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Among the aspects of owning a house are. Pay the bills you need to keep your house and determine what to do if problems arise. Continue reading that you can make choices to find out more.
Inspect your roof. Winter and spring are the 2 seasons when roofs are damaged. Stay awake during this period for harm.
Never employ a roofing contractor that can't supply a list of clients to you. Using a roof repaired or replaced could be costly. If they don't do quality work it might result in water damage within your property. Be careful and request references.
Be sure that they match as snug as a bug in a rug when installing a boot on any plumbing that leave your roof. Water may seep inside of these, causing you if they are even slightly loose. Select the size to save yourself.
Never attempt to fix a roof from the snow or rain. Climbing on a roof once the weather is poor could lead to harm or death. Do everything you can to include the flow from within your house with buckets and tarps, and wait before climbing on to the roof till the weather improves.
Always take precautions if you're attempting to replace or fix a roof by yourself. Be certain that you wear rubber bands that hold and think about using a harness. Furthermore, ask a friend to stay on the ground. Working on a roof demands moving above floor and standing in approaches, so these measures are essential.
You might wish to think about going with a roof if your house requires a new roof. Becoming more and more popular roofs enable for growth that is green, from substances like grass and wildflowers. Possessing these materials is good for the environment and saves you a lot of cash every year.
You are attempting to employ another individual to assist, or else whether you are attempting to have a roof installed yourself, you want to become information that does home depot sell flex seal is decent . You will discover more about your choices, although this report has helped you. While you proceed 9, keep this information in mind.


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A University of Saskatchewan-led international research team has discovered that aerosols from relatively small volcanic eruptions can be boosted into the high atmosphere by weather systems such as monsoons, where they can affect global temperatures.
Global warming can signal bad news for the Baltic ecosystem. If the waters of the Baltic get warmer, it may instigate low oxygen conditions and massive blooms of cyanobacteria ("blue-green algae").
Though worries about "nuclear winter" have faded since the end of the Cold War, existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons still hold the potential for devastating global impacts.
Cyanobacterial populations have increased in recent decades and scientists suspect that global warming may be behind the phenomenon.
University of Adelaide researchers have discovered that recent climate change is causing leaves of some Australian plants to narrow in size.
For eastern Pacific populations of leatherback turtles, the 21st century could be the last. New research suggests that climate change could exacerbate existing threats and nearly wipe out the population.
The vagaries of South Asian summer monsoon rainfall impact the lives of more than one billion people.
The study is the first to give a comprehensive projection for this long perspective, based on observed sea-level rise over the past millennium, as well as on scenarios for future greenhouse-gas emissions.
First analyses of the longest sediment core ever collected on land in the Arctic, published this week in Science, provide dramatic, "astonishing" documentation that intense warm intervals, warmer than scientists thought possible, occurred there over the past 2.8 million years.
Global warming may cause more extinctions than predicted if scientists fail to account for interactions among species in their models, Yale and UConn researchers argue in Science.
If global temperatures continue to rise, the Emperor penguins in Terre Adélie, in East Antarctica, may eventually disappear, according to a new study by led by researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
Unhealthy air quality is predicted for the southern portions of Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the south coast of Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands, on Wednesday due to ground-level ozone.
Carbon stored in Arctic tundra could be released into the atmosphere by new trees growing in the warmer region, exacerbating climate change, scientists have revealed.
The globally-averaged temperature for May 2012 marked the second warmest May since record keeping began in 1880.
Climate and Conservation offers a glimpse of climate change beyond images of melting Arctic ice—illustrating that landscapes and seascapes in places like the coastal Caribbean, mountainous eastern Australia, and the Brazilian Amazon are all susceptible to climate related impacts.
A new university-led study with NASA participation finds ancient Antarctica was much warmer and wetter than previously suspected.
The hidden impact of sea-level rise: current projections may be underestimating the consequences of global climate change on habitat loss.
A study in the Journal of Hydrometeorology now outlines significant differences of global models and measurement data sets. As the network of measurement stations worldwide is shrinking dramatically, uncertainties are increased.
A Texas Tech University climate scientist said climate change is widely expected to disrupt future fire patterns around the world, with some regions, such as the western United States, seeing more frequent fires within the next 30 years.
In an article published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers take a critical look at the various factors that have long been prime climate-change suspects. One in particular: The role of population growth.

subset: commoncrawl


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Halloween is a Christian/Western holiday on October 31, the night before All Saints Day. As we said before, many believe that the ancient festival of Iranians, ChaharShanbeh Soori, is the root of Halloween. Typical festive Halloween activities, include trick-or-treating, carving jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, playing pranks, telling scary stories, ghost-spirit things, etc are like what Iranians (Persians), do in ChaharShanbe Soori since the ancient time. But in the recent decades, Halloween has changed, and now many ask: "Oh, we can't understand. Halloween is s-e-x-y or scary?"
In fact, Halloween has become "The Mean Girls Halloween". What mean girls said in "Mean Girls"(2004) movie was joke, but it's the heart of today Halloween: "In the regular world, Halloween is when you dress up like a zombie, or children dress up in costumes and beg for candy. But in Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut, and others (your parents, friends, etc) can not say anything about it" In fact, "Mean Girls Style" explains how girls can dress like a slut on Halloween.
Many take Mean Girls advice seriously, specially those who love the fashion and the fashion world. Of course, some still believe: "The combination of short skirts, low shirts and polyester-spandex mix will only make you look and feel cheap". But those who love exposing themselves, body painting, or having fun, only laugh at these views. They are creating a new Halloween. In fact, recently Halloween is about s-e-x before it is about "trick or treat" or ghosts, zombies, etc.
Some say: "The s-e-x-y costume is now as much a part of Halloween as candy corn and Tootsie Rolls. Provocative dress seems like a modern phenomenon. The second half of the 20th century, especially since 1970s, is when you see an explosion of adult costumes. It was also when the celebration of Halloween spilled out onto the streets and into nightclubs, after decades in churches or community centers. Now, people spring for the s-e-x-y-stuff because its mass-produced and therefore cheap, and no one cares if it looks cheap, because it doesnt need to last longer than a night". In fact, recently some take Mean Girls advice too seriously.
"We like to call it Slutty Halloween. After 2004's Mean Girls, Slutty Halloween truly became a 'thing'. Now, Halloween is a chance for normal girls to crank their assets up to their chin and embrace their slaggy alter egos for a night. Halloween offers the chance to dress slutty. But there's a very practical reason for forgoing Slutty Halloween: it's cold", some say. But many don't care if it's cold or it's hot, they only follow the fashion. Some ask: "How can we solve the s-e-x-y Halloween problem?", and some answer: "there is no way; It makes people hate you!" Such a brilliant answer! Of course, many truly think that having fun is much more better than thinking about death, ghosts, zombies, etc. They say: "Lets have fun for one night; that's all".
Halloween or Hallow-een has a funny meaning in Persian Language. In fact, "Halloo" or Hallow" in Persian means "idiot", so Halloween means "festival of idiots". As you know, the old Halloween and its root in Iran, was really stupid. But now, many only want to have fun. And it's not bad; it's really good. But those who still care about ghosts, zombies, etc or those who are like sheep and only follow the fashion, make Halloween the festival of idiots. Some Americans say: "Halloween is its third-largest season after Valentines Day and Christmas. It's big business now, and as those in the $7 billion American Halloween industry will tell you, money is always s-e-x-y. Not surprisingly, a s-e-x-y-money costume can be yours for $30".
Those who care about the fashion world, should watch Robert Altman's Ready to Wear (1994) . It's a black comedy about the fashion world and its stupidities. It's not one of Altman's good movies, but it's not a bad movie. Its subject and what Altman wants to say, specially at the end of the movie, are interesting.


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South Africa
The South African rhino 'Hope' which survived a horrific attack last year by poachers is gradually recovering after surviving 16 surgical operations.
After removing her front horn, the left part of her face bloodied before leaving her lame in her left leg.
"As its itchy she starts scratching. And its nearly two tons behind that scratching. So the challenge here is to try and get something on the wound and keep it covered for at least 4 -6 weeks so we can redress it. That is not happening currently so we need to come up with a different plan every time,"Gerhard Steennkamp, a veterinary surgeon said.
As its itchy she starts scratching. And its nearly two tons behind that scratching. So the challenge here is to try and get something on the wound and keep it covered for at least 4 -6 weeks so we can redress it.
A major surgery was done to reconstruct "Hope's" face and a shield was fixed to protect her and more procedures are necessary for "Hope" to fully recover.
Meet Hope: Rhino left for dead by poachers survives horrific attack https://t.co/H7i7g4rC6M pic.twitter.com/noqyoeFFvF— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 26, 2016
Hope the rhino, is being treated by a group called 'saving the survivors.'
The main challenge has been finding alternative ways to keep her shield in place so that she will not be left vulnerable to infections.
HOOVES & BOOTS ON THE GROUND— STROOP (@STROOP_film) 26 mai 2016
iThemba, a White #rhino female that was shot along with her 5 year old calf#stroopfilm pic.twitter.com/bOiqjKQlUL
"We don't know which antibodies to give and which dosage of which pain killers to give. We don't even know the normal blood parametres. We don't know the basic anatomy which is a major problem because we are loosing 1200 or 1300 rhinos a year. And we expected to try and save them and to do surgery on them," Johan Marias, a veterinary surgeon with Saving the Survivors said.
The medical attention on the animal has been partly funded by donations.
Saving the survivors has gained much experience as they get involved in treating more and more survivors with facial injuries.


