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Charities have been warned to "get into the guts" of blockchain soon, or risk being left behind.
Blockchain technology offers a way for funders to go directly to beneficiaries and their immediate supporters. According to a new report commissioned by Charity Futures, Nothing to lose (but your chains), charities need to get to grips with it now, before it's too late.
Charity Futures is calling for all charity leaders to come together and explore the opportunities that technological innovation could provide to the sector.
It has warned the sector that unless it gets involved with blockchain early on, charities may miss out on the chance to bring their experience and in-depth understanding of the needs of their communities as the technology develops.
While blockchain can mean quicker, more efficient funding, with donors having more power over who benefits from their giving, Charity Futures said it can also mean "loss of accountability".
"It could mean that charities' in-depth knowledge of the issues and ability to manage interventions on the ground will be side-lined, creating new dangers of safeguarding and integrity," the think tank said.
It argued that now funders must "understand and support" investment in charity infrastructure, facilitating innovation and growth, while demanding greater accountability on the front line.
"Blockchain offers charities great potential for so long as they take time to understand the technology," Charity Futures director Sir Stephen Bubb said.
"But it also throws up a danger if people can contribute directly to the front line. Who will pay to develop charity infrastructure? And how do we ensure we have proper safeguarding arrangements in place if donors don't want to support the charity by paying for their overhead costs?" he added.
"Oversight and administration are so boring for many people but they are exactly what ensure effective charity. Charities must work even harder to educate donors and the public on the paramount importance of core cost funding."
Charities warned to "get into the guts" of blockchain or risk losing out
Charities have been warned to "get into the guts" of blockchain soon, or risk being left behind.


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Declare Your Allegiance!
On June 16th, we will host our first annual FIWBRTS. What is that you say? It's the FCCF Intramural Wodmageddon Bragging Rights Throwdown and Staydown! This event will put our athletes who work out at different times of days a chance to compete against each other. The big showdown is between AM (5-10 am) vs. Nooners vs. PM (4-9 pm). We have about 94 athletes signed up, Ricey is buying shirts, and the smack-talk has begun. Stay tuned to see who takes the title.

