text: Robert Green teaches courses in beverage management, food and wine appreciation, and mixology for the Hospitality Department of Mercyhurst University on the Erie Campus and the Mercyhurst University Culinary and Wine Institute on the North East Campus. He has extensive training in sensory sciences and brings a hands-on approach to teaching students about wine, and food and beverage service. His teaching experience also includes college-level courses in enology, wine chemistry, sensory evaluation, and sanitation, winery process and design. In addition to 19 years of teaching about wines and winemaking, he has over 30 years of commercial winemaking experience in wineries in the Lake Erie region, and is a consultant to wineries across the Mid-Atlantic States. Robert serves on the Board of Directors for the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt Heritage Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the lifestyle centered on the region's grape industry, and is a past Board Member of Erie County Cooperative Extension.


text:
When Edouard Collignon came to the United States three weeks ago for the first time, he admitted he already knew there were things about America he wouldn't like, one of those being baseball.
"It's too boring," the skinny blonde teen-ager said with a smile from the kitchen of his host family's house.
"There went taking him to an Orioles game," joked Mary Beth Marklein, host mother to Collignon, about his dislike for America's favorite past-time.
Peter Kunkel, Marklein's husband, quickly added that although Collignon did not like baseball, he was a big fan of the NBA, specifically the San Antonio Spurs.
Marklein and Kunkel were one of four Herndon residents to open their home last month for three weeks to an exchange student from France through the World Exchange program.
"We were interested in experiencing other cultures, and we wanted to give that opportunity to somebody else," said Marklein, adding that she and her husband don't have any children, so it was nice to host a teen-ager for a short time.
"We were concerned that they would turn away some of the students because they were having a hard time placing them," said Kunkel. "We didn't want someone like Edouard to be turned away."
SINCE 1985, World Exchange, a nonprofit organization with locations throughout the country, has worked to bring young French students to America for three weeks to live with host families.
"It's a cultural exchange where students come here to experience American life and to learn English," said Wendy Ahart, regional program director.
Ahart, who has worked for World Exchange for 17 years, said she places, on average, about 20 students ranging in age from 15 to 18, with host families in the Virginia area each summer.
"Host families need to be willing to include students in their family life," said Ahart about what she looks for in a family.
She also said knowledge of French is not required.
"It's a complete immersion program where the kids want to learn English," she said. "In general they do show improvement before they leave."
Marklein said that although she knew French from previous visits to France, she tried to only speak English.
"Every now and then we'd both be looking at the dictionary," said Marklein about the first week.
"Kids are very adaptable," said Kunkel of the language barrier. "If he'd spoken no English at all we would have learned to communicate."
ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM asked that the students don't interact too much during the three weeks with each other, Collignon did do some things with another student and his host family in Herndon, but that they spoke English often.
"Another boy in this city, I played tennis with him and we rode bicycles," said Collignon. "I saw the museums with him."
Ahart said some families chose to immerse their students by sending them to day camps with their children, while others will take them on family vacations.
Kunkel and Marklein said they opted to take Collignon on a road trip.
"Peter took him to upstate New York where his family is from, then they drove to Wisconsin," said Marklein who's family lives there, adding they stopped in Chicago along the way.
Marklein said while in Wisconsin her family had a pig roast and a fish fry, American experiences she was happy to share with Collignon.
Collignon said in the three weeks he learned his stereotype, that American's did not eat vegetables, was wrong and that he loved how big American's trucks were.
HE NOTED OTHER differences, saying there was more space and more houses than Paris, where his family lives, and that he did not like the constant use of air-conditioning.
Kunkel took advantage of the opportunity that Collignon had never maintained a lawn, and showed him how to use a lawnmower.
"I learned about cutting grass," said Collignon, as Kunkel emphasized that Collignon had offered to cut the grass, he did not make him.
Marklein and Kunkel said Collignon adapted well to their American lifestyle, offering to help with daily chores, and that they even had times when they felt like he was their son.
"One night the music was a little loud," joked Marklein, "I thought, O.K. if this was my kid would I tell him to turn it down?"
She and Kunkel agreed this is something they hope to do again, although maybe not right away because their jobs will keep them busy over the next year.
"I really enjoyed my trip here and my trip to New York and Chicago," said Collignon. "I enjoyed all I did ... it was good to be here and see an American family."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Interzone 230 (Sep-Oct) Out Now
Cover Art:
This is the fifth panel of six connected images by Warwick Fraser-Coombe which at the end of the year will complete a new, much larger image called 'Playground (Hide and Seek)'.
Love and War by Tim Lees
illustrated by Richard Wagner
Part One: Arrangements • "Your papers," he says, and the room shrinks down around me. "It seems there's a…discrepancy." He perches on the desk-edge. His nose juts and his head bobs up and down. He's like some big, unpleasant, scruffy bird – a vulture or a marabou stork, perhaps. He licks his lips. "I've got a friend," he says at last. "A…well, acquaintance." His hands are knotted in his lap. "It may be I could talk to him? On your behalf ? If we could come to some sort of…arrangement, say? Between ourselves?" He glances at the door. "Arrangement, yes? You understand?" And then, in case I haven't got it yet, he reaches out and palps my left breast like a bath-sponge. And so it is, during the second year of war, I start my life with Derek Measdon: research consultant, Party member, one-time lecturer and full-time creep. I giggle, nervously. He scares me half to death.
Age of Miracles, Age of Wonders by Aliette de Bodard
illustrated by Darren Winter
The God • The weals on Coztic's back have begun to heal by the time they reach Axahuacan. The marks of the chains on his ankles and wrists – the deep burn lines rimmed with red, puffed skin, encrusted with scabs – haven't. At night, when the moon rises over the desert, its light as pale as the faces of corpses, he shifts in the copper cage and feels pain lance through his limbs, as familiar and as welcome as an old enemy. The hierarch walks ahead of the cage and its guards, the metal of its face turned straight ahead. If it thinks of anything – if metal and cogs and wheels can have thoughts – it doesn't say. Even when wielding the salted knives, or the barbed whip, or the branding irons, it's never displayed any emotion. Perhaps what they say is true, and it is nothing more than an extension of the god-machine, a hunk of copper shaped in mockery of flesh and bone, just as mankind was once shaped of maize and blood.
The Insurance Agent by Lavie Tidhar
illustrated by Richard Wagner
The bar was packed and everyone was watching the Nixon-Reagan match. The fighters were reflected off the bar's grainy wood countertop and the tables' gleaming surfaces and seemed to melt as they flickered down the legs of the scattered chairs. The bar was called the Godhead, which had a lot to do with why I was there. It was a bit of an unfair fight as Reagan was young, pre-presidency, circa-World War Two, while Nixon was heavy-set, older: people were exchanging odds and betting with the bar's internal gaming system and the general opinion seemed to be that though Reagan was in better shape Nixon was meaner.
Camelot by Patrick Samphire
illustrated by Ben Baldwin
When she finds me, I'm half-sitting, half-slouched, butt propped against the bonnet of my chunky old Volvo estate, shoulders hunched, flicking away madly at my fifty pence lighter, roll-up hanging from my mouth, boots still unlaced. Dignified, right? But sometimes the need takes you, and it doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing, and there's nothing you can do about it.
The Upstairs Window by Nina Allan
illustrated by Ben Baldwin
I remember a conversation I had with him once, at the private view for his first major commercial show. "What would you say was the difference between a spy and a secret agent?" "What are you talking about?" I said. "There is no difference, surely?" "Perhaps not," he said. "But did you ever hear of anyone being shot as a secret agent?" He had this idea that although in theory the words shared a meaning, in practice the term secret agent made you think glamour and heroics whereas spy was a dirty word with connotations of treachery. He reckoned it was a put-up job, that your role was decided for you by whoever got to write the history books.
Ansible Link by David Langford
news and obituaries
Book Zone by Jim Steel and the team
book reviews including Conflicts ed Ian Whates, The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi, The Black Lung Captain by Chris Wooding, The Japanese Devil Fish Girl by Robert Rankin, The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell, Silversands by Gareth Powell, The Stainless Steel Rat Returns by Harry Harrison, Fritz Leiber: Selected Stories eds Jonathan Strahan & Charles N Brown, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
Laser Fodder by Tony Lee
DVD and Blu-ray reviews including Stargate Universe, After.Life, Hunter Prey, Kick-Ass, Fringe season 2, Delicatessen, Mulholland Drive, Death Note 1 & 2, Mega Piranha, Centurion, Basement, The Last Seven, Beyond the Rave, Cherry Tree Lane, Death Tube, Mega Shark of the Malibu
25 Years of Nick Lowe's Mutant Popcorn film reviews:
- The very first Mutant Popcorn from #13 (Autumn 1985): Brazil, Night of the Comet, Trancers, Ghoulies
- Nick Lowe: In the Future, We'll Have Summer All Year Round by Jonathan McCalmont (including interview with Nick Lowe)
- The latest Mutant Popcorn: Inception, The Last Airbender, Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Predators, Splice, Toy Story 3, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
- Contributions from Kim Newman, Christopher Fowler, Gary Couzens
How To Buy:
Interzone is available in good shops in the UK and the following countries:
- USA (including Barnes & Noble)
- Canada
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If any shop doesn't stock Interzone they should be able to order it in for you so please don't hesitate to ask them. You can also buy the magazine from a variety of online retailers, and a downloadable e-version from Fictionwise. The best thing though – for you and for us – is to follow the links on this page to our own shop and take out a subscription.
If you like Interzone please help spread the word and encourage other people to buy the magazine. Thank you for your support!
- Warwick Fraser-Coombe
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- Aliette de Bodard
- Darren Winter
- Lavie Tidhar
- Patrick Samphire
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- Jonathan McCalmont
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Section items by date:


text:
Head of Department - Mrs A Evans
Sociology is about human social behaviour, why people behave as they do and what things influence and affect their lives. It is about how people organise themselves into groups and are able to control the behaviour of their members and sometimes control the behaviour of others.
You will study the main themes of culture and identity, power, social class, gender and ethnicity and consider how they affect an individual or group's life chances. You will also develop a sophisticated knowledge and understanding of the major sociological theories underpinning research and the specific research models employed by sociologists.
AS Assessment
Unit 1 – Families and Households
Unit 2 – Education with research methods in context
A2 Assessment
Unit 3 – Beliefs in Society
Unit 4 – Crime and Deviance
Examination board: AQA Entry requirements: Pupils will need a minimum grade C GCSE English literature.
Pupils will be assessed through examination only.
Who should do this course?
This course is idea for pupils considering going on to further education at university. It will help students develop analytical and evaluative skills and help students write essays in a logical and coherent manner.
Where can the course lead?
Sociology prepares pupils for many careers and Higher Education courses, such as human resource management, social work, marketing, nursing, journalism, law, teaching, the police, the media, personnel, probation, and advertising. There are also a wide variety of opportunities in all aspects of social research such as youth services, criminal justice system, ethnic minority rights and the leisure industry. As a social science, sociology complements other areas of study such as psychology and health and social care.


