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Fear Of The LORD Is The Beginning!
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
THIS is spiritual discernment. We may test our growth in grace by our expertness in detecting the voice of our LORD.
It is the skill of the saint to catch "the still small voice" amid all the selfish clamours of the day, and amid the far more subtle callings of the heart.
It needs a good ear to catch the voice of the LORD in our sorrows.
I think it requires a better ear to discern the voice amid our joys!
The twilight helps me to be serious; the noonday glare tends to make me heedless.
And they follow Me! Discernment is succeeded by obedience.
That is the one condition of becoming a saint-to follow the immediate call of the LORD.
And it is the one condition of becoming an expert listener.
Every time I hear the voice, and follow, I sharpen my sense of hearing, and the next time the voice will sound more clear.
And I give unto them eternal life. Yes, life is found in the ways of a listening obedience.
Every faculty and function will be vitalized when I follow the Lord of life and glory. "In Christ shall all be made alive."
My Saviour, graciously give me the listening ear! Give me the obedient heart.
~John Henry Jowett~
There is no Heaven without holiness; for "without holiness no man shall see the LORD," Hebrews 12:14.
Will the gates of pearl be opened to let in dogs and swine?
NO! their place is outside, Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Will GOD take the children of the devil, and permit them to sit with Him in His throne?
Or, will He bring the unclean into the city, whose street is pure gold?
Be not deceived; grace and glory are but two links of one chain which GOD has joined, which no man shall put asunder.
None are transplanted into the paradise of glory above but out of the nursery of grace below.
If you are unholy while in this world, you will be forever miserable in the world to come!
Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Mat 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
~Thomas Boston~
The first law of true religion is submission to GOD'S will.
Where it does not exist, there is no piety, and just as truly there is no tranquility of soul.
What a hideous sight to see a human creature in full rebellion against GOD'S providence...
Repining at His allotments, fighting against His dispensations, and cursing His judgments!
The true recipe for miserable existence is this: Quarrel with Providence.
When GOD means to make us happy, He teaches us submission...a resignation of everything into His hands, and an acknowledgment that whatever He does is wisest and best.
O how sweetly even afflictions fall, when there is such a temper to receive them!
Shall we receive good at the hands of the LORD, and shall we not receive evil?
Such dispositions tend to stillness of soul; and even amidst chastisement there is internal quiet.
It is a very great attainment to lie passive in GOD'S hands, and know no will but His!"
~Alexander Smellie~
1Sa 3:18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Act 21:14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
~James Alexander~
"Who Art Thou?"..."I Am Jesus!"
The very first words of Paul when confronted by Christ were: "Who art thou?"
To which the answer came clear and strong "I am Jesus!" It was a startling discovery, and Paul might well have exclaimed, 'What, Jesus alive?'
Jesus had been put to death, crucified. All that remained to do was to blot out the memory of Him and destroy what represented Him.
To this work Paul (then Saul) had committed himself.
We can hardly imagine, then, what a startling and paralyzing thing it was to be confronted with the fact that Jesus was not dead, but alive, and in glory.
And not only with the fact, but with the Person Himself.
All that this implied and involved has been the teaching of many centuries since.
We begin our Christian life by an experience of this living reality.
Not a Jesus of history, but a Jesus of heart experience.
That He really is alive is the one thing which is open to be proved by us, and it is the most serious matter as to our eternal destiny.
We have only to drop our traditions, our prejudices, our suspicions, our questions, our mental problems, and, quietly kneeling, speak to Him (although unseen) as we would speak to one whom we could see, telling Him out of the honesty of our heart what we would tell Him if we were face to face.
The first step is definitely to speak to Him as to a Person.
This is the way of a discovery.
We learn from the New Testament that the Spirit of GOD is abroad in the world just to bring about this discovery to make real that Jesus lives to save and be our very life.
This wonderful realization, that Jesus lives, comes to the heart of every one who honestly turns and puts it to the test; and everything springs out of that.
There is only one way, really, of knowing Jesus, and that is by coming to Him.
It may seem very unreal and foolish to say something to someone of whose existence you have no inward proof; but might this not be the same in other circumstances?
~T. Austin Sparks~
HE wiped out every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, from mankind to livestock, to creatures that crawl, to the birds of the sky, and they were wiped off the earth!
Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark!
Gen 7:23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
Finally, the frightful morning began! The heavens gathered blackness. Angry tempests conflicted in the skies.
The lightnings flashed over the world! Word was spread, that Noah and his family had entered into the ark.
The ungodly then began to fear!
Before long, floods of water poured from the sky.
Some now began to turn their eyes towards the ark; others stood doubting; others still dared to scoff!
The waters go on to increase. The rivers fill and start to overflow.
The waters begin to rise in the streets. Some flee into their houses; others, more intimidated, hasten to the hills!
Others are now convinced, and with dreadful fright, are seen wading towards the ark!
The fountains of the great deep are now broken up! The waters rise more rapidly, and begin to rush with impetuous force.
With difficulty they stand against the stream. They struggle for their lives to reach the ark!
Thousands come...some wading, some swimming, some sinking, some hanging onto the ark with the grasp of death...all screaming for admission!
But it is too late!
Time was, when the ark was open and they might have entered in...but that time is past!
Where are now those tongues which derided the enormous vessel and the man who built it?
Now what do you think of him - who for more than a century has borne the character of a fool and madman!
They would give a thousand worlds to be in his condition now!
Those nearest to the ark, cry and plead for admission, but in vain!
The waters roar! The ark is lifted up! They sink and are seen no more!
By this time, every wretch on earth is thoroughly convinced.
Hear their cries from the tops of the houses, which are answered by wails from those on the hills.
See the multitudes who have fled to the mountains.
How like frightened sheep they crowd together! Now the waters, roaring and foaming, have reached their feet!
They flee up to the highest ridge - but the floods pursue them there!
Some are able to climb the lofty oaks and the waves overtake them there!
They flee to the highest branches, and for a moment have time to reflect on their former madness:
How could I disbelieve the Lord's prophet?
Where is now the ark which I scorned?
Where am I going? O eternity! eternity!
What a dreadful God have I despised!
On the topmost bough, the impetuous torrent sweeps them away!
Their hold is broken and they sink to rise no more!
The ark floats by and sails over the heads of the revilers and persecutors!
Only that blessed family in the ark are safe!
The same terrors will seize an unbelieving world when Jesus comes again!
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
~Edward Griffi~
July 2020


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Aposperos: Merchant of Souls
- Publisher: Visionary Comics
- Written By: Nektarios Chrissos
- Art By: George Martzoukos
- Language: English
- Digital Release Date: October 29th, 2012
Price: $1.99
Aposperos is a Soul-Merchant, when someone sells their soul to the Devil, Aposperos collects the debt. But when he is confronted by a selfless sacrifice, his conscience awakens and sets him on a journey that will turn him against his old masters and reveal the horrible truth behind the soul-trade. A sophisticated thriller with secret societies, mysteries and intrigue.

subset: commoncrawl


text: I have decided to take blogging to a whole new level; at leasta whole new level for me. I have several different ones right now that I have sort of gotten a bad taste with after some time of having them. Why? I think it's because I seem to always post negative things there. My blog should be more uplifting for me as well as others, not something that is a chore and so dark and dreary. That isn't me and that certainly is not my intention. I miss blogging, though. I miss the outlet and the sort of anonymity that it offers. Sure, others can read and I know a few right off the top of my head who probably will read and keep up and that's fantastic. What I seem to have forgotten though is the point of blogging. To me, the point of blogging is to have not only an outlet, but a topic to discuss. That topic could be anything from simply rambling to faith, love, a new product review, photography, a vacation, a fight with a friend, family or a new foe! Whatever the case may be, I don't want my blog to be centered around such negativity even when it's apparent that there is a struggle or struggles in my life. I need to force myself to think positive and carry myself in such a way that I know that I can. As far as the proper format to blogging, I want to learn that even. I think this could turn into a brand new journey for me on this blog right here. I want to open it up to the public, which is something that I haven't done in a while. I don't think I should hide who I really am and those that love me will still love me even after they read about something that they may not agree with. So here it is, my fresh new blog. Let's see where this one takes me. I'm feelin' good.


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This morning I went to put on a pair of pants that I thought fit me, but they were too tight. And not too tight as in I'm-growing-a-small-human too tight. Just tight all over. As in stop-eating-so-much too tight. Sigh. I was really hoping I didn't need to get bigger clothes until I needed to shop the maternity section, but now I need just a bigger pair of pants. So I'm all like, maybe I should slow down and lose a little fat, just to fit in my pants. But how do you lose fat when growing a baby? The two are sort of at odds.
Of course I checked out my friend Dr. Google, and everything I read said just what I was thinking, pregnancy is not the time to lose weight. Well, I'm not trying to look good in a bikini. I'm trying to fit back into my pants that are too snug all over. Either way, I started using My Fitness Pal to track how much and what macros I eat in a given day. Dear god, that was a wake-up call. I think I eat about as much as a trucker on a cross-country trip.
On the other hand, I could just buy bigger pants, roll with it, and worry about the weight thing after November when the little peanut makes its debut. I think I'm going with that option, it's way less stressful.
Meanwhile, here's WIAW! Thanks again to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting!

This was actually what I ate Monday, when I remembered to take pictures of everything.
Brunch at Eats in SF: BAT scramble, breakfast potatoes, sourdough toast, coffee
Mid-afternoon iced tea on my way to the doctor
Mango snack
Pre-dinner spinach salad, leftover corned beef, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots.
And now I'm off to read PaleoFX recaps while eating a croissant. Because that's how I choose to live my life right now.


