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There's been a lot of debate recently in regards to the indication of the skull and crossbones and whether or not this ought to be regarded as like a legitimate Masonic emblem. This information is an effort to show this symbol is definitely authentic in the Masonic association, for this both covers and discloses genuine mysteries relating to the Craft.
Thinking about the truth that the skull and crossbones continue being a typical accessory for chambers of reflection and third degree tracing boards of numerous Masonic areas in addition to a prominent feature inside the Templar and Kadosh Levels from the You are able to and Scottish Rituals, it might appear in my experience the symbol's authenticity is, when the readers allows the parlance, a "given, " but regrettably for a lot of Masons, the bond between your apparently macabre emblem from the skull and crossbones and our gentle Craft is a which remains hidden in what in most probability are merely and naturally the shadows that belongs to them ill-founded fears and various insecurities. The association from the indication of the skull and crossbones with notions of piracy and poison has without doubt left many Masons desirous of distancing themselves and even the Fraternity from all of these and other alike emblems.
Reminder Mori.1 It's natural to fear dying, but we as Masons are trained to see that unavoidable moment less something to dread but instead because the motivating element in achieving our very own work and duty as males so that as Masons.
"The contaminants [from the shapely] run quickly, and, for aught we all know, using the passing of one of these you or I shall die. It's uncertain. We ought to notneglect a minute, butdo all we are able to do in order to the truly amazing finish to be really happy. For we shall die, as well as in the grave there's no working. There's no device, no understanding, no pardon there."2
Because of this we're given a sobering indication each time we've the fortune to sit down in Lodge throughout the raising of the fellow from the Craft towards the Sublime Amount of Master Mason or throughout the Knighting of the Mason like a Templar or Dark night Kadosh that dying is definitely near which it might come from anywhere and then any time, no matter the individual or persons involved.
Whether it is within the chamber of reflection within the areas where the first is allowed or needed, the tracing board from the Master Mason degree, the Knighting ceremony from the Order from the Temple within the You are able to Rite or even the Knights in combat Kadosh Degree within the Ancient and Recognized Scottish Rite from the Southern Jurisdiction, what stands because the primary indication from the harsh truth that dying is ever imminent may be the chilling human skull and crossbones. However, the symbol also offers an esoteric application that is equally or even more profound in the relevance.
We shall begin our explanation beginning with concentrating on the Masonic value of the death's mind or human skull. In the book, Low Magick, Brother Lon Milo DuQuette half-amusingly mentioned concerning the mechanism of ritual work and ceremonial miracle that "[i]t's all inside your headyou simply have no clue how large your mind is." Based on one 1700s Masonic expose, Brother DuQuette is completely right. In Samuel Pritchard's Masonry Dissected we come across the next dialogue:
Q. Perhaps you have any Answer to [the Secrets within the Lodge]?
A. Yes.
Q. Where would you ensure that it stays?
A. Inside a Bone Bone Box that neither opens nor shuts however with Ivory Secrets.
Q. Will it hang or will it lie?
A. It dangles.
Q. Exactly what does it hang by?
A. A Tow-Line 9 inches or perhaps a Span.
Q. What Metal could it be of?
A. No types of Metal whatsoever however a Tongue of excellent Report is really as good behind a Brother's Back as before his Face.
- N.B. The bottom line is the Tongue, the Bone Bone Box one's teeth, the Tow-Line the rooftop from the Mouth.3
An identical exchange, showing up within the Sloane Manuscript, brought historian Tobias Churton to declare outright that indeed "the Lodge is incorporated in the mind."4 This indicates the Lodge, furniture, ornaments, and officials may have the ability to their reflection inside the make-from guy. Sufi-inspired Russian mystic, G.I. Gurdjieff, offered an identical teaching. Based on Gurdjieff, every guy, similar to an ideal Lodge, comes with an internal sevenfold metabolic rate that they called the "Seven Males." This notion isn't unlike the Theosophical teaching in regards to the septenary character from the soul of guy, an interpretation that has, because the occult revival from the 1800s, consistently been extended by authors for example Macho P. Hall, J. S. M. Ward, and W. L. Wilmshurst towards the seven officials which constitute an ideal Lodge.
"[M]an, the seven-fold being, is easily the most valued of all of the Creator's works, and therefore it is also the Lodge has seven principle officials, which a lodge, to become perfect, requires the existence of seven brethren although the much deeper concept of this phrase would be that the individual guy, in virtue of his seven-fold metabolic rate, in themself comprises the "perfect lodge, " if he'll but know themself and evaluate their own character aright."5
More lately, in the formidable book, Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance, W. Kirk McNulty applied a decidedly Jungian means to fix the issue of Masonic ritual, placing the Lodge, candidate, and officials squarely and nicely inside the conscious and unconscious mind that's, within the mind.
The crossbones also provide an intriguing Masonic application. Within the recommendations supplied by the Grand Lodge of Colorado for applying and performing an effective chamber of reflection, Masons are informed that "[t]he crossbones will also be an indication in the support beams, the portico of guy where he or she must stand because he labors within the quarry."6 As Matthew C. Pelham, Sr. shown in the thought invoking article "Searching for additional Light within the Meaning from the Skull and Crossbones, " the association between your crossbones, which are always built using human femurs or thighbones, and also the two support beams from the Temple, stems without doubt in the verse in Song of Solomon which announces inside a moving hymn to Deity that "His legs are as support beams."7 Still, there's another similarity between your support beams from the Masonic Lodge and someone's (or, more particularly, something's) legs that is so absolutely striking which i dare not neglect to bring it up.


