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A little shootin' practice, a little skinny-dipping and Jayne and Kaylee cook up some revenge on Badger...
Title: The Contract / Revenge 2/5
Author: mercsgoodgirl
Disclaimer: Joss's toys, my make-believe. No money changed hands and all that.
Paring: Jayne/Kaylee
Rating: PG-15 for adult language, sexual references.
To read the other stories in this long Jaylee story arc, check out my earlier fic by clicking on my name above. This falls between "RED" and "Too Little, Too Late", post OIS, pre BDM. Compliment to my story, THE CONTRACT.
Dedicated to BlueEyedBrigadier, who challenged me to figure this one out. Thanks, BEB!
Technical assistance from my very own bigbadman, with beta by the lovely ArtemisPrime. Italics represent internal dialogue.
Nothing so pleases and inspires a muse as thoughtful and insightful feedback. Thanks!
Their purchase made, Jayne went next door to the livery stable and rented a couple of horses for the afternoon, asking the stable keeper for directions to nearby open land where they could do some target practice. At the same time, he'd purchased some sandwiches and a couple bottles of beer that he tucked into a saddlebag.
He steadied the bay mare as Kaylee mounted up, then gathered up the reins to his tall sorrel. Putting a boot into the stirrup, he swung a lanky leg over and settled himself into the saddle. He neck-reined the gelding and nudged him to a smart pace, calling back to Kaylee, "Well, come on, darlin'."
It seemed to Kaylee that her senses were sharper than usual after the cool quietness of the gunshop, and she drank in the fresh air, enjoying the hypnotic rhythm of her horse's movements and the rugged beauty of the big man beside her.
The late morning sun was bright and warm, but a sweet, clean wind kept the day from being uncomfortable as Jayne and Kaylee cantered out of Troy and along a dirt track into the countryside. The mercenary was as confident on horseback as he was in a firefight. His narrow hips planted firmly in the saddle with his wide shoulders back, he rode with the ease that only comes from long hours in the saddle.
"I knew Cap grew up on a cattle ranch on Shadow," Kaylee commented, "but I had no idea you ever worked as a cattle hand."
Jayne glanced over at her and chuckled ironically, his mouth curling into a wicked grin. "More like as a cattle thief…"
"Oh, I done all sorts a interestin' things you don't know nothin' about yet, Kaylee-girl. Remember, I'm a big, bad man and you're supposed to be stayin' clear a me."
"That ain't no fun!" she giggled.
To the west of town the land became more hilly and they left behind the orderly fields for tall grass and wide spreading trees. The stable keeper had mentioned an abandoned quarry that would be a good place for shooting, and they came upon it after about fifteen minutes' ride.
They took a minute to scout the quarry, allowing their mounts to drink from the small, clean lake filling the deepest portion. Once the horses had slaked their thirst, Kaylee led them to a shady spot under a gnarled old tree and tied them up to graze while Jayne searched the quarry for things to use as targets.
After showing Kaylee how to load the single chamber of the derringer and wrapping his long arms around hers, he enclosed her hands and the pistol in his own. She could feel his warmth against the length of her back and his deep voice resonated by her ear as he explained, "This ain't no long-range weapon, darlin'. It's meant to be hidden in your clothes and used on someone up close, when you really need it. You just get the one shot."
Steadying her, he coached, "Now just ease back on the trigger. I gottcha here; ain't nothin' bad gonna happen."
Jayne's reassurance and warm, enveloping presence emboldened Kaylee and a
half-dozen rusty cans and bottles met their demise as the gunhand familiarized the mechanic with the basics of how to fire her new pistol. Once she got past her initial tendency to jump when the gun went off, the girl became more comfortable with the weapon, although still not especially accurate.
"Didn't hit much," Kaylee complained when their shooting session ended, pouting and hanging her head in discouragement.
The merc put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her.
"Just takes time and practice. I'll show ya how to clean her when we get back to Serenity. Oughtta be thinkin' of a name for her. All my guns got names. Makes 'em seem more personal, somehow. Guess I'll need to figure out what to call that old shotgun, too."
Kaylee giggled, "Oh, I already got a name picked out for her. Knew it soon as I handled her. I thought I'd call her 'Lulu'."
Jayne looked puzzled. "How come? Sound's like a whore's name."
The girl grinned even wider. "Yep. Stop and think, Jayne. She's all fancied up, little and shiny and frilly." She admired the pretty derringer as it lay in her palm. "Don't she look kinda like a bar gal?"
"If you say so. She'd sure be about the priciest piece I ever bought," he teased.
The merc took off the black hat that shaded his eyes and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. "Gettin' warmish, 'specially now the breeze has died down and the sun's reflectin' off all this rock." His t-shirt clung damply to his chest and Kaylee watched, nearly hypnotized, as another salty drop trickled down his neck and onto the darkening, soft cotton garment.
She sighed ever so softly and licked her lips in longing, her eyes dark and impish. She was sure getting a powerful yearning and food wasn't what she had in mind. That t-shirt had to go. The jeans and boots, too, she decided.
"We got a quick solution for that, right there." Kaylee nodded at the little lake and sat down on a rock to unlace her boots, carefully placing the derringer inside one of them.
"What're ya doing, girl?" Jayne's dark brows knit together and he tilted his head in puzzlement.
Kaylee quickly yanked off her top and shimmied out of her overalls and panties. "I'm goin' swimmin'!"
Jayne stood agape as she giggled and quick-footed her way over to the water, wading out to mid chest before plunging under. "It's warm in the shallows," the girl called, "but gets right cool out where it's deeper."
Not about to sit by while a cute, naked Kaylee played and splashed within spitting distance, Jayne chuckled to himself and quickly stripped out of his own clothes. He piled them next to hers, but carried his gun-belt down closer to the water, where he'd have quick access to his pistol if necessary.
"Bottom's rough, " Kaylee warned him. "Don't go divin' in."
"Kaylee, any idgit knows you don't go divin' into water you ain't swum in before."
"So you're any idgit?" she taunted the big man as he waded out toward her. Jayne smirked and plunged under, coming up right next to her and grabbing her narrow waist.
As he pulled the shrieking girl close against him, he ran one hand down over the slope of her ass and murmured in her ear, "This bottom feels purty smooth to me…"
Kaylee grinned widely at him, her chocolate eyes sparkling. "Jayne Cobb, you are a rude man."
He slid his other hand down her other cheek and lifted her buoyant body as she wrapped her legs around his hips. "Ain't I, just? Can't say ya wasn't warned about that one."
Bodies sated with lovemaking and bellies newly filled with their lunch, the sun-dried and redressed couple rested on thick, long grass in the shade near the grazing horses. Jayne lay with one arm behind his head and the other cradling Kaylee as she drowsed, her damp head cushioned on his chest.
Boy, ain't this a li'l piece a heaven? he thought to himself. Don't often get times this sweet. A man could come to like a little peaceful living. Even as he thought this, the mercenary knew that such moments were rare, precious interludes in the life of a man like him.
Kaylee stirred against him and lifted her head to give him a drowsy smile.
"Hey, Sunshine." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You have a good nap?"
"Mmmm. Yeah, sure did."
He trailed his hand down her arm. "I been thinkin' 'bout dealin' with Badger. Sure would be simpler if you'd just let me shoot th' li'l turd."
Pushing herself up into a sitting position beside him, Kaylee yawned and responded, "Simpler, maybe, but then we'd lose the work we been gettin' from him."
"But hell, Kaylee, half the time he sets us up against other crews or backs out on th' deal or tries to screw us over the payoff. Can ya honestly say whatever we're gettin' from him is worth all the crap we gotta take from that bèn de hún dàn?" Jayne's hatred of the crooked, self-important businessman was clearly evident.
The mechanic ran a hand back through her drying hair to comb loose any tangles and went on, "'Sides, Cap'n finds out you've offed his connection, no tellin' how he's like to take it. When I asked you 'bout getting' even with Badger for acceptin' that contract on my life, I wasn't thinkin' in terms of killin' him, Jayne."
"Damn. An' I was really looking forward to that part."
Kaylee thought about the situation for a minute. "Ya know, Badger seems so dang full of himself, trottin' around in his fancy duds an' talkin' down to folk. I'd be happy if we could just figure out a way to really embarrass him, somethin' he couldn't trace back to us."
"Embarassin' him ain't gonna be enough," the merc growled, gnawing his lip as he thought about the situation. "We gotta come up with a way to make him feel real vulnerable on his own turf."
It was late afternoon when the couple remounted and headed back into Troy, talking as they rode. Several ideas were explored and promptly discarded for a variety of reasons. The merc's suggestions primarily revolved around overt mayhem, while Kaylee did her best to steer him toward more subtle options.
With a whoop of triumph, Kaylee blurted out, "Jayne, I got a great idea! When I was in grade school, there was this one boy was kinda small for his age. He was really smart, always made good grades, never bothered nobody. For some reason this other boy, who was big and mean and kinda slow, took to pickin' on him an' made his life a pure livin' hell. Took his lunches, swiped his books, you name it. Bullied him comin' and goin' and nobody did nothin'."
As Kaylee was sharing this tale, she wondered about the possibility that Jayne might somehow think she was mocking him and take offense, but he just studied her quietly as they rode together.
"Anyways, this smart kid got his fill of being picked on and made him up an ink bomb filled with permanent ink. Set it on his desk where he was sure the bully would see it and grab it, which he done. Soon as he picked it up, the thing went off and covered the bully in blue-black ink. Took that boy near on to two weeks to get it all scrubbed off, and folks was laughing at him the whole time. He never done nothin' mean again. Whaddaya think?"
"You're sayin' we spray him with ink?" The mercenary asked quizzically.
Kaylee rolled her eyes in frustration. "Not ink, silly, but maybe dye. Don't'cha think Badger'd look good dyed pink? We could put it under pressure in some sort of container and have it delivered to him. When he opens the box, the dye'd spray all over him and anything nearby. Wouldn't be hard to rig."
The merc laughed so loudly that he startled his mount and the horse shied slightly. "Ol' Badger dyed pussy pink. Now there's a sight I'd love ta see!"
He reined the animal back to a steady walk. "Just one problem I can see with that. How do we make sure Badger's the one to open it? Usually, he's got flunkies as do that sorta stuff. I been in his 'office' with Mal and Zoë several times and he's got a little room off to one side with a fella that handles his mail and accounts."
"You reckon, " Kaylee nibbled on a hangnail as she thought about this, "that if it was addressed just to him with some important client's name on it, he'd be more inclined to open it himself?"
"Yeah, probably so. You mean somebody like that Warrick Harrow fella we hauled them cows to Jiangyin for?"
The mechanic shook her head. "I'd hate to use his name, Jayne. He was real nice, worked fair with us on that job. Was him that stepped up to help the captain out in that sword fight, too." She pondered, "Wonder who else on Persephone Badger deals with?"
Jayne thought about this for a minute. "Don't rightly know, myself, but I know who can tell us. Red Annie. The woman runs the best brothel in Eavesdown, an' nobody knows everybody's business like a whorehouse madam. Next time we're on Persephone, I'll see what I can find out." Jayne grinned ferally. "You just git busy figurin' out how to build this surprise for our friend Mr. Badger."
When they returned to Troy, they turned the horses back in at the livery stable and Jayne ducked next door to pick up the shotgun that Mr. Lee had neatly wrapped in oiled paper. "Local law permits you to wear your sidearm," the gunsmith explained, "but you can't walk the street with a long gun. This way, you'll have no trouble." The two men shook hands and Jayne left the shop.
There were few people out on the street and it became apparent that most of Troy's citizens were in their homes having their dinners. In fact, the town was almost disturbingly quiet. "I was thinkin' about us stoppin' by one of the saloons and havin' a drink, but to tell ya the truth, place gives me the creeps. Ain't natural for folks to be so proper," Jayne concluded. "You wanna head on back t'Serenity?"
Kaylee linked her arm through his. "Yeah, let's go on back. Been kind of a long day and we got us a ways to walk yet before it's slam dark."
They'd walked most of the way to the edge of town when Zoë and Mal pulled up behind them on the mule.
"You two vagabonds give up on Troy's scintillatin' night life?" Mal teased. Noticing the elongated parcel his mercenary was toting, he laughed. "Damn, Jayne. Leave it to you to buy a gun on one a the most law-bound moons on the Rim. What'd'cha get?"
Jayne grinned smugly. "Antique Hillier shotgun, come all the way from Beaumond." His deep voice was warm with pride. "She's a beauty, Mal."
"No kiddin'?" Mal was obviously impressed. "You'll have to show me when we get back to the boat. You folks want a ride?"
The little mechanic was getting pretty tuckered out and grinned. "Why, that'd be real shiny, Cap'n."
Jayne climbed into the back of the mule and slid his package down between the front seats, then extended a muscular arm and helped the girl up onto the back of the utility vehicle.
Zoë grinned at him over her shoulder. "A Hillier? For real?"
"Yep." Jayne Cobb was a happy man.
With a brief acceleration and a short series of bumps, Zoë drove the mule up the ramp and into Serenity's cargo bay and parked it over the tie-downs at the back of the bay. As the foursome piled out of the yellow ATV, everyone inhaled the rich, mouth-watering aroma floating through the ship and smiled. There was no question as to who was cooking.
"Damn if that don't smell like Shepherd's chicken pot pie!" Jayne exclaimed with delight as he pulled his shotgun out of the mule.
Mal smiled as he took off his duster and folded it over his arm. "Yeah, I figured some fresh food might be nice for a change and gave him and the doc enough to stock us up some supplies from the town market. Man's definitely got a knack with cookin'. Almost makes up for his religifyin'."
Kaylee turned to Zoë. "Delivery go okay? Our contact come through with the other half of Badger's money?"
The dark warrior woman smiled. "For once, everything went smooth. We ain't had such an easy turnaround in a long time. Part of why the captain's in such a good mood. And speakin' of good moods, Jayne seems awful cheery for a change. Must be findin' that shotgun."
"Guess so." Kaylee did her best to act nonchalant. "Want me to tell Wash you're back?"
Zoë knelt to fasten the tie-down straps around the mule's axles. "That'd be great, Kaylee. See ya upstairs soon as I get the mule secured."
Their supper had been every bit as tasty as its aroma promised.
"Now that was what I call some fine eatin', Preacher," Mal commended. "Pity we'll be back to canned goods and pre-fab protein within a few days."
A chorus of praise from the other crewmembers prompted a big grin on Book's face. "Well, I'm happy to feed your bellies if I can't feed your souls."
Mal continued, "You can do your preachin' at me with food any time you like." The captain downed the last of his tea and cleared his throat.
"Well, folks, we got paid with no complications this time around, circumstances I just as soon we enjoyed a little more often. Found a grain merchant looking for bulk transport for his product back to Persephone, so looks like we'll do another quick turn around on this run."
Mal rested his hand on the boot that lay across his knee. "I could get real used to things goin' this smooth. How's about you, Zoë?"
"Yes, sir. Smooth is real fine."
"Mornin's gonna come real early. We're expectin' a freight truck at 0700 tomorrow mornin' laden with palletized grain. They'll bring their own pallet jack, but off-loadin' into Serenity is still gonna involve some heavy work for some of us. Jayne, I want you and Wash and Zoë ready when the truck comes in, so make an early night of it. Kaylee, you be makin' sure my boat's space-worthy, and the rest of you just stay outta the way."
Kaylee rose and began helping clear the table, aware of the solid mass of the little derringer in her overall pocket. She still wasn't convinced she needed a gun, but if knowing she had one made Jayne worry about her less, she was glad of that. Didn't mean she'd always carry it, however.
As the little mechanic picked up Mal's plate and mug, he turned to his mercenary. "So show us this prize that emptied out your pockets, Jayne. Way you was grinnin' when we picked you up, I figured you got lucky somehow on this tight-assed little world, but wasn't figurin' on a gun"
Jayne laid the bundled-up shotgun on the table and began to tear off the oiled paper, then glanced at Kaylee and discretely winked. "Oh yeah, real lucky… "
(To be continued… 2/5)
Wednesday, September 6, 2006 5:01 PM
Wednesday, September 6, 2006 5:20 PM
Thursday, September 7, 2006 8:19 AM
Saturday, September 9, 2006 4:31 PM
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subset: commoncrawl


