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At first glance, The Black Portlanders might appear to be a style blog showcasing local urbanites traipsing around town, similar to sites like Portland's Pretty and Urban Weeds. But the photographs featured on The Black Portlanders, created by recent transplant Intisar Abioto, also shine a light on the social, cultural and economic aspects of the African-American experience in Portland.
Three years ago, Abioto and her family came to Portland from Memphis because the houses seemed "sturdier than the ones in California," and the landscape seemed lush and beautiful. An artist and documentarian, Abioto set out to continue a long-term project she's been working on since her undergraduate studies at Spelman College and Wesleyan University.
"I'd kind of constructed an exploratory project utilizing the Myth of the Flying African to document the stories of young people — the dreams of young people in the African diaspora," explains Abioto from her home.
At 27 years old, Abioto is energetic, outgoing, friendly and polite in a way that is uniquely Southern. Her voice is sharp and laced with a subtle drawl that helps to identify her as 'not from around here.' Her medium-length dreadlocks fall just below her shoulders and her camera is often hanging at her hip, the strap crossing from one shoulder, down and across her chest.
The daughter of an airline employee who enjoyed virtually no-cost air travel to many of the destinations that the airline flew, Abioto has visited many different cities and countries.
"Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, different cities in the U.S. and also abroad, Morocco, Egypt — different places; filming, photographing, dancing and just talking to people — traveling to embody this folktale," she says.
Since Abioto has been in Portland, she says the creative energy, the people, and the comfort that comes from landing at her current destination inspired her to bring The Black Portlanders to life.
"I think when you go on a journey to figure out where you're going to be — when you make a decision to be somewhere, there's a sense of relief," she explains.
Continuing with her interest of documenting the lives of African-Americans, Abioto began to take photos of people she saw on the streets, starting near her home at 26th and Killingsworth, as a way to "seek out the survival and the thriving of people — black people in time and space."
Abioto's process is simple. As she moves through the city, she is aware of the people around her. If she sees someone of African descent, she approaches them, explains what she is doing and asks to take their photograph.
"As soon as I approach people, and they see my camera, they get it. Sometimes I don't even have to say anything and they get what I'm doing," she says.
"The street that I can bank on is Killingsworth," says Abioto. "I mean, you can see 'people' everywhere, but I can generally always find someone around Killingsworth and Albina."
Abioto is describing what many consider the historical heart of the African-American community in Portland.
"And also, MLK and Alberta," she adds.
Abioto has observed the demographic change that has taken place in this part of the city. As evidenced by the approximately 420 photos she has taken, African-Americans are still here, but in rapidly declining numbers.
"Even when I first came here, it was different. And that wasn't a long time ago," says Abioto.
Other places in Portland have proved a bit more challenging for her.
"There are days when I would walk around The Pearl for hours and not see a single black person," she says.
Abioto's blog has unwittingly shed light on the issue of gentrification in Portland. A few weeks ago, The Black Portlanders was featured in a national story by Al Jazeera America which examined Portland's reputation as the "Whitest City in America."
Though it was not Abioto's goal to bring to the surface issues of gentrification in the city of Portland, her project, which is an extension of her long term-study of Africans as they have dispersed throughout the world, has become one of the newest touchstones in the ongoing conversation about "black flight."
According to the Al Jazeera report, Portland's African-American community makes up 6 percent of the total population of Portland's residents, giving Abioto the opportunity to photograph about 36,000 individuals out of just over 600,000 total Portlanders.
Abioto says it is possible to take photos of all 36,000 African-Americans, but she says that isn't her project's intended outcome.
"It's not so much about numbers, but it's about intrinsic and external effect," she explains.
"I'm only one person in this city; I am only one black Portlander. But through one's medium, or craft, you can affect things," Abioto says.
What makes The Black Portlanders so compelling is its simplicity. Abioto is an artist, but she is also a documentarian and her method is simple, straightforward and efficient.
"I think about framing and lighting and composition, but the most important thing is just to get the shots," she says.
You can listen to Insisar Abioto talk more about her work on The Black Portlanders during a segment on OPB's State of Wonder.


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Cash Needs
Regular monthly contributions to Marketplace Missions (MPM) for the ongoing operating costs of the annual budget. Make check or money order to MPM, PO Box 9011, PMB 41, Calexico, CA 92232. Please let us have your name and address so we can send you your year end contribution statement and put you on the mailing list.
Lump sum cash donations for building materials, medicines, medical supplies, evangelistic literature, Bibles and equipment for the churches, orphanages, Sonshine Hacienda in San Felipe, MX, and mission trip support.
Lump sum cash donations for capital expenditures abroad such as land and buildings, etc.
Donations in Kind
Medical equipment and usable medicines. Please check with us about the specifics before making any donation or before shipping.
Buses, vans or 4 wheel drive vehicles that can be driven to Baja California and used by the missionaries and churches.
Video projectors and portable generators in good working order to be given to the churches and missionaries.
People Resources and Volunteers
Evangelists to go and pass out tracts, witness with an interpretor, invite people to come to an evangelical movie or preach.
Medical personnel to do outdoor clinics with a view to sharing the love of Christ and the Gospel.
Dental personnel to do outdoor clinics with a view to sharing the love of Christ and the Gospel.
Drivers to be put on our list that are willing to help deliver vehicles to Central America.
Construction workers to help repair and build church and missionary buildings.
People to volunteer to do ministry in the orphanage and Children's recieving home. This would include caring for and teaching the Bible to the children, fixing the equipment or repairing the building, doing counselling and holding religious services, etc.
Financial Policy
Financial integrity is a cornerstone of our ministry. All contributions to our ministry will be handled by the independent accounting firm of T. Graupensperger, CPA. The financial records of our ministry will be open for review by any contributor upon request. Our monthly budget will be determined and managed by the Board of Directors. All contributions will be sent an annual statement for tax deduction purposes.
Please make all contributions payable to:
Marketplace Missions, Inc..
PO Box 9011, PMB 41
Calexico, CA 92232

subset: commoncrawl


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Hello Everyone,
Alae Jacta Est is my first AGEOD game so I fully acknowledge the issue I'm having may be due to my misunderstanding the manual, but basically a friend and I are trying to play via PBEM and we can't get it to work.
The first time around I had disabled the AI and it took several turns to realize his orders weren't working at all. The second time around it seems he plays his orders but when he gets his next turn the AI seems to have kicked in and played his turn for him.
We're trying the Spartacus campaign. I'm the host and I'm playing the slave turn. Our steps:
-I start the game and create a save game folder with our initials
- Ichoose slaves, give my orders
-I hit save, exit, copy the ROM .TRN file and email it to my friend
-He loads the file, gives his order, saves
-He emails me back his ROM .ORD file
-I put it in the same folder as all my other saves for that game
-I load the SLV side
-I hit the next turn button
At first I had AI disabled and after a few turns he reported that none of his orders were actually taking place, so I hit to re-enable the AI and then when I got to the step to hit next turn I got the warming: "Not all of the non-AI players have submitted their turn. Revert to AI?" Even though I confirmed there was a .ORD file in the same folder as my .ORD file!
Then we restarted with AI on and the AI plays his turn. What are we doing wrong? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, thank you.