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(Update posted on Official Site)
Work on another studio album is progressing at an agonizingly slow rate - like that would be news - but it is progressing. While I wouldn't want to give away too much about the album, it will contain both the very recognizable BOSTON sound plus some surprises I think everyone will appreciate - as long as you like Big Band Swing and Rap ... just kidding!
Writing, arranging and recording BOSTON music for hours day after day is frustrating, exhausting, and lonely, yet strangely enticing. My dad used to ask me, "If the song is 4 or 5 minutes long, why doesn't it take 4 or 5 minutes to record it?" The catch is, figuring out what should happen for every second of that 4 or 5 minutes for all the individual tracks on one song, and trying the hundreds of variations on each instrument or vocal takes me typically 4 or 5 months. For every measure of BOSTON music that survives the cut on an album, a week of work ends up in the trash bin.
Meanwhile, the rest of the band members are busy with their own lives and projects, and all have already contributed in some way to the new BOSTON album effort. These are understanding and patient people! Unfortunately I don't expect to have the album finished in time to prepare for a tour this summer, but we are all jonesing to play again.
Much more urgent and serious is Haiti. These poor people were living a wretchedly impoverished life before the earthquake, now it's worse than a Hollywood disaster movie come to life. Those that have survived the initial trauma now are faced with an almost impossible-to-survive situation. Even in this recession, seeing and hearing the stories from Haiti makes you realize how good we have it. Please dig a little deeper and donate as we have, through any of the numerous organizations mobilizing to help.
Let's all try to look out for each other!
Tom Scholz
BOSTON still alive and well in 2010
- Details
(Update posted on Official Site)


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New York — Thrashing sea creatures, samurai warriors, and a giant, looming skeleton are among the distinguishing subjects of the brashest of Japan's Ukiyo-e masters, Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), whose populist oeuvre is to be presented by Japan Society Gallery from March 12 to June 13, 2010.
Fresh from its spring 2009 showing at London's Royal Academy of Arts, where it was the surprise smash hit of the season, Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Japanese Prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi from the Arthur R. Miller Collection marks the first major exhibition of Kuniyoshi's work in the United States in nearly 30 years. The exhibition has been organized by the Royal Academy of Arts in collaboration with Arthur R. Miller and The British Museum. The vast majority of over 130 color-woodblock prints on display are from the Arthur R. Miller Collection, New York, generously loaned to Japan Society by the American Friends of The British Museum.
Like Hokusai, Hiroshige, and other masters of the school of Ukiyo-e printmaking ("Pictures of the Floating World"), Utagawa Kuniyoshi pursued the themes of landscape, kabuki theater, and beautiful women. He was unique, however, in his mastery of lesser known subjects: action-packed tales drawn from the history, religion, folklore, and myths of Japan, China, and other Asian countries; comic "crazy pictures" often featuring animals impersonating humans; and exotic experiments with foreign subject- (take out this hyphen)matter and European techniques of visual representation.
"Kuniyoshi's work can be seen as foreshadowing the visual storytelling of contemporary manga, anime, and computer and video games," says Joe Earle, Director of Japan Society Gallery and organizer of the exhibition. "Like a number of the top creators in these genres of today, he was an eccentric who specialized in comic figures and action scenes sold in vast numbers at low prices to an insatiable and visually sophisticated audience."
Kuniyoshi practiced as a woodblock printmaker during the last decades of the Tokugawa shogunate, which routinely censored popular printed materials. "There is a sense in which censorship spurred Kuniyoshi's imagination, as he sought to circumvent the government bans," says Earle. Certainly, the artist became adept at applying his graphic inventiveness to the coding of political meaning into seemingly innocuous scenes.
While his narratives may have toed the official line, their veiled subtexts were only too clear to his fellow townspeople. One of the prints on view, created in 1843 during a particularly stringent period of repression, became a cause célèbre for its version of a tale about the evil Earth Spider, who conjured up a battle between rival armies of demons to torment the ailing warrior hero Yorimitsu. Viewers identified Yorimitsu with Japan's ineffectual shogun, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, and the print was widely interpreted—and pirated—as a hanji-mono ("riddle picture") slyly satirizing current-day reforms.
At this point, government censorship even extended to the portrayal of beautiful courtesans and geisha entertainers, hitherto among the most lucrative genres for print publishers. Kuniyoshi responded to this challenge with graceful prints of beauties designed for round summer fans (uchiwa) and a number of original series which ostensibly offered virtuous models of feminine behavior while satisfying the popular appetite for pictures of attractive women in a variety of situations.
The bravura of Kuniyoshi's picture-making is particularly evident in his prints of battles and other manly struggles. Muscular tattooed warriors are shown in dramatic combat in the early series 108 Heroes of the Popular Water Margin; the warrior Morozumi Masakiyo is shown at just the moment he kills himself in battle in an extraordinary fractured design (1848); a crowd of figures is depicted in the battle on the roof of Horyu tower from one of the best-loved scenes of a popular novel (1840); and a giant skeleton thrillingly occupies three quarters of a triptych in Mitsukuni Defies the Skeleton Specter Conjured up by Princess Takiyasha (1845/46).
One of Kuniyoshi's greatest innovations, in fact, was to spread a large motif across all three sheets of a three-sheet format, unifying the composition and heightening the visual drama. In one print in the exhibition, created in 1851/52, he also brilliantly exploited the extremely unusual format of a vertical triptych to show the monk Mongaku doing penance for murder under the great Nachi Waterfall: daringly, the middle panel of this triptych shows only water and rock.
The huge public appetite for Kuniyoshi's prints may be gauged by the print run of one series represented in the exhibition. Issued in 1847 and 1848, Biographies of Loyal and Righteous Samurai comprised 51 prints packed with gruesome detail and bold action: 8,000 impressions of each print were sold, for a whopping total of 408,000 sheets.


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ALO is getting into the IEM market with their new Campfire Audio brand. Here is a review of their two new IEMs: the single BA Orion, single dynamic Lyra and quad BA Jupiter. Although nearly twice the price of the neutral/flat Noble 4 the reviewer found the Lyra to be far more musical and engaging. The reviewer also compares it against the IE800 and the C6IEM. Click on the link below for the complete review.
Month: July 2015
A Florida Meetup
I'll start posting meetups as I see them on Head-Fi. There is a meetup in Orlando this Saturday at LiveSoundWire's showroom. Looks like there will be plenty of great headphones, DACs and amps for your listening pleasure. Building on last year's successful meetup it seems like there will be a good sized group this year.
Out of Pocket
Sorry folks for not posting for awhile. My work took me to locations where I couldn't obtain access. Yes, there are plenty of places on this earth without access to the Internet. I plan on starting more posts within the next few days and I doubt any of my future travels will take me to Internet challenged locations. Thanks for the notes. Also, if any of you have found some interesting content send me a note with the link. I'm always looking for interesting reviews and content around high fidelity.


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Woody Harrelson headlines Rob Reiner's LBJ movie, in theaters November 3
Dean Devlin's Electric Entertainment has just released the trailer for Rob Reiner's LBJ movie, starring Woody Harrelson as the 36th President of the United State of America. The ensemble cast also includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Richard Jenkins, Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Donovan and Michael Stahl-David. Check out the full LBJ movie trailer in the player below and, just beneath that, take a look at several just-released stills from the film using our gallery viewer.
RELATED: Watch Woody Harrelson and Brie Larson in The Glass Castle Trailer
Directed by Reiner from a script by Joey Hartstone, the LBJ movie sets Harrelson as the powerful Senate Majority Leader who loses the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to Senator John F. Kennedy (Donovan). He agrees, however, to be his young rival's running mate. But once they win the election, despite his extensive legislative experience and shrewd political instincts, Johnson finds himself sidelined in the role of vice president. That all changes on Nov. 22, 1963, when Kennedy is assassinated and Johnson, with his devoted wife Lady Bird (Leigh) by his side, is suddenly thrust into the presidency. As the nation mourns, Johnson must contend with longtime adversary Attorney General Bobby Kennedy (Stahl-David) and one-time mentor Georgia Senator Richard Russell (Jenkins) as he seeks to honor JFK's legacy by championing the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Reiner also serves as producer on the LBJ movie alongside Matthew George, Liz Glotzer, Trevor White and Tim White.
LBJ had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, and is set for a theatrical release beginning November 3.
What do you think of the LBJ movie trailer? Does this look like a film you'll want to check out in theaters? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!


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Highly ornamental form as well as a prolific and early bearing producer of smaller olives, which produce very good quality oil. Shrubby habit so well suited to screening and hedging. Disease hardy and easy care. Self fertile.
Note: Growth, height and grade information are given in good faith but are subject to natural variables beyond our control.
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Southern Woods Plant Nursery
Main South Road, Templeton
Christchurch, New Zealand
Freephone 0800 800 352


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Aboo Aramflahad was a male Ithorian cybernetic specialist who operated out of the Coronet City medical center during the Galactic Civil War.
Behind the scenesEdit
Aboo Aramflahad was a non-player character in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, a massively multiplayer online-role playing game developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts, prior to its closure on December 15, 2011. In the game, all three cybernetic specialists were erroneously identified as Aboo Aramflahad. However, the Friday Feature titled Review of Cybernetics identified the true Aboo Aramflahad as the Ithorian working in Coronet, and the other two as Nssktkslis and Mindt F'abul.
- Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided (First appearance)


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FROM MTV: Trey Songz' "MTV Unplugged" performance premiered today (April 26) on MTV.com.
He started the show off cheekily: "Shout-out to the guys with their girls," he said before chuckling as he pointed at a man in the crowd: "He like, 'Yeah, what up.' "
The Virginia native showcased a number of the hits from his latest album, Ready, including a mash-up of "I Invented Sex" and Marvin Gaye's classic "Let's Get It On."
And for a cover of Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," Songz brought up an overwhelmed admirer from the audience.
Other covers included Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come."
Eventually, a somber Songz took his jacket off and opened up about his recent good fortune. Taking a seat, he talked about his visit to the White House with Jay-Z and Beyoncé in March. The singer grew more emotional as he discussed the trip, recalling words his grandmother had spoken to him. He eventually became completely overwhelmed, tearing up and describing the chance to perform on "Unplugged" as "monumental." SOURCE
NEW MUSIC: Sorry Ladies, Trey Songz Is "Already Taken"
Monica To Tour With Trey Songz
Trey Songz To Release New Album & Reality Show
SET LIST: "Panty Dropper" / "Neighbors Know My Name" / Medley: "Invented Sex" & "Let's Get It On" / "I Need A Girl" / Cover: "Use Somebody" / "Black Roses" / "Say Aah" / Cover: "A Change Is Gonna Come"