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How do I enter a Purchase Order on ETZ?
Purchase Orders are entered in the Reference Data menu, Purchase Order Entry.
Click Add New Purchase Order to create a new Purchase Order:
Select the client the Purchase Order relates to from the list and enter the details along with a value if appropriate:
To update an assignment with a Purchase Order or add a PO to a new assignment you will need to go to the Assignment Entry area and select the assignment from the list.
On the Main Details page of the assignment you will be able to select the Purchase Order from the list:
If this is an existing assignment where timesheet activity has already begun the system will update all Open timesheets with the new PO, but not those that are completed or mid-process.
There is a checking mechanism in place however; if you are validating a timesheet where the Purchase Order differs to that held on the Assignment Entry (so if the Assignment has a PO but the timesheet itself does not for example) the system will prompt you at the point of validation:
At this stage you can choose to update the timesheet to be the same as the assignment PO if you wish. If you refer back to the Purchase Order Entry you will see the system has updated the PO with any invoices or timesheets that have been assigned to it:
There is a Purchase Order report available in the Reports menu which you may want to include as part of your process. This report is useful in managing Purchase Orders and will highlight any POs that are running low or have overspent:


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When I'm not feeling well. I just want to be coddled and taken care of. Reality is, my toddler doesn't care if I'm sick or not, she wants to read The Foot Book for the 18th time that hour and I'm the only one for the job!
I do have a process I follow when I'm sick: two vitamin c tablets a day, as much sleep as I can get (which is really not much) and hot, steaming comfort tea.
The ingredients to my comfort tea are:
3 -4 thin slices of ginger root
1 heaping spoon of Buckwheat honey (has a VERY strong smell, like a barnyard as J says, but do not be deterred as it is very good for you, especially if you have a cough)
1 heaping spoon of regular honey (we buy the local honey at the Honest Weight Food Co – Op, which by the way we are completely in love with)
1/4 lemon slice
Hot water
A big mug
Just combine all the ingredients and increase/decrease the amounts to your liking.
Voila! I have a delicious, comforting, hot cup of tea that immediately soothes me and makes me feel like tomorrow I just might feel better.
Another thing that made me feel better today…news that the Olive Garden is coming to Clifton Park! I read it on one of my favorite food blogs, Table Hopping on the Timesunion website. Steve's the food dude and he keeps my husband and I up to date on what's going on around here.
About the Olive Garden, I love their salads, but feel so-so about the rest of their food. But my dear husband, is a bit of food snob and it's like pulling teeth for him to even step into an Olive Garden with me. However, I will win that fight once Olive Garden makes it way up here. He knows it, I know it, and now you know it.