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Europe is the perfect introduction to walking holidays for children. The popular walking areas include plenty of easier terrain with a wide variety of family-friendly accommodation.
If you are considering a family holiday with the kids – then please check out the "Walking with Kids" section on our website.
If you enjoyed walking holidays before having a family, please don't give up your favourite holiday style just because you are now parents! From babies in carriers to teenagers, walking with children has much to offer. Obviously, you will have to tailor your trip a bit, particularly with younger kids, but modern carriers mean even a baby is no longer an impediment to a walking holiday. Plus, many mountain inns and guest houses are family-owned and family-friendly
Planning your first family walking holiday…
Get the kids involved in the holiday planning. Show them pictures and video clips of the area that you will be visiting and let them make suggestions as to what they may like to do including non-walking activities.
Make sure everyone has the right gear. Children need good boots, just like adults. And their feet grow fast – so don't rely on last year's pair fitting them still – check if they need new shoes in good time before the trip.
Wet weather clothing is important too. Kids are particularly vulnerable to hypothermia, so layers of good quality fabric is key.
Mum or Dad may have to consider a larger backpack – although kids often like to carry a small rucksack themselves – you'll be the ones carrying extra snacks, spare clothing, first aid gear and sun tan lotion!
Choose the right itinerary!
If your children are very young, or just new to hiking, then don't be overly ambitious on your first trip.
If the kids aren't up to walking from one location to the next- then consider a trip where you stay in one place all week – and do a variety of day trips.
Keep the days short and fun, to encourage the kids. If the weather doesn't cooperate, don't push it, have some alternative activities planned for poor weather. Look for a location where you can take a break from outdoor activities to visit local attractions, zoos, or museums.
Walking is a wonderful family adventure, and Europe has plenty of options which allow families to enjoy a healthy family holiday. Plus you are introducing the next generation to the joys of the great outdoors!

subset: commoncrawl


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A slice of wild paradise beckons not far from Denver, 40 miles southwest of downtown yet a world away. Staunton State Park is Colorado's newest state park—a gleaming gem that opened in 2013 after 27 years in the making. This rural, 4,000-acre park beckons with its wilderness and, so far, limited development.
Now is your chance to experience the park in its most natural state. Shortly after you start heading up Elk Creek Road off Highway 285 near Conifer, this magical place begins to cast its spell. Lions Head, the park's signature rock outcropping, peeks into view, hinting at the grandeur to come. The park's captivating wildness, whose elevation stretches from 8,100 feet to above 10,000 feet, is complete with granite cliffs, rocky outcrops, rolling meadows, alpine forests, rushing creeks, fishing ponds, rare plants, and a stunning waterfall.
The park's namesake, Frances Hornbrook Staunton, was a nature lover whose family homesteaded the area in 1905. Three years before her death, the childless Staunton willed her 1,720-acre ranch to the state in 1986 with the stipulation that it be preserved as a "natural wilderness-type park." The Staunton Ranch cabins remain on site, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Rural Historic Landscape.
This donation of land was a beautiful gift, but making it into a state park wasn't easy and came with a hefty price tag. With insufficient funds to acquire adjacent properties and develop the park, the state risked having to relinquish the land.
With the park's future teetering in the balance, the state finally got funding from the Colorado Lottery as well as Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), a nonprofit established in 1992 to invest Colorado Lottery proceeds to preserve and enhance the state's parks, trails, and open spaces. In 1998, GOCO gave $25.5 million to Colorado State Parks to purchase properties deemed crown jewels, with more than $10 million of it helping create Staunton State Park.
"It was a unique opportunity that would not have happened without GOCO," says GOCO executive director Lise Aangeenbrug. "Had the people of Colorado not had the foresight to create GOCO and direct lottery revenues to the outdoors, the state would have had to give up Frances Staunton's pristine estate and it likely would have been split up and developed. Now an extraordinary piece of wilderness is preserved forever and open to the public to enjoy."
New state parks aren't exactly a dime a dozen. "It is very unusual to develop a new state park," says Margaret Taylor, assistant region manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "The last time a state park was opened in the Denver Metro area was Eldorado Canyon in 1978."
Staunton's pristine, remote character makes it especially unique. "It's an area within 40 miles of downtown Denver that provides a rural mountain park feel," says Zach Taylor, park manager at Staunton. "The idea with the park is to keep it as a mountain escape."
For now, roads lead just a quarter mile into the property, leaving the majority of the park a wild backcountry experience, just as Ms. Staunton intended. You can strike out from one of three parking lots and explore 23 miles of trails on foot, mountain bike, or horseback. Or sling a rope over your shoulder if you want to tackle one of nearly 70 established climbing routes on the park's beautiful cliffs and crags, with options that range in difficulty from family-friendly 5.3 to epic 5.12+.
Visitors have to head home by nightfall, but this will soon change. Plans are in the works to offer camping at the park, starting with remote walk-in sites within a couple of years. The longer-term master plan calls for additional roads, restrooms, picnic areas, campgrounds, cabins, trails, and a service center, but the park will always retain a wilderness character.
Ask people their favorite place in the park, and Elk Falls Overlook often rolls off their tongues. It's 11 miles round-trip, but the journey rewards with views of Chimney Rock, the North Elk Creek valley, and the spectacular 100-foot falls. For a shorter jaunt, explore the Marmot Passage Trail, which offers equally stunning vistas. The Scout Line Trail is another good option, especially for hikers who prefer not to share the trail with horses and bikes.
Ten more miles of trails are in the works in the coming year, including one to the base of Elk Falls. To get the latest scoop, keep an eye out for Wayne Parkinson, a volunteer who is president of Friends of Staunton State Park and often lingers at trailheads to chat with visitors. His latest tip? The park's newest trail isn't on the map yet. It's a 1-mile loop that branches off the Lions Back Trail and takes you to the summit of Lions Head. Look for a turnoff about 50 feet before the Elk Falls Overlook. As you climb the rock steps, picture Parkinson's calloused hands helping place each stone with care to share his love of this special park.