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Blue Sideboard Buffet – Sideboards had been revolutionary inside the décor of a dining room. With its elegant simplicity and dynamic look, sideboards bring in an air of sophistication inside your dining location. Its tasteful, however sensible presence still tends to make it a favored option for people that are seeking to add in some character to their dining room.
Sideboards are often lengthy and slim, and use a minimal amount of floor space, making it simple to fit them in anyplace! The table tops are ideal for you personally to spot your food just before serving, or can become your bar counter or buffet table any time you have social engagements! It might also serve as a spot to show your favourite photographs, or aesthetically spot a number of decorative vases and themed knick knacks. This post related Outdoor sideboard console table, indian sideboard furniture, ikea trollsta sideboard.
Read Also: Narrow Sideboard Buffet
For Sideboard Furniture, You can find many ideas on the topic Buffet, Blue, Sideboard, and many more on the internet, but in the post of Blue Sideboard Buffet we have tried to select the best visual idea about Sideboard Furniture You also can look for more ideas on Sideboard Furniture category apart from the topic Blue Sideboard Buffet.
This post published on . Read Real Wood Sideboard or find other post and images about Sideboard Furniture.
Blue Sideboard Buffet Gallery


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Pablo armchair
Out of stock
The Pablo suite is a fantastic new addition to our fabric collection. With a huge choice of fabrics to choose from this sofa would fit in nicely in a contemporary or more classic setting. some features include:
- Optional extra bolsters
- Fixed foam buttoned back
- Dowelled, screwed, glued and stapled joinery
- Hardwood and composite board frame
- Foamflex seat interior *
- Available in sofabed options also.
Size: 87h x 188w x 98d, Priced in a "B" fabric


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Early Orthodontic Treatment Boosts Self-Esteem in Small Children
By Minh Nguyen Bullying is endemic among schoolchildren, and the effects can be devastating and long lasting. The persistently bullied kid shows a definite psychological type, with poorly developed social skills and a submissive nature. Physical appearance acts a major role in bullying. Teasing related …Read More
What to Expect From Orthodontic Treatment
By Teddy Parry Planning on getting braces? Scheduled to get braces in the near future? Whether you have already scheduled with your orthodontist or you need help deciding which orthodontic treatment would best suit your orthodontic needs, you most likely have a few questions or …Read More
The Psychological Benefits of Seeking Orthodontic Treatment
By Cory Liss How about the psychological benefits of wearing braces? In orthodontics, as in life, it's easy to list the negatives of any situation. Wearing braces is no exception to this human dilemma. But what's more important is to mention the numerous psychological benefits …Read More
Orthodontics – Who Can Benefit From Orthodontic Treatment?
By Chris J. Phillips If you have crooked teeth, a overbite, or gaps in between your teeth, you may qualify for orthodontic treatment that can correct your bite and give you a straight smile. Many people mistakenly think that braces are only available for children, …Read More
How to Find an Orthodontist in Your City
By David C Michaels If you are looking to find a qualified orthodontist in your area then you will want to find an experienced one with an office close to your daily commute. There are many qualified orthodontists in the city they are not hard …Read More


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The first thing has to be said about expert ibVPN (est 2003) is truthfulness: in the "strategies" web page, they post outcomes of a client satisfaction study and, surprisingly, it does not state "100% filled"! It seems to represent actual outcomes, with 49.6% of clients being completely delighted, 39.4% being met, and 10.9% being disappointed. There is yet another survey revealing if the client would advocate ibVPN to their buddies which is not likewise dishonest.
The 2nd thing which has to be said about ibVPN is the strategy construction: honestly, the site is perplexing and there is lots of distinct strategies. Happily, live-chat representatives are instantly to hand recommend the most effective strategy for your requirements and to review your choices. One strategy of curiosity is a strategy especially devoted to torrents. "Julian", the live-chat representative called for the point of the article was superb – expert, useful, very educated, passionate in regards to the item, and neither manipulative or competitive.
IbVPN record or will not track traffic, yet the do keep a seven-day record of this (as set out in the privacy):
- Day, period and place VPN connection was produced.
- Band width utilized throughout the the text.
Also mentioned in the Online Privacy Policy is the fact that they gather consumer details to be used by third-parties pertinent by Google advertising as well as for their functions (they do describe the best way to opt-out).
IbVPN's software
The interface of the applications at first of hidden Browsing offers the options that are gerneral. Here it is possible to log-in with password and your username. In addition, you locate information regarding your VPN connection such as the package you have selected. Click on "manage account" to alter the bundle.
The typical configurations allow you to select the host place and additionally display the process. The link position displays that were graphical in the event that you are linked. The options software provides some beneficial chances:Do you would like the device to inquire on host shift confirmation's option? You would like to be questioned for verification on leave? The machine should constantly automatically re-connect as well when the program begins, as mechanically login?
Simply select these alternatives here.
The ibDNS software is for media-streaming that is quick. Essentially with ibDNS sites which can be limited can be unblocked by you and also you are able to appreciate them at velocity and an identical dependability as it might be having a regular web link.
- In order to begin or discontinue this support here. For those who have concerns simply click to the "what's ibDNS?" hyperlink.
- It is also possible to assess ibDNS systems that are appropriate.
- In the event that you enjoy, simply discuss encounter and your ideas.
Hidden Browsing's software's interface also request your feedback in regards to the all in one customer that is straightforward and provides some advice in the ibVPN group: They let you know the benefit in their vpn support.
At Present, ibVPN records 25,000 customers in 80 machines 130 nations, 2,000 ipaddresses, and proxies in 5 states. System compatibility is not bad, including iOS, and Windows Apple Macintosh. Four methods: SSTP, and OpenVPN, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol, PPTP are also supported by them. The states where they've hosts in addition to that program the host is accessible, how many present consumers, the utilization, as well as the condition of the host can be observed here) .
Strategy provisions are extremely adaptable, with a single- month – month – and options that are yearly. That is a free demo accessible where three whack start all the alternatives, but it is not just bad for 24 hrs.
In the Help webpage, payment alternatives are:
PayPal, Alipay, WebMoney, perfect and charge card), PayPro (continuing & one time obligations – bank Card, PayPal), Payza, CashU (pre-paid transaction way of middle-east and northern Africa), WebMoney, AstroPay, American Union, best Cash, PaymentWall and BitCoin."
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Did you know that Americans spend 42 billion dollars a years on products and dye to cover their gray hair? Gray hair is not something that can be prevented, unfortunately. But that doesn't mean you can't fight gray hair without spending a fortune! Cover your gray® makes it so easy to hide your gray and offer so many ways to extend the time between salon color treatments that are super affordable.
Cover your gray® has a new line of waterproof products that were just launched. These formulas are sweat-proof (perfect for the gym!), rain-proof and even last through three shampoos. Application is super easy and they have an assortment of applicators so there's sure to be one that is perfect for you.
I found each of these products easy to use and perfect for different portions of my hair. The fine hair on my scalp responded best to the mascara-like wand while the thicker parts loved the sponge-tip applicator. The nape of my neck worked best with the solid applicator shown below.
I love that each of these applicators is easy to take along so that when I'm traveling and unable to get to the salon it's no longer a problem! I can cover my gray and be on my way! You can find Cover your gray® on their website, and follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. You are sure to find the ideal solution for your gray hair!
Disclosure: Monica's Rants, Raves & Reviews was provided products and/or compensation in exchange for my honest opinion and in order to facilitate my review.


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Today is the day, finally! My husband and I have been hard at work for the past 3 months to put together the Austin Passbook. We've partnered with 40 awesome food truck & activity destinations in Austin all who are offering a 2 for 1 deal in the book. To see a full list of everyone participating check out our website: http://austinpassbook.com/
Each Austin Passbook is $20 and they can be purchased online, at The Departure Lounge, or at the Austin Visitor's Center. Once you've got your Passbook in hand it's time to get out and explore this awesome city. Take your Passbook to any of the participating destinations, redeem your deal, get your Passbook stamped, and head to your next destination!
The Passbook is perfect for anyone; whether you're an original Austinite or a newbie! I hope you all get one and get a chance to take advantage of these awesome deals!
For even more fun I'm giving away 2 copies of the Austin Passbook on my Instagram! Head over there to enter! http://instagram.com/leeannebenjamin
All images in this post are via Kayla Snell Photography


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Expensive lessons learned from doing home improvements
We're having the back of our house re-rendered and roof repairs done at the same time. Here are some things I wish I knew before we started.
Get a breakdown of the work to be done
If the job quoted for is more than £1000, insist on a breakdown of what work is to be done. It is not a breach of trust to ask for something that will be of use to both parties involved.
Don't use MyBuilder, RatedPeople or similar marketplaces
The contractors who do the actual work don't have the time or money to pay for leads, so the ones on those sites usually sub-contract, or work the lead generation costs into their fees. Customers may be too intimidated to post negative reviews, so you only see good reviews. Rather try to get recommendations via word-of-mouth.
Don't use builders with sub-contractors
While it may make things easier for you in terms of having a single point of contact, you may end up paying twice what you would've paid if you dealt with each contractor separately. There's no guarantee that the builder treats his sub-contractors well, and he's probably taking most of the profit for himself.