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After spending some time away from this and doing some things with Imgur, a friend has suggested that I start a blog. I don't know if she knows that this site exists, but it does suggest something.
Maybe I need to take this site seriously again, and improve the functionality of it. I mean, maybe I need to put some effort into making it look more modern, and add features like image embedding, similar to the way Imgur does it, blended with standard blog layouts.
In the meantime, check out the Imgur thread that prompted the recommendation.
This is a revisit of an old post from 2008, Re: Moving
Back when moving to Houston to work for The Planet was a mere prospect, I was in a much different stage of my own life and maturity than I am now. As you can probably either guess or recall, I did take the offer and I moved to Houston on the company dime. Since then, a lot has happened though.
The first major thing that happened was in 2010, when I learned that I'd actually be moving into a proper software development role as the company merged with SoftLayer and assumed their name and culture accordingly. At the time I was quite overwhelmed and didn't really see any way that I'd get far with it because of all the new things and the culture that I (at that time) wasn't really getting along with.
As time went on though, I was able to get my feet planted firmly and I got my work ethic going again. I was relatively quickly identified as a strong developer and I was quickly promoted from a Software Engineer II up through Software Engineer III for a couple of months, then on to team lead for a little bit, eventually landing at a manager title and role. While I was in team lead role and into my management role, I took on the task of interviewing candidates and hiring the best ones for positions within my team. At the time I really didn't know it, but later on I found out that these people I hired were the best of the best, demonstrated by other teams demanding that I transfer them "on loan" to help with their projects, only to struggle to get them back.
Shortly after getting the management banner on my resume, a much bigger acquisition took place: SoftLayer was acquired by IBM. Yes, you read that right: IBM. I remember a few years before this happened, I looked out across the street from my apartment and saw the IBM campus near the Houston Galleria. As I looked out, I decided to see what sort of job opportunities existed at IBM, only to find that I wasn't quite up to par with what they were looking for. Heh, or so I thought.
Let me fast forward to the current day and age and tell you what's going on.
That rash of hiring-the-best carried on and I got a pretty stellar team of software engineers under me. I now have 18 employees under me, including one manager and the team of his direct reports. Last year, my total management responsibility grew to 20 direct reports, but at the end of the year I lost 7 of them due to restructuring in the organization I'm part of, but at the same time, I gained 5 with room to hire another 10. It's been crazy, but I share all of this to point out that I have made a huge leap from not feeling like I was management material to having a large team that I manage.
In the middle of all of this, I bought a brand new car, met my wife, bought a house, had a kid, then bought another (used) car. I've flown more times than I can count. I've been on 2 western Caribbean cruises, and so much more than I can fully recall.
I feel as though it's my requirement to share all of this for a couple of reasons.
First off, the incredible nature of all of it makes most people say, "wow, great job!" when I'm not the one who deserves the lauding. All of this, every last bit, has been because of God and the immeasurable blessings he's given me. Looking forward is a huge sea of unknowns, but I do know that if I trust God through all of it, he'll continue to bless me in this way (and more).
Secondly, I want everyone who is in a similar position to read the older post I linked to at the beginning of this, then compare it with what I've said here. Yes, it's possible for you to go about and beyond where your highest dreams are today.
I forgot to set up any sort of anti-spam techniques on here. Lots of junk comments on the previous post. :P
I should also state that while I do identify as a republican, I am not happy with the election result.
With all the turmoil that surrounds the result of the presidential elections, I have been finding it quite hard to keep my mouth shut about it. However, I heard some things on NPR this morning that really struck a nerve. Please note that I am not making any attacks on any specific people, but rather am voicing my understanding of the reality of the claims that people have been making.
First off, all this "not my president" crap.
By being a citizen of the United States of America, you are granted freedoms. If you believe that the presidential elect does not meet your ideal views of what a president should be, then that's great, voice that objection. However, unless you are willing to give up your citizenship, you really need to understand that this is the choice that was made, and if you're going to call yourself a US citizen, stop with all the protest demonstrations and find a common middle ground. This goes for everyone, regardless of your political alignment.
Second, the electoral college.
In the past, the electoral college may have been less than true to policy, but all states except Maine and Nebraska follow a "winner-takes-all" approach with regard to the electoral college. Now, there are different numbers of electoral votes per state, yes, and that might warrant some sort of re-evaluation and redistribution, but in every state, the popular vote dictated how the electoral votes were cast, and it resulted in what you see today.
Lastly, the "I'm disappointed in the country" mindset.
Yes, it is disappointing to some that the outcome of the election is as it is. However, if you're really that disappointed in who won, maybe you should consider emigration. If you're not willing to do that, let's get over the whining and complaining and find unity with each other.
- New theme ** Something not white-on-black ** Maintain the original logo, perhaps? Maybe dig out the old cartoon face one?
- Implement the links on the left navbar so they actually do something other than error
- Add post/comment voting support
- Implement an RSS feed ** Add ability to skip publishing blog posts to the feed
- Implement the ability to set the blog post type and status when posting
- Add support for editing a blog post
- Add support for changing a comment's status
- Add user management
** This will be especially useful for all those
guest-*users ** Add support for promoting a guest user to a standard user
- Add audit logging ** Track source IP, date/time, action
- Improve authentication headers ** Right now, the sessions time out way too quickly, which would be VERY ANNOYING if writing a long post *** Maybe do something with that so that it saves the post and allows you to log in, then it submits the post again?
That's all I can think of at the moment. Here's hoping the markdown list works...
Okay, now I'll take some time to explain what's been going on. If you look at the older posts on this page, you'll see some evidence of me getting married, dealing with moving, buying a house, etc. One of the posts was about my shoulder surgery, which went fine and the recovery went just as well. That was back in 2010 though, and since then I've gotten mostly back to normal with it. There is the occasional ache that comes and goes, but it's usually not too much for me to handle.
Also in the time since I last blogged, I've received an official medical diagnosis of having Ankylosing Spondylitis. At first, I wasn't too convinced about it, but since then I have started to understand why. My sacroilliac joints are nearly completely fused, my spine from the thoracic/lumbar region down to the sacrum is mostly fused and I've noticed some issues with my neck as of late. I occasionally have "flares", which are just acute pain situations. Sometimes they last a day or so and are mostly manageable, while other times they almost completely cripple me with pain.
I've also discovered that I have some early signs of glaucoma. Whee.
There are plenty of other issues going on that I could fill an entire book describing. I'll stop here though.
Emily and I have been married now for just a little over 6 years. We've had 2 different apartments, lived with her mom for a bit, and bought our own house. Our house has had some issues of its own, but we have been able to manage...so far...
Last September we had the overwhelming joy of meeting our firstborn son, Tim Jr. He's now 13 months old, has several teeth, is walking all over the place, and is just starting to be able to say some words other than "Dada". He's such a smart little guy and is most usually a bundle of happiness.
Emily does such an awesome job with everything. No, she didn't hold a gun to my head as I wrote that; I really mean it. She's been working so hard to keep the house in order, to make sure that (reasonable) groceries are bought, she takes care of the baby nearly 100% of the time, and somehow she manages to find time to take part in La Leche League, spend time with the family, and various other activities that she takes part in. I don't know how she does it, but it's simply amazing to watch.
My job has evolved so much since I last grumbled about it. I think last time I was blogging, I was a Software Engineer II. Since then, I've gone up to Software Engineer III (very briefly), then on to Team Lead, then into a basic single-team manager role, and now I'm manager of 2 teams that are spread out between Houston, Dallas, and Austin. When I started off here in Houston, I worked for The Planet. The Planet merged with SoftLayer and the latter was the surviving entity. Since then, IBM has acquired SoftLayer and merged us into their Bluemix brand. This is the most recent happening, but I'm sure it will get a bit more interesting as the next few months roll on and the re-branding really completes.
Last March was probably one of the roughest points in my life, as it was for the rest of the family. You may recall that my Dad and I were pretty close and that I got a lot of my skill and traits from him. Unfortunately, on March 12th of 2015, God decided that Dad had completed his service in this world and called him home by way of a heart attack. It was quite sudden and none of us had really expected it, but we're slowly coming to grips with it. Some of us have been able to at least put up a facade that says we're okay, while others have struggled with it daily. I'm somewhere in the middle, and it does get me choked up once in a while when I think about it today. It will never be the same without him, but I do know - aside from the fact that he was my father - that I wouldn't be the same person today if I hadn't had the chance to get to know him as I did.
Okay, that's all my brain has for now. I'll possibly post more another day. Who knows, I might actually get a project around the house done and have pictures to share.
I was able to translate between the two database schemas enough to get the old content imported. You'll notice when you look at the comments on any of the old blog posts that the users all say "... (Guest)". That's because I never had any solid relationship between comments and users in the old system, apparently, and there was no clean way for me to determine which users were legit and which were just visitors. In the new system, the visitors actually get a new
user record, which means I have a way to classify them as guests. I just had to make a broad assumption that all the comments on the old system were made by visitors, though, so they're all marked as guests now.
A lot of the links here might not be working. Just mind the dust as I get things sorted out.
Holy cow, it's been a long time since I had a blog. The last one got shut down because I kinda lost interest in it, and I felt like Facebook and/or Google+ filled the need. In retrospect though, I was wrong.
A lot has been going on in my life since I last blogged. The last post I was able to uncover in the bowels of the database server indicates it was right around when we bought our house in 2012. It's now nearing the end of 2016, and as I survey what has happened, I wonder why I haven't had a blog to share about it.
For an introductory post, I just want to explain why the blog went away, and why it's back. I'll cover other things as we go along, so hang around and look for the stories. :)
So why it went away... I think at the time I had decided there was too much going on with the house, I needed to raise some extra cash, and that I needed to focus my time on those two things. My goal was to kill off the blog and replace it with a little shared web hosting business, but that's been difficult to get off the ground. If you go to skudd.com now, you'll see some sort of ominous page that doesn't really give any clues into what's going on. That's probably going to stay that way until I can finish the web hosting biz, but because of the other things going on (which I will later blog about), that's probably not going to be any time soon.
Now, I feel like you need something more on the web to read, so I'm reviving this thing. The path to here has been a little interesting though. You see, somewhere around March of 2012, I accidentally deleted the blog content. The database is apparently still around, but the rest is a total loss. I went to check out what the Way Back Machine had, and I was able to almost successfully determine that this is what it looked like. I've made some changes to the layout though, because I've implemented Twitter Bootstrap and a new fully MVC framework that I cooked up myself. There are some features missing, but as time and demand permits I'll get the back in place.
You should be able to comment on blog posts. Just be aware that guest usernames are tracked and if you use one that someone else did, you might not be able to distinguish one from the other.
Enough rambling. I need to go do something less mind-demanding. Maybe I'll fire up the flight simulator for a bit. There are thunderstorms in the area right now, and that could be fun to fly in.
Have you ever bought something that was rather expensive, expecting the seller to provide you with at least some support after the sale? Wouldn't you expect that in buying a car?
Recently I blew a tire on my car, and luckily I had purchased some tire and wheel insurance for the car when I got it. However, to take advantage of this insurance, I had to find a shop that was willing to work on the car.
I attempted to take the car to the dealer I bought it from, but they were all closed up and appeared to be overtaken by a Cadillac dealer. After seeing that, I decided to head to the next Mitsubishi dealer I had already talked to. See, this dealer indicated that if I brought the car in before 5:00PM, they would get the ball rolling for me.
After driving about 50 miles to get there, I went in to the service department and waited patiently to be served. The gentleman who was working the front desk called for someone else to come assist, and the help he had called for arrived.
This service manager asked me right away how he could help me, but as soon as I told him what I was needing, he told me that he wouldn't even be able to look at the car today, and that it would have to wait until tomorrow.
Okay, wait a second. You're telling me that you can't take 15 minutes out of your oh-so-busy day (they had 2 cars waiting and none in the bay) to just look at my wheel and tell me if you could or couldn't help me?
It gets better though. Since this guy was so busy and couldn't take the time to look at my problem, how did he have the time to ramble on and on about how I should go to their other shop? Also, why couldn't he give me the location of their other shop?
Between this experience and the constant barrage of "buy a new car from us" marketing propaganda they have been sending me against my wishes (I'll normally get 2-3 pieces of mail at a time from them), especially after I've asked them to stop (at varying degrees of niceness), I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to do business with H.U.B. Mitsubishi, nor do I recommend them to anyone else.
You're better off doing some more research and going to a different shop. Don't waste your time with H.U.B. Mitsubishi.
It's been a long while since I've posted anything here, and the last few times I have it's been me complaining about something. Well, it's time for that again. This is going to be the first of two complaints posted. While they may not be a very good way to get my actual problem solved, they are a good way for me to vent and to share my experience with other wondering consumers. Enjoy.
Netflix. They've been up in the news quite a bit lately with their rate changes and such, right? While that's a rant for another day, I want to share with you my current issue. I can't access the streaming.
As part of their plan changes, I now have only streaming service. While I do have one DVD in my presence still, the only way I can really access their service is via streaming. And wouldn't you know it, the only device I have that supports it (computers included) is my Xbox 360. After a very long weekend, I decided I want to go
sit lay down in front of the TV, watching one of my favorite shows to lull me to sleep. Apparently that was too high of an expectation. You see, when I started the Netflix app on my Xbox, I was presented with an error stating that it was unable to connect to the service and to see http://www.netflix.com/tvhelp for more details.
I came back to my computer and attempted to access the Netflix site, but I could not log in with my known good user ID and password. After numerous failed attempts at logging in, I decided to try the lost password tool. Unfortunately, I didn't receive the e-mail until over an hour later. In the meantime though, I was able to find a way to log in using my name and the credit card number on my account. However, once I was logged in I couldn't really do anything, including reset my password: Their form decided that "apple" and "apple" were not the same strings (note: my password is not "apple" or anything of the sort).
Great, so I guess I'll call. Once I found the number and tried calling, I got a busy signal. UGH! I guess I'll just go watch a movie I've already seen instead.
After the movie was over, I decided to try it again. While I was finally able to log in to the Netflix site with my password, the Xbox was unable to connect still. I took a look at my authorized streaming devices and saw that there was nothing shown here, so I went about the process of reinstalling the Netflix app on my Xbox. The funny part of this was that when I entered the activation code into the Netflix site, I was greeted with the message of "Activation is complete -- Your {DEVICENAME} is now ready to instantly stream movies from Netflix. Go check it out now!". Really? I have a {DEVICENAME}? Nice to know. Will it stream movies better than my Xbox 360?
Okay, so it's still not working. Let's try calling...
Thank you for calling Netflix. We are currently experiencing a higher than normal call volume. Please try your call again later.
Now how is that helpful? Couldn't they spare the few second it takes to explain what the problem is? Couldn't they post something on their Twitter account? Couldn't they throw a status page up somewhere? All I have to go by is http://downrightnow.com/netflix, and that's not really giving me any indication of whether I'll be able to encrust the pillow on my couch in drool while unconsciously watching old episodes of Scrubs.
Is customer support really such a difficult science? What is up with these companies sucking so hard at it?
When I first moved to Houston, I had quite the issue with getting internet service established at my new place. Before I left Indiana, I had Comcast and was relatively happy with them. This prompted me to call them up and see if I could move my service with me, to which the answer was "yes". The representative I was working with schedule the install at the new place, and all was well.
The day of the install, I realized I had given the wrong address to the representative. However, the time window that I was given had nearly passed, so I gave Comcast a call. The representative I dealt with then was somewhat helpful, but when she found out that I was trying to transfer from another state, the condescending attitude began quite promptly.
Because of the attitude I was receiving from this agent, I asked to speak with a manager. I was already upset, so you'd think that at this point they would do what they could to make me happy. Sadly, that is the wrong thought when it comes to Comcast.
When the manager got on the phone, she too was quite rude to me and when I asked what they could do to resolve the issue, she informed me in a very rude tone, "This is your problem and it's because you messed up. We shouldn't have to do anything because you tried to do something that we don't do."
I was fuming at this point, but as calmly as I could I said, "Well, I'm going to find another provider then. You just lost a customer."
After having service with AT&T for 3 years, I found that they do not provide service at the location to where Emily and I are moving. The AT&T representative was quite ashamed that they were unable to provide anything faster than the slowest DSL on the market, and he was understanding when I let him know that I would have to seek out another provider.
