be a near insuperable task. Imran spoke of recreating lost 1960 administration standards of civil service morale, service and efficiency!
The great mass of the population is poor, young and either poorly educated or illiterate. They have the most to gain from social reform. Yet many are socially conservative and suspicious of modernising change seen as aping western values. Violent Islamist extremism also remains a threat, despite big army drives against it in recent years.
Even as the government takes office, it immediately faces the very urgent pressure of Pakistan's economic and financial crisis. Even with aid offered by the Islamic Development Bank, the seeming impossibility of meeting Pakistan's urgent financial needs leaves Imran with no obvious alternative but, like many previous Pakistan governments, having recourse to the IMF. Yet this would bring the political risk of alienating many of the new government's supporters. An IMF directed programme would include drastic spending cuts and politically painful reforms.
The economy has recently grown by 5.4 percent, which sounds impressive, but only at the cost of sharp and unsustainable debt. Pakistan's current account deficit has risen by 40 percent in just one year and now amounts to 6 percent of total GDP. Foreign exchange reserves have shrunk dangerously and cannot meet debt repayments. It does not help that President Trump has cancelled USD 300 million coalition supply funds to Pakistan and threatens to suspend military aid.
Exports have fallen well behind sharply rising imports, especially from capital equipment and coal for 21 power projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Cooperation (CPEC). These, funded by a mixture of debt and equity, are guaranteed by government but are not included in the official external debt of more than USD 90 billion. More electrical power and infrastructure is certainly needed and only China seems ready to supply the capital required. There is however concern that financial details of the Chinese CPEC commitment of USD 35 billion (with talk of extension to USD 50 billion) are not revealed. Projects are primarily funded by loans, often at high rates of interest, with only minor elements of grant aid.
Meagre foreign direct investment and reliance on Chinese and IMF loans has fed a habit of low industrial risk investment by Pakistan's corporate sector. Many enjoy tax exemptions and profits are often effectively guaranteed by government, regardless of performance. No wonder competitiveness and export performance have remained weak.
This is a daunting financial immediate crisis, even before the challenge of creating "Naya Pakistan" and the tangled relations with Pakistan's neighbours. It is at least encouraging that both Imran Khan and General Bajwa say they should improve.
Much now depends on the prime minister's key appointments. How far can he avoid being forced into political deals? How well can he and a new team communicate a sustained sincere effort and begin to demonstrate enough partial success to sustain hope and support? Pakistan is in a mess, but it has great patriotism and human potential. Also, can China afford to allow Pakistan to fail?
We should wish Imran Khan well. Pakistan needs a fresh effort. Our whole region could benefit from its progress.
Selina Mohsin is a former ambassador.


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What to Expect When you Receive a Reiki Healing
Reiki Healing
Reiki an Overview
As a qualified Reiki practitioner I would like to let you know what to expect if you decide to go for a Reiki treatment.
With money tight, hours long and society hurting we have found ourselves living in a world in need of a lot of comfort. Reiki is one of the alternative therapies people are turning to in an attempt to find some relaxation. People from all spectrums of society now regularly use alternative therapies alongside conventional medicine to help alleviate stress and perhaps even help with their symptoms.
Reiki is perceived to be an intelligent healing energy which goes to where it is needed. It is non-invasive with no need to actually lay hands on the participant and it is not aligned to any religion.
Reiki is believed to have been practiced in ancient times and then lost for many generations. It is believed that Dr Mikau Usui from Japan rediscovered it in the Nineteenth century and finally it found its way to the west.
Mount Koriyama and it's Place in Reiki History
Would you get a Reiki Treatment?
Would you try a Reiki Treatment?
Dr Usui and Reiki
Dr Usui was a teacher who left his job in search of answers. He is reported to have learned Sanskrit and then travelled the world studying ancient documents from various religions. Having found different symbols but no answers he travelled to Mount Koriyama in Japan with the intention of meditating. He reportedly took twenty one stones to enable him to count the days he was in meditation. He dispensed of one stone for each day that passed and it is written that on the twenty first day he still had no answers.
As he stood alone on the mountain on the dawn of the twenty first day he saw a rainbow of light. The light is reported to have hit him between the eyes and he saw sacred symbols. He then understood the meaning of the ancient symbols and texts he had previously studied. The story then proceeds to tell of how he witnessed the four miracles of Reiki where he placed his hands on himself and others and eased the pain they were experiencing.
Life-force or Chi Flows Through Every Living Thing
From Reiki Master to Student
After experiencing this phenomenon Dr Usui went to the slum district of Kyoto and spent several years treating the inhabitants. It was whilst in Kyoto that Dr Usui is reported to have realised he could pass on his knowledge of Reiki and share it with others. It was also during this time that he formulated the Reiki Ethics which were a set of guidelines to ensure that Reiki practioners always treated others with respect, felt gratitude and were non-judgemental. From this point on Reiki was passed on from Reiki Master to student. Even today Reiki practitioners should have a note of their lineage from Dr Mikao Usui right down to their selves.
Reiki is based on the idea of treating the individual as a whole. It believes in the existence of a universal life-force which flows through all living things. This life-force is referred to by many different cultures and is also known as prana, chi and ki. It is believed that Reiki channels healing energy through the practitioner.
Reiki is An Intelligent Energy
Finding the Right Person
- The Reiki Alliance and the Reiki Association provide lists which may help you choose the right practitioner.
- Personal recommendations are good for helping make a choice.
- Find someone that you are comfortable with.
Choosing a Reiki Practitioner
There are three different levels in Reiki. The first level means that you can practise Reiki on others, the second level means that you will also be able to send distance healings and the third level means that you are a Reiki Master and you can initiate others in Reiki.
Choosing the right practitioner for your treatment is important. Find someone your are comfortable with and listen to the experiences of others. The Reiki Alliance ensures that their members are following certain professional standards and the Reiki Association in the UK provides vetted practitioners.
As with any type of alternative therapy word of mouth recommendations are one of the best ways to ensure you find the right person. The most important thing to remember is that you need to feel comfortable with the person.
Different Hand Positions Will be Used for Different Chakras
The Chakras - A Brief Overview
Just above the perineum
Physical and Energetic wellbeing. Being grounded.
Sacral (Pelvic)
Centred in the pelvis
Fufilment creative lifeforce, sexual fufilment and continuation of the species.
Centred in the solar plexus
Self worth, progression and self belief of own group and self.
Centred in the chest.
Emotional fufilment and empathy to all living things.
Inside the throat at the base of the neck.
Communication and communion to others.
Centred in the skull
Crown on the head
The Seven Main Chakras
What do you Know About Reiki?view quiz statistics
The Reiki Treatment
The practitioner will have taken details from you and after you have discussed the treatment and what to expect you will be ready. Reiki should not be undertaken without the consent of your doctor and it cannot ever replace the use of conventional medicine.
You should be in a comfortable, relaxing room which is specifically for the purpose. The room will probably smell of sage as the practitioner will have smudged (cleansed) the room before you entered and soothing music may be playing.
You will be asked to take your shoes off and invited to lie down on a treatment bed. You will never be asked to take any clothes off. The treatment will normally last between an hour and an hour and a half and within that time the practitioner will place their hands over different positions on your body.Their hands do not need to actually touch you and if you prefer they can remain hovering above you. The energy will flow regardless of touch.
The different hand positions relate to the different energy centres in the body. It is believed that the human body is made of different energy centres called chakras and each chakra relates to a different area within the body. Different physical manifestations are believed to originate within different chakras.
The Reiki energy is believed to be an intelligent energy and thought to flow to the area of the body which needs it and then helps to clear blockages in that area. During your treatment you will be asked to turn over so that your back can be worked on as well.
During your Reiki healing you may feel tired or even cry. Emotions may surface that you weren't aware of and you may even see colours or pictures in your mind. It is common to feel heat in the area the practitioner is working on and it is not uncommon for people to fall asleep.
Depending on the individual practitioner they may also see colours, pictures, heat or feel pain in the areas of the body where the patient has problems.
After the session the practitioner will bring you some fresh water and discuss your healing and your feelings about it. The first treatment will be the most emotional and as you go to more sessions a sense of relaxation will be the most prominent thing you feel.
Relax and Enjoy Your Treatment
Finding Inner Peace
Your Reiki Treatment
That is a brief overview of what to expect at your treatment session. It is relaxing, healing and also a very spiritual experience. As you progress beyond the first session and blockages are cleared the focus will be upon relaxation and helping to soothe symptoms.
I hope you enjoy your treatment and find peace and fulfillment in your life.
This article has been written purely for entertainment purposes and in no way constitutes any recommendations by the author. It represents only the author's opinion and is not an endorsement.
© 2015 Anna Haven
Thanks for adding to my reiki reconnaisance. I have a niece who is into this (or was?)
Anna Haven, how in the world are you?? I have not seen your name pop up in ages. People seem to be dropping away from HP, and I miss hearing from them.
My novel is slowly coming along. Don't hold your breath waiting for it's
completion. LOL
Hope all is well in your corner of the world.
Stay in touch,
What a great article! This sounds like a wonderful way to find center again!
I've always been fascinated by Reiki and would certainly try it. I have a friend who practices Reiki and he "treated" his dog who was severely injured by a dog fight. After having surgery, the dog made a wonderful recovery after having the Reiki done on him.
Voted this Hub UP, etc. Very interesting and informative.
This sounds like such a wonderful way to maintain peace. Thanks for the synopsis.
My experience was from a reiki master from malaysia, It was distant healing. I bumped in to this reiki master through yahoo chat. We were just chatting and during the chat, no voice, no mention of any illness, he told me there was something wrong with my throat. How did the know that? After which we did make a one week appt at 7pm everyday of 7 days. It so relaxing. He never talked to me during the sessions. I just laid down in my bed.
I want to be reiki-ed again. I wonder how much they cost nowadays.
What I found most interesting is your description of people's reactions -- crying, sleeping, etc. Such an interesting hub.
Very interesting, Anna. I have never heard of this treatment before. You have written a comprehensive hub here.
Here's to good health and feeling better!
I tried it before and I find it very relaxing physically, physiologically and mentally.
Good, informative hub.
I've had treatments, both alone and combined with massage. I quite like it. I took my mother to have reiki once, after she'd had a serious head injury. In the middle of the treatment she suddenly got up, grabbed a pillow, and started walking around the bed rocking the pillow and crooning to it. The reiki practitioner raced out to get me, worried. Turned out the healing energy had gone to a part of her brain where memories of me were stored, and she was reliving my babyhood. I was her first born and there was angzt around my birth. This was an unusual experience but, for me, a kind of sweet one.
Hi, Anna,
I am very familiar with the practice as my cousin is a Reiki Master.
Sadly, he does not live close, and I rarely get to see him.
I had a Reiki "demonstration" once in a Holistic Market, but could not feel anything different after only a 10 minute session. It was not a fair evaluation given that it was not in a controlled environment.
How long have you been studying? What level practitioner are you?
This article made for an understanding piece for anyone not familiar
with Chakras or Reiki.
Great job, Anna!
Anna, my mother is a firm believer in Reiki. She takes no medications and prefers holistic and spiritual treatments. At age 76 and more vibrant than many 50-year olds I know, I'd say it works for her. She sent me a book that I've yet to read, called The Healing Power of Reiki, written by Raven Keyes. Are you familiar with it?
All of this was new to me and it is all interesting. I would do it if it were readily available....thanks for the information.
Although I would never consider it.. I find it fascinating.. interesting.. an alternative healing.. I am a closed mind traditionalist.. but I do respect everyone's calls for different healings.. voted awesome and interesting up and shared
Yes I have been reiki-ed before. How beautiful..