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In the course of working on these canvases that is often the case when viewing them later. Improvements can often be made and I was a bit excited about figuring out how. My plan was to make the front line of trees more distinctive than the back row and to add more contrast in the sky in order to heighten the effect of the brightest trees on the right.
First things first - more contrast, so I loaded up some dark purple and quickly brushed it in along the top of the trees. It immediately changed everything! Suddenly the painting had a lot more power and drama.
The second move was a subtle but important one, adding the vertical trees along the front tree line. Now the painting gained complexity but not at the expense of the original idea of simply moving light across the picture plane.
There is only a glancing reference of trees reflecting in the water, just enough to anchor them. Now I felt free to use the rest of the water below for whatever I felt was best for the composition. I wanted more light in the painting overall, so the addition of the modulated yellow band made that happen. I felt it was also important to run that yellow ribbon across the entire canvas. Because the yellow design is wider at the left, it gives the impression of a left to right movement and creates a counter point to the bright yellow trees at the far right. There is a nice complexity in this work but it is understated almost to the point of abstraction.
The trees hold their position as the light moves over them and they are further enhanced by the contrasting color and movements of the sky and water. What was once a wisp of an idea became a real place were the effects of nature can be observed and enjoyed.


text: What's your style? We understand that no two groups are the same. Every weekend is different and that is why we give you total flexibility on creating the perfect bespoke weekend for your group. Just to help your creative juices we have come up with some styles of weekends based on our experiences. All our packages are suitable for hen nights or mixed groups.


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Taste & Toast will amaze your senses by celebrating all things New York. Step into the exceptional teaching kitchens of the Institute of Culinary Education, take in breathtaking views of the city and learn innovative tastes and techniques prepared by industry experts. Its an filled with incredible food & drinks to celebrate past, present and future leaders, food programs and organizations that will continue to shape the future of food. Learn about the evening's full lineup here.
The evening's event is generously hosted by The Institute of Culinary Education.
Take in the city's breathtaking skyline as you wander the state-of-the-art kitchens from one fascinating experience to the next and sampling goods from Brooklyn Brewery, Eves Cidery, La Boite, Sfoglini Pasta, New York Distillery and more. Among the highlights:
- A bean-to-bar chocolate lab with world renowned Michelin chef Michael Laiskonis
- Explore the future of urban botany in ICE's farm-to-classroom urban farm
- Learn about the fascinating Billion Oyster Project as you slurp and learn about bi-valves
- Expand your spice quotient with chef Lior Lev Sercarz
- Taste history with a sampling of heirloom grains as part of a NYC Greenmarket project
- Last but not least, learn about urban distillery with experts from The Shanty, New York's renowned urban booze maker
The evening culminates with dinner curated by ICE chefs. Ticket price includes all food and beverages.
All proceeds go to The Culinary Trust. The Culinary Trust supports innovative programs that solve issues associated with hunger, tackles and food literacy and promotes excellence in food writing as it relates to critical issues in the culinary world.
Last year's event sold out fast, so don't delay. It's an incredible line-up of chefs, tastings and a chance to mingle with industry experts. Click the button below to buy your tickets and join us as we Taste & Toast the 40th Anniversary of IACP!


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Top Nerdy 10: News Bites (06.29.18)
After a weekend full of ACE coverage from our Rach and Jen, we are back with your nerdy news bites! 10. Jared Leto Another one… Continue reading
After a weekend full of ACE coverage from our Rach and Jen, we are back with your nerdy news bites! 10. Jared Leto Another one… Continue reading
Nerdie Foodies! We are back from our latest Seattle, WA nerdventure – ACE Comic Con! We had a great time eating our way around the… Continue reading
In case you didn't know, Kit Harington and Rose Leslie finally tied the knot! They are such an adorable couple who started out on-screen together… Continue reading
Welcome back Nerdie Foodies! Who is excited for the latest edition to the dinosaur world – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom? We can't wait to see… Continue reading
Whether you've been there from the beginning, or you are a younger fan, if you love dinosaurs half as much as I do then chances… Continue reading
Exciting news this week from the Museum of Pop Culture, they have just announced their 2017 Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inductees. This… Continue reading
Welcome to mid-June and another collection of nerdy news bites! Let's go! 10. Marvel Stud10s Marvel released these great character posters as part of the… Continue reading
Nerdie Foodies! Who is ready for The Incredibles 2 tomorrow?? We can't wait! But let's face it, we all want to see what kind of… Continue reading
On October 27, 2004 Disney Pixar released The Incredibles, and now nearly 14 years later DisNerds everywhere are rejoicing as Incredibles 2 is finally coming!… Continue reading
Holy trailer week, Batman! This week's nerdy news bites are undoubtedly monopolized by movie trailers, and I love it! 10. Wreck-It Ralph 2 SHE IS… Continue reading


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27 Oct, 2008
In order to keep our schedule, the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies need to integrate better. The new tool called "Integrated Product Teams" (IPT) is an important approach in this respect. In its meeting last week, the Management Advisory Committee (MAC) strongly encouraged the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies to proceed this way and to implement IPTs as soon as possible.
At this stage, establishing a better way of working together is crucial for the success of this project. Out of the 26 Procurement Arrangements that were scheduled to be signed by end of this year, so far only seven have been signed. So, immediate action to recover the delay is necessary.
As for this coming Council meeting starting on 19 November here in Cadarache, there are some critical subjects on the agenda. The budgets for the following years need to be discussed and the ITER Organization expects the one for 2009 to be fixed. The long-term accumulative resource estimates for construction period has been subject to an independent review by the panel led by Frank Briscoe.
It is now also only a few weeks away that our Headquarters will be moving to the new office building on the ITER site. The Council Members will be invited to the inauguration upon their arrival on the first day of its meeting. They will thus see for themselves the impressive progress that has been made on site thanks to our host Agence Iter France. The message is—ITER is on its way.
The ITER vacuum vessel is a double-wall box structure, with a space between the inner and outer shells that is filled with pre-assembled or modular blocks. These blocks are called "in-wall shielding." There are two types of in-wall shielding: primary in-wall shielding provides effective neutron shielding, while ferromagnetic inserts provide neutron shielding and reduce the toroidal field ripple.
The Indian Domestic Agency is in charge of the procurement and delivery of more than 6,000 shielding blocks for installation into the vacuum vessel sectors being manufactured in Korea and Europe, while yet more blocks will be delivered to ITER for installation in the field joint regions when the vacuum vessel sectors are assembled in-pit. The weight of each neutron shielding plate can vary between 50 and 500 kg depending on its location.
The space between the inner and outer shells of the vacuum vessel is also used for cooling and so the in-wall shielding blocks will be exposed to water. Understandably there was concern regarding corrosion and the radiation levels of the cooling water. Other topics included interfaces with the in-wall shielding, electromagnetic loading, and ferromagnetic material distribution.
The deadline for the completion of the Procurement Arrangement is 20 November, followed by signature by the Indian Domestic Agency by the end of December 2008.
"This is a landmark experimental paper demonstrating the efficacy of using resonant magnetic field perturbations (RMPs) for the suppression of large amplitude edge localized modes (Type I ELMs); a critical issue for ITER and other reactor-grade machines because of the erosion of the divertor target that would occur if ELMs are not controlled," writes the publisher. "This demonstration of ELM suppression without a reduction in H-mode global confinement performance has stimulated much subsequent work in the field, both experimental and theoretical, and encouraged the proposal that a similar RMP coil set be included in the design for ITER. The experiment was based on the expectation that ergodization of the edge magnetic fields could reduce the pressure gradient that drives MHD instability to trigger ELMs. The paper examined the extent to which this is borne out by experiment and raised plasma physics issues which are currently subject to intense examination."
As a service to the nuclear fusion research community, the winning paper will be freely available to read until the end of March 2009 at http://www.iop.org/.
An ITER Organization-Domestic Agency workshop on HAZard and OPerability analysis (HAZOP) took place last week. Together with more that 15 representatives from all seven Domestic Agencies, the ITER tritium group and a consultant from the United States went through a first general presentation of the analysis that will be required for all ITER systems wetted by tritium. The HAZOP studies will help to define a safe system design and acceptance criteria for ITER equipment. The method will thus be used to help design all tritium loops within ITER. The two-day training was an initiative of US ITER together with the ITER tritium group. As a conclusion, the usefulness of this approach was recognized and the implementation plan discussed.
Click here to read the press release...
Even in the event of only a slight injury, you should immediately call the rescue team (CEA FLS), by dialing 18 (or 04 42 25 22 18—or by using the emergency call button). CEA FLS is authorized to look after injured people and to transport them to the Medical Centre; before the arrival of the FLS, the ITER First Aid Team is here to secure the area and carry out initial emergency actions.
An Indian-built launcher carrying a one-and-a-half-tonne satellite blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, at about 06:20 local time (00:50 GMT) last Wednesday 22 October.
One key objective is to search for surface or sub-surface water-ice on the Moon, especially at the poles.
Another is to detect helium 3, an isotope which is rare on Earth, but is sought to power nuclear fusion and could be a valuable source of energy in future.
Read more here...
Although the ITER site still looks like a sandy plain with lots of machines working to level the platform, some people within the ITER Organization think ahead, way ahead ... about 10 years to be exact, when ITER will be up and running!
Didier van Houtte's primary responsibility, as Senior Project Coordinator for RAMI in the Project Office, is to make sure that all the systems of the ITER machine will be reliable during the operation phase and maintain their performance under operational conditions with the best possible availability.
The RAMI process, which is based on a functional analysis and a FMECA (Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis) approach, aims to ensure that at all times, the ITER machine is
Failure of only one small function might result in the machine being halted for long periods of time and result in high costs for repairs and replacements. It is therefore important that every system undergoes a risk analysis to evaluate WHAT can go wrong, WHERE, and WHEN, and to recommend spare components, back-up systems, increased frequency maintenance schedules, systems design optimization etc., to reduce the risk of a main function breakdown to a minimum.
The RAMI approach allows small expenditure on a critical function failure, instead of large expenditure on a unreliable component of a not very important function, while achieving the same result in term of machine availability.
The analysis of all these systems must of course primarily be carried out in the design and procurement phase of the project to make sure RAMI requirements are taken into account when the systems and their critical spare parts are manufactured.
So these are busy times for Didier, soon to be assisted by additional staff for RAMI. He also works with contractors and Domestic Agencies on some of these specific issues.
Before coming to ITER, Didier worked for Tore Supra where he started in 1986, and was the Head of Operations for 10 years. "One of the fascinating parts of my job here is that I get to work in all the technical fields with all the departments and all the Domestic Agencies. I really enjoy having the opportunity to think ahead to failures that could occur during ITER operation, after having been constrained to do many repairs on certain subsystems of Tore Supra during their operation and construction, which gives me a very broad and interesting perspective on the future operation of the ITER machine."
"Experimenting with toroidal configurations started in the mid-1950s," remembers Vladimir Mukhovatov, now a Senior Scientific Officer with the ITER Organization, then a 23-year-old researcher freshly out of Moscow State University. "Our 'Sector-44' within the Laboratory of Measuring Apparatus of Academy of Science—the future Kurchatov Institute—was building machines at a very fast pace. When I arrived in 1956 for my graduation thesis, there was a small toroidal device called TMP, originally equipped with a porcelain chamber which was soon improved by adding metal spirals within the chamber. Later two small devices with copper walls and insulating gaps were built."
By "late 1957," according to Mukhovatov's recollection, these devices were succeeded by T-1 which was somewhat larger and marks the "symbolic beginning" of the tokamak adventure. T-1 was the first device to have a stainless steel liner inside a copper vacuum chamber.
Finding a name for this new toroidal concept was to take some time and quite a bit of discussion. "Igor Golovin, then vice-director of the laboratory, came up with an acronym: 'Tokamak' for Toroidalnaya Kamera i Magnitnaya Katushka (Toroidal Chamber and Magnetic Coil). A combination of "Tok" for electric current and "Mag" for magnetic field, with a connective vowel 'o', which gave "tokomag" or "tokomak" after replacing "G" with "K" for harmony, was also circulated..."
Whether it was 'Tokomag' or 'Tokamak' ... Lev Artsimovitch, head of Department of Plasma Research, was initially sceptical about the concept. Vladimir Mukhovatov remembers the man "liked to use strong, spectacular, sentences." "When engaging in polemics, he would say that 'achieving fusion with a tokamak was the same as trying to create a cigarette out of cigarette smoke.' It is only after experiments on T-2, TM-2 and especially T-3 that he became a strong proponent of tokamaks. And in a way, this led to ITER."
It was even more so in the late 1920s, when the French National Service for Scientific Research decided to create a new observatory to complement the one in Paris, where fog, urban lights and ground vibrations were making observations more and more difficult.
Site studies lasted for several years and in 1936, a wooded plateau close to the village of Saint-Michel, 12 km to the south-east of Forcalquier, was eventually chosen to host the installation.
For more than a half-century, by observing stars and comets, galaxies and asteroids the Observatoire de Haute-Provence (OHP) was to contribute to the understanding of the Universe.
But in the world of astronomy things were changing fast: new challenges required more powerful instruments, which, in turn, demanded ever more transparent skies and a stable atmosphere. Eight- or ten-metre mirrors were becoming the norm, positioned at ever higher altitudes. With its 1.93-metre telescope, peering at the stars from a hilltop a mere 600 metres high, the OHP, once among the leading observatories in Europe, was under threat.
By the mid 1990s, the place was scheduled to close. At this point, two astronomers from Observatoire de Genève, Switzerland, using a high performance spectrometer coupled to the old "193," made an historical discovery: a planet orbiting a distant star 48 light-years from Earth—the first proof that the solar system was not unique in the Universe.
The discovery of this "hot Jupiter" orbiting star 51 Pegasi was to be followed by scores of others. Searching for exoplanets is now one of the observatory's fields of excellence: more than 300 have been discovered to this day, some 30 of them at the OHP.
Needless to say, no one talks about closing the old Provencal observatory anymore.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have shown that simply peeling ordinary sticky tape in a vacuum can generate enough X-rays to take an image. The researchers suggest that the high charge density generated by peeling the tape could be great enough to trigger nuclear fusion.
Read more...