The Realtor that has been assisting us with this new residence informed me that the cable TV provider was Wavevision. However, since I don't know anything about Wavevision, nor do any of my colleagues, I decided to look to Comcast again.
I gave Comcast a call 2 weeks ago to inquire about their service availability at the new location. The representative I spoke with was very helpful and informed me that they would have to send out a technician to actually survey the property because of an existing agreement between Comcast and Wavevision. He opened a service request for me and gave me the service request number and instructed me to call back in 3 days. He said that whoever I spoke with would be able to look up the service request by that number. What struck me as odd though was that he did not ask me for any contact information. However, I was remaining optimistic that Comcast had changed and that I would actually be provided with reasonable service now.
Before I called in, I attempted to speak with a chat representative and obtain the status of the service request. I should have know what joke this would have been before I started, but the story fits the Comcast profile rather well.
When asked how I could be helped, I told the chat representative about the call I had had a few days prior, and gave him the service request number. He informed me that he had no idea what a "service request" was, nor could he look anything up by the number I gave him. When I expressed my frustration, he then offered to open a "service request" for me.
{Insert ellipsis here}
At any rate, I gave the phone staff a call and talked with them about it. They said they couldn't locate any service requests with the ID I had given them, nor could they understand why the previous phone representative failed to collect my contact information. However, I was transferred to a sales associate who said she would open another service request for me, under the same pretenses, and would call me back within 2 business days. In case she failed to reach me though, she gave me her direct number and extension.
Friday, I received a call while I was in a meeting, so I let it ring to voicemail. However, the caller failed to leave a message. I was unable to call back until today, when the drama continued.
Right off the start, the phone representative I spoke with was rude and far from helpful. I explained the situation to her, informed her who I spoke with last week and that I was instructed to call back. I told her that at no point in their voice menu system was I able to enter an extension, but she quickly let that roll off and asked me for my address.
After finding that Comcast serviced that address, but not that unit, she said they would have to open a service request to investigate the situation. I told her that I had already done that twice before, and that I just wanted to be transferred to the previous representative so that I could speak with her about it. In the same rude manner she was speaking to me at the start, she informed me that they are only phone agents and that they do not have the ability to transfer to other extensions, nor do they have direct extensions. I asked her why I would be given an extension if their phone system didn't support transferring to a specific extension, and she said she didn't know.
Okay, so now I was getting upset and I asked to speak with a manager. She informed me that I was unable to do so because they can't transfer to managers.
At this point I stated, "I am getting really tired of the run-around I have been given. This is the third call I've made with the same result. I'll find service elsewhere," and I hung up.
Comcast is supposedly proud of their customer service, but I cannot understand why. However, unless they are able to rectify this ordeal (which I'm doubtful of), they have permanently lost a customer.
As promised, here are the pictures from after my surgery. Enjoy!
It's been 13 days since I had my shoulder surgery, and I finally have a minute where I'm able to tell you all how it went.
The only surgical procedures I've had in my life, up to this procedure, were either simple outpatient with local anesthesia or they were at a point in my life when I was far too young to remember or understand what was going on. Because of that, I was incredibly nervous about surgery of any kind, as I didn't know what to expect.
Monday night before bed, I was working on calming myself down to the point that I would be able to sleep without any sort of pharmaceutical assistance. I was really focusing on my breathing, as I knew that I wasn't allowed any food or drink after midnight, and if I was breathing heavily I would be in dire need of water. Surprisingly, I was successful in my attempt, and I slept like a baby all the way up until 6:30AM when my alarm went off.
I got out of bed, put my clothes on (an oversized button-up shirt, elastic-waisted shorts, and flip flops), took my medicine nearly sans water, and grabbed my duffel bag that I packed the night before and my pillows and Emily and I got in the car and headed out for the surgery center.
We got to the center a little early, and I had to use the restroom, no thanks to my usual stomach issues. By the time I was done with that, I got checked in and within a matter of minutes a nurse came to take me to the pre-op area, Emily accompanying me.
The nurse instructed me to disrobe down to my underpants, and put on the compression stockings and gown and climb into the bed. As I climbed into the bed, I pulled the blanket over me, which was nicely warmed. From this point forward, everything seemed to go at a rushing pace, and I'll try my best to recall the details.
The nurse came back to the area and took my vitals, asked me several times which shoulder was being operated on, and marked it with a black Sharpie marker, saying "YES". She said the surgeon would come and initial it prior to the surgery.
Another nurse came into the scene and took care of starting my IV while the first nurse took care of shaving my shoulder and a couple spots on my chest. Soon thereafter, the anesthesiologist came in and told me what to expect. He gave me two options for the local anesthesia portion, a scaline nerve block, and explained the pros and cons of each. I opted for the method he was more comfortable with, and I didn't see much of him after that.
Meanwhile, the first nurse addressed a concern I had of nausea by giving me a motion sickness patch behind my left ear. She said that it would be the remedy for any sickness after the surgery, as there was some sort of a correlation between motion sickness and anesthesia-related sickness. After she did that, the other nurse gave me a dose of Pepcid via my IV, which would be the remedy for any nausea before and during the surgery.
The first nurse left the picture for a while, as the second nurse asked me my name, my date of birth, and which shoulder was being operated on. Shortly thereafter she left and it was just Emily and me in the pre-op room.
The second nurse came back and gave me another injection via my IV, and said, "This will feel like you've had a couple of cocktails. You'll feel really good." The first nurse came in and informed us that they were going to start the nerve block procedure and asked Emily to vacate to the waiting room until they called her again. This was not the last time I would see her before the surgery though.
The anesthesiologist then came in and moved the bed at an angle in the room. While he was doing this, the first nurse attached some sort of unit that emitted a beeping sound, which I figured was a heart rate monitor of some sort. Things got really fuzzy at this point. I recall the anesthesiologist stretching my arm out to the side, and the first nurse saying something like, "Your arm is going to want to twitch; just let it, as this is normal." After that, it is nothing but static until I remember Emily saying something like, "No, I will not take your picture. The camera is in the car." Apparently I was rather adamant that she take my picture before I went into surgery.
I think I remember asking her if I had a cap on, and she mentioned that I was painted up with a yellow substance (later determined to be betadyne) and that I didn't look too great. I eventually came to my senses though and I remember the surgeon coming in and asking me how I felt. He asked me if I had any pain in my shoulder that morning or the night before, which I did. I explained the sensations to him, he initialed my shoulder as the nurse said he would, then he left.
Emily sat with me for a few minutes, counting down how many minutes remained until my surgery, according to what they had written on the whiteboard in the pre-op area. When the time went over a little bit she made a comment about how they must have been busier than they expected.
I remember a third nurse coming in at some point thereafter, saying it was time to take me to the operating room. I kissed Emily and told her I would see her on the other side (I think I said that anyhow), and they wheeled me down the hall and into the operating room.
When they rolled my bed up next to the operating table, another nurse was in there and instructed me to climb over to the operating table. She said something along the lines of, "Don't worry about your right arm, we'll take care of it." As she said that I looked down to see my right arm just laying across my front while another nurse pulled it across. I couldn't feel it though, and this was a really weird sensation.
After I got on the table, a male nurse brought a mask down to my face and told me it was oxygen and that I just needed to take a deep breath. I thought I was doing well breathing, but I remember him saying, "Don't hold your breath. Just breathe." I remember counting how many breaths I took after that, and the number was just two.
The next thing I remember was laying in the bed in the recovery room with Emily by my side. I don't know much of what was said, but I do remember she helped me get a drink of water and she did take my picture. I also remember the surgeon's primary nurse coming to check on me and to get me more water.
As I started to regain my senses, I asked Emily how the surgery went and she said that it went okay and that they fixed more than just the suspected tear. I also remember another patient being wheeled into an adjacent recovery area, and hearing the nurses telling him that he had knee surgery. I remember one of the nurses telling his mom that he had been smiling really big from the time he woke up, which I found to be a little entertaining.
After I was with it, Emily helped me to get dressed and helped me to the restroom. After I was done in the restroom, she gathered the rest of our things and a nurse wheeled me out to the car in a wheelchair.
I don't remember a whole lot of the trip from the surgery center back to Emily's mom's place, but I do remember when we got there her uncle was sitting in the recliner. He got up and moved to another chair so I could sit there. I don't remember much else after that other than shaking the uncle's hand, Emily and her mom trying to figure out how the compression icepack worked, and eventually moving to the sofa in the front room of the house.
At some point in the afternoon I do remember noticing that my hand was completely paralyzed from the nerve block still. I was trying my hardest to issue a "move" command to my fingers, but they didn't budge.
The rest is pretty much boring after that, as I began the recovery process. I am happy to report though that my stitches have been removed, my doctor is very happy with my progress, and I am able to use my arm about 60% of normal (though I don't know if I'm supposed to...).
I'll post some pictures in a little bit of me laying in the bed post-op, and some pictures from the days after the surgery. In a couple of days I'll try to post some more pictures of my current progress as well.
My shoulder surgery is officially scheduled for October 12th. I was scheduled to get my wisdom teeth removed on September 24th, but the doctor's office called me the day before and cancelled. This was actually a blessing in disguise though, because when I got home from work on the 24th, I was so sick to my stomach. I spent the evening that night hugging the toilet bowl, and the remainder of that weekend was purely miserable.
I am back on my feet from that little stomach bug, but my shoulder is pretty sore right now. I'm not entirely looking forward to surgery, but I am looking forward to getting it all out of the way and the recovery.
The orthopedic surgeon gave me a prescription for Darvocet, which has been useful to help me sleep at night. But I'm running out of it and I don't know how well I'll be sleeping the night before my surgery.
The financial end of it isn't looking too bad. I have some PTO to use at the office, and I'll probably take all but that Monday off. Everything I've read suggests that I'll be able to get back to work after 4 days or so, which I'm staying optimistic about.
Emily's mom has been gracious enough to allow us to stay at her house for the first couple of days after the surgery. Since she's a nurse, that's an added bonus, but it also allows Emily to be able to take care of me while she's working, taking care of the nephew.
I don't know if I'll have the time or presence of mind to post any more updates between now and then, so please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as the days lead up to the surgery and for the days after. I just need to be able to keep calm about it and I want nothing more than a prompt recovery.
It's been quite a while since I last posted anything here. A lot has happened since that wonderful day when I got married (and I have enjoyed every moment of it!), but there are a couple of not-so-fun things going on right now that I figure warrant some explanation.
The first thing that's going on has to do with my teeth. This really isn't all too big in contrast to the other thing I'll be telling you about in a minute, but it is big enough to mention.
When I was still in Lafayette, I decided to go see a dentist for a check-up and cleaning. Knowing my wisdom teeth would have to come out at some point, what the dentist told me wasn't too surprising: The wisdom teeth had to go. He gave me a referral for the local maxiofacial clinic, but I never followed through with it.
Let's fast-forward to the present. I now have dental professionals, orthodontists to be exact, in the family. If you've ever been around any sort of dental professional, you know that the just love to look at what work you may or may not need done. This actually kind of rubs off on their family members as well. Better yet, I have a loving wife who is concerned about my health, and it doesn't stop anywhere short of my dental health. This is heightened by the fact that her sister and sister's husband are the aforementioned orthodontists.In short though, they all agree that my wisdom teeth have got to go. My new dentist here in Houston didn't say anything to the contrary of that either, so I am now scheduled to get the rotten things out of my head. I look forward to September 24th when I actually have that done.
As much as my teeth have been bothering me, it's miniscule when compared to the trouble I've been having with my right shoulder.
Sometime back in March, I noticed that my shoulder was really sore and it almost felt like it was partially dislocated. I did some research of my own, saw a couple of general practitioners, a couple of different chiropractors, and talked to friends who have had shoulder issues before I finally decided to go see a specialist for it.
I called and got an appointment for this past Wednesday to see an amazing doctor on the north side of town who really doesn't do anything but shoulders, and he determined that I have a SLAP Tear.
I'm not going to go into the full detail of what this tear is, but here's a good analogy that he gave me that you should be able to visualize.
Think of your shoulder as a ball and socket joint. This joint is very much like a golf ball on a tee, in the sense that the socket of the scapula (the tee) is much smaller than the ball of the humeral head (the golf ball). So what is done to keep the ball in the socket is a rim is added to the socket, extending it out to add stability to the joint. In the shoulder, this rim is called the Glenoid Labrum, and it works in the same way as the golf tee.
Unfortunately, the Labrum is susceptible to injury. While it normally hits middle-aged adults, everyone has a chance of experiencing it. And let me tell you first-hand, the experience is not great.
For me, it started with the dislocated feeling, and escalated to a popping and grinding, and is now at the point where I have trouble sleeping because it hurts so bad. I have been taking some pretty strong prescribed drugs (Fiorinol, Methocarbamol, Vicodin, and now Darvocet) just so I can sleep, which makes it very apparent that this is a serious issue that I need to get fixed.
My visit with the specialist on Wednesday was pretty educational and I fully understood the condition when I left. He still wanted to get an MRI to make sure there were no other complications, such as a torn rotator cuff, and I went back to get those results today. The MRI report was pretty clean and said that everything seemed okay, but the doctor said that because of the way the "slices" of the MRI were done, they couldn't get a full picture of the Labrum. With that in mind, he decided to do a physical examination again and confirmed that I have a "classic SLAP tear", and that we needed to move towards surgery since it is causing me so much pain.
Because I'm scheduled to have my wisdom teeth out at the end of September, I told him that I should probably wait until the end of October to get the shoulder done.
The surgery is pretty straight forward. Being arthoscopic, it will only require a couple relatively small holes to be poked into my shoulder. I'll be knocked out for it with general anesthesia, the surgery will take about 30 minutes, then I'll be in a sling for 2-3 weeks and on rehab for 3-4 months after that.
I'm not really all too concerned about having the surgery, since I've been able to talk to people who have had similar procedures. However, I'm worried about being able to function during that time of recovery, and being able to handle it financially. Luckily, one of those concerns is addressed by having a wonderful wife who is a great caretaker. I found this out already when I was sick a few weeks ago and she tended to my every need. :)
So yeah, this is what's going on. I'd very much appreciate your prayers during this time. I know God can work miracles, and I have no doubt that he can work one in this situation. But even if that's not in his plan, I sure could use some calm nerves, focus, and stamina to get through the sleepless nights ahead, and for a financial breakthrough that will allow me to not have any worries about it at all.
It is currently 7:25AM. At 11:00AM, I will be standing at the altar, watching my beautiful bride approach. By 12:00PM I will be married to the most beautiful and wonderful woman whom God has provisioned for me.
I will be out of reach from the point I click the "Submit" button to post this entry until sometime after July 19th. I will do my best to post some sort of update after that (if not sneaking it in sometime before) and share with you the joy of my new married life.
Mr. Mosquito,
I would like to thank you for finding refuge in my eye socket. I know that the world can be a harsh place, and it gives me a sense of self-worth to know that my eye can be a secure location for you. I hope you enjoyed your stay. Come back any time.
That's right, engaged.
Emily and I have been dating since June 4, 2009, and with each day that goes by I know with greater clarity that we were meant for each other.
Sometime a couple of months ago, we got to talking about wedding stuff, and she asked me if she and her mom could start planning for a wedding. Even thought I hadn't yet bought a ring and there wasn't an official announcement, I told her they could. I did this knowing that I would soon make it official and ask her to marry me.
Even before that, I began shopping around for rings. She didn't know it, but I was using my limited free time to get around to various shops and inquire about rings, educating myself of the different cuts and grades of diamonds, and finding that one ring that was just right. She had given me some direction before, pointing out ring styles she liked, and I took these into consideration.
Finally, I was able to find the ring that I wanted for her. It wasn't extravagant by any means, but it was definitely something I knew she'd like. This just happened to transpire just before her birthday, so I used the opportunity to make it a very special birthday that she will (hopefully) never forget.
I organized a birthday party for her last night with a group of people from the church. Before we went to dinner though, I had to find a parking space. We got to one space, but I wasn't sure about the cost, so Emily jumped out to check the meter for me. While she did that, I pulled out this little box wrapped in silver paper with a large bow on it, and I gave it to her when she came back to the car.
I wanted her to open it and I would have said a few words then asked her to marry me. But with the frustration of trying to unwrap the box, I lost track of what I was going to say. So when she opened it up and marveled at it, I just asked her a question consisting of the 5 most important words of what I was going to say, "Emily, will you marry me?" Her response was confident; "Of course," she said. This set the mood for the evening and the rest of the weekend though, and she has been on cloud nine ever since.
Thus, I am proud to announce that I will be marrying my lovely
girlfriend fiancée, Emily, this summer.