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Determining the stress level of a subject in real time could be of special interest in certain professional activities to allow the monitoring of soldiers, pilots, emergency personnel and other professionals responsible for human lives. Assessment of current mental fitness for executing a task at hand might avoid unnecessary risks. To obtain this knowledge, two physiological measurements were recorded in this work using customized non-invasive wearable instrumentation that measures electrocardiogram (ECG) and thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB) signals. The relevant information from each measurement is extracted via evaluation of a reduced set of selected features. These features are primarily obtained from filtered and processed versions of the raw time measurements with calculations of certain statistical and descriptive parameters. Selection of the reduced set of features was performed using genetic algorithms, thus constraining the computational cost of the real-time implementation. Different classification approaches have been studied, but neural networks were chosen for this investigation because they represent a good tradeoff between the intelligence of the solution and computational complexity. Three different application scenarios were considered. In the first scenario, the proposed system is capable of distinguishing among different types of activity with a 21.2% probability error, for activities coded as neutral, emotional, mental and physical. In the second scenario, the proposed solution distinguishes among the three different emotional states of neutral, sadness and disgust, with a probability error of 4.8%. In the third scenario, the system is able to distinguish between low mental load and mental overload with a probability error of 32.3%. The computational cost was calculated, and the solution was implemented in commercially available Android-based smartphones. The results indicate that execution of such a monitoring solution is negligible compared to the nominal computational load of current smartphones.
A growing number of factors, including costs, technological advancements, ageing populations, and medical errors, are leading industrialized countries to invest in research on alternative solutions to improve their health-care systems and increase patients' quality of life. Personal health systems (PHS) examplify the use of information and communication technologies that enable a paradigm shift from the traditional hospital-centered healthcare delivery model toward a preventive and person-centered approach. PHS offer the means to monitor a patient's health using wearable, portable or implantable systems that offer ubiquitous, unobtrusive biodata
acquisition, allowing remote monitoring of treatment and access to the patient's status. Electrical bioimpedance (EBI) technology is non-invasive, quick and relatively affordable technique that can be used for assessing and monitoring different health conditions, e.g., body composition assessments for nutrition. When combined with state-of-the-art advances in sensors and textiles, EBI technologies are fostering the implementation of wearable bioimpedance monitors that use functional garments for personalized healthcare applications. This research work is
focused on the development of wearable EBI-based monitoring systems for ubiquitous health monitoring applications. The monitoring systems are built upon portable monitoring instrumentation and custom-made textile electrode garments.
Portable EBI-based monitors have been developed using the latest material technology and advances in system-on-chip technology. For instance, a portable EBI spectrometer has been validated against a commercial spectrometer for total body composition assessment using functional textile electrode garments. The development of wearable EBI-based monitoring units using functional garments and dry textile electrodes for body composition assessment and respiratory monitoring has been shown to be a feasible approach. The availability of these measurement systems indicates progress toward the real implementation of personalized healthcare systems.


