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There's nothing quite like the feeling of dread as you watch your cell phone set sail into your bathtub, toilet, or pool. The key to saving it is to act fast. And though there are a handful of products on the market designed to recover a wet device, I always have success with a handy homemade remedy: the rice approach.
Here's what you do:
1. Get your phone away from the water and turn it off immediately. Resist the urge to turn it on and see if it's still working before you complete all these steps, or you may cause more damage.
2. Dry it as best you can with a microfiber cloth (or make do with a paper towel). Don't blow dry it or put it in the oven.
More From Good Housekeeping
3. If you can remove the battery, do so. Take any other removeable parts out, too, like the battery casing or the SIM card. Dry your SIM card quickly so you'll have the best shot at saving your contacts and pictures.
4. Place the phone and parts into a sealed bag of uncooked rice and then set it in sunny, warm spot. I keep a bag of rice above my desk for just this reason, and it has come to my rescuse three times already.
5. If you don't have rice handy, any substance that draws out moisture should help — like cereal. You can also try the silica gel packets that frequently come in packaging (those eventually reach an absorption capacity, but you can purchase similar ones at craft stores).
6. Wait. No really — wait. Give it a solid 24 hours before you remove your phone from its safe rice haven and try to turn it back on.
Hopefully, with this method, your phone is back up and running. You should also check if you've voided your warranty by looking for the telltale white indicator. On an iPhone it's located in the headphone jack, and on most other phones it's on the battery or its encasement. This alerts anyone inspecting the phone that it's been water damaged.
Rachel Rothaman is the Technical Director at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.
NEXT: Quick Answers for Your Most Pressing iPhone Questions »
Photo: Henrik Sorensen/Getty
Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH's growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH's annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.


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Missionary Couple Slain in Mexico; Peace Pact in Puebla
The following article reports on the death of two Baptist missionaries in Mexico and on religious conflict between Roman Catholics and Protestants.
Islamic Extremists Behead Another Convert in Somalia
The following article reports on the beheading of a Christian by Islamic extremist group Al Shabaab.
Iranian Authorities Raid House Church in Shiraz
The following article reports on the persecution of Iranian Christians by Iranian authorities.
The articles linked to above are by Compass Direct News and relate to persecution of Christians around the world. Please keep in mind that the definition of 'Christian' used by Compass Direct News is inclusive of some that would not be included in a definition of Christian that I would use or would be used by other Reformed Christians. The articles do however present an indication of persecution being faced by Christians around the world.

subset: commoncrawl


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Drive-by shooting damages Walgreens at Shops of Grand Avenue
City officials say downtown area is safe
Police said a drive-by shooting in the early morning hours Sunday left a half-dozen bullet holes in the windows of that Walgreens at the Shops of Grand Avenue Mall.
It happened on a busy street in a neighborhood filled with hotels and restaurants, but city leaders said it should not raise any concern about the safety of these downtown streets.
Scott Summers, a street performer in the area, said the sound he heard coming from the street overnight Sunday startled him.
Summers said he was in a friend's apartment a few floors above a Walgreens, when the storefront was riddled with six gunshots. Police said they came from people in two moving vehicles firing at each other.
No one was hit, but the gunfire raised questions about the safety of the downtown neighborhood.
"Downtown Milwaukee is very, very safe," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said.
City leaders said they're confident the shooting incident was isolated and shouldn't raise any cause for concern among visitors to downtown Milwaukee.
"We know, particularly as we come into the festival season, that this is a huge, huge area where people who are visiting the city are going to be safe, and they will be safe," Barrett said.
"Will this damage the reputation of downtown? Absolutely not. A lot of people are convinced it's unsafe already, they never come down. Fine, stay home. But for those who don't, come on downtown, it's a great environment," Milwaukee Alderman Bob Baumann said.
Summers, who knows the downtown streets, agrees. He said the neighborhood is safe and hopes the random gunfire of the weekend doesn't taint that image.
"Everybody that comes downtown tries to maintain a certain standard of how we want downtown to be, and so we don't usually have trouble like that down here," Summers said.
Police told WISN 12 News that they continue to investigate this shooting incident but have yet to come across any surveillance video and have not received any complaints from anyone claiming they were shot at.
Barrett told WISN 12 News that the city will make sure that there is enough police presence to ensure that the downtown area will remain safe.


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Mickelson comes from behind to win British Open
Congratulation to a "Class Act" – Well done
GULLANE, Scotland — As he wrapped up his practice session Sunday and started his march to the first tee, Phil Mickelson had a chat with his coach, Butch Harmon, who told his star pupil that even-par or 1 over could win the 142nd edition of the oldest championship in golf.
"I'm going to be better than that," Mickelson told Harmon despite the fresh breeze blowing in from the nearby hay fields and the Firth of Forth.
"He wasn't lying," Harmon said.
LEADERBOARD: 142nd British Open
No he wasn't. Starting the day at 2 over and five shots behind — and one month after another heartbreaking loss in the U.S. Open — Mickelson made birdie on four of his final six holes on the brutally tough ancient links at Muirfield Golf Club to pull away from a tight pack stacked with the game's best players to win the fifth major of his career.
HOLE BY HOLE: Mickelson wins it, Tiger fades
Under overcast skies on a course stiffened by 20 days of sunshine that created a culture shock for both locals as well as players, Mickelson fired a final-round 5-under-par 66 — matching the low round for the week — to finish at 3 under and top Henrik Stenson (70) by three.
EMOTIONS: Mickelson shares moment with family
Four back were late-charging Ian Poulter (67), overnight leader Lee Westwood (75) and Masters champion Adam Scott (72), who made four consecutive bogeys on the back nine for the second year in a row in the British Open to cost him dearly.
TIGER WOODS: Major drought continues
Tiger Woods (74) finished in a tie for sixth.
"This is the greatest feeling I've had in the game," said Mickelson, 43 years young who, you recall, went through 42 majors before winning his first in the 2004 Masters. "It's probably the greatest round of my career.
" … I never knew if I would win this tournament. I hoped, but I never knew it … until about an hour ago."
He won't get any arguments that it is his greatest round from Zach Johnson, who said after tying for sixth that he didn't see a 66 out there. Nor will he get opposition from his wife, Amy, who along with the couple's three kids, was in step with Mickelson on the back nine. Nor will you get a rebuttal from his caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay, who had tears in his eyes walking off the 18th and choked up talking about his friend after the round.
"When you work 21 years for a guy it's pretty cool to see him play the greatest round of golf he's ever played in the last round of the British Open," Mackay said. "He hit it great, he putted great. … The guy has done a lot of really cool things on a big stage. He wants to be on the big stage, wants to hit big shots when it matters. Today he did that."
While Mickelson, who moved to No. 2 in the world with the win, made his breakthrough in the British Open to add the Claret Jug to his three Masters titles and a win in the PGA Championship, world No. 1 Woods remained stuck on 14 majors. He now has made 17 starts in a major since winning his last in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Another maddening weekend when he shot 72-74 hindered his chances.
"I've won 14 and in that spell where I haven't won since Torrey, I've been in there. It's not like I've lost my card and not playing out here," said the four-time winner in 2013. "So I've won some tournaments in that stretch and I've been in probably about half the majors on the back nine on Sunday with a chance to win during that stretch. I just haven't done it yet. And hopefully it will be in a few weeks (at the PGA Championship)."
And it wasn't a merry old time in England. Favorite son Lee Westwood, the overnight leader who was looking for his first major title in 62 starts, failed to hold on to the lead he took to the inward nine. Desperately hoping to join the brilliant British Summer of Sport that has seen Andy Murray crowned the king of Wimbledon, the British and Irish Lions rugby squad win the tour series in Australia, and Chris Froome becoming the second consecutive Brit to win the Tour de France, Westwood stumbled with his usually superb iron play.
"I keep putting myself in contention," said Westwood, who notched his eighth top-three finish in a major since the start of 2008. "I didn't do a lot wrong today. I just didn't do enough right. I know what I've got to work on."
Mickelson hasn't done much wrong for a while now, in large part because he works so hard on his game despite the steady march of age. He has three wins this season, winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open and last week's Scottish Open, another triumph on a links course in Scotland which began putting to rest the criticism he heard about his poor play in the cradle of golf.
Despite his record sixth runner-up finish in the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia, which left him stung and hurting, Mickelson felt at ease all week. Despite a course baked to look like a tarp of charred hash browns, running Brickyard fast with pin placements that had players banging their heads in frustration, including Mickelson after the first round.
"You have to be resilient in this game because losing is such a big part of it. And after losing the U.S. Open, it could have easily gone south," Mickelson said. "But I looked at it and thought I was playing really good golf. I had been playing some of the best in my career. And I didn't want it to stop me from potential victories this year, and some potential great play. And I'm glad I didn't, because I worked a little bit harder."
Mickelson said he had to compose himself and slow his roll down the 17th fairway after hitting what he called the two best shots of the week — 3-woods to get home in two on the par-5. It was then he realized the title was his to lose, and he made sure not to stumble, calmly two-putting for birdie from 45 feet and then adding another birdie from 12 feet on the last.
Clutching the Claret Jug, Mickelson relished in joining an eye-popping list of winners at Muirfield, where members of the World Golf Hall of Fame have won 14 of the 16 Opens hosted by the club, including Gary Player (1959), Jack Nicklaus (1966), Lee Trevino (1972), Tom Watson (1980), Nick Faldo (1987, 1992) and Ernie Els (2002).
He was equally proud of mastering links-style golf a second week in a row, winning his first Open in 20 campaigns.
"The conditions and the penalty for missed shots in the Open Championship are much more severe … and it took me a while to figure it out, I would say," Mickelson said. "It's been the last eight or nine years I've started playing it more effectively. I always wondered if I would develop the skills needed to win this championship."
It is the measure of a man, one could say of Mickelson, that despite his enormous success he still searches for what he doesn't have. Presently, that's a U.S. Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, won only by Woods, Nicklaus, Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.
"I think that if I'm able to win the U.S. Open and complete the career Grand Slam, I think that that's the sign of the complete great player. I'm a leg away. And it's been a tough leg for me," Mickelson said with a laugh, alluding to his misfortune in the national championship. "Those five players are the greats of the game. You look at them with a different light. And if I were able to ever win a U.S. Open, and I'm very hopeful that I will, but it has been elusive for me. And yet this championship has been much harder for me to get."
But he'll keep trying, Mackay said.
"He looks forward. He works hard. How many people are going to build a practice facility in his yard post-40? He wants it," Mackay said. " … He's stronger than he's ever been, he's fitter than he's ever been, and he's hungrier than he's ever been. And you can't understate how much he wants to compete and do well. When he's 60-something years old he's going to be on the putting green at Augusta thinking he has a chance. That's just how he is built."