subset: commoncrawl


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The items are in good condition No returns or refund Cash on collection Contents include 1 x large gift bag 1 x medium gift bag 1 x medium happy birthday gift bag
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What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : January 31, 2011
Mortgage markets improved this week as positive economic data was overshadowed by geopolitical strife. A flight-to-quality drove buy-side activity in mortgage bond markets, which, in turn, helped conforming rates fall across the state of California.
Last week marks the first time this year that mortgage rates fell on a week-over-week basis, and considering why rates fell, it points to the fragile nature of the global economy.
By all accounts, last week showed that the U.S. economy is in recovery.
- Housing data rises to its best levels in 8 months (LA Times)
- Consumer sentiment hit a 7-month high (NPR)
- Business investment increased 1.4% in December
Furthermore, the Federal Open Market Committee met last week and said that the economy continues to expand (although the pace is slower-than-optimal).
Normally, positive news like this would drive mortgage rates higher, and during the early part of the week, it did. But then, as political problems in Egypt grew larger, international investors began to shift money from their risky assets into the relative safety of the U.S. bond market.
This includes mortgage-backed bonds, of course. The buyer influx pushed up prices and, because bond yields move opposite price, mortgage rates dropped.
The week ended with rates at their lowest levels of the week.
Next week, though, rates could reverse. There's two developing stories rate shoppers should watch.
The first is related to Egypt. In addition to buying mortgage-backed bonds, investors are gambling that oil prices will rise, too. Egypt is the world's 21st largest oil producer and a disruption of its supply could send gas prices soaring. This circumstance would be inflationary and inflation is the enemy of mortgage bonds.
Crude oil jumped 4.3% Friday afternoon. If that continues, mortgage rates should start rising.
The second is tied to jobs. Last month's jobs data was weaker-than-expected on Wall Street and it sparked a mini-rally in mortgage rates to start the year. Jobs are paramount to economic recovery so if this month's figures are lower than the consensus figure of 150,000, expect mortgage rates in Coto de Caza to fall. If the number is stronger than 150,000, expect mortgage rates to rise.
The jobs report is released Friday at 8:30 AM ET.
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New Home Sales Reach 8-Month High
Sales of new homes rose sharply in December, posting a 17.5 percent gain from the month prior.
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, New Home Sales climbed to 329,000 in December, besting November by close to 50,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis.
Last month's reading is an 8-month high for New Home Sales, and the latest in a series of signals that housing is improving in Coto de Caza and around the country.
Note that December's Existing Homes Sales and Building Permits reports also showed marked gains last month, climbing 12 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
Furthermore, an interesting pattern is emerging in the price points of home sales. The highest levels of relative growth are occurring within the "move-up buyer" segments. Entry-level price points are lagging the market, as a whole.
December's New Home Sales data breaks down by price point as follows:
- Homes under $200,000 : 36% of the market (-9% from November)
- Homes between $200,000-$299,999 : 32% of the market (+7% from November)
- Homes between $300,000-$499,999 : 27% of the market (+7% from November)
Luxury homes accounted for less than 5% of the newly-built home market, suggesting that California homeowners are either not "buying new" as frequently, or are choosing to renovate their existing properties instead.
The 2010 housing market finished on a tear, and that momentum is carrying forward into 2011. Expect the spring season to show strongly, putting pressure on home prices to rise.
Coupled with rising mortgage rates, the long-term cost of homeownership is unlikely to be as low as it is today.
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A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement (January 26, 2011 Edition)
Today, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 10-to-0 to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent.
In its press release, the FOMC noted that since December's meeting, economic growth is ongoing, but at a pace deemed "insufficient" to make a material impact on the jobs market. In addition, the Fed said household spending "picked up" late last year, although it continues to be held back by joblessness, tight credit and lower housing wealth.
This is similar to the language used in the FOMC's November and December 2010 statements.
Also like its last two statements, the Fed used this month's press release to re-affirm its plan to keep the Fed Funds Rate near zero percent "for an extended period", and to keep its $600 billion bond market support package in place.
And finally, of particular interest to South Orange County home buyers and mortgage rate shoppers, for the second straight month, the Federal Open Market Committee's statement contained an entire paragraph detailing the Federal Reserve's dual mandate of managing inflation levels, while fostering maximum employment.
The Fed acknowledges progress toward this goal, but calls that progress "disappointingly slow". Inflation is too low right now, and joblessness too high.
Over time, the Fed expects both measurements to improve.
Mortgage market reaction to the FOMC has been positive since the statement's release. Mortgage rates in Coto de Caza are unchanged, but poised to improve.
The FOMC's next scheduled meeting is a 1-day event, March 15, 2011.
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The Home Price Index Shows Flat For November
Home values were reported unchanged in November 2010, on average, according to the Federal Home Finance Agency's Home Price Index.
We say "on average" because the government's Home Price Index is a data composite for the country. The index doesn't measure citywide changes in places like Trabuco Canyon , nor does it get granular down to the neighborhood level to measure places like Orange County.
Instead, the Home Price Index groups state data in 9 regions with each regions having as few as 4 states in it, and as many as 8.
Not surprisingly, each of the regions posted different price change figures for the period of October-to-November 2010.
A sampling includes:
- Values in the Pacific region rose +1.2%
- Values in the New England region rose +0.3%
- Values in the Mountain region fell -1.9%
The complete regional list is available at the FHFA website.
That said, none of these numbers are particularly helpful to today's home buyers and sellers and that's because everyday people don't buy and sell homes on the Regional Level. We do it locally and the government's Home Price Index can't capture data at that level.
It's a similar reason to why the Case-Shiller Index is irrelevant to buyers and sellers.
November's Case-Shiller Index showed home values down 1 percent in November, but that conclusion is a composite of just 20 cities nationwide — and they're not even the 20 largest cities. Philadelphia, Houston and San Jose are conspicuously absent from the Case-Shiller list.
So why are reports like the Home Price and the Case-Shiller Index even published at all? Because, as national indicators, they help governments make policy, businesses make decisions, and banks make guidelines. Entities like that are national and require data that describe the economy as a whole. Home buyers and sellers, by contrast, need it locally.
Since peaking in April 2007, the Home Price Index is off 14.9 percent.
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The Fed Meets Today. What It Means To Mortgage Rates.
The Federal Open Market Committee begins a 2-day meeting today in Washington D.C. It's the group's first meeting of 2011 — one of 8 scheduled for the year.
The Fed meets every 45 days, on average. Its last meeting was December 14, 2010.
Rate shoppers and home buyers should make a note. Mortgage rates and home affordability could change dramatically beginning tomorrow afternoon.
Because Wall Street watches FOMC meetings closely, so should you. The meetings provide insight on the future of U.S. monetary policy, as told by the nation's central banker. Investors make trades based on the FOMC's commentary which is one reason why mortgage rates tend to undulate through the hours leading up to the FOMC's adjournment, and the days immediately after.
Wall Street is shifting old bets, and placing new ones.
A terrific example of this is what happened after the Fed's November 3, 2010 meeting.
In its post-meeting press release, the Federal Reserve announced a new, $600 billion, market-bolstering plan dubbed "QE2". Wall Street had widely expected the Fed to create the program, but had underestimated its size.
Starting a $600 billion program sparked fears of a Fed-led inflation run, which, in turn, caused mortgage markets to deteriorate in a hurry. In the 3 days following the program's announcement, mortgage rates spiked to multi-month highs and have not since recovered.
QE2 marked the beginning of the end of the Refi Boom and low rates. Today, conforming rates in California are relatively low as compared to higher, but are much higher than they were prior to the FOMC's November 2010 meeting.
Then, December's FOMC meeting did little to change the direction of rates. We shouldn't expect that January's will, either. After the FOMC's 2:15 PM ET adjournment Wednesday, mortgage rates should resume climbing, as they have done for the past 10 weeks.
If you're shopping for a mortgage rate, therefore, the prudent move is to lock prior to Wednesday's FOMC adjournment because, after once the Fed's outlook is released, it will be too late.
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What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : January 24, 2011
Mortgage markets worsened last week in a holiday-shortened trading week.
As the body of U.S. economic data continues to show slow, steady improvement, Wall Street is becoming a net-seller of mortgage-backed bonds. As a result, conforming mortgages rates in California are rising.
This is why conforming and FHA mortgage rates rose last week in California. Existing home supplies plunged to a 2-year low in December, and unemployment claims dropped more than expected, giving hope for the U.S. economy in 2011.
This week, that trend may continue. There's a lot of news set for release.
The biggest story of the week is Federal Open Market Committee's 2-day meeting. Scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, the FOMC's meeting is the first of its 8 scheduled meetings this year.
In it, the FOMC is expected to vote the Fed Funds Rate unchanged in its target range near 0.000 percent, but it won't be what the Fed does that's so important to mortgage markets — it will be what the Fed says. Wall Street will be watching the FOMC's post-meeting press release for clues about the economy, and the central banker's next steps. From what it reads, Wall Street will react.
This week is also heavy on housing data.
Following up on last week's Existing Home Sales and Housing Starts figures, this week features 4 additional releases:
- Case-Shiller Index (Tuesday)
- Home Price Index (Tuesday)
- New Home Sales (Wednesday)
- Pending Home Sales (Thursday)
Strength in housing should lead mortgage rates higher as it becomes more clear that the sector is on solid ground.
Since November 3, mortgage rates have been trending higher in Trabuco Canyon and across the country. The Refi Boom is over, but low rates remain — for now. If you've yet to lock a mortgage rate, consider doing it soon.
Before long, rates won't be so low.
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Home Supplies Plummet, Putting Pressure On Prices To Rise
Existing Home Sales surged 12 percent last month, closing 2010's housing market with strength. An "existing home" is a home that cannot be categorized as new construction; a resale.
According to the National Association of REALTORS®, seasonally-adjusted, annualized Existing Home Sales figures climbed by more than a half-million units in December as compared to November. It's the 3rd straight month of home resale improvement nationwide.
Sales volume is now as high as it's been since May 2010 — just after the federal home buyer tax credit's expiration.
In addition, the number of months needed to sell the complete, current home inventory at the current pace of sales fell by 1.4 months, tying December for the biggest one-month home supply improvement in 2 years.
It's yet another signal that the housing market is in recovery. Not that this data should surprise anyone. November's Pending Home Sales report told us to expect it two weeks ago.
Broken down by buyer-type, home sales split as follows:
- First-time home buyers : 33% of all sales
- Repeat buyers : 47% of all sales
- Real estate investors : 20% of all sales
Cash buyers represented 29 percent of all transaction, down 2 ticks from November. This may suggest that mortgage guidelines are loosening — another sign of economic improvement.
So, take note, Coto de Caza home buyers. This spring, along with mortgage rates, home values should rise, too. Expect less "bang for your buck" as the housing recovery takes hold here in South Orange County and across the nation.
The best deals of the year may be the ones made this month.
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Building Permits Surge In December; Signals A Strong Spring Housing Market
Each month, in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Census Bureau releases its New Residential Construction report. The report is comprised of several sections, one of which counts the number of homes that have "broken ground" in California and nationwide.
They're called "Housing Starts" and, by most measures, they faded quickly as 2010 came to a close.
According to the Census Bureau's report, Housing Starts of single-family homes fell to 417,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted, annual basis. The figure marks a 9 percent drop-off from November, and is the lowest reading since May 2009.
Not surprisingly, the press went bearish on housing post-release:
- U.S. Home Building Stuck Near 50-Year Lows (AFP)
- Housing Starts Slowed Sharply In December (New York Times)
- Housing Starts Fall In December To One-Year Low (Bloomberg)
Despite being truthful, these headlines are somewhat misleading. They each ignore a key element of December's New Residential Construction report — Building Permits. Building Permits rose 6 percent to an 8-month high last month.
A building permit is a local-government certification that authorizes home construction.
Permits are a precursor to Housing Starts with 82% of homes starting construction within 60 days of permit-issuance. More permits in December, therefore, should lead to more Housing Starts in January and February.
It's unclear whether permits were up because the economy was improving, or because builders raced to beat new building code for 2011. Regardless, expect additional "new home" supplies this spring which would ordinarily help home prices drop if not for the normal surge in spring buyers to gobble those new homes up.
Look for home prices to stay flat, but with rising mortgage rates contributing to higher costs of homeownership overall.
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Home Builders Slowed By Economy, But Seeing More Foot Traffic
Homebuilder confidence held firm for the second straight month this month, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
The monthly Housing Market Index registered 16 out of a possible 100. January's reading is three points higher than the 2010 low-point, set in September, and in-line with last year's average reading.
According to the NAHB, the market for newly-built, single family homes remains relatively weak "following a below-expectations finish in 2010". Builders expect a better 2011.
The Housing Market Index dates to 1985. It's a composite of surveys which gauge the builders' perceptions of the new home-buying market.
There are 3 surveys and they ask:
- How would you rate market conditions for sales of new homes today?
- How would you rate market conditions for sales of new homes 6 months from now?
- How would you rate the foot traffic of prospective buyers of new homes?
The answers are then collated and weighted, and used to produce the Housing Market Index.
In January, market conditions for current and future sales were deemed to be flat. Foot traffic is seen as increasing. For homebuyers of new homes in Trabuco Canyon , this data may foretell of more bidding wars in the months ahead.
More active buyers means more competition for homes. It may also mean fewer concessions from builders as confidence starts rising.
If you're in the market for a newly-built home, watching the Housing Market Index may be sensible. Each builder is different, of course, but as the overall market sentiment falls, buyers can be more likely to get "a deal". That's not the case once confidence is rising.
The HMI is plateaued. If it resumes rising later this year, expect new homes to get more costly.
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What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : January 18, 2011
Mortgage markets worsened last week on a turn-around in sentiment across the Eurozone. The sort of "safe haven" buying that had buoyed mortgage bonds since the New Year dissipated, and mortgage rates resumed climbing.
Last week marked the first week since the end of 2010 that mortgage rates have risen, breaking a 2-and-a-half-week rally.
Conforming and FHA mortgages in California increased in rate by roughly 1/8 percent.
Last week was data-sparse so mortgage markets took their cues from Europe — specifically Portugal and Spain. There have been lingering concerns that the two countries might default on their respective national debts. The development has a similar feel to what transpired in Greece in April of last year, and that may be why markets are reacting in much the same manner.
At the beginning the year, the fear of default in Portugal and Spain was elevated. It drove money managers away from risky assets and toward safer ones, including U.S. mortgage bonds. Last week, however, those fears eased. Money reversed flow and, as a result, mortgage rates rose.
Truly, this is a global market.
This week, the Eurozone story continues, but there is a lot of U.S. housing data due for release, too.
- Tuesday : National Association of Homebuilders Housing Market Index
- Wednesday : Building Permits, Housing Starts
- Thursday : Existing Home Sales
Housing is considered key to the country's economic recovery, so strength in this week's housing should lead stock markets higher on better expectation for the economy which would, in turn, cause a sell-off in mortgage bonds, driving mortgage rates higher.
Mortgage rates are decidedly higher than their lows of 2010, but have much more room to rise. If you haven't locked your mortgage rate yet, consider taking care of it this week.
Rates have farther to rise than to fall in the medium-term.
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text: Home > Wine shop > Mixed Cases > Organic Delights 6-pack Organic Delights 6-pack Varietal Mixed Red and White Region Australia multi-regional Taste the dedication and passion in these six diverse organic wines, all made with holistic and sustainable farming methods. Krinklewood makes certified biodynamic organic wines with a focus on nurturing the vines to good health, allowing the natural cycle of the season to ripen the fruit to obtain great intensity of flavour and has resulted in this vibrant and fresh Krinklewood Boutique Vineyard Verdelho 2012. Pale straw coloured, it's fine and dry and has been crafted in a citrussy rather than typical tropical style. Battle of Bosworth winemaker Joch Bosworth was described by wine writer Max Allen as one of the 'most important organic winemakers in Australia.' Taste why in his 2011 Chardonnay with its ripe, warm palate with a full core of stonefruit, melon and fig flavours over toasty oak. Rosnay produces an excellent array of organic produce including their vineyard that has produced the fruit for wines like the Rosnay Organically Grown Shiraz 2009. Its ripe and soft palate features juicy red fruits in a supple, savoury style, with good juicy appeal and a hint of black pepper to finish. Order today to enjoy these delightful organic wines and others at just $105 a 6-pack. Order code142073 Wine varietyMixed Red and White RegionAustralia multi-regional Read moreRead less Quantity (case) Out of Stock Availability Get free shipping for a limited time* Shop with confidence. 100% money back guarantee. 500+ Australian wineries. 40yrs experience & passion. Pack Contents 1 x Paxton Pinot Gris 2013 1 x Krinklewood Boutique Vineyard Verdelho 2012 1 x Battle of Bosworth Organic Chardonnay 2011 1 x Rosnay Organically Grown Shiraz 2009 1 x Em's Table Premium Organic Shiraz 2010 1 x Burra Creek Organic Shiraz 2008 Reviews (0) CUSTOMER REVIEWS Sort results by Highest ratings Lowest ratings Latest ratings Oldest ratings To leave a review, please Login OR Sign up You might also like Mixed Aged 6-pack Plus Bonus Bottle Price $126.00 Save $149.00 Qty | case Add to cart Organic Mixed 6-pack Price $117.00 Save $18.50 Qty | case Add to cart Vegan-friendly Mixed 6-pack Price $102.00 Save $49.00 Qty | case Add to cart Two Blues Sauvignon Blanc 2014 1 case has been added to your cart. Cart total: xxx 1 case, 12 bottles, 3 accessories Checkout Continue Shopping