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Martin has put in a lot of hard work to reach this position and he deserves active support from members of the adult club. Every chess club needs to have a cohort of juniors ready to step into the shoes of their older members. The success of the Bury St Edmunds club in recent years can largely be attributed to its 'youth' policy; the Club currently runs four teams of juniors.
The new Junior Club in Ipswich has been heralded in the Ipswich Star - see here.
Last Saturday a number of children and their parents came to the Library for a discussion on the new Club. They were able to have a few games with members of the adult club, as well as playing on a giant chessboard.
Suffolk Chess wishes the new club every success and looks forward to photos of the first meeting!


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Class time. 2:00-3:15pm, Monday/Wednesday, room 317 WWH.
First meeting: Wednesday, September 7.
No class: Monday, October 10 (university holiday)
Final Date: Monday, December 19, 2:00-3:50pm, 317 WWH.
Office hours. Tuesday 4:30-5:30pm, Wednesday 11:00am-12:00pm,
and by appointment.
Mailing list, home page. There is a class mailing list; please join it. See:
Course Goal and Syllabus. The goal of this class is to develop your ability to evaluate and write mathematical claims in computer science, so as to be able to:
Broadly speaking, this course will be studying what can and cannot be computed, and when something can be computed how simply can it be done. The specific topics covered will include proofs techniques, finite automata and regular languages, pushdown automata and context free languages, decidable and undecidable problems, and NP-completeness.
Judge when a problem is solved (and equally important, when it is not yet solved). Explain such mathematical claims clearly and precisely.
Assignments. There will be more or less weekly homeworks. Late homeworks will not be accepted (except in the event of illness or other unavoidable circumstances). If for some reason you will be unable to hand in a homework on time, please discuss it with me beforehand. While you may discuss homework problems with your fellow students, you must write up your solutions in your own words. Be aware that you are unlikely to perform well on exams unless you gain practice at problem solving on the homeworks.
Academic Integrity. Please take note of the
course and
departmental policy on this matter: http://www.cs.nyu.edu/web/Academic/Undergrad/academic_integrity.html
Assessment. The homeworks will comprise 40% of the overall grade, the midterm 20% and the final 40%. However, if the grade on the final is better than the midterm grade it will replace the midterm grade. Exams will be closed book.
Required text. There is no required text. I will be providing handouts that cover the course material. There is no textbook that is particularly close to my approach to the material. If you want a textbook, you might consider: Michael Sipser, Introduction to the Theory of Computation, Thomson. The second edition has the advantage of including solutions to a selection of problems. However, let me point out that the approach I will be taking diverges quite a bit from this text. Another possible text is: Daniel I.A. Cohen, Introduction to Computer Theory. This text provides a lot of examples and can be quite helpful. However, it does not cover material for the whole course, and the approach it takes differs even more from the one I will be using in this course.
guide. Basically, you should read the handouts I
will be preparing. These amount to the "textbook" for the course.
Nearer the time, I will prepare a guide relating the handouts to the
Homework Details. You may handwrite your homework, legibly of
course, if you prefer, rather than typeset it. In my experience,
when typesetting, often too much effort is spent on the appearance of
the homework and minor yet significant errors are overlooked.
Also, if your homework solution has multiple pages, please staple
them; please don't fold down the corners or use paperclips, for the
pages are much more likely to come apart. Finally, if
handwriting, please use an easy to read ink color (blue or black, not
or green).
Homeworks and handouts


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A few weeks ago, I visited the British Library's new science-fiction exhibition, Out of this World: Science Fiction, but not as you know it. I'm a nerd, so a sci-fi exhibition in a library was right up my street.
I've been to the British Library quite a lot lately, especially to their recent Evolving English exhibition, which was excellent. This exhibition was quite different, though still reasonably busy when I attended. The room was loosely divided into themes, or 'worlds', from science fiction, such as automatons or time travel, using books, posters and films from the BL's collection. The exhibition also said a lot about the extent to which these things have actually come to pass, such as mobile phones in Star Trek, or Arthur C. Clarke's design for satellites.
Within each display, the items were chronological, but I really enjoyed the much looser overall feel, with people flitting to things they recognised or enjoyed from childhood. I also enjoyed seeing much older collections on display, demonstrating that science fiction has been around since the 18th Century (think Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or H. G. Wells). The way the exhibition is organised also points out that, although science fiction is a defined genre, it is hugely varied.
I'd also planned on visiting the British Museum, so I stopped at the BL shop on the way out to buy a fridge magnet (I'm a sucker for gift shops), and headed out. On the way I encountered the Wellcome Collection, which "explores the connections between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future". I had heard of it vaguely, and since it was free I decided to go in. I particularly enjoyed their slogan; "a free destination for the incurably curious". They were running an exhibition on Dirt: The filthy reality of everyday life, which was really interesting.
The objects on display were a mixture of books, art, artefacts and film, and sought to show how our relationship with dirt, and its wide, culturally and historically varying definition. As a sociologist I loved this, but also as with my library hat on it really showed how museums, galleries, archives and libraries are all connected by common threads.
By the time I arrived at the British Museum, my feet were killing me and I hadn't realised how huge the museum is, so I only saw a tiny part of it. Looking around the displays, I noticed that it is actually possible for members of the public to handle some of the collections. Under the supervision of museum volunteers, you can get up close and personal with some of the artefacts, which I can imagine is particularly fascinating for children.
I think you'd need days to cover everything in the British Museum, and by the end I was just walking through the exhibits quickly, just glancing at the odd thing that took my interest. However, I did spend some time in the Balkan Jewellery and Dress exhibition, which has some beautiful textiles.
I have to say there was one thing I wasn't happy about with the British Museum, which was its early closing time. It shut at half-five, with staff (understandably) ushering me out of one exhibition some time before this. It's a shame that the museum isn't open more into the evening, considering it's in the centre of London where people expect much longer opening times. I'll just have to visit again!


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The popular Honda Fit is back and better than ever with its new third generation style. The 2018 Honda Fit offers an all-new style, new powertrain, new drivetrain, and a host of great new standard features. Peek under the restyled hood and you'll discover a peppy new 1.5-liter I4 with direct injection; this spirited engine produces 130 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual replaces the previous generation's five-speed as the standard drivetrain in LX and EX models. The EX-L sits at the top of the line with a standard CVT gearbox with sport mode and paddle shifters that cycle through seven gearing steps for a sporty feel. The Fit is a master of both utility and efficiency. Create a cargo wonderland with the help of the 2018 Fit's Magic Seat in the second row and get great gas mileage with the CVT's ECO Assist system (how does 33 city/40 highway sound?) The 2018 Honda Fit is available now, so come and check one out!
See what everyone's saying about our Fit:
2018 Best Subcompact Car[5]
2018 Best Sub Compact Car[7]
2018 Residual Value Sub Compact Car[6]
[1] 29 city / 36 highway / 31 combined MPG rating for LX, Sport and EX 6MT models. 33 city / 40 highway / 36 combined MPG rating for LX CVT model. 31 city / 36 highway / 33 combined MPG rating for Sport CVT, EX CVT and EX-L models. Based on 2018 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors.
[2] MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $895.00 destination charge and options. Dealers set own prices.
[3] Honda Sensing® includes: Collision Mitigation Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Road DepartureMitigation, Lane Keeping Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control.
[4] Always visually confirm that it is safe to drive before backing up; the rearview camera display does not provide complete information about all conditions and objects at the rear of your vehicle.
[5] US News best cars at U.S. News & World Report, January 2018.
[6] See alg.com for details.
[7] Vehicles projected resale value specific to the 2018 model year. For more information, visit www.kbb.com. Kelley Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc.
Honda reminds you and your passengers to always use seat belts and appropriate child seats. Children 12 and under are safest when properly restrained in the rear seat.
Simply complete the form below and a representative from your selected dealer will contact you to schedule a time.