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School and school system scores for the 2012-2013 Georgia College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) released by the Ga. Dept. of Education (DOE) on April 21 has the Coweta County School System placing in the top third of Georgia's school systems.
The CCRPI is the state of Georgia's recently-enacted educational accountability system, which measures Georgia public schools and school systems on a broad set of academic criteria. This year's report covers data from the 2012-13 school year, said school system spokesman Dean Jackson.
CCRPI carries a possible score of 100. The report measures schools and school districts on a scale made up of three major areas: Achievement (60 points possible), Progress (25 points possible) and Achievement Gap (15 points possible). The report compiles a single score for schools and districts, based on multiple points of data and weighting systems. The newly released scores mark the second year that public schools have rated using the CCRPI, Jackson said.
Jackson said the county's elementary schools averaged 76.2 compared to a state score of 77.8 for all Georgia public elementary schools. Coweta's middle schools scored 79.9 compared to a state score of 74.6. And the county's high schools scored 74.8 compared to the state score of 71.8. The overall score for Coweta's high schools were Northgate at 82.7, Newnan at 74.6 and East Coweta at 69.1.
"Our teachers, staff and students continue to work hard, and our performance this year as a school system has exceeded the state average on this new accountability tool," said Coweta County Superintendent Steve Barker, adding that this year's changes to the CCRPI and its late release posed difficulties for the school system. "The CCRPI is a complex instrument that measures a broad range of data. It isn't a pass-fail instrument, and it can help schools and systems set benchmarks for school improvement planning. It can be a useful tool that reflects progress of our schools over time."
Barker said it is important for teachers, principals and community to know that the indicators and standards in the CCRPI have changed in only the second year of implementation. It is also important to note that the release of last year's data has come nearly at the end of this school year.
"Any lessons that we can learn from last year's performance would have been much more useful to our schools at the beginning of the school year," said Barker.
The Achievement score (60 percent of the CCRPI) is made up of three sections, including Content Mastery (40 percent), Post High School/Middle School/Elementary School Readiness (30 percent) and Graduation Rate/Graduation Rate Predictor (30 percent).
The Progress score (25 percent of the CCRPI) is calculated based on the percentage of a school's students demonstrating typical or high growth via Student Growth Percentiles (SGP). An SGP describes a student's growth on state tests relative to other students statewide with similar prior achievement. A student's growth percentile can range from 1 to 99, and every student's SGP may earn points towards the Progress Score.
The Achievement Gap score (15 percent of the CCRPI) assigns points to schools for their progress in closing, or having small achievement gaps, on state tests between schools' lowest 25 percent of achievers and the state average. Comparisons are made between gap size from prior year to current year, and schools receive points in this section of the CCRPI for closing the achievement gap.
The CCRPI was launched in May 2013, covering student data from the 2011-12 school year. The CCRPI accountability system replaced the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measurement in Georgia. The U.S. Department of Education granted the state of Georgia a waiver from NCLB in 2012. The waiver required an accountability system of increased rigor and higher student benchmarks than previous accountability measures.
For more information visit www.cowetaschools.org


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Two Days One Lesson
The importance of Torah study to the security and prosperity of the Jewish People finds eloquent expression in two consecutive days this week. On Shabbat we read in the weekly portion that "If you shall follow My commandments the Land will give forth its bounty and you shall dwell securely in your Land." (Vayikra 26:3-5). Rashi cites the explanation of our Sages that "follow My commandments" means toiling in the study of Torah.
The day before Shabbat this year is LaG BOmer, the 33rd day of counting the days and weeks between the second day of Pesach (when an Omer offering was made in the Beit Hamikdash) and the Festival of Shavuot. This is somewhat of a festive day because tradition has it that on this day almost two millennia ago there came to an end the plague which claimed the lives of the 24,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva. The loss of these Torah scholars is described by the Talmud as "desolation of the world", a situation which existed until Rabbi Akiva rebuilt the Torah world through new disciples. The mourning practiced by Jews during this period of the year is an expression of the sense of spiritual desolation the Jewish People sensed when so many scholars were taken from them.
The lesson which emerges from these two days is that it is only the study of Torah and the maintenance of Torah scholars which can protect Israel forever.


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Jozef PoniatowskiManufacture Product Number : AXD R97
All models are supplied as kits and will need to be assembled and painted.
The picture illustrates how the model should look once completed.
Glue and paint are not included in the kit.
Type = Figure Kits, Busts and Accessories
Period = Napoleonic Wars
Scale = 200mm (1/9 Scale)
Material = Resin Plastic
Finish = Unfinished Resin Figure Kit
Date of Release = 2017-12-01
Status = 2-3 weeks Shipping
This item is not part of our regular inventory but is available to order. Allow 2-3 weeks for item to arrive at MichToy. Because you are so patient you will automatically receive this item at a 20% discount.MSRP: $71.99
20% off, you save : $14.40
20% off, you save : $14.40


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Pentheus pĕn´thēəs [key], in Greek mythology, king of Thebes, son of Cadmus' daughter Agave. When Dionysus came to Thebes, Pentheus denied his divinity and tried to prevent his ecstatic rites. The women of Thebes, led by Agave, were driven mad by the offended god and tore Pentheus to pieces. The story is the subject of Euripides' Bacchae.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Folklore and Mythology