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The Green Queen: Her Majesty turns heating off in Sandringham's glasshouses to save money
Who could forget the proud face of Prince Charles as he led Alan Titchmarsh around his beloved organic gardens at Highgrove for a remarkably candid BBC programme into HRH's passion for horticulture?
Sadly things are rather bleaker at Sandringham, where the Queen, I can reveal, has decided to turn off the heating in her greenhouses to save money.
The royal residence near King's Lynn has 65 acres of garden with several glasshouses where traditionally Her Majesty brings on her own young plants, such as dahlias, in the spring for planting out in the garden each summer. But not this year.
The heating will be switched off in Sandringham's greenhouses to save money
Like the rest of the nation, which is suffering from rising costs to heat their homes, the Queen has taken the decision to drastically cut back on bills.
So instead of nurturing her own saplings, or chatting to them to encourage their growth as Prince Charles does, the Queen will be forced to buy in many of her flowers from nurseries to embellish her borders this summer.
The Green Queen: Her Majesty has turned the heating off in some of her glasshouses to save money and energy
Sandringham has two greenhouses for carnations and others for chrysanthemums and dahlias, but they will be largely unused this year because only a small part of the Queen's glasshouses will remain heated, I gather, and the heated part will be devoted mainly to houseplants.
Head gardener Martin Woods explains: 'We're growing a bit, but not as much as we have done in the past.
'We have a large area of glass and have scaled down.
'With heating costing so much, we can't carry on with it, so we are reviewing how to grow without so much heat.
'It's not cost-effective for us.'
The gardens at Sandringham, which were designed by renowned landscape architect Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, include two lakes and a vast rock garden. Woods, who started work at the royal residence three decades ago, has a staff of seven — six fewer than when he first took over.
I am told: 'It costs a fortune to heat greenhouses these days and it's much cheaper to buy the plants fully grown because commercial nurseries operate on an enormous scale and can absorb the extra heating costs.'
Fergie joins Bransons on slopes
On Holiday: Holly and Joan
It's been a white Christmas for Fergie, who went skiing in Switzerland and has now been joined by former husband Prince Andrew and daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, who saw in the New Year with her.
The happy foursome are staying at a luxurious seven- bedroom retreat at Verbier, which, I am told, costs £17,000 a week to rent and includes an indoor heated swimming pool.
The group were joined on the piste by Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson and his wife, Joan, who own a chalet in the resort and were holidaying with their son, Sam, and daughter Holly plus her shipbroker husband, Fred Andrews.
'Delighted to be in Verbier with my whole family,' says Sir Richard on his blog.
Clearly he's not been deterred by his holiday there in 2011 when he badly hurt his knee. 'I was run into by a teenager and ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament,' he says. Ouch!
India takes a flight of fancy
Carnival queen: India Hicks
For tips on finding unusual frivolities to indulge in at the New Year, just ask Prince Charles's god-daughter India Hicks.
The grandchild of the late Earl of Mount- batten of Burma, spirited India transformed herself from her usual persona as a lifestyle guru into an exotic moth as part of the Junkanoo carnival in the Bahamas, where she lives.
India, 45, who was expelled from Gordonstoun School for entertaining boys in her room, lives with her hotelier husband David Flint Wood and their four children — plus adopted teenager Wesley — in a Fifties beach house built by her designer father, David Hicks.
She joined local dance troupes and took to the streets of Nassau on January 1 wearing a skin-tight, silver Lycra suit and enormous glittering wings, which she had made herself.
'It took three days of back-breaking cutting and pasting to transform mouldy old cardboard boxes into these Junkanoo extravaganzas,' says India, who danced down Bay Street with her five-year-old daughter Domino dressed as a butterfly.
'Though I have been involved in Junkanoo for the past 17 years, you never get used to three days of burning bits of your skin off with a glue gun,' she says.
Hailed in his obituaries as a polymath who was supremely knowledgeable on foreign affairs, economics and politics, there was one thing that former Times editor Lord Rees-Mogg, who has died at the age of 84, never learned to master — how to drive a car.
As arrangements are made for a combined funeral and memorial service at Westminster Cathedral on Wednesday, his MP son, Jacob, tells me his father did once make a half-hearted attempt to learn at the end of World War II.
'But he didn't persist,' says Jacob. 'Then he married my mother and she did all the driving.
'He was quite pleased that he couldn't drive. And it made him an ideal passenger as he never corrected anyone else's driving from the back seat.
'My father and modern technology were not well acquainted with each other.'
Writer Geoffrey Seed has been amused by unsolicited recommendations from Amazon about books that might interest him in the New Year.
Top of the list is best-selling thriller A Place Of Strangers, which did, indeed, interest him — he wrote it. 'I don't think I'll bother. I've heard it's rubbish,' jokes Seed, who worked on Panorama and World In Action before turning to fiction.
Now busy on a sequel, he tells me: 'I got the idea for Strangers from a diplomat who'd done favours for Israeli intelligence. He knew of a man who tracked down Nazis to kill them or persuade them to commit suicide.'
Six months before Prince William's 31st birthday, it's emerged that former Irish President Patrick Hillery refused to send a message of congratulations to Prince Charles and Diana when William was born in 1982.
Hillery's bad manners are disclosed in documents released in Dublin under the 30-year rule and show he refused to follow the precedent set by his predecessor, who warmly congratulated the young Princess Elizabeth's father King George VI on the birth of his grandson Prince Charles.
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Blizzard has announced the long-awaited release date for Diablo III, their upcoming action RPG which fans have been waiting desperately to play.
The game has been in development for quite some time, but Blizzard's CEO and co-founder Mike Morhaime is confident it will be worth the wait:
"After many years of hard work by our development team and months of beta testing by hundreds of thousands of dedicated players around the world, we're now in the homestretch.
"We look forward to putting the final polish on Diablo III over the next two months and delivering the ultimate action-RPG experience to gamers worldwide starting on May 15."
The game will come with a suggested retail price of £44.99 whether you buy the boxed version, or the digital copy. Like all Blizzard games, it will also be available on PC and Mac.