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This is powerful imagery with regards to our daily consumption portrayed by real people with their weekly garbage exposed. Photographer gregg segal wanted to portray the effects of our consumption on the environment. He states "Obviously, the series is guiding people toward a confrontation with the excess that is part of their lives. I'm hoping they recognize a lot of the garbage they produce is unnecessary"
Category Archives: Sustainability
Scandinavian vintage kids room
Will start the year with some inspirational pictures from Clara Lidströms nursery where the new and the old are blended in an eclectic mix to create an eye comforting, soothing yet playful room for her son.
Here are a few tips on how to get this Scandinavian vintage look into your childrens room.
- Vintage furniture
- Old picture frames and pictures. Embroidered, painted or prints.
- A blend of hand-knitted toys and crocheted covers.
- Hand woven rugs
- Wall paper ideas here
- Classic timeless lamp designs
Clara says " I want the nursery to feel warm and cozy, and of course play-friendly! The entire nursery is decorated with flea market finds and heirlooms. The rag rug is woven by my mom. The green child size wooden stool is a flea market find and the brown storage chair I had as a child. The grey wooden bed is from my husband's childhood and the pictures are flea market finds. In the large gold frame sits a Mamma Moo-poster which I bought at the library and the embroidered picture with the Saint Bernard dog my grandfather's mother made. In the green chair is also a nice cuddly monkey from Yawama of Sweden."
For more ideas and inspiration on Swedish vintage interior decorating for kids see Empire Nordic and My Scandinavian Home and petit and small.
A tropical culinary experience for Christmas
Welcome to a tropical culinary experience at Yawama of Sweden. The Christmas table is laid and here we present our range of tropical dried mango and sun-dried tomato from Chankwakwa in Zambia, cashew nuts from Smiling a Swedish fair trade and eco brand that works with small-scale producers in Gambia, fair trade tea and coffee and a range of exotic jams and chutney sourced through Sackeus who represent a number of fair trade and ecological producers in Tanzania, South Africa and other developing countries.
I have slowly being trying to find edible products that fit into the Yawama range of "good products". By good I mean products that take into account both producers and the environment. I do not demand that smaller producers have to be fair trade certified and labelled but it is important that fair trade principles are adhered to and respected. I am well aware of the cost implications and the time and effort that goes into achieving both fair trade and eco certification, which in many cases means that smaller producers have to apply for external funding in order to be able to meet these costs. In the event where producers do not have certification I source from reputable agencies such as Sackeus that have been working with fair trade development in third world countries for many years.
6 Yawama tips on how to choose eco-friendly toys for kids
Who said that parenting in 2014 was easy? Apart from avoiding the risk of choking hazards in toys, us parents need to protect our kids from hazardous synthetic chemicals and heavy metals that are found in toys, clothing and interior products in our homes. We need to make certain choices not only to protect our children, but to protect the environment for their children and generations to come. Here are some Yawama (good) tips on how to choose eco-friendly toys.
1) Less is best– Lets be realistic. Kids don't need 71 soft toys. An article in SVD states that In Sweden alone, children have an average of 71 soft toys. The majority of these toys end their lives at the dump, second-hand stores failing to sell the excess.
2)Go natural –Safe toys made of organic and sustainable material like bamboo, organic cotton and wood. Make sure that toys made from wood are harvested environmentally. Know your producer. Read labels.
3)Go to Sally's boutique -The word "Salaula" in bemba means second hand-hence "Sally's boutique". Second-hand and hand-downs are a great way to spare the environment. Watch out for older wood products and soft plastics that might be chemically hazardous.
4) Avoid soft plastic toys – These can contain hormone disturbing chemicals
5) Choose quality over quantity– Toys that are more expensive often last longer, can be handed down or have a higher second-hand value.
6) Be creative– Recycle, recreate, reuse.
For tips on how to keep your home eco-friendly read Undebaraclaras blogg here.
For the yawama range of eco-friendly soft toys klick here.
And if you haven't already figured this one out- Yawama means- It is good!
Yawama Kids och Underbaraclara
Savannahome of Sweden changes name to Yawama of Sweden. We have changed focus, worked on new designs and rebranded. Our big vision is to combine African craftsmanship with good Swedish design and sound business practices.
In conjunction with the name change I am proud to launch a children's collection which has been developed with Clara Lidstrom, better known as Underbaraclara, one of Sweden's largest bloggers and Anna Lidström, an established designer and stylist. I am totally humbled to be working with these vibrant and talented women, who both share my passion to develop small business in particular women in Africa, and both share my commitment to respect the environment.
Together we have developed the concept Yawama Kids – a children's line that is totally unique. The collection includes products for children of all ages – that respect both planet and people. An ecological range of soft toys, hand painted cushion covers and recycled storage solutions. Our soft toys have been hand knitted using African grown organic cotton, and have been developed and tested to meet EU standards for Toy Safety. We are one of a few African toy brands that carry the CE Label. We are so proud to have made a product that we know is safe for your baby . Knowing that these toys have been hand-knitted by a Zambian mother gives me a greater thrill. We are totally committed to our vision of supporting small-scale producers in Africa, often women or widows, and ever thankful to the entrepreneurs, and organisations that we work with in Africa for their commitment towards the same goals.
Our new product range has not just developed over night. It has taken months and months of planning, meetings, developing, research, sampling, styling, photographing and testing. Our goal has been to produce a unique children's collection, without sacrificing quality, design or conditions of the producers. Something simply good. And that's what YAWAMA means in my tribal language, IT IS GOOD!
"I dont just see a cuddly toy, because that's what it is. I see Mary and I see her son Junior, and I see his future."
I sincerely hope you will follow us along our Yawama journey
Bananbröd från Sydafrika
Jag försöker rensa ur frysen. Hittade några frusna bananer. Jag har generellt svårt att slänga mat, så när bananer är mörka och ligger kvar i fruktskålen så fryser jag in de skalade och gör god bananbröd av de.
Receptet innehåller ingen socker och är supergott med lite smör. Servera gärna på en träfat från savannahome. Receptet fick jag av en ung man från SydAfrika som reste till fots igenom Afrika som i sin tur hade fått receptet av sin farmor. En fantastisk god bröd med många goda minnen.
Moderna korgar skapar utvecklingsmöjligheter i Afrika
Dyra importer från Afrika
Varför finns det så lite utbud av afrikanskt tillverkade produkter på EU marknaden och särskild här i Norden? Import av inredningsdetaljer från Afrika har länge begränsats på grund ett antal olika faktorer.
· Ofta saknar produkter marknadsanpassning
· Det saknas kunskap om exportmarknader
· Småproducenter har ofta inte tid eller resurser att marknadsföra sig utomlands
· Tillverkningsvolymerna är begränsade vilket är ett hinder för sjöfrakt
· Produtkerna tillverkas i avlägsna områden med svår kommunikation och vägförbindelser
· Höga transportkostnader gör att produkterna har svårare att konkurrera prismässigt med de massproducerade produkterna från Asien.
Vägen framåt
Savannahome vill gärna ändra på detta. Vi samarbetar med producenter i Afrika som har för avsikt att främja hantverk och export genom design, form, funktion, marknadsanpassning och nätverkande. Design Afrika i Syd Afrika har utvecklat nya prisvärda korgar utifrån gamla tekniker som gått i arv. De nya korgarna ger en bild av Afrikas kulturarv och hantverkarnas skicklighet samt visar en bild av en modern Afrika. En Afrika i förändring. Möjligheternas Afrika.
Korgarna är enklare i design än traditionella korgar och är därför inte lika tidskrävande att tillverka. De är dessutom lätta och inte lika styva vilket gör förpackning och frakt enklare och billigare. Korgarna är dessutom snygga och passar en skandinavisk minimalist stil.
Korgar som helt enkelt är snygga och praktiska samt stöder en rättvis handel med Afrika.


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Sage 50 Payroll 2017 Diploma
Acquire key skills and earn a qualification in the industry-standard bookkeeping and accounting software with this engaging online course. The Sage 50 Payroll 2017 Diploma covers both the basic and advanced functions of the program, from processing payroll, holiday and absences to performing year-end tasks, correcting mistakes and using timesheets.
Course description
This Sage 50 Payroll 2017 Diploma course is taught by industry experts through practical exercises, electronic study materials and multiple-choice online assessment. Each module focuses on a different aspect of the Sage 50 software, beginning with the basics of setting up payroll, tax codes, month end, reports, keeping records before moving onto running BACS payments reports, data analysis and managing Statutory Sick Pay.
Course design
The course is delivered through our online learning platform, accessible through any internet-connected device. There are no formal deadlines or teaching schedules, meaning you are free to study the course at your own pace.
You are taught through a combination of
- Online study materials
- Mock exams
- Multiple-choice assessment
How is the course assessed?
To successfully complete the course you must pass an automated, multiple-choice assessment. The assessment is delivered through our online learning platform. You will receive the results of your assessment immediately upon completion.
Will I receive a certificate of completion?
Upon successful completion you will qualify for the UK and internationally-recognised professional qualification and you can choose to make your achievement formal by obtaining your PDF Certificate at a cost of £9 and Hardcopy Certificate for £15.
Why study this course
Whether you're an existing practitioner or aspiring professional, this course will enhance your expertise and boost your CV with key skills and an accredited qualification attesting to your knowledge.
The Sage 50 Payroll 2017 Diploma is open to all, with no formal entry requirements. All you need is a passion for learning, a good understanding of the English language, numeracy and IT, and to be over the age of 16.
Our Sage 50 Payroll 2017 Complete Course is fully compatible with any kind of device. Whether you are using Windows computer, Mac, smartphones or tablets, you will get the same experience while learning. Besides that, you will be able to access the course with any kind of internet connection from anywhere at any time without any kind of limitation.
Please Note: For practice purpose, you should have Sage 50 software installed on your PC. The software is not included with this course.
Course Curriculum:
Sage 50 Payroll for Beginners
Module 1: Payroll Basics – Setting up payroll, tax codes, month end, reports, keeping records, licence limitations and links to an accounts program
Module 2: Company Settings – Details, bank & coinage, absence, analysis, tax funding, statutory funding, HMRC payments, documents
Module 3: Legislation Settings – Legislation setting dialog box, PAYE, NI bands & rates, SSP, SMP/SAP/SPP/ShPP, car details, student, AEO rates, minimum wage, childcare, automatic enrolment
Module 4: Pension Scheme Basics – Pensions schemes dialog box, setting up pension scheme, pensions regulator website and the sage 50 payroll pensions module
Module 5: Pay Elements – Pay elements settings dialog box, managing payment and deduction types, loans, net payments, salary sacrifice
Module 6: The Processing Date – Changing the processing date
Module 7: Adding Existing Employees – Using quick employee, adding multiple employees, changing their status, updating year-to-date values
Module 8: Adding New Employees –Adding new employees in a variety of ways
Module 9: Payroll Processing Basics – Payroll process view, change processing dates
Module 10: Entering Payments – Entering payment window, checking and editing payments
Module 11: Pre-Update Reports – Employer costs report, payslips, BACS payments reports, figures for accounts
Module 12: Updating Records – Updating records, period end P32 report
Module 13: e-Submissions Basics – e-submissions settings, EAS, FPS, EPS
Module 14: Process Payroll (November) – Entering payments, pre-update reports, updating records, P32 reports, full payment submission
Module 15: Employee Records and Reports – Using employee record window, tabs and to find employee and their reports
Module 16: Editing Employee Records – Editing different records for employees, creating new factored pay elements, applying pay elements to employees
Module 17: Process Payroll (December) – Processing the payroll, entering payments, pre-update reports, updating records, P32 report and Full payment submission
Module 18: Resetting Payments – Introduction to reset payments wizard
Module 19: Quick SSP – Processing the payroll with SSP, entering payments, pre-update reports, updating records, P32 report and full payment submission
Module 20: An Employee Leaves – Entering payments, updating records, lever wizard, P32 report, full payment submission, rejoining employees
Module 21: Final Payroll Run – Entering payments, pre-update reports, updating records, P32 report, full payment submissions
Module 22: Reports and Historical Data – Reports window, employee, company, legislation and historical reports, historical data settings, printing historical payslips and history report by employee
Module 23: Year-End Procedures – Year end tasks, payroll year end wizard, post year-end tasks
Sage 50 Payroll Intermediate Level
Module 1: The Outline View and Criteria – View by department and payment method, payment period and payment method, and resetting criteria
Module 2: Global Changes – See the affects of global changes to pay period and pay method, tax codes, and pay rates
Module 3: Timesheets – Using and resetting timesheets, processing payroll and changing process dates
Module 4: Departments and Analysis – Focus on managing new and old departments and their employees, analysis in different platforms
Module 5: Holiday Schemes – Reviewing holiday schemes, adding new ones, arranging national holidays and managing employee holiday schemes
Module 6: Recording Holidays – Recoding holidays, removing absence days, checking holiday records, holiday scheme reports
Module 7: Absence Reasons – Customize absence reasons, recording absence, different examples, reducing pay for unauthorised absence and absence reports
Module 8: Statutory Sick Pay – Working with patterns and absence year, SSP qualifications, rates, reports, and utilizing quick SSP dialog box
Module 9: Statutory Maternity Pay – SMP rates, payment, managing maternity details, processing payroll, other parental leave, changing the processing date and more
Module 10: Student Loans – Setting up and processing student loan repayments for employees
Module 11: Company Cars – Adding new cars, keeping track of business trips, processing payroll, car reports and taxation
Module 12: Workplace Pensions – Payroll pension module, automatic enrolment, reviewing pension scheme details, reports and more
Module 13: Holiday Funds – Managing holiday fund payments, processing payroll, paying out from the holiday fund, holiday fund reports and more
Module 14: Roll Back – Mistakes and payroll processing, roll back the payroll for selected employees, correcting mistakes and processing required change
Module 15: Passwords and Access Rights –Setting up passwords, new users, testing admin profile, changing personal password, deleting user accounts
Module 16: Options and Links – Contacts, program options, WebLinks
Module 17: Linking Payroll to Accounts – Nominal link setting dialog box, linking data
Course Curriculum
|Getting Started
|Getting Started – Sage 50 Payroll Complete Course
|1 day, 16 hours
|How To Download Payroll Exercise Files
|Mock Exam
|Mock Exam – Sage 50 Payroll 2017 Diploma
|Final Exam
|Final Exam – Sage 50 Payroll 2017 Diploma
|Order your certificate