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Yet again, right in the middle of our Rangers-Tigers liveblog, the city sends a note concerning Occupy Dallas's occupation of Pioneer Park. Only, one night after giving the group its permit, the city's yanking it -- because, as Jim predicted, Occupy Dallas did not get the million-dollar insurance coverage City Hall demanded in order to allow the group there till 5 p.m. Friday.
This is what Frank Librio, City Hall spokesman, just sent:
CITY STATEMENT: The City had an agreement with Occupy Dallas to remain on the public property provided standard insurance coverage was obtained. The group did not meet the insurance requirements per the agreement. Therefore, the agreement is no longer applicable. The City will begin enforcing local laws (for example: park curfews and sleeping in public).
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So happens Schutze is on his way down there now. Updates forthcoming.
Update at 8:04 p.m.: Following my brief chat with an Occupy Dallas member at Pioneer Park moments ago, who Jim put on the phone so I could read the statement to him, the group had no idea the city was about to "begin enforcing local laws."
Update at 8:20 p.m.: This was just posted to the Occupy Dallas Facebook page:
We need a secondary location near downtown right now to move our media. We need to move quickly and we will have approximately 5 people with us. If you can host us tonight, we'd really appreciate it. Time is of the essence. This is not an official notification of anything. We need to protect our data and confidential information. Do not post locations here. Send to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Wer Feuer frißt, scheißt Funken. Literally – He who eats fire s**ts sparks. A masterpiece of German idiomatic art! It's a warning – he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.
If you can imagine a world not run by military power, then you can imagine God's kingdom and what Jesus stands for. "But how else are we supposed to protect ourselves from a world infected by evil?" is the question of the day. Well, we've tried that approach ever since Adam left Eden, and it never intimidated evil or eliminated it. If anything, the cancer of evil has grown exponentially and infiltrated the entire fabric of human life. We're hooked on the defense system, and it will take a revolution to change that, a revolution instigated by God Himself.
We all live in countries with a defense mechanism. We all witness violence, and we all are prone to use violence. The non-violent approach on the other hand is foreign to us. The way Jesus submitted to the Roman authorities set a precedent for all God's children around the world. Jesus introduced us to a new chapter in the history of mankind, also illustrated in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah described the future of mankind like this (Isaiah 2:4):
"He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore."
The non-violent approach in our day-to-day lives will eliminate our all-too-common anxieties of having to defend ourselves. What do we have to lose? We don't have to prove anything, and we don't have to be right. If we speak up, it doesn't matter if people agree or disagree, listen to us or ignore us. We might have something to say, but actually, so does the person next to us. So, before speaking up it would behoove us to listen first. By doing so, we show some respect. Have you ever noticed that listening goes a long way towards developing empathy? It turns enemies into human beings. We also appear more credible in any dispute if we hear our opponents out before putting in our own two cents. Jesus always listened before He talked, and He touched many people that way.
Can you see that with this kind of attitude it's pretty hard to imagine advancing any cause, even a good one, at gunpoint?
So what if the ultimate evil happens and our very lives are in danger? – Even though it's very counter-intuitive, weaponry is still not the answer. It never was. Jesus demonstrated it. So did His followers. The Jesus movement has been opposed ever since its inception by being ignored, openly ridiculed, violently cut down, all to imply that the way of Jesus has no future and neither have God's children – and yet the opposite is true: God's children carry our future. What is considered unrealistic and impossible will be a "dream-come-true" one day. There will be a world without weapons. There will be a world not built on blood-shed and power abuse; instead God's world will be built entirely on love; fact of the matter is that love completely overrides evil and is much more efficient than all our sophisticated weaponry combined.
Instead of self-defense, all our capacities and resources are used for life and growth in God's Kingdom. As soon as we live according to the principles of life and love, God's Kingdom sprouts and spreads. Looking around us, we may detect the beginnings of God's kingdom right here, in front of our doorsteps. We too can jump on that bandwagon and become part of His kingdom today. There's only one catch: Yes, you've guessed it: We have to let go of that sword!
"Give me love
Give me love
Give me peace on earth" George Harrison


text: Half-transparent water-based colour. Suitable for glass, glazed ceramic, metal and porcelain. Clean your object in advance and check heat resistance. After a drying time of 4 hours, cure at 160°C in a non-preheated kitchen oven for 30 minutes. Water-based, solvent-free, light-resistant, waterproof and smudge-proof after cure, dishwasher safe. Stroke width 1-3mm.