text:
« ForrigeFortsett »
Submission of Mecca, A. D. 629.
Five times each day the eyes of Mahomet were turned towards Mecca," and he was urged by the most sacred and powerful motives to revisit, as a conqueror, the city and the temple from whence he had been driven as an exile. The Caaba was present to his waking and sleeping fancy: an idle dream was translated into vision and prophecy; he unfurled the holy banner; and a rash promise of success too hastily dropped from the lips of the apostle. His
march from Medina to Mecca displayed the peaceful
and solemn pomp of a pilgrimage: seventy camels, chosen and bedecked for sacrifice, preceded the van; the sacred territory was respected; and the captives were dismissed without ransom, to proclaim his clemency and devotion. But no sooner did Mahomet descend into the plain, within a day's journey of the city, than he exclaimed, "they have clothed themselves with the skins of tygers:" the numbers and resolution of the Koreish opposed his progress; and the roving Arabs of the desert might desert or betray a leader whom they had followed for the hopes of spoil. The intrepid fanatic sunk into a cool and cautious politician: he waved in the treaty his title of apostle of God, concluded with the Koreish and their allies a truce of ten years, engaged to restore the fugitives of Mecca who should embrace his religion, and stipulated only, for the ensuing year, the humble privilege of entering the city as a friend, and of remaining three days to accomplish the rites of the pilgrimage. A cloud of shame and sorrow hung on the retreat of the Musulmans, and their disappointment might justly accuse the failure of a prophet chAP.
de l'Arabie, p. 324) believes that the Jewish religion, and Kareite sect, are still professed by the tribe of Chaibar; and that, in the plunder of the caravans, the disciples of Moses are the confederates of those of Mahomet.
* The successive steps of the reduction of Mecca are related by Abulfeda (p. 84–87. 97—100. 102–111) and Gagnier (tom. ii. p. 209–245.309—322. tom. iii. p. 1–58), Elmacin (Hist. Saracen. p. 8, 9, 10), Abulpharagius (Dynast, p. 103).
who had so often appealed to the evidence of success. The faith and hope of the pilgrims were rekindled by the prospect of Mecca: their swords were sheathed: seven times in the footsteps of the apostle they encompassed the Caaba: the Koreish had retired to the hills, and Mahomet, after the customary sacrifice, evacuated the city on the fourth day. The people was edified by his devotion; the hostile chiefs were awed, or divided, or seduced; and both Caled and Amrou, the future conquerors of Syria and Egypt, most seasonably deserted the sinking cause of idolatry. The power of Mahomet was increased by the submission of the Arabian tribes; ten thousand soldiers were assembled for the conquest of Mecca; and the idolaters, the weaker party, were easily convicted of violating the truce. Enthusiasm and discipline impelled the march, and preserved the secret, till the blaze of ten thousand fires proclaimed to the astonished Koreish the design, the approach, and the irresistible force of the enemy. The haughty Abu Sophian presented the keys of the city, admired the variety of arms and ensigns that passed before him in review; observed that the son of Abdallah had acquired a mighty kingdom, and confessed, under the scimitar of Omar, that he was the apostle of the true God. The return of Marius and Sylla was stained with the blood of the Romans: the revenge of Mahomet was stimulated by religious zeal, and his injured followers were eager to execute or to prevent the order of a massacre. Instead of indulging their passions and his own," the victorious exile forgave the
* After the conquest of Mecca, the Mahomet of Voltaire imagines and perpetrates the most horrid crimes. The poet confesses, that he is not supported by the truth of history, and can only allege, que celui qui fait la guerre a sa patrie au nom de Dieu, est capable de tout (OEuvres de Voltaire, tom. xv. p.282). The maxim is neither charitable nor philosophic; and some reverence is surely due to the fame of heroes and the religion of nations. I am informed
guilt, and united the factions, of Mecca. His troops, in three divisions, marched into the city: eight-andtwenty of the inhabitants were slain by the sword of Caled; eleven men and six women were proscribed by the sentence of Mahomet; but he blamed the cruelty of his lieutenant; and several of the most obnoxious victims were indebted for their lives to his clemency or contempt. The chiefs of the Koreish were prostrate at his feet. "What mercy can you expect from the man whom you have wronged?" "We confide in the generosity of our kinsman." "And you shall not confide in vain: begone! you are safe, you are free." The people of Mecca dee - - served their pardon by the profession of Islam; and after an exile of seven years, the fugitive missionary was enthroned as the prince and prophet of his native country.' But the three hundred and sixty idols of the Caaba were ignominiously broken: the house of God was purified and adorned: as an example to future times, the apostle again fulfilled the duties of a pilgrim; and a perpetual law was enacted that no unbeliever should dare to set his foot on the territory of the holy city." The conquest of Mecca determined the faith and obedience of the Arabian tribes;" who, according to the vicissitudes of fortune, had obeyed, or disregarded, the eloquence or the arms of the prophet. Indifferthat a Turkish ambassador at Paris was much scandalized at the representation of this tragedy. j The Mahometan doctors still dispute, whether Mecca was reduced by force or consent (Abulfeda, p. 107. et Gagnier ad locum); and this verbal controversy is of as much moment as our own about William the Conqueror. * In excluding the Christians from the peninsula of Arabia, the province of Hejaz, or the navigation of the Red Sea, Chardin (Voyages en Perse, tom. iv. p. 166) and Reland (Dissert. Miscell. tom. iii. p. 51) are more rigid than the Musulmans themselves. The Christians are received without scruple into the ports of Mocha, and even of Gedda, and it is only the city and precincts of Mecca that are inaccessible to the profane (Niebuhr, Description de l'Arabie, p. 308, 309. Voyage en Arabie, tom. i. p. 205. 248, &c.).
| Abulfeda, p. 112–115. Gagnier, tom. iii. p. 67–88. D'Herbelot, MoHAMIMED.
ence for rites and opinions still marks the character CHAP.
of the Bedoweens; and they might accept, as loosely as they hold, the doctrine of the Koran. Yet an obstinate remnant still adhered to the religion and liberty of their ancestors, and the war of Honain derived a proper appellation from the idols, whom Mahomet had vowed to destroy, and whom the confederates of Tayef had sworn to defend." Four thousand Pagans advanced with secrecy and speed to surprise the conqueror: they pitied and despised the supine negligence of the Koreish, but they depended on the wishes, and perhaps the aid, of a people who had so lately renounced their gods, and bowed beneath the yoke of their enemy. The banners of Medina and Mecca were displayed by the prophet; a crowd of Bedoweens increased the strength or numbers of the army, and twelve thousand Musulmans entertained a rash and sinful presumption of their invincible strength. They descended without precaution into the valley of Honain: the heights had been occupied by the archers and slingers of the confederates; their numbers were oppressed, their discipline was confounded, their courage was appalled, and the Koreish smiled at their impending destruction. The prophet, on his white mule, was encompassed by the enemies: he attempted to rush against their spears in search of a glorious death: ten of his faithful companions interposed their weapons and their breasts; three of these fell dead at his feet: "O my brethren," he repeatedly cried with sorrow and indignation, "I am the son of Abdallah, I am the apostle of truth! O man, stand fast in the faith! O God, send down thy succour!" His uncle
* The siege of Tayef, division of the spoil, &c. are related by Abulfeda (p. 117–123) and Gagnier (tom. iii. p. 88–111). It is Al Jannabi who mentions the engines and engineers of the tribe of Daws. The fertile spot of Tayef was supposed to be a piece of the land of Syria detached and dropped in the general deluge.
Abbas, who, like the heroes of Homer, excelled in the loudness of his voice, made the valley resound with the recital of the gifts and promises of God: the flying Moslems returned from all sides to the holy standard; and Mahomet observed with pleasure, that the furnace was again rekindled: his conduct and example restored the battle, and he animated his victorious troops to inflict a merciless revenge on the authors of their shame. From the field of Homain, he marched without delay to the siege of Tayef, sixty miles to the south-east of Mecca, a fortress of strength, whose fertile lands produce the fruits of Syria in the midst of the Arabian desert. A friendly tribe, instructed (I know not how) in the art of sieges, supplied him with a train of battering rams and military engines, with a body of five hundred artificers. But it was in vain that he offered freedom to the slaves of Tayef; that he violated his own laws by the extirpation of the fruit trees; that the ground was opened by the miners; that the breach was assaulted by the troops. After a siege of twenty days, the prophet sounded a retreat, but he retreated with a song of devout triumph, and affected to pray for the repentance and safety of the unbelieving city. The spoil of this fortunate expedition amounted to six thousand captives, twenty-four thousand camels, forty thousand sheep, and four thousand ounces of silver: a tribe who had fought at Honain redeemed their prisoners by the sacrifice of their idols; but Mahomet compensated the loss, by resigning to the soldiers his fifth of the plunder, and wished, for their sake, that he possessed as many head of cattle as there were trees in the province of Tehama. Instead of chastising the disaffection of the Koreish, he endeavoured to cut out their tongues (his own expression), and to secure their attachment by a superior measure of liberality; Abu Sophian alone was presented with