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For the NOVEMBER 28 DAY CONNECTION CHALLENGE, we are asking participants to take a minimum of 30 minutes out of their day for 28 days to connect with at least one other person daily and, once complete, return the form to be entered to win a $200 gift card. And to make it as easy as possible to participate, we have chosen activities that you are likely already doing - we just ask that you do it mindfully (connect on purpose). The number of people connected with doesn't matter, but the more the merrier!
It can be in done three ways: sitting down together to eat and talk, game playing, or a check-in chat to see how someone is doing, share a joke, see if they need anything, perhaps an arrangement to meet if possible. This challenge is designed as a tool to help you check in on each other; those in your home and other, family, friends or neighbours – you never know who may need that quick call or connection.
Don't live or cohort together but still want to join in? Get creative - play charades, Pictionary, do you have a pack of cards? Chess set, Snakes and Ladders? Both of you set them games up in your own homes, get out your laptop, phone and put each other on FaceTime, Messenger etc. and you can move each others' pieces around.
Prop your phone or laptop up in the kitchen and talk while you are sitting eating.
Call one or more of your friends, family, social circle (perhaps someone you usually wouldn't) and check in to say hi.
"We are always looking for ways to encourage families and individuals to connect with each other and reach out, especially now with the ongoing COIVD-19 restrictions keeping some people isolated and at risk of loneliness," said Ki Wilson, FCSS Coordinator for the Town of Devon. "We are hoping that the multiple options for how to complete the challenge will help people participate and include others who may need extra connection at this time, as well as raise everyone's spirits – the small things can make a big difference".
We can do this :)
WE ARE ENCOURAGING ANY DEVON RESIDENT (or anyone who has a child registered in a Devon school for the 2020-2021 school year) TO TAKE PART WITH YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY OR SOCIAL COHORT / BUBBLE, BUT ALSO BY USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO INCLUDE YOUR REMOTE FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS.
It's easy!
Get your game sheet here
Questions: access the questions (to get conversations started).
The main challenger must be a Devon resident OR have a child registered in a Devon school for the 2020-2021 school year. Non-residents without a child registered at a Devon school are welcome to play but cannot enter to win.
Anyone who is a resident can play - not restricted to families; singles, couples etc.
Try to include as many people as possible (it doesn't always have to be the same family members – include Grandma, uncles, neighbours, friends etc.) but you MUST follow all current guidelines on physical distancing.
You will be required to complete a short questionnaire on your entry form when you return it at the end of the challenge.
Aim to have a conversation with each other every time you play and check in to see how everyone is doing – if you want some "different" ideas we have included a list of questions you can ask with the game sheet.
Only one entry for each challenge per household / family.
Incomplete entry forms and / or those who didn't make the full 28 will not be accepted. You can email it to firstname.lastname@example.com or return to the office by putting it in the mail box - however, we would encourage email wherever possible to limit the need for being outside. You can take a photo of the completed forms for email purposes.
The winning prize will be awarded to the person named on the entry form.
First prize $200 gift card of choice, second prize $100 of choice (choice where available).
Winners from the eligible entries will be drawn at random on the date specified on the applicable game sheet.
There is no cash alternative available for either prize.
If you wish to donate your prize it will be redirected to the Families in Need Crisis Fund or the Food Bank.
Watch this area for commonly visited areas of our website, or areas that are current or new.
Stay informed and get the latest news on whats happening in Devon. the "Our Devon" newsletter is published quarterly. Provide your email address and we'll let you know when each new edition comes out.
Municipal Office Contact
Town of Devon Municipal Office
1 Columbia Avenue West
Devon, AB T9G 1A1
Phone: 780-987-8300
Fax: 780-987-4778
Google Map: View Large Map
Follow Us! We'd love to hear from you.


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Ind vs Eng: Axar Patel was the best bowler in 3rd Test, says Harbhajan
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 3 (ANI): Ahead of the fourth and final Test of the series against England, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh heaped praise on all-rounder Axar Patel for the way he bowled in the pink-ball Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium last week.
The hosts registered a comprehensive 10-wicket win over England in the third Test and took the 2-1 lead in the series. India is now eyeing the World Test Championship final spot in the last game of the series.
India only need to draw the final Test against Joe Root's men in order to seal a spot in the WTC final. Axar, playing in just his second Test, scalped 11 wickets in the day-night Test to spin a web over the Englishmen.
According to Harbhajan, it is the bowler who should be credited for turning the ball even if the pitch had something for the spinner.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports' show Cricket Connected, Harbhajan said, "At the beginning of our journey, the spinners are taught to hit the stump — the ball should hit the stump after the spin. If the wicket has spin then the bowler needs to judge how much spin is required, and if you're missing the stumps constantly then it's the bowler's fault. If there is a spinning track or any other track, there is always a challenge to bowl.
"The most difficult balls were the ones where the batsman had to face with the bat and I believe Axar Patel was the best bowler in this game because the batsman had to play every ball and Axar himself didn't know whether the ball will spin or not," he added.
In the ongoing series, Rohit Sharma, Axar and Ravichandran Ashwin have been the standout performers and now in the fourth Test, skipper Virat Kohli would look to come to the party and end his century-drought.
Kohli had last scored a century way back in 2019 in a day-night Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens.
The fourth Test of the series will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium from Thursday. (ANI)


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Comedian Jo Brand has been under fire for a joke made on BBC Radio Four show Heresy, where she states "…why bother with a milkshake, when you can get some battery acid?". Within the same statement, she clarified she wouldn't do it, and that it was just a fantasy. Her joke references attacks during European Elections, where right-wing candidates had milkshakes thrown on them by activists.
Since making this comment, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage accused Brand of inciting hate, and had suggested that police look into it.
Police began investigating Brand after an allegation of incitement to violence was made against her two days later. Ofcom had, by this time, also received at least 65 complaints regarding the episode.
Initially, the BBC defended Brand, saying the joke was "deliberately provocative" and "not intended to be taken seriously". After a strong reaction, the remarks were later removed from the episode on catch-up services. Brand had also apologised for her "crass and an ill-judged joke".
This morning presenter Eamonn Holmes warned that it's only a matter of time before somebody throws battery acid in a politically motivated attack. He said that it's harder to justify such comments when, in the last three years, an MP lost her life to political violence.
Double Standards
UKIP candidate and YouTube personality Carl Benjamin, aka Sargon of Akkad, released a video titled 'Dear Jo Brand' in response. In the video, Benjamin criticised the double standards of Brand and the media. Brand had, prior to her appearance on Heresy, slammed Benjamin on an episode of Have I Got News For You, for his jokes directed at Labour MP Jess Phillips. Benjamin spoke in defence of freedom of speech, especially the telling of jokes, and made claims over how the media and prominent figures use platforms to spread hatred against political opponents.
Some defenders of Brand claim that being a comedian, or appearing on a comedy show, qualifies them to make offensive jokes. This stance ignores context, and assumes that only 'professional' comedians are permitted to make offensive jokes, whilst political commentators such as Steven Crowder and Carl Benjamin need to be censored or deplatformed.
It is more than likely that there is hypocrisy from the other side of the debate, where some of those calling out Brand defended jokes such as Carl Benjamin's "wouldn't even rape" joke. Others, however, appear to be primarily attacking The BBC, Brand, or left-wing activists, for the alleged hypocrisy.
Responding to the BBC's defence of Brand, there have been claims of double standards. Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan questioned why the BBC quickly fired Danny Baker for a tweet about the royal baby, whilst now defending Jo Brand.
Likewise, in reaction to Nigel Farage, a quote from 2017 where he says that, if Brexit does not get delivered, he'd take up arms, has resurfaced. This comment from Farage was likely a joke, but it was, like Brand's joke, about political violence. Granted, Farage himself was victim to a milkshake attack – such a joke would relate to him on a personal level.
Freedom of Speech
This controversy poses multiple questions. How far can jokes go? How offensive should a statement be before legal consequences? Should level of offence be a standard to regulate speech?
During the show, Jo Brand's remarks entertained the audience; there was a lot of laughter in response. Dark jokes are a popular way to entertain people; people who laugh at them know that, in reality, the base subject of the joke is bad and unfunny. The problem with such jokes is they can be deeply offensive to some people. When telling dark jokes on a widely-viewable platform, the chance of causing offense increases; people who tell them should be aware of the potential to offend, and be reasonably sensitive.
Free speech advocates mostly believe that there should be no limit on speech, especially jokes, outside of specific examples. Common exclusions include: direct incitement to violence, terrorism, slander, abuse, and harassment. It is debatable whether Brand's remarks could constitute incitement to violence; in the context of the comedian, and the show, it was ironic. Regardless, it is important to judge by actions rather than words, and to recognise context and attempts at apology, if any.
Outspoken comedian Ricky Gervais tweeted in defence of Brand, and offensive jokes in general. Gervais, who has commented on the politics of freedom of speech and jokes, reinforced his stance against censorship; people who make horrible jokes about political opponents should not fear prosecution, only criticism.
Police investigation into offensive social media content, including ironic content, has led to further criticism from free speech activists. Some have concern that increased legal regulation of speech risks leading to a more Orwellian society.