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What's NICE?
When independent insulation contractors get together.
The National Insulation Contractors' Exchange (NICE) is group of independent contractors who came together in 1996 to share information, ideas and buying power in order to continue to succeed in an increasingly consolidated industry. What have we learned since then? When contractors play NICE, they win big.
It's NICE to Belong
Our extensive membership networking, alliance with other independent businesses and financial benchmarking support helps ensure that when one of us succeeds, we all do.
NICE Advice
With a membership that includes over 65 talented insulation contractors, a full staff of expert consultants and quarterly resort conferences, you'll find the answers you need quickly and easily.
The Value of NICE
It is not by coincidence that the National Insulation Contractors Exchange acronym is NICE A strong value-system drives the decisions of NICE leadership and our members.


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It's been a long fashion week. Voice editors Araceli Cruz and Stacey Anderson say goodbye.
AC: Ok, I'm sad. I feel my life becoming ordinary again.
SA: And I'm sick. It is so exhausting, this fabulousness.
AC: That's what happens when you cover a gazillion shows!
SA: My show count got to 17-20.
SA: Amazing for someone who can barely dress herself some days, right?
AC: This was our first time at FW. I got the impression from others that this was totally downsized, but I can't imagine how over the top it was in past years. We went to several presentations, and I really liked them. So much more casual then a 10-min. runway show.
SA: I preferred the runways, actually.
AC: Well of course they're a ton more glamorous. But you can't get drunk at William Rast the way we did at Rachel Roy.
SA Well also I felt the runway shows were more straightforward, in a way… Carolina Herrera was there to show you clothes that you may/may not purchase someday. Betsey Johnson was there to show you clothes AND feed you petit fours AND have a dance contest AND hey, look, a dog.
SA: Have you ever read the short story "The Dream of the Consortium" by Steven Millhauser? It's about a fabulous store with many whimsical departments, but the shoppers are eventually dismayed to realize that it all boils down, on an aggressive level, to selling everything in sight.
SA: Some of the installations were distracting in that way, I think. But they were still fun.
AC: Very true…Wintour herself said that this year's FW was great in the sense that before there were too many runway shows, with many designers that perhaps shouldn't have been showing on such a large scale.
SA: Such as a certain 'NSync singer who likes to dress up as an omelet.
AC: That omelet outfit speaks volumes, unlike his line.
SA: You really didn't like that show, eh? I was just moderately bored. Which show/installation was your favorite?
AC: By far, my favorite show was United Bamboo. Every single piece that came out was incredible. So wearable, so fresh. Dresses and skirts for modern and confident women. Simple cuts and designs, a hundred times more inventive than what we saw from the folks at William Rast.
SA: We need to find that clip from the Rast show of me being interviewed for a Philippines fashion network. Wonder if it ever aired.
SA: It was surprising, too – not that I can spout nonsensical sound bites at will, but that the networking and schmoozing at runway shows is actually done ON the runway. Before each show, the house covered the runway with a tarp, and all the fashionistas treaded back and forth air-kissing and exchanging cards. It was a very purposeful atmosphere.
AC: What was you favorite line?
SA: Erin Fetherston. Lots of red satin, dramatic calliope music that perfectly offset the dollhouse, almost Victorian vibe.
AC: And the worst?
SA: Oh boy…
AC: Well while you think, the worst show for me was Carlos Miele. So basic. So Charlotte Russe.
SA: Bitch, I have like 20 things from Charlotte Rousse!
SA: Ahem.
AC: Clothes that look affordable don't need to be tacky. The only thing that impressed me at Alice + Olivia was the mini cupcakes, and that shirt/dress that that girl from 90210 was wearing, what's her name? Shenae something.
SA: Fair enough. I was debating between Miele and William Rast…but lest Justin T come after me with a pickax, I will agree: Miele. I also thought his music was a bit too aggressive for the clothing, which was also an issue at Nanette Lepore.
AC: Really, at Lepore?
SA: Yes, they blasted bits from "Paper Planes" and other current pop but at the most ear-shredding volume ever… The mix was terrible.
AC: That reminds me of the Rachel Roy show. I mean, do these DJs know anything else aside from MGMT?
SA: My favorite celebrity sighting was either Kanye or Carine Roitfeld, the Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue. Unlike Anna Wintour, who shrank around with her bodyguard and lived up to the icy rep, Roitfeld waited in line, hugged people, and just seemed so exuberant. So happy and gracious. I was at three shows with Anna Wintour and did not see her crack a smile once.
AC: Hmm… trying to go through the list most were pretty average celebs. The Kardashian gals, Miss Universe, Sophia Bush, and American Idol folks…
AC: Question: Why did they go to these shows? Like, them and the Danity Kane girl. Are they just there for a photo op? Do they even wear it? And can they really afford this crap?
Stacey: Er…can we afford it?
AC: Maybe just the McQueen for Target line.
SA: Whatever. I am dressed like a total grunge monkey today, for the first time in a week, and I love it.
AC: So, I wasn't as fortunate to see Kanye like you and Angela. Seeing Paris and Lindsay was cool.
SA: Kanye swanned into Phillip Lim like he ruled the earth and sky. He does not disappoint.
AC: I'd say Andre Leon Talley was the best celeb I saw. Him and Olivia Palmero.
SA: Good call on Andre. He wrote the cover profile of Michelle Obama for this month's Vogue, and it's lovely.
AC: Since I see Sean Lennon on Broadway all the time, seeing him at every show wasn't a big deal. But remember that hot guy in the front row at William Rast? Damn. I don't know where I've seen him before, but he is too hot to be a nobody.
SA: That sounds like the sort of attitude one would pick up at Fashion Week, missy. Be careful; most folks at Bryant were nice, but we met some snobs. Would you say you felt comfortable amid the fashion crowd?
AC: After the Charlotte Ronson show, it was as though I was transported into another realm, one the Sarah Jessica Parker would be a part of. The only time I felt underdressed was at Reem Acra. The most over the top show had to be GenArt.
SA: Right, the neon lighting and Moulin Rouge vibe inside the theaterhouse. And the spinning fulcrum of the runway that didn't end up doing anything during the show.
AC: Good point. Although the men were hot! More manly than the Richard Chai show, not to say they weren't damn cute. Ok, sorry, getting a little off track.
SA: No, we can stay on this for a while. Mmm.. Wasn't a fan of the clothes but enjoyed the spectacle.
AC: And how I can forget? Going to Patricia Field's house! I was in shock. Such a great apartment…or loft.. What would you call that?
SA: The Bat Cave. It was mammoth.
AC: Paradise on Bowery.
SA: I thought the Voice was paradise on the Bowery. You ARE a communist!
SA: So… would you go to Fashion Week again?
AC: Uh….yes. You?
SA: Yes. Though I think we're all in agreement that fashion is a nice place to visit, but it's good to be home.


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Canton POS
Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees
The museum has an active and committed Board of Trustees. This governing body of CMA, in consultation with the executive director, determines the Museum's strategic direction and provides oversight. The Executive Committee of the Board, as well as the full Board, meets monthly, with the Annual Meeting held every September. CMA Board members provide expertise for nearly every aspect of the Museum's affairs, including financial planning, marketing, development, and arts education, and they give generously of their time, leadership, and financial support.
2017 - 18 Officers of the Board
Joseph J. Feltes - President
Partner in Charge, Canton
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC
Jeff Strayer - Vice President
CMA Collections Management Committee
Lindsay Zimmerman - Vice President
Chair, CMA HeART Guild
Canton/Stark County Community Leader
Mark Belgya - Treasurer
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
The J.M. Smucker Company
Kay Seeberger - Secretary
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Lifecare Family Health & Dental Center
2017 - 18 Trustees
Dan Chrzanowski
Artist; Past Chairman and Current Member
CMA Collections Management Committee
Alex Fisher
Director of Store Operations
Fishers Foods
Vicki Haines
Senior Vice President
Aultman Health Foundation
Christian Harwell
Owner & President
Cyrus Custom Framing & Gallery
Adam Luntz (Past President)
Chief Financial Officer & Vice President of Finance
Aultman Hospital
Meleah Kinlow
Attorney, Akron
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC
Tiffany Marsh
Artist & Designer
Community Arts Advocate
Teresa Golden-McClelland
Owner & President
Environmental Flooring Group
Christine Peterson
Canton/Stark County Community Leader
Carrie Sibila
Canton/Stark County Community Leader
Mark Spaner
Owner & President
Spaner Marketing Communications
Vicky Sterling
Owner & Chief Executive Officer
Pinnacle Press Inc.
Dr. Paul Turgeon
Eye Centers of Ohio
Dr. Walter Wagor
Kent State University
Cindy Winick
Canton / Stark County Community Leader
Amanda Morena
Canton Artists League
Nancy Stewart Matin
Canton Fine Arts Associates


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I am continually engaged in various writing projects. Currently, I am working on an original mystery novella, which I plan to eventually submit for publication.
I also write periodic non-fiction posts for my blog: Adventures of a Christian Librarian.
Other than this, the remainder and vast majority of my writing is academic and professional, based on my work as a librarian.