text:
JTB's strategy is to utilize our own products while working with new clients, as demonstrations are better than literature. Our sales staff will interact with potential clients and vendors simultaneously, providing a demonstration environment. Further attention will be drawn to our low-cost forms of marketing and marketing sites, all featuring our "powered by" logos. As these sites acquire users, we will accumulate detailed business information, allowing our staff to more accurately approach these businesses to review our products and services.
What will set JTB apart from the competition:
JTB's Integrated Technologies Division has a simple sales strategy. By demonstrating the effectiveness of the software, as we use it, in all of our interactions with customers in the other two divisions, we will create an interest among the existing clients of JTB Industrial Sales and JTB Products and Services. Our sales agents will begin contacts with existing clients of the other divisions, and work closely with them to customize applications, hosting services, and support which meet their individual needs. These clients will then be used as further demonstrations to new potential clients of how our software is helping real businesses in these industries to improve their inventory tracking, customer service, sales, and internal communications.
With potential clients and distributor partners numbering near 330,000, the sales forecast for JTB's Integrated Technologies Division looks strong. We are developing our own products and services for resale, in the form of renewable subscribed services. With the average business spending approximately $3,000 or more annually, this quickly becomes a $990 Million dollar marketplace.
The following table and charts show our projected sales for the Integrated technologies Division. The first nine months of the plan are required lead-time for software development, during which we will have almost no sales. As the website functionality is established, we expect some small income from resale of distributed products beginning in July. After much internal testing, our launch date for the initial version of the standard integrated-software package is November 10th, 2005. After this point, we expect a heavy increase in sales, as customers of the other JTB divisions see the advantage of buying a low-cost, fully-integrated software system which suits their industry needs.
Direct inventory costs for these products and services is very low, since most of the related costs are R&D based, and are covered in regular employee payroll. Inventory costs are mostly applicable to resale of outside software and products. Direct costs for internally-developed software include outsourced packaging of the completed CD-ROMs and redelivery to the Richfield location for shipping. CD-ROM packaging will be outsourced to a reputable plant in the local area. Other costs include new software and upgrades to servers as we expand our hosting and support capabilities, and travel expenses for employees to personally install the software packages on clients' computer systems.
Our sales forecast table uses the following assumptions:
Categories 1-6 highlight our targeted market clientele all of which show a consistent growth growth rate that is consistent with the other JTB divisions. Categories 7 and 8 represent approximately 1,500 - 6,000 partners who could participate in servicing categories 1-6. JTB anticipates additional marketing revenues from providing the distributor partners access to the customer databases.
JTB's Integrated Technologies division will develop long-term relationships with many quality media developers, to provide our clients with a broad offering of products and services. Our developer partners and technology suppliers will be hand-picked for their products and capabilities. Our main goal while developing our strategic alliances is to select the best possible providers we can locate. JTB will network with our clients and distributor partners to create a unique collaborative environment capable of providing the needed input to fulfill and complete our media projects.
Much of our media marketing products, custom developed applications, P.C.-based sales and customer support products can be offered on a trial and demonstration arrangement. Promotion strategy will include a 100% performance guaranty with a limited-time money-back offer. Part of our strategy is to develop the products in such a way that modules can be added when the client would like additional features. All of our products will have a help and support area for the clients to access 24 hours; this will also allow a no-cost Web-based demonstration and product marketing environment.
JTB will implement a Web-based distribution of its business applications, allowing JTB or other Web developers to instantly setup or install our applications on PCs. With Internet-based accessibility, the distribution costs are minimal. Some custom applications may use CD-ROMs to get the applications to the customer.
JTB Integrated Technologies will initially focus entirely on the development of its online media and business applications. When these initial software products are completed, JTB will position its industrial website technology in the industrial marketplace. Once established, marketing can immediately begin to develop the intended markets, with emphasis on marketing programs developed to generate subscription revenues as quickly as possible. As noted in the competitive edge, our mix of media products and services are developed to interact with sellers and buyers in the industrial marketplace, providing badly needed improvements in the marketing process. As our visitors and clients interact in our developed media environment, they will get a full appreciation of what JTB's goals are in the marketplace.
Additionally, our representation of quality software products can be marketed within our media environment.
JTB's product offering is developed to target small- to mid-sized corporations seeking overall improvements in the sales and marketing process. Our mix of products and services allows the client to cost-effectively develop their products, bring them to market, and provide the product with the highest possible level of support. Product and service pricing are based in part on time spent to customize applications, support services, subscription, licensing, and advertisement fees. As JTB will develop its own applications and media environments, our overall platform can be re-used many times over, making JTB's offering extremely cost competitive.
Hire Application Developers - JTB will seek multi-talented individuals to create the desired P.C.-based business applications we plan to develop as part of our product offering. These employees will work closely with management to custom-develop the base code needed for our application.
Hire Web Developer - JTB will seek a highly-experienced database applications Web developer to create the desired Internet applications to work in conjunction with our developed P.C applications. This employee will work closely with management to develop management's concepts into logical, well-planned Web-based business development, customer service, marketing, and engineering related tools.
Applications development begins - JTB's application developers will begin development of our sales, marketing and engineering applications for integration with the corporation's websites, as an aid for staff members to manage customer requests, develop projects with other firms seeking engineering help, and exporting sales and engineering information about our products and services offering. When completed, these P.C.-based tools will interact with our Internet-based sites, and will become part of our applications offering of customer support products.
Sales and Marketing program development - JTB will develop a substantial database-driven marketing program to contact new clients directly. JTB has a good overall view of the U.S. market, its buying patterns, and its marketing preferences. With this information, JTB can better tailor its product and service offerings, generating a better return on our marketing efforts.
Customer Service Associate Manager and Support Associate selection - JTB will screen applicants for skilled individuals seeking to develop a career in customer services. This person will need excellent computer skills, some previous website support experience, and previous sales experience. Both employees will work closely with Mr. Jeremy and the developers for intensive training in all areas of our products and services offering.
Marketing Sites are established - JTB will develop and manage multiple marketing sites dedicated to JTB's entire line of industrial products and services. These sites will also generate revenue with additional product marketing from our distributor partners.
Revenue Sites are established - JTB will develop and manage multiple industry-specific sites. These sites will be a pay-per-ad situation, allowing businesses to highlight their products and services. The JTB media group's logo will allow visitors to access our product and service sites. In some cases JTB will be a vendor in these sites as well.
Partnership Development Begins - JTB will implement its distributor partnership program to expand its client base throughout the U.S.
JTB's combined competitive edge is an overall approach to market our goods and services to many different industries. Our unique approach of developing our own branded P.C.-based sales and marketing applications will strengthen our ties to our distributor partners and direct clients. As computer networking is a strong area for the owners personally, we see the benefits to businesses that have solid network based sales and marketing tools in place.
JTB's value proposition is entirely about working with businesses in a consulting fashion, working closely with the business' sales, marketing, engineering, and management so our products can create a better working environment for our staff and clients. Our tailored products will streamline all aspects of customer support, creating continual savings for the client. As these products are scripted in a way that allows adaptability, the costs of a complete customization are minimal.
Further value is added when we can offer our intended clients a quality marketing and work procurement environment geared to helping their businesses grow.


text: They feel an instant attraction. Nicole is the owner of the store Healing Herbs. She is a dreamer and faithful believer in love at first sight. Ralph visits New York for a second time with the intention of visiting the store Healing Herbs that is located near Central Park. Ralph Seguir leyendo


text:
Financing Options
Service Calls
Reconditioned Equipment
To Schedule A Support Call:
Service and Support
Are Your Customers, You and Your Employees Safe?
Is your service provider registered in your state, county, city? Licensed and insured? It is too easy to plead ignorance!
Does he have an EIN number and a Sales Tax License? Does he file the required state, city, and local tax returns?
Does he have General Liability, Product Liability, General Business Insurance, Independent Contractor Liability, Vehicle Insurance, Umbrella Coverage, Workman's Compensation. Does he have adequate and legally binding insurance to run a business using personal vehicles and home? Does he pay Unemployment Taxes? Health Insurance?
If you did an internet search for your service provider, where would you find him? Does he have a registered business office or does he operate via cell phone using a P. O. Box? Does he have a use permit to operate a business out of his home?
Are your assets insured in the event of damage or loss when they are in transit or in his care and control?
Is his equipment UL/ETL listed (Insurance Institute for Safety against Fire and Electrocution)? Is it NSF listed for sanitation to meet local health department codes?
Does the roaster or importer have a US physical office with adequate product liability insurance coverage?


text:
Hampshire Mobile Wedding DJ
Hampshire is a wonderful area to get married in as it has so many amazing towns, villages and other historically rich areas from which to choose. Choosing the right wedding venue in an area as large as Hampshire is tough.
We are based in the New Forest near Southampton, so can offer you a wealth of knowledge in these areas -- just ask. You can also have a look at our wedding venues tab at the top of the page. Some of our favourite venues in the New Forest include Careys Manor, Rhinefield House, Beaulieu Domus, Master Builders and Bartley Lodge.
We provide mobile DJ entertainment services through the whole area of Hampshire and we specialise in a modern approach so you will not get your stereotypical mobile DJ. We cater for a very wide range of musical genres and take a very in-depth tracklist from yourselves in our client meetings, which you have face to face with Your DJ. That way Your DJ can distinguish exactly what you want from your wedding entertainment.
'No chat, no cheese: no excuses!'
What we do best:
NO -- cheesy music or mediocre school disco DJs!
We will meet you at your venue before booking.
We LOVE unique music lists and requests on the night.
Recommended / in-house supplier at 7 Southampton venues.
We only use the best DJs and Wedding Hosts possible!
All DJs have PLI Insurance and PAT tested equipment.
Music mixed professionally without gaps or insane chatter!
We only manage a maximum of 4 bookings on any one night.
State of the art DJ equipment -- duplicate equipment for back up.
10 years of wonderful weddings and thousands of happy clients!