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Editor's note: We're privileged to help wind up Colleen C. Mitchell's blog book tour by hosting this excerpt from her book, When We Were Eve, a new release from Franciscan Media. Colleen has a particular gift for encouraging women, and as the publisher's website notes, this book "helps readers find new perspectives on what it means to be a woman: young, old, single, married, mothers, nurturers, strong and vulnerable, loving and being loved." It's on the top of my to-read pile — I can't wait to dive in and share my review! -Barb
~ Considering Creation ~
In the Genesis account, Eve is God's final and most eagerly anticipated creation. The story of creation commences with the Spirit of God moving across the void. We tend to think of this as the beginning of God in our Christian knowledge of him, yet because we recognize that God exists outside of time and space, and that God is immutable and unchangeable, we know that this cannot be the true beginning of God, who always was, always is, and always will be. What we know of the God who has always existed is that he is good, he is love, and he always has been.
When we consider creation from that perspective, it takes on a new significance. Everything that God created was born of his love and born from his goodness. And every created thing is born into goodness for the purpose of love. The whole created world was pleasing to God in that respect, so much so that "it is good" becomes the refrain of the creation story.
God moves across a void and delineates spaces in wide swaths—sky, sea, land. In increasing detail, creativity, and wonder, he begins to fill the world with his goodness. Plants and trees and the flowers that bloom on them. Stars and constellations, wind and waves, and the creatures that fill the sea. Daisies and dandelions, Venus flytraps and crimson roses. Tadpoles that turn into toads and starfish and dolphins and anemones that swish their colors with the currents. Then he fills the sky with birds who build nests and lay eggs in those trees—magpies and toucans and bald eagles and tiny, flitting hummingbirds. Bees begin to buzz, and beetles shine on forest floors. Then he waves his hand over the earth, and giraffes roam the savanna on one side while buffalo herds trample the plains on the other. Polar bears romp through the ice at its tip, and penguins splash into the water on the reverse pole.
And then, in what I imagine is clearly meant to be a crescendo of the symphony of creation—in which both action and sentiment reach unparalleled levels that draw us up and out of ourselves to be lost in the glorious rush of it all—"male and female he creates them, in his image he creates [us]."
While God does not repeat the refrain "it is good" when it comes to the creation of man, it is, of course, a presupposed fact, because he states that they have been created in the image of God, who we know has always existed as goodness and love. It is interesting to consider that God created them "in his image" and "male and female" in Chapter 1 of Genesis, while the story of the creation of man and woman as distinct and separate forms does not appear until chapter 2 of Genesis.
This double-sided perspective suggests the timeless reality of God. From outside of time, humanity in its male and female forms, both created in his image, were thought of and planned for. Woman does not come along after man in the way a postscript tags on to the important part of a letter, or the encore is a short redo at the end of a stellar performance. No, from eternity man and woman were thought of by God, and at a given point in time, his creative impulse brought them into being along with, yet different from, the rest of the created world.
God brings man into being in a culmination of his creative force, and an increasing desire for relationship with his creatures. Everything else in creation simply springs forth from his word, coming to be as soon as he speaks it into being. Man, however, is fashioned. God considers man as he forms him. He molds the dirt of the earth into a human form with his hands, covers it with his touch, imprinting his image on it as he does. Then he breathes life into man. Here is our evidence that man is unique in all of creation. He is brought to life by the breath of God. God fills man with his own life, exhaling himself into humanity, in order that man might live.
What a distinct difference from the way the rest of creation comes to be! Men are fashioned and filled with the life of God and then given dominion over the rest of creation. God offers man to creation as its caretaker and creation to man as his source of well-being. And he delights in the fact that man bears his image.
And yet—oh, what an "and yet" it is! After all that progression from void to more detailed and imaginative creation, to breathing his life into a human and fashioning him in his likeness, God turns and looks at the created world, and for the only time in the whole creation narrative, his response is that it is not good. "It is not good that man should be alone," he declares in Genesis 2:18, and he sets about fashioning him a helper.
Stop for a moment and think what this might mean. God looked at the world he had created, teeming with life, stars flung across the heavens, every bird and bug and animal and flower in its most glorious state, the rivers and mountains and valleys and seas, and man—perfect in his reflection of the image of God— he looked at all of that, and saw that it was incomplete, that something was still missing. Before the Lord of the universe could sit back and rest, knowing his creative work was done, he longed for one more thing—he longed to bring woman to life.
At the culmination of God's creative love, we arrive at the shaping of woman, whom God forms from the rib bone of man to be helper and partner to him when no other created being suffices to fill that void. In all the world, nothing exists that can fulfill the need for woman. So God again sets about fashioning a being, this time, putting man into a deep sleep, opening him up, taking from him a rib bone, and shaping it into woman.
It is interesting that woman is not molded, but pieced together, starting from the strength of bone, the life-giving core of marrow, and becoming, layer by layer, softer and fuller, more and more of the image of God as he brings her to life. She is formed from the rib, the bone meant to protect the lungs of man into which God first breathed his own life. Woman is gifted to man and all of creation as helper, protector of the life of God within it, made to expand to cradle growth and contract to blow away what is not life-giving, strong but pliable enough to withstand the pressure of the responsibility with which she is charged.
And when God sees woman, what he sees is not simply spirit, but her physical body, itself a reflection of him. Rather than proclaiming its goodness himself, he leaves the refrain to Adam, who stands in place of all humanity as he proclaims with joy her name, "Woman," spoken for the first time in gratitude for the gift that she is. For woman is the only aspect in all of creation, its final, sweet note, that God gives to the rest of the created world as gift. "Here," he says, "I see you are missing something. Here she is. My woman. Now you are all I ever imagined you would be."
In the physical existence of woman, God's longing for a relationship with the created world and his desire for the good of humanity are met, and he is able to rest. Woman becomes gift not just to the world, but also to God himself, who finds his last longing fulfilled and rests in his satisfaction.
Excerpted from When We Were Eve: Uncovering the Woman God Created You to Be, by Colleen C. Mitchell, with permission of the publisher, Franciscan Media.
Visit our Book Notes archive.
Copyright 2017 Colleen C. Mitchell