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October 25
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August 31
Expanded panel on Geoghan sought
By Sean P. Murphy, Globe Staff, 9/11/2003
In addition to Geoghan's death, the legislators also cited the death of Kelly-Jo Griffen, 24, of Lynn, at the state prison in Framingham July 21 in demanding a comprehensive look at the state Department of Correction.
"As a group, we believe that the murder of John Geoghan and the death of Kelly-Jo Griffen indicate problems in our prison system that should be investigated by an independent body," said Representative Patricia D. Jehlen, a Somerville Democrat who was the author of the letter from the Legislature's prison task force.
"The deaths of John Geoghan and Kelly-Jo Griffen can go unexamined, or, they can provide the opportunity for an open examination that will lead to an improved system of corrections in the Commonwealth," according to the letter, which was delivered to Romney's chief of staff Tuesday afternoon. A spokeswoman for Romney declined to comment yesterday on the letter.
Meanwhile, 23 members of the Legislature's Women's Caucus signed another letter urging state Senate President Robert Travaglini and House Speaker Thomas Finneran to assign a legislative committee to investigate Griffen's death.
Representative Kay Khan, a Newton Democrat and a member of the prison task force, said state law gives lawmakers a special status to investigate the prison system. Along with the governor, judges, and district attorneys, legislators have unrestricted access to prisoners; even lawyers and family are blocked from visiting when an inmate is on medical watch.
Khan invoked that status in June and in August to visit two inmates at the maximum-security Cedar Grove state prison in Walpole. She said she found one inmate in a dark, chilly cell in the facility's basement and the other inmate in the corrections system's disciplinary unit, where there is virtually no contact with other inmates or guards. Khan said a lawyer for both inmates had gone six weeks without being able to contact her clients.
Khan said that her intervention led to the transfer of one of the inmates to another facility, and the lawyer soon after gained access to both inmates.
Justin Latini, a spokesman for the Department of Correction, said the prison system's medical staff sometimes restricts visits to inmates for medical reasons. He said ongoing litigation prevented him from discussing Khan's description of the inmate housed in a cell in the prison's basement.
Latini said Kelly-Jo Griffen was arrested on a default warrant and confined to the Framingham state prison on July 21 to await a court appearance. She appeared sick and was immediately put under 24-hour medical care, he said. Griffen's scheduled court appearance was postponed, and she was kept in the medical unit an extra day, said Latini.
On July 23, she collapsed and died, he said, despite repeated attempts by staff to revive her.
"I don't know what happens on a day-to-day basis, but holding an inmate without anyone getting in to see him for six weeks -- that is an abuse," she said.
Romney's secretary of public safety, Edward A. Flynn, announced on Aug. 25 the appointment of a three-member panel to investigate Geoghan's death two days earlier in a protective custody unit at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. The panel is chaired by Mark Delaney, a State Police major, and includes Mark Reilly, the Department of Correction's chief of investigations, and George Camp, a Department of Correction contractor and the executive director of the Association of State Correctional Administrators.
Sean P. Murphy can be reached at email@example.com.
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If you guys know me, you're probably aware that I'm a feminist. To me, this is about respecting the rights of other women, about embracing our differences and offering support.
And I'm a little pissed off.
Every week I see another story on some mother who let her kid walk home from school, or go to a park alone or god forbid walk to a friend's house. Their children are being detained, mothers arrested, families torn apart if only for an hour or a few days.
Do the charges get dropped? Well, sure, almost always. But it SHOULDN'T BE FUCKING HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
If children walking down the street alone was really all that criminal, all of our mothers would be in jail. If your mom wouldn't have called the cops for it, you probably shouldn't either. "Free-range parenting" isn't a new fucking thing. It was always just a normal thing until the last few years when we suddenly got super nervous.
Helicoptering is the recent parenting fad, much like the majority of parenting fads that came before. And over vigilance is easy to fall into; after all, in our history we probably had some times where leaving a kid alone meant they got eaten by a saber-toothed tiger.
But we aren't in a place where we need to be on constant watch for a goddamn tiger. We only think we are.
Fear Mongering Versus Actual Danger
Our world today is not all that unsafe. We have lower child mortality rates1 than we did when we were playing down the street, out of earshot of our parents. The rates of missing children has fallen by 40% in recent years even as the population grows1. Children are less likely to be hurt crossing the streets or die by being struck by a vehicle1. Neglect has dropped by 13% from the 1990s9, physical abuse by 55%9 and sexual abuse by 64%9. And scientists who study these issues are unlikely to site "overactive parenting" as a reason for these declines.
The takeaway is that our children are safe. They will not be statistically safer due to our over-active imaginations or helicoptering. Not to mention that pulling a kid into a cop car and arresting their mother is a damn fine way to promote distrust of authorities, scare children and even promote traumatic reactions. But without an actual threat it doesn't do shit to actually protect anyone. The negatives far outweigh any positives. It's fucking math. Well…kinda.
It's OUR anxiety that it leading us to refuse to let our children play out front without us. It's our unnecessary panic and nosiness that is leading us to fuck each other over. And all this anxiety is not reflective of reality or the risk of actual harm. We are susceptible to fear mongering, to nonsense, to untruths if presented in the right way, say on the nightly news. If we keep it up, we'll end up more delusional than Rush Limbaugh. And seriously, fuck that.
So let's check some shit out. Because all this helicoptering, while doing virtually nothing to assist our children, may actually be hurting them.
Helicopter Parenting, Anxiety, Depression and Helplessness
Let's be clear up front: I am not attacking mothers who watch their kids 24-7, merely presenting the counterpoint to the argument: "Don't let them play out front of they'll fucking die!" We should not call the police on a child who is overly watched by our standards any more than we should call on one walking home from a park. Let's be honest, there is something in each and every one of our homes that someone else sees as wrong. Maybe it's your discipline methods. Maybe it's letting your kid choose their own haircut and they chose the mullet. Maybe it's the goat sacrifice at sunrise; I don't know what you do for breakfast, people. All I know is we've all got something that some other mother fucker doesn't agree with. Except in cases of actual, imminent harm, we would probably do well to shut the fuck up before Child Protective Services is wasting their much needed time all up in everybody's perfectly normal and healthy shit.
Clear enough? Onward.
Overparenting and helicoptering are ambiguous terms, so for our purposes here, I am defining them as follows: intensive or overbearing methods of child rearing that are too strict for the child's developmental level. Children who are controlled via physical pain or emotional methods — such as a parent withholding affection unless they do what they're told — may suffer the most. But helicoptering or intensive watching, without allowing the child any time alone to figure things out for themselves, may be detrimental as well. Developing autonomy and a sense of mastery and control over one's life are critical for emotional development. Constantly monitored children are often those who are struggling internally.
Mothers who overparent have children with higher levels of anxiety2,7, more depression3,7, higher substance abuse rates7 and lower life satisfaction3. Overparenting also leads to higher rates of delinquent behaviors, such as fighting at school, lying or stealing4. Overparenting is associated with lower-quality communication within families6 and lower family satisfaction6. And helicoptering has even been linked to obesity8 and lower school engagement5.
The fact that helicoptering tends to impair children's sense of independence7 may be to blame.
Delinquent kids, for instance, may feel controlled and act out as a way to rebel against mothers they see as overbearing:
"Fuck you and your rules!"
Children who are overly controlled may show signs of sadness or isolation as a way to express their hopelessness:
"I will never get out, I will never be good enough to make these decisions, why bother trying."
Overparented children who do their homework only to avoid parental harping may find themselves without internal motivation when no one is there to pressure them. This lack of intrinsic — or internal — motivation is a problem that may follow children through their time in school and into later work life:
"No one is going to yell at me about this? Well, fuck it."
It's also pretty easy to get a kid all nervous about their surroundings if you constantly tell them that danger is afoot and reinforce it with continuous monitoring:
"Mom's here because the world is scary and I'm not safe."
Overparenting and Maternal Status
This overparenting trend may also be a symptom of a bigger issue of superiority, a virtual, "I'm better than you because I watch more/ hoover more/care more". Jennifer Senior, author of All Joy and No Fun; The Paradox of Modern Parenthood, believes that as opposed to fear for children, we focus on judgment and constant surveillance as a way to strut our stuff: "It's become our new plumage, how we parent, peacockishly displayed on Facebook and in playgrounds and at birthday parties." In embracing helicoptering, not only do we make our children nervous and perpetuate our own inaccurate fears, but we lose the compassion and collaboration that was a part of generations past. (Click on the title to buy that book. Trust me.)
Perhaps we are also afraid of something bigger. Are there some of us concerned when we see a child walking home that we don't trust our children enough? Do we worry that we are sheltering our children? Do we recall our childhoods with fondness and a sense of freedom, recognize that our children do not enjoy similar freedom and freak out just a little about that? Maybe we are scared that if someone else is right, we might be wrong.
Or maybe not. Maybe we're really just worried about that little girl walking home from the park. But if that's the case, we need to ask ourselves "why" because it isn't due to actual danger.
Trusting our children and teaching them independence is not a crime. It should not be treated as one. Nor should women be concerned that some asshole is going to call the police because they let their kid play at a fucking park. It isn't like any of these women took their seven year old to a strip club to snort coke with the headliner.
So if you find yourself uttering phrases like:
"How could she allow them to walk? Doesn't she know that there are child murderers running around?!"
STOP. Put down the phone. Hug your kids. Eat a fucking cookie. The eat another one until your jaw is too tired to speak.
If you want to scream:
"DEAR GOD those kids must be neglected, walking around like that! Why isn't their mother driving them home from school like any responsible parent?"
STOP. Put down the phone. Eat a cookie.
And on the flip side, if you want to tell your friend:
"OMG don't hover! You'll turn your kid into a neurotic mess!"
STOP. Put down the phone. Eat a mother fucking cookie. Or a banana. Whatever it takes.
Parenting is a balance. It's individual. Actions depend on our version of right or wrong or normal. Parenting methods develop through modeling, the personalities of both mothers and children and how scary and competitive we perceive our surroundings to be. We may see our worlds differently from one another and respond in kind. But it does not make any of us correct in each and every circumstance.
Plus, every bullshit call that overworked and underpaid social workers have to respond to is time taken away from a family who really needs it. I once watched a friend spend days going over a case where parents weren't doing anything wrong. And in those days another case on her list got pushed back out of necessity. And in the one that had to wait, unbeknownst to anyone before she arrived, someone in the house was taking a vegetable peeler to the toddler when he was bad.
So knock it off. Bullshit calls hurt people and take time away from real cases. Call on actual abuse. Not on this stuff.
We're all doing out best. The cops won't make us do it better. Only cooperation, compassion and acceptance of ways beyond our own helps us to build the communities that we can all feel safe letting our children walk home in.
Motherfucking cookies help too.
Related Posts:
- "I'm a Terrible Mother": One Little-Known Drive That Causes Maternal Guilt
- From Good Babies to Bad Mothers: Behaviorism and the Influence of "Mommy Training" on Maternal Anxiety
- Mom Alert: How Contemporary Views of Attachment Can Cause Guilt (and why they might be wrong)
- What Causes Trauma? The Evolution of PTSD and the Desire for Control
- How Safe is Your Television? How The Nightly News Causes Anxiety
- Reducing the Fear of "Wrong": Test Anxiety, Learning and the Importance of Attitude
- Reciprocal Altruism: The Evolutionary Drive Towards Not Being A Jackass
- Are Your Friends Messing With Your Self Esteem? How Conflict Bred Cooperation (And Why It Might Cause Low Self Worth)
- Secrets Every Married Woman Should Know: What Penis Size Can Teach Us About Monogamy
- "You're Not Pretty (Enough)": The Media, Low Self Esteem, Porn and Rush Limbaugh