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Filed under: Activate, Culture, Faith and Faith Life, Media & Art, Missions, Music | Tags: audition, light, love, shadows, Songs, songwriting, Theology
Sunday, July 15 2012: Teaching from Colossians 2:15-17, our pastor spoke on what he calls "God's shadow activity." For over 25 years, as a professor and expert in theology, he has tried to make sense of the God we see on the Cross -who abhors wars and violence, taught us to turn the other cheek and sacrifice ourselves in love for even our enemies, and expressed that core truth in the most inconceivable way when He suffered a God-forsaken death by crucifixion – and the God of the Old Testament who seems, at times, to have been a genocidal, ethno-centric maniac who commanded Israel time and again to slaugher hundreds of thousands of men, women, children, infants. Our pastor's theory – which makes sense to me and finally articulats both the tension I've always sensed in the contradiction and a reasonable reconciliation – is that these were God's "shadow activites." That just as a shadow acts as a negative contrast to what is real, and in so doing points to reality, so these situations show God not as He is, but as He is not. They show Him bearing their sin as His own, and thereby showing who He really is: the selfless Savior. Rather than denying and rebuking their behavior altogether from the get-go, as His true character does (which we see fully in the person, teachings, and life of Jesus), He becomes one of them (in Christ, but also as "The God of Israel"), takes on their sin as His own (even though He himself knows no sin and abhors the sin), and shows Himself to be quite the opposite of them: utterly selfless in His love for them and for all mankind….so selfless as to take on their sin to show how far He's willing to go to win them. I can't explain it as succinctly or adequately, and I know a lot of people will label him (and probably me also) a heretic (again) for even voicing the idea. But it makes sense to me. And it brought back to my mind a lyric I wrote who-knows-how-long-ago, "Love is not the shadow but the light that casts it on less important things." [For a fuller understanding, listen to the sermon here (it's worth it).]
Monday, July 16 2012: I took a pretty big risk yesterday, threw myself way out on a limb, and after being personally "sought out" by a talent producer and allowed to skip the cattle call and move straight to "call backs," I auditioned for one of those televised karaoke contests. And I failed. Miserably. I honestly don't think I've ever sung so off-key, or tried so painfully – and obviously – hard to impress people, or just been NOT myself. I don't know what I was trying to be, other than hopefully something the judges liked. And it was stupid, because the whole reason I was invited to audition in the first place was because they DID like me already. I put way too much pressure on myself, on the audition, on the opportunity, and I seriously effed it up. They may have even laughed as I left. And so for the rest of the day, I was reliving the horror. Going, "Wow, this is what I do, and yet I can't actually do it." Thinking, "This is the story of my recent life: When the time comes, I am utterly incapable of doing what ought to be so basic and natural. I couldn't have a baby without screwing up so badly that I almost died even though this is what women do. I couldn't successfully audition for a singing contest when singing is what I do. I felt like a colossal failure. Utterly inadequate.
Today: Yesterday's crap audition and Sunday's sermon gelled a bit in my mind. I've wanted, for ages, to finish that lyric…to see it bloom into a song. But the rest of the song just wasn't there. And truthfully, I've been in every place other than the Songwriting Place lately. So it slipped to the recesses of my mind. But I took it with me into yesterday's audition, thinking "maybe this is the love…". And as I went over and over the whole situation, I was reminded: God, HE is Love, and He doesn't withhold any good thing. He doesn't cast shadows over good things in order to tease us. He is the Light, and He shines the light to cast shadows on lesser things, to draw our faces to Him. To reality. To what He actually desires for us, rather than what we want Him to desire for us. He turns us from our shadowy selfish will to His glorious, inconceivable design.
I've been reminded over and over and over this year that "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind conceived what God has planned for those who love Him." (1 Cor 2:9) I've been reminded to turn my eyes to Him, to seek Him in the promise that He will be found, and to dream inconceivable things.
I think the dreams I've had for myself, though lofty, have been far too stereotypical and, I confess, entirely selfish. I want a massive audience to enjoy and be moved by my songs, so I can sell CDs and make a living doing not only what I love to do, but what I'm meant to do…what I can't not do.
Every time I've "almost" gotten there…or developed some momentum…or had an opportunity that could or should rocket me forward…it's gone awry, and – as time always tells – in the most beautiful ways. I've been given little tastes of That, and then been reminded there are better, sweeter, richer, more eternal things to be done.
There are songs to be written for and with broken people…forgotten people…people here and there and everywhere who actually own my heart even if we've never met. People who deserve a voice, even if it's only mine.
I've been reminded that when a shadow falls over the plans I've drawn up for myself, it's not the meanness of God, but His great goodness and love that cast that shadow to draw my eyes to Him.
And today…I caught a glimpse.
Today, I turned my face to the Light rather than dwelling on the shadow.
Today the words came.
"Love is Not the Shadow"
dark are the days
i am seeking your face
i am finding you are ever near
branches below
they announce where i go
as i step and stumble around here
and there are times when i feel
hopelessly alone
when i am begging to belong
and to be loved
and to be known
and you say
hope is hiding where i least expect to find it
faith grows not in what you want, but i need need and
love is not the shadow but the light that casts it
on less important things
with each new sunrise
new questions arise
and i strain to hear what you will say
as often as not
you are silent, i'm caught
by the need to trust you anyway
these are the times when i feel hopeless and alone
and i am begging to be heard
and to believe
and to behold…
when you say
hope is hiding where i least expect to find it
faith is growing not in what i want but need and
love is not the shadow but the light that casts it
on less important things
God always speaks most clearly when I least expect it. Usually when I'm wallowing.
Take tonight, for example. I was browsing Jeremy Cowart's unbelievable photography, clicking through gallery after gallery of people famous, beautiful, and/or rich enough to hire him. (Oh, that I had the money to pay him to make me look like a celebrity. Ha!) A small seed of jealousy set in and I began to think, "Why can't I be important enough for someone to become my manager and make me famous and hire Jeremy to take my picture for a magazine or an album cover or something very cool that would show the world how truly unique and important I am? Woe is me; woe is me indeed."
Yes, I confess: I am addicted to myself, and sometimes it's rears its head like that one really scary scene in Lord of the Rings when the elf queen lady Galadrial gets that wonky voice and looks like a skeleton and starts talking about ruling the world…you know, when Frodo is practically sleep-walking? Anyway, that's how I look when I get like this.
Anyway, so back to the point: Tonight, I was doing that…looking at amazing photos of disturbingly beautiful and famous people and wishing I was like them and wondering why I'm not, when I skipped to the next gallery – the "Voices of Haiti" gallery.
After the devastating earthquake of 2010, Jeremy took a team down to Port-Au-Prince, where they documented the aftermath. He says in the gallery's intro, "After the 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti on January 12th of this year, I was deeply moved as most of you were. For days I watched as the television flashed images of gloom and doom… dead bodies, crumbled buildings… It just felt like a heartless display of numbers and statistics. 'How were the people feeling?' I wondered. I was tired of hearing endless reports from strangers that just arrived to this devastated nation. So I decided to go to Port-Au-Prince myself and ask them directly. My question was simply 'What do you have to say about all this?' This photo essay reveals the many answers to that question."
As I scrolled through the photos of homeless, broken, lost, and abandoned men, women, and children who'd lost house, home, life, livelihood, and family members, I was struck again by the simple truth that while we know almost none of their names (except, perhaps, Jeremy & crew), these people and their five-worded-statements had the power to profoundly change their photographer and doubtless countless others…like me.
Theirs is the reality I want to be part of. Theirs are the lives in which I want to invest. Theirs is the hope I want to see flourish. Theirs are the futures I want to see become. They are nobodies. They are everybody.
And they are, I'm quite certain, first on Jesus' mind and heart.
These people don't know me, nor I them. They aren't famous. They aren't modelesque in beauty. They are – according to their own country and most of ours – incidental and forgettable at best. There are millions of people just like them in Haiti, in Uganda, in India, in Cambodia…all over the world, people in dire need of help whose best hope is a guy like Jeremy taking their pictures and showing it to us, that we might be moved enough to see them as Real and equal, and do something.
Even if all we do at this moment is recognize their inherent, incomparable value, and our brotherhood with them.
So yeah. I guess my choices, if I want to be photographed by Jeremy Cowart, are to either a) become sickeningly beautiful and famous, or b) move to a rundown, third-world city too few care about, and live among unnamed masses too few have heard about.
Jeremy did his job tonight. He made me fall in love with the face in the photo. He made me want to live among them. He made me want to be part of something bigger and infinitely more important than celebrity and wealth and influence. He got me out of myself.
And he made me desperately miss Gulu, and ever more anxious to return to the only place I've felt I truly belonged.
Filed under: africa, Baby, Culture, Faith and Faith Life, Home Life, Humanitarianism, Media & Art, Missions, Music, Politics
Having realized January 1, 2011 was not only the beginning of a new year but a new decade as well, I feel obligated to contribute yet another top ten list to the great expansive black hole that is "Top Ten Lists From Random Users of Facebook, The Blogosphere, and Other Social Networking Utilities."
Now, of course, because 2010 was a rather significant year in my personal history, there will inevitably be some carry-over, and the year will provide two equally significant memories, which do not "tie" for first, but which cannot be discluded here either. The same thing happens in 2001 and in a couple other years. But only because each of the significant happenings of those years are too significant to leave out of this story.
This will surely be an exercise in both memory (which will be entertaining not only because it's fun, but because pregnant-woman memory is notoriously hole-y) and creativity (as I will try to only choose the best of the best and/or most significant of the significant memories, and find an accompanying photo to boot. Disclaimer: There will be times when no photo is retrievable aside from me digging through my attic and employing the scanner…in which case no photo will be applied. Because I am lazy today).
So once again, here goes.
IN THE YEAR 2000, I was half-way through my freshman year at Oak Hills Christian College, during which time I not only neglected to vote in the first elections for which I was actually eligible to vote (bad news), but I also performed for the first time with a band (good news). I tried my best at (and did an OK job of) rocking out to Jennifer Knapp's "Into You" from her second studio album, 'Lay It Down.' This was the beginning of what would later become "something."
IN THE YEAR 2001, some rather passionate and – if I may say – crazy men crashed three planes into the Twin Towers and near the Pentagon, and I paid $5/gallon for gasoline. No one wants to remember the gruesomeness of 9/11/01, much less the snowball of events it set in motion…least of all me. But in reality, this was the moment of the year. This was the event they were all referring to when they told me, "For every person, there will be an event so culturally and socially significant that she will be able to look back and remember exactly where she was, what she was doing, and what thoughts crossed her mind when the event struck." For many in my parents' generation, that day was – until 9/11, anyway – the day JFK was assassinated. For all of us, 9/11 will forever be that day.
Later in 2001, I met Jennifer Knapp for the first time. She does not remember meeting me then. I would not expect her to, but I nevertheless have the picture to prove it. It is significant for reasons to come.
IN THE YEAR 2002, I made the first record I was ever going to make of some pretty amazingly crappy songs. And thanks to my fellow Oakies (that's what we students at Oak Hills Christian College called ourselves when we were feeling particularly sentimental and/or stupid), the word got out that this girl Amy Courts made music. (I pray, to this day, that all copies of those early recordings have been either lost or destroyed. God forbid anyone should ever be subjected to that awful noise ever again.) (And once again, no photo can be provided. You'll just have to trust me: it happened. And it really was that bad.)
IN THE YEAR 2003, I graduated from college. I don't have a picture to prove it – well, actually, I'm sure I do, but I'm not going to dig it out. I do have a diploma to prove it, which I'm also not going to dig out and scan. But it did happen. And I have made little use of my college education since. After that, I moved to Nashville TN to begin the career I was never meant to have…in professional musical performance. For the previous four years – all throughout my college career – I was dead set against a career having anything to do with music. Never mind that writing songs was easily the most satisfying and natural thing to do. Never mind all those Oakies who said, "you really should think about doing this for a living." Never mind all that. Because I was NOT going to be "that girl" who moved to Nashville to become a singer and became a waitress instead. But alas…when God closes one door… Or rather, when God slams every. single. other. available door in your face, you go through the lone open door. So when the Denver doors slammed…and the Nebraska doors slammed…and the other doors slammed…there stood one lonely open door, behind which stood this rather amazing girl named Katie Spain who willingly offered a home to a perfect stranger. She is now my best friend. (Sorry, no photos of those early days in Nashville, or of me and Katie, so a picture of me with Katie's daughters will have to suffice.)
IN THE YEAR 2004, I met Paul Koopman, the unbelievable singer/songwriter who's voice and songs so immediately melted me that I felt compelled to fearlessly approach him (which I NEVER do…or did…until then) to praise his undeniable talent. This began a professional relationship that would later turn, uh, well, pretty personal. He was, after all, the man who would later become my husband. That's pretty significant…and (lucky you) self-explanatory.
IN THE YEAR 2005, after nearly 18 months of dating – nine of which were long distance (which, might I add, is not for the faint of heart) – that man proposed to me. Also significant and self-explanatory.
IN THE YEAR 2006, a number of really significant things happened, so I'll only tell you the top two. First of all, we got married. This is a big deal. So big, it was the biggest thing to ever happen to me up until that point. It was the best day of my life up til then, but – I'm happy to say – has been exceeded by even happier days in the nearly five years since then. Amazing, eh? OH! And guess what else I got when I got married? Not just a husband…a stepson too. Who is, for the record, the greatest 14 year old on the planet (and I dare anyone to challenge that).
And the other big thing that happened in 2006 was that I (finally, after nearly two years of working on it) released my debut EP. Again, a significant accomplishment not only because it was the reason for which I moved to Nashville in the first place, but also because these were seven songs I was truly proud to give to the world (for $.99/each or $10/album, thankyouverymuch). As it were, that album is still available for your purchase and enjoyment today. (Like how I did that? What kind of artist would I be if I didn't slip a sale or two in here…? On that note, if you want to purchase the album or individual songs, simply click on the photo to be redirected to my store. MAN I'm good at this!)
IN THE YEAR 2007, having decided (with the blessing of my husband) to quit my job and do this musical career full-on, balls-to-the-wall, I went on my first tour. This was a very big, impressive thing for me. I sent out hundreds of emails, made hundreds of phone calls, and (with the equal effort and help of my enduring tour mate and fellow indie artist Katy Kinard), set about playing something like 10 or 12 shows in 14 days…over Easter…in Kansas and Colorado. It was a rather huge step for us both, and more fun than I can say, despite that I somehow caught a cold that nearly killed me by the end (and despite that I returned from those 14 days with nodules on my vocal cords). What an incredible experience!
IN THE YEAR 2008, I released my second album, a full length record with 10 of my most favorite songs. It was a bit of a bigger deal than the first (if you can imagine) simply because of everything we invested – time, energy, soul, money – to make it exactly what I wanted and needed it to be. It was also the first time I even considered – much less followed through with – recording a song written by someone else. But not only did I record the song; I took the album's title from its lyrics. So if anyone is wondering why the song "Breathe" is so outstandishly brilliant compared to the other nine songs on the record, now you know: It's because Paul Koopman (yes, my husband) wrote it. (Again, if you're curious to hear and/or purchase the record, simply click on the album cover below. Wink, wink.)
IN THE YEAR 2009, once again, two pretty amazing things happened, neither of which can be left out of this. Actually, three incredible things. I'll start with the least incredible. First, in April and September of 2009 I ran my first half marathons (13.1 miles). It doesn't sound that exciting, considering that literally hundreds of thousands of people cover this distance at hundreds of thousands of races every year. But for me – the girl who never even ran until 2004, and who certainly never saw herself covering any distance greater than 3 miles at a time – it was pretty huge. And it was the gateway into one of the most satisfying and rewarding things I do: run distances. Running long distances has saved me from a) going crazy, b) getting morbidly obese (thanks to the way too much food I consume; again: I run to eat), and c) devolving back into a grossly insecure person who controlled her life by anorexia. Running is perhaps the greatest lesson one will learn regarding what the body can do, and even more significantly what the mind can do…with the proper training and care.