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I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to create a relationship with money itself as my ultimate desire, love and wish in my reality wherein I have linked the word 'Money' to all that which I can Buy, consume and own in order to create a positive experience within me, which I have called 'empowerment' linked to a state of 'happiness'/ success/ fulfillment and joy.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to learn that life is all about getting to this ultimate happiness and success within the society, which is tacitly implying having a lot of money in order to buy a lot of things that can denote that 'I have money, I am powerful, I am happy, I am fulfilled, I can have everything I want' – without realizing that I was trained to think this way when linking money as an added-value onto who I am as a human being that is Life in itself already – not realizing that Life is the one and only True-Value in existence.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to compare my value/wealth as money to others' wealth/money, and constantly see 'where I stand' in relation to other's money/ wealth, which implies that I can only consider myself as being 'successful' if I see myself having More things, owning, continually being able to buy everything that I want as a means to create a positive experience within me, as a sense of empowerment and success over others.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to make decisions in life in relation to my studies, my career, my relationships in accordance to 'who I want to be' as the amount of money I want to have, which means that I am only existing For Money, for that Success and elusive Happiness that, due to how I have been brainwashed to think that happiness = consuming/ buying/ owning/ possessing all I want, need and desire, I require a Lot of Money to achieve that, which is how I have placed myself to do everything I can in order to get that much money to fulfill my desire, without realizing that in this logical assumption that I have missed the entire point of Myself as Life of Equality and Oneness as the one and only real value in this world – but instead have diminished 'living' and 'my life' to only Living-For-Money, to create and fulfill my desires and positive experiences.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to define Money as a positive word due to all the images I have linked to it as owning, buying, consuming everything that I can in order to have a 'great life experience,' within this accepting that my 'beingness' is defined according to the amount of money I have/ own, as a determinant factor of who I am, what I do, who I am toward others and how I compare myself to others in society, because this is what I have learned to be and become: a person that is fighting and striving to 'make it' in this like, with 'making it' signifying getting a lot of money in order to have All that 'I' Want – without ever questioning if this attainment is even possible for those that have nothing to eat and are deliberately secluded from this 'choice' in life by our own acceptance and allowance of money as separation from who we are as life.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to define Money as a negative thing whenever I Don't have any money, which is when I start questioning WHY I can't have money given to me unconditionally, why is money not given to all beings in order to have a dignified living – within this realizing that: as long as I have money = I only care to augment my own capital/ money/ wealth and attain more and more and more until I am saturated with the most money I can make in my every day living – and when I have No Money, I feel miserable, I feel ostracized, rejected, doomed, see everything dismal and with anger because I cannot have what Others have, wherein the example of the rich/ wealthy stand as that ultimate desire that is simply denied to me by the world-system, without realizing that we have all collectively agreed to make of this money system a grace and a disgrace for humanity according to the access each one has to Money.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to not realize that whenever I see myself worrying about money, thinking about money, wanting and desiring money, I am in fact accepting the premise of money not being a tool given to all to live, but has become the very reason and purpose of my every day living as a motivation to live, wherein I have absolutely forgotten Who and What I am as Life/ Living of oneness and equality, because money has become our very separation from that absolute wholeness that we could in fact live in/as if we all collectively agreed that Money can be a Tool to provide, give and share to one another that which is here of the Earth in order to LIVE a wholeness of life as Equals.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to take Life for Granted whenever I am only existing as this desire and constant search for Money as that experience of fulfillment, happiness, bliss, completion without realizing that it is all based on a consumerist society wherein even if I have enough to eat, to live well and comfortably, I am seeking MORE as that is what I have defined as 'Success' and 'Happiness' – wherein I go day by day comparing myself to the lives of other human beings in order to see 'who I am' according to the money that I have and the money that I see others have.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to feel inferior to others if I see that they have a lot of money which I have then defined as them being happy, fulfilled, satisfied with themselves as a synonym of 'wholeness' without realizing that the only wholeness that can exist is as the totality of this world, as LIFE itself that we have controlled, diminished and made an object of desire when equated to money within a monetary system that does not grant equal-access to Life by virtue of Living – this implies that who I am in relation to others exists as the separation that I have accepted and allowed as my self-definition according to the money that I have and that I compare myself to others according to the amount of money they own and I have.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to define me as either poor/ middle-class/ rich as 'Who I Am' because of having accepted myself to be defined to one single point in my reality as Money which determines my survival, my desires of wanting More and seeking to be 'fulfilled' through and as money, wherein all that I seek is to constantly being able to Buy myself Experiences that I have linked to joy, happiness, success, completion, fulfillment, satisfaction as the ability to buy, own and consume everything that I can with the power I have given away when separating myself from Life into and as the acceptance of the current monetary system as Capitalism.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to visually associate Money with everything in my reality, even my physical body, as I have come to accept the fact that organs of the physical body have a price as well as hair, selling pregnancy hosting, the image of my physical body, blood, semen, fetuses and other bodily parts and functions that can be sold, including sexual services that a body can provide which are also due-to and part of the same necessity that we've made ourselves dependent on as Money.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to not realize that within accepting money as my ultimate desire, I am neglecting the fact that all I am consuming is Myself in the name of a positive experience that I have linked to a single Idea, belief and concept of happiness, satisfaction and completion according to that which I have been taught and learned throughout my life wherein all that I know is that 'I need money to live' and in that single acceptance, directing my entire life, my choices, my drive to live for and as the desire of money, forgetting about who I am as Life in its totality.
I realize, see and understand that in order to stop defining myself as this 'desire for money,' I have to walk a process wherein I stop placing value in separation of myself as the things I buy, consume and own as a positive experience and an 'accumulation of worth' as 'who I am,' which is realizing that all the power I have embedded to money itself is a fake-value system, a make-believe system of 'worth' in separation of Life which is what and who I am as all as one and equal – which means that my desire for money is currently 'real' as long as we continue accepting and allowing the same capitalist monetary system where a 'Successful Living' is only linked to Money.
I realize, see and understand that this idea of money as a 'moreness' of myself, as this positive experience is in fact a product of the brainwashing that I have lived in as this current system wherein Life can only 'thrive' if having money, without having ever questioned why such money was not readily-given as a birth right, which implies that money in itself is a system of desires as the separation from ourselves as Life into a system of control/ power that promotes greed for its own continuation and survival, without ever questioning how the abuse in this world as the inability to have access to money/ poverty/ starvation and all the abusive jobs that are 'the last resort' to get money for the majority of the world, are in fact the abusive means that are used in order to create/ manifest the ideal of wealth and 'fulfillment' as a real inequality that is visible in our society – I see and realize now that money is a make-believe system that only benefited a minority while having a majority with no access or in a constant survival-mode wherein one is pushed and forced to do 'anything for money' which includes activities and actions that clearly denigrate our own physical body, life itself into an absolute depletion of life, due to our accepted and allowed sectarian elitist monetary system that is only at the service of a few as those with money in the world.
I commit myself to stop my constant need, desire and yearning for 'all the money in the world' wherein the acceptance of a 'millionaire' is no longer part of my daydreaming desires as an image and picture of myself as being 'eternally happy and satisfied with myself' as I realize that in doing so, I am tacitly agreeing and accepting the abuse, the poverty, starvation and all forms of life degradation in the name of my dream, my desire, my positive experience, which is how and why I have to now take Responsibility for what I have done, what I have become
I commit myself to within stopping myself within this constant desire to buy, consume, own and Experience life through and as what I can buy into as happiness/ success/ fulfillment – I take responsibility for walking my own process to realize the absurdity of having separated ourselves from who we are as Life of Oneness and Equality and in that, commit myself to be part of the people in the world that create a New World System based on the recognition and realization of who we are as Life as One and Equal – which means that a New Monetary System must be in place, which is the Equal Money System, wherein we stop being bound to the One System that Rules us All as a belief-system of abuse, and turn money into a tool to give and receive life as equals, as we all realize that we all want to have a comfortable life, the best possible education, food, housing, the most suitable transportation, entertainment that is in support of who we are as Life, and that can only exist if I first Stop my participation within the current monetary system of abuse – in all its inner workings – and transform myself to stand as the necessary change in the meaning of who I am not as a 'person that desires money to live' but a person that stands as the worth/value of life itself, which is the only value I really am and exist as – within the realization that we had trapped ourselves in a make-believe system of separation of who we are as life into a form of control, discrimination and 'power over life' that was never real in itself, but was 'made real' according to how we complied and obeyed to it as the only way to 'continue living,' which is unacceptable and must be obviously changed in the name of Life as who we are as Equals.
Educate yourself at Desteni
Walk with our process of "worthing" ourselves as Life and stopping our own consumerist brainwash – Read Journey to Life blogs
We can stop existing as DEBT if we all Agree that we can give LIFE to each other as Equals
This blog is a continuation of the exploration of Money as a Word and Concept in separation of Life itself:
- 69. Change is in the Meaning of Money
- 68. Money is a Hegemonic Language
- 67. Money = Function of Abuse
- 66. Holy Fetish: Money as Word of God
- 65. Treacherous System or Original Self-Deception?
Blogs for Mind-debunking:
The One System that Rules us All
Reptilians – The Power of One Word – Part 58


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On the back side of most gadgets, there's a string of hieroglyphs that look like the bottom line on the eye chart from hell. But this mishmash of symbols and letters is actually essential to international trade. Here's what each one means and why it's on there.
Underwriters Laboratories is an independent, non-profit "safety science company" that tests, analyzes, and audits a wide range of products sold in the US, Canada, and Mexico, to ensure that they meet their respective state and federal safety regulations . Most everything sold in North America—digital cameras, electric guitars, headphones, OLED displays—is tested by the UL for compliance with both the consumer protection regulations and international trade agreements. The UL mark is also used by insurance underwriters as an indicator of product reliability under normal operating conditions.
CSA International is another independent testing and certification company that vets consumer and industrial products. For plumbing supplies, HVAC systems, and electronics destined for US and Canadian markets, a CSA stamp indicates that the product meets or exceeds all applicable standards.
With the explosive growth of mobile computing, our airwaves are getting more and more crowded. So to ensure that your newest wireless gadget isn't causing electromagnetic interference with other devices, the Federal Communications Commission approves all commercial electronic devices that use radio-frequency (read: anything with a microprocessor). Gadgets either built in or destined for sale in the United States must abide by FCC Rules and Regulations, Title 47, Part 15, Subpart B.
This regulation is split into two classes:
- Class A includes any industrial and business-class devices specifically designed for use outside of residential areas and where interference is less of an issue.
- Class B includes anything marketed for home use—personal computers, tablets, cell phones, printers, stereos, home theaters, and the like.
Virtually every product crafted in, sold in, or imported to the European Union must carry a CE (Conformité Européenne, literally translated as European Conformity) mark. This designates that the product has met all relevant regulatory requirements for sale within the European Economic Area. While the mark itself doesn't denote a product's quality, as UL marks do, it does make importing goods to the EU a much easier task—it creates a single conformity requirement for all 27 member nations, rather than requiring manufacturers to get compliance certifications in each country. The four digit number next to the CE mark shows which third-party testing company actually carried out the certification (companies aren't allowed to self-certify).
Known officially as the CE R&TTE Directive "alert symbol," this indicates that a device violates the wireless regulations of one or more member countries. The iPhone, for example, violates a French regulation that all wireless devices, when used outdoors, operate within the 2.4 GHz and 2.454 GHz. As such, it is marked as a Class II device and is denoted with the exclamation point. Devices that do operate within these "harmonized frequency bands" are designated Class I and don't carry the alert symbol.
CE specifications also extend to how devices are disposed of when they've outlived their useful functionality. The WEEE (Waste Electric & Electronic Equipment) symbol denotes that a product meets requirements set by the EU for safe e-waste disposal. It should be recycled at a designated collection center rather than be thrown away.
While the CE mark acts as a catch-all for products destined for sale in Europe, some countries (like Germany) also require additional layers of testing and certification, and issue their own compliance markings as well. The "GS Mark with TUVdotCOM" also known as the "TÜV Rheinland GS Mark" indicates that a personal electronic product has been tested by an independent company, such as TÜV Rheinland (the European version of UL), and that it meets Germany's stringent safety regulations.
The China Compulsory Certificate (CCC) mark is a hybrid of the country's two previous safety certification systems: The CCIB, which governed basic consumer product safety, and the CCEE system, which applied to electrical goods. Now, virtually every consumer product manufactured in, sold in, or imported to China must carry this mark. Only a few non-electronic goods, such as automotive tires and agricultural tools, are exempt from this certification. Your iPhone, however, is not.
[BKSV - Wikipedia 1, 2 - CSA - UL - FCC - Intertek - CC Lab - WEEE]