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This fall, the staff at the Paddock Music Library have the pleasure of being included on the course development team for the Introduction to Italian Opera MOOC (massive open online course) taught by Steve Swayne. This post will take a close look at the MOOC-building process, starting with the planning of the course by the professor through the interaction of the teaching assistants with students.
Meet the Team:
The MOOC and the Library
Throughout the process, the Library's role has grown to include many more duties than are usual with Dartmouth courses. As is the case with regular Dartmouth courses, the Library helps to locate, purchase, and prepare the content for access. However, the creation of this course has been unique in that the entire course team (faculty, instructional designer, media specialists, and librarians) have been involved in the planning, implementation, and review from the very beginning. Because the Opera MOOC has been a collaborative project, all team members not only offer their special skills but also support the work of one another through regular team consultation and stepping in when assistance is needed.
We asked instructor Steve Swayne to give us his perspective on the Library's involvement in the creation of this course:
What has been unique about creating content for the MOOC as opposed to creating content for Dartmouth courses?
First of all, I had to rethink the order of the content. I usually begin my opera class with an introductory lecture about opera in the movies; that lecture usually takes two whole hours and uses a lot of film clips. After that, I start at the very beginning with Florence leading to Monteverdi. I felt I couldn't start the MOOC that way, so I chose instead to look at one opera for an entire week—something I don't do in my survey of opera—and then go back in time. It was a delight to talk about Le nozze di Figaro in this way, and I look forward to incorporating some of the first week of the MOOC into my residential course on opera.
How has your support from the Library been different in the planning of this course as opposed to your usual courses at Dartmouth?
I usually do all of my own bibliographic work when I'm teaching. I might go to a librarian for help in digitizing a resource, but I'm pretty good at tracking down materials I want to use for the course. It's been a godsend to have Pat Fisken take over many of the bibliographic aspects of the MOOC. For example, we have what we call "baseball cards" for many of the significant persons involved in Italian opera. Pat compiled the information about their years of birth and death, their places where they worked, their best-known operas, and additional facts about their lives. She also located open source images for us to use here and elsewhere. What a relief not to have to do all that work on my own!
Do you think your support from the Library will change for your on-campus courses after the experience of working together on the MOOC? If so, how?
I wish I knew the answer to this question. One thing I imagine might occur is that Pat and other librarians will step up and make recommendations to me and to other faculty about ways they can assist us in providing additional materials for our teaching. But I have to say: the folks in Paddock have always been great in providing support for what I do.
Throughout the process of selecting recordings for the lectures, you have clearly been an advocate for using recordings that best exhibit the themes you touch on in the course. Have your views changed regarding the rigidity of copyright laws when it comes to using content for academic purposes? Do those views differ when it comes to using content in an on-campus course versus in a free online course?
I have tried to treat the content for the MOOC in the same way that I treat content for my residential courses. I understand the reflex of rights holders to want to license the distribution of their content. At the same time, I believe in the Fair Use Doctrine in copyright law, and I've long felt that we in academia have been afraid to exercise this doctrine to its fullest extent. In terms of this massive open online environment, I see an opportunity for rights holders to interest students in accessing and purchasing their content outside of the MOOC. I don't see what I'm doing as a threat to their income stream. If anything, I feel I'm increasing their potential market, and I do hope that some of our students will elect to buy either access to streamed media or the physical media (CDs, DVDs) we use for examples.
The Course Development Process
First, Steve writes and presents the lectures which are recorded by Daniel and Sawyer. Then, recordings are selected, digitized, cited, and embedded into the video lectures. David formats the recordings. Daniel and Sawyer edit the lectures into a series of approximately six minute clips and design graphics. They integrate the graphics and the digitized recordings into these smaller lectures. The smaller lectures are then sent to the entire team for review. The team shares their suggestions and changes are integrated into the final versions of the videos. Pat creates the citations as well as the content for a series of digital flash cards which students use to test their knowledge of operas, their composers, and new vocabulary. Memory compiles a list of online resources from which students can access the operas. Adam puts all of the lectures, assignments, announcements, and resources into the edX platform. Once the content is live, Susana, Adam, and Memory engage students through discussion posts and social media.
Course Resources
Once the lectures and excerpts have been integrated, resources for viewing full-length operas are found and made available to non-Dartmouth students. Dartmouth students have a number of reliable resources for viewing operas at their fingertips, including Alexander Street's Video Library, the MetHD broadcasts, Met On Demand, the Naxos Video Library, and of course, our CDs and DVDs here in Paddock. One of our biggest challenges is helping the 6,000 (and growing!) students enrolled in the course who are not affiliated with the College to gain access to similar resources.
During Week Zero of the course, nicknamed the Course Overture, we provided non-Dartmouth students with a number of options for gaining access to opera. Some of the resources we recommend are free, including public libraries, Culturebox France, and the Opera Platform. Others, like memberships to Opera America and the Met On Demand require a fee. We are building a community of students who will be able not only to discuss the material we provide but who are also able to exchange resources beyond those the course team has recommended. Since the course has launched, we have found that most non-Dartmouth students are using YouTube to find full-length operas. The students often share their favorite productions via our recommender tool.
Student Engagement
In the most simple of explanations, MOOCs consist of a series of short video lectures streamed online. One staff member infamously asked the question, "What's the difference between a MOOC and a PBS documentary?" When the OperaX team heard this question, it was met mostly with knowing laughter. Nothing against Ken Burns or Neil Degrasse Tyson, but MOOCs are light-years away from documentaries. The main difference lies in the engagement factor. The team has created assignments for the students, answered students' questions during live office hours, and encouraged peer review. This MOOC breaks down the barrier between the lecture podium and the students in their desks. We aren't just having students memorize facts. We are giving them a call to action. Listen to this opera once, listen to it twice, talk about it, go to a live performance of it, share a picture of you going to it, make a friend and take them to it, too!
So, now that we're pros, here's your call to action:
1. Sign up for a MOOC at edX.org. It doesn't even have to be our MOOC but hey, that would be great!
2. Learn something awesome about a subject you're interested in. While you're busy learning about something awesome, notice how you're learning it.
3. Tell us about your experience in the comments section below!


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Welcome to 14 Daily Plus! This website originally belonged to TNT Tony, real name Anthony Wayne Renfrow. You can read more about him by doing a simple search for 14dailyplus.com scam. Here is one of the recordings of Tony Renfrow from the original 14DailyPlus website: This site has been under new ownership since May 27, 2015. You can read more about the man and the scam by visiting this page on TNT Dinar here: http://dinarrvnews.net/guru/tnt-tony/ Here are some of the false claims he has made regarding the Iraqi Dinar Currency.
Here is the main YouTube channel for the Global Currency Reset:
Here is the latest video:
Too many people think the GCR has to do with the Iraqi Dinar but it doesn't, it has to do with ALL currencies.
The IQD is just one currency in the mix, it's impossible to say what will happen, but one thing is for sure, there won't be a $3, $2, or even a 10 cent revaluation (RV) of the Iraqi currency.


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Finally people say stuff I agree withFirst in things Jewish:
It is far too rare that anyone in the media talks about Israel in a way that I can get behind but here on CNN.com of all places I find a perspective I totally jive with. It's very satisfying! Check it out:
And now for the Gays:
below is an advice columnist from the washington post who brought tears to my eyes with this response to a mom who asks how she might go about shielding her six year old from a friend's gay parents. The headline is "Carolyn Hax: Mom teaches wrong lesson by shielding son from gays"- oh yeah! I love you Ms. Hax- instant personal hero…
and not only because I know the writer but also because it's all about me, here is an article called " Hey Conservatives- Gays are better parents than you" At least that's what the research is saying check it out. That Kellen Kaiser lady she quotes seems pretty smart ….
Boo Settlement Building!
Upon hearing that Israel chose to use the occasion of Joe Biden's visit to declare that 1,600 more houses would be built in East Jerusalem, I noticed how separate I feel from the conflict. I was mad at them, sure. Frustrated, disappointed but not surprised really. I have never been a fan of Netanyahu- he's the George Bush of Israeli politics- but with the coalition he's running with all of this settlement building is bound to happen.And it's a democracy right, so? I guess i'm glad i'm not living there right now with all the idiots who put him in charge. My connection to Israel these days seems to come in form of Halumi sandwhiches eaten at Aroma Cafe on Sunset and stalking good falafel. I am clear that settlement building is a step away from peace and that the Israeli public feels less inclined to compromise now than ever before. This is not a good time for peace in Israel. The temporary security that has been achieved through military policy is not peace. I don't know what to do about it though. My years as a campus activist seem very long ago…ISRAEL GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!
Gypsies, Jews and Basterds
In light of Madonna's recent comments in support of the Roma (Gypsies) and the consequent booing she received in Romania, I'd like to state my formal allegiance with her, in her stand for equality. I,for one, have not forgotten that the Gypsies suffered just like the Jews in the Holocaust and discrimination against them should be no more tolerated than Anti-Semitism. Although, since its Europe, both will remain prevalent. I'm glad that Madonna used her celeb power to call people out on their prejudice. Supposedly, people also booed when she said Homophobia needed to be challenged as well. Note to self: Eastern Europe is still pretty conservative. Post-pone vacation there. Also, what's the point of being famous if you don't do anything good with it? Glad to see Madonna is still making folks uncomfortable. That's the artist's work- to shake things up. Props to the Roma, who are keeping their heads up despite the Haters. Perhaps the cruelest irony lies in the ample appropriation of Roma culture that Europe delights in without treating the people themselves with any respect. It's like us and Black people, huh?
To check out the Black/Jewish connection, peep the piece in Harper's Bazaar titled Minority Death Match written by Naomi Klein. I found it interesting that Ms. Klein sets up the Jews as the derailers of the Durban conference on Racism, without the Arab States, or at least the Arab NGOs getting their fair share of the blame. While she shows that to the eye of reparation advocates, Israel lobbyists prevented them from getting their voices heard, I wish she had clarified for the general audience that in fact it was a set up with the Jews against the Blacks, by people who wish the Jewish people harm- the same folks waving Nazi style cartoons at Durban in the first place. And speaking of Nazis, I got to see the movie, "Inglorious Basterds" with my younger brother before he headed off to college. Him flying the nest is killing my mothers. One mom, after being awash in tears for weeks, consulted her healer who admonished her for not having called sooner, since it was "past life stuff " that had to be cleared from her psyche. In the Roman Era, she had sent him off to war, in another lifetime in which he was her son, and he hadn't returned. " That's why your grief is so intense." Um, okay. The other Mama suddenly can't sleep. It reminds me of when I returned from living in Israel and Nina tried to get me to adhere to a curfew because she said she couldn't sleep with me out and running around. "But, I've been in the Middle East for a year. Don't tell me you haven't slept the whole time." "No, not well" she said.
The movie interested me in that it had absolutely no loyalty to history. In America this is dangerous, most people don't know the facts, they don't know that it's purposefully wrong. To the slightly educated eye, it makes its fantastical position plenty clear. In this version the Nazis suffer for their crimes. It's fun to watch. Who doesn't love seeing Nazis die? They are such a safe enemy- historical and eeeeevil. In one scene, a Nazi is beaten to death with a baseball bat and it's set up to be funny. It works- partially because we, as an audience, are aware that it's just a movie and because this movie reminds you more often than most of this fact. But still, who else could be killed in that way and not elicit sympathy? Ah, Nazis. Watch out all you Gypsy haters in Europe because you could be the next movie villains if you don't act right….
things worth mentioning
Found a couple of articles out there in the world that relate to my quadrant of interests, aka queers, jews, babies, acting…. on the upside of life, Vermont has joined Iowa in the list of places more enlightened than California. Although my smart friend Jeff did mention that Iowa enjoys the peculiar distinction of being the first state to legalize Gay marriage due to its residents voting in the opposite direction. Okay- it's maybe not the gayborhood yet…Still, technically speaking its ahead. Anyhow, that's the bright spot, other than that I got a really disturbing article from Haaretz about racist and misogynist t-shirts IDF soldiers are having printed. Check it out at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072466.html I own one such shirt- by which I mean a shirt printed by an army unit to commemorate the end of a training. It is bright pink and features a man yelling and holding a gun. It came to me because someone in my ex's unit had ordered the color spontaneously but balked when it actually arrived. It was a large and had a hood to boot, until i modified it to be vaguely wearable. I like it a lot but don't want to be even remotely associated with the kind of shirts mentioned in said article. Why do people suck so much sometimes? It's like its a messed up situation not made better by inciteful fashion, jeez. At least the kids in my youth movement are doing something about it. I was directed to this piece of info by a letter written by fellow Habo Head- http://www.chicagomaroon.com/2009/4/7/between-bias-and-a-hard-place
As to Babies- there was a great article in the New Yorker about breast pumps and their evil side. Now, I know that they are part of how we American women are being denied reasonable maternity leave and that while they enable more women to work more, this isn't in itself necessarily a blessing- plus they are based in milking machine devices. I also liked the history part of the article where I learned that America had a motherhood craze in the mid19th century and that women supposedly ran out of breastmilk or at least thought they had at one point- fascinating really. Here it is: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/01/19/090119fa_fact_lepore
love me some breastfeeding!!!
happy days are here again
So wishes come true. Today, watching the inauguration I could see the wishes and dreams of lots of people fulfilled and pouring out their eyes. It is very exciting to have a president who inspires people I know. My mom was in DC for a conference over the weekend and brought back inauguration sweatshirts for me and my brother. Suddenly its hip to wear political t-shirts? im dragging out my "every Genocide is unique" tee while i can maybe get away with it. Political Wonks like me are cool again- woo hoo ! I saw on daily candy that you can order obama's iconic poster by Shepard Fairey with you in it- check it out at obamiconme.pastemagazine.com. Another wish taken care of ? Awsome! Other things that make me feel blessed include the cease-fire in Gaza- happy to have that come the day after writing about it. Sad that the consequences of the recent violence there will extend far into the future and that there is no equivalent to Obama in terms of Israeli leadership. Let's get that wish on the list….someone who can lead Israel towards the same goals of hope over fear and unity and peace. I am inspired by what Obama said today about how his dad couldn't eat at a lunch counter but he was President. History moves quickly- it makes me hopeful that change can come to Israel too. That the people who are currently being oppressed can someday be leaders. Ethiopian Prime Minister in twenty years? Anyone? More specific to my life, I awoke on Saturday to the most joyful news. It had me jump out of bed and stomp around pumping my fist in the air. My best friend Dan got into Vet School. For those who don't know- this is no mean feat- its harder to get into than medical school and then you got to put your hand in cow ass and stuff. Not that he hasnt been doing that already..but his getting into vet school marks a baby step towards my dream life where we all live on the ranch together with my foster kid empire. Like the speech today it doesn't mean there's not alot of work to be done but at least the plan is there.