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This Morning
This morning (July 7) I picked up my cell phone and made use of a little app, the digital version of Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening devotional.
The entry for this morning was based on the words from 1 Thessalonians 5:25, "Brethren, pray for us."
The impact of this short morning devotional was twofold. First, it comforted me with the knowledge that someone else gets it, and that someone out there is encouraging people to pray. But secondly, and even more importantly, the items for which Spurgeon encourages prayer stood out as areas in which this preacher struggles – and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Please take moment and read this, if it's not already part of your daily devotional material. I added spaces for readability, but note the parts I made bold.
"THIS one morning in the year we reserved to refresh the reader's memory upon the subject of prayer for ministers, and we do most earnestly implore every Christian household to grant the fervent request of the text first uttered by an apostle and now repeated by us. Brethren, our work is Solemnly momentous, involving weal or woe to thousands; we treat with souls for God on eternal business, and our word is either a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death. A very heavy responsibility rests upon us, and it will be no small mercy if at the last we be found clear of the blood of all men.
As officers in Christ's army, we are the especial mark of the enmity of men and devils; they watch for our halting, and labour to take us by the heels. Our sacred calling involves us in temptations from which you are exempt, above all it too often draws us away from our personal enjoyment of truth into a ministerial and official consideration of it. We meet with many knotty cases, and our wits are at a non plus; we observe very sad backslidings, and our hearts are wounded; we see millions perishing, and our spirits sink. We wish to profit you by our preaching; we desire to be blest to your children; we long to be useful both to saints and sinners; therefore, dear friends, intercede for us with our God.
Miserable men are we if we miss the aid of your prayers, but happy are we if we live in your supplications. You do not look to us but to our Master for spiritual blessings, and yet how many times has He given those blessings through His ministers; ask then, again and again, that we may be the earthen vessels into which the Lord may put the treasure of the gospel. We, the whole company of missionaries, ministers, city missionaries, and students, do in the name of Jesus beseech you, 'BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US!'" – C. H. Spurgeon
Pray for Me
If you have a pastor – and I hope you do – please pray from him. Pray for your teachers, your ministers, and your missionaries; they all need it.
As much as ministers like to portray themselves as "just one of the people," or "just like you," there is a difference. The difference is not in quality, but in responsibility. Ministers are no "better" than the people they serve in the name of the Lord, but they are certainly more in danger of spiritual (even physical) attack. We have a real Enemy, and we ARE at war.
So, please, pray for your spiritual leaders.
But if, for some reason, you have no one else to pray for, PLEASE pray for me!


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Eastern unveils new Panther logo
Stephanie Markham, Editor-in-Chief
October 7, 2015
A bold white and blue eyeball peering beyond its veil was revealed Wednesday to be the new logo for the Panthers. Eastern's new logo incorporates a profile view of a panther with a white face and dark blue and gray shadows accented with a light blue shield backdrop. Created for Eastern by the...