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Nigerian record producer fondly reffered to as the wicked producer, Young Jonn has released his highly anticipated single with African bad girl, Tiwa Savage and EmPawa Africa singer, Joeboy. On the song which has been on anticipation for some time now, Young Jonn makes another classic just as his previous releases. It is titled "Let Them Know."
Well, they are a lot more about this song that we would really love to talk about, but due to the fact that we know how urgent a listen is important at this point, we'll let you take a listen and do the talking yourself.
You can download "Let Them Know" below and check out the website's homepage for other similar tracks, but don't forget to share your thoughts because it's very important to us. And hey, why not share this music with other people via social media using the share tool at the top left corner of this post? Thanks for checking out.
You Need To Promote Your Music, Video, Products, or Any Promotional Biz, Feel Free To Contact CEO MP3NOBS via "Whatsapp & Call : +2349027532807, +2349035464531" Or Mail us at [email protected]


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30 Jun Harbortouch POS Systems Salon & Spa
Harbortouch POS Systems Salon & Spa represents Harbortouch's entrance into an entirely new vertical with over 82,000 locations in the US. The new offering expands the company's POS-as-a-Service program to a market that has been notably underserved up until now. The powerful software suite includes a wide range of industry-specific features such as an appointment calendar, walk-in management, multi-station support and email/text reminders. It also supports retail sales and has comprehensive remote reporting capabilities through Lighthouse.
This package will be offered with no up-front costs and only $69/month, which includes the software, hardware, installation and training.
Harbortouch Salon & Spa will run on a brand new hardware platform called Elite III. This hardware offers a sleek brushed aluminum design as well as an improved touchscreen and a more powerful processor for superior performance.
Harbortouch CEO Jared Isaacman states, "Our free POS program has transformed the entire point-of-sale industry by making high-value POS solutions more affordable and accessible to small and mid-sized businesses. While many startups have been hailed as 'disruptive' in the payments industry, Harbortouch has been a proven disruptor, delivering game-changing programs time after time during our 17 years in business. Our innovative as-a-Service sales model represents true disruption by offering cutting-edge products at an unheard-of price point. The new software package bolsters this revolutionary offering by expanding the program into the underserved salon and spa markets."
Save time and money with Harbortouch POS for salons & spas. Efficiently manage your business – whether it's a hair or nail salon, spa, massage parlor, barbershop or tattoo shop – so that you can focus on what's important: keeping your customers satisfied and spending!
Appointment Calendar
Manage upcoming appointments for all of your service providers with support for both scheduled appointments and walk-in customers.
Walk-In Management
Efficiently manage walk-ins by finding the first available service provider, or customers can choose to wait for their preferred service provider.
Customer Database
Keep all of your customer information organized with the ability to view upcoming appointments, check prepaid package balances, add custom notes for their preferences and upload photos of previous styles.
Employee Management
Manage all of your service providers, with detailed labor reports including commission tracking.
Multi-Station Support
Assign each appointment to a specific booth or chair for easy multi-station tracking.
Retail Functionality
Full retail functionality enables you to sell a wide range of products in addition to your service offerings.
Membership Programs
Easily track membership programs and prepaid packages using the customer database.
Email & Text Reminders
Remind your customers of upcoming appointments via email or text to avoid missed sessions.