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Jump To: What's included? | How to book
Escape Campervans
Small, fun and funky! Each individually designed campervan comes ready to head off on your adventure with bedding and kitchen equipment included. Perfect for 2 to 4 people.
Escape Campervans is the largest campervan rental company in North America, with 500+ unique hand-painted vans from top artists in Los Angeles. Their fully-equipped,custom-built campervans are perfect for a flying visit or epic road trip. From world-renowned national parks to quiet deserts, secret alpine lakes, and some of the globe's most energizing cities, the possibilities are endless.
Rental Includes
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- Kitchen with sink, refrigerator and 2-burner stove
- Solar panel
- Vehicle prep fee
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How to book
Available all year round.
With 12 depots in the USA and Canada, round trip or one way rentals are possible (minimum rental 7 days) PLUS Escape depots are open 7 days a week for collecting or returning your camper.


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The Arizona Legislature's push to adjourn siné die began April 26 when Republican senators rejected a bill that was a top priority for House Speaker Kirk Adams.
With Adam's "jobs bill" dead on arrival, lawmakers figured they could finish work within a couple of days.
Final adjournment is never a small feat, but it was an easier task this year than it has been in the past.
There were really no points of contention left to grapple with. The budget was completed six weeks earlier.
The weeks leading up to final adjournment saw lawmakers debate a sweeping immigration enforcement bill — the toughest, by far, in the nation — and a measure that would have required presidential candidates to prove their citizenship before they could appear on the Arizona ballot. Immigration passed; the "birther" bill lacked support in the waning hours of the session.
Those bills thrust Arizona into the national spotlight, but the remaining work was far less controversial. There were undoubtedly important things that needed to be completed, but many of the items that had the potential to spark heated debate fell by the wayside.
But make no mistake: Bringing a legislative session to a close is not a simple matter, and this year was no different. Voting calendars appeared out of thin air, as if by magic and with little, if any, notice. Caucus meetings were called seemingly at random as bills were transferred from one chamber to the other. Floor sessions began late, recessed frequently, and delays described initially as brief stretched into interminable waits that tested the patience of all participants.
Amid the stop-and-go, hurry-up-and-wait pacing of the siné die waltz this year, the 49th Legislature completed some important tasks, perhaps none more critical to Arizona's economy and quality of life than ensuring the state didn't lose $7.8 billion in federal health care funding.
By approving S1043 — it passed the House 55-4 on April 28 and the Senate 18-10 the following day — lawmakers undid about $400 million in budget cuts approved in March to restore funding for a children's health insurance program and to increase eligibility for state-run health care. The change not only prevents the state from losing federal money for health care, but also calls on the federal government to cover the expanded health care costs.
Republican leaders also settled on the ballot measures they will send to voters in November's election. Voters will get the opportunity to decide whether the state should have a lieutenant governor, who would team up with the governor in the general election, thanks to an April 28 vote in the Senate.
Other potential ballot measures didn't make the cut. An attempt to repeal the Clean Elections campaign finance system that was revived late in the session never came to the House floor, amid rumors that there wasn't enough support for the measure.
A trio of options to reform constitutional provisions that protect voter-approved measures also didn't make the cut. One of them, HCR2041, which would have required all voter-approved spending to be reauthorized every eight years, failed on April 28 after a 14-11 vote in the Senate.
Some measures that cleared the House weren't so lucky in the Senate, as that chamber was missing three of its 18 Republican members for several hours on the final day, giving the majority party fewer members present than the minimum 16 needed for bills to be approved. That meant items with even a hint of partisan nature faced a nearly impossible task and came up just short after navigating nearly the entire legislative process.
But that problem was alleviated before one of the final important bills came to the Senate floor. Sen. Barbara Leff, a Paradise Valley Republican, had left late in the afternoon to travel to California to visit family, causing the Republicans to lose their majority.
But she returned a few hours later after her flight was delayed because of heavy winds. Upon her return, the Senate promptly voted on H2162, which contained hard-fought provisions intended to loosen some of the restrictions in the new immigration law. The bill passed 16-11, with Leff's vote the deciding one.
The second regular session of the 49th Legislature officially adjourned at 11:07 p.m. April 29. In honor of his 36-year legislative career, Jack Brown was named temporary speaker pro tem of the House and gaveled the session to an end. The St. John's Democrat was first elected in 1963 and served in both chambers.
Senators bid each other goodbye on the last day of session, as some won't be returning to the Senate next year.
But they also acknowledged that they may yet see each other in a few months for possibly another special session on the budget.
They expressed gratitude to their assistants and thanked Senate President Bob Burns and other leaders from the two caucuses.
Fighting back tears, Sen. Thayer Verschoor, a Gilbert Republican who is termed out this year, said he will miss working in the Senate.
"I love each and every one of you," he said.
But some are leaving with mixed feelings.
Sen. Ken Cheuvront, a Democrat from Phoenix, said he doesn't know how he would look at his 16 years in the capitol.
He gave members who are coming back to the chamber this advice: Take time to know colleagues.
Don't just look at people's views, but also their values; and look at everybody as human, he said.
Cheuvront also reminisced fondly at the beautiful friendship he struck with former lawmaker Karen Johnson.
Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor, a Democrat from Phoenix, said she would miss the "statistical analysis" of Sen. John Huppenthal, a Republican from Chandler known for his penchant for research. Huppenthal won't be coming back to the Senate next year as he is running for the post of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Senate Minority Leader Jorge Garcia, who is also termed out, said he had lots of fun and sad memories. He left members with one piece of advice: Irrespective of ideologies, they'll have to try and resolve the issues that confront the state.
Sen. Richard Miranda, a Democrat from Tolleson, said he loved the experience, as he had the chance to serve in the Legislature with his brother, Rep. Ben Miranda.
Senate President Burns thanked the majority staff and his assistants. He also thanked staffers from the Joint Budget Legislative Committee, the Legislature's budget research unit.
"I'd like to certainly thank the members of this body for giving me opportunity to serve in this position," Burns said. "It has its challenges. It has really been an honor for me to be able to serve you all."


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Looking for the right app developers Sydney partners? The last few years have seen an explosive growth in the Australian smartphone market. Majority of the mobile phone users in the country have smartphones and in this respect, Australia outperforms even some of the leading developed nations in smartphone usage and adoption with some 76% of Australian mobile users having smartphones. The Apple iPhones constitute a huge part of this smartphone population with some 28% of the Australian smartphone users currently employing iOS devices. If you are running a business, it is thus important to tap into this market through some cutting-edge iPhone apps. Cloud Down Under provides some of the most professional iPhone apps development services in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.
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These apps serve numerous functions such as interaction with customers, facilitation of the sales process through purchases and reservations and many others. The scope of the expertise of the iPhone app developers Sydney is quite varied. The company has been building apps to cover numerous business functions ranging from the business mobile iPhone apps to the iPhone game apps. Through the iPhone app development process, businesses can engage users and gain the upper hand over their competitors in the market. They considerably improve your business' customer relations management or CRM leading to better sales for your businesses.
Some of the leading businesses in Australia that have utilized Cloud Down Under iPhone app development services include Frontline HR, Mr Toys, the Port Hedland Turtle Loop, Hol Special Parts and AM Carpentry amongst many other leading businesses in Melbourne and Sydney. Cloud Down Under iPhone app developers Sydney services offer users numerous advantages. Australian businesses can use the cutting edge mobile phone apps to extend their online presence to a new significant market of potentially high spenders. It assists in building better client relationships with the customers. Businesses are able to establish another point of sale and increase their revenue base. Last but not the least, the advantage of the service is that it is possible to get repeat business from customers.
Businesses based in Brisbane can utilize the app developers Brisbane service offered by the company. Cloud Down Under covers all the key Australian cities, providing professional and accessible service to help businesses put their feet on the smartphone superhighway. You can get in touch with iPhone developers Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane services by dialing the number 1300 699 571. You can also drop an email to the company's customer service team through via [email protected] to make inquiries on the iPhone apps development services. The company's website at http://www.clouddownunder.com.au/ provides a form where can you get an app quote or cost estimate for the iPhone development process.