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Universal Studios Home Video presents
"They want to get to know me, do they? They want to spend a little 'quality time' with The Grinch. Well, I guess I could use a little social interaction."
DVD ReviewI can't imagine that there are too many people NOT familiar with the story of Dr Seuss' Christmas-hating, green-furred creation The Grinch, and how he stole the holiday from the good people of Whoville. Depending on your age, you might have discovered Seuss' magical 1957 book long, long ago, and then years later reveled in what would become the eagerly anticipated yearly broadcast of the Chuck Jones animated version from the 1960s, with that perfectly eerie narration by Boris Karloff. As the children of that particular era grew up and had children of their own, the tradition of watching the animated Grinch every holiday season became some kind of wonderful, trans-generational artifact to pass along. Seuss (aka Ted Geisel) had created a literary, seasonal and cultural icon that miraculously withstood the test of time without, any substantially exploitative help from Hollywood.
That is, at least, until director Ron Howard's (Backdraft, Apollo 13) year 2000 big budget re-telling of the classic. Did it need to be redone? That's questionable from a strictly emotional level, but on an entertainment level it seemed that Universal Studios lined up enough creative ducks in a row for a good production. The film is driven, of course, by the always manic Jim Carrey, layered beneath a heaped helping of makeup effects master Rick Baker's latex, rubber and fur. Carrey as The Grinch, as expected, is a case of perfect casting. That is really a no-brainer. Baker's memorable work on An American Werewolf In London to 2001's The Planet Of The Apes has been nothing short of incredible, and he has certainly succeeded here in bringing The Grinch to life, visually. The director himself is no slouch at helming successful, lighter weight mainstream entertainment: just take a look at films like Splash, Willow, and Cocoon. Yet to stretch a quick read of a children's book/animated classic like Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas into an hourand forty-five minute, live-action film is no simple task.
We all know the basic plot: the crusty old Grinch lives up on Mount Crumpit, and for some reason hates the Whos, and especially Christmas. With the unwilling help of his faithful dog Max, The Grinch steals the town's presents (trees and all), and in the process learns that Christmas can indeed come without packages, boxes or bags.
Considering that a majority of the audience already knows the general story before the opening credits roll, it should be no surprise that the Jeffrey Price and Peter Seaman screenplay does pad the original story a bit. The scenes with the young Grinch, as we learn how he came to hate Christmas, were a nice touch, and helped to paint Carrey's character a little more sympathetically. Ron Howard keeps a pretty tight directorial reign on things, and doesn't really dwell too long on any particular sequence, choosing to keep the rapid pacing on course. With the exception of a couple of draggy scenes about midway through, the story moves along at a nice clip on its expected track, culminating with The Grinch's comically evil Christmas Eve heist sequence.
I'm glad to say that visually, this film is not a disappointment. Far from it, as a matter of fact. The fantasy world presented here is wonderfully skewed and off-balance; the set design, production and CG effects support that effort in high style. As we learn in the opening narration (by Anthony Hopkins), the world of The Whos exists deep inside of a snowflake. As a result, the magical environment is quite literally a children's book brought to life. The set design does its best to remain true to Geisel's original artwork, with Whoville literally an explosion of strange shapes and bright colors. Similarly, in the lair of The Grinch high atop Mount Crumpit, is a dark, dirty world filled with giant gears, mounds of garbage, and more bizarre contraptions. The whole film has a distinctive, cartoon-like appearance that seems to match the tone and spirit of Geisel's story.
Even under all the impressive Rick Baker makeup, Carrey turns in another trademark performance that surpasses the original animated Grinch in sheer crankiness. Using a voice that is reminiscent of Karloff's, Carrey spouts and snarls an array of great one-liners, most of which will sail harmlessly over the heads of younger viewers. His exaggerated physical humor isn't buried by latex as he flips and leaps and slithers with the dexterity of a pen-and-ink drawing, and becomes a live-action cartoon. Carrey has nailed The Grinch perfectly, and his performance is really the film's anchor.
Seven-year-old Taylor Momsen, as young Cindy Lou Who, is the only other cast member to actually present a character that isn't a caricature of a caricature. With her oversized Who-teeth and ornate wigs, she is a true charmer. I loved her completely contagious laugh when she is sliding through The Grinch's "Dumpit To Crumpit" pnuematic tube. The other primary Whos (Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon, Christine Baranski, Jeffrey Tambor) regrettably are an anonymous hodgepodge that never muster any real personality.
Howard's final product, while perhaps suffering from a runtime that could have been nipped by a good ten or fifteen minutes, is a film that I found to play much better on DVD than it did in the theater. On the big screen, some of the extravagant Whoville excess was almost too overwhelming, which resulted in an almost dizzying sensory overload. At times, there is just too much of an attempt by Howard and his set designers to excessively parade the quirky charm of Whoville and it comes to the point of distraction. So often the transition from theater screen to television screen can cause a film to lose some of its visual impact; I found just the opposite to be true here.
This is a big, noisy holiday movie. What it sometimes lacks in noticeably padded substance it more than makes up for in visual style. What can I say? I'm a sucker for Christmas movies and Dr. Seuss.
Rating for Style: A
Rating for Substance: A-
Image Transfer
Image Transfer Review: Universal gets high marks for this very beautiful 1.85:1 widescreen anamorphic transfer. The world of Whoville is presented here on a bright canvas of color, full of vivid reds, greens and blues. The source print is pristine, and without any visual flaws the colorfield really jumps off the screen, with excellent contrast. Compression issues and edge artifacts are almost nowhere to be seen, which only enhances the brilliance of the fantasy world. Blacks do not provide as much depth as I would have liked to see, but that may just be nitpicking on my part.
A beauty.
Image Transfer Grade: A-
Audio Transfer
Audio Transfer Review: Universal has issued this disc with DTS (English) and Dolby Digital 5.1 (English and French) tracks that vary only slightly. Both offer a nice dynamic range, with the DTS track not surprisingly showing off a bit more on the bottom end. Dialogue is clean, and the always enjoyable James Horner score comes across nicely, too. Rear channels are used extensively to great effect (check out The Grinch's echo scene, Martha May's machine-gun Christmas light device, and the ever present howling wind), and though directional imaging is not as pronounced as I expected, the overall sound field presentation is very engaging.
The seldom seen Descriptive Video Service feature, wherein a narrator describes scenes in between dialogue, is also included as an option here.
Audio Transfer Grade: A
Disc ExtrasFull Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 20 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English with remote access
Cast and Crew Biographies
1 Original Trailer(s)
1 Other Trailer(s) featuring E.T.
6 Deleted Scenes
Production Notes
7 Featurette(s)
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual
Layers Switch: 01h:06m:48s
Extra Extras:
Spotlight On Location (7m:16s)
This is a run-of-the-mill making-of piece, featuring interviews with the primary production crew, including Ron Howard and Rick Baker, basically a collection of behind-the-scenes footage intercut with somewhat generic comments. Oddball highlight is shots of Ron Howard, in full Grinch makeup, directing.
Deleted Scenes (9m:23s)
This is a series of six deleted scenes, shown without music or sound effects. Of the six, only an extended sequence of The Grinch's masked visit to Whoville, and a scene where we get to actually witness the Whos "crying boo-hoo" on Christmas morning as they discover all of their gifts have been swiped, are substantial. The rest seem to have been deleted for obvious reasons.
Outtakes (3m:15s)
A quickie, somewhat grainy, reel of flubs and goofs, set to music. My favorite moment is the scene where Carrey, in full Grinch regalia, bites the prosthetic nose off of Jeffrey Tambor.
Who School (5m:33s)
How do you become a Who? Stunt coordinator Charles Croughwell is the focus of this piece, as he discusses the process involved in creating the choreography of movement for the Whos and the use of the extremely fluid Cirque De Soleil performers in some of the almost animated actions of the good people of Whoville.
Makeup Application & Design (6m:47s)
Rick Baker is a genius. Here he discusses the development of the characters' appearances, as well as featuring a number of early Who and Grinch makeup tests. Some of the early Who makeup really match the look of Geisel's original drawings, but were deemed too Twilight Zone-ish.
Seussian Set Decoration (5m:03s)
This segment is directed at the creation of the "look of Whoville", and includes interviews with the primary production designers. Their ability to flesh out Geisel's line drawings into actual sets is quite interesting, as well as how they remained true to the orignal designs from the book.