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Sunday, June 14, 2015
On the lighter side-Travel-Oahu, Hawaii-4
As soon as we left Honolulu, the traffic became thinner and thinner with the sight of high rises and houses vanishing behind us and lush open spaces in front of us. We drove through some of the best beaches as we were eager to reach our destination. When we finally reach our resort, it was beautiful right beside the sea. It is called Turtle Bay Resort. It is on the north shore area of Oahu Island far from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu and very tranquil. After checking in, we went to our room and as we entered the view from the room were breaths taking as the waves were splashing against the sandy beaches. The Swimming pool nearby and you can see the whole view of trees and mountains around you. It was like we were in a magical land (I would not call it heaven or paradise because I have not been there (yet)) with few of the maddening rush that you experience in a big city. Here you can easily forget all your worries (for a while at least financially) and just to absorb the views. For us the first day would be rest after a long flight and a long drive. It was almost getting dark but when you are in such a place where you can hear the waves splashing 24 hours a day and the weather is the same all around; your tiredness vanishes very fast. The room with a view was great with the bathroom in a superb condition. For me I always check the bathroom in every hotel or resort I stay. Because if the Bathroom sucks, my stay will not be that great even if you are in a magical land called Hawaii.
Posted by Infinipinions at 12:48 AM
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Leonhardt: Let the people vote
The United States finally has the pro-democracy movement that it needs.
Last week, ballot initiatives to improve the functioning of democracy fared very well. In Florida — a state divided nearly equally between right and left — more than 64 percent of voters approved restoring the franchise to 1.4 million people with felony convictions. In Colorado, Michigan and Missouri, measures to reduce gerrymandering passed. In Maryland, Michigan and Nevada, measures to simplify voter registration passed. "In red states as well as blue states," Chiraag Bains of the think tank Demos says, "voters overwhelmingly sent the message: We're taking our democracy back."
Of course, there is still an enormous amount of work to do. Voting remains more difficult here than in almost any other affluent country. On Election Day, I had to wait in line for 45 minutes, even though I have a job that gives me the luxury of voting in the middle of the day.
And this country also suffers, unfortunately, from an anti-democracy movement: Leaders of the Republican Party — out of a fear of the popular will — keep trying to make voting harder. They have closed polling places, reduced voting hours and introduced bureaucratic hurdles.
Amid last week's mostly good news, Arkansas and North Carolina passed new voter-identification measures that are clearly intended to hold down African-American turnout. Most outrageously, top Republicans, including President Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio, are arguing that Florida should not carefully count all of the votes from this year's election.
Overall, though, the election was an excellent one for American democracy. The battle has now been fully joined: Progressive activists have come to understand the importance of promoting and protecting democracy. Most citizens — across the political left, center and right — agree.
Before the midterms, the leaders of Indivisible, the big progressive grassroots group, conducted a national survey of its members — people who had marched, knocked on doors or otherwise gotten politically involved over the past two years. The survey included a list of issues, and asked which should be the Democrats' top priorities after the midterms. It included health care, gun safety, the environment, civil rights, reproductive rights, taxes, the courts, education and criminal justice reform. And there was a landslide winner. But it wasn't any of those issues, important as they are.
The winning issue was democracy.
Some 69 percent of respondents named it in their top three priorities. Health care finished a distant second, at 48 percent. Then came the environment (43 percent), judicial nominations (32 percent) and civil rights (29 percent).
"It comes from this general concern about democratic institutions not being reflective of the will of the people," Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, told me. Leah Greenberg, also a co-founder, says, "We have to unrig the rules." Best of all, the success of the recent ballot initiatives shows that these attitudes exist among many centrists and conservatives, too.
True, some pro-democracy changes are not realistic anytime soon. Trump and this Senate won't enact a new federal Voting Rights Act, nor will they grant the full rights of citizenship to the residents of Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. But many other changes are feasible.
At the state level, a wave of new governors and legislators will soon take office, and they can accomplish a lot. States that don't have automatic voter registration should adopt it. (Hey, Gov. Andrew Cuomo: Isn't New York supposed to be a progressive leader?) States that have not yet created nonpartisan offices to draw congressional districts should follow the examples of Colorado, Michigan and Missouri.
If governors and legislators won't act, citizen activists should, using ballot initiatives. Most of these measures will pass, in both blue states and red. Arizona, Florida and Ohio, among others, could hold initiatives to establish automatic registration, Stephen Wolf of Daily Kos has noted. Still other states could follow Florida's lead and re-enfranchise people with felony convictions.
This is also a moment to think ambitiously about a pro-democracy agenda. Any Democrat considering a 2020 run for president should be working on a democracy plan, much as any Democrat running in 2008 had a health care plan.
My own wish list includes universal voting by mail, which some parts of the West use — and which lifts turnout much more than automatic voter registration alone. I would also like to see more places lower the voting age to 16 for local elections, as a few Maryland cities have. If you're old enough to operate a lethal 2-ton vehicle, you're old enough to have a say in your community's future.
More democratic participation won't solve all of the country's problems. But it will solve some of them. The United States has low voter turnout for a reason: Our system — with workday elections, long voting lines and cumbersome registration rules — is designed to discourage mass participation. That same system once barred women, African-Americans and 18-year-olds, among others, from voting.
The system has changed before, and it can change again. It is already starting to.
New York Times News Service
David Leonhardt is a Times columnist.


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Forever Family is on hiatus today. Instead we're playing tag with stomperdad.
Get to Know Me Tag
No rules. (Woo hoo!) Just answer the questions and tag a few people.
0. Share your profile picture if you have one.
1. Who are you named after? Women in my family – one on my mother's side and one on my father's.
2. Do you like your handwriting? Yes, I do. The bummer of it is that I've developed a slight tremor, so sometimes it gets a little jerky.
3. What is your favorite lunch meat? Chicken salad
4. Longest relationship? BrightSide. We met in 1991, married in 1995, and have been kicking it ever since. Good times.
5. Do you still have your tonsils? Yes
6. Would you bungee jump? Already have, sort of. At least I bungee jumped on a trampoline – does that count? Probably not. Sadly, I'd probably say no to this one. Not because I wouldn't jump off a bridge (though I'm not saying BS wouldn't need to give me a shove) but because the jerk at the bottom would surely destroy my back. Old people problems. Sheesh.
7. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Depends on the shoes. I've got some ASICs that can slip off while still tied, but other pairs won't come off unless I untie them.
8. Favorite ice cream? Mint chocolate chip or chocolate fudge brownie
9. What is the first thing you notice about people? Their eyes. Then how tall they are.
10. Football or baseball? Ummm…neither?
11. What color pants are you wearing? Light blue denim (Oh, what I wouldn't have given to be able to say "what pants?")
12. Last thing you ate? A Kind peanut butter breakfast bar
13. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Teal
14. Favorite smell? Warm blueberry muffins and fresh coffee
15. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? gem
16. Hair color? Brown
17. Eye color? Brown
18. Favorite foods to eat? Pizza, ribs, baked potato, chips and salsa
19. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings, but not mindless ones. I like some excitement and drama with my resolution.
20. Last movie you watched? Avatar
21. Favorite Holiday? Christmas
22. Beer or Wine? Mostly beer.
23. Night owl or early bird? Night owl by nature. Sometimes my real life interferes with that preference, though, so I have to try to keep it balanced.
24. Favorite day of the week? Definitely Saturday.
24 ½. Which three of your favorite bloggers you would like to know more about? (link to their about page if they have one)
Behind The White Coat Joeyfully Stated Van by the River
25. Who were the latest three people to follow your blog (link to their about page)?
Write Away Carmen's Creation My KyNLa
100. Copy this link.