In October 2009, I finally traveled to Gulu, Uganda…a place to which my heart had been aching to journey for three years prior. There's no short way of telling that story, except to say it did exactly what I expected and feared it would do: change me, utterly and irrevocably. (The long story, for those who are interested, can be read here or by clicking on the picture below.)
And finally, upon returning to the States after those 10 incredible days in Gulu, the third significant thing happened: Jennifer Knapp – my favorite singer/songwriter of all time, who seven years prior simply vanished from the earth (well, OK, from the music scene anyway) – reappeared. She started following me on Twitter; she added me to her top friends on Myspace; and then – miracle of miracles – she came to one of my shows, specifically to see me, and liked it. She liked it so much that three weeks later she invited me to join her on stage at the Belcourt Theater here in Nashville and sing with her on some of my favorite of her songs. It was surreal. It was magical. And it really. Did. Happen. And THEN we became friends. (And I pinched myself about ten times daily, thinking, "What is happening? To what magical universe have I been transported where dreams really do come true!? This MUST be some hidden-camera Disney movie…")
AND IN THE YEAR 2010, well…you all know the Top Ten (and Top Two) happenings last year! I went on tour with not just one, but TWO of my musical heroes: Jennifer Knapp AND Derek Webb (you can see that post here, or click the photo below)…
…And I made a Baby with Paul Koopman!
I HAVE NO IDEA what 2011 or the decade ahead holds. But if it's even half as good – and I trust it will be, given that the God I serve and am continually amazed by makes a habit of outdoing Himself all the time – I will be an evermore satisfied woman. And that's really all I can hope for.
Cheers to the next ten years!
Filed under: africa, Culture, Faith and Faith Life, Missions, Music, Video
I believe I've used the word "beautiful" more over the past two weeks to describe what I saw and experienced in Gulu and the Acholi than I have my whole life over. And part of me wishes for a new, better, more powerful – or just different – adjective.
But the truth is, no other word does them justice.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
The first video above (created by the brilliant Stephen Proctor of gi*inc) is just a splinter from the Sunday church service we attended (to which some incredible Faithful's walked 50 miles). It portrays the simple honesty and incomparable joy inherent in their worship. It was unequivocally the most vibrant celebration I've ever seen happen among the people of God on any given Sunday. The Acholi know joy.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
This second is a piece Stephen put together using only flip camera footage, which captured the reality of their beautiful light and tuned me in to my shadowy life. I still can't avoid tears when I see it and remember their perfect faces.
To be sure, True Light is brighter than it ever was, and "Beauty" has never been more perfectly defined.
Filed under: Activate, africa, Culture, Humanitarianism, Missions, Music, Uncategorized
This has been such a difficult blog to write. I want so much to share everything about Gulu and the Acholi people, but feel a need to give you the brightest highlights and keep the rest to myself until it rises to the surface of circumstance. Not because it's not worth sharing, but because I fear in sharing it without context, it might lose power. I don't know, but I don't yet want to take the risk. I am certain, though, that as time moves us forward, stories will be shared as they relate to circumstances and my experience will prove itself something beyond time.
For now, I'll share the part that changed me at my core.
God began something early on that I knew would break me by week's end. Traveling with a team of artists and musicians whose experience and notoriety far exceeds my own, I confess the desire to prove myself equal. Though my stage and audience are considerably smaller, I wanted to clarify that "I'm just as good." Quite shameful on its own, even more in light of where we were and why.
So on Sunday, after an indescribable morning church service attended by 150+ Acholi from distances as far as 50 miles, we went to the Home of Love to spend the afternoon sharing music, playing our own guitar-based American songs as the kids giggled with delight, and watching them sing and dance to their own rhythms and melodies. It was both beautiful and terrible, mostly because after sharing my own song and declaring it utterly suckful, I sunk into myself and allowed pride to overwhelm me.
That evening as I prayed and scoured the Word for some kind of encouragement or affirmation, a promise from God that I am, indeed, good enough for both my team and the Acholi, God slapped me across the face saying, "Who exactly do you think you are? Why on earth would your songs matter more here than mine, and why should I share my glory and honor and approval with you? Have you learned nothing of these people? Do you still not realize that they recognize and crave what's eternal, and the only eternal thing you can offer them is Me and whatever comes from Me? I brought you here to love them with My love, to serve them, to give of yourself without condition and for My glory, that they may see Christ. And here, still, you seek an ego massage."
I cried myself to sleep that night, overwhelmed but determined to put myself away. There really was no other choice. God is right: whatever I give, in song or deed, if not for and to Him is utterly without and will waste away and be forgotten. And so I would spend the rest of my time seeking only to be a tool. Whether He spoke to or through or around or about me didn't matter, so long as I was surrendered to Him and lifting Him up. Even if that meant just shutting up.
Monday was a new day. We went back to the school to share songs with the kids and paint their handprints on a mural, and as we sang together and taught the kids American praise songs with all the motions, I felt a clean wave of liberty wash over me. What mattered was that I engaged. Whether or not my vocal or guitar playing abilities were up to par wasn't the point. They loved that I was there, and so I was ALL there.
And on Tuesday – our last day – Missy, Genevieve, and I had the extreme honor of attending the Women of Hope meeting and sharing songs and the Word with 200+ women living with HIV/AIDS who meet weekly to hear Scripture and to love, encourage, and comfort one another. They sang their welcoming song when we arrived, and I was immediately asked to sing a couple songs, which I did with relish. They applauded, but I think by the end of the second they were ready for the Word. My English songs may have sounded pretty, but still unintelligible to a group of women who don't speak my language.
So, after being asked to "give the message," Missy and Genevieve each read to the women from the Psalms. What's beautiful about these people is that when they ask for the Word of God, they aren't asking for a sermon. They believe the Word speaks for Himself, so they read the Word together and applaud and celebrate God for His goodness in teaching them. They don't need all our hoopla of exegesis and application.
When Missy and Genevieve finished, I was invited back up. I wasn't sure if they wanted more songs or more of the Bible, so I asked. And, to my good humiliation, they made abundantly clear they did not, in fact, want more music, but more of the Word.
So, having just been over this with God, I said, "Sounds good." And I began to read from Isaiah 54. I'm not sure why I chose that passage, and I admit I was unsure whether it would mean anything to them. But the day we arrived I remember reading it and thinking, "this is for these people." For a people who've been torn by war for 23 years, ravaged by disease and poverty, homeless and so often hopeless.
So I read to the women.
"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD. "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God. "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer. "To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace. In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD."
As they heard the chapter in their own language, I watched something amazing happen. Throughout the reading, women cheered and hollered and shouted their "Hallelujah!"s and "AMEN!"s. One woman in the front kept looking at me with tearful eyes, smiling and giving a thumbs-up, apparently pleased with the passage.
And afterwards, when the women gathered to hug us Mzungus (white people) and introduce themselves, many explained their cheers. They are barren women, sick with HIV/AIDS and unable to conceive, abandoned by their husbands and scorned by society, riddled with worry about their children's futures. They said these verses were indeed from God, a gift for them. They celebrate and revel in the promise of an Eternal Husband, a Redeemer who re-purposes the sick woman's life, who Fathers her children and establishes them in peace and righteousness, protecting them from danger, terror, and even death.
I was moved to tears, overcome with gratitude to God for letting me deliver good news that day. It was as if clouds opened up and He pointed down and said, "See! I told you!"
I was even more moved when, in thanks to me (for what?), the Women of Hope gave me a new Acholi name.
Which means,
"I love God."
Filed under: Activate, africa, Culture, Faith and Faith Life, Humanitarianism, Missions, Music
I can't recall ever taking so long or expending so much energy and patience to write a blog. But what I want to tell about Gulu – and more specifically about my experience and why I'll hopefully never be the same – deserves more time, more editing, more energy. I want to give you the best of what they gave me, with as few errors or potholes of distraction as possible. 🙂
Or maybe I'm just an obsessively compulsive perfectionist. Wink, wink.
Either way, until THE blog is ready, I'll share a few pearls I've threaded into a necklace I intend to wear daily.
The Acholi people (the largest tribe in the country, who occupy most of Northern Uganda, and who have for the past two years enjoyed the first tastes of peace after a 23 year civil war waged by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army) are eager and generous with their love and kindness. From daily half-a-block walks to and from the internet cafe marked by countless toothy grins and "How are you? I'm fine!"s, to giggling children who are simply overcome with joy by the fact that Mzungus (white people) want to hear them sing their songs and dance their dances, their love is an effortless and unconditional kind unlike anything I've ever seen. They expect and want nothing but a genuine smile.
Having all lost so much and so many to terror, violence, disease, and disaster, they know how fleeting a moment can be and embrace each with ferocious joy. It's hard not to define them as a dizzyingly happy people, because it's rare to see anyone without a smile. Even when they're feeling ill and asking for prayer, they do it with a smile.
But still, you know they carry the burden of recent history and understand in a special way that life can change or end at any second, so if this one is good, it ought to be celebrated. And celebrate they do.
For me, just being an observer among them for a week was liberating. It may be because the economy won't allow for it, or more likely because they just know better than to waste time with such pettiness, the Acholi have little time and patience for vanity. Clothes don't match and are rarely perfectly clean. Cosmetics are an expensive luxury, one most refuse in favor of covering their feet or feeding their families. Self-expression through fashion or hair style seems unlikely, as their clothing is either the "imported" castaways from America's thrift stores or made from cheap materials; and most men, women, and children alike wear short or shaved hair. It's better to keep away lice and other bugginess. And deoderant? What's deoderant?
I can't describe how freeing it was to be among people who aren't silently analyzing my fashion choices or checking my legs to see if they're shaved. It was nice to know that if, after a long day of painting, my Secret was all worn off, no one would notice much less care. I'm white, so I'm going to I stand out. Any details beyond that aren't worth following.
What's more, I saw in them a desire simply to show us they're kind and warm, forward-moving and modern; That they're cheerful and can find beauty and humor in nearly anything; That they're resourceful and creative, hard working, intelligent, and most of all good. They love and crave God and His goodness. They have much more to offer than war. They want to learn and teach. They want to create.
Above all, they are a community-driven people. They've all lost family and friends to war, so they ferociously grip the relationships they now have as a life source. It was rare to see anyone walking anywhere alone. And in the evenings, when most Americans are holed up in their giant homes on acres of "private property" watching fake lives play out on flat screen TVs, safe from the annoying distractions of other humans, the Acholi are hanging out and enjoying one another. One evening, we saw a group of at least 50 people gathered around one small TV for a major soccer event! They don't go home until the restaurant's generator is turned off and they're sent away. And whether they've known you for years or you're meeting for the first time, they treat you as a kindred soul and intimate friend. Even the Mzungus.
The children are no different. Whether walking home from school in groups, navigating the market for dinner, giving you the tour of their school or orphanage, or selling sugar cane across the street, they're quick to extend a hand to shake and even quicker to offer a wide grin to a stranger. I guess, to them, no one is a stranger.
Quite simply, they want to love and be loved.
They were concerned not with appearances – with impressing us with fancy clothes or fresh scents, huge hotel suites, or five-star meals (though they did an incredible job at making our stay as comfortable and upscale as possible within the context of their culture) – but with making us, the Mzungus, feel welcome, comfortable, and at home.
And I did. I felt as at home with them as I ever have in America.
Toward the end of the week I took a moment to sit down with Judith, one of the hotel staff who seemed to rather enjoy my silliness and my inability to speak their language correctly despite both our efforts. She thought my self-depricating jokes were hilarious. She liked that I wore crazy-looking shirts. And, pulling me aside, she said, 'Miss Ahh-mee, you are very down to ground. Most Mzungus don't like us…they think we're bad and useless, just full of war and disease. But you…I like you. And I like that you like me." I told her she was quite easy to like, and she liked that too. We both decided we were soul sisters, and that one of us – most likely me – was just born the wrong color and on the wrong continent.
One of our team later told me that Judith told him I'm actually African.
And recalling that makes me miss my other home, my other family, even more.
Yesterday morning, as I ate some cereal, drank some (delicious) coffee, and perused Little Rock's local-yokel magazine, Soiree, reading about "women to watch" in the area, I got to thinking about success.
I suppose it was a natural progression of thought springing from the definitions given by the watchable women, most of whom agreed success was tied either to greater levels of wealth or power in the ever-changing, dangerous organism that is capitalism at work.
And perhaps it had a little to do with the fact that I was waking up from a two day stint in Little Rock, where I gave two of what I'd consider my best concerts ever.
Neither was particularly "well attended." One was a private concert for the men and women served by Little Rock's Union Rescue Mission, and followed a couple hours of serving them dinner and hearing some incredible life stories. Including the kiddos, there may have been fifty people hanging out on the lawn in the balmy evening heat to listen to me sing and talk. The second concert was open to the public but predominantly attended by young people ranging from 13 to 16 in age. Again, when all was said and done, numbers counted and all, there were probably about 50 of us hanging out for the evening.
But wow. As I drove away this morning, I felt pretty successful.
After the concert on the lawn for the URM, one woman wrote and passed me a note about her experience. She said she couldn't explain it in a conversation, because she'd end up crying her way through. But in her note, she spoke of the lost years she lived as a prostitute and drug addict, which were odd juxtaposed to her upbringing under a Baptist minister. She appreciated what she called "fearless" songs; songs that look at the darker, harsher, deeper sides of life – sides so many people can't relate to, much less discuss, much less publically. She appreciated the "real"ness of it. And while thanking me for being usable in Lord's hands, I was quietly thanking God for affirming me and my passion. And what a gift it was to go back to the Dorcas House today and spend a bit more time with those women who spend their days overcoming.
The second concert was equally encouraging, though in different ways. Like I said, it was for youth. Teenagers who don't have a lot of money to either buy CDs or join Mocha Club. Teenagers who typically don't appreciate the deeper things as much as we old soul's do. Teenagers who might have been humoring their youth pastor by sitting quietly through my concert. But these guys…they were fun. They were generous. And they gave of themselves. They came and served with me at the URM. And after the concert, they gave up their money for bigger things. Many of them joined Mocha Club, and set the age of selflessness just a couple years younger. Many wanted to buy CDs and purchase jewelry or bags created by women rescued from sex slavery, but only having the money for one, chose to be part of the rescue efforts. And a few of them even let me sign their arms…and thought THEY got away with the best end of the deal.
As I look back over the last couple days, I feel lucky. I feel affirmed. I feel hopeful. I feel an overwhelming sense of awe as leaves take form on the branches of trees that were mere seeds in my palm just a few years ago. And I know I'm moving in the right direction and tilling the right soil when I am part of the passing out of Hope to people who know to grab hold of it, or am able to facilitate – or just watch! – young people stepping into the role of giver while most of their peers remain content simply to receive.
Indeed, money or no money, tour bus or no tour bus, arena or no arena, fame or no fame…Tonight, I am satisfied in my soul and in want of nothing.