Visual Effects (10m:40s)
I found this segment to be the most entertaining of the bunch. Kevin Mack, the film's visual effects supervisor, provides scene-specific comments on some of the over 600 CG effects used. While some of his discussions of the title sequence are a bit technical ("volumetric density functions"), his comments on the various uses of CG are fascinating. The segment wraps with a side-by-side comparison of how they enhanced The Grinch's evil smile.
Faith Hill Where Are You Christmas? music video (4m:04s)
A 1.85:1 widescreen version of this syrupy ballad featured in the film. This is a typical "vocalist intercut with movie footage" video, and unless you are a fan of Hill you will probably avoid this. Personally, I prefer Momsen's simple, more innocent version.
Wholiday Recipes
This segment consists of three recipes inspired by the film. The taste treats include:
Martha Whovier's Designer Onion Wreaths
Cool Mt. Crumpit York Peppermint Pattie Brownies
Cindy Lou Who's Favorite Whobilicious Hershey Peanut Blossoms
By The Numbers
A series of quickie production stats (for example: 443 outfits created by wardrobe!).
Max's Playhouse
Geared toward the kindegarten crowd, this area is divided into two sections:
Music Time:
In addition to another link to the Faith Hill video, there are two sing-alongs, complete with karaoke style lyrics that feature Cindy Lou Who's rendition of Where are You, Christmas? and The Grinch's version of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.
Fun and Games:
Three sections here (Rhyme Time, Dress The Grinch, and the read-along story, The Care and Feeding of a Grinch). Also features a section teaching the wee ones how to use that DVD remote.
20 chapter stops, widescreens trailer for The Grinch and E.T., a trailer (and PC demo) for The Grinch video game, a cheesy Universal Studios commercial, cast/crew bios, production notes, and English subtitles fill out this packed holiday disc.
Extras Grade: A-
Final CommentsJim Carrey IS The Grinch. Enough said. This is a fun, holiday film, that only sometimes loses itself in its own excess.
Recommended, unless of course YOU are The Grinch.
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Home > Products > LED Outdoor Light > LED Flood Light > New Design COB 150watt LED Flood Light
|Payment Type:
|T/T,Paypal,Western Union,Cash
|Min. Order:
|20 Piece/Pieces
|Delivery Time:
|7 Days
Basic Info
Model No.: F150-542
Color Temperature: Warm White
Lamp Body Material: Aluminum Alloy
Projection Distance: 25-35m
IP Rating: IP65
Certification: CE, EMC, LVD
Operating Voltage: 85-265V
LED Chips Brand: Epistar
Size: L390mm W290mm H175mm
Power: 150watt
LED Quantity: COB, 50watt X 3piece
Driver Brand: DONE
Power Factor: >95%
Beam Angle: 90degree
Quality Level: High For Project
Customized Serivce: Available
Additional Info
Packaging: Standard export packing
Productivity: 10,000pcs/month
Brand: G-Lights
Transportation: Ocean,Land,Air,Railway
Place of Origin: Guangdong, China
Supply Ability: 10,000pcs/month
Certificate: CE, ROHS, IP65, FCC
HS Code: 9405409000
Port: Shenzhen,Zhongshan,Guangzhou
Product Description
G-Lights provides you a new 150watt led flood light, the COB chip, lens and driver perfect match, even the beam angle is 90 degree, the light distance could be as fas as 50meter.
Quite suitable for outdoor buidling project, not matter the fashion design building or the classical European-style buidling. For lighting project, quality is guranteed, stable work for 5-6 years is standard.
Save time and money in the maintenance!
Production and test
Strictly QIC and production process ensure the finished product is qualified, and QC will attach a PASSED label to the items after regular aging test.
Well packed in standard export carton and wooden box. Loaded in container or bulk by shipping, railway transportation and air transportation are available.
Exactly quantity for container or other vehicle will be checked after confirming.
OEM service is availble, pleaes contact us.
Each G-Lights LED Flood Light deserve the approval certifications. More certification will get approval as market development is in sound progress.
Company Information
Since 2006, we, Zhongshan G-Lights lighting factory has been concentrating on LED lighting project, making progress in research, production, installation, sales and after-sales. We locate on lighting capital of the world, Guzhen town, Zhongshan city in China.
Our Main Products are LED outdoor project lighting and Fiber Optic Lighting application. Project lighting we produce such as Flood Light, wall washer light, street light, Digital Tube light, underground light, High Bay Light, etc. Fiber optic lighting we provide are Chandelier , star effect lighting, reef lighting, and other decorative lighting.
OEM/ODM service is available, or share us your product requirement, we could customize product even in low MOQ. Please feel free to contact us!
G-Lights keeps showing news product to customers in annually lighting exhibition, such below exhibitions:
Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition
Hong Kong International Lighting Fair
China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair
And oversea exhibitions such as in Dubai, Indonesia, Thailand, Russia, etc, will keep updates in our website.
Q: Are you a manufacturer or a trading company?
A: We are a manufacturer.
Q: Where is your factory located? How can I visit there?
A: We are located in Guzhen town, Zhongshan city, Guangzhou province, China.
After you arrive in Guangzhou International Airport, just take the shuttle bus from the airport to Guzhen town directly.
Or take 37mins comfortable train from Guangzhou South Railway Station to Guzhen Station.
Q: Could I buy sample before place order?
A: Yes, you could, just feel free to contact us.
Q: Do you have store product? Or how soon I can get product?
A: We do lighting project, we don`t have store product usually, all product you get is newly manufacturer after payment received.
Q: How does your factory do regarding to quality control?
A: We have related record to monitor IQC and QC, all lamps will have 24-72hrs aging test before packing and delivery.
Q: Could you customized product for me?
A: Yes, we could, please share us your detail requirement.
Q: Why the product warranty is 2 years? I need to change the lamp after 2 years?
A: The industrial standard warranty is 2 years.
And it doesn`t mean the lamp life span is 2 years, it mean we will provide related after sales service freely during this 2 years.
The lamps could still work well after 2 years normally.
Q: Why some supplier provide same product with lower price?
A: As long as the company you contact is a manufacturer, good quality product should have same price level with us.
More detail information, please just feel free to contact us.
Product Categories : LED Outdoor Light > LED Flood Light
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Ms. Elan Mho
Email:Send Inquiry
Mobile Phone:+8618933340586
Address:NO.3 Dongyi Road, Luosha Industrial Area, Haizhou, Guzhen Town, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China, Zhongshan, Guangdong
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> Avery M. Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> NIce, would have been pretty cool to be around back when mopars were
> cheap to get 2nd hand. Need 10k now to get a decent 68-70 B body even a
> low trim one like a satellite.
C body's and A body's are still relatively reasonable,
let me tell you a 383 ci fury with a sure grip and a 727 torqueflite was highly modifiable and Being a full frame car was almost like a truck,
If I wasn't broke the past few years for $5000 I would be in a C body or A body duster or dart in a heartbeat many in my area I could get for that, matching numbers don't mean nothing to me on those cars,
E body's X block T/A's, B body 6 pack, hemi wing cars and other specially hemi cars ya matching numbers cars is what you want,
I was in all Mopar cars most times growing up,
None my friends, my brothers friends, cousins and uncles and my aunt, pretty much nobody owned a gm or Chevy including a hemi Daytona and a six pack challenger TA,
Believe it or not I liked the six pack challenger TA more than the hemi Daytona only because the Daytona was almost impossible to park because it was way too long,
The cops saw the wing a mile away and would pull you over for almost nothing just to see what you were running, showing your license and all the other bullcrap making you late for work, and it was like a taxi cab on the inside!
I mean so cool on the outside but the inside a wing car was so plain Jane it wasn't funny,
My worst mopar experience when the retiree next-door died and his cross ram 1963 maybe it was a 1964 Chrysler with a 413 wedge motor just rotted away for almost 10 years,
There was no one there, no one could find the title, I could've got that car for free but he died in his 70s suddenly with no relatives and the city of Cleveland towed his car away to the junkyard and put the house for sale on auction due to back taxes,
With only 9000 original miles on it it was a perfect car it held its solid white color for 8 years until rust showed up on it!
His spare keys were hanging on his grapevine rack in back of garage, my father and I started the car every week for like five years and moved it back-and-forth in the driveway,
Even though I was only 13-14 years old it gave me driving experience, The car was ordered with 390Hp 413 and he had it ordered with low ratio rear end, if I would've just put the throttle to the floor I would've blasted through the garage and in the garage behind it, then down the driveway of the house into the next street into the next driveway into the garage through the garage into the next driveway into the next garage, it would've been epic!