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Introducing the newest exclusive member to join pressurewashing.net - Pressure Washing Seattle
Mr Shawn Sween owns and operates Northwest Prowash and has many years experience in the pressure cleaning industry specializing in Gas Station & Car Wash Cleaning
Other Services include
Concrete Cleaning (driveways, Sidewalks, Parking Lots), Roof Cleaning (Residential & Commercial), House Washing (Siding, Brick, Stone, Wood), Exterior Building Washing and more.
We still have many exclusive cities or territories available.
If you are located in Dallas, Tampa, San Antonio, Austin, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Raleigh, Columbus or many other available cities and territories and are looking for better web presence, attract more clients and want to save over $1,000 on building a new website CALL OR EMAIL TODAY!


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|Posted on January 6, 2014 at 9:55 AM
How many of you are recently engaged?
Two years ago I was in the same situation as you - newly engaged, trying to find a venue (and a wedding dress) and wanting to make sure that the wines we chose complimented the food we were going to be serving. Some people think of that as impossible or, at the very least, difficult to accomplish. After all, not every banquet space is going to have a decent line up of wines and even fewer will have what you are looking for. For me, it was all about serving local wines - I wanted Ontario to be well represented and that is still a rarity unless you are in wine country itself.
It may require a bit of "hunting" or it may require some negotiating with the venue but getting wines that suit your tastes is definitely something that can be accomplished. When you start looking at venues and looking at their menus, ask them for a list of the wines they regularly serve and what upgrades can be made. My husband and I got lucky - we found a venue, the Ajax Convention Centre, that were forward thinking and already had a medium sized Ontario winery as their house wine. They were also more than willing to look at other wines from that winery as upgrades for us if we wanted to go with soemthing other than the house white or red. Our next step was figuring out what our menu choices were going to be and then see if their house wines would pair with the food we had chosen. It did so our next step was to look at what bubby they were serving for the toasts. This is where we had to do some work...but it was fun work. The sparkling wine that our venue was serving was a Spanish Cava and, as lovely as it was, it was not an Ontario sparkling wine. Our venue allowed us to choose whichever wine we wanted to use as long as it was available through the LCBO so our next step was to see which Ontario sparklers were available through the LCBO and then have a tasting party to see which one we liked the most.
Depending on the venue you find, you may not need to have any tasting parties to choose the wines you will be serving but, even if you do not, there's no reason why you can't have a tasting party at your house with members of your family and bridal party. The key to remember is have fun, enjoy this part of the wedding planning and sit back and relax. Honestly, figuring out the food and wine for your wedding is one of the funnest parts of planning a wedding and, if you have a great venue that is willing to work with you to create the perfect day, it will be one of the most stress free parts of planning it too.
Categories: None
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text:
Where the arts and psychology collide
Artistic expression in all its forms reflects, examines and validates the
human experience. PopcornPsych highlights how the arts make psychology
accessible to everyone. Here at PopcornPsych, we are driven by the values
of creativity, courage, critical analysis, community, compassion & a large
dose of comedy as a way to promote optimum mental health and overall
well-being, to reduce isolation and stigma, and to appreciate the arts from
a psychological perspective.
"It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors." Oscar Wilde


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Something that you probably didn't know: The Sweetest Day is on October 17th! Originally formed as a day to bestow romantic gestures on others, The Sweetest Day has become an excuse to do something nice for someone else, or yourself. I'm all about a holiday that involves finding new ways to "treat yo'self," but what I really enjoy is making other people smile. So, to celebrate this newly learned holiday, I decided to set out around Boston and bestow bottles of Sparkling IZZE on unassuming passersby.
Where did I go? Follow the pictures clockwise, starting with the smaller image on the top right:
- My first delivery was to some of the neighbors. I surprised them with a few bottles of sparkling Raspberry Watermelon and a nice note on their doorstep.
- After that, I headed to a dog park in the South End to hand out more sweet treats. But if I'm being honest, this stop was more about treating myself – I was in need of a puppy fix and it was much less weird this way than being that girl in the dog park who doesn't have a dog…
- Next, I ventured to Fenway to see my friend Krissy of Pollen Floral Design. We spent the afternoon together eating BBQ and scouting cool walls to shoot photos with eucalyptus.
- No Fall adventure is complete without a trip to the Arnold Arboretum! I couldn't resist the foliage so I drove to Jamaica Plain to hand out some IZZE bottles to other leaf peepers – looking up for that long has to make you thirsty, right?
- I ended my adventure in Savin Hill where I rescued Heather from her construction zone of an apartment. The poor thing has been trapped in her room while workers gut and remodel her bathroom and kitchen. Nothing a little IZZE can't fix!
Just because every day isn't The Sweetest Day, doesn't mean that you can't brighten someone's day. Any gesture of kindness, no matter how small, makes a difference. What are you waiting for? Get out there and pay it forward!
*this is a sponsored post – all opinions are my own
Linked up with: Fab Favorites, That Friday, Favorite Fashion, Casual Friday, Casual Friday 2, #Passion4Fashion, FOI, Fashion Friday, Fun Fashion Friday, Friday Faves, Five On Friday, Oh Hey, Friday, Flashback Fashion, Forage, Friday Faves


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WASHINGTON — The Latest on President Donald Trump's meeting with technology CEOs (all times local):
2:55 p.m.
Technology CEOs are being urged by White House officials to pitch in on President Donald Trump's effort to modernize government.
Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner welcomed technology executives to the White House on Monday for an afternoon of working groups. They are discussing issues like technology infrastructure, cyber security and visas for foreign workers.
Kushner says the CEOS are working on some of the country's biggest challenges.
Those attending include Apple CEO Tim Cook and the executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabet, Eric Schmidt. Also on hand is Trump's daughter and Kushner's wife, senior presidential adviser Ivanka Trump.
The gathering is the first event for a technology-focused effort within the White House Office of American Innovation. It seeks to overhaul government functions using ideas from the business sector.
6 a.m.
Technology CEOS are expected at the White House Monday for an event focused on modernizing government.
The White House said expected attendees include Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
This will be the first event for a technology-focused group within the White House Office of American Innovation, which seeks to overhaul government functions using ideas from the business sector.
Jared Kushner, senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, will oversee the event with Chris Liddell, a White House aide who directs the technology effort.
It comes after some technology executives clashed with Trump over his decision to exit the Paris climate accord. Leaders at Apple and Google were among the American corporate executives who appealed to the president to stay in the pact.