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Search News
Spain makes contribution to IDB's migration initiative
March 20, 2019
Event on migration analyzes impact on Latin America MADRID - Spain has made a $5 million contribution to help the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) tackle urgent development challenges posed by the rise of transborder migrations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The contribution was announced at the conference Migration and Cities: The Road to Inclusive Integration held March 20, 2019 in Madrid.
Better management of tight budgets could help Latin American and Caribbean governments to raise living standards - OECD/IDB
December 06, 2016
SANTIAGO, Chile – Governments in Latin America will need to improve public sector management and capacity – including budget allocation – to compensate for the pressure on public finances from sliding commodity prices, according to a new report by the OECD and Inter-American Development Bank covering more than 15 countries in the region.
Finance ministers discuss deeper regional integration to stimulate growth and development in LAC
October 05, 2016
Latin America and the Caribbean is urged to implement a bold integration agenda Finance ministers of the Americas and the Caribbean, and the heads of the Inter-American Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the U.S. Department of Treasury met today at the IDB to discuss policy options for relaunching regional integration to stimulate growth and contribute to long-term development in the region.
Inter-American Development Bank / World Bank / Caribbean Development Bank joint press release on International Monetary Fund staff-level agreement with Suriname
April 15, 2016
The Government of Suriname and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed on the key elements of an economic program that would be supported by a Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). A reform agenda was put forward by the Surinamese authorities to stabilize Suriname's economy and to set the stage for its recovery.
IDB supports energy efficiency green bonds
November 24, 2015
Financing package of up to $450 million to underwrite energy efficiency projects will also receive funding from Green Climate Fund The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved financing to establish a regional Energy Efficiency Green Bond Facility. The program was selected to receive up to $217 million in additional funding as one of eight projects worldwide in the first round of allocations announced by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on November 6.
IDB approves US$60 million loan to Jamaica for public financial and performance management program
April 07, 2011
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced the approval of a US$60 million loan, the third tranche of financing for a public financial and performance management program in Jamaica. With this last operation, IDB resources for this program total US$180 million.
Report: weak dollar, inflation blunting purchasing power of remittances
March 14, 2011
After stabilizing in 2010, money transfers to Latin America and the Caribbean are poised to rise this year, according to the MIF Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean are likely to rise this year after stabilizing during 2010, although a weaker dollar and higher inflation are reducing their purchasing power in many countries, according to the Inter-American Development Bank's Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF).
Jamaica, IDB sign second US$200 million loan for fiscal policy reform
December 17, 2010
The Hon. Audley Shaw, Minister of Finance and Public Service of Jamaica, and Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno signed on December 15 a US$200 million loan, consisting of the second IDB financing for the country's fiscal consolidation program.
Chengdu CHINA-LAC Business Summit
October 21, 2010
As prepared for delivery final draft
IDB, Caribbean leaders discuss how to achieve resilient growth after the crisis
October 01, 2010
NASSAU, Bahamas – The Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham, Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Luis Alberto Moreno and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) President Compton Bourne opened today a forum that brings together the Governors of the IDB from Caribbean member countries with other government officials, policymakers, members of academia and businessmen.


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The sun streaks through Laney's blonde hair, illuminates her skin and warms her naked body as she holds her large breasts in her hands.
Lifting her arm she shows her full under arm hair, looking up at you with her large blue eyes she suggestively stands and lifts her leg. Moving her hands closer to her full bush she pulls at her labia, showing deep inside her pink, wet vagina.
Laney, I love everything about your body.
Hair in all the places a woman should have hair, a real mature young woman.
What a beautiful backside and hips, and I've go to mention your breasts. Such a magnificent pair of knockers, I'd love to get my hands on them (and the rest of you).
Last but certainly not least is what you have between your legs and a super pair of thighs. Your cunt is beautiful and juicy, I like the way you open up your vagina for us to lust over.
Please, please, please give us more. I really want to see you completely naked and get stiff dreaming about you and your body. I want you to open your legs so that we can see your pretty face, tits and spread wide open cunt and gaping vagina in one shot ... please Laney :-)


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Philip B Shin Shine is a unique shine enhancing styling product. This wondrous spray mist protects with a humidity barrier while it lifts and separates to give your hair a grace of movement, form and texture. It gives radiance to a silky sleek blow dry or a curly style, frees your hair of static and frizz, and is virtually a lightweight hydrating burst of brillance. Contains aloe vera, horsetail and green tea has a fresh, light sensual, garden green aroma that leaves you feeling fresh and good.
2020 All rights reserved. Time of visit: 5/24/2020 9:01:27 PM


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Out of Stock - £19.99
Interest in Brutalist and modernist architecture is undergoing a major revival. This stunning collection of Oscar Francis poster art published by Prestel UK publishing will thrill fans of architecture and London alike. From the National Theatre on the Southbank, to Willow Road in Hampstead, Sarah Evans, the architect and designer behind Oscar Francis, has captured the patterns and textures that make Brutalist and modernist architecture so intriguing, creating images that celebrate the pure aesthetics of these forward-thinking, utopian designs.
Reproduced with stunning clarity and on high quality paper, this book will make an ideal gift for anyone who loves modernist architecture.
22 Posters / Paperback 28 x 35 cm
About Prestel Publishing:
Prestel is one of the world's leading illustrated book publishers with a stunning list of beautifully crafted books on all aspects of art, architecture, photography and design. Prestel has won company wide recognition and numerous awards in the publishing world.


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Press Release
From: Lockheed Martin Corporation
Posted: Thursday, February 18, 2010
NASA's Stardust-NExT (New Exploration of Tempel) spacecraft fired its engines for 22 minutes 53 seconds on Feb. 17 to purposely delay its arrival at comet Tempel 1 by 8 hours 21 minutes. In one year, the Lockheed Martin- (NYSE:LMT) built spacecraft will still fly by the comet on Feb. 14, 2011, Valentines' Day, but the encounter time will now be 8:42 p.m. PT.
The low-cost Discovery Program Mission of Opportunity will expand the investigation of comet Tempel 1 initiated by NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft. The mission uses the still-healthy Stardust spacecraft to perform a flyby of comet Tempel 1 and obtain high-resolution images of the comet and hopefully the crater made by Deep Impact in July 2005. The delayed arrival will provide project scientists the best chance of seeing both previously imaged areas and news areas of Tempel 1. By taking photos of previously imaged areas of the comet, scientists can analyze terrain changes caused by the comet's close approach to the Sun on a successive orbit five and one-half years later.
The engine burn was performed autonomously at 2:00 p.m. PST while the spacecraft was out of contact from Earth. Spacecraft engineers at Lockheed Martin sent the trajectory correction maneuver commands to the spacecraft on Monday, Feb. 15. The maneuver reduced the spacecraft's velocity, relative to the sun, by 54 mph (24 meters per second). The spacecraft's velocity relative to the sun is 47,500 mph (21 km per second).
The robust spacecraft recently completed it 4,000th day of flight and had traveled approximately 3.4 billion miles (5.4 million kilometers) since its launch 11 years ago.
Throughout its two-mission life, Stardust has had many January and February milestones.
-- Feb. 7, 1999 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
-- Jan. 15, 2001 Earth gravity assist to meet up with comet Wild 2
-- Jan. 2, 2004 encounter with comet Wild 2
-- Jan. 15, 2006 sample return capsule returned safely back to Earth
-- Jan. 14, 2009 Earth gravity assist to meet up with comet Tempel 1
-- Feb. 14, 2011 future encounter with comet Tempel 1
Dr. Joseph Veverka at Cornell University is the principal investigator of the Stardust-NExT mission. JPL is managing Stardust-NExT for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company designed and built the Stardust spacecraft and performs flight operations for the mission.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion. Allan Cheuvront video comments: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/StardustNExT
Stardust-NExT illustrations: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/StardustNExT
Mission Web site: http://stardustnext.jpl.nasa.gov/
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South African music legends Mango Groove as well as Jimmy Nevis, the Kiffness and Rory Eliot will be performing at the Cape Town Sixes Cricket and Cultural Festival this Sunday, 20th March, following two days of exciting amateur cricket featuring ex-Protea legends like Meyrick Pringle, Allan Donald and Aubrey Martin with ex-Protea player Brett Schultz getting involved as an umpire.
The two-day festival kicks off tomorrow (Saturday, 20th) at the Greenpoint Cricket Club.
The music line-up is a real treat for Capetonians who don't often have the opportunity to see Mango Groove play live. An 11-piece Afropop band, Mango Groove has had more than twelve number-one hits including 'Dance some more', 'Hellfire', 'Special Star' and 'Moments Away'. They recently released their first single in six years 'Faces to the Sun'.
Jimmy Nevis needs no introduction, born and raised in Cape Town, his music has been dominating the airwaves for the last couple of years, including hits such as '7764', 'Jericho' and 'Heartboxing'.
The Kiffness makes jazzy, groovy and uplifting house music and are fast becoming one of South Africa's favourite live electronic acts. 'Where Are You Going?' and 'Find A Way' are two of their most successful singles to date and the band was included in the iTunes list of "New Artists for 2014" to watch out for.
Singer-songwriter and ex-front man of SA band Plush, Rory Elliot completes the line-up for Sunday night.
Festival goers can take full advantage of the last days of the Cape Town summer season, watching two days of cricket, enjoying some great live music, participating in a host of other activities happening at the festival and sampling food from every stall in the food village. Comedienne and radio personality Dalin Oliver, will be the MC for the weekend and will be playing in one of the league teams.
The Cape Town Sixes Festival will showcase the City's famous flair for fun, entertainment and community spirit with a Food of Nations Village featuring cuisine from the world's great cricketing countries, a 'Bigger Than Me' precinct that highlights social development projects that are improving quality of life in Cape Town and a safe, friendly kids and family zone and the of course the live music to end of each day.
Get your tickets now at http://www.capetownsixesfestival.com – ticket prices:
Full Weekend Festival pass: R220-00 to R350-00
VIP Festival tickets: R250-00 to R500-00
Saturday Festival pass: R70-00 to R150-00
Sunday Festival pass including live concert: R150-00 to R250-00
The Cape Town Sixes Cricket and Cultural Festival – good cricket, great food, warm African sunshine and a great musical spectacle to end off the weekend!