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Bring home the latest updates on developing technologies, clinical applications and practical solutions.
Welcome to Glasgow
Professor Sameer M. Zuberi, MD
EPNS President
We look forward to welcoming you to the 14th biennial congress of the European Paediatric Neurology Society at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
The EPNS Congress provides an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the rapidly evolving field of child neurology including basic science, diagnostic methods and novel treatments. You can network with colleagues and industry partners all focused on providing the best possible care for children with neurological disorders.
The welcoming, vibrant city of Glasgow is well served for international and domestic flights by three international airports.
Professor Sameer M. Zuberi, MD
EPNS President
Scientific sessions present the latest advances in Child Neurology. The congress theme explores how networks, systems and technology can help deliver precision care and better outcomes. Morning teaching sessions cover all the major topics in the field.
Meet colleagues and friends to share experiences and develop collaborations. Learn how national and European networks can help your patients.
Commercial partners will present their products and services. A Technology and App Fair will showcase aids to modern medical care.
Experience varied and beautiful landscapes, history and cultural highlights in Glasgow & Scotland.


text: Ssanders224 Posted May 13, 2018 7 minutes ago, fayetteflash said: Can't wait. Any idea how stages 3 and 4 will be set so they are legal? Stage 3 appears to require 10 rounds from the outer 2 positions. Stage 4 doesn't seem to fit inside any type of course of fire. If it's a speed shoot, it needs a mandatory reload. Stage 3 will not require 10 shots on the sides, as at least one partial from each side will be avalible from the center. Also, all targets will not be available from one position at the back (although it looks that way on the sketch). Stage 4 will include a mandatory reload. The diagram just needs to be updated, and the WSB will outline the reload requirement. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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|Rainbow above Elkhart Entrance, Wind Rivers.
In Greco-Roman mythology, the rainbow was considered to be a path made by a messenger between Earth and Heaven.
The Irish leprechaun's secret hiding place for his pot of gold is usually said to be at the end of the rainbow.
There are also numerous religious connotations associated with rainbows.
Whatever your belief, you must admit that the spectrum of light we call a rainbow is a sight to behold and experience, especially after a storm.
This rainbow was just that, a sign that a strong storm in the Wind Rivers had come to and end, and promising drier times ahead. It has been a popular image for me, appearing in calendars, magazines, and most recently as a cover for a world-wide published book.
This image appears in my Wind River Gallery, along with many others from the area - a true pot o' gold in Wyoming!


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Just about seven months ago I started this journey of blogging. Since then I've written about a surprising range of topics – from Children's rights to recipes from the Caribbean kitchen – and everything in between!
Here are a few scenes out of my life. These are the moments that motivated me to start this blogging journey. I treasure time spent with the elders, their wisdom and knowledge. I also treasure nature – the vibrancy and freshness keeps me centred and humbled. The two made me into an avid story-teller. Thanks to each of you for continuing to be a part of my journey.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you enjoy this post? Please click to FOLLOW ISLAND VIGNETTES, leave a COMMENT, hit LIKE or SHARE!
Thanks a bunch for stopping by!


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Cruise vessel's ( Celestyal Crystal ) information:
She's a gem of the high seas, a summertime classic – you'll fall in love with her the moment you stride up the gangway to escape with us. There's romance wherever she sails. In 2015 the beautiful Celestyal Crystal will take passengers on our seven-day Peloponnese and Ionian cruises, on our Idyllic Aegean cruises, on our Pilgrimage Voyage and on our ANZAC Centenary Cruise. From holy sites to Aegean hillsides, let the cozy Celestyal Crystal be your home at sea during the holiday of a lifetime. Two restaurants, two bars, a café, a thrilling casino and our wellness center! She only sails to spoil you. Don't resist.
Capacity: 1074 passengers in total
Cabins: 400 cabins with en suite bathrooms, TV, radio and air conditioning
Facilities: buffet, casual dining area, café, three lounges, two bars, casino, two pools, sauna, gym, medical center, spa and massage room, Jacuzzi, beauty salon, hair salon, Internet area, video arcade, conference room, duty free and travel value shop
Equipped: satellite telephone, full air conditioning throughout the ship


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See: Tekin Tekin have added the new RS Gen3 and RS Gen3 Spec to their range of 1/10 speed controllers. The RS Gen3 brings a suite of enhanced features including better power handling and improved tuning features that give you unmatched adjustability. Maintain superior control in all situations with state-of-the-art components, award-winning performance and proven […]
Posts tagged with RS Gen3 1/10 speed controller
Tekin RS Gen3 & RS Gen3 Spec 1/10 speed controllers
17 May 2019 08:15 by Chris No Comment


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Going on Duke of Edinburgh Gold this summer and think you might not be able to go on NCS?.. You'll be pleased to know our Phase 1 residential will count towards the residential section of your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.
One of the most exhilarating and rewarding times of your life is closer than you think. National Citizen Service (NCS) is a once in a lifetime opportunity available to 15-17 year olds in England and Northern Ireland. NCS is a programme that helps you build skills for work and life, whilst taking on new challenges and meeting new people.
Fast track your future experience of the freedom of living away from home at an outdoor activity centre. Take part in a variety of adrenaline-packed activities designed to push yourself. Develop important life skills and start to find your independence through a home-residential and a series of workshops. Build essential skills for life and work, as you develop your understanding of your responsibilities as citizens by engaging in the social action project.
Release your inner explorer and embrace the great outdoors with a five-day residential in the Lake District, Peak District or Wales.
For more information please email [email protected] or go to https://www.ncsyes.co.uk/


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The Red Bull Music Academy 2010 is going to be in London this year!
"From February 7 to March 12, 2010, some of the most original and creative minds in music will come together to share ideas, work on tunes, and perform in the best vibe-filled venues around town."
The past locations have been Berlin, NY, Sao Paulo, Cape Town, Melbourne and Barcelona.
The Academy was formed for DJ's, singers, musicians, engineers and other artists explore ideas, discuss techniques, and demonstrate styles in a collaborative environment.
The Application Phase kicks-off today (May 11, 2009)
Please get with me if you are interested in submitting an app. I will have the RBMA Rep send it straight to the reviewers.
There will be 60 participants chosen based off of a lengthy and quirky application that basically forces you to answer honestly.. And there are no wrong answers, you just have to be passionate and inspired by music. Thats it!
People from all corners are chosen, this is what makes RMBA an elite group to be a part of..
The likes of ?uestlove, Flying Lotus, DJ Premier, Bun B, Goldie, Dennis Coffey, DJ Craze, Prince Paul, Blu & Exile, Marcus Intalex, Bob Power, Chuck D, Oh No, Madlib, Aloe Blacc, Peanut Butter Wolf, M.I.A., Oddisee, Kardinal Offishall, Jake One, Nicolay, Babu, Just Blaze, Muhsinah, Joe Bataan, JRocc & Black Milk are all part of RBMA.
Here are some lectures to check out:
Chuck D
DJ Premier
Blu & Exile
Look around the RBMA website and see if its your calling =)