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Other proof
Other authors noted variable effect.
But at the same stage at children who are fed breast, the maintenance of a progesterone is higher, than at the other.
Other proof communications with the theory of violation of biorhythms a role of prostaglandins hormones, the muscles of a digestive tract causing strong reduction.
When to two to children for treatment of a disease of heart entered prostaglandin, at them appeared gripes.
This hormonal theory is confirmed also by that children, born at difficult delivery, more often are uneasy.
And last confirmation gripes by miracle disappear at the age of months, when the child has ordered habits to a dream and are developed corresponding biorhythms..


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Transforming Too-Many-Tools into a Competitive Advantage
As sales teams around the world roll out HubSpot as a central place to manage contacts and leads, one of the biggest threats to adoption can be keeping client information in sync across multiple software tools. Organizations commonly use different solutions for estimation and quoting, document storage, acceptance tracking, project management, customer service support, and accounting, among others.
For account managers in these organizations, getting the full story about what has happened with their customer since the last conversation they had can be a time consuming and frustrating process. Entire CRM (customer relationship management) projects can stall out in the face of this issue, as team members make their way through the learning curve for the new tool in addition to re-programming themselves to remember to keep it up-to-date.
It takes a measured approach to solving the problem, which can be very simple or very complex depending on the organization's workflow.
Mapping Customer Data
The first step toward any digital transformation strategy is understanding the current status. Creating a list of all of the current places where important customer information is stored can be a great way to start the internal feedback process.
A simple flow chart can be assembled using this information and input from team leaders in Google Drawing, with paper and pencil, or any mind-mapping tool. It should demonstrate in simple terms the times when customer information is added to each tool in the list and for what purpose.
It may be helpful to create a "current" and "future" map. This can be a useful exercise to take on as a team, or with each team, depending on the size of your organization. It is important to allow team members the time and space to voice concerns and questions openly, as their feedback is critical to a smooth and successful transition.
Bridging Your Systems
If your software stack is not already supported in the HubSpot Connect portal, a system automation tool like Zapier or Workato may provide some quick relief. Most IT professionals can help get automations in place for supported services in a short time, so that every time you create a new support ticket, for example, it leaves a note on the contact or company in your HubSpot CRM. This can be a low cost setup, but costs can scale quickly as new services and automations are added.
The point at which it makes sense to build the bridges so that your team doesn't have to pay every time you send information varies by organization, based on complexity and frequency of use. While the up-front cost of custom integrations is higher, the per-data-sync cost is essentially alleviated.
Accessing the Information
Business leaders have never had more information available to aid their decision-making process. Still, most struggle to get access to the information they need in a timely manner and in an actionable format.
As we make decisions in real-time, the culture of manually running reports is holding us back. Organizations focused on growth will create the access that their leaders are seeking. Insight tools automatically pull information as often as needed to make sure decision-makers are properly informed.
These solutions can take the form of data visualization delivered by web and mobile dashboards, proactive emails, push notifications, chat bots, and other creative, interactive forms.
Looking for more examples? Follow us to be notified of future posts on digital transformation.
Need Help?
Get in touch if you need help with your digital transformation strategy, or if you are are interested in new and creative ways of interacting with your organization's data.