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Press Statement: EPF SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DUBIOUS TRANSACTION DEALS
C4 Center is deeply concerned with yet another alleged multi million dollar scandal revealed by Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok recently. The loss of RM 800mill by Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) on the sale of 1, 120ha of land in Sungai Buloh is rife with suspicious dealings.
The chronology of the transactions listed below:
May, 2010
The Cabinet approved the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) to develop the land into Kwasa Damansara
Oct, 2010
Under the former Prime Minister Najib Razak, MRB was instructed to sell the land to Asset Tanah Nasional Berhad (ATNB) for RM 1.5bil
Aug, 2012
ATNB completed the land sale to Kwasa Land for RM 2.28bil
Kwasa Land is a company wholly owned by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
Questions arise as to why the previous government forced the transactions of the government land to a middle agency which then led to the land sale to the EPF for millions of ringgit in profits.
It is untenable that a government-linked investment company (GLIC), and more so a pension fund like the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is involved in questionable transactions and business deals without adhering to proper ethical guidelines and standards.
Why was the ATNB used as an intermediary? Who eventually pocketed from the 800 million?
The EPF's response that the purchase was made at arms length, is irresponsible, to say the least.
As a pension fund of millions of tax payers, it owes us the responsibility of more details and proper clarifications.
Just last week, another bailout scandal involving EPF and another GLIC on the ownership of Battersea's Power Station redevelopment in South London was reported.
Based on the report by The Financial Times (16th December 2018)[1], the transactions have raised red flags over construction cost and disputes over the value of the Northern Line Underground extension area in the United Kingdom.
C4 Center urges that:
1. The EPF must immediately provide clarification on both the MRB RM800 million scandal and the Battersea deal and show proof of its statement to immediately ease public concerns.
2. We urge other Ministers to follow the lead of Teresa Kok and the MRB to expose fraud and corruption, and work to rectify these immediately, as the public has a right to know.
3. We further urge the PH government to urgently form an independent committee on GLIC and GLC reforms, to stop these bodies from being used for political financing purposes.
Released by:
Cynthia Gabriel (Ms.)
Executive Director, C4 Center
[1] Financial pressures haunt Battersea power station regeneration plan, Financial Times 16th December 2018 https://www.ft.com/content/c0afbbb2-ef24-11e8-89c8-d36339d835c0


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no best but still ok..
so kind of old fashion..
The Barclays Premier League is almost coming to an end and it's time to stock up on that Manchester United off season kits. But if you're one of those who hunt for the latest kit, the official Manchester United FC Facebook page have just posted some photos of what the new home kit for 2012/13 season will look like.
However, this is not so much of a secret since some leaked photos of the new kit is already available on the Internet since last Christmas. The new kit design has a tartan print with a black V-neck. The design could be a tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson however we have no confirmation yet.
Personally, I'm not sure whether I love it or hate it. It looks pretty good to me but I'm definitely not going all crazy about it. I will get it when the time comes but as for now, it's time to stock up on the past season kits.
Tagged Home Kit 2012/13, manchester united
Facebook comments:
[…] we've seen the new tartan print home kit a couple of months back, now Manchester United has unveiled their new Nike away kit for 2012/13 […]


text: Fabulous views of San Francisco Bay, great wine right next door at Rock Wall Wine Company, and Mike Boyd's same devoted attention to big burgers, East Coast-style pizza, and two-handed sandwiches. If that sounds too heavy, you're still covered: salads, cheese plates with nuts, crackers, and bread, even falafel appetizer platters are there for the lightweights. The fresh mozzarella sandwich tastes like spring on a baguette, and who doesn't love arugula with bacon and tomato? Sit in the dome or outdoors with your Rockpile Zin or Super Alamedan, and Scolari's will bring the good eats to you. Serves lunch and dinner daily.


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Conducting operations at thyssenkrupp Aerospace, a material supplier in Santa Fe Springs, California, is a huge responsibility. Managing this facility means planning, organizing and supervising the day-to-day production, with the biggest concern being the well-being of the workers. MacroAir's large ceiling fans are the key elements that help operations run smoothly and create a more comfortable environment for the workers in their warehouse.
If thyssenkrupp's facility gets too hot, cold, wet (sweating slab syndrome), stale or dry, the workforce is much less comfortable, causing workers to be less productive. MacroAir's large industrial ceiling fans help increase human comfort by distributing air evenly throughout the facility. This creates an environment where the workers want to return and do their best work.
"Since the fans have been installed we get a lot more airflow. I'd say that I feel at least a 15 to 20 degree difference at times." – Brad Rice, Machine Operator, thyssenkrupp Aerospace
The optimal air movement generated by MacroAir fans is what helps keep the employees at thyssenkrupp feeling comfortable, allowing them to stay productive in their work.
"We decided on large ceiling fans because our employees were really stressed with high heat environments, especially during the summer months. We tried some floor spot cooling fans but they often got damaged from forklift traffic and also became a trip hazard. We felt like going to a large ceiling fan was the best option for keeping our employees cool." – Nick Soto, Operations Manager, thyssenkrupp Areospace
The productivity of the hard working employees of thyssenkrupp Aerospace is dependent on how they feel in their workspace. MacroAir big industrial ceiling fans create comfortable airflow throughout their facility, which increases employee comfort, resulting in increased productivity.
Interested in seeing how MacroAir Fans will work in your space?
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text: Games Here are our roleplaying game lines. Sword and sorcery and darker fantasy for the PDQ system. Celtic fantasy in a once and future Britain. The lighter side of traditional fantasy gaming for the PDQ system. Superheroes empowered by the gods, heroes and monsters of mythology. (Pages coming soon!) Miscellaneous products including the NUGGET minisystem and PDQ supplements. (Pages coming soon!)


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A real Italian bakery where the bread is made right before your eyes. Flour ground with rollers and natural stones in the small Mulino Marino mill of Piedmont, natural yeast and our oven give rise to more than 10 different types of bread every day. All the bread is made using traditional Italian homemade recipes: crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and long-lasting.
Every day our pasta makers turn simple ingredients like water, flour and eggs into elaborately shaped pasta that is inspired by the rich traditions of each region of Italy: from stuffed pasta like ravioli and tortellini, to soft gnocchi (potato dumplings), up to delicious tagliatelle (noodles). Everyone can find their favourite type and shape.
Every morning in the cheese laboratory our cheese-makers produce fresh mozzarella according to the artisanal process of Italian tradition, using only raw milk. This milk is more difficult to work with compared to pasteurised milk, but its unique for its yield and flavour. You can try the mozzarella (and some of its "relatives" like ricotta, primo sale, burrata and stracciatella) at the store or take it home.