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Introduction to Customer service
Customer service is essential part of organization that impacts directly on working performances of the corporation. Business units continuously try to enhance satisfaction level of its clients for that they provide them goods and services as per their requirements. Present report is based on Hilton hotel which is engaged in hospitality industry. Our assignment helper will answer the several questions related to implementation of customer service strategies.
A) Issues that impact on service delivery
It is necessary for corporations which operate in the service industry that to identify needs of consumers in order to deliver them satisfactory services. There are many issues that impact on service delivery of Hilton hotel, these are discussed as below:
Corporate customers
Consumers are assets of any business unit, they have power to influence overall business operations to great extent. Needs of corporate customers (B2B) are different from other end users, they expect high level quality services from the firms. For meeting with their expectations hotel has to modify its operations frequently, it has to take support of the latest technologies for raising quality standards. That may impact in positive manner because by this way quality of service delivery will get improved significantly.
Individual members of organization
Employees are the key stakeholders of the Hilton hotel, company hires skilled and capable candidates in the organization. Ability of these employees help the cited firm in satisfying needs of guests. But some times due to communication issues and cultural differences workers fail to understand requirements of consumers that impact on service delivery of organization to great extent. Some times it creates situation of conflict as well.
Individual member (B2C) of the public
It is another issue that can impact on service delivery of Hilton hotel. It is not always possible for entity that to identify needs of every client and make changes in its service delivery process frequently in order to provide them services as per their expectation. Because it would be time and cost consuming procedure. Sometimes due to this issue Hilton hotel concentrates on universal needs of population and deliver them services accordingly. But sometimes it decreases trust of other clients and they turn to other hotels.
There are many corporate agencies that my affect service delivery of Hilton hotel such as banking agency, legal agency etc. For example if interest rates or exchange rates of the banks get changed then in such situation cited firm will have to modify its operations that will affect service delivery to great extent.
b) Organizational requirements
Hilton hotel has two major types of consumers; internal and external
Internal consumers: Managers, suppliers, chefs, customer service officer etc.
External consumers: Client who come from outside and bring revenue in the entity by purchasing its products and services.
It is the main objective of cited firm that to meet with expectation of uses. In order to meet with their expectation of service delivery Hilton hotel's requirements are as below maintained:
- Recruitment of skilled employees, so that cited firm can serve better to external consumers.
- Capable managers, those who can lead the team well and can motivate staff members to work better in the organization.
- Another requirement of Hilton hotel is to create win-win situation between value added services and operational saving.
- Building strong relationship with consumers, so that their needs can be identified. It would help in matching with service delivery expectations of customers.
- Empowering employees, so that they feel confident and be loyal towards the brand.
- Effective utilization of resources, so that wastage can be minimized and Hilton hotel can improve its revenues.
- Clear communication, so that no misunderstanding takes place in the workplace between employees, consumers and higher authorities.
Offer incentives, accommodations to internal consumers such as managers and employees so that they perform better in the workplace, Offer attractive discounts to the external consumers so they be loyal towards the brand.
Relevant and constructive advice is very helpful in promoting improvements in the customer service delivery of the organization. There are several ways through which Hilton hotel can improve its service delivery, these are described as below :
- Training is the great solution that can help cited firm in improving skills and knowledge of staff members. By this way they will coordinate well with clients and will understand their needs before serving them. It will support the Hilton hotel in improving its service delivery process. Thus, brand image of the entity will get enhanced to great extent.
- By improving delivery timing Hilton hotel can achieve its goal soon.
- By developing clear communication with the internal and external consumers cited firm will be able to understand their needs, that will support in increasing service delivery of the entity.
- By taking time to time feedback from clients Hilton will be able to identify loop-fall in existing practices thus, it would support the Hilton hotel in improving its mistakes so that cited firm can meet with service delivery expectation of clients.
It is very important for Hilton hotel that before implementing any improvement strategy, cited firm consult with individuals or group those who are involved in the operations. It is because employees, managers, stakeholders know about the external market conditions well and they can share demands of users with the company. They have better knowledge about needs and demands of customers. By involving then in the decision making process of implementation of strategy, cited firm will be able to know their ideas that would help in getting optimistic results to the entity.
Availability of product and services is another strategy but before implement it in the workplace it is essential to know about demand of market. For that it is essential for Hilton hotel that to consult with marketing, research and production team members, it is because they can suggest innovative ideas that can help in achieving goal of the organization. By consulting with them Hilton will be able to implement these strategies effectively in the workplace.
Availability of product and services is another strategy but before implement it in the workplace it is essential to know about demand of market. For that it is essential for Hilton hotel that to consult with marketing, research and production team members, it is because they can suggest innovative ideas that can help in achieving goal of the organization. By consulting with them Hilton will be able to implement these strategies effectively in the workplace.
Company Name: Hilton Hotel
Evaluation and reporting are essential methods that can help in understanding effectiveness of any strategies when implement in the workplace. It can be evaluated that corporate consumers and external clients impact on service delivery process of the Hilton hotel to great extent. It is very difficult to understand needs of each client and modify the operations as per their changing needs again and again. On other hand it can be evaluated that once company has understood needs of service users, it can improve its practices by implementing effective strategies.
From the above discussion it can be articulated that individual members, agencies and corporate customers affect service delivery of Hilton hotel. For improving its condition, cited firm is taking support of strategies such as availability of product and services, pricing offers, improvement in delivery times. These strategies are very effective because by this way it has become able to match with their expectations. By reducing delivery timing Hilton has increased satisfaction level of its valuable consumers.
From further development in customer service delivery Hilton can adopt several ways:
It should give refund guarantees if it is unable to delivery services on time. That is the great strategy because by this way company will be able to pay attention on fast and quality service delivery that will enhance satisfaction level of consumers.
Polite communication with valuable consumers is another strategy for improving service delivery system because clear and clam interaction with customers can make them happy and satisfy. By this way if any complication arise then also they will support entity. Politeness can make them positive towards brand and they will give positive feedback to others as well.
It is very important to identify needs of consumers so that company can fulfil their requirements. Hilton needs to give proper advise to its clients and has to justify the thing that it is able to fulfil their desires. For example Customers want speed deliver and quality food services from the hotel. Cited firm is able to meet with their expectation. It needs to clarify that it has skilled people those who can offer them quality services and they can resolve their quarries immediately. By this way satisfaction level of them will be increased to great extent.
Questionnaire and survey are two best methods that can help in identifying or reviewing satisfaction level of consumers in the Hilton hotel. By filling up questionnaire with clients cited firm will be able to know their point of view or needs. Survey is another technique that can help in gaining accurate information about level of satisfaction of consumers.
Information that can be gathered by the mangers of Hilton hotel are such as satisfaction level of client, since how long consumers is taking services of the organization, whether they like produce and services of Hilton or not, What improvement they want in the organization. Such type of information can be used by the Hilton hotel for reviewing consumer's satisfaction level.
Type of variable information that can used by entity for reviewing customer satisfaction:
Cited firm can take support of questionnaire and survey for collecting information about level of satisfaction of clients. In the survey it can ask about services, quality standard of company that would help in gathering relevant information. Manager can also ask with customers that whether they will suggest others to go in Hilton hotel, this answer will help in identifying their level of satisfaction.
Apart from this, organization can also look upon its accounting records such as profitability ratio, liquidity ratio etc. It will support in comparing sales revenues of the firm with its previous performance and other competitor brand. Continuously growing sales records show that Hilton is meeting with the expectation of customers and that is why people are coming to the place for enjoying its services frequently. But if sales are getting down that means cited firm is not able to satisfy its clients and there is requirement to implement effective strategies for further improvement and development.
By taking interview from guest of the hotel, cited firm will be able to know whether it is able to meet its expectation or it is required some improvements. That would help in getting information about their satisfaction level.
5 communication methods
To identify the needs of consumers Hilton hotel can support of several communication methods. These are explained as below:
- Oral communication: It can take interview from clients in order to identify their needs. Managers can orally communicate with them. That can develop relationship with them and they will share their feeling with the management easily.
- Online communication: It is another methods of knowing about needs of consumers. Company can communicate with them through social networking sites, face book, twitter etc.
- Written communication: Cited firm can also fill questionnaire by them that would be written communication through this way it will be able to identify their needs.
- Email system: Hilton can also take support of email system in order to address the requirements of clients. In the email people will give quick response so cited firm will be able to take immediate action to improve its service delivery.
- Advertisements: It is simple and effective way of making communication with clients. Hilton hotel can advertise its brand on TV if people are coming that means it is able to meet with their needs. After that cited firm can ask feedback from them in order to identify their reviews about the organization
By evaluating the customer service delivery in the organization, it has been found that needs of different clients are different from others. Hilton hotel continuously trying to meet with expectation of them and providing the quality services to them. From the evaluation it is analysed that earlier level of satisfaction of consumers was very low because company was focusing on its own benefits and was not concentrating on consumers needs. But later on it has started paying attention on customers and start providing services as p0er their needs. Now level of satisfaction of clients regarding service delivery in Hilton hotel is good and that is why people are giving positive feedback to others as well.
Ways of collecting information
Hilton hotel aims to enhance satisfaction level of its consumers, for that it is essential for the entity that to collect relevant information about their customer delivery in the cited firm, Manager of the company can collect information through various ways:
- Questionnaire
- Interview
- Survey
- Face to face meetings
- Social media communication and taking reviews by consumers about service delivery
- By looking upon accounting records such as profitability, liquidity ratio of entity cited firm can collect information.
- Secondary sources such as books and journals, internet articles can help in gather information about the same.
Questionnaire and interview from clients would be better for Hilton hotel in collecting information about service delivery in the organization.
From the above report it can be concluded that service delivery is the essential aspect that can affect overall business operations of the entity. For improving this companies are required to communicate about the strategies with the employees before implementing it in the workplace. That would help in gaining innovative ideas so that further complications can be minimized.