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|Main Page
|The great Gospel of John Volume 6
Chapter 91 - The physician receives the power from the Lord to heal the sick through the laying on of hands.
91,1. Thereupon we went back to Jored's house where in the already familiar hall a copious morning meal was waiting for us together with the disciples who stayed behind this morning. We sat at the table and ate and drank. The food consisted mainly of fish, honey-bread and lamb, and the wine was from Rome and was particular well tasting. Also wine from Greece, specifically from Cyprus, was served together with completely white wheat bread and butter, which especially the Jew-Greeks enjoyed a lot. We sat at the table for two hours and a lot of things were said, however more about agriculture matters.
91,2. Only after the meal did the disciple John taught all the people of both genders living in this house My teaching about the love for God and for the neighbour.
91,3. After the speech all promised Me to precisely follow this teaching and to act accordingly and I said: "Believe and do it, and also you will soon and easily attain the mastership of life!"
91,4. Thereafter I laid My hands on all of them and strengthened them for their good and serious undertaking.
91,5. To that the doctor said: "O Master, see, I am now the only doctor here in this place where there are always a lot of sick people, as well as in the wider vicinity! Since nothing is impossible to you, You could provide me with a little of Your miracle healing power, especially for the poor who do not have anything to buy expensive medicine."
91,6. Said I: "Jesus is My Name; in this name put your hands on the sick and they will become better, if it benefits their soul's salvation! But to the rich give the medicine like before; since only for the poor I provide you with this power!"
91,7. When I said this to the doctor he thanked Me for this and immediately left, since there were some poor sick people whom he wanted to help at once. And he succeeded in helping them; since everyone got better the moment he put his hands on him in My name. After one hour he returned and thanked Me once again for the power he received and told us about the great surprise of the healed, who were afflicted with all kinds of maladies.
91,8. (The doctor:) "They could not understand that all the earlier medicine could not help them and that suddenly, just by laying on of hands, they became so healthy like never before. They asked me how I suddenly have acquired this unheard of healing method and why did I not apply it earlier. But I said: 'This healing method has been shown to me by a foreign and great Saviour, and I only heal the sick by calling on His name and He Himself wants it together with me, that the sick will be helped!' Then all started to ask only about You and expressed the wish to get to know You personally; for they are of the opinion that You must be equipped with divine powers, since without it such would be completely impossible. I said nothing to this and left them their opinion.
91,9. But now I will have a problem with my wealthy clients; since this new healing method will be quickly spreading around town, and the wealthy will insist to be healed in the same manner. What will I say to them if they demand what You, o Master, has so to speak forbade me to do?
91,10. Said I: "Now, give them conditions which they as healed have to honor towards you and towards the poor! If they joyfully and willingly accept the conditions, then lay also your hands on them; but if they refuse, then leave them in their illness and give them medicine if they want and take such! - Are you now satisfied with this?"
91,11. Said the doctor: "O dear Master, absolutely! But now comes another question and it is as follows: How and with what can I thank You for this? I'm of course not rich and presently in the least at all, since my vanishing companions most certainly have not left me much; but I still want to do my best, whatever is in my power! Lord and Master, I ask You, urge me to remunerate You or pay you a tribute!"
91,12. Said I: "Leave it; for in the world nobody can give Me anything which he has not received from God before, and therefore also not you! But keep the teaching which was given to all of you, love God above all and your fellow-men like yourself, and keep the to you familiar commandments of Moses, and also teach them to the Greeks, and you will bring Me the best and most valuable sacrifice! And also all the other people should do the same, so that they shall live in truth and in the mercy of God, the Creator and Father of all people!
91,13. If I would take money from people to whom I do good, I then would testify straight against Myself and I would not be Him who I am; for if I bring and give you treasures from the heavens because I have the power for it, I cannot allow Myself to be paid by dead matter. But you people can do this with good measure and purpose; since also Moses has prescribed that the priests and judges should be fed and maintained by the people and should receive the tenth from everything that is harvested on the fields and the vineyards and also from the domestic animals. But I and My disciples will not need this; for who is a master of life like Me, will forthwith not be needing these preservative means. Wherever they go, everything they need will be given to them from above. For whatever good you will ask the Father in My name, He will give to you without retention.
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Darwin the "Ikea Monkey" has been safe and sound at a primate sanctuary since being rescued from his inattentive owner - but his oversized jacket could soon be filled anew by yet another simian.
The monkey's former owner, Yasmin Nakhuda, lost ownership of Darwin amid allegations of neglect after he was found wandering unattended through a Toronto Ikea parking lot in 2012. Now she has reportedly acquired two more animals just like him.
Nakhuda had filed a lawsuit to get Darwin back, but an Ontario court denied her bid citing Toronto law prohibiting primates as pets. But since then, she has apparently moved to another region of the province where no such ban exists.
A Facebook page dedicated to Darwin announced on Monday that Nakhuda had purchased the Japanese macaques from a zoo in Ottawa that is up for sale. Videos on the page show the two monkeys, six-year-olds Sumo and Tibet, appearing confused and agitated in stark wire cages.
"The journey starts...buckle your seat belts!" reads a preceding post. "To follow are the first videos taken. Hope they will make your heart swell with joy and make your day."
Not everyone is thrilled about Nakhuda's new pets. Camille Labchuk, of the group Animal Justice Canada, says the story highlights the need for more uniform regulation against owning exotic animals:
"Ontario urgently needs consistent, province-wide laws for the keeping and sale of exotic pets. Municipalities have been forced to pick up the slack, and the result is an inconsistent patchwork of bylaws that allows private pet collectors to keep primates and other dangerous animals in many areas."
While history has shown keeping primates in a domestic setting can endanger the lives of their owners and others' safety, experts say the practice also comes at the expense of the animals' well being.
"If you try to keep them as pets you're creating a mentally disturbed animal in 99.9 percent of the cases," veterinarian Kevin Wright told the National Geographic. "The animal will never be able to fit in any other home. Never learn how to get along with other monkeys. And, more often than not, will end up with a lot of behavioral traits that are self-destructive."


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I Flipping Love You (Shacking Up, #3) by Helena Hunting
Series: Shacking Up #3
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: May 29, 2018
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 320
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating:
A new kind of love story about flipping houses, taking risks, and landing that special someone who's move-in ready…
Rian Sutter grew up with the finer things in life. Spending summers in The Hamptons was a normal occurrence for her until her parents lost everything years ago. Now Rian and her sister are getting their life, and finances, back on track through real estate. Not only do they buy and sell houses to the rich and famous, but they finally have the capital to flip their very own beachfront property. But when she inadvertently catches the attention of a sexy stranger who snaps up every house from under her, all bets are off…
Pierce Whitfield doesn't normally demo kitchens, install dry wall, or tear apart a beautiful woman's dreams. He's just a down-on-his-luck lawyer who needed a break from the city and agreed to help his brother work on a few homes in the Hamptons. When he first meets Rian, the attraction is undeniable. But when they start competing for the same pieces of prime real estate, the early sparks turn into full-blown fireworks. Can these passionate rivals turn up the heat on their budding romance — without burning down the house?
I FLIPPING LOVE YOU, set in the Shacking Up world, follows two people, both working in real estate, who find themselves vying for the same properties in the Hamptons, leading to a sometimes-not-so-friendly competition.
I Flipping Love You is the latest addition to the Shacking Up series by Helena Hunting and it features Amalie's brother Pierce. Readers of this series will remember Amalie from Hooking Up as she was the heroine in that book. Her brother is a lawyer in Manhattan but after a goof on his part, he's taking some time off from work to let things cool down and work themselves out.
Now that he's got a lot of spare time on his hands, he's in the Hamptons helping his younger brother buy houses and flip them for profit. It is in the Hamptons where he meets Rian Sutter. Her sister hits his prized Tesla and then takes off so he's been stalking the grocery store where the hit and run happened, in hopes of catching that woman that is responsible for $3k in damages to his car. He catches more than he expected and he's glad for it because Rian Sutter??? He's mighty interested in Rian Sutter.
Rian was a strong heroine that has plans. After being stripped of everything and then abandoned by her parents, Rian and her twin sister Marley have only had each other. They have great memories of their grandparents and their grandparent's mansion in the Hamptons. Rian and Marley have chosen to make a life for themselves in the Hamptons, close to their grandparent's mansion because Rian has a dream that they'll work really hard and then the mansion will go up for sale and they'll buy it and open a B&B. She's been holding on to that dream for a long time because she wants to hold onto something good from her past. She's got a secret that she doesn't like to tell people and while I understood her reasons, it played a part in my annoyance with her character. I'll get to that a little later.
Pierce has his own stuff going on but he's focused on the here and the now. He's really enjoying himself working on these flips with his brothers. They're buying up beachfront properties, doing little flips on them and renting them out. Becoming a lawyer wasn't really his idea, it was his father's idea and he kind of fell into the career path and now that he's had time away from his day job, he's starting to think that going his own way is probably what he wants to do. Immediately though, he wants to get to know Rian Sutter. She keeps showing up everywhere that he is and he's attracted as all get out. He's not a quitter so he puts in the work.
Pierce and Rian were a fantastic couple and their story kept me laughing from beginning to end. Their story was so much fun. The chemistry was great, the romance was delicious and Pierce, well, he was hot as all get out. I completely adored him. I loved how determined he was where Rian was concerned and I loved getting to know him. He was a great brother, a hilarious man and a dedicated lover. What's not to love about a guy bringing all of that to the party?
Things were going great in my reading adventure until Rian starts to get her cold feet and the way that she handles the shit that is thrown her way left a bad taste in my mouth and I got pretty pissed at her because she was an awesome heroine and then she went and did something so dumb that I wanted to pull her hair some. Alls well that ends well though because Pierce comes through and just bulldozes over her fears and let's her know that she won't be able to push him away because she needs him just as much as he needs her and I was glad that he, at least was able to stand firm in his feelings. He had a lot more faith in them then Rian but other than that, the book was fabulous. Great characters, a charming beachfront romance that will make you laugh, happy sigh and just enjoy the heck out of Helena Hunting's written word. It would be a great summer read.
Grade: 4 out of 5


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Hurricane Matthew: Games and Events Cancelled, Postponed Due to Storm
Hurricane Matthew is approaching the East Coast and has already disrupted the schedule for sports events throughout the weekend.
Originally published by Sports Illustrated
Hurricane Matthew touched the ground in Haiti as a Category 4 hurricane with winds approaching 145 mph.
The storm may make landfall in South Florida on Thursday.
Below is a roundup of upcoming sports events that may be effected:
• UCF and Tulane have agreed to postpone the football game scheduled for Friday evening until Saturday, Nov. 5.
• Albany State at Charleston Southern and Bethune-Cookman at South Carolina State college football games have also been postponed.
• Saturday night's game between Georgia and South Carolina might also be in jeopardy.
• Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Mularkey said the team's game against the Dolphins in Miami could be moved to Nashville if the weather worsens.
• Baseball's Florida Instructional League has canceled the end of the season, which was expected to end this week.
• The Miami Heat will fly to Houston on Wednesday to practice amid fears that powerful Hurricane Matthew could affect the Miami area this week. A preseason game against the Nets is scheduled for next Tuesday.
• The Gulfstream Park West announced live thoroughbred races for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were canceled.
• The Florida Panthers have cancelled their preseason match against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• Florida initially said it did not plan to move the Gators' upcoming game against LSU at noon on Saturday, but has since decided to call off the game. Louisiana senior senator David Vitter wrote a letter expressing concern over the decision not to adjust the game time or venue.
• Saturday's Miami Hurricanes game against Florida State in South Florida is schedule for 8 p.m. and has not been changed.
• Saturday's South Carolina vs. Georgia game will be played on Sunday, the teams announced on Thursday.