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If you don't have plans to be in Ohio on September 10, you might want to start making them. Billboard is reporting that the All Access Coalition, a group of organizations that raises awareness about abortion and advocates for greater rights and access to the procedure, has just announced that Sia will headline a free concert at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center on that day, where she will be joined by Leslie Jones, singer Natalia Lafourcade, and host Jessica Williams. All Access is staging a series of simultaneous free concerts across the country, with other shows taking place in Miami, Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, and almost 30 smaller cities, though those lineups have yet to be announced. Sia released a statement explaining why she signed on for the All Access events that said, "All Access is such an inclusive group that I'm proud to be a part of this. We all need to stand together and be a part of creating the future we hope to see. There is so much support out there for an inclusive, equitable society that it's time we showed our collective power."
Sia Will Headline a Free Concert for Abortion Rights in Cleveland
Photo: Kevin Winter/2016 Getty Images


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A while back, in April of 2003, I wrote a newsletter called "PayPal: An Inexpensive E-Commerce Solution." I talked about how easy it is to use PayPal to accept credit cards online. I also mentioned one caveat: that customers needed to signup for a PayPal account to use it.
Although that changed a while back, I never updated the article.
Late last night, Dave Nielsen of PayPal emailed me to say:
RE: your comment in your April '03 newsletter where you say "Only people who have signed up with PayPal can use the PayPal system."
Did you know that customers no longer need to have a PayPal account to pay?
So, I've now updated the article. But, since I think Dave might be checking this blog, I'll put my wish list for PayPal here:
- Allow more customization of the PayPal checkout page so there's a seamless integration between one's Web site and the checkout
- Offer built-in tools to accept more information during the buying process; I have to hire a programmer every time I want something special
- Offer a better, more customized, shopping cart experience
I'm sure there's more, but those are my biggies.
Rich Brooks
PayPal Merchant


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Dead is Dead was a campaign begun by Ellis Hartley Monroe while the Earth was under the effect of the Miracle in 2011. The campaign was meant to persuade others that any Miracle-affected humans who had suffered an injury or medical condition such as they would have previously been considered dead, and be treated as such - having their possessions and any living rights revoked, and being isolated from the healthy living in containment facilities. Ostensibly, this was being used to combat the overpopulation and strain on the medical industry that the Miracle had brought about; however, it was said that Monroe, described as a small-town mayor connected to the Tea Party political movement, was using the Dead is Dead campaign to make a name for herself. (TV: Escape to LA)
Oswald Danes publicly opposed the Dead is Dead campaign, arguing in his hospital speech that "Life is Life" and saying in a later television interview that the phrase "Dead is Dead" was rude and distressing. (TV: Escape to LA)
Monroe was targeted by the Three Families as she was detracting from the attention on Oswald Danes, whom the families were manipulating into the public eye as part of their ongoing plan to reshape politics and economy. Her Dead is Dead campaign also threatened to reveal the actions of the Families ahead of schedule. Monroe was kidnapped, tied up inside her car, and put through a car compactor where she was crushed - conscious the entire time. (TV: Escape to LA) It was later mentioned that the Dead is Dead movement suffered after Monroe's disappearance; however, the ideals of Dead is Dead had already paved the way in public opinion for the creation of the categories of life and the medical overflow camps which sprang up as a result. (TV: The Categories of Life)
After death returned to the human race, Dead is Dead was rendered redundant. (TV: The Blood Line)


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St. Elmo's Fire the series
Although not a John Hughes film, St. Elmo's Fire is, to a degree, from the same mould of films and could be said to look at the characters from some of his films at a slightly later stage in their lives. It certainly does take a similar approach to the characters.
While I don't write so much about television here, the thought of the St. Elmo's Fire film being adapted for television is another project that falls on the bad idea pile for me this week, and it leaves me wondering if it really has any connection with the film other than the title.
St. Elmo's Fire was the story of a group of friends who had just graduated and were coming to terms with the real world around them and what it meant to each of them as an individual. There are definitely parallels to be drawn with Hughes work, just at an earlier stage in the character's lives.
The original St. Elmo's Fire was co-written and directed by Joel Schumacher, and starred Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham. It was one of the films that defined the Brat Pack group of actors.
So now there's a move, according to Reuters through Yahoo News, to make the film into a television series. While they say that the name will remain the same, I can't see that the idea has anything more to do with St. Elmo's Fire than it does with the multitude of soap series chronicling a group of teens/tweens just coming out of school/college/university and having to deal with the rigours of college/university/real life.
Then to pitch it as a comedy/drama series and focus it around a Bar and Grill called St. Elmo's?
Wow, this is sounding more like Friends crossed with a multitude of One Tree Creek type series more and more. Why exactly are they connecting it with St. Elmo's Fire?