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Shirley Temple Meets Mr. Death.
Forty years later, I detect an embarrassing undertone of boyhood crush in this Soho News fluff interview I did with Laraine Newman. I brought a handful of Famous Monsters mags for her to pose with. They ran the cover line "Dracula Turns Me On."
Reprinted from The Soho News, May 18, 1978
Laraine Newman led the way through a dimly lit maze of corridors and stairwells. Without a guide, I felt I might wander for days, even vanish, in the hidden passageways of NBC. But Laraine was present—at home here after three seasons on Saturday Night Live—so I was safe.
The dressing room, which she shares with fellow Not Ready for Prime Timers Jane Curtain and Gilda Radner, resembles a room in a Holiday Inn or a dentist's office—neat as a pin and without pictures or decorations. A bowl of fruit, a cheese platter and an icebucket full of Tab lay on the coffee table. The volume on a large TV monitor was turned low, as Steve Martin romped around in rehearsal.
Sniffling from a cold, Laraine nestled into the couch. After we'd snapped open some Tab and broken the ice a bit, I revealed the main objective of my visit: to find out if she harbored any deep feelings for the big three—Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman—and to get her talking about horror movies. I struck gold. True to my suspicions, Laraine Newman, now 26, was an avid reader of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine in its heyday and pored over Creepy and Eerie (until they became repetitious and the artwork lost its edge). Chiller Theatre was a weekly ritual and Jeepers Creepers, a Los Angles-based horror program, occupied her mornings.
"I loved Frankenstein and Dracula, really identified with them. I sympathized with Quasimodo, especially the Charles Laughton and Anthony Quinn versions. As a kid, you relate to their love for Esmeralda. Esmeralda was Maureen O'Hara and Gina Lollobrigida. I couln't respond to the woman in the silent versions, so Lon Chaney's Quasimodo didn't affect me."
Most folks find vampires a bit unnerving. Rising from their sleep of death, they glide through the night, puncturing jugular veins. But Laraine doesn't consider Count Dracula a scary guy.
"The original Dracula was never frightening, it was sexual. The Dracula legend itself was erotic. They brought it to its truest form in Hammer films, showing women with cleavage and teeth. Also in a film called Uncle Was A Vampire, with Christopher Lee: A little bellboy at this grand hotel ends up inheriting the whole place, and he becomes a playboy. But he's been bitten by his uncle, who was a vampire. In the daytime, these women would be swimming over to him on the beach, going 'Bite me, bite me!'" Laraine's impression of a desperate woman begging for a vampire bite demonstrated beyond a doubt the sexiness of vampirism.
The loudspeaker broke the spell. "Garrett Morris. You are wanted for the nerd science fair."
After the announcement, Laraine recounted some of her favorite horror film plots. "When we were about four, my twin brother and I went to see a movie which nobody's ever heard of, called X-76 Bloodrust. There was this substance that looked like vomit, and if it touched you, you died. It was really simplistic, but it scared the shit out of me for years.
"I saw Horror Castle in a theater when it first came out. This character called 'the punisher' straps a rat cage around a girl's face, and the rats eat her nose. It really knocked me out."
Laraine was spreading cheese across a cracker. It looked like the very substance she described in X-76 Bloodrust.
I asked about her earliest horror-related recollections.
"Jeepers Creepers was the L.A. counterpart of Zacherle's show. This was live TV in the late '50s, so I barely remember it. He was always mixing potions, and doing little blackouts. There was one sketch with a woman in her bedroom eating nuts. She goes to sleep and a vampire flies in and bites her neck. You hear this crunching sound, the vampire looks up. His teeth are broken. There must have been nuts in her esophagus."
Of all the Frankensteins, Laraine considers Boris Karloff the most attractive, especially in the later films when Karloff was thinner. Henry Hull she rates the handsomest of the werewolves. But Christopher Lee is her main man, and she was thrilled when he hosted Saturday Night Live.
"Man, I'd really been wanting that to happen for years. I'd always say, 'How about. . . Christopher Lee?' And when it finally happened, he didn't want to play Dracula. He had been typecast in the role for so long that it left a bad taste in his mouth."
Chris Lee and Laraine Newman did a sweet bit toward the end of the show. Lee, as Mr. Death, comes to apologize to a little girl for the death of her dog. Shirley Temple meets Mr. Death. I hope some smart producer will team them up again.
As for real blood on Saturday Night Live, the cast glosses it over. "There was a time when John Belushi accidentally hit Buck Henry in the head with his samurai sword. It bled pretty bad, and Buck had to come back out with a bandage on his forehead. For the rest of that show, each time someone came out, they'd be wearing a bandage on their forehead. By the end of the show, we all had bandages."
As a Los Angeles teenager, Laraine Newman's first professional acting was in summer theater. Never wanting to be a college girl, she went from high school to Europe, where she auditioned for the Royal Academy and the Old Vic at a time when they weren't too keen on accepting foreigners, especially foreign women.
"They would audition about 300 people and take 80 preliminaries out of that. I always made the 80 group and then was rejected. I was real depressed and thought I had no future."
Somewhat distraught, she left England for Paris. She asked Marcel Marceau if she could study with him, and spent a year and a half in mime school. "Mime is based on a whimsical kind of comedy which I hate. In limited doses it's okay, but as a regular diet—McDonald's. Ronald McDonald."
Back in the States, Laraine became an original member of the Groundlings, an L.A. improv groulp similar to National Lampoon. After appearing in a Lily Tomlin TV special co-produced by Lorne Michaels, she became a Not Ready for Prime Time Player in the show that became the veritable heart of Saturday night for thousands.
"For me, this has been college. At the time I was taken to do this show, I was 23. I was good, but I wasn't that good. I've learned a lot here."
Laraine Newman has an exquisite screen presence, as evidenced in American Hot Wax, her debut. In the role of Teenage Louise, based loosely on Carole King, she stumbles upon a black quartet wailing in the street. She teaches them one of her own numbers; they perform it for Alan Freed, who bills them in his rock and roll extravaganza. After the show, Teenage L is moved to tears over the audience's response to her music. It's one of the finest cries I've ever seen—the girl transforms herself into a wilting bouquet of flowers. If Laraine unleashes this acting ability on horror films, the medium should flourish.
"I would want to be the malevolent source if I did a horror film. Actually, I wouldn't mind playing a heroine, unless it was something like The Demon Seed. But I always related to the monster, never the heroine. The heroine was the one who would always trip when the tyrannosaurus was chasing everybody. You're so involved in the vividness of the peril everyone's in, that when someone is impeding the escape, you wanna see them get it."
Should a rich part in a class horror flick turn up, Laraine would be ready to sink her teeth into it. In fact, she already has a custom-made set of vampire teeth that she flashes when people least expect it. She usually carries them everywhere, but today, unfortunately, she left them at home. Lord knows, I would have loved her to bite me.
--Josh Alan Friedman


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How Solar PV can benefit you...
At Total Renewable Solutions we believe in only installing the best products from reliable manufacturers that offer products which will perform to only the highest standards and offer good warranty's.
Solar PV is a system that uses daylight to generate electricity(DC), we use inverters to convert the energy produced by the Solar panels to electricity that can be used in the household(AC). As a homeowner you will then benefit from the savings on your electricity and by using higher power devices during the day, you can make a very big saving on your bills. It is our goal to install systems that look aesthetically pleasing without compromising efficiency. We monitor over 60 of our customers installations remotely giving them piece of mind that if an error occurs, we are on hand to support them.
The Advantages of a Solar PV System
- Sustainable energy consumption
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- Energy storage options are available
- Low maintenence costs
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- System life 20yrs
- Free hot water to your immersion heater
- Guaranteed system
Is my property suitable for solar PV panels?
Other things to consider are do you have enough space on your roof for the panels themselves? Is your roof structurally sound and do you have space somewhere within the property to house the inverter? Our expert surveyors will be able to help you with this and talk you through the process of installation and the likely return you will achieve.
LG Solar Panels
Solar Edge Inverters
Who we work with
At Total Renewable Solutions we are committed to ensuring you get the most from your system and so we also fit solar immersion heating devices such as iBoost.
The iBoost attaches to your immersion heater and allows you to divert excess energy generated by your Solar PV system to your immersion heater, allowing you to heat your water at no extra cost.
Call our office and we will be more than happy to carry out a site visit. We will be honest, if we think your property is not in the best location, we will let you know your options.
How Solar PV Panels work
The power of a PV cell is measured in kilowatts peak (kWp). That's the rate at which it generates energy at peak performance in full direct sunlight during the summer.
Solar PV and Battery Storage
Installing a battery storage unit means you can hold onto the excess solar energy you generate and use it when you most need it.
It works by diverting the excess solar energy during times when it would be exported and stores it in a lithium battery pack. When power demand is greater then it releases it back to the home. In addition to being able to use more of the energy you generate, you can also reduce your electricity bills at a time when we continue to see these costs rise.
Our Installations
Supply and installation of 5Kw Mitsubishi Ecodan Air Source Heat Pump With no gas available,...
Supply and Installation of a 8.5kW Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP for underfloor heating and domestic...


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"Something quite original in the world of jazz and beyond." --- Kory Cook, KUT Radio, Austin, TX
Ken Field is a composer, saxophonist, flautist, and percussionist. His solo work, and his work with Bridgman/Packer Dance and groups such as Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Willie Loco Alexander's Persistence of Memory Orchestra, the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, and the Armenian/American jazz project Musaner have received international public and critical acclaim. Field has composed a number of pieces for the children's television program Sesame Street.
The Revolutionary Snake Ensemble's second CD Forked Tongue (Cuneiform Records) was included on Best of Year lists in the Village Voice and in Georgia, Kansas, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, NYC, and Estonia.
Ken Field music available on the Cuneiform/RSE, Cuneiform/Birdsongs, Innova, Sublingual labels.
Chinese website (also in English translation) & Argentinian interview now online.
Ken Field is an Applied Microphone Technology Endorser and a Vandoren Performing Artist, and uses Vandoren reeds and mouthpieces for performance and recording.
In Memoriam: Karen Aqua (1954-2011)


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The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be the world's premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies. Located on Wilshire and Fairfax in Los Angeles, the Museum will be simultaneously immersive, experimental, educational, and entertaining. More than a museum, this dynamic film center will offer unparalleled experiences and insights into movies and moviemaking.
The Exhibits department is responsible for the planning, design, and installation of the museum's exhibitions, installations, and projects. Reporting to the Exhibition A/V Manager, the Exhibition A/V Preparator's focus will be audiovisual support for museum exhibitions, including the installation and deinstallation of audiovisual equipment for Museum exhibitions. Audiovisual equipment includes digital projectors, 16mm and 35mm silent and sound motion picture projectors, flat screen displays, computers, amplifiers, speakers, media players, various mounting equipment, etc.
This is a part-time staff position beginning in June 2019. Work schedule will be seasonal with full-time hours.
This position is currently not accepting applications.
To search for an open position, please go to http://oscars.appone.com


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Bay of Fundy. Hopewell Rocks.
Source: paddling.net
Author: tupper.
Bay of Fundy. Saint John River to Maine.
Author: Reinhard Zollitsch.
Route description: Mactaquac dam, Fredericton, Reversing Falls, Lorneville, Point Lepreau, Passamaquoddy Bay, Machias (Maine).
http://www.zollitschcanoeadventures.com ... fundy.html
Fundy Isles; Grand Manan; Fundy coast (St Martins to Alma). Notes.
Source: Thomas, Alister. More of Canada's Best Canoe Routes. Boston Mills Press, Erin (2003).
Author: Scott Cunningham.
Route 1. Fundy Isles. Deer Island, Campobello Island and West Isles (between Deer and Campobello Islands, including Adam Island for example).
Route 2. Grand Manan Island and nearby islands (White Head, Wood, Kent; Gannet Rock)
Route 3. Fundy coast. Town of St Martins, Martin Head, Point Wolfe, Alma.
Title at source: Offshore New Brunswick: The Tides of Fundy.
Grand Manan Island, east shore. Journal, Notes, Photos.
Anchorage Provincial Park.
http://www.travel-new-brunswick-canada. ... -park.html
Source: Hughes, Alison. Paddling in Paradise: Sea Kayaking Adventures in Atlantic Canada. Goose Lane Editions, Fredericton (2002).
Route description (guided trip): Long Beach Pond, Red Point, loop around Wood Island (lunch), Ox Head; bike trip on White Head Island; Grand Harbour, Ross Island, outside Cheney Island, Nantucket Island, High Duck Island, Long Island, Swallow Tail, Fish Head, Seven Days Work, Whale Cove.
Title at source: Grand Manan.
East Coast. Dalhousie to Port Elgin.
Author: Reinhard Zollitsch.
Route description: Dalhousie (Baie des Chaleurs), Bathurst, Shippagan, Miramichi Bay, Richibucto, Shediac Bay, Cape Tormentine. Baie Verte, Port Elgin.
http://www.zollitschcanoeadventures.com ... swick.html
Miscou Island circumnavigation. Journal, Notes, Photos.
Source: Hughes, Alison. Paddling in Paradise: Sea Kayaking Adventures in Atlantic Canada. Goose Lane Editions, Fredericton (2002).
Ed note: The name at Toporama is Île Miscou.
Route description: Miscou Harbour (by road from Île Lamèque), Grande Plaine, lighthouse, Windsors Mal Bay, Wilson Point, portage across a dune, Miscou Harbour.
Title at source: Miscou Island.