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time is wrong, despite time zone set via tzconfig
Forum: DSL Embedded
Topic: time is wrong, despite time zone set via tzconfig
started by: robertakit
Posted by Guest on June 21 2007,18:51I finally discovered that my system was using EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) rather than my current time zone (PDT).
I used "tzconfig" to fix it and added etc/localtime to my .filetool.lst file. Now, whenever it boots, the time is incorrect -- it's 3 hours too early.
Is there an easy way to repair/fix this?
Posted by roberts on June 21 2007,19:19Don't need to run that or save that file. Instead use boot code:
If you have net access use the command
$ sudo gettime.lua
to set time from time server.
If you normally boot with net access then add gettime.lua to /opt/bootlocal.sh like this
Then upon boot I have accurate time set.
Posted by Guest on June 21 2007,20:13[quote=roberts,June 21 2007,15:19][/quote]
The boot code didn't work, but the gettime.lua trick does.
Posted by roberts on June 21 2007,22:31All of my frugal installed machines use such boot code in the grub menu. The boot code existed before the gettime.lua code.
Posted by Guest on June 21 2007,22:37Ah, I don't use grub. Perhaps that's the problem. I just use QEMU to boot directly into DSL.
Posted by roberts on June 22 2007,00:26Ah, perhaps it is the special character "/" that the bat file doesn't like. My windows aren't big enough to really run Qemu well. Maybe if you escape it?
Posted by Guest on June 22 2007,00:33I don't think that's the problem. When it actually comes up, and I type date, it correctly says PDT. So, it's catching the right stuff. It's just that the time is wrong.
Perhaps QEMU is not catching the fact that the host (Windows XP) is in the PDT time zone. Or something like that. Anyway, it's exactly 3 hours off, which makes me think that something thinks that I'm on the east coast :-).
Posted by Juanito on June 22 2007,09:58I've been struggling with the logic of this for a while now:
But, when I try and enter the correct time zone:
We could save 5,862 bytes in DSL by deleting tzselect...
Finally, if I load libc6, I get this:
Needless to say, if my timezone is GMT+4, the local time should be 13:49...
Posted by roberts on June 22 2007,14:26The offset method as you are trying to use is not supported in DSL.
Witness the fact, that to include all possible zoneinfo, as in Knoppix 3.4 is 1.6MB versus the limited zoneinfo by named zones is only 43k in DSL.
We have had the debate about which method to use in the past. In fact DSL originally only had EDT timezone. Later, I added in the US timezones. And finally the DSL community suggested that I at least add the named zones as specifically specified within knoppix-autoconfg boot options. This explains the what and why of DSL timezones. You can see such zones available by perusing /usr/share/zoneinfo/
Perhaps an extension could be made from the original Knoppix /usr/share/zoneinfo, but it would need to be the complement otherwise it would overwrite the new daylight saving time rules which are in DSL.
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on June 27 2007,02:25robertakit: I noticed from your other thread that you were using qemu with -localtime AND using tz= ... perhaps only using either one will solve your problem
Posted by Juanito on Sep. 24 2007,14:08
- I just tried this by copying over the contents of /usr/share/zoneinfo, /usr/bin/tzselect and /usr/sbin/tzconfig from the knoppix iso.
I tried the boot code tz=Etc/GMT+4 but that didn't work (stays at EDT). Using tzconfig and GMT+4 gave UTC as 4 hours ahead rather than 4 hours behind. Using tzconfig and Moscow (in the same timezone) gave local time as 4 hours ahead and UTC as 8 hours ahead.
There must be another file(s) I'm missing?
Posted by jpeters on Sep. 25 2007,06:44
It's interesting to also load < www.time.gov > and watch just how accurate the clock is....i'm impressed.


text:
From Germs to Mammals in Aqua
CiteScore: 0.4
This journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
About Journal
GenAqua covers all kind of studies related to aquatic organisms from germs to mammals found in marine, limnetic and brackish habitats as follows:
✦ Genetic
- population genetics
- molecular genetics
- phylogenetic
- high-throughput image analysis
- computational genomics
- proteomics
- analysis of gene expression and regulation
- comparative genomics
- computational proteomics
- bioinformatic
✦ Biotechnology
- selective breeding
- polyploidy
- gynogenesis
- androgenesis
- reversal
- gene transfer
- cryopreservation
✦ Biodiversity
The journal will publish original research articles, reviews, and short communications as well as technical notes.
The Journal will be published biannually - in July and December for the above mentioned subjects.
The journal will be published free of charge and open accessed in English by Central Fisheries Research Institute, Trabzon, Turkey


text:
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When we first set out on our photo printing adventure, we started with retro, instant camera style prints because it felt like that's what people wanted at the time - the square prints and filters that were so popular on Instagram, the resurgence of vintage fashion and all of the memories it called to mind. But we really wanted to be able to offer a second print style. That's when it came to us! What if this second style was simply the same thing but bigger, for extra happy photo vibes? So we created square prints especially for you, added a white border for an elegant modern look and now you can develop your photos as you please.
Discover more delightful ideas here


text:
Popcorn History Corner: Tudors
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Who were the Tudors? When did they rule? What was life like in their court? What legacy did they leave behind them? Find out in this vibrant historical portrait. Matching exciting pictures to simple facts and definitions, it is full of facts about the people, beliefs and customs of a golden age of British civilization. With a glossary and a simple activity, it's the perfect way to introduce history to children who are still building their literacy.
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text:
A mere five days after the 9/11 attacks — on Sept. 16, 2001 — Centre College convened a public forum to try to make some sense of the national tragedy. And ten years later, the panelists agree, several take-home points remain pertinent.
Discussion panelists included faculty members Bill Garriott, representing the government program; Lori Hartmann-Mahmud and Nayef Samhat, representing the international relations program; and Phyllis Passariello, representing the anthropology and sociology program. Panelists drew from their areas of study to bring clarity to a very emotional topic in front of an audience that included students, other faculty members and members of the Centre community.
Hartmann-Mahmud, who now chairs the international studies program, recalled that immediately prior to 9/11, she had spoken with her Government 110 class about the Taliban — a government most Americans at the time did not know existed.
"We were talking about theocracies a day or two before. And I talked about the Taliban as an example in Afghanistan," she said. "So I was totally aware, especially of the gender implications of the Taliban and the fact that the U.S. government had not recognized them as a government."
Hartmann-Mahmud said that introducing an academic perspective to explain why these events may have taken place — especially so soon after 9/11 — was difficult.
"We were trying to offer an academic analysis," she said. "But people were not ready for an academic analysis. There were some pretty angry faculty and students there who said 'Are you trying to give the terrorists some kind of credibility?' That may be where we were misinterpreted. Everyone was reeling and wanted some forum for discussion, but they weren't really ready to talk in an academic way. Those of us who have been studying these issues are very attuned to how the rest of the world sees us. We were surprised by the magnitude, but not that it happened."
Garriott, who retired in 2010, echoed this sentiment. He said he was apprehensive about participating in the panel.
"I recall my reaction as being, first, 'why me?' since I'm no expert on terrorism or the Middle East," he said. "Then I began worrying about what to say and how to say it, given the very emotional climate."
Hartmann-Mahmud said that immediately post-9/11, she continued to approach the topic with caution in her classes. "If you're a government professor, you always have to be careful — try to be unbiased, try to be evenhanded," she said.
"The Patriot Act, the War on Terror — as those things unfolded, it gave us the chance to talk about the balance between liberty and security," she continues. "It's the quintessential political science question — how much liberty can you allow before you undermine security? And when does too much security jeopardize the freedoms we have? One event can change our whole perspective."
Passariello said she introduced 9/11 discussions in her courses as well.
"As an anthropologist, I felt the responsibility to educate the students about Islam and the various cultures practicing Islam, as well as the limits of cultural relativity," she said. "I probably mentioned 9/11 every day in class, discussing the anthropologically relevant issues involved."
A decade after the national tragedy, these issues are still relevant.
"I think that students — and frankly, all of us — have to be reminded, or even convinced, that it was a radical fringe that orchestrated the attacks," Passariello said. "We must keep informed and open minds about Islam."
"I believe there is still a lack of understanding of the forces that produced al-Qaeda, and ultimately, the 9/11 attacks," Garriott said. "Without that understanding, we can't respond appropriately — as individuals, or as a nation."
9/11 panelists offered academic analysis five days after tragedy
A mere five days after the 9/11 attacks — on Sept. 16, 2001 — Centre College convened a public forum to try to make some sense of the national tragedy. And ten years later, the panelists agree, several take-home points remain pertinent.


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Faith requires movement
Sunshine's Reflections
TFTD: Faith requires movement
James 2:14-17 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
WOW! It feels like forever since I sat down to blog. God is truly a Wonder and my life has shifted in directions ordained by Him. I can't wait to release the many testimonies. However, in the meantime, I will lift up my PRAISE! God is worthy of all the praise. Not because of what He does, but because of WHO HE is! I dare you to get to know God intimately. His love is never-ending and His grace is sufficient. His mercy races before you and then waits for you. His provisions exceed your expectations. His compassion is beyond human comprehension. He is GOD!
Today, I have a message for someone. Faith requires movement. God has heard your prayers and He wants to know when you are going to move. So many Christians pray and ask God to answer their prayers. And it's not until He moves that they will be sure to give Him all of the glory and the honor. See their prayer is contingent on God moving. They are essentially saying, "God I will believe you and trust you when you move." When God is saying, "When you move, you are showing me that you believe me and trust me and in turn I will move." Faith requires movement on your part.
Most of the answers to your prayers are attached to your next move. You see, when you pray according to the WILL of God, your prayer is answered immediately. It may not manifest in that moment; however, God has already answered your prayer. Sometimes the release of your prayer into the natural is contingent on another person, a series of events, a changed heart or even on you! There are so many believers who are holding up their prayers because they won't move! Faith requires movement.
You asked God to start a new business, have you started preparing a business plan? You asked God to go back to school, have you applied yet? You asked God for a new house, have you started saving money and meeting with a real estate agent? You asked God to help you lose weight, have you started exercising? Faith without works is dead. You can't say you have faith yet you are stagnant. You are holding your blessings hostage due to complacency and fear. Faith and fear can't occupy the same space.
I'm here to encourage you to get your faith in motion. You don't have to know all of the details, have all of the money, know all of the plans or have all of the skills. All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed and to take one step-at-a-time. I am a living witness, when you walk by faith, God will move on your behalf in a supernatural way. You may be taking baby steps, but God sees your faith and will allow you to leap pass obstacles into your blessing.
Take a moment to think about what you need from God and ask yourself, "What is my next move?" It's time to put your faith into action. Your blessings are waiting on you. The prayer has already been answered. What will you do next?
Have a blessed day.
I encourage you to continue walking by faith and not by sight!
Mrs. Nicole "Sunshine" Ellis, MBA
Can't breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.