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Manager, Clinical Pharmacology Modeling and Simulation
- Employer
- Location
- Collegeville, Pennsylvania; Waltham, Massachusetts; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Salary
- Competitive
- Closing date
- Jul 28, 2021
View more
- Discipline
- Life Sciences, Pharmacology
- Job Type
- Manager
- Organization Type
- Pharma
Site Name: USA - Massachusetts - Waltham, USA - North Carolina - Research Triangle Park, USA - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, USA - Pennsylvania - Upper Providence Posted Date: May 13 2021 The department of Clinical Pharmacology Modelling and Simulation (CPMS) at GlaxoSmithKline is recruiting a Quantitative Clinical Pharmacologist at the Manager level. CPMS is a science driven group delivering clinical pharmacology and modelling simulation excellence to development programs. The right candidate will have the opportunity to work on both small molecules and biologics in the antiviral disease area although there may be opportunities in the future to contribute to programs in other therapy areas. This role will provide YOU the opportunity to lead key activities to progress YOUR career. These responsibilities generally commence post-lead optimization with accountability occurring from approximately 6 months prior to FTIH through to life cycle management. These include some of the following: Contribute, as a member of a multi-disciplinary team, to the design of an efficient clinical development program and robust registration packages Play a central role in predicting human dose range, characterizing dose-response relationship and justifying dose recommendations for special populations Develop mathematical models to understand a disease, its progression, and drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics; conduct meta-analyses as appropriate to generate knowledge through data re-use; conduct simulations to assess trial design performance Design and interpret clinical pharmacology studies to evaluate potential effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics Identify opportunities to utilize in silico PBPK approaches to replace in vivo clinical studies to explore the impact of DDI and special populations on PK where appropriate Write sections of drug development and registration documents such as clinical trial protocols and reports, clinical investigator brochures and regulatory submission packages Present and defend quantitative clinical pharmacology plans and results through interaction and negotiation with internal governance committees and external regulators Innovate through working effectively with colleagues in the department and other matrix team members, including: statisticians, biologists, physicians and drug metabolism scientists Learn and apply emerging modeling and simulation methodologies with a view to enhance clinical program efficiency and investment decision quality; collaborate with external field-leading teams for methodology application Promote clinical pharmacology strategies and approaches by publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at scientific conferences Why you? Basic Qualifications: We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals: PhD, PharmD or MD Experience using modelling tools for quantitative clinical pharmacology such as NONMEM, R, WINNONLIN, Simcyp, SAS and/or MATLAB Experience working with regulatory submission documents such as CTAs, INDs, NDAs, MAAs and BLAs Preferred Qualifications: If you have the following characteristics, it would be a plus: Understanding of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles Knowledge of or ability to quickly learn the mechanism, endpoints, progression and treatments of viral diseases and other relevant therapy areas Experience or working in matrix across departmental lines Strong communication skills Why GSK? Our values and expectations are at the heart of everything we do and form an important part of our culture. These include Patient focus, Transparency, Respect, Integrity along with Courage, Accountability, Development, and Teamwork. As GSK focuses on our values and expectations and a culture of innovation, performance, and trust, the successful candidate will demonstrate the following capabilities: Agile and distributed decision-making - using evidence and applying judgement to balance pace, rigour and risk. Managing individual and team performance. Committed to delivering high quality results, overcoming challenges, focusing on what matters, execution. Implementing change initiatives and leading change. Sustaining energy and well-being, building resilience in teams. Continuously looking for opportunities to learn, build skills and share learning both internally and externally. Developing people and building a talent pipeline. Translating strategy into action - a compelling narrative, motivating others, setting objectives and delegation. Building strong relationships and collaboration, managing trusted stakeholder relationships internally and externally. Budgeting and forecasting, commercial and financial acumen. The salary range for this role is: 124911 146,955 CPMS_US_UK *LI-GSK If you require an accommodation or other assistance to apply for a job at GSK, please contact the GSK Service Centre at 1-877-694-7547 (US Toll Free) or +1 801 567 5155 (outside US). GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer and, in the US, we adhere to Affirmative Action principles. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class. Important notice to Employment businesses/ Agencies GSK does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact GSK's commercial and general procurement/human resources department to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to GSK. The obtaining of prior written authorization is a condition precedent to any agreement (verbal or written) between the employment business/ agency and GSK. In the absence of such written authorization being obtained any actions undertaken by the employment business/agency shall be deemed to have been performed without the consent or contractual agreement of GSK. GSK shall therefore not be liable for any fees arising from such actions or any fees arising from any referrals by employment businesses/agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. Please note that if you are a US Licensed Healthcare Professional or Healthcare Professional as defined by the laws of the state issuing your license, GSK may be required to capture and report expenses GSK incurs, on your behalf, in the event you are afforded an interview for employment. This capture of applicable transfers of value is necessary to ensure GSK's compliance to all federal and state US Transparency requirements. For more information, please visit GSK's Transparency Reporting For the Record site.
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Google's revenue e from ads amounted to around $95 billion in 2017. A major portion of this was contributed by the company's AdWords program.
Initially developed back in 2000, AdWords is the largest advertising platform on the internet. It presents as a vital advertisement tool for all online marketers.
Few facts about Google AdWords that truly make it the ideal for marketing include:
- For every $1 that businesses spend on AdWords, they make $2 in return.
- There are more than 1.2 million businesses that are currently using AdWords.
- Total AdWords spending increased around 27% from December 2012 to December 2013.
- Ads placed in Google have more than 54% chance of generating a lead compared to TV commercials which have an 11% chance.
- Google ads reach around 80% of the total internet users worldwide.
Such high numbers make Google AdWords the principal marketing tool for businesses. Moreover, this program also offers several advantages over other advertising platforms.
Some of these advantages include:
- It works comparatively better than SEO
Organic search results are trustworthy if they come in the first page of SERPs. However, to do that, businesses require fresh and informative content that can keep the users engaged. Thus, a business would require creating more content regularly to stay ahead of their competitors and in the top ranks in SERP.
In addition to that, a website would take months to come up in rankings after hosting quality content.
On the other hand, AdWords eliminates the need for all that. Businesses don't need a content creation team thereby eliminating more hassle.
- It keeps marketing under budget
One of the primary benefits of AdWords is that marketers can control how much they spend behind ads. Businesses can fix a specific amount they want to invest per day on an ad. This way marketeers can devise a budget specifically catered to advertising.
- It offers superior transparency
Google provides several analytics with AdWords that can deliver countless data. This can enable a business to quickly determine whether their marketing campaign is going as planned or not. Some of the analytics one can get includes:
- Which keyword created the most traffic?
- How much traffic has the ads generated?
- What is the nature of the user that clicked on the ads?
- How many leads has the ads created?
Compared to other forms of marketing, be it online or offline AdWords offers the most transparency and this is one the reasons for its mass popularity.
- It is highly flexible
AdWords delivers superb flexibility to marketers and gives them the option to customize it as many ways as they want to. Not just Google search engine, businesses can place their ads in YouTube, Gmail, and several products.
Moreover, with the help of keywords, they can target specific user queries that get searched the most. Ads can also be placed depending on the users language, time, and location. Marketers can also target the device (computer, mobile, etc.) one is using to browse the web.
Marketers have gained significant revenue when they advertised through AdWords program. Its capability to include product images, contact details, location, and others within an ad makes it more efficient.


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The latest main entry in the Final Fantasy series released recently to favorable reviews despite a somewhat drastic departure with its real-time combat system. This morning we featured one of the best deals we have seen thus far on the 15th major Final Fantasy release, and now some it's time for some Blu-rays.
Amazon is offering the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Blu-ray (Eng/Fre/Jap, 2005) and the Final Fantasy The Spirits Within Blu-ray (Eng/Fre, 2001) for $5.99 each. Both of which are matched as part of Best Buy's Deals of the Day and currently listed at the lowest we can find. This is also the best price Amazon has ever offered them for. More details below.
In other Final Fantasy deals, we still have a solid offer on World of Final Fantasy on PS4 for $39.99 shipped (Reg. $50) and on Vita for just $19.99 (Reg. $30+) over at Amazon right now.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
The first feature-length motion picture to use computer-generated imagery to create not only effects, props, and environments but also the human cast members themselves, this lavish science-fiction adventure follows closely on the heels of another video game-based film, Tomb Raider (2001). Ming-Na provides the voice of Dr. Aki Ross, a female scientist in the year 2065, a time when Earth has been overrun by extraterrestrial phantoms borne of a crashed meteor. Humans have been pushed back to cities protected by barriers that keep the marauding space monsters away, but time is running out.
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This page collects information about nutritional facts and other properties of potato salad side dishes in summary. The information on this and other food has been gathered from various sources and may not be totally accurate. Among the data shown in this website you can find information about proteins, vitamins and minerals from potato salad side dishes and other nutrients like fiber, calories or cholesterol.
The proportions of nutrients in potato salad side dishes may vary depending on the type and quantity of food, and other factors that might contribute to the modification of its nutrients. Remember that depending on the preparation, potato salad side dishes may vary their properties and nutritional characteristics.
You can use this information to understand your dietary intake of this food or any other fast foods. This can help you to cook better and healthier recipes including potato salad side dishes, but remember to consult your doctor or nutritionist before beginning any regimen or make drastic changes in your diet.
Properties of potato salad side dishes
In your regular grocery store in the group of side dishes you can find potato salad side dishes among other available foods.
Below you can see information about nutritional facts, properties and benefits of potato salad side dishes for your body as well as the amount of each of its major nutrients.
This food belongs to the fast foods group.
Nutritional facts tables of potato salad side dishes
Below is a summary table of key nutrients of potato salad side dishes and a list of links to tables showing details of nutritional facts of potato salad side dishes. They include the main nutrients as well as the proportion of each.
|114 kcal.
|6.03 g.
|60. mg.
|328 mg.
|13.53 g.
|0 g.
|0 g.
|1.53 g.
|Vitamin A
|3 μg.
|Vitamin C
|1.1 mg.
|Vitamin B12
|0.12 μg.
|14 mg.
|0.73 mg.
|Vitamin B3
|0.27 mg.
The quantity of nutrients shown in the previous table, correspond to 100 grams of this kind of side dishes.
Food related to potato salad side dishes
Below you can find some food related to potato salad side dishes. You can see more information about them by doing click in their image:
|Salted butter
|Whipped butter with salt
|Anhydrous butter oil