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On 11 September 2001 I posted:
11 Sep 2001
Thoughts of a survivor: Guest article by Ian Smith, the Dowager Empress of Hong Kong
It is difficult to give advice to any one regarding HIV/AIDS. However here are a few thoughts from a long-term survivor.
Do not panic. This is easy to say, but the best thing you can do, is ignore the virus as much as possible, within reason. If you are on medication, never miss a dose. Always have safe sex to avoid passing the virus to someone else, and keep alcohol and other recreational drugs down. By this I do not mean give everything up, just try cutting down. Think, "Do I really need that E tonight?" If you do, take only half, or less. This has the advantage of saving money. It also has the advantage of not damaging your immune system as much…
Today there is an excellent article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Ori Golan, a freelance journalist and volunteer with the absolutely admirable Ankali Project.
… Dr Lynn Pulliam, writing in the Lancet, predicts up to 30 per cent of patients infected with HIV will develop a debilitating dementia. HIV is the most common cause of dementia in people under the age of 40, Dr Lachlan Gray at the Burnet Institute says, and recent studies have suggested milder neurocognitive impairment could be as high as 50 per cent of the infected population.
Many people with HIV are leading normal lives, their viral load undetectable and their physical appearance excellent. This, ironically, is part of the problem. In an interview shortly before his death, the British AIDS activist, Cass Mann, put it like this: "The greatest disservice AIDS charities pay to [HIV-positive] men today is to present images of them as healthy, buffed, gym bunnies with glossy beautiful bodies having great lives, climbing mountains, partying in Sydney and looking beautiful. If they showed people in hospices dying of dementia or people with lipodystrophy that would stop them in their tracks."
A recent study by Dr Lucette Cysique, of the Department of Neurology at St Vincent's Hospital, predicts the number of people with HIV dementia will surpass 2600 by 2030. The toll on their family and friends is tremendous. Moreover, Dr Cysique says the annual cost of care will increase from $29 million in 2009 to $53 million in 2030.
We can be proud as we don our red ribbons this World AIDS Day that new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have fallen to the lowest levels since the peak of the epidemic…
There is no room for complacency. AIDS is still an incurable condition. We must act to curb it; we must reach out to this new generation so they know how to protect themselves. There is no time to waste. The global fight against AIDS is not over.
And The Dowager Empress is no longer with us either.
And we have all of us mourned the passing of so many others.
Then go back to 2000:
Diary for December 2000
Saturday, December 2, 2000: Yesterday was World AIDS Day.
My little circle of friends has displayed over the past week an amazing range of emotions. We've had love gone wrong, love gone right…and so on. Quite dramatic really. Perhaps the dominant note, one way or another, has been love.:-)
I have, I must say, found December rewarding so far.
One of my circle has an anniversary coming up of one of life's turning-points. There are mixed emotions involved, which I, perhaps, understand better than most. The person involved may read this, and he knows my thoughts are with him.
Sunday, December 3, 2000
I hope to dedicate December, one way or another, to love and understanding. Today it is the turn of my ICQ friend Atakan, a young (not gay) teacher in Turkey. He is quite a devout follower of Islam, but not a fundamentalist; indeed he found some elements of this site a bit shocking, but still talks to me Given that here the popular image of Islam is coloured by media reports of extremism and violence, it is as well to reflect on the fact that this is a distortion. Here, for example, is what Atakan recently messaged me:
ATAKAN ALI 11/30/00 8:08 AM : "Be so tolerant that your bosom becomes wide like the ocean. Become inspired with faith and love of human beings. Let there be no troubled souls to whom you do not offer a hand, and about whom you remain unconcerned."
ninglun 11/30/00 4:41 PM: That's very beautiful. Thanks.
And then 2006:
Queer Penguin on World AIDS Day
Posted on December 6, 2006
I have to admit, though I am usually a regular Queer Penguin reader, that visiting the hospice and other matters having perhaps distracted me, I only noted Hypocrisy and Condemnation are Also Diseases via Gay Erasmus. Sam's post really is very honest, confronting, and powerful. Brace yourself if you are homophobic, but read it nonetheless. You may get a taste of reality. He is also quite rightly trenchant on stupid gay men who can only think with their genitalia. Of course, that failing, and the often combined stupidity (or is it a sad incapacity for genuine human feeling?) of so-called recreational drugs, especially the mind-mincers in the speed family, infect (in more ways than one) party people and airheads of every sexual identification, more's the pity.
Sam's post is still there and still worth a visit.
…I don't pretend to have a solution to what is currently a disturbing problem, that nearly 30 years after the mysterious 'gay disease' first appeared, men are still falling victim even when there is now a simple and almost always effective way of avoiding the disease. Maybe a reduction in the omnipotency of sex in gay men's world – at least in inner Sydney – could be a start, but it's not like the urges will suddenly cease to exist.
I'd like to think that the first step will be for gay men to have less of a fight on their hands when nurturing their own self-respect and sense of responsibility. Once they genuinely value and treasure their lives, why on earth will they want to jeopardise it?
I also have a feeling I'm not the only person who's not just made, but repeated, a stupid mistake that could have cost me dearly. Those without sin, etc. Every day I am grateful I've not become another statistic, but I never forget that is purely a case of good chance. I don't intend to repeat that mistake ever again.
In the meantime, I also never forget those friends, and friends of friends, who live with the spectre of HIV because of one mistake.
At The Empress's Wake, Midnight Shift Hotel
And here is a special treat — one of M's circle, and hence for some years of mine.
See also Sadness (1999)


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Client Testimonials
Garden Mentors® focuses on providing quality service at a reasonable price. Your satisfaction is very important to us. The greatest reward is to gain a new client by word-of-mouth from a satisfied customer. Here's what a few of our customers have had to say over the years:
"The transformation of the back yard has been so rewarding for me. I have discovered the work has been so good for my soul. It's really hard to describe – the garden is truly embracing me in a special way. Thanks again for your inspiration. " Marie – Kenmore, WA
"Yay for under budget! … I absolutely ADORE the front yard. Every time I walk up to the house I smile." Debbie – Greenwood, WA
"(Garden Mentors) has been invaluable in planning and guiding me in the complete ripping out of my front yard and transforming it in into a wonderful garden, starting with no knowledge of gardening to confidence and a love of gardening. We have packed in ornamentals and edibles and I have managed to grow an enormous amount of food in a small city lot. One of the greatest, unexpected joys of the new garden is the impact on the community a new garden makes. I have met a lot of my neighbors and people stop by everyday when I am outside and tell me how much they enjoy it….As always, you are a wealth of info. It always amazes me how much info you can pass off in a short amount of time." Leann – Madrona, WA
"Robin Haglund of Garden Mentors® is amazing. She took our small, neglected backyard that no one, but the dog enjoyed and turned it into a beautiful space that my family and I want to be in and entertain our guests in. She even managed to make it dog friendly! Robin was a joy to work with. She listened to our needs and desires and gave us everything we wanted and more. She was sensitive to our budget, making sure we were comfortable with every decision. We love, love, love our garden and look forward to working with Robin in the future to transform our front yard!" Barb – Greenlake, WA
"I've had the chance to work with Robin Haglund of Garden Mentors® now on several projects. As an authoritative expert in horticulture, design and issues related to sustainability, she's our go-to person for the northwestern United States. Her thoroughness, attention to detail and can-do attitude is a consistent trait that we love in working with Robin. From her personal garden, where we featured her design skills on our national television show, to collaborating on a major community garden design and installation project, Robin exceeds expectations at every level. We love working with her and will continue to do so as long as she'll put up with us!?" Joe Lamp'l – Executive Producer & Host: Growing a Greener World
"We highly recommend Garden Mentors® to anyone considering any degree of improvement to their landscape. We were nervous at first, but Robin's calm professionalism and easy manner soon put us at ease despite our ignorance of landscaping, plants and technique. Being a bit achy in the joints, we also worried about the amount of our participation in the actual install. Robin was again reassuring; knowing that some sweat equity would give us more ownership and interest in our landscape. Her designs with plants, containers, and stone were superb, working around numerous existing problems; we continue to be more than delighted with our little growing world, where once we had a barren space." Joyce & Marshall – Ballard, WA
"Garden Mentors® created the perfect plan for our yard. They listened to our needs and came up with a plan that exceeded our dreams. It has it all, privacy, a place for our daughter to play and a nice area our dog can call home. Garden Mentors consultants are down to earth and really listen to what you want. This design allowed us to do the work in phases, allowing us to contract out the large difficult tasks and do the rest ourselves. We also used Garden Mentors® coaching services as we learned the proper way to plant, space, and care for our new yard. The experience has been wonderful." Jason – Seattle, WA
"Because of our inexperience, Garden Mentors® guided every aspect of the process, from the design itself to the installation — selecting the plants, placing them where they should be planted, and monitoring their progress. We highly recommend her!" Mark – Ballard, WA
"I hardly know what to say…it looks amazing. I could not be more pleased with the way it turned out…I wish more things were this easy and the people I deal with as pleasant as you have been." Happy Homeowner in Magnolia Neighborhood
"I loved my time with you! You were a huge help and I love your ideas! I told my parents that all I want for Christmas is garden time with you." Kristin – Federal Way, WA
"(Garden Mentors®) had some great ideas and I liked that they were very specific. Your ideas fit really well with what we would like the garden to look like." Michele & Mark, Woodinville, WA
Visit Great Garden Speakers for additional reviews of our speaking engagements.