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A change doesn't always bring the results you want. It was change though. 1910 brought the fifth new manager in four seasons. Fred Lake would be at the helm.
The Boston Doves (now known as the Atlanta Braves) would end up in eight place that season, 50 1/2 games out of first. They had a record of 53-100. Yep, they lost a hundred games. That still amazes me. How do you lose a hundred games.
Fred was a catcher. He played for Boston in 1891 and again in 1897. They won the pennant that year. It is thought he wasn't that great of a catcher. In 1910 he wasn't that great of a manager either.
1910 would also be the last year for the use of the name "The Doves". Good riddance.


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Colin Kaepernick's protest movement rolled on without him Sunday, as his fraternity marched in Detroit and players around the NFL sat or knelt during the national anthem.
Kaepernick remains unsigned after opting out of his contract with the 49ers. His supporters believe he's being punished for protesting police brutality by refusing to stand during the national anthem last season.
About 50 members of the Kappa Alpha Psi alumni chapter in Detroit marched about a mile Sunday in a peaceful protest that ended just outside Ford Field, where the Lions hosted the Arizona Cardinals.
"When you look at some of the recent incidents like what happened to Michael Bennett in Las Vegas , it validates the stance that Colin Kaepernick has taken," said Eric Brown, a former president of the fraternity's alumni chapter in Detroit.
Brown said Kappa Alpha Psi planned to have similar gatherings in Dallas and Atlanta before future NFL games.
San Francisco safety Eric Reid kneeled for the anthem with several teammates standing around him. Reid joined Kaepernick in the anthem protest last season. He did not kneel at the start of the preseason but resumed his protest following the rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month that involved a loosely connected mix of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and other far-right extremists.
Bennett recently released a statement alleging racially motivated excessive force against him by Las Vegas police. The Seattle defensive end sat on the bench during the national anthem before Sunday's game at Green Bay.
Bennett sat for the national anthem during the preseason as well, with teammate Justin Britt standing next to him with his hand on his shoulder. Britt again stood next to Bennett during his anthem protest Sunday. Defensive linemen Frank Clark and Cliff Avril each went back during the anthem to shake hands with Bennett.
On the other sideline at about the 30 yard-line, Bennett's younger brother Martellus, a tight end for the Packers, stood at the end of the line next to his teammates, but raised his right fist in the air during the anthem.
Green Bay safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix helped hold a giant American flag on the field as the anthem was played.
In Cleveland, the Browns ran onto the field for their opener against Pittsburgh accompanied by police, firefighters, emergency workers and military personnel.
After being criticized for kneeling during the national anthem before a recent exhibition, several Browns players met with owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam about how to connect better with the community. They later met with Cleveland's police chief and one of the ideas hatched was the pregame introduction. The public servants stood alongside the players for the anthem.
Before the anthem, a video featuring several Browns players, including 10-time Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas and rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, was shown on the scoreboard. During the video, players asked for unity, equality and cooperation during a time of division in the country.
Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch also sat during the national anthem in Tennessee.


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What Plugs are used in Turkey?
A lot people ask "What plugs are used In Turkey?" the answer is: Turkey uses European style plugs with two prongs which fit into recessed sockets in the wall. The voltage in Turkey is 220V which is only 20 volts under what the UK utilises (240V). Because of this you will find that the vast majority (if not all) of your electrical goods will work with Turkey with no issue.
Below you can see a wall socket and two types of plugs that you often get in Turkey.
Before you travel to Turkey it is best to check that the electrical applicance you are taking will be compatible with the voltage in Turkey. Look at the charger and you should be able to see a section which says "Input:" and then a range. It will look like the picture below:
As you can see this says it will work between 100-240V which covers Turkey (220V), perfect!
Turkey Plug Adaptor
The Turkey plug adaptor that I use when I visit Istanbul are the same as the ones shown below:
These can be purchased from many places such as Amazon, Halfords and sometimes Boots.
I usually travel with two or so plug adaptors as I always seem to need to charge more than one thing at night, such as phone, camera & laptop. But of course this entirely depends on your person circumstance.
Important things to consider
- If you are staying in a hotel, they generally have cards which you have to place into wall slots to activate the lights & wall sockets in the room. These are in place to reduce unnecessary and wasteful energy consumption caused by guests leaving lights on when they leave the room. This does however unfortunately mean that if you leave the room and take the card (needed for re-entry) then anything you have plugged in charging will stop. Therefore charging is best done at night, not when you are away during the day.


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Jason Walker
Yes; the Caribbean community both at home and abroad needs to be appreciative of the fact that we have an ambassador who was so excellent and so successful at the highest level, yet he showed a character of great humility. Tim Duncan born in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Duncan went on to be one of the most successful college basketball players and was taken number one over all in the NBA (National Basketball Association) draft by the San Antonio Spurs where he would lead his team for 19 years with the best winning record of any NBA team or any professional team in the USA over the corresponding period in USA sporting history. The team would win 5 NBA titles during that time and Duncan would be seen as the greatest power forward of all time. More than that his behaviour on and off the court was above reproach and he was named as the best teammate by NBA players year in year out. His presence was characterized by almost emotionless appearing looks and almost no speaking or sounds coming from him, yet he would destroy the best in the NBA every season.
Duncan used to be a swimmer during high school with dreams of having an Olympic career, those dreams turned into a nightmare when hurricane Hugo destroyed the only Olympic size pool on the entire 3 island country. He had a growth spurt and one of his friends suggested that he try basketball instead. This began the legendary basketball talent that would help to transform the game.
Duncan, close to 7 foot got the nickname "Big Fundamental" because he played the game flawlessly and helped to revolutionize the position of power forward. At this point I have to be honest, as a Jamaican, I along with my fellow countrymen were not pleased with him when he and the Spurs won the first championship. The reason for that is that the Spurs opponent was the New York Knicks who was led by the first ever Jamaican star in the NBA, Patrick Ewing. Ewing was essentially at the close of his career and this was his last chance for him to win the championship, well Duncan and the Spurs ended that dream.
Many of us 'Yardies' got over that though, as Duncan started to show his legendary form by winning MVPs, Defender of the year and other awards. Duncan also played with something that you did not see ever in the NBA, whether from a star or otherwise, that was humility.
Duncan's humility became legendary, even commercials used his humility as the basis of their ad treatment. This was shown in a stark example when Los Angeles Laker Legend would retire at the end of the same season as Duncan (the two stars had careers that spanned similar periods and became rivals), however Bryant had a season long good bye tour everywhere he played after announcing his retirement close to the beginning of the season, whereas Duncan sent a press release after the season was over, so there was not opportunity for pomp and circumstance, just a quiet media note. Although in order to be successful Duncan had to have a degree of arrogance inside, humility was his hallmark. For persons who loved to see the game played right and respectfully , Duncan became our hero.
I do remember trying to share this love to my friend Marissa who was an occasional fan of the game and the following was fully demonstrated what people called boring, I called magic, what people called lacking energy,
I called beautiful execution, what people called an eye sore, I called perfection. This led to some of the most historic basketball battles. Marissa much preferred the more unpredictable and expressive Duncan teammate Manu Ginobli.
Behind the scenes you would hear testimony from coaches, teammates and opponents alike as to how unique a person he was. Duncan contributed to charities in the US Virgin Islands and in San Antonio, constantly. Duncan created the Tim Duncan Foundation to raise general health awareness and fund education and youth sports in various parts of the United States. He would never ask for the limelight but either sharing it or giving it to others.
As we say goodbye to the greatest power forward the NBA has ever seen, the greatest player from the Caribbean made all Caribbean and Caribbean descent persons proud. Duncan's character was of the highest level and his game equally on the highest. Thank you TIM DUNCAN.
Tim Duncan retired at age 40
Duncan is the only player in NBA history to win five NBA championships in 19 seasons. He was named MVP in 2001-02 and 2002-03 and was the Finals MVP in 1999, 2003 and 2005.
Many tweeted "Thank you TD" to the star player including the Charlotte Hornets who tweeted: "Congratulations on an incredible career, Tim Duncan!"
The 6-11 Duncan finished his career with:
- 26,496 points, 14th on the league's all-time scoring list.
- 15,091 rebounds, sixth on the all-time list.
- 3,064 blocks, fifth on the all-time list.
- 1,392 games, seventh on the all-time list.
- 15 time all star
- 15 Time all nba selecetion
- 15 time all nba defensive selection
- 9000 Playoff Minutes
- Used the name 'teacher'
- Greatest power forward of all time
- Most accomplished player in that season
- Led the league in Defensive rating 4 time one season it was 89. He did it one year when he was 36
- He retired the way he played the game
Career highlights and awards
- 5× NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
- 3× NBA Finals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005)
- 2× NBA Most Valuable Player (2002, 2003)
- 15× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2011, 2013, 2015)
- NBA All-Star Game MVP (2000)
- 10× All-NBA First Team (1998–2005, 2007, 2013)
- 3× All-NBA Second Team (2006, 2008, 2009)
- 2× All-NBA Third Team (2010, 2015)
- 8× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1999–2003, 2005, 2007, 2008)
- 7× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1998, 2004, 2006, 2009–2010, 2013, 2015)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (1998)
- NBA Shooting Stars champion (2008)
- Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award (2015)
- San Antonio Spurs all-time leading scorer
- USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2003)
- Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2003)
- National college player of the year (1997)
- 2× Consensus first-team All-American (1996, 1997)
- 3× NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1995–1997)
- 2× ACC Player of the Year (1996, 1997)
- No. 21 retired by Wake Forest
Career statistics
- Points 26,496 (19.0 ppg)
- Rebounds 15,091 (10.8 rpg)
- Blocks 3,020 (2.2 bpg)
- Men's basketball Representing United States
Olympic Games
- Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens Team competition
- FIBA Americas Championship
- Gold medal – first place 1999 San Juan Team competition
- Gold medal – first place 2003 San Juan Team competition
- Goodwill Games
- Bronze medal – third place 1994 St. Petersburg Team competition
- Summer Universiade
- Gold medal – first place 1995 Fukuoka Team competition
Jason Walker25 Posts
Patriot, Jamaican, Caribbean, Pan African, Humanist, Radio Personality, DJ. I have worked over 20 years as a Journalist for Caribbean Today Magazine, WRFG Radio 89.3 FM, Cross Over Media and several media outlets in the Caribbean and the US.