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Discover: Tuesday Takeaways
- Cardinal Red Baseball writes that Lee Smith needs some help to get into the Hall.
- Should Steve Garvey be in Cooperstown? Dazzy Vance Chronicles analyzes it.
- Stlcardinalsminimo has a surprising stat about the Cardinals and WAR in 2015.
- The Mets are closing in on Alejandro De Aza and Just Mets looks at the fit.
- Around the Horn Talk delves into The Curious Case of Jurickson Profar.
- Indians beat writer Jordan Bastian recaps a busy Hot Stove week for the Tribe.
- What's next for the Yankees and Brett Gardner, The Wayniac Nation wonders.
- BBST explains that the A's still have faith in Jarrod Parker, even after surgeries.
- The Pete Rose decision is a sad ending of a sorry episode, says The Winning Run.
- Phillies Insider wishes everyone a happy holidays in seasonal verse form.
- If you're looking for your Reds fix, come on out to Better Off Red's trivia night.
- Plouffe's New Hairdo shares his top 10 pieces of game-used memorabilia snagged.
- Re-live Mark McGwire's mammoth blast off Randy Johnson with Balls and Strikes.
- Matt's Bats recently attended Nationals WinterFest and he shares this thoughts.
1 Comment
In my opinion, the Rangers can get a starter for Tolleson without giving up on the 2013 #1 Prospect in baseball. He has too much yet to prove. The right deal has to be out there.


text: The my photo collages at the Long Beach Island-Surf City Library exhibit came down on July 31st. It went up without fanfare and came down the same way and I am not sure what happened in between. This is not easy work and if I let life intervene, it takes a back seat. Everything I do, however, moves me forward into new places and I am painting, for better or worse, based on these collages.


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CHRIS Willcock insists Ramsbottom United are not just there 'to make up the numbers' as they prepare to host high-flying Fylde in the last 16 of the FA Trophy.
The Rams are the lowest ranked team left in the competition but Willcock says his side fear no-one having already knocked out two teams from higher leagues.
Fylde, who are three steps higher than the Rams, are currently in fourth place in the National League and in with a shout of promotion to the Football League.
However, Willcock believes the superb 3-1 win at Weymouth in a second round replay has given his team self belief that they can beat anyone.
"I think that win at Weymouth has given all the boys a massive boost," said the Rams boss. "The long trip down to Dorset really galvanised the group. There is a great team spirit among the squad and a real belief that we are capable of beating anyone."
The Rams have already played 10 games in the competition with the last four rounds all going to replays and Willcock says he does not want the adventure to end.
"We are all enjoying this adventure and we are all enjoying testing ourselves against higher calibre teams," he said.
"This is unchartered territory for all of us but we're here on merit and deserve to be in the last 16 of the competition. So we are not here just to make up the numbers."
Willcock would love to see a crowd around the 1,000 mark cram in to the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium to help try and make it a day to remember.
He said: "Crowds are up and we've been averaging around 400 and Fylde are sure to bring a few fans so it would be great to get around the mark, get fans all huddled in there and help create a tremendous atmosphere."
Willcock is aware that Fylde will pose their biggest test in the competition so far and says his side will have to get everything right to pull off another cup upset.
"Fylde are a very good team and are having a fantastic season in their division," added Willcock who hopes the game will beat the big freeze. "We have done our homework on them and they have been to watch our last two games.
"So we know we will have to get everything right on the day to stand a chance of winning.
"But while we will respect Fylde, we won't fear Fylde just as we have not feared anyone in this competition."
n Ramsbottom are have announced some rearranged fixtures: Tuesday, February 19: Newcastle Town (a); Tuesday, February 26: Colne (h); Tuesday, March 19: Droylsden (a)


text: The Tallest Dam of India – When you feel like so small in front of something regarded as The Tallest Dam of India, but still you feel proud because when you realize its a modern architecture made in India. Captured this amazing shot while riding towards Chamba, Uttarakhand. 12 Bikes 12 Riders – 12 bikes 12 riders. One Passion. It was a hell of a trip. Why should only riders have all the fun let the ride enjoy the mountains view. Ride or Die – When riding is in your blood its hard to resist the temptation. It refuels when you go out on your bike, give full throttle to see hard you can go. Just make sure you got all the safety gears coz remember speed thrills but kills. Go On Riders


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Fela Kuti Gets His Due on 'Red Hot + Fela' (Song Premiere)
Fela Kuti never shied away from politics in his music, and neither does Baloji on his cover of the pioneering Nigerian musician's song "Buy Africa," premiering today on Speakeasy.
The song is part of "Red Hot + Fela," a compilation of artists covering Kuti's songs as part of Red Hot's efforts to raise money to combat AIDS — a resonant cause, given that Kuti died of an AIDS-related illness in 1997. The album also includes contributions from Roots drummer Questlove, Tune-Yards, Angelique Kidjo, Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes, Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe from TV on the Radio and the Kronos Quartet.
Baloji, a Congolese musician with strong ties to Belgium, was drawn to the act-locally message of "Buy Africa." Listen to his take on the song after the jump.


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Empowering people to journey into life and take the next steps toward maximizing their potential. We want you to explore the nature of existence and essence of being!
Leisha Knight, Binod Dangol, and Roshan Maharaja started YTI in Nepal in 2015 right after the earthquake! We want to help people explore the world while deepening their relationships to themselves and with others!
Vail, Colorado
RYT 200, YTI Graduate, Instructor, and Guide
Montevallo, Alabama
RYT 200, YTI Graduate, Instructor
Montevallo Yoga Festival Organizer
RYT 200, YTI Graduate, Instructor, Guide
YTI instructor, teacher trainer, adventure guide, RYT 200
RYT 200 YTI Instructor, Grad, Aerial Yoga instructor
RYT 200, YTI instructor, graduate, studying dietetics.
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14 August 2014 | EJ Insight
Next Media Group chairman Jimmy Lai Chee-ying on Thursday appeared on a short video in response to an anonymous obituary published by a local newspaper, saying he is sorry to have disappointed the author for still being alive.
"The joke is not good enough because I don't look like I have AIDS… Do you want me to die? It's so easy. Just keep cursing me, and with your mother's power, perhaps one day I will die," Lai said. "I am sorry to have let you down."