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A bleed in the whites of the eye of your pet is known as focal hemorrhages in the eyes, and can have different causes. This symptom is commonly related to trauma, kidney disease, infections, cancers, or diabetes. Always consult a veterinarian in case of eye problems, as they can inflict serious damage to your pet's eyes.
Focal Hemorrhages in the Eyes Affects
- Dogs
- Cats


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Learn All About the Superposition Theorem and How This Electric Network Applies in Electrical Engineering
Just as a computer network is a collection of computers connected in some fashion and able to exchange information, similarly an electric network consists of a number of branches or circuit elements which are combined together to form a unit for a specific purpose. A network could be either passive or active depending on whether a source of emf is present or not. There are a few theorems which govern the behaviour of electric networks and these are known as network theorems. We will take a look at one of the most fundamental network theorems in this article, namely the superposition theorem.
The Superposition Theorem
Before you study this theorem let me put it across to you that this is only applicable to linear networks. A linear network is one where the voltage and current are linearly related to each other as per the Ohm's law. It does not work well with non-linear devices such as semiconductors and so on.
This theorem states that in a linear network where there is more than one source of emf present in the circuit, the resultant current in any branch is the algebraic sum of all the currents that would have existed if each of these emfs would have been present individually without the presence or influence of the remaining emfs. For the purposes of calculation of the individual affects of an emf, the other emfs are removed from the circuit but instead their internal resistances are kept as it is in the circuit.
Putting the same thing forward in a simpler language it can be said that the voltage or the current across a conductor in a circuit is the same as obtained by superimposing the voltage and currents due to each of the emfs individually. Hence this theorem could have been called the superimposition theorem as well instead of superposition theorem.
This theorem is very useful in calculating the values of voltages and currents across individual components when several sources of power are simultaneously present in the circuit and it is difficult by other means to calculate these parameters.
Let me also clear the concept of internal resistance as mentioned in the definition of the superposition theorem. All electric devices including the batteries which are a source of emf have an inherent resistance to the flow of current. This can be imagined if you consider a battery which is dead (i.e. not producing any emf or voltage drop) still it will have a path internally where the current would flow to complete the circuit. This path would be made out of certain conducting material which inherently has the property of resistance however small in magnitude, hence the reason for existence of the internal resistance.


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Tom Clancy Dead: Famed Thriller Author Passes Away At 66
So sad! One of the best literary authors in the world, Tom Clancy, passed away at the age of 66 on October 1 at a hospital in Baltimore, MD.
It's a sad day in the literary world. Tom Clancy, the author who became known for writing military thrillers taking place around the time of the Cold War, passed away on the night of Oct. 1, New York Times has confirmed.
Tom Clancy Dies At 66
Julie Bosman, reporter for New York Times tweeted the breaking news:
Tom Clancy's publisher confirms to the NYT that he died last night in a hospital in Baltimore.
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) October 2, 2013
Julie went on to tweet a quote from Ivan Held, the president of Putnam's Sons publishing company. "He was a thrill to work with," Ivan told her.
The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Tom Clancy's Successful Life
Tom's first novel The Hunt for Red October was published in 1984; it sold over five million copies, and became the basis for the 1990 film, starring Sean Connery.
His novel, Clear and Present Danger was the no. 1 best selling novel in the 1980s, selling over 1.6 million copies in hardcover.
In 1990, he was awarded with the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement from the Navy League of the United States — which is given to "a U.S. Navy officer, U.S. Marine Corps officer, enlisted service member, or civilian who has made a notable literary contribution that has advanced the knowledge of the importance of sea power in the United States."
He is one of three authors to have sell two million copies of a first printing in the '90s.
In addition to his successful writing career, he also co-founded video game developer, Red Storm Entertainment in 1996. His name has been on multiple games since then, including the extremely popular Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon — in which there has been 13 installments of since the first in 2001.
He was also a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tom's family and friends at this time.
— Emily Longeretta


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The Orland Park Police Department's mission to minimize distracted driving has earned the agency a statewide honor. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Commission lauded the village for its "outstanding performance and dedication during the inaugural year of Illinois Distracted Driving Week," April 24 to 28, 2017.
Charlene Sligting-Yorke, AAA Auto Group spokesperson and a member of the Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge Board, attended the July 17 meeting of the Orland Park Board of Trustees to praise the department's efforts to minimize distracted driving.
"We are very proud of all that the Orland Park Police Department does to keep our community safe," said Mayor Keith Pekau. "Their efforts being recognized on the state level among agencies across Illinois is a credit to the men and women of the department."
Texting is the most alarming distraction as sending or reading a text takes the driver's eyes off of the road for five seconds. At 55 miles per hour, that's equivalent to driving the length of entire football field with closed eyes.
"Distracted driving is a significant problem on our roadways that can only be solved with education, enforcement and drivers committing to driving responsibly and obeying the laws," Sligting-Yorke said. "Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, along with enforcement campaigns such as this one, help put a renewed focus on distracted driving and will hopefully start to change the behaviors of Illinois motorists."
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety's recent Traffic Safety Culture Index, 81 percent of drivers say texting while driving is a very serious threat, yet nearly half (40 percent) report having texted while driving in the last 30 days.
Divided according to age, drivers age 19-24 were 1.6 times as likely as all drivers to report having read a text message or email while driving in the last 30 days. (66.1 percent vs 40.2 percent). Drivers ages 19-24 were nearly twice as likely as all drivers to report having typed or sent a text message or email while driving (59.3 percent vs 31.4 percent)
"I say it all the time and I'll say it again," said Trustee Dan Calandriello, chair of the village's Public Safety Committee. "We have the best police department in the state and I believe, in the country. I know how hard the Orland Park police work to keep everyone safe and it's especially nice when outside agencies recognize their efforts."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2015, nearly 3500 people were killed and nearly 400,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. During daylight hours, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving. Teens were the largest age group reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes.
"The men and women of the Orland Park Police Department take their responsibility very seriously and do all that they can to protect everyone in the community," said Police Chief Tim McCarthy. "We want everyone traveling in and through Orland Park to be safe and free from the tragedies that result from distracted driving."
Orland Park was lauded for its enforcement and public education efforts with 70 warning tickets issued during a one month period with 275 citations written.
Orland Park Police Lieutenant Tom Hottinger oversees the department's traffic safety division and credited the patrol officers for their efforts to keep streets safer.
"We were honored to be presented the award at village board meeting." Hottinger said. "The three officers who wrote the most tickets during the challenge joined us as well --- Brandon Eppolito, William Fitzgibbon and Mark Kenn --- so they know that their efforts to keep all motorists safe are very much appreciated."
Other recognized departments include the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department and the Illinois State Police as well as the departments from Joliet, Mattoon, Mount Vernon, Normal, Pekin, Plainfield and Rock Island.


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VBS begins Monday morning!
In case you are new to church, especially to First Baptist Church, you may not know the significance of Vacation Bible School.
Vacation Bible School is one of our Next Generation (Next Gen) ministries. In VBS, we teach Scripture, life, and Jesus to over 1,000 students age 4-6th graders. VBS gives us an opportunity to touch our community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We put a lot of money and volunteer hours into VBS.
Here are four reasons why I think it is so important.
First, the next generation will be the largest in American history. They will affect the nation for over a century and will determine much of what happens in America. I want us to do our part to touch the nation.
Most people identify the generation being born as having begun in 2001. The 9/11 attack on America probably will be the seminal event in the lives of these students and their parents. We want to help them make sense of life and the world into which they were born.
Second, VBS is so valuable because anything you learn early in life sticks with you throughout life. Think about swimming or riding a bicycle. Those things you learn early make a difference for all of life.
I often run into people who were saved in VBS but whose parents didn't follow up or take them to church. In spite of that, as they became adults they remembered their early experience and began to worship and serve.
Third, VBS matters because it helps children hide God's Word in their hearts. "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11).
Finally, I think VBS is important because it is a fun time. I want children to think of church, Scripture, and Jesus with warm thoughts of blessing and joy.
Thanks to all of you who make this possible through prayer, volunteering, and giving.
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