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SHANGHAI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - China's Hikvision said on Wednesday a decision by the U.S. government to place it on a trade blacklist could have a short-term impact on the video surveillance company's performance.
Hikvision was one of eight Chinese firms included on an expanded U.S. trade blacklist on Monday aimed at punishing Beijing for its treatment of Muslim minorities and which has escalated tensions ahead of high-level trade talks in Washington this week.
The action, also directed at top Chinese AI startups SenseTime Group Ltd and Megvii Technology Ltd, bars them from buying components from U.S. companies without U.S. government approval. (Reporting by Josh Horwitz in Shanghai; editing by Jason Neely)


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Three tips for the IPL
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
The Indian Premier League is back for the fifth time and for the purposes of this article let us assume that the tournament is not as bent as a spoon in the presence of Uri Geller. Whilst the authorities will be looking out for suspicious no balls, here's what you should be looking out for on the betting front.
In the outright tournament betting it's initially hard not to look at the favourites, Chennai Super Kings. Winners in 2010 and 2011 they are a best price of 7/2 with Ladbrokes. However, we like a bit of value and think that in backing Kolkata Knight Riders at 15/2 with bet365 you may just get it. They were the surprise package of 2011, narrowly beaten by pre-tournament favourites Mumbai Indians and have added top players like Brendan McCullum and Sunil Narine to impressive batting talent like Jacques Kallis, Eoin Morgan and Gautum Gambhir. They have a group of young talented bowlers which should see them through to the knock-out stages at least, at which point you can expect their odds to have been slashed providing a good potential trading opportunity.
Twenty 20 cricket is of course about hitting as many runs as you can in your twenty overs and it makes for some entertaining batting. The 'Top Batsmen' market always attracts a lot of attention and last years winner, Chris Gayle who smashed 608 runs from just 12 innings is the favourite, priced at 11/2 with bet365. If you're betting on this market, you want a player that is set to at least make the knock-out stages and in that respect picking a player from Chennai could be a good move. Mike Hussey, their top scorer last year (and fifth overall) is a 40/1 shot with bet365 which looks great value. They are paying out on the top five at ¼ of the odds.
The other main market to look out for is 'Top Bowler' and we're finding it hard not to look at the favourite – Lasith Malinga. There's little debate that he's the most versatile bowler in limited over cricket, with the ability to vary pace and swing with an armoury of yorkers, slow balls and leg cutters in his weaponry. If you shop around you should be able to get 4/1, which given the Mumbai Indians are expected to reach the latter stages, could yet prove good value, despite the short price.


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So, every now and then I look at my blog stats to see how many people are accidentally stumbling upon my little blog. Turns out… 700 people visited during the month of March! What the heck!? You guys are awesome. Whether it was accidental or because you really really like visiting, I say a big thanks! It's always nice to know that someone other than my parents and roommates are reading this. High-five.
Say WHAAAAT!
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
- April 10, 2008 at 11:28 pm
this site is awesome! not as awesome as catooey43.blogspot.com
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If you recall, Brazle and I set out to watch every one of Disney's traditionally-animated movies between March 11 and April 1. We did it!! Last Thursday, Brazle, Hayley and I watched the last film of the project, The Princess and the Frog. It was a super fun ride. Now, the only thing left is to complete my reviews. No sweat.
Before launching into Alice in Wonderland and The Emperor's New Groove, I have to say – these movies are polar opposites for me. Emperor's is one of my favorites while Alice is…..well, I'm unlikely to ever watch Alice again. I feel like you should know that. Alright, review time!!!!!!!
Alice in Wonderland
I think Alice in Wonderland is really bizarre, so I decided to match its bizarreness by writing it a poem that might or might not have a meter. Here we go.
Oh Alice in Wonderland………….
Why are you the way you are? Why so strange? Why so bizarre? Why only useful potheads to harangue? When will you ever take time to explain?
With multitudinous cooks in the kitchen, I suppose the cause of your failure's not hidden. You tell of a dream in a young pretty head; too bad you tell this dream, not another instead.
Uncle Walt micro-managed, that much is clear; you were his baby nigh on twenty years. But baby or not, you sorta turned out a trainwreck, despite his attention, you're classical dreck.
Your story is pointless, your pacing is poor, it seems that your colors only serve to implore children to watch, to sit back in wonder, and in this you achieve the least of your blunders.
For colors you have, and have them in spades, your hues are the kind that inspire free trade. Of weed, that is, remember the potheads? They are the ones who raised you from the dead.
For dead you were, Walt was ashamed. Upon your release you were battered and slain. The box office numbers were unkind it is true. That's why Uncle Walt apologized for you.
"You betrayed dear Carroll!" cried pundits afar, Walt even said that your lead has no heart. Thus you were ushered away to the vault, left in the dark in your ugly gestalt.
But out of the ashes of thousands of blunts, were you reborn as a "head film" deluxe. Disney execs knew nothing at all of the hazy wave bringing you back from the vault.
Soon you were alive! You were back in the world! Your whimsical notions finally served to compel a theatrical stint, a re-release, how strange it took drugs to make you un-deceased.
And now today, you can boast a score of 77% on RottenTomatoes what's more, people don't recall that you're actually crummy so they feel fine giving away their money
For you, a really, really REALLY strange work who defied the odds and the pundits berserk to grow into a weird sort of butterfly, maybe you're the caterpillar with the A, E, O U and I!
He was a smoker, are we sure it's just hookah? Let's get someone on this, cause maybe he took a really deep breath, and with a mighty exhale transformed into Disney's strangest tale.
So Alice in Wonderland, bless your heart, you have some good qualities especially your art, but I can only give you a 6 out of 10, and unless I start smoking, I won't see you again.
For a very, very long time.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, no please, stop, you're embarrassing me. No no, please.
The Emperor's New Groove
Well, after writing a poem to Alice in Wonderland, I wonder if I should try to turn into a llama for my coverage of Emperor's New Groove!!!!! I probably should. Actually, I just realized – turning into a llama may take awhile. Ugh! I guess I'll just write a normal review, and if I ever turn into a llama, I'll just do a vlog or something! I feel like that's a winning idea!!
So, I really like The Emperor's New Groove. It came out when I was a freshman in college, and I'm pretty sure I didn't immediately "get" it. Like, I thought some parts of it were funny, but on the whole, I just didn't totally appreciate it. Somewhere along the way, though, I finally figured it out. I don't know how or when, but I finally realized that Emperor's New Groove is very, very funny. Once I came to that conclusion, I bought it on DVD and never looked back.
For many years, it was the only animated Disney movie in my collection (not including Pixar films), so it has a very special place in my heart. Even now, though I've purchased a few others, ENG is still my favorite. Here's what I like about it: it's creative, it's heartwarming and, most of all, it's FUNNY. In all, I give The Emperor's New Groove a 9/10 and highly recommend it.
I relish elaborating on this movie.
Creativity: I love the freshness of this film. Disney ran through the entire 90's using the following formula: Broadway songs, plot based on existing story (usually a fairytale or children's story), slapstick humor and excellent animation. It definitely worked, but somewhere around Hercules and Mulan, I feel like that formula got stale. The Mouse Guys had forgotten what it's like to really step out and make something different, fresh and unique. Meanwhile, Pixar had just released Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Toy Story 2 – three films dripping with freshness. Even so, Disney still nearly trotted out another formula movie.
ENG was originally supposed to be called Kingdom of the Sun or something lame like that until production COMPLETELY blew up. Kingdom of the Sun was to be a grand epic in the style of The Lion King (FORMULA! FORMULA!), but CEO Michael Eisner had misgivings about the film's direction from very early in development. So, about halfway through, he hired Mark Dindal to help spruce it up. Dindal clashed with incumbent director Roger Allers, so the two guys started making what were essentially two movies. Eventually, Disney came up against some super major deadlines they HAD to hit, but Allers refused to meet those deadlines and quit. The crew then had something like two weeks to completely overhaul the project.
In those two weeks, Dindal and the rest of the production team brought Disney's sensibilities forward about a decade. It's crazy – instead of a staid "traditional Disney" movie, they conjured up something very different. The film has a faster pace than most Disney flicks, and there's basically only one song (but a great soundtrack). It has really funny situational humor, and it pokes fun at itself. It's a great movie, and it only happened because they had to hit some major deadline. Whatever. I'm just glad it happened. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Heartwarming: Disney has been pretty good in the heartwarming category over the years. In my review of Fox and the Hound, I specifically address how heartwarming the story is, and though I may not have addressed it, nearly every other film I've watched (except for Alice in Wonderland) has had at least one or two very moving moments. This movie does a nice job of cranking up the good feelings, too, except in a different way. ENG feels more Pixar-esque to me. I think it's because the script plays the characters off each other so nicely.
I feel like that's secretly what Pixar does best – they play characters off one another extremely well. Classic example: Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Woody is a great guy, very relaxed, loyal, but also very anxious of losing Andy's affection. Buzz, on the other hand, it a complete Boy Scout. He's much stiffer than Woody, and he think's pretty highly of himself since he thinks he's the Buzz Lightyear. And he's newer. Put those two together and the story basically writes itself. It feels like that's what happened in ENG – the production team just sat down, figured out the characters, and then blasted out a great script that really works and makes sense.
For example. Pacha and Kuzco. John Goodman is excellent as Pacha. He's very endearing and comes across as the nicest guy ever. He's a family guy and routinely thinks of others over himself. On the opposite side is David Spade's Kuzco. Spade sounds whiney, so casting him as Kuzco was perfect; it really enhanced the feeling that he's the most spoiled person ever in history. He never thinks of anyone but himself, so when Disney played those two characters off one another, they got an alchemical result that's pure magic. Or pure Pixar. Regardless, it's definitely heartwarming.
Funny: Guys, this movie is really funny. Really REALLY funny. Like, it's it's my favorite Disney movie because it's so funny. I mentioned earlier that ENG has lots of situational humor; nothing has changed since you read that. It still has lots of situational humor. I especially love the "Spinach Puffs" scene when Kronk has to leave the room and Kuzco and Yzma are left alone. It's really awkward, but it's real, sort of like how Lumbergh from Office Space is hilarious because we've all had blowhard bosses like him. It's great.
The movie also does a great job of poking fun at itself. The standout moment occurs when Yzma/Kronk beat Kuzco/Pacha to their destination following a long chase. Throughout the pursuit, the audience is shown a silly stylized map with little characters running on it denoting the progress of each party. Well, at one point, Yzma/Kronk completely fall off the map, ensuring in the audience's mind that Kuzco/Pacha will arrive first. Turns out, Yzma/Kronk actually arrive before Pacha/Kuzco, and when they come face to face, Kuzco (or Pacha) asks "How did you get here before us?" Kronk pulls down the silly map from thin air and replies "Well, ya got me. By all accounts it doesn't make sense." And then the scene moves on. Brilliant. Love it.
Speaking of Kronk…man, that guy MAKES this movie. Like, David Spade is really funny as Kuzco, and John Goodman is touching as the family man, but this movie would truly be 50% worse were Kronk not in it. He is freaking hilarious. He loves to cook, jump rope, sing his own theme songs, and has frequent conversations with his shoulder angels. And then, if that wasn't enough, he is able to talk to squirrels. Yeah, he to be versed in all the woodland creatures. Awesome stuff. I think that, next to the Genie in Aladdin, Kronk is the funniest Disney character ever. Actually, they might be equally funny. Kronk is AWESOME, and I would encourage you to watch just for his scenes.
So, in closing, The Emperor's New Groove is awesome. It is creative, heartwarming, and funny. I give it a solid 9/10. Now, if you'll excuse, I'm gonna crank up some more Kronk scenes on youtube.
Next Up: Cinderella and Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Please comment below, and feel free to email me your thoughts at email@example.com.
Grant Stevens is a freelance writer originally from the greater Texas area. He now resides in the greater Oklahoma area, and when he's not writing brilliant movie reviews, he loves to play piano, basketball, read, and watch more movies. He also loves studying apologetics. Check out his music at www.grantstevensgroup.com.