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Archive for the 'News' Category
Posted in News on March 11, 2015| Leave a Comment »
What a Relief
Posted in News on October 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Some reliefs from Angkor Wat
In the Wake of the Tazreen Fashions Fire
Posted in Essays, News, Travels on December 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »
The horrific fire and consequent loss of life at Tazreen Fashions made the International pages of newspapers worldwide when it struck in November of this year. The New York Times has been particularly diligent in tracking the story, and has devoted many op-ed column inches to decrying the poor health and safety environment that the Bangladeshi workers that clothe US citizens are forced to work in. It is not surprising that in the West the story has resonated most deeply with an American audience given firstly that Tazreen was supplying American corporations, and secondly that there are clear parallels between what happened in the blaze here and the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York City some hundred years ago. In both of these incidents stairwells were locked so that workers were unable to escape, forcing many to jump to their death rather than face the agony of immolation.
That the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of New York City lead to widespread unionization of factory workers as well as a slew of labour legislation aimed at protecting the workers in the garment industry begs the question: will the same happen here in Bangladesh? It is true that the aftermath of the fire has seen public anger which has manifested itself in demonstrations and vandalism against factories. To a certain extent this ire has been subsumed by a wider unrest that is occurring here in the run up to elections in 2013. The opposition party is calling on the incumbent government to install a caretaker regime to oversee the nationwide polls in order to ensure a free and fair election process. Thus far the government has resisted these calls. This has led to widespread strikes, roadblocks and violence. In other words, the calls for government attention from garments workers may have been drowned out in what is already a very noisy political atmosphere.
Political clamour notwithstanding, it is doubtful whether the Tazreen fire will be a catalyst for meaningful change in Bangladesh. Many in the west are blaming globalization for this sad fact. It is argued that globalization creates incentives to "race to the bottom" in terms of safety and labour costs. Certainly it is true that in recent years, production has increasingly moved here from China as the cost of Chinese labour rises. Whether this is a bad thing or not is open to interpretation.
On the one hand people see immorality on the part of western buyers who, rapacious in their pursuit of profits, move production to a country where they can get away with paying workers 4000 taka a month ($50) a month for working 60 plus hour weeks. On the other hand this has led to a large increase in growth in both GDP and textile based exports in Bangladesh as well as providing a living for tens of thousands people (predominantly women) where previously there may have been none. Furthermore, it should not be overlooked that the reason that Chinese wages are now relatively more expensive is partly due to the fact that human capital and technical experience has accumulated in the garment industry there pursuant to their having once been at the bottom of the global race for cheap labour.
The existence of these benefits from being one of the most competitive countries in the world in terms of labour price does not mean however, that it is right that workers should be subjected to working conditions that denigrate them as humans. Thus, a globalized race to the bottom for labour costs may well bring some benefits but it is hard to argue that a consequent race to the bottom of the working standards is in some way productive, and even if it were, it would certainly be hard to argue that it was justified in the pursuit of profit.
Thankfully the race to the bottom of the health and safety pile is not as ubiquitous in globalizing economies as the race for low labour costs. An interesting example is dolphin friendly tuna. In that case western consumers, consumer groups and special interest NGOs used their purchasing power and political clout to pressure for domestic means of identifying tuna that had been caught using dolphin friendly fishing techniques. This created a race in the international supplier nations to ensure that systems were in place such that the tuna caught would be eligible for sale in the huge Western markets. The West imported tuna, and in effect exported their expectations about environmental standards. Given that the health and safety in garments factories is as much a question of production standards as the means with which wild fish are turned into sashimi, there is no reason to suspect that a similar exporting of standards could not be achieved in the case of the garments industry. Western consumer pressure can therefore have real clout in increasing protections both for marine mammals and factory workers.
Unfortunately there are least three constraints on this kind of change. Firstly, people are not as photogenic as dolphins. Although there was a flurry of western media activity in relation to the fire, it is much harder to sustain that kind of attention for people than it is for animals or the environment. Even in the case of animals,
international-standards changing movements can only really galvanize behind those beasts which are easily anthropomorphised, such as orangutans and dolphins. The threat to sea slugs from trawler fishing is hardly likely to get anyone excited. This is pretty ironic, as when the beasts in question are in fact anthro – i.e. human – it can be even harder to generate enough sustained interest for change. Sadly this means that although there was a lot of rightful indignation at the senseless waste of life that this fire caused it is very likely that sufficient pressure will be put neither upon the Western governments to restrict imports on garments that come from factories that routinely flout safety compliance measures, nor on the buyers to ensure safety standards in their supplier factories.
Secondly, factory owners often tell buyers one thing and do quite another. Thus although Walmart's cry of "we didn't know" may sound hollow to Western skeptics, it is actually fairly plausible. Big buyers conduct spot audits of the factories that supply them with goods in order to gauge how up to date they are on social compliance (including health and safety). These requirements are frequently imposed not by the home government of Bangladesh but by the buyers themselves as part of their corporate social responsibility strategy. For example, Marks and Spencer work to ensure that a certain fraction of jobs within a supplier factory are given to the disabled.
Despite this system of audit, factories will often illegally outsource production to cheaper suppliers who are less constrained by the demands of the buyers across many dimensions, and are thus able to supply the goods at a cheaper price than the factory with which the buyer directly contracted. This ensures that factories with poor working conditions can still operate despite the preference of buyers to work with factories that will not generate the kind of bad press that the Tazreen fire did for Walmart.
Is it possible that Walmart really did know that their goods were being produced Tazreen? Yes, I would not put it past them as they have a fairly well documented history of greed for profit margins. However, is it possible they really were unaware? Yes it is. All buyers have large teams of expensive-to-maintain compliance officers that check on the factories. But eliciting truthful information from factories is often extremely difficult, as I know from my own direct experience from working in the field.
Thirdly, and most obstinately, Western consumers are addicted to cheap clothing. Factory owners here may appear greedy in terms of how much they take home relative to their workers, but they are faced with difficult decisions. Metal values are soaring pushing the prices of machines upwards. Raw material prices are on the rise. Even labour costs, as paltry as they may seem to the West, are also creeping upwards. Against this backdrop, the West is in recession with all the focus on austerity and low cost options that that entails. Buyers want lower prices every year. Many factories operate at losses for part of the year. In such a climate, all energies are focused on staying open, keeping production running. They are not likely to be focused on how to improve fire safety.
This is not to say that low prices justify factories in not providing safe environments for their workers. Indeed it is quite possible that the Tazreen disaster would have occurred even with prices such that they could better afford to focus more on social compliance. This is because some factory owners are just greedy, thoughtless capitalists with no care for their workers. These men, even with better prices from their buyers, would probably siphon off the extra profits without making efforts to improve conditions in their factories. After the fire alarm was raised in Tazreen Fashions, workers were instructed to go back to work. This disgustingly callus and complacent attitude toward worker safety on the part of management is not likely related to low prices for output. However it would be naïve to believe that in general low prices do not contribute to low health and safety standards in the industry.
The upshot of these three constraints on change is that for conditions in the Bangladeshi garment industry to improve due to Western pressure, several things must happen almost simultaneously: Bangladeshis must become more attractive relative to dolphins, audits systems must be tightened (or Bangladeshi factory owners must not seek out ways to increase their margins through subcontracting), and either Western buyers will have to live with smaller margins, or Western consumers will have to be willing to pay higher prices for their clothes. With the exception of the possibility of improving audit systems, the likelihood of these things occurring seem pretty slim given what we know about physiognomy, capitalism, and the predilection of Western consumers for 3 Euro T-Shirts. Thus it seems that Western pressure in the wake of this fire will not be a sufficient vehicle for change here in Bangladesh.
This is not the end of the story, as change could plausibly come not pursuant to Western pressure, but from within. It will require some major upheavals. The major difference between the New York of 10 years ago, and the Bangladesh of today, was ability of the New Yorkers to organize into unions. Here in Bangladesh the rules regarding unionization are prohibitive. At least 30% of any workforce must be members for a union to form. Membership is restricted to those that are employed, meaning that termination from employment prevents membership of the union. Violence and intimidation are frequently practiced against union demonstrations, and the demonstrations themselves are subject to government approval. Thus it is that there is a chronic shortage of labour in the sector which should mean greater worker power to call for increased wages and better standards whilst the absence of unions means that this power cannot be turned into improved working conditions. The capitalist classes hold sway in government circles whereas workers have no means of expressing their demands.
As it stands, the formation of unions is even less sexy a cause than the poor old sea slug. Therefore there are not really any circumstances where Western pressure will be sufficient to induce meaningful change here. For real progress to be made in ensuring a decent working environment for garments industry workers, the workers themselves will have to fight for their right to freely organize.
Posted in News on August 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »


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Accessories & Apparel
Looking for an extra battery, fenders, racks or other accessories for your electric bike? You're in the right place. Browse our collection of electric bike accessories. We are also now offering t-shirts, hats and other apparel that is designed to complement our customer's active lifestyle.
FiltersShowing 1–12 of 33 results
Fat Bike Rack$ 79.00
Extra Battery Pack$ 350.00 – $ 800.00
Miles Waterproof Pannier$ 159.99


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New Year, New Look at Peace Hub
It's a new year, and we've decided to shake things up a bit!
We've refreshed our public space at Peace Hub to make it even more welcoming to those walking past us on Bull St.
We hope you enjoy the new layout, which has more of a cafe-feel and aims to let the public know that they are welcome to pop in, get a cuppa & make a difference. Our visitors so far have been very positive: do pop by, take a look and let us know what you think.
And, you are warmly invited to join us on Sunday 18th March 2-5pm, when we will be holding a Relaunch Event to celebrate our change of style. Save the date and watch this space for more details coming soon!
In the meantime pop in to check out the Hub for yourself and find out about our latest theme: Think Global, Act Local, Get Equal.


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- Details
- Delivery & Returns
- Video
The Dreambaby Bath Tub Thermometer takes the guesswork out of knowing if your baby's bath is too hot or cold. Simply submerge the tail in the water and wait for the indicator to stop moving.
-Simply submerge the tail in the water and wait for the indicator to stop moving.
-When the indicator is in the green section, you will know the temperature is just right.
-Easy to use in a fun fish shape
-Does not contain mercury
Code: 98815
Delivery & Returns
We can deliver to any mainland New Zealand physical address. (sorry this excludes Chatham Islands & Stewart Island - please contact our Customer Services Department for freight options)
$5.00 Freight Charge for any orders under $89 when delivered within New Zealand
Free Freight for any orders over $89 when delivered within New Zealand
$5 surcharge for rural deliveries
Oversized items freight costs will be:
$30 North Island, $70 South Island per oversized item - if a rural delivery please contact firstname.lastname@example.com for a freight cost.
Gift vouchers: Freight FREE in New Zealand
Overseas Orders We also ship overseas. All our overseas order go by New Zealand Post (with a tracking service). Overseas freight charges will be confirmed when you check out.
If you have any questions regarding shipping please contact us at email@example.com
*Please note the free freight offer only applies to orders made online at www.babyfactory.co.nz and delivered within New Zealand. Exclusions for oversized items may apply.
Please allow:
2 - 3 working days for Auckland deliveries
3 - 4 working days for North Island deliveries
5 - 6 working days for South Island deliveries
Rural Deliveries: 2-3 extra days for rural deliveries. Please mention your RD number when placing your order.
Around public holiday periods - please allow a few extra working days. During the Christmas period - please expect courier delivery to take a little longer than usual.
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text: LPS Richmond primarily uses the Flex model for blended learning, where a "online learning is the backbone of student learning, even if it directs students to offline activities at times. Students move on an individually customized, fluid schedule among learning modalities" (Christensen Institute). In the Navigate Math course, each student completes a customized schedule. While one-on-one and small group supports are components of the instructional system, these are created by the teacher based on student need.


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Posted on January 14, 2016 by Rick Rodgers
President Obama signed into law the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 …
Posted on December 13, 2011 by Rick Rodgers
Once you've decided to give, 3 options to consider this year.
Now that retirement is a reality, or will be soon, you probably have questions. Here on our website, you can find generalized advice, but don't you deserve advice tailored just to you?
Clint Krushinsky is here to help you get answers. Simply call him at 717-560-3800 or 1-888-876-3437. He'll answer your questions and help you get to know us. If we are a potential fit for each other, Clint can arrange for up to two hours of initial consultation with no cost or obligation and no sales pitch.