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Building a website is not an easy task, but there is a proven method that makes it substantially easier and quicker – it's plugins. But with there being so many on the market at the moment, it's difficult to find the right ones.
To help you out, we've rounded up the best plugins to use in 2019. The list contains all sorts of plugins – forms, tables, builders and many more. All you need to run your business more efficiently.
Without further ado, here are the plugins you'll want to use in 2019. Plus, we do have some new promising plugins featured just for you.
From a simple newsletter form to complex registration forms, CaptainForm has your back in all your needs. This form building plugin allows creating forms straight from the plugin dashboard in WordPress.
Why CaptainForm?
- More than 30 free form templates that are easily customizable;
- Integration with other useful services – PayPal; MailChimp; DropBox and many more;
- Easy to use drag&drop editor.
Visual Composer
If you're building (or planning to build) a WordPress site, you're most likely to look into a builder to make the process as quick and simple as possible. A plugin that does a great job at that is Visual Composer Website Builder. A drag&drop builder that stands out from the pool of builders with its use of the newest technologies, performance and innovative features.
Why Visual Composer?
- Visual Composer allows building a full website, including the header, footer as well as a sidebar;
- With Visual Composer, you get access to Visual Composer Hub – an online marketplace where you can get professionally made templates, elements, extensions, and add-ons;
- You can extend Visual Composer by creating your own elements and even integrate the free version into your themes by the help of Visual Composer API.
If you want to add tables to a WordPress site, your options are quite limited as the default tables are not very customizable. That can be easily changed with wpDataTables.
Why wpDataTables?
- Responsive options so your tables can be easily viewed on all devices;
- Works well and fast with a large amount of information;
- It is possible to create charts from any table.
Yoast SEO
There's a big chance that this is the plugin you already have on your site, as it has more than 9,000,000 installs. If you don't, you're in for a treat.
Yoast SEO is the most popular WordPress SEO plugin for a reason. It's an easy-to-use plugin that allows optimizing your site without hiring an SEO expert. Yoast is the expert you'll need.
Why Yoast SEO?
- Yoast SEO has a very handy feature and it's the readability check – it detects hard to read parts and suggest what to do, so the visitor would actually read what you've written;
- With Yoast SEO, you can see how your page is going to look when it comes up in Google Search as well as social media;
- Yoast has one of the most active communities, so you have a question, there will always be someone with an answer.
Online fundraising can be frustrating if you use the wrong tools. GiveWP is a plugin that makes accepting donations from your WordPress site easy and quick. It's designed specifically for fundraising, so the features are catered to that purpose. They believe that collecting donations shouldn't cost you a thing so the plugin is free.
Why GiveWP?
- There are 0% commission charges;
- There are add-ons available if you want to expand the default options of the plugin;
- You can access detailed documentation to guide you through the plugin (as well as the addons).
OptinMonster is the top software for conversion optimization and lead generation, as it takes minimal setup and does a great job. This plugin is used on more than 700 000 websites, Pinterest and TripAdvisor being just some of the big names.
Why OptinMonster?
- OptinMonster has a powerful targeting and segmentation engine;
- You can choose from 75+ templates to that have been tested and proven to work, so you don't have to do any extra work yourself;
- It's always important to know what worked exactly – OptinMoster makes A/B testing easy.
CSS Hero
Sometimes when you create a website in WordPress, the customization options are limited. CSS Hero allows customizing the look of your site quickly. It allows you to take full control of the appearance of your site.
Why CSS Hero?
- CSS Hero has integration with Unsplash – a royalty-free image library. This integration can drastically speed up the process of looking for the right image for your page;
- There are pre-made snippets available to make the process a lot faster;
- You can customize elements like font style and typography, colors, adjust element margins and paddings with ease.
Rising WordPress stars
The most popular solution might not always be the best fit for your project, so we've gathered some new and interesting plugins that are great alternatives to the WordPress "big guys". Also new plugins by well-known WordPress companies, that are growing rapidly.
If you're building an online store in WordPress and are looking for an e-commerce plugin, then you must consider BigCommerce. WooCommerce seems to be the most popular solution, but this is a great alternative.
Why BigCommerce?
- You get access to BigCommerce Theme Store where you can get quality themes for your online store;
- Easy to manage and customize your products;
- BigCommerce offers many payment options – it supports over 60 payment gateways as well as offline payments, multiple currencies, secure checkouts, and more important features.
Amelia is a plugin by the company behind another plugin on this list – wpDataTables. This WordPress booking plugin that is suited for accepting online appointment bookings as well as payments. Amelia offers a whole bunch of handy features to make the booking process easy for you as much as for the user.
Why Amelia?
- Amelia allows adding multiple employees, as well as working hours, breaks, days off for each employee;
- For the ease of employees, there's Google Calendar Synchronization, so everyone can see their schedule;
- Custom Fields feature allows customizing the booking forms to fit your needs exactly.
MalCare is a WordPress security plugin that is made by the same people as the well-known BlogVault. It has features like a security scanner; malware removal; real-time protection and many more.
Why MalCare?
- Quick setup time – MalCare promises a 1-minute install;
- Additional features like login protection; bulk website updates; email alerts; minimal false alarms etc.;
- You don't need any technical knowledge to protect your site.
Time to choose!
And hey, 2019 has only just begun, therefore you'll have plenty of time to test the plugins and figure out if these are a good fit for you. Let us know in the comments, what you think are the best plugins for 2019!


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HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) – The Douglas County Sheriff's Office on Monday released body camera video from the deputies who responded to the scene where a deputy was killed on New Year's Eve.
Deputy Zackari Parrish died inside Copper Canyon Apartments in Highlands Ranch when responding to a call.
Sheriff Tony Spurlock released the edited video in hopes of answering the question, "What happened?"
"There's a lot of information out there," Spurlock said in the video.
The department released the video with the permission and support of the Parrish family, as well as those of the four officers who were injured.
The body camera video is from the officers directly involved in the shooting. It shows the compassion officers gave to the gunman and the attempts to rescue Parrish.
Audio of the shots fired by the gunman is included, as are the yells from the officers in the line of fire. It also shows deputies rendering aid to one another.
It's a difficult video to watch, one that retired Jefferson County SWAT leader Grant Whitus called 'heartbreaking.'
"It was clearly an ambush that turned from zero to 100 in a fraction of a second," Whitus told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann.
Whitus was the first SWAT officer into Columbine High School.
After 27 years of law enforcement service, 17 of which was with SWAT, he now trains other officers on responding to unthinkable situations.
"Watching [the Douglas County video] I was very impressed with how they did it," Whitus said.
The video reveals Deputy Parrish and his team were developing a plan to take Matt Riehl into a mental hold.
"He is going through a manic episode," Deputy Parrish is heard saying in the video. "We're going to take him."
Based on what he saw and heard in the video, Whitus said the four deputies did everything right.
"[Parrish] could obviously see that the person was a danger and decided to put him on that health hold," Whitus said. "Deputy Parrish did fantastic. He talked to him in a very calm demeanor, which is consisted with his training. So, he did everything that he should've done to keep everything calm with someone he believed had mental health issues. They had enough officers there to deal with everything; they just did not see that coming. Mental health is dangerous; you don't know what's going to happen next."
Though the call for help ended tragically, Whitus echoed what Sheriff Spurlock said in the video – the heroic deputies did exactly what they are trained to do.
"I would've done the same response they did, not anticipating that [Riehl] was going to do what he did," Whitus said. "I think they did it absolutely perfectly, and it just went wrong."
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team as the morning reporter in 2012. After serving as weekend morning anchor, Kelly is now Covering Colorado First for CBS4 News at 10. Connect with Kelly on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KellyCBS4.