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The Kindle isn't ever considered the most secure of devices. Even here on this site you'll find many hacks for Kindles from the first generation forward. Still, this might be the first time I can think of that there has been a hole in the device's security that poses a genuine problem for both users and Amazon.
Heise Security has recently released some proof of concept code that demonstrates the potential for remotely exploiting Kindle Touch devices. This is a problem occurring in the most recent Kindle Touch 5.1.0 firmware. The vulnerability allows commands to be injected into the eReader through the WebKit browser. These commands are then executed at the root level, essentially giving malicious code total control over your Kindle.
Amazon is aware of the problem and working on a patch. Considering the first indications that there might be a problem to fix came up as early as April, according to the MobileRead forums, they are clearly taking their time about it. Various reports indicate that there may be some difficulty getting the patch pushed to Kindle Touch users, but until we know more about Amazon's response that may be speculation.
There are no indications at this time that anybody has managed to create malicious code directed at Kindle Touch users. While some speculation has revolved around turning Kindles into nodes in massive botnet attacks, that is just potential at this stage. There are, of course, measures you can take to protect yourself.
The most obvious solution to keeping safe until this is fixed would be to avoid the internet. Turning off your wireless connection, whether WiFi or 3G, will save you battery life and put your mind at ease. If you don't find that appealing, sticking to Amazon's services and trusted sites will also go a long way toward security.
If that is not enough and something more drastic is desired, there is a way to patch the hole yourself. For complete instructions, head over to MobileRead and learn about jailbreaking your device. Ironically, it seems that the most common jailbreaking method right now also uses the exploit in question. Once you have gained root privileges for your Kindle Touch, however, a tool has been uploaded in this thread that should disable browser-based exploitation from remote sites.
This is probably not a big deal for most users. It has the potential to turn into something major for Amazon. A properly made piece of malware could theoretically turn their Kindle Touch line into an internet attack network. This would be a PR nightmare and cost an unbelievable amount thanks to the free 3G these devices enjoy, but the limitations of the exploit as it is currently understood make it unlikely that any personal information could be stolen or that users could in other ways be easily harmed. Learn how to open PHP file.
Exercise safe browsing habits and wait for Amazon to issue a firmware update. New Kindle Touch units are already shipping with 5.1.1 firmware and that will likely be making its way to existing customers soon enough. Some reports indicate that this update will patch the security hole, though that is not yet confirmed.


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Rifles For Sale!
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It's been a week since the first presidential debate and President Obama's somewhat lackluster performance. Now it's time for the clash of the number twos. Tomorrow night in Dannville, Kentucky Vice President Joe Biden and VP candidate Paul Ryan square off for the only Vice Presidential debate.
In the past, there generally hasn't been a great deal of interest in Vice Presidential debates but following Mitt Romney's hard tack to the center last week that knocked the President off his game one wonders if Ryan will attempt a similar dodge as Romney.
This election's debate promises to be one of the most watched VP debates ever. And it will probably be one of the more important ones as well. Previous debates have not really influenced the outcomes of elections but the President's poll numbers took a dip immediately following the debate last week. Currently the consensus is the President and Governor Romney are tied.
Joe Biden, often lampooned for making candid, off the cuff statements, is expected to play the role of attack dog in this debate in an effort to stop the level of support seeming to be hemorrhaging from the campaign. Paul Ryan, on the other hand is the Republican's self professed 'numbers guy' policy wonk. When asked in an interview recently how he thought Vice President Biden would approach the debate Ryan quipped, "I think he'll come at me like a cannonball". So this debate should have plenty of fireworks.
Vice President Biden has lots of ammunition to work with primarily Ryan's budget plan. Unlike Romney's vague 'trust me I'll tell you how it's paid for after I'm elected' plan, Ryan's plan is on paper and the Vice President ought to bring a copy and quote from it. In the past when pressed for details on how his budget would reduce the deficit Ryan has replied, "I don't want to get all wonky on you", or "It would take too long to go into the math". That should be Biden's queue to say, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll cede you some of my time. Get wonky". Ryan will probably have anticipated this and actually have some figures that maybe make sense but Joe should probably be able to rebut those figures just in case.
The Romney / Ryan plan calls for a twenty percent tax cut across the board for all income groups and a corporate tax cut for corporations. This will cost 4.8 trillion over the next five years. How do they expect to pay for that? Mitt Romney says by closing loopholes in the tax code but neither he nor Ryan will say which ones. Although Romney has said he won't touch the estate loophole or the charity loophole. Yet every credible economist has said that the Romney / Ryan budget won't pay for itself unless it guts government programs that benefit the middle class. Cue Joe Biden again.
Ryan wants to turn Medicare into a voucher system. To be clear, a voucher is a coupon. Which is fine if the costs of health care exist in a vacuum but since the Ryan budget pays for it with the same $716 billion that Obamacare transferred out of Medicare. The only difference is that Obamacare put the onus on health providers, Ryan's plan would put it on seniors. Obamacare encourages health care providers to control costs. A Ryan voucher isn't much good if the costs continue to escalate. Which is better? $5.00 off a ten dollar purchase or $5.00 off a $100.00 purchase?
Then there's Obamacare itself. Both Romney and Ryan want to repeal it. But replace it with what? Get 'em Joe. Or how about Dodd-Frank, the already weakened bill putting regulations on Wall Street after they caused the financial collapse. Romney and Ryan want to roll that back as well. Let the bankers run wild again. Sic 'em, Joe. The list goes on.
Ryan should be concerned. It's possible that Vice President Biden could not only deny Paul Ryan his job, he could cost Ryan is seat as a Wisconsin Representative. One of Ryan's criticisms of President Obama was that he claims that the President broke a promise to keep the GM plant in Ryan's district from shuttering its doors (it actually closed at he end of the Bush era). But at the same time, Romney and Ryan have been vocal in their objections to the auto industry bailout.
All the Vice President has to point out is that President Obama saved the company. Shouldn't it be Paul Ryan's responsibility to lobby GM to keep the plant open in his own district?
So go ahead and get wonky. We'll wait.
Related articles
- Vice presidential debate could be a tale of two Ryans (reuters.com)
- Joe Biden May Be Gaffe-Prone, But He's Still More Likeable Than Paul Ryan (businessinsider.com)


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If the Federal Communications Commission allows Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable, you can kiss any dreams of truly high-speed access to an open Internet goodbye. The Internet will be a far poorer place. And Comcast will be a far richer company.
There's already little broadband competition in the U.S., and this deal will all but kill it. Susan Crawford, a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a visiting professor at Harvard Law School who has studied broadband competition, is a harsh critic of the proposed buyout. In an article for Bloomberg, she writes, "The reason this deal is scary is that for the vast majority of businesses in 19 of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the country, their only choice for a high-capacity wired connection will be Comcast."
With little or no competition, Comcast will have little reason to increase the speed or lower the cost of broadband. And we need faster, cheaper broadband; the U.S. lags behind many countries in both areas. Akamai says that the average broadband speed in the U.S. is 7.4Mbps, only eighth in the world. And at an average price of $6.14 per Mbps, our broadband access is one of the most expensive in the developed world.
Comcast has already begun introducing broadband data caps, charging higher rates when those caps are exceeded. With the reduction in competition that will ensue from a Time Warner buyout, those caps won't go away.
Speed and price aren't the only concerns. Internet openness is also endangered. A U.S. court of appeals has already struck down FCC rules guaranteeing Net neutrality, which requires that ISPs treat all Internet traffic equally. Competition might keep companies from offering speedier access to websites willing to pay more and slowing down access to websites that don't cough up, but where will competition come from if this buyout goes through? Comcast would have such a dominant position that it could even black out websites if negotiations go poorly, taking a page from its buyout partner, Time Warner Cable, which blacked out CBS broadcasts for New York subscribers for weeks until it settled a contract disagreement with the television network.
When Comcast purchased NBCUniversal, it signed a consent decree with the FCC to adhere to Net neutrality, but only until 2017. After that, Comcast is free to do what it wants. Without any real competition able to offer customers an alternative, what chance is there that Comcast will stick to that agreement a minute longer than it has to?
I keep saying "if" this buyout goes through, but it's practically in the bag. Comcast has spread its tentacles deep into Washington's power centers. Meredith Attwell Baker, a onetime FCC commissioner who voted to approve Comcast's merger with NBCUniversal, is now a Comcast lobbyist. The New York Times reports that Comcast spent $18 million on lobbying in 2013 alone, that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts has golfed with President Obama and that Obama has visited Roberts' home on Martha's Vineyard. David Cohen, who heads Comcast's relationship with government regulators, has been a big Obama fundraiser, once hosting an event at his home that raised $1.2 million. Cohen was also recently a guest at a White House state dinner for French President Francois Hollande.
Still, the deal isn't done yet. Luckily in this case, the wheels of government grind slowly, and it could take up to a year before the FCC rules on it. It's a year that opponents should use to do everything they can to stop it.
Preston Gralla is a Computerworld.com contributing editor and the author of more than 35 books, including How the Internet Works (Que, 2006).