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"And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem." Ezra 3:1
If you were to read Ezra 3 you would find that tens of thousands of people had been gathering themselves together with all their animals. They were gathering to build the Temple. They were being freed from captivity and heading to Jerusalem to help build the Temple and worship God. What makes this verse and the meaning of it so important is the phrase, "the people gathered themselves together as one man..."
Were we to gather together as one man we could accomplish the impossible.
Were we to gather together as one man we would have to let down our guard a while.
Were we to gather together as one man we would have to stop competing with one another, especially pastors.
Were we to gather together as one man we would have the influence of a mighty people.
I believe we should spend our time finding out what are the God attributes of others/other groups and build true Christianity on the common elements that bind us together. One group/denomination won't mingle with another because of so-called theological differences. I say those who make such a big deal about it are babies in the faith. And those who nurture consistent separation surely won't be gathering together for the next big move of God as they did here in the Book of Ezra.


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"Natural gas, wind, and some solar generation are projected to be the primary source of new generating resources being integrated into the bulk power system during the assessment period," so says the North American Reliability Council, in its 2011 Long-term Reliability Assessment at page 18. See http://www.nerc.com/.
The foregoing sentence is extraordinary. Anyone who would have said such a thing just 4 years ago would have been at risk of being judged to be mad. Yet, it comes from NERC, the official, top grid reliability cop that is inherently careful, cautious in its annual forecasts. It must be, because its job is to make sure that the lights stay on.
I am still pinching myself and re-reading the sentence. The most extraordinary part of the sentence is the inclusion of solar. NERC sees solar generation in the next 10 years to be among the primary sources of new generation. That is a powerful example of solar revolution in motion. And I will say that NERC (like nearly everyone) is currently underestimating the size of the coming solar resource in North America, where 2,200 megawatts of solar will be installed just in 2011.
NERC goes onto to say: "Two unprecedented resource-mix evolutions are beginning to take place. Gas-fired generation replacing coal-fired generation [and] large increases in renewable, variable generation capacity."
In fact NERC is projecting that NERC-wide geneation will increase by 90,000 megawatts over 10 years and that renewables will provide about 50% of that increase and gas about 40% of the increase. More than 90,000 megawatts of new generation will be built, as new generation will be needed to replace plants that close as well as to meet rising demand.
NERC's 2011 Long-Term Forecast also shows the power of demand response and energy efficiency measures to defer new generation. Just last year, NERC projected that 130,000 megawatts of new generation would be built over a 10 year period. NERC this year has lowered again the projected internal peak demand, largely because of increasing demand-side measures, and cut to 90,000 megawatts the amount of increased generation.
Renewables and natural gas are booming together, and NERC sees their domination growing over the next 10 years. Big change indeed.


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Copenhagen is known for its spectacular gastronomy and street food culture and its hip architectural and home designs. However, in the last few years, Denmark has become synonymous to minimalistic and clean-lined fashion labels and designers that have been featured in high gloss fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle and their clothes worn by fashionistas around the world.
This was my first visit to Copenhagen and I was so overtaken by its beauty, its youthful vibe and of course the food! There's so much to do and to take in, in this City and I tried to see and experience as much as my 3-day stay allowed. Here is my collection of photos from Copenhagen.
Enjoy and stay tuned!


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Vintage 40th Birthday Party
When you celebrate a BIG birthday, you have a lot of choices in how you choose to party. Our birthday girl opted to take advantage of the gorgeous Colorado spring weather, and had a home based shin-dig with 50 of her closest friends. This "Vintage Themed Birthday" had all the personal touches you'd expect for a BIG birthday!
Event Professionals:
Event Planners: My Big Day
Photos: My Big Day
Decorations: James Paige Design
Rentals: My Big Day
Caterer: Fresh Plate Catering
Bartender: BeMixxed Bartending
Contact My Big Day
Have Fun. Be Young. Let us know how we can help.
Original Ideas, superior strategies, your own private party planner.
Christine Kovacs Forster, Owner/ Party Planner
My Big Day llc
Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068
Email Us
Located in Loveland, CO
As event planners, we serve the entire Front Range; Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains,
and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Windsor, Estes Park, Longmont, Greeley
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About MBD
We love a theme. Every party needs one, every event deserves one. Follow us on our journey down the path of creative party planning & exceptional events!
Monthly Archives
May 2020