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Endometriosis is a painful condition where endometrial tissue is found in locations outside of the uterus such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries and abdomen. Untreated endometriosis can cause infertility. Treatment options include surgery, medication, osteopathy, massage, exercise and hormonal therapies. Natural therapies such as Rolfing, naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, herbal medicine exercise, nutrition therapy, homeopathy, acupressure and acupuncture can help treat endometriosis.
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By Baz Lokat, Senior Consultant, GeoPlace. Like most people I have a routine in the morning before heading out to work; check the train times - make sure they're running, grab my bag and head out of the door. My walk to the train station takes 12 min 35 seconds. This morning I paid more … Continue reading Traffic Regulation Order Data Discovery Project
Category: Streets
GeoPlace responds to HM Treasury's discussion paper 'The economic value of data'
By Gayle Gander, Head of Marketing. GeoPlace has responded to the recent discussion paper from HM Treasury on 'The economic value of data', highlighting the role of UPRNs and USRNs within a national data strategy. See our response below. --- GeoPlace welcomes the opportunity to comment on the discussion paper published by HM Treasury on … Continue reading GeoPlace responds to HM Treasury's discussion paper 'The economic value of data'
Post conference feedback from local authority Address and Street officers to the Geospatial Commission
Feedback from Address and Street Custodians to the Geospatial Commission following the GeoPlace annual conference
51.507351 -0.127758
Working towards the ubiquity of UPRNs and USRNs
Unique property and street reference numbers should be part of the core systems for all public sector organisations
51.507351 -0.127758


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The Voidstdier Saga is a sweeping epic ranging from Earth and the Moon to Mars, the Asteroid Belt, the moons of Saturn and beyond.
Billions of humans live and work on these scattered worlds and stations. They speak a variety of languages.
These are the key, primary tongues of The Voidstrider Saga.
Anglic – derived from American English, common on Earth and parts of the Belt. Would be largely recognizable by an American English speaker of the 21st century, although some words would be unfamiliar and pronunciations will have changed somewhat.
Lingwa – derived from Spanish and Portuguese with Chinese, Arabic, English, and German influence; the common tongue on Mars. A slight majority of the original Martian settlers came from South America, and brought their native dialects with them.
Guanhwa – "high Martian," the official Martian language; rarely used except for profanity and government ceremony. Descended primarily from modern Chinese, with a number of loaner words from the other languages of the Martian settlers. I have some further thoughts on Guanhwa here.
Interslavic (Меджусловјански) – common in the Belt and parts of Earth, Interslavic is descended from a modern tongue of the same name.
Unish – a supposedly universal constructed language, Unish is most common in the outer Belt stations such as Pallas, Hermione, and Hygiea. It was designed for simplicity and short words. Its grammar is also simple. Unish is the language spoken by Nadezhda Khatami in Revolt on Vesta. "Wat de want wid mi?" translates as "What do you want with me." Slightly less obvious is "Was de nas-il wid dats," which translates as "What are you going to do with those?"


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In this section we discuss our favorite stuff...anything marine and a few other neat things that may be useful on a boat. Every item here has been used and tested by us or recommended by friends and other "yachties". Please feel free to submit all of your favorite items for our readers' perusal.
If you have followed Catamaran Guru™ over the last couple of years, you will recognize Sarah Steenland's unique comics about living aboard and sailing life in general. Recently, her hilarious, and often more truth than fiction, comics have way more truth and purpose in them.
The simple, but innovative, device is ingenious so we wanted to share it with our fellow sailing enthusiasts.
The MOB Lifesaver is a spliced loop braided rope made from Dyneema, an incredibly strong polyethylene fiber. The device has a triangle handle in one end and a loop at the other for attaching to the lifting strop of the lifejacket. It may be installed with its pouch to keep the device close to the lifejacket or without the pouch so that the device deploys to float beside the person overboard.
The Lifesaver's handle is easy to grab with a boat hook. When paired with a Harken retrieval system, the MOB Lifesaver makes bringing a man-overboard safer and less stressful.
Keep reading to view the video that demonstrates how the MOB Lifesaver is installed and works as well as how using the Harken retrieval system makes retrieval easy even when sailing short-handed.
Dr. Sails Adhesive is a two-component epoxy adhesive especially designed to repair sails. It is ideal for fast, flexible underwater curing and emergency repairs on sails and other boat damage. It has a fast cure time (8 min) and can be applied on wet surfaces. Once cured, Dr. Sails is pliable and remains flexible. The glue can be used on sailcloth, fiberglass, carbon, Kevlar, metal, wood, and neoprene. It's easy to apply with the supplied mixing nozzle.
The Helicat looks like a helicopter but it is actually just a seafaring catamaran that, for some reason, was fashioned to look like it came out of a James Bond movie. While it won't be taking off to send riders soaring, the boat will let you ride through harsh waters at high speeds while remaining perfectly stable. The Helicat can be outfitted with a pair of 60hp to 90hp motors, allowing it to ride at top speeds of between 20 to 45 mph. VERY cool indeed.
Calypso Sea Pearl and Leather Jewelry is made by one of our former sailing school students, Tanya Burnett. Tanya is not only a diving instructor and photographer, but also an incredible artist. She crafts high-end jewelry from natural gems, ethnic beads, and pearls. I absolutely love, love, love her jewelry. Plus, part of the proceeds from Calypso Sea sales supports efforts to reverse the diminishing shark population around the world. Check out her collections!
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The first time I heard Reverend Anne read Scripture, she stood in the elevated pulpit at the front of the church. A petite woman, she wore a thick linen robe and a colorful stole. She quietly opened a Bible, folded her hands, and took a long pause—longer than I was accustomed to. A man in the pew next to me shifted his weight, making the wood creak; someone across the aisle coughed. Then the room quieted. The silence called our attention to God's presence already with us. For a few moments the distracting concerns of our lives were politely ushered out.
Reverend Anne spoke in a low, clear voice. She began reading—slowly, with breaks in between each word. As she brought us further into the passage, her words gained momentum. She became impassioned by what she read, her short red hair bouncing with fiery fervor. She looked out over the congregation with deep conviction.
When she finished, God's words, as recorded in Scripture, filled the room. They had been spoken into our beings and were alive and active among us. We had encountered them in a new way.
God Speaks
Reverend Anne reminded me then that God hasn't stopped speaking to us through Scripture. Though written thousands of years ago, these words take on new life as the Bible is read aloud in our churches, communities, and families. We gather to hear God speak to us afresh—to encounter the same God who has been speaking since the beginning and continues to speak today (see Genesis 1; Exodus 3:4-5; Jeremiah 15:16; John 1:1; Romans 8:26-27).
Reading so We Can Listen
But often our Scripture readings become rote. They feel stale. The words stay on the page—a product of ancient times, written to people who aren't us. In some cases we can't hear much difference between the breathless accounts of creation and the long genealogies! How can we read the Bible in a way that brings the words to life? How can we read Scripture in a way that allows us to listen to God speaking today?
Here are some steps to get started, gleaned from years of listening to Scripture come alive as I have sat on different pews and chairs, benches, mats and floors. Try practicing them on your own first. Then use them when reading the Bible out loud in your church, small group, or family.
1. Begin by setting your focus.
God is already present in the room. Give yourself time to settle into this awareness. Remove distractions; start with silence.
2. Slowly uncover each word's meaning.
Let your reading be a discovery—especially if the passage is familiar to you. Read with conviction, believing these words have significance for you and others.
3. Don't be afraid to pause.
Did something stand out to you? Don't rush through the reading. Take time to digest the words. Give people space to reflect on them and feel their weight. God has something to say to you and your listeners.
4. Get swept up in the passage!
Receive instruction. Delight in the teaching. Feel the range of emotion. Let this come across in your voice and delivery. Is the passage a letter, narrative, teaching, or poetry? Read it that way. Be aware of the cadence and tone of the passage and speak appropriately.
5. Let God speak to you, too.
As you read the passage out loud, let it speak to you just as it speaks to others in the room. When you are finished reading, take another moment of silence. Let the words sink into your heart. Rest in God's Spirit, giving others the chance to rest in God as well.
6. Stay watchful.
Go forward into your day and week expecting these words to continue to speak to you. Look for God to continue guiding, instructing, and forming you and your audience through the passage you just read.
Want to hear some examples of people reading Scripture?
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