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Originally published in CLOG: Rendering.
Today's architect complains endlessly about the demand for renderings. With hyper-real three-dimensional renderings executed from the very beginning of the design process, how can reality possibly compete? Who wants to make decisions about materials and finishes before deciding what the building should be? The time and effort spent on photorealistic renderings takes away from the true space-making essence of architecture. How to interrogate Louis Kahn's brick while we're busy turning it into a texture?
But chin up, architect! We stand at the dawn of a new era, when architecture shall be unconstrained by the tyranny of visual reality. Instead of arresting architects at the beginning of the design process, rendering will give them unlimited freedom–forever. We can leave the brick, uninterviewed!
For soon technology will insert itself between the eye and the built environment, creating a window through which all architectural space is viewed. Whether Google's glasses or a hi-tech contact lens–iEye?–soon consumers will cease to have–or desire!–unmediated visual experiences.
The architect simply specifies a green matte finish on the walls, the facade, the floors–everything! Then, location-aware lenses, hooked into a worldwide database of visual information, will replace them with the digital image, delivered ' directly to the user's eyeballs. Rendering proper moves to a post design–even post-construction–phase. Architects, or whomever the client chooses–a precocious nephew, perhaps?–can change the look of the building until the very end of construction, and beyond. Refreshing a facade is as simple as changing the rendering. Old buildings can be retrofitted with a can of paint, and of course they will only need to stock one color at the hardware store.
True, those Luddites who resist the technology will wander a bright-green, featureless hell-scape. But meanwhile, we moderns will stroll a visual fantasia.
For a time, hobbyist-architects will continue to use actual materials on their buildings. We will find them charming, and we will find them in Brooklyn, but as film camera enthusiasts can attest, the entire manufacturing ecosphere around building finishes will quickly collapse.
There will be issues to resolve. Someone must maintain the database and ensure it is ubiquitous. How awkward if the building facade were only compatible with Apple products, while the interior designer used Google. Quite likely, building owners will pay a little extra to have a facade free of advertising. And graffiti becomes a sophisticated affair, with hackers selling the sides of famous buildings to the highest bidder .
But the upside: nothing less than the complete demanifestation of reality! Endlessly rendered and re-rendered, any space can take on infinite appearances. And why limit ourselves to architecture? The same technology can–and should–turn objects, clothing, and even our bodies into continuously malleable canvases. When the renderings become reality, reality no longer has to compete. It's already been defeated.


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Bills RB McCoy misses practice and listed day to day
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Richie Incognito is so accustomed to people counting out the Bills this season, the veteran guard isn't fazed by questions regarding injured running back LeSean McCoy's uncertain status for Buffalo's AFC wild-card playoff game at Jacksonville on Sunday.
In a year Buffalo has overcome various obstacles — a snowstorm, roster purge and a four-way playoff tiebreaker — to snap a 17-season postseason drought , what's one more hurdle, the 11-year veteran wondered.
"This team thrives off adversity. It thrives off negative situations. It thrives off everyone picking against us. So we have everything going our way," Incognito said Wednesday.
"People are picking against us. We're missing a couple of guys. So I like our chances."
McCoy's status is up in the air after the Bills' top offensive threat missed practice because of an injured right ankle. He was carted off the field after being hurt on the opening drive of Buffalo's 22-16 win over Miami on Sunday.
Coach Sean McDermott would only say medical tests were negative and listed McCoy as day to day. McDermott declined to speculate whether McCoy will be able to practice at all this week.
McCoy was initially scheduled to address reporters following practice, but was not made available because team officials said he was still being treated by trainers during the period designated for interviews.
McCoy's value to the Bills is difficult to underestimate in a season the 29-year-old became the NFL's 30th player to top 10,000 career yards rushing.
The ninth-year player leads Buffalo with 1,138 yards rushing, 59 catches and eight touchdowns, including two receiving. Overall, his 1,586 yards from scrimmage account for 33 percent of the Bills' total.
In finishing 9-7, the Bills were 8-2 when topping 100 yards rushing.
"Of course, Shady is a special playmaker. You miss him when he's not out there," quarterback Tyrod Taylor said, referring to McCoy, who's nicknamed 'Shady.'
"But at the same time, you can't use it as an excuse. We have to go out there and make plays, myself, the receivers," he added. "We'll pick him up if he's not out there."
Buffalo lacks depth at the position a week after backup Travaris Cadet broke his ankle.
That leaves Mike Tolbert and Marcus Murphy as the only running backs on the roster, along with fullback Patrick DiMarco. Murphy was promoted off the practice squad last week and led Buffalo with 41 yards rushing, while adding two catches for 7 yards against Miami.
Murphy had one career carry for no gain during his previous two seasons with New Orleans. He understands he can't alone replace McCoy.
"I really don't think about it like that. I know I have a role in this offense just like everyone else," Murphy said. "I can't be Shady."
On Tuesday, the Bills added insurance by signing running back Aaron Green to their practice squad. Green played two games with the Los Angeles Rams last season.
The Bills have persevered with a next-man up approach in a season they traded three starters, including receiver Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams in August and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to Jacksonville in October.
Despite a roster that closed the regular season with just 20 returning players, Buffalo clinched the AFC's sixth and final playoff berth by beating Miami. The Bills then got help when Baltimore gave up a last-minute touchdown on fourth-and-12 in a 31-27 loss to Cincinnati.
That left Buffalo in a four-way tie, and inched ahead of Baltimore based on having a better strength of victory percentage. The Bills were 2-4 against playoff-bound teams (Kansas City and Atlanta), while Baltimore went 0-5.
Buffalo finished sixth in yards rushing and faces a Jaguars defense that ranked second in yards allowed, but was inconsistent against the run.
The AFC South champions ranked 21st in yards rushing allowed, and gave up 140 yards or more five times this season — including 256 in a 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Jets in Week 4.
For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL


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This complete article was originally released by The Wall Street Journal's Market Watch on September 16, and features quotes from CIRE Travel President Eric Hrubant.
It hasn't been smooth sailing for Carnival recently, between the infamous "poop cruise" in February, when a ship lost power and left travelers without working toilets or AC, to a Carnival-owned ship running aground in Italy and killing 32 people. But Carnival has been working to steer this PR stain in a more favorable direction — its latest attempts being money-back guarantees and cruise deals that make the Days Inn look pricey. Plus, it's offering free cruises for travel agents.
On Sept. 12, the cruise line began offering money-back guarantees that give guests a 110% refund, complimentary flights home and a $100 shipboard credit for a future cruise "should they be dissatisfied with their cruise for any reason," according to a company statement. And currently the company is advertising rates for "as little as $35 per person per night" (for a four-day cruise of the Caribbean leaving from Miami and stopping in Key West and Cozumel). And that isn't an isolated deal: Prices for some Carnival cruises dropped an estimated 10% to 20% in the wake of the February incident, says Tom Stieghorst, the senior cruise editor for travel industry publication Travel Weekly. In addition, the cruise line announced in April that it would make enhancements on its ships — including new fire safety technology and better emergency power capabilities — that would cost more than $300 million. The pricing and ship improvements are, of course, a way for Carnival to entice consumers to give the cruise line another shot, industry experts say.
Also starting this week, travel agents can get a free Carnival cruise for themselves and bring up to three friends to share their staterooms. Most agents must book between Sept. 12 and 26 and travel between September 2013 and January 2014. "This is an unprecedented reach out to the agent community," says Chuck Flagg, owner of travel company The Flagg Agency near Atlanta. Or as Travel Weekly's Stieghorst, puts it: "They certainly have the agents' attention."
The move makes sense from Carnival's perspective, as nearly two in three cruises are booked through a travel agent, according to industry statistics. "Carnival is trying to get back into the good graces of the travel industry," says Eric Hrubant, president of New York-based CIRE Travel/Tzell. Indeed, Carnival in June launched a travel-agent outreach program called "Carnival Conversations," which it says was "designed to increase dialogue and strengthen ties with travel agents;" the free cruise program was born of that initiative.
To be sure, Carnival isn't the only cruise line that has run attractive promotions for agents and consumers. Hrubant points out that travel agents often get deeply discounted cruises from cruise lines, though, he hadn't seen one offer completely free cruises on this scale before. And for its part, Carnival had a program offering travel agents very deeply discounted cruises even before this free cruise promotion, says Stieghorst. What's more, other cruise lines are offering very inexpensive cruises right now as well, some for around $50 per person per night.
But are free cruises for agents and dirt cheap rates for consumers enough to remove the stench of Carnival's previous mishaps? Hrubant says that the free cruises — assuming they offer a good experience — may help agents feel better about recommending a Carnival cruise, and that some price-conscious consumers will be enticed by Carnival's low fares in spite of the bad press. "I'd recommend a Carnival cruise if it was right for my client," Hrubant says. "But I'd add in a disclaimer about past events." Stieghorst says that it could take six months to a year to see if Carnival's outreach fully works: Credibility "isn't gained in a day."
Article by Caty Hill. View article on Market Watch here.
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--Adams Family Papers
Some reels have a concentration of Abigail Adams' material. Reel 97 has Abigail Adams' letterbook, covering 18 November 1779-1 December 1779; Reel 197 has Abigail Adams' miscellany diary, 20 June 1784-28 July 1784, and 30 March 1788- May 1788; Reel 198 has Abigail Adams miscellany, including the manuscript of John T. Kirkland's funeral sermon on Mrs. Adams, November, 1818.
There are four published parts of the Adams Family Papers. The first part includes diaries, the second part includes letterbooks, the third part is miscellany, and the fourth part is letters received, and other "loose" papers.
Abigail Adams' letters are in the fourth part, chronologically filed with the other "loose" correspondence regarding various family members. Reels 343 to 542 contains most of the documents about the women of the family.
Within the third part, Reels 197-198 are items concerning Abigail Adams.
In the first and second parts, in Reels 1-179, in the diaries and letterbooks of John Adams and John Quincy Adams is information on Abigail Adams.
At the Massachusetts Historical Society, there is also much material of Abigail Adams' which is not published or microfilmed.
--Cranch Family Papers
--The Norton Diaries
--Smith-Carter Collection
--Smith-Townsend Collection
--The Tudor Manuscripts
--Henry Oscar Houghton (1823-1895) Papers
--The Sparkes Manuscripts
--Abigail Adams Paper
--Bella Clara Landauer Collection
--Abigail Adams Papers
--Florence Woolsey Hazzard Papers
--Abigail Adams-John Thaxter Letters
--William Smith Shaw Family Papers
--Thomas Jefferson Papers
--Smith-Carter Family
--Davis Batchelder Papers
--James Monroe Papers
--Charles William Frederick Dumas Papers
--William Cranch Papers
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.:
--General Collection
Barnard Library,Columbia University, New York, New York:
--Bertha Overbury Collection
New-York Historical Society, New York, New York:
--John Adams Papers
--Emner Collection
Kroch Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York:
Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, New York:
--Papers of Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the United States
--Simon Gratz Collection
--Buchanan Robert Papers
Cincinnati Historical Society, Collections, Cincinnati, Ohio:
--William Cranch (1769-1855) Papers
--Cabell Gwathmey Collection