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Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This simple, three-syllable noun packs a huge punch in your patient experience. Patients and their family members are constantly judging you and your organization on your ability to demonstrate empathy on the phone and in face-to-face encounters, and yet there seems to be little going on in the way of empathy training in organizations. Can you teach people to be empathetic? I'm not sure if you can change the way people think about their world, but you can help them be more aware of other's emotions and deliver appropriate responses.
Teaching empathy involves helping others to not only understand another's perspective but to consider it before acting. This is the backbone of patient relations. Employees who are so focused on their task list and time may blow past the cues from a patient or family member, leaving the impression that they just don't care. This happened to me a few weeks ago when I took my mother to an eye appointment after learning of her cancer diagnosis. Since it was a different health system than the one diagnosing the cancer, I felt I should inform her caregivers of the recent hospitalization and emotionally laden diagnosis. As we were walking to the exam room, I told the assistant (who had been caring for my mother for over 6 months of bi-weekly appointments) that my mother has had a rough week. I explained that she was just discharged the day before after a seven-day hospitalization where she learned of her cancer diagnosis. The assistant's response? "Oh. Well I need you to start with the visual fields test." And she proceeded to shuffle us to the corresponding office.
I was appalled and actually felt embarrassed that I had even bothered telling her. When I looked at my mom's expression in response to the assistant's remark, she looked deflated. She later said, "It was clear she couldn't care less. She just wanted to make sure my problems didn't slow down her work." I'm heartbroken to think that anyone working in a healthcare setting would actually put the checklist before the human being, but it happens more than we may know. We find evidence of this constantly in our mystery shopping assessments.
Later, when the physicians interacted with my mom, they were the epitome of empathy. Both expressed how sorry they were to hear that she was dealing with so much, and they made every attempt to streamline the visit for her comfort. Were these empathetic behaviors learned, or were they innate? It could be a combination.
What I do know is that patients come to us at their most vulnerable times in life, and when emotions are high, so is the need for empathy. You will be building a stronger, more patient-centered workforce when you help your staff recognize and respond to verbal and non-verbal cues that indicate others' emotional status.
At Baird Group, we teach empathy phrases as part of our customer service training—both for phone and in-person interactions. I know for a fact that having the participants practice empathy phrases in context of various scenarios builds their confidence and helps them feel prepared to deal with a variety of situations where empathy needs to be high. We teach words that wound, words that work, and words that WOW. In doing so, participants learn how they may inadvertently be saying things that wound, as in my mom's case. We then help them find better approaches that will work or even WOW the patient. In replaying my mom's interaction, all the assistant needed to say was I'm so sorry. That would have worked.
Help your staff find the words that work and WOW. Your patients will feel cared about and cared for, and your patient scores will show the difference.
Tags: Communication, compassion, Customer Service in Healthcare, Empathy, nurse communication, Patient Experience, physician communication
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One Response to "Empathy: The backbone of patient experience"
WOW! My sentiments exactly. My belief is that the C-suite cannot measure empathy or see compassion, so it has taken a back seat to those things they can measure and see such as wait times or new lobby decor. Frustrating for the staff who are empathetic, and deflating for the patients! I think we should hire for empathy, perhaps even test for empathy prior to accepting students into nursing, therapy, and medical schools.


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I have now read the pdf on the science behind the DNA diet. I am now thinking that there may be something to it but that something is a little underwhelming and referring to advice based on it as "individually tailored" is a bit of a stretch. (more…)
Posts Tagged 'BioClinics'
The Science Behind the DNA Weight Loss DietJanuary 13, 2014
DNA-Tailored Diets? I Don't Think So!January 8, 2014
It's January so once again the dubious diet aids are being wheeeled out. The latest is a diet and exercise regime tailored to your DNA. This story has appeared in the Daily Mail and Metro as well as the Manchester press though currently the Daily Mail link is broken (I have emailed them about it) and it does not appear on the Metro's website. (more…)


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When talking about the use of content management systems we always end up referring to WordPress, and is that WordPress has become popular around the world; A large part of the websites that currently exist operate under this Internet content management system.
It is not surprising that people prefer WordPress, since it is one of the most intuitive and easy-to-use content managers in existence.
If we compare WordPress with Joomla, for example, we will notice the difference by just entering the admin section; While in Joomla one must give many laps to publish new content or update the existing, in WordPress everything is straightforward and uncomplicated.
Even when WordPress is designed to create Blog-like web pages (entries or articles), there is also the possibility of developing projects as complex as a virtual store.
Aesthetically speaking, with WordPress you can give the appearance you want to your website and that helps you to differentiate yourself from the rest, especially in the case of hiring the design of your page to Web designers WordPress.
All this adds up for people to prefer.
Now, in this case we will not talk about how good WordPress is, because you know that it is a good system for content management. Rather, I come to talk about why it would be important to update the WordPress system you work with.
WordPress works in a similar way to how an application would work on your mobile, that is, new versions are coming out over time which means an improvement in its functioning or aesthetics.
I keep talking about the applications for mobile, because the analogy is valid, and I put as an example the application of Facebook for Android, which in its beginnings was simply disliked by everyone, Today some still hate it for the low performance it has. The truth is that this application has been updated again and again to improve the user experience and have seen effective results. Its creators are aware of the errors that the application has and along with our reports of failures, are solving and improving in each new update.
There is nothing wrong with your current version of WordPress, that's not the problem, but surely the new version is even better than the previous one and that means that you and your visitors will have a better experience browsing your website.
Yes; WordPress updates as a system, mean a continuous improvement of its features, which makes it more fit. In fact, I dare say WordPress is so popular thanks to it is constantly updated.
Speaking of WordPress updates, we must understand that there are three blocks where updates are possible; Are the main elements of this system and are known as:
- The system, the heart of WordPress itself. In English known as "core".
- The theme, the design template. In English known as "theme".
- The plugins, that is to say the subprograms that extend the functions of the Web page.
When we talk about the system, it is about updates of the general characteristics of it, that is, the bases of WordPress. WordPress takes out a system update whenever it deems it necessary and, usually, announces that such an update is available.
Many people are afraid of updating WordPress for the same reason they are afraid of updating mobile apps: they may mean a waning, but you will never know if you do not try it. There have been known cases where WordPress system updates affect how the page works, but many times it is because the other elements are not up to date.
As for the updates of the plugins, I can tell you that they can be, more or less periodic, as considered by its creator. Typically, popular plugins are updated frequently, either to repair bugs and bugs or to provide better functionality.
As for updating WordPress themes, it is less common, I personally never see very few theme updates, but there are. Especially, when a theme has a lot of time loaded in the WordPress database without having any updates, WordPress warns you if you want to download.
You should keep in mind that if a topic is not updated periodically, it will not be compatible with the most current versions of WordPress, or at least not in its entirety. Remember that the theme of WordPress is what puts your website face and is often updated to optimize the load of the site, an aspect that becomes important for the positioning.
Reasons to Upgrade WordPress
We have reached the most anticipated section of all.
Tell yourself that while your web page is going to have better performance and performance after you apply an update, the security issue also comes into play.
This is the situation, WordPress is an open source content management system, and that means, in simple words, that anyone can get you started.
Now, if I am a hacker trying to paste into WordPress sites, I would just have to analyze the code that is at first glance and determine what are the weak points of the system – that exist – and devise a way to violate the system. That affects you because your site would be prone to such a threat.
Updating the WordPress system prevents your site from being prone to an attack on your security, because updates are improving the weaknesses in it. Remember that I told you that updates are made based on errors encountered by developers and reports from system users.
If you decide not to update your system and it turns out that someone with the solution to violate the systems with the version you have installed, you run the risk of being one of its victims.
Page speed
I've already told you a bit about the loading speed of your webpage and how it affects your positioning, but it's time to expand that information.
To make the story short, search engines look for Web pages to load as quickly as possible, as that is a better experience for their users. All page administrators, who are concerned with improving the loading speed of their web page and achieve this, are successfully rewarded in the algorithms that a search engine uses to display the results.
It is as simple as that, of two pages that have the same value for the search engine, it is going to show first that it is loaded faster, or that is what is thought. However, the loading speed often depends on how the page is designed; What is looking for the update of WordPress is to make the design more and more optimally, although I must say that the selection of the template plays a fundamental role.
Bug fixes
We have already talked enough about the errors in systems as mobile applications and how their solution makes the user experience better.
In the case of WordPress the experience that seeks to improve is that of the system administrator, because many times it is true that not everything goes perfectly to our control panel WordPress.
Now, some errors in the operation of the control panel of WordPress are not generated by a problem with the system, but by the use of some plugin that is not compatible; If you have problems with your WordPress discards that is caused by some plugin.
Compatibility is of paramount importance, especially when talking about themes and plugins. That is to say, it does not make sense to say that you update the system because it is not compatible with the subject, the thing is rather the other way around.
Many times, plugins are not compatible with the latest versions of WordPress and that causes a malfunction.
Personally I passed with a plugin that placed thumbnails in the sidebar of WordPress; The plugin was incompatible with the version of the system and caused an error when creating new pages and individual entries.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, between themes and plugins, there are incompatibilities. It is always advisable to install plugins that claim to be compatible with the theme you have installed; Many new issues may have compatibility issues with plugins.
As you will see, updating WordPress is necessary; There are compelling reasons to do so. Above all I advise you not to be afraid to try the new update, because I tell you that the improvement is always sought.
In the case that an update comes with an error that did not have the previous versions is usually take an update where the error is fixed.
The truth is that everything on the Internet evolves and we must be open to changes, as we seek continuous improvement. I know that, above all, the security issue interests you and even worries you, and therefore that is the main reason anyone could be interested in updating the operating system of your website.
If you have doubts when updating your WordPress, remember that we are at your disposal for what you need. Also, remember that we offer all kinds of maintenance plans, updating and optimization of WordPress Web pages.
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LUMBERTON, N.C. (AP) — Authorities have arrested 10 Robeson County volunteer firefighters and accused them of setting fire to abandoned buildings and woods over a year and a half.
News outlets report Robeson County Sheriff Ken Sealey said in a statement Tuesday the firefighters were from the Fairmont Rural and Orrum fire departments, and were involved in a conspiracy to set the fires over the last 18 months.
The sheriff said there are approximately 90 arson-related charges in the investigation with more charges expected.
Sealey said a former Maxton police officer and an N.C. Department of Corrections officer were among those arrested.
Sealey's statement didn't cite a motive. None of those charged have been identified.
Bail for the former police officer corrections officers is set at $200,000. Bail for the others is $100,000.
Copyright 2018, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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