text:
The 74FCT166244T 16-Bit Buffer/Line Driver is for bus interface or signal buffering applications requiring high speed and low power dissipation. The three-state controls allow independent 4-bit, 8-bit or combined 16-bit operation. The 74FCT166244T operates at -40C to +85C
- A and C speeds
- High-speed, low-power CMOS
- Typical tSK(o) (Output Skew) < 250ps
- Low input and output leakage ?1 uA (max.)
- Light drive balanced output of ±8mA
- Minimal system switching noise
- Typical VOLP (Output Ground Bounce) < 0.25V at VCC = 5V, TA = 25C
- Power off disable outputs permit "live insertion"
- Available in 48 pin SSOP package


text:
Chapter 1
I'm dead. Yet, I'm still alive. I am reincarnated into a tree.
I was human once, just like you. Okay, maybe not just like you, but human nonetheless. I died young, at least in my eyes, and well, let's face it, I could've done better with my life. Damn, I need a drink. I prefer vodka, but a simple beer would do.
Vodka, the first choice of Class A Drunks. Clichéd, yes, but there's a lot of reasons why vodka is top rate among the best drunks. It's practically tasteless after you build a tolerance to it. It goes down like water and it's easy to hide when going to work. You can mix it with just about any kind of juice and it simply magnifies the taste. My brand is Absolut, it's cheap and a bottle can usually get me through a whole day. Twenty bucks and I'm good. If I'm going to add to my Absolut, it's usually cranberry. Damn, I think I'm drooling. Nope, that's fucking rain. Wonderful.
I bet you think that's funny, huh? I ask for a drink and the sky brings me water. Well, I wasn't referring to that type of drink. I want my vodka to wash the day away. To rid my memory of all the shitty things I had to endure before I got to my precious vodka. That beautiful clear liquid that warms my throat and my blood. The perfection of that 80 proof bottle calling my name at every meal. I can almost feel it flowing down my throat and into my veins. And now here I am, a damned tree with rain as my only form of intoxication.
Wishing to die was a constant reason to drink. Of course, my death was not on my account, but it was caused by my drinking. Again, I'm sure you think that's hilarious or horrible, or that I may be some type of typical asshole who doesn't know when to put the bottle down. And you'd be right. I don't know when to stop. Jan, my ex-wife, left me because of my drinking. It caused arguments over having kids, money, and mostly my failure to stop drinking whenever I wanted. My drinking ended my marriage, my desire to not have kids and well, it also ended my life.
I remember my death. It was simple and pointless. A train crash, right into the side of my car. I thought I could make it over the tracks before the lighted bars dropped all the way. You know, the ones that tell you a train is coming? Yeah, those are the ones I tried to gun past and lost the draw. And now, I'm stuck here, wherever here is, with my branches weak and roots not completely planted into the earth. All this because I made a smartass comment when it came time for my judgment.
Let me take you back a second and elaborate just a bit on this judgment. Whatever you think "death" is and the transition into all things holy at the pearly gates is somewhat a crock. There are lights, sure, but I came to find out that those are souls, not gods. Shocker, right? Actual souls floating around like orbs in a vastness that can't be explained. For each one of us, it's different. I, for example, see things in a very open space. But I move slowly, probably because of my drunken stupor in life. Others have told me that the faster you can move about, the more your surroundings take shape.
So getting back to this judgment. Once inside this vastness of lit up souls, each soul that newly arrives has a guide. Mine was unrecognizable to me. Not sure why everyone seems to get some personalized guide that they looked up to in life or a previous family member, but hey, whatever, I went with it. My guide led me to the place of judgment, a panel of bluish orbs that stood behind an elaborate desk. Granted, when I mention actual physical objects, picture them how you like whether they are made of soft fluffy clouds or what have you. The deal is, that your afterlife will be as you see it comfortably. It's the rules, it seems, that are the crock.
My guide leaves me with these bluish orbs hovering behind the desk. I'm then asked for my next assignment request. I chuckled. I was unaware that my soul would be sent back so to speak. That just seems ridiculous, even to me now. There are a lot of questions that go unanswered while in your afterlife, reincarnation seems to be one of them. Yet, everyone else seems to be on the same page about the topic, really. The hovering orbs of judges remain silent as they await an answer.
"Assignment? You mean, as in 'go back'?" Silence.
"Hell, I don't know. Make me a tree for all I care."
And there you have it. My smartass remark to the great judges brought me here, as a tree, talking to you. I'm thirsty as hell, it's raining and I have no one else to talk to. So here's my story.
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KAMLOOPS - High waters and low temperatures have given mosquitoes a safe haven in the Thompson Nicola Regional District this year but the peak is almost over and we can expect to see them die off soon.
"Right now is prime time, through the July long weekend," Cheryl Phippen of BWP Consulting says. "This year has been just perfect for mosquitoes."
Counts early in the season had Phippen predicting an 'armageddon' with well over 1,000 mosquitoes counted per 300 ml dip.
"We killed 99.1 per cent of them," she says, "But that still leaves millions of mosquitoes."
She notes mosquitoes lay eggs in the soil as the water recedes and those eggs can live up to 30 years. In years of extreme floods the waters can reach eggs that have been stockpiled for years, resulting in a lot more larvae.
The larvicide company has treated the 400 known sites within the regional program (along the rivers from Kamloops to Vavenby and Chase to Cherry Creek, as well as Sun Peaks and Logan Lake) with a focus on the flood waters along the North Thompson River.
Her team has spent as much as 18 hours a day while the river was high and now the water has receded they are not finding much in the way of larvae and they are averaging about 7.5 hours per day.
"A lot of our sites can be multiple hectares," she says. "We've use more than 10,000 kg of larvicide and treated more than 2,000 hectares."
Phippen says she has heard from many people who are unhappy with the number of mosquitoes this year but without the sun or hot spells we usually have by this time in the season the mosquitoes have not been dying.
She notes mosquitoes typically live 10 days in warmer weather but can live up to three weeks in cooler weather. The good news is we are reaching the end of the season and we can expect to see it 'all collapse at once.'
At this point in the season Phippen says people must take personal precautions, such as wearing DEET, long sleeves and light coloured clothing. Now is also the time to get rid of standing water, which container breeders prefer.
"Our program is not a replacement for insect repellant, especially during this time of year."
The good news? The mosquitoes here are typically short lived. They bite once and die.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at email@example.com or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 250-718-2724.


text: With Big Mo missing and Bennie dead, the Chedda Boyz seemed to be headed for a downfall. The once powerful drug crew is now in shambles. Enter Chaz, Big Mo's brother. An opportunity has presented itself and he is more than capable of reviving the crew and taking over as the new kingpin of the Cleveland drug game. Along with murderous sisters, Sugar and Spice, Chaz has his sights set on becoming the next king. But to do so, he will have to push Sugar and Spice aside, and if you know anything about these deadly sisters, it's that they are not to be played with. Chaz also has a problem that could come back to haunt him. Jamal, a thug freash out of prison, has his sights set on Chaz for personal reasons. Add that to the fact that Sugar and Spice's personal assitant, Trish, is developing a thing for him and it's no wonder Chaz has his hands full. Chaz, However, remains undaunted. Armed with two killers by his side, Chaz thinks that he is invincible. Meanwhile, Sugar and Spice had better watch their backs. Chaz is not the one they should be worried about. Someone is watching them and would like nothing more than to see the two sisters in the morgue. Intrigue, suspense, murder, and gut wrenching drama unfold as all involved butt heads in what will be remembered as one of the most memorable climaxes in street lit history


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For example, this page - TRUST -- was created on a day when I was exploring some of the reasons I have trust issues. What you can't see is the first two layers of handwritten journaling. I don't remember what I wrote word for word, but I know the first layer was pencil and I was free-writing about my life long trust issues and then that turned into a Sharpie where I made a list of all the people in my life who have betrayed my trust and, in some cases, broken my heart. This went back as early as elementary school.
Eventually, I wrote about how I see myself in the exchange and what role I might be playing in all of my trust issues. I remember writing the line -- "Are my trust issues a self-fulfilling prophesy?" And this is when the transformation started to happen. It's when I realized that I had to own my issue with trust and seriously look at what role I was playing in all of it.
My art journal helped me get to a place of self-awareness. I had to move past the surface stuff like:
- That person hurt me.
- People keep hurting me.
- I can't trust anyone.
- and on, and on, and on.
Art journaling is how I work through my "stuff" and it's how I play with art supplies, practice, and explore in order to discover what's right there in front of me (or sometimes, what's hidden deep beneath the surface).
What about you? What things have you been able to discover (and uncover) about yourself through your art journal? Leave me a note below!!!


text:
Our Mission
Canadians enhancing the health and education of school children in developing countries through sustainable programs and accountable partnerships.
About Connecting Countries Adopt-A-School
Our Vision:
* Improving Kenyan school sanitation and hygiene facilities
* Supporting curricular expectations and augmenting instructional supplies
* Enhancing the health, safety and emotional well-being of students
Programs include:
* Pen Pal Letter Writing: Canadian and Kenyan students exchange cultural information via letter writing. Personal relationships are built.
* Latrine Building Projects: school latrines (toilets) are built to improve student health, increase student attendance and in many cases to keep Kenyan primary schools open.
* Clean Hands: provision of hygiene education for students and school handwashing stations completes the sanitation cycle.
* Continuing Support: funding of needed school supplies as pens, pencils, notepaper, textbooks etc.
* Rain Water Harvesting: 10,000 litre water storage tanks are provided to Kenyan primary schools to collect and store valued rain water from school roof tops.