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I thought I'd let you know that I'm determined to get past my writer's block and general food malaise. Last weekend's gorgeous weather actually inspired me to get off the couch and think about writing again. Focus, clarity, and blogging seemed to be within my grasp, and I looked for a new recipe to help bring everything together.
I can never resist a baked pasta dish; there's something about the mix of melted cheese, tomato sauce, and chewy pasta that hits the spot and lifts my spirits every time. So as soon as I received this month's Food & Wine and saw this recipe for Baked Orrechiette with Pork Sugo, I folded down the page and vowed to make it as soon as possible. In my mind it promised to be a more elegant version of my beloved Baked Ziti with Spicy Sausage recipe, and we all know I could use a little more class in my life.
As the sun shined through my kitchen window on Sunday afternoon, I chopped celery, carrots, and garlic. Next I browned the pork in my Dutch oven and added the vegetables, tomatoes, red wine, and chicken stock before allowing it all to simmer slowly for a couple of hours. After cooking a batch of orrechiette and grating some Parmesan cheese, I threw everything into a baking dish and then into the oven.
As I proudly pulled the pan from the oven thirty-five minutes later, it hit me: I completely forgot to add onion to the sauce. I guess sunshine isn't enough to clear the cobwebs from my brain. I swear I read through the recipe several times before I started cooking, but somehow the word "onion" never registered with me.
Sigh. Obviously I'm not over this nasty bout of block yet. And since I forgot an essential ingredient in this dish I'm reluctant to pass judgment on it. The salty cheese, rustic shredded pork, and vegetables mixed with one of my favorite pasta varieties indeed provided me with the comfort I was seeking. But clarity and focus? I think I still have a ways to go.


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(Ed. Note: When I first posted this in 2009, I had no idea how popular it would become. For 2011, I've updated the content to reflect updates and new options in the market.) (Ed. Note 2: Thanks to Techradar for naming our Yule Log Visualization for Windows Media Player one of the Top 60 free apps for Windows at #4) (Ed. Note 3: In 2011, I replaced the FM Transmitter with the CZH-05B from Amazon.com. This is highly recommended over the C.Crane and is worth every penny.
Seeing as we don't have a large yard to run a Mannheim Steamroller over our neighbors, I went with something a bit more subtle and easier to set up. The unexpected side effect is that kids throughout our neighborhood now think that Santa lives at our house! Here is the result: With a few tweaks, your community can be treated to music and a message from Santa via a low-power FM transmitter. All the details are below. Project ListTo create the effect yourself, here is what you need:
- A window. Just about any window will do.
- The Complete Virtual Santa Kit or an old Projector and PC. HD isn't needed.
- An old DVD player with ability to set playback to repeat.
- A good FM Transmitter. I used a C. Crane Digital FM Transmitter but updated in 2011 to this one worth every penny for power)
- A white sheet to cover the window. Avoid patterns.
- Black Scrim used for theaters or a sheet of the black garden weed blocker fabric from local hardware store
Step 1: Set up the Virtual Santa Kit (or Projector) The Virtual Santa Kit includes everything you need for projection. If you're going the homegrown route, I'm using an Optoma DS317 SVGA DLP Projector. It has a great throw ratio and at 2500 lumens should be bright enough for neighborhood outdoor movies during the summer. Don't worry about fancy features- a standard-def projector will work with VGA input. The trick is to get one with 2000 lumens or better. Also look for ability to adjust keystone and reverse the image. I placed the setup on a small coffee table and made good use of the Windows 7 box to adjust the angle and do a quick alignment with the window: Step 2: Prep the PC (or DVD Player) As you can see above, I decided to use a PC instead of a DVD player. In this case, Windows 7 and Windows Media Player make an excellent choice if you're going to change up your order, add custom music etc. I set up the projector via the included VGA cable and have extended Windows Media Player to run on the projector as a second display. You can set this by pressing [Windows Key] + P and choosing, "Extend" as seen below: Make sure Windows Media Player is set to run in full screen and move the mouse cursor back over to the main Windows display. This will set the player controls to hide automatically and has the added benefit of making sure any alerts/notifications will not appear on the projector. The last thing you want to do is ruin the illusion. Step 3: Prep the FM Tuner There are a number of FM tuning options available, however I strongly recommend against using a solution designed for in-car. They're just not powerful enough. Be sure to read the comments on Amazon for the C. Crane Digital FM Transmitter and you should get tips on how to boostfor cars driving up to be able to hear your music. If you're eagle eyed, you'll notice below that I've soldered a dipole FM antenna wire to the transmitter to improve the distance. To figure out which station works best in your area, I recommend Belkin's "My Best FM Stations" service. Just tap in your City/Zip/State and it will give you a number of options. Be sure to try these out yourself. Step 4: Create a Custom Movie with your custom Virtual Santa Santa's Symphonies is available as a digital download (MPEG-4) which plays fine with Windows 7 and Windows Media Player. For Santa in the Window, there's no music provided, but it's easy to add your own – just use Handbrake to rip the DVD, add your favorite holiday music tracks with Windows Live Movie Maker or iMovie and save. You"ll also notice that I have shuffle and repeat turned on on WMP. Be sure to set repeat so the video can play indefinitely. With Windows 7, the system is so stable I've let it run for an entire week without issue. If you're going the DVD route, burn a DVD with "loop" turned on via DVD Burner or iDVD. Step 5: Set up the Window "Screen" For the projection screen, I used a two-ply of a white sheet and the black scrim material as seen below. The scrim adds a great deal of realism to the effect because it blocks out the high intensity "halo" effect many projectors create and increases the black levels in the video. I just pinned up the scrim and the sheet behind it. Take this picture to your local fabric store and they'll be able to set you up (thank to my wife for contributing to the effort <g>). Step 6: Fire up the projector, Create a Sign for the Yard and and delight the Kids Be sure to level and center the display. You'll also want to adjust the distance from the window so the scale of Santa is correct. I use the WMP toolbar in full screen (seen below) to help center the video, then it automatically hides: Remember to move the mouse cursor back to the main screen Be sure to put a sign on the yard with the FM Frequency you're transmitting on and house and you're ready to go! Looking for more project ideas? Click the "Project" link at the top of the page. Happy Holidays everyone!