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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Beginning Wednesday, first-time or lapsed clients seeking cash assistance through Utah's Department of Workforce Services must first take an online drug-screening survey to determine whether they are likely substance abusers.
Those who score high will then need to take an actual drug test. While a positive reading will not block access to aid under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, applicants will be required to get into drug treatment programs and stay clean or those benefits will be cut off.
The new policy stems from HB155, a bill spearheaded by Rep. Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, during the 2012 legislative session.
An estimated five to 10 percent of TANF recipients are drug-dependent, Wilson said, "and we hoped to get them the help they need early in the process and get them back to work quicker."
Most TANF clients will qualify for Medicaid, which will help cover the cost of their treatment, Wilson added.
However, advocates for the low income raised concerns about potential fallout.
"From the beginning we've opposed drug testing folks who are applying for public assistance," said Gina Cornia, executive director for Utahns Against Hunger. She views such policies as demeaning distractions from the core mission of getting parents into meaningful work."The big underlying issue for me," Cornia said, "is the assumption that people who need state assistance must be doing something wrong."
Michigan and Florida faced legal challenges when they mandated drug testing of TANF recipients, and in both cases those laws were struck down as unconstitutional.
According to Utah DWS spokesman Curt Stewart, licensed clinical therapists will assess the results of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory, or SASSI, an online tool that applicants can complete within 15 to 20 minutes.
Information on the National Institutes of Health website describes the psychological screening measure as 93 percent accurate.
HB155 penalizes TANF clients who refuse to take drug tests or who fail the tests and refuse treatment or who get treatment and do not stay clean. They become ineligible for cash assistance for 90 days upon the first occurrence within one year. The second occurrence during that year cuts off benefits for a period of one year.
Sharon Abegglen, emergency services director for Salt Lake Community Action Program, worries that the new law could further denigrate an already vulnerable population.
"[Drug use] is a reality of our society, and we still need to treat people as human beings," Abegglen said. "It's important that we address the real issue and not be punitive."
Abegglen also said she is concerned about how children could be impacted.
"We have to be careful what we take on and look at the entire family when services are not provided," Abegglen said.
False positives often occur on drug tests. While DWS absorbs the cost of the first drug test, a client who tests positive and requests a second test must pay for it out of pocket and will be reimbursed only if the result is negative, Stewart said.
Adam Trupp, general counsel for Utah Association of Counties, said he watched HB155 carefully as it made its way through the legislative process "to make sure it didn't go too far."
His conclusion: "As long as there were efforts to provide treatment along with testing, it seemed like a reasonable approach."
However, Utah's current treatment capacity already falls short of meeting the needs of the general population, Trupp said.
"If there is no demonizing of people on public assistance and no blanketing of benefit recipients as drug users," he said, "then we're comfortable with the concept of getting more people into treatment."
firstname.lastname@example.com: @catmck
What is the SASSI test?
The test was first published in 1988 by the private SASSI Institute, based in Indiana. The brief, self-reported screening measure is available in separate versions for adults and adolescents. Both help identify individuals who have a high probability of having a substance-dependence disorder. The company claims the adult test has an overall accuracy rate of 93 percent, and the teen SASSI is 94 percent accurate.
Source: The SASSI Institute