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hen I heard that Arianna Huffington was setting up The Huffington Post in 2005, I thought it was a joke. It sounded like the personal indulgence of a millionaire socialite who "didn't get the web" or she'd have started 10 years earlier.
But it didn't take long to find out how wrong I was. HuffPo, as it's known, rapidly became a major force. The Observer called it the world's most influential blog, and it helped inspire the Guardian's own Comment is Free.
Huffington was born in Athens in 1950 as Arianna Stassinopoulos and made her initial impact in the UK. At university she was president of the Cambridge Union, before becoming a TV and radio personality and moving in with the late Bernard Levin, the sharpest newspaper columnist of the age.
She then left for the US, where she married Houston oil millionaire Michael Huffington. And when he ran for Congress as a Republican, Arianna got into American politics. It was an interest she retained after they divorced in 1998 – following 11 years of marriage – along with a chunk of his money and his surname.
Although The Huffington Post wasn't a personal ego trip, plenty of
egos were involved. Arianna got everyone's attention by enrolling lots of celebrities – initially, perhaps, her friends and contacts – to blog opinions and serious political commentaries.
Nor was HuffPo on the conservative right, like her former husband. Arianna had moved to the left and was closer to the Democrats. As it tuned out, an independent liberal voice was just what America wanted.
Today, HuffPo has so much content that it has turned into a newspaper, and that is how it styles itself: it uses a three-column newspaper-style grid with lots of small index pictures. It also has various newspapery departments including politics, business, entertainment and living.
And it has Green, an ecological section that takes in the environment, climate change, "crazy weather" and so on.
The main sections are supplemented by the Huffpost's Big News Pages, which bring together all the stories about a particular topic. Examples include Russia Georgia War, Iran, Barack Obama, Oprah, Apple, Britney Spears, Sex, and Green Living. If you don't see what you want, there's a Huffington index that is somewhat like The New York Times.
Unlike most newspapers, readers can leave comments on any story, and they do. One piece on the current front page has accumulated almost 6,000 of them. HuffPo may have started hiring reporters and video makers, but the blog-based community is still an important part of the mix.
This month, more surprisingly, HuffPo has added Chicago, which marks its first attempt at providing a local newspaper within an internet newspaper. It has local information, local bloggers, and is edited by someone who used to work for the local paper. Huffington says: "We plan to roll out local versions of HuffPost in dozens of cities."
Tomorrow, the world? Arianna has already conquered England, America and a large slice of the web, so why not ...


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Germany's biggest Protestant gathering has made a strong appeal for an end to international tax evasion and speculation on foodstuffs.
"We need decisive international action to ensure that everyone meets their tax obligations," Professor Gerhard Robbers told journalists on the opening day of the 1-5 May event in Hamburg, called the German Protestant Kirchentag (church congress).
The theme of the five-day event is "As much as you need" (Exodus 16.18) and focuses on the need for a sustainable economy and society.
More than 115'000 people are in Hamburg for Kirchentag, which takes place every two years. Altogether there are more than 2,500 individual events in Hamburg, including debates on issues of church and society, concerts and worship.
Robbers, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Trier, said the Kirchentag needed to face the challenges posed by controversial banking deals and tax havens.
"It is unacceptable that the poorest are starving because of speculation on foodstuffs," he said.
Prominent speakers at this year's Kirchentag include German President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel. Church of England Bishop Nick Baines will preach at the closing worship.
The Kirchentag was founded after in 1949 by Protestants who had been active in the Confessing Church, which opposed Nazi incursions into church life under Hitler. The Kirchentag founders wanted to help rebuild a culture of democratic political debate in Germany after the Second World War.
In its 65 year history, the Kirchentag has often taken a prominent position on controversial issues. The 1981 Kirchentag, also in Hamburg, was the focus for the peace movement in West Germany in opposing the deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe.
Web: http://www.kirchentag.de/en/en.html [1]
© Stephen Brown is an experienced ecumenical and current affairs journalist. He is an Ekklesia associate, and reporting directly from the Kirchentag for us.


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Whether you're a seasoned school nutrition professional, new to K-12 foodservice, a director, an employee, a manager, or an industry representative, there is something for you at the largest Arizona state event in school nutrition.
SNAAZ's Annual State Conference (ASC) is your go to event for 2019 and features Pre- Conference Workshops, General Sessions, Informative Education Sessions, Vendor Exhibitor Expo, Special Events and the Gala Dinner.
Vendor Expo (Exhibits)
The must see Vendor Expo has you covered as ASC hosts the largest and most informative Vendor Expo relating to school nutrition in the Phoenix Conference Center. Explore more than 140 booths showcasing culinary trends and cutting-edge food, beverage, supply, equipment and service solutions for your school nutrition operation.
Take your career to a whole new level with more than 15 education sessions from some of the industries best speakers in school nutrition. Be inspired by renowned keynotes, learn current best practices and earn your training hours—all in one place!
Down on the Farm will bring a whole new meaning to making fresh choices with SNAAZ!
"SNAAZ membership allows access to attend conferences, meet school nutrition associates, share ideas, and learn new industry concepts."
Paradise Valley Schools
"I have been involved in the School Nutrition Association and SNAAZ for over 20 years. I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today without the help and support of SNAAZ. SNA provided me with scholarship opportunities that helped me to finish my Bachelor's and Master's Degrees. "
Crane School District
"I appreciate the members of SNAAZ. They are always helpful and we can always count on their feedback and direction. We love getting new members involved and recommend everyone should be a part of SNAAZ and join their local chapter to get hands on experience and network with other professionals."
Westside Chapter President
"My membership has afforded me the ability to stay up with the proposed regulations happening in congress that affect the school nutrition industry. And with the help of other state members, I have had the chance to help reorganize a chapter that has been disabled for 20+ years."
Tucson Unified School District
"SNAAZ gives me the opportunity to connect with many different Child Nutrition professionals throughout the state, helping me to grow professionally. "
Litchfield Schools
" SNAAZ provides countless opportunities to grow professionally and network with amazing leaders in school nutrition. With every conference and meeting, I can always count on learning something new and valuable to take back to our schools. I highly recommend becoming a member of SNAAZ to anyone working in child nutrition!"
Creighton Schools
"My membership with SNAAZ has been extremely beneficial in networking and collaborating with peers to determine best practices for our nutrition programs. They offer plenty of opportunities to learn more, grow professionally, as well become a leader in the industry."
Laveen School District
"I have been a SNAAZ member for 5 years now. The conferences are great opportunities for new menu ideas and ways to increase student meal participation. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting and networking with school nutrition professionals from other districts and across the whole state of Arizona. One significant opportunity that SNAAZ provided me, was by offering the SNS test at the State Conference."
Gilbert Schools
"When I first got into the school nutrition, it was recommended to join SNAAZ. I am so glad I did. I have met some of my best friends through SNAAZ. When I became a director I was so fortunate to have a group of fantastic directors mentor me and help me get through my first year as a new director."
Glendale Schools
"I have been a member for 18 years and have been able to go to several State and National Conferences. I have been touched by many speakers. I have to say I have enjoyed every class I have taken and am so thankful that I have had this opportunity to learn more about my profession."
Yuma School District
"I've been with my district for over 31 years and have been a SNAAZ member most of that time. Over the years I have learned so much from Professional Growth, SNIC and the Annual State Conferences. The sessions offered at the conferences are always informative to help everyone keep up with the "latest and greatest" info and news when it comes to Child Nutrition. And networking with our peers is always the best. Thank you SNAAZ for all you do!"
Paradise Valley School District
"Working with the School Nutrition Association of Arizona in partnership with my role at the Dairy Council of Arizona, is vital to meeting my goals and objectives. Through the years, SNAAZ has been a vocal champion of our focus on expanding school breakfast and summer food, providing equipment grants and supporting wellness policy activation with our flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60. I firmly believe we have had so much success with our outreach and impact to Arizona schools due to the direct partnership and support of SNAAZ with Dairy Council of Arizona."
Arizona Dairy Council


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With injuries shortening the defensive backline, the Harrisburg City Islanders are expecting to receive some last-minute help from Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union in time for Friday night's scrap against the visiting Charleston Battery.
And the likely candidate headed for Harrisburg is center back Ethan White, a 6-0, 185-pounder who has yet to see any action for the Union (1-3-5, 8 points). White arrived in Philly in the offseason trade that sent Jeff Parke to D.C. United.
None of the paperwork has been finalized yet, so stay tuned.
In his fourth professional campaign since leaving the University of Maryland and signing with United, the 23-year-old White appeared in 38 games (34 starts) during his three-year run with D.C., finding the back of the net once.
White also played in a half-dozen games in 2012 while on loan from United to the USL PRO Richmond Kickers. He did not play against the City Islanders, however.
Assuming White is en route to Harrisburg to join the City Islanders (1-2-1, 4 points) for Friday's skirmish against Charleston (0-2-4, 4 points), White would be partnered with first-year defender Richie Marquez — another player on loan from Philly.
The City Islanders can use the help centrally since Pedro Ribeiro (hamstring) was injured in last weekend's 2-1 victory at Sacramento and is out indefinitely. Second-year back Coady Andrews, who played every second of every game as a rookie, continues to rehab an ankle injury and also is unavailable.
White's presence also would enable Matt Bahner to move back into a midfield role alongside Jason Pelletier. Bahner started in the central midfield against Sacramento, but moved to center back with 20-plus minutes to go when Ribeiro was hurt.
Bahner's return to the midfield also is significant since Cristhian Hernandez (knee) is not likely to play against the Battery.
St. Louis' addition also will help offset the departures of Orlando to Major League Soccer and Charlotte to the Premier Development League.
While SLSG PRO LLC will operate the franchise in a city with an illustrious soccer history — City Islanders head coach Bill Becher hails from St. Louis — noted youth club Scott Gallagher also will be heavily involved in the initiative.
St. Louis may not have a nickname yet, but USL PRO's newest outfit already has appointed Dale Schilly as its first coach. Schilly has more than 30 years of coaching experience at various levels, including a season with the A.C. St. Louis club that was part of the USSF D2 Pro League in 2009 before it folded.
As an author.
And, even though yours truly is favorably biased when it comes to discussing the countless merits of the former Mechanicsburg High School and Stanford University All-American, his stuff is really, really, really good.
Not just the pieces he's done for PennLive.com — and he's done a number of things for us — but Warshaw also has written for Deadspin.com. His latest work, however, appears at mlssoccer.com and for those of us in the media it really resonates.
By the way, Warshaw and his GAIS teammates (1-1-2, 5 points) will be back in action Friday at home in Gothenburg against Syrianska F.C. (2-2-0, 6 points).
Although Warshaw has played in three of GAIS' four regular-season games, he continues to probe for his first successful strike.
BULLOCK ON TWITTER: @thebullp_n