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MX305 - Column Scale
Column Scale with BMI
The MX305 column healthcare scale, with BMI, has a lightweight aluminum design and features a rugged platform, with both an anodized column and console, for years of dependable operation. High capacity and large, stable platform provides quick and easy weighing with a display height of 42" for easy viewing. Convenient battery power means the scale can be placed anywhere with no cord to trip over and the easy to use BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation offers one-button weight recall and more.
MX305 - Column Scale Specifications
- Capacity: 750 lb / 340 kg
- Accuracy: ± 0.1 lb / 0.05 kg
- Resolution: 0.1 lb / 0.05 kg
- Platform size: 16" W x 18" D x 1.75" H
- Scale height: 42"
- System Weight: 17 pounds
- MotionLock Technology for unsteady users
- (4) D-cell batteries (included) provide an extraordinary 100,000+ weighings
- Smart View Display shows weight only, or weight, height, and BMI on a single screen
- Warranty: Industry leading 3 years
- Made in the USA
Informational Sheet Are you a planner?
Download the Revit file
Befour's exclusive ECO Weigh battery system provides 5 to 70 times the battery life of comparable healthcare scales.Read More
CX7 display console is both intuitive and powerful and shows all essential information on a single screen.Read More
MotionLock Technology automatically determines accurate weight for unsteady users.Read More
All Befour scales are built to last for repetitive use in the most demanding environments.Read More
EMR/EHR Ready - with the addition of optional Bluetooth module. Send a patient's weight, height and BMI, wirelessly to your chosen device.Read More
Eliminate the need to physically touch the display console.Read More
With a low step-up height and elimination of hazardous cords, Befour scales provide unmatched safety.Read More
Befour scales are engineered and manufactured with the environment in mind.Read More
Products & Accessories
Mounts to the scale
• Long-lasting lithium ion rechargeable battery power
• Prints time, date, weight, height, and BMI plus space for written ID
Optional AC Adapter for powering via wall outlets.
The vast majority of users prefer using battery power due to the outstanding battery life of Befour scales.
Plug-in module facilitates transmitting scale information to Android and iOS devices.
Turns any Android or iOS device into a remote scale display for viewing weight, height and BMI. Requires BLE-7 module. The app for your iOS/Apple device can be found in the Apple Store. The app for your Android device can be found in the Google Play Store. Search: "Medical Scale Display".


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Frosted Transparent Magsafe Phone Cases For iPhone
Soft iPhone case with high quality design that will protect your phone from bumps and scratches.
- Has a shockproof, dust proof and fingerprint resistant cover
- Supports wireless charging and MagSafe
- Drop protection
USA- from 15 to 30 days
UK - from 15 to 30 days
Canada- from 15 to 30 days
Australia- from 15 to 30 days
South America -from 15 to 30 days
New Zealand-from 15 to 30 days
Asia-from 15 to 30 days
Germany-from 15 to 30 days
Rest of the World-from 15 to 30 days
Return policy
Return policy
We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unworn or unused, with tags, and in its original packaging. You'll also need the receipt or proof of purchase.
To start a return, you can contact us at email@example.com. If your return is accepted, we'll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted.
You can always contact us for any return question at email@example.com.
444 Alaska Avenue
Suite #BHD660
Torrance, CA 90503
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon reception and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
Exceptions / non-returnable items
Certain types of items cannot be returned, like perishable goods (such as food, flowers, or plants), custom products (such as special orders or personalized items), and personal care goods (such as beauty products). We also do not accept returns for hazardous materials, flammable liquids, or gases. Please get in touch if you have questions or concerns about your specific item.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on sale items or gift cards.
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and once the return is accepted, make a separate purchase for the new item.
We will notify you once we've received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you'll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.
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text: Got a friend who wants to transform their life and body and have a blast doing it? Refer them to FOE CrossFit, and we'll reward you both! Just give us your friend's name and email address, and we'll send them an offer for $50 off their first month of training. When they become a member, you get $50 off your next month of training, too. Everybody wins!


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The Use of Accruals to Manage Reported Earnings: Theory and Evidence
Timothy W. Koch and Larry D. Wall
Working Paper 2000-23
November 2000
Download the full text of this paper in PDF format - (149 KB)
This paper develops a model in which firm managers maximize their own compensation by using accruals to manage reported earnings. The results of the model suggest that the form of the managerial compensation function and managerial time preferences may have an important influence on the relationship between accruals and latent earnings. Among the possible relationships suggested by the model are strategies we call Smooth Income, Occasional Big Bath, Live for Today, and Maximize Variability, each of which suggests a different reporting strategy pursued by managers. Most empirical tests of accruals are inconsistent with this and other theoretical models because they include a single earnings variable in a linear regression analysis. Instead, we document the reporting of accruals by two firms, Sunbeam and Citicorp, that is consistent with the "Live for Today" and "Occasional Big Bath" strategies.
JEL classification: G30, J33, M4
Key words: discretionary accruals, earnings management, executive compensation
The authors thank Sherley Wilson and Nichole Castater for research assistance and George Benston, Matej Blasko, Richard Bower, Mary Lea McAnally, Pam Peterson, Joe Sinkey, Steve Smith, and seminar participants at the University of South Carolina, Georgia State University, the University of Tennessee, and the Tenth Annual Conference on Financial Economics and Accounting for helpful comments. The views expressed here are the authors' and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta or the Federal Reserve System. Any remaining errors are the authors' responsibility. This paper is preliminary and incomplete. Comments are welcome but please do not quote without permission.
Please address questions regarding content to Larry D. Wall, Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 104 Marietta Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, 404-498-8937, firstname.lastname@example.com, or Timothy W. Koch, The Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, Columbia.


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Daniel Day-Lewis brings back #Eastwooding
- Day-Lewis brings an empty chair onstage at the Britannia awards
- The actor joked that he was glad the re-elected president 'was able to make it'
- Prognosticators say his portrayal of Lincoln may land him a third Oscar
LOS ANGELES — We know Abraham Lincoln had a sense of humor.
But when Daniel Day-Lewis grabbed his chair at the BAFTA Britannia awards on Wednesday night and plunked it on stage next to the podium, we almost couldn't believe our eyes. Day-Lewis? #Eastwooding?
The Lincoln star, who was honored with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia award for Excellence in Film, seemed to be in a playful mood, saying he was "groggy" from watching election results on CNN until 2 a.m. "I have to say, I'm so extremely grateful and glad that, taking time out of his very busy schedule, the recently re-elected president of this country was able to make it," joked Day-Lewis, gesturing to the empty chair beside him in the Beverly Hilton ballroom. "I know as an Englishman it's absolutely none of my business, but I'm so very grateful that it was you."
As the audience laughed, the two-time Oscar winner took a moment to explain his satirical impulse, which mirrored the viral Twitter trend following Clint Eastwood's speech at the Republican National Convention. "I respect Eastwood and this isn't a comment on his politics," said the actor. "But when I saw him talking to a chair in front of a room full of strangers, I thought, 'I've got to try that. That's a challenge.' "
It was certainly an entertaining, if early, start to awards season, which prognosticators say may well feature many speeches from Day-Lewis, thanks to his indelible portrayal of the 16th U.S. president.
On a more serious note, Lincoln director Steven Spielberg praised Day-Lewis as "an actor that would have achieved unprecedented recognition no matter when he was born."
"When the cameras are rolling," Spielberg continued, "Daniel turns sideways into the light and disappears."
The 2012 Britannia Awards were hosted by Alan Cumming, and also feted Daniel Craig, Quentin Tarantino, South Park's Trey Parker and Matt Stone and video game designer Will Wright. The awards show will air on BBC America on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET.


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Exceed your record-keeping requirements with comprehensive proof of delivery information by Web, fax, or mail, as available
Note: You can view signatures online with UPS Signature TrackingTM. You'll need a UPS account saved to your ups.com profile to access this feature.
Find information to help determine the cost of your shipment.


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Suggested Products:
Traditionally, couples celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary by giving gifts of tin or aluminum. It's still common in some parts of the world, but it can be difficult to find the perfect aluminum gift. Many modern couples prefer to buy more extravagant gifts for their 10th anniversary, like custom rings.
Fashion pieces make for great 10th anniversary gifts. Personal Creations has a large variety of custom men's accessories for him and lovely personalizedanniversary gifts for her. If you're looking for a 10th anniversary gift for a couple, consider giving them personalized home décor for their household.


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Graeme Gibson
Graeme Gibson, CM, writer, cultural activist, teacher (born 9 August 1934 in London, ON; died 18 September 2019 in London, England). Graeme Gibson was a noted Canadian author and conservationist. His novels Five Legs (1969), Communion (1971), Perpetual Motion (1982) and Gentleman Death (1993) were widely acclaimed. He also published the environmentally conscious The Bedside Book of Birds (2005) and The Bedside Book of Beasts (2009). A committed bird watcher, he helped found the Pelee Island Bird Observatory. He was also instrumental in forming the Writers' Union of Canada, the Book and Periodical Development Council and the Writers' Trust of Canada. He was a former president of PEN Canada and the longtime partner of Margaret Atwood.