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PREA stands for the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Sept. 4, 2003. The final regulatory standards to implement PREA went into effect on Aug. 20, 2012.
The department takes very seriously its PREA responsibilities in order to ensure public safety, secure correctional facilities and a safe environment for all offenders.
What is the purpose of PREA?
PREA is intended to address the detection, prevention, reduction and prosecution of sexual harassment and sexual assault in all correctional facilities in the country.
To what facilities does PREA apply?
PREA applies to all confinement facilities in the state. This includes all prisons, jails, police lock-ups, juvenile facilities, Immigration detention centers, court holding facilities, and community corrections facilities (home monitoring, probation, parole, half-way houses).
Methods of Reporting for Inmates:
- Verbal or written report to any staff member.
- Submission of a DC-135A, Inmate Request to Staff Member.
- Incidents of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and retaliation can be reported in writing by sending correspondence through the mail to the BCI/PREA Coordinator at
1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110.
- Request more information from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape,
P.O. Box 400, Enola, PA 17025.
Methods of Reporting for Staff, Contractors and Volunteers:
- Verbal report to the Security Captain or Shift Commander.
- Submission of a written Incident/Extraordinary Occurrence report.
Statistical Data
- Download 2018 PREA Statistical Data (DOCX)
- Download 2017 PREA Statistical Data (DOCX)
- Download 2016 PREA Statistical Data (DOCX)
- Download 2015 PREA Statistical Data (DOCX)
- Download 2014 PREA Statistical Data (DOCX)
Audit reports