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Elite Online Dating: Read. Click. Bang. She's Yours
For those of you Swoop readers that are checking in at least every couple days , you can get my book on online dating for free for the next 24 hours. As always, you are getting this book for free, so all I ask is that you write a review on Amazon after reading.
Elite Online Dating is the book I wrote that teaches, step by step, how to completely dominate online game. As you can tell from the blog, I have been on hundreds of dates set up online and with some of the prettiest women you can find. There are secrets and tricks that will change your life forever. You will be able to have dates with attractive women for the rest of your life; as often as you want.


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Share it Please
There's probably not much need to try to convince you to clean your games if you collect retro systems and games. However, earlier this year I started getting back into it, and I quickly realized that the Q-tip and rubbing alcohol method I used as a kid just wasn't cutting it anymore.
Cartridge contacts have had 25+ years now to tarnish and get all kinds of gunk on them, and after wearing out my fingers and hundreds of q-tips they were STILL dirty. I took my quest online and began searching for better methods to clean the games, but I was shocked at what some people were recommending - some went as far as to promote the use of sandpaper on vintage electronics!
After searching high and low, I found the amazing method described on Classic Gaming Quarterly that solved all my woes. I'm only writing this post to share that guide with you and hopefully save some headaches, but I thought I'd also share some more pictures just so you can see how effective it can be.
For a good example, I recently picked up Zelda 2 on the NES. While the cartridge itself looked good, the contacts had certainly seen better days. Using a soft Staedtler eraser, I cleaned the left half of the board above in just a couple seconds. The great thing is, it only takes a few rubs of the eraser back and forth before the gunk comes right off. Here's a before and after of the dirty side above:


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Become part of one of the most successful IT services and consulting companies, headquartered in Switzerland, with locations around the world. At Axians redtoo you will find interesting customers, challenging goals with plenty of room for advancement. Make Axians redtoo a perfect next-step for your future career. We encourage training and personal development of all our employees and emphasize a healthy life-balance. With your expertise and commitment, together we'll realize the best solutions for our customers.
We invest more in the professional training and personal development of our employees than the average IT services company. We believe that self-motivation and commitment from each individual is the key to success at Axians redtoo and we do our best to meet their needs as much as possible.
By having flexible working hours, regular events for employees and their families and more, we're helping create strong and effective teams that value long-term relationships. We take the initiative and secure valuable jobs for them paving the future for mutual success, even in times of tough competition in the market.
Take advantage of a great work environment and extensive benefits.
We are always looking for the best employees. If none of the advertised positions match your qualifications, please submit a resume under the application link. Contribute to Axians redtoo's success story and apply with us today.
"My experience here [at Axians redtoo] has been wonderful. Everyone is a joy to work with, and very laid back. I had an awesome and smooth transition after leaving the corporate world to become a consultant. Great people, great benefits – what else can you ask for in life?"
I've been here since 2012 – joining Axians redtoo when they hit the ground running in the US. They are all great people to work with. On those rare occurrences where there might be a bump in the road the dedicated redtoo team helps get you through it. redtoo is a family in every way.
I joined Axians redtoo in 2012, where I started on a Windows 7 migration project. Since then the variety of opportunities that Axians redtoo offers has allowed me to pursue a Project Management track where I continue to grow. The wide range of clients and an outstanding recruiting team helps guide you to find the best career path. There is a tremendous amount of support from the Axians redtoo team, and I'm happy to be a part of the Axians redtoo family.


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Moving History Forward: Be a Part of History
When: Sunday, October 21, 2018. Check in at The History Center between 1:30 and 2:15 p.m.
Help The History Center in Tompkins County move by passing an interesting array of museum artifacts along a human brigade made up of your friends and neighbors stretching a 1/3 of a mile from 401 E. State St. to 110 N. Tioga St. (the Tompkins Center for History and Culture). Bring your Community Spirit. Learn about our Local History. Make New Connections. Get your Picture taken with the Ithaca Kitty. Share Your Local History. Be part of the Human Moving Brigade.
What: The History Center in Tompkins County is moving to the Tompkins Center for History and Culture (www.tompkins-center.net) in early 2019. We have a lot to pack and move including both archives and collections. We have already started the process and have set aside items to be moved by the brigade.
Why: The cost of moving, not including staff time, is approximately $40,000.
The last time The History Center moved was 25 years ago (when they moved from the Clinton House to the Dean of Ithaca Building on East State Street). The History Center is delighted to be moving to the Tompkins Center for History and Culture and to be co-located with sister organizations.
There are many ways to be involved and to have fun! Wear vintage attire, dress as your favorite local figure or if with a group wear something that identifies that affiliation (hats or t-shirts with logo, uniforms, etc.)
Celebrate. At the end of the brigade, there will be brief presentations, music and food.
We need 330 people! Register here as an individual, family or group.
Update, 10/21/18 9:30AM: We have closed online registration for the sanity of our Volunteers. BUT you can still join the Human Moving Brigade! And we hope you do! Come to The History Center in Tompkins County (401 East State Street, Suite 100, Ithaca, NY 14850) between 1:30 and 2:15 PM today (Sunday, October 21, 2018) to register in person. Parking is available behind the Gateway Center in any spots without signs, in the Seneca and Green Street parking garages, and on nearby streets. We also encourage you to walk/ride the TCAT/carpool if possible. See you soon!
Ithaca, NY 14850-14850
United States
Email: email@example.com
|Suggested Donation Per Mover
|$ 25.00
|Suggested Donation Per Motivated Mover
|$ 35.00
|Suggested Donation Per Stellar Mover
|$ 50.00
|Suggested Donation for Stellar Mover
|$ 45.00
|I am unable to donate, but would still like to participate
|$ 0.00
|I do not want to support.
|$ 0.00


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Northern Health is proud to welcome His Excellency the Honourable Alex Chernov AC QC, Governor of Victoria and Mrs Chernov to the role of Patrons-in-Chief of the Northern Health Foundation.
The Northern Health Foundation joins a select list of not-for-profit organisations endorsed by the Governor and Mrs Chernov in their capacity as joint patrons.
Upon learning of the unique challenges to provide high quality local healthcare in Melbourne's rapidly expanding northern community, the Governor and Mrs Chernov expressed their willingness to lend their support to the vital work of the Northern Health Foundation.
The Northern Health Foundation plays a crucial role in supporting the work of Northern Health as it expands to become a major university teaching health service capable of providing outstanding healthcare to the northern community for generations to come.


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Get involved > Partner with us > Living Smart
Join the next Living Smart course to meet others interested in living lighter on the planet, while learning new skills and making lasting changes chosen by you, to fit your own situation.
The seven week course is a unique journey that brings people together to learn from and support each other, helping to create networks of like-minded locals.
Course topics include: living simply, waste, water, gardening for biodiversity, gardening for food, energy, healthy you, healthy home, transport and community.
A skilled facilitator adapts the content of each topic, based on the interests and knowledge of each group.
By the end of the course, participants are energised, inspired and ready for the next step, whether that's small changes in their own home or embarking on a community project.
Living Smart courses are run in different locations throughout the year. See our events page for upcoming courses, keep an eye on Facebook, or contact us to be updated when a course is planned for your local area.
Take a look at our YouTube channel to see what course participants have to say about being part of Living Smart.
Over 580 people have taken part in a Living Smart course since 2016, and everyone has made some change in the way they live their life.
Changes include:
Five volunteer groups and two repair cafes have also emerged:
The Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM board coordinates Living Smart in South Australia and funds courses in partnership with local councils, social services, businesses or community groups.
Since 2016, the board has worked with 12 metro councils, a community-run natural resource centre, two regional councils and service organisation to deliver 26 courses.
If you would like to host a course, please email the Urban Sustainability team at Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges or phone 8273 9100.
Explore more participant actions, as well as course feedback:
Living Smart review 2018
Living Smart review 2017 + infographic
Living Smart review 2016
Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board
The Living Smart course was developed in WA through a partnership between City of Fremantle, Murdoch University and Southern Metropolitan Regional Council in 2002. The course has undergone improvements over time by practitioners and researchers, and is coordinated by Be Living Smart Inc., a not for profit organisation based in WA. Living Smart courses in SA are coordinated by Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board with support from Be Living Smart Inc., local government and other organisations.
© Copyright, Department for Environment and Water 2013 | Disclaimer | Privacy | Accessibility | Updated 26 May 2020