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Kids' calorie counts are down from a decade ago
- Overall caloric intake for boys dropped by 158 calories a day
- The intake for girls dropped by 76 calories a day
- But calories don%27t tell the whole nutrition story%2C one expert says
Kids are consuming fewer calories a day now than they did a decade ago, according to government data out Thursday.
Calorie intake for boys ages 2 to 19 dropped by 158 calories from 2000 to 2010. For girls the same age it fell by 76 calories.
The average calorie intake for boys was 2,258 calories in 2000 vs. 2,100 in 2010. For girls the intake dropped from 1,831 calories in 2000 to 1,755 in 2010.
"This is a surprise," says the study's lead author, Bethene Ervin, a nutritional epidemiologist with the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Energy intake among adults during this time period did not change, she says.
The recommended caloric intake for children and teens varies greatly, from 1,000 to 3,200 calories a day, depending on age, gender and activity level.
The findings come "as we're seeing a leveling off of obesity in recent years," says the report's senior author, Cynthia Ogden, an epidemiologist with the National Center for Health Statistics. "Obesity in children and teens in recent years has remained at about 17%."
The new statistics are from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which evaluates food and beverage intake based on data from in-person interviews. The results are from more than 22,000 interviews. Parents answered questions for children ages 2 to 11; adolescents answered the questions themselves.
Other findings:
• The percentage of calories from protein — eggs, meat, fish, nuts — increased slightly from roughly 13.5% to 14.5% for children and teens.
• The percentage of calories from carbohydrates — fruits, vegetables, bread, potatoes, rice — decreased slightly from 55.5% to roughly 54.5% for kids and adolescents.
• The percentage of calories from total fat stayed about the same at about 31%.
Registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward, author of MyPlate for Moms, How to Feed Yourself & Your Family Better, says: "Calories count, but diet quality matters, too. Kids may be eating less, but that's not the whole story.
"Every day, children need two to three servings of low-fat dairy foods, upwards of five servings of fruits and vegetables, at least three servings of whole grains, and protein foods such as lean meats, poultry, eggs, and beans."


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How education can STEAM ahead in NH
A new Manchester program would enable students to earn a minimum of one year of college credits by the time they graduate high school at no cost
STEAM Ahead is a true public/private partnership that is unprecedented in its scope, ambition and innovation.
Over a year ago, we began to engage major educational and community players from a cross-section of organizations, institutions and businesses who came together to see what could be done to improve education in Manchester. With leadership from Jeremy Hitchcock of Dyn and Nick Soggu of SilverTech, representatives from West High School, the Manchester School District, Manchester Community College and the University System of New Hampshire began planning STEAM Ahead. Jeremy and Nick are products of the Manchester School System. We believe that Manchester can and should be an innovation hub for education.
We are all aware that more graduates with skill and knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) will drive economic development. STEAM Ahead addresses these same concerns, but also includes the study of the arts, which is imperative for our students to think creatively, critically and collaboratively. The STEAM Ahead program, when approved by the Manchester School Board, would begin as a pilot program at West High School in the fall of 2014 and will enable students to earn a minimum of one year of college credits (30 credits) by the time they graduate high school at no cost to the students or their parents.
In a time when the cost of higher education continues to rise, this will help make it more obtainable for our students.
With students taking college classes while still in high school, we may be able to change the way these young people perceive themselves. Many do not look at themselves as college material. But by taking these classes, and succeeding, they may realize they can and should pursue educational opportunities beyond high school.
This program is much more than simply taking college courses while in high school. Students will also be able to earn credit through internships with local companies and organizations, like Dyn, SilverTech, the Currier Museum of Art and the Palace Theatre. Students will be aware of the many opportunities available to them after graduation while businesses and organizations will have access to the bright young minds in our city.
STEAM Ahead acknowledges and embraces that students can learn, benefit and grow both inside and outside the traditional classroom.
The STEAM Ahead initiative also looks to put a greater emphasis on the professional development of our high school teachers, who are often so swamped with teaching, grading, mentoring and the many other things they do on a daily basis that they have little time to seek additional professional development.
Teachers will be provided with a wide variety of professional development opportunities through programs coordinated with our higher education partners and the business community. As teachers are the primary engagers of students and STEAM education, it is critical to provide them with research on how students learn with emerging technologies and strategies to support more students in the STEAM fields. There will also be opportunities to increase the number of teachers who have advanced degrees in their subject areas.
This is what makes STEAM Ahead so special, a true collaboration of our community. It is almost unimaginable to think that so many players would come to the table, put their self-interest aside, and create a program that will change the lives of students within Manchester. Even though STEAM Ahead is still awaiting approval, it seems it is already teaching us some valuable lessons.
Ted Gatsas is mayor of Manchester. Bob Baines is former mayor of Manchester.


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The volatile economy is prompting many businesses to delay important systems, network, and software upgrades. That's understandable. However, hardware, applications, and network equipment still possess finite service lives and, when neglected too long, critical platforms fail. As one of my business partners likes to say, hope alone isn't a sustainable business strategy.
For technology consultants, this means an increase in encounters with frustrated clients who held off on system upgrades for too long and now must make significant and typically disruptive upgrades quickly. To make matters worse, best business practices, such as properly licensed servers, professional antivirus, and sound backup strategies, have been overlooked, too.
It's similar to a physician meeting a 60-year-old sedentary patient who has been eating a high cholesterol diet and smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 40 years asking why they aren't feeling energetic and healthy. But while a physician can't build a new body, IT consultants can architect new networks and systems.
Even though you or another consultant has probably diagnosed the same obsolescence and fundamental failures that led to current issues numerous times and seen almost identical circumstances in the past, remember that the client hasn't been in this situation before. Each client is unique and doesn't understand or respect that the issues they are experiencing may be similar to those other businesses or organizations are encountering. To a client, it's personal.
The most important and sometimes overlooked key to success in this situation is patience, especially when you're answering the client's most basic of technology questions. This can be a challenge for some technology professionals, who are often stereotyped as socially challenged and intolerant of those unable to memorize esoteric facts, such as IP addresses and system prompt command switches. Consultancies will be best served dispatching the most seasoned and professional staff to review a client's troublesome systems and present recommendations for correcting neglect and other fundamental issues.
For instance, a technically brilliant though socially awkward engineer might take one look at a medical client's network and say, "Yeah, I'm not surprised you're having trouble incorporating your cloud-based CRM app. I can't believe you can even get your business on the 'net using that crappy Linksy router. What the #$@%! were you thinking? And connecting six-year-old Dell Dimensions with P4s running XP? #$!@!! man, I'm surprised you've stayed in business as long as you have." (Okay, let's hope he at least wouldn't curse.)
You must develop constructive methods of repeatedly advising clients how to correct these issues while maximizing the tech investments clients must make. The client instead needs to hear, "Yes, I can imagine users are experiencing difficulty leveraging your business' new CRM investments. If we could upgrade these desktops, which exceed intended lifecycles, with business-grade machines and drop in a commercial-grade router to harden your network and better meet HIPAA intrusion auditing recommendations, that'll make quite a difference. The time staff saves with the new PCs, leveraging the CRM app and waiting for screens to load can be better used, ultimately, treating patients." You better believe the client would notice the difference between the approaches and would respond better to this one.
The next time you catch yourself breezing through highly technical details to the client, remind yourself that each client is unique. You should tactfully explain that systems and infrastructure can't be neglected for years without having to pay the piper and requires that their business objectives and benefits be directly matched to any recommended IT upgrades. The simple act of you being patient can go a long way to cementing a long-term relationship with the client.
Also read: Tips on delivering bad news to clients


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My quilt is 52 x 78
My block size is 13 inches (13.5 with seam allowances)
Blocks are set 4 across and 6 down
I used my Accuquilt GO to cut my Drunkard's Path blocks and Circles.
Although I intended to make my quilt scrappy I ended up using 4 greens and 4 pinks.
When using my GO die for the Drunkard's Path blocks, I had to modify my fabric placement from my original design to use my fabric most efficiently. Each cut made 2 centers and two outside wedges.
In each block I used 4 fabrics, a dark and light pink and a dark and light green. I always pressed toward the green fabric. The lights are sewn together and the darks are sewn together — I know this seems backwards but it's how it worked for me.
Four Drunkard's Path sections are assembled, I don't use pins when sewing the curves but I do pin at this point. After sewing the first two sections together, I'm pressing my seam toward the outside green fabric in this step.
It's important to me that my circles line up – I square all the blocks up so the outside edges are less important than the seams.
You will need 12 of these large Drunkard's Path blocks. I squared my blocks to 13.5 inches.
Now its time to move on to the circles. My background squares are cut 7 inches and I used the largest circle on my GO die. For each block you will need:
* 2 light green squares
* 2 dark pink squares
* 2 pink circles
* 2 dark green circles
I used fusible web and fused it to the fabric before cutting my circles. Use a lightweight web. After fusing the circle to the background, I stitched around them using a blendy thread and an open zigzag stitch. Pink circles go on the green background and green circles on the pink squares.
Sew 4 circle blocks together like a 4 patch, you should have a light green background in the top left and bottom right.
It's hard to explain how I laid out my blocks – the easy part is alternating a DP block with a circle block and pressing toward the circles. If you look closely at my quilt — my pinks and greens run in diagonals….so the outside curve of a Green DP block always touches another green and the Pink always touches another pink.
The easiest way to do this is to use two DP blocks that have the dark green in the outer rings in row one. In the next row – use two blocks that have the light green in the outer rings, continue alternating rows like this and your pinks should automatically line up.
If you have everything rotated correctly, the green and pinks should alternate from square to square no matter whether it's a circle or DP block.
© Mary Johnson 2012 – MaryQuilts.com
Here's my original EQ7 drawing but I laid it out as described above because when you're cutting with the Drunkard's Path die – it's easiest to lay a piece of fabric over all the cuts so you end up with both the "pie" shape and the "background" shapes from each fabric. You can see in the EQ7 drawing below, my pies are all light green or dark pink and the backgrounds are all dark green or light pink. That wasn't the case when actually went to make this quilt.