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Why some slumdogs feel like millionaires and some millionaires like slumdogs: The theory of multiple poverty lines
Post on Facebook: "Very cool website (http://globalrichlist.com/) … plug in your annual income and see your rank on the global rich list. It totally stumped me! On the one hand I almost feel guilty now to ask for a pay hike :) but then relatively speaking I am on the poverty line compared to the really really rich folks!!"
A London taxi driver: "I went to India – people had so little but they were smiling and happy. Why? I have stopped complaining."
What is rich? And what is poor? Why do some really rich people complain about not having enough to support their lavish lifestyles? And what keeps some people with low incomes happy and contented?
What consumers buy, the choices they make, the images and media messages they respond to are strongly influenced by the consumer's level of affluence. What exactly is affluence?


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Nervous that you may pick the wrong outsourcing vendor?
Of course, you ought to be (because you'd hear more horror stories than fairy tales)!
We'll be your wise counsel. A real human will assist you in finding the right vendor, no matter how long it takes and you don't need to pay us a penny!
A wonderful experience. Very professional!! The end result is just what I was looking for, and it was created in a very timely manner. I am already recommending Magento India!
Great contractor. I will always consider him for another Magento project.
Contractor has done the work as promised and without any delays... I am very satisfied and will hire again.
(You'll be contacted by an advisor from ContractIQ. He'll help you decide if Magento India : E-commerce Development Company is right for your project.)
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Texas Jack was made famous during the late 1800's and early 1900's not only because of his career on the stage but as the hero of many "dime novels" which were popular at the time. Many of his true-to-life adventures were fictionalized in those exciting little books.
An article in the New York Times Magazine of January 4, 1931 states,
"He was the Mustang King - The Conqueror of Cayuses without a rival. Horses came to him on the end of a lariat, and when he chose the wrong one in the dark, he could not coax it to go home. He was a Knight in Silvered Sombrero, defender of women, subduer of bullies...He fought Comanches by the tribe—and put them to death or flight. He led cavalry to the rescue of wagon trains. He saved officers' ladies from prairie fires...He had a heart so soft that it never failed the innocent and the friendless."
In the words of another writer, Texas Jack "...is a pleasant man who made friends easily, a man with a smile and a joke for all, but very dangerous when his anger was aroused."
Is it any wonder then that all of these traits, together with his many exciting exploits in the wilderness, made fine copy for the dime novelist? One such experience took place when Jack was at Fort McPherson:
Caught alone one day, many miles from the fort, the whole hostile Comanche tribes surrounded Jack and cut off escape. The Indians, well familiar with his ability with the rifle, did not attack even though they knew he was alone, but tried to starve him out. After several days, Jack decided to make the attack himself and ordered his horse to lie down as he had been trained to do.
As the Indians began advancing on him, he took a position behind his horse and opened repeating rifle fire over the horses back. Every shot brought down a Redskin. The others retreated, then started at him from the rear. Jack just turned his horse around and repeated the demonstration of marksmanship. Having thus dispersed the Indians, he got on his horse and rode back to the fort unharmed, where he had been given up for lost. Needless to say, he was joyfully met by the inhabitants of the fort who greeted him with delight.


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SSH's growing MEP Team have been ranked #7 amongst the Top 20 MEP Consultants by for MEP Middle East Magazine in the 2016 edition. The publication's survey has recognised SSH's leadership across the region's MEP consulting community, our top-ten ranking for two years in a row. The team is primarily based out of SSH's Dubai office, but flexible and mobile to work on our regional projects.
Always striving for greatness, SSH is an advocate for improvement in MEP delivery across the region, using BIM and Revit in all our projects, providing extensive training internally, and striving to support higher expectations from clients.
The annual power list is administered by MEP Middle East who surveys the regions' largest MEP consultants based on revenues achieved in 2015 and forecast for 2016. Consequently, the team size of our operation, the number of MEP and BIM engineers based in the region, as well as number of GCC nationals and women working at SSH were taken into consideration.


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Farmington, Maine - UMF men's Alpine enters their first weekend of the regular season on January 14th. Even with the weather not being ideal before the race UMF is excited and ready to compete at Titcomb Mt. Reynolds Slalom.
The men's team has newcomers that will look to make an impact this season. The newcomers are led by our strong group of returners.
The men's team welcomes five new skiers to the team. Welcoming three freshmen, Axel Lindsay (ME), Charlie de Haas (ME), and Ben Higgins (ME). Also joining the team sophomores Stuart Cole (ME), and Curtis Paradis (ME). Returning to the men's roster is captain's; junior, Jed Stevens (ME) and sophomore Mike Miller (ME). Rounding out the returners is Kyle Farrington (ME) and Braden Brothers (MA).
The men's team has both youth and veteran racing experience this season, looking to capitalize on their leadership and top end speed in the Reynolds GS opener.
Follow the team on http://www.live-timing.com/ as our very own Farmington Beavers take on the Bowdoin Polar Bears, Bates Bobcats (club), Colby Mules (club), and UMaine Black Bears.


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Enjoy plush seating and panoramic views above aboard the Nusa Jaya Cruise Fast Boat.The Boat is equipped with 84 reclining seats. Standar Safety equipment ensure safe and comfortable cruise to Nusa Penida Island in 40 minutes.
A Comfortable cabin | Powerfull Engines | Safety Equipment insurance | Mineral Water | Helpful Crews


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How to Take Care of Chinese Elm Hedges
You can't stop your neighbors from building an ugly addition, but you can plant a fast-growing privacy hedge with Chinese elm ((Ulmus parvifolia) trees to hide it. Evergreen in mild climates, a Chinese elm hedge will hide unsightly sheds and buildings, create definition and break up areas in the landscape, and create a wind barrier. It will grow 40 to 50 feet tall unchecked, but with regular pruning you can train it into a low, medium or tall formal hedge. Aside from regular pruning and light feeding, Chinese elm hedges need little extra care.
Fertilize Chinese elm hedges once a year in late winter or early spring. Sprinkle 1/4 cups granular general-purpose plant food around the base of each shrub extending from 1 to 2 inches away from the trunk out to the area under the outer branches. Water right after fertilizing using a slow-soaker hose.
Water when the top 3 to 4 inches of the soil dries out. During wet winter months, you won't have to water unless it is unseasonably dry, but when summer heats up Chinese elm can dry out. Soak the soil slowly with a soaker hose until the area around the roots is damp at least 12 inches deep.
Prune established Chinese elm hedges before the new growth exceeds 12 inches with a pair of lopping shears or a hedge trimmer. For the fast-growing Chinese elm hedge you will need to prune once a month or every other month, depending on the growing conditions and how formal you want the hedge to look.
Sterilize shears and other tools each time after you prune by soaking them in a bucket filled with 1 part bleach and 3 parts water for at least five minutes.
Things Needed
- General-purpose fertilizer
- Slow-soaker hose
- Hedge-trimming shears
- Bleach
- Bucket
- Chinese elm grows aggressively and is invasive in some areas.
- Chinese elm grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5b through 10a.
- This elm doesn't suffer form any significant pest or disease problems.
- When you are establishing a new Chinese elm hedge, space new plants 3 feet apart in a row. This hardy elm grows best in full sun and can survive poor drainage and environmental pollution.
- Chinese elm trees are commonly used as landscape trees and pruned to maintain a single trunk. As a hedge, you can allow the shrub to form its natural multi-stem growth habit to create a denser, fuller barrier.
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Chinese Elm Ulmus Parvifolia
- Garden West Magazine: Steer Your Hedge to a Successful Future
- Gurneys Seed Nursery: Hedges
- Arizona State Cooperative Extension: Pruning Hedges
- Monrovia: Drake's Chinese Elm
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension: Watering Trees and Shrubs
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Disinfecting Pruning Tools
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images


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DECATUR, Ala.- A domestic situation brought the Decatur Police Special Response Unit and SWAT team to Parkplace Street just off Point Mallard Parkway.
"We were dispatched out here about 1:30 this afternoon for a call originally of a domestic with a report of a man with a gun," said Lieutenant Proncey Robertson with Decatur Police.
A woman called police saying she had a disagreement with her ex-boyfriend and he refused to leave her home in the 2100th block of Parkplace Street SE. Police say she reported he had a gun and was making threats to her and himself.
The ex-girlfriend left the residence and called police.
Police blocked incoming traffic and evacuated neighboring homes.
Four hours later, police say the man surrendered peacefully. He is in police custody as the determined whether charges are appropriate. Police will withhold his identity unless charges are filed.
Police say he is scheduled to have a mental evaluation.
No shots were fired.


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We are delighted to be hosting a play about refugees on Saturday 26th November at the Goldmine centre, Lower Hall Lane Walsall WS1 1RR.
It enters into the frightening and fallow mindset of a collective group of refugees and migrants living side by side, head to toe in a container somewhere off the English coast. This is a powerful, entertaining and thought provoking play.
Tickets are available from Monday 19th September via Eventbrite. £10 waged £5 unwaged (Refugees free) Open 7pm curtain up 7.30pm – please bring can of food for the foodbank
We will have a meet and mingle after the play with bring and share.


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As the only student accommodation provider working across four regions and six countries, our specialty is creating tailored student communities that suit the unique culture of each campus, university or city we work with. We incorporate local legislation restrictions, cultural and social expectations and partner requirements without ever compromising on the final experience delivered to our students.
"CLV brings great international experience and expertise in developing student accommodation projects. We look forward to working closely with CLV to achieve our vision for Student Village Melbourne."
In 2003, we partnered with the University of Sydney to open our first site, Sydney University Village. Since then, we have continued to grow and develop partnerships with some of Australia's top ranked universities.
2005 was the year CLV expanded into New Zealand, signing our first lease with Massey University. This was followed by the acquisition of the University of Canterbury's student accommodation and an agreement to develop further housing on the site.
20,000 beds were added to the portfolio in 2006, when we acquired the United States business, Century Campus Housing. Founded in 1986, Century was an established and credible operator in the US student housing market, bringing a wealth of experience into the business.
Given the demand for student housing in the United Kingdom, CLV entered into its first agreement with the University of Salford in 2008, followed by the University of Bedfordshire in 2010. Since then, we have seen exponential growth, with the business doubling in size since 2014 and continuing to grow.
"CLV is genuinely committed to working closely with universities and other education partners, to enhance the student experience. The quality of their offerings and dedication to service marks CLV as a global leader in on-campus student accommodation. Having been the inaugural Chairman of Campus Living Villages from 2006 to 2012, and Vice-Chancellor of The University of New South Wales from 1992 to 2002, I am pleased to be associated with CLV, advising on university partnering and how best to continue delivering at the highest level."
Student accommodation is more than just four walls and a bed, so we focus on creating an exciting student experience that will be remembered for years to come. With us, our residents find a home and a community, including exclusive programs and opportunities that you won't find anywhere else.
We believe in giving back to our community. As a business dedicated to supporting students and young adults, we see ourselves as more than accommodation providers. Supporting charities, encouraging sustainable practices and creating a safe, supportive environment for residents, visitors and staff are important aspects of what we do.