text: In the January 2017 edition of "What's New? Massachusetts," hop on the Orange Line and check out Somerville's posh new Assembly Row community. Get a helping of Southern Kin Cookhouse's biscuits and gravy. Whip out that paintbrush and get your creative juices flowing at MUSE Paintbar. And chat with Assembly Row's Patrick McMahon, director of development for Federal Realty. What's new Massachusetts? Here are your co-hosts Sam Baltrusis and Sharon Fillyaw.


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It looks like ABC's Happy Endings is ready for some football… commentary.
Legendary ESPN/ABC Sports broadcaster Brent Musburger will guest star as himself during the comedy's upcoming second season, TVLine has learned exclusively.
Happy Endings Cast Previews Season 2′s Very 'Wrong' Halloween Adventure
According to a Happy insider, Damon Wayans Jr.'s character Brad runs into Musburger at a bar in the November episode, which also features an appearance by Wonder Years' Fred Savage (who also directed the outing.)
Season 2 of Happy Endings premieres Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 9:30/8:30c.


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Maine governor candidate: Janet Mills, Democrat
Age: 70
Hometown: Farmington
Family: Five daughters, four grandchildren
Occupation: Attorney general of Maine
York state representative Patricia Hymanson has introduced legislation (LD 105) to create a cabinet-level working group to combat the state's opiate crisis. For this to be successful, the governor would have to be an active participant. Is this something you would support? What concrete steps would you take to solve this crisis?
As attorney general, I've made tackling the opioid crisis one of my top priorities. I have repeatedly brought pharmaceutical companies to court for and used settlement funds to provide Narcan to law enforcement agencies across the state (a program which has saved more than 334 lives to date). We must invest in education, treatment, and rehabilitation; it's past time to accept that we cannot incarcerate our way out of the problem. I've proposed a comprehensive 10-point plan, including increasing the number of treatment slots across Maine, having recovery coaches on call at emergency rooms and clinics, and allowing families to purchase Narcan over-the-counter.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Service, Maine ranks in the top 5 states in the nation for home heating oil use. What is your plan to reduce dependency on oil, and what role, if any, will renewable energy play in Maine's energy future under your administration?
We must look to sustainable energy sources to limit our dependence on fossil fuels, grow the Maine economy, and make our energy grid more resilient. Our state has the natural resources, entrepreneurial spirit, and local expertise to be a leader in renewables; but we need the political leadership to make that vision a reality. Some aspects of that include:
• Enact a net metering policy that gives appropriate incentives for rooftop solar users who feed electricity back into the grid.
• Encourage community solar across Maine and lifting the current cap on community solar customers.
• Aim for 100 percent weatherization of homes all across Maine.
Currently, Maine laws do not require a permit to carry a firearm and do allow open carry, and there is no assault weapon prohibition or background check law. Does this set of circumstances comport with your views? Would you as governor work to keep the status quo? Do you think there should be changes to existing laws? If so, what?
Maine has an opportunity to lead this conversation. We are a state full of people who hunt, who shoot for sport, and who value our constitutional rights. But we also know that to eliminate the threat of gun violence, we need to bring people together to achieve real, lasting change.
We can start with commonsense regulations on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, like the weapons used to cause mass casualties in Parkland, Las Vegas and Orlando. We should also prohibit devices designed to turn semi-automatic firearms into fully-automatic machine guns, including bump stocks.
The implementation of the recreational marijuana law may well take place during the tenure of the next Maine governor. What are your thoughts about recreational marijuana in general? What sort of regulations and other stipulations do you want to see in framework eventually presented by the Legislative committee working on this?
Properly implemented, marijuana legalization has the potential to create thousands of jobs, grow the Maine economy, and end an outdated war on drugs. I have joined other Attorneys General in calling on Congress to allow banks and credit unions to serve state-licensed marijuana businesses without penalty, ending the cash-based shadow economy that still haunts states who have legalized marijuana. Congress should also allow research into uses and effectiveness of marijuana products. We must also ensure that our law adequately regulates access to minors, driving while impaired, contamination and quality control, taxation and the type and placement of advertising for marijuana.
Last November, voters by a margin of 59 to 41 percent passed a citizens' initiative requiring the state to implement Medicaid expansion, after several years of failed attempts to pass it legislatively. What are your views about this issue? Do you favor expansion? If so, why? If not, why not.
The evidence is overwhelming: states that expand Medicaid have lower healthcare costs, healthier citizens, more stable hospital systems and stronger economic growth.
Sadly, Gov. LePage is already looking for ways to overrule the will of the voters. This is a familiar tactic. As Attorney General, the very first battle I fought with Gov. LePage was his attempt to kick thousands of low-income children off Medicaid. I'm fully committed to ensuring Medicaid expansion is implemented now, in accordance with the will of the people. As governor, I'll continue to do everything in my power to ensure every Mainer has access to high-quality and affordable healthcare.
Coastal and Seacoast York County is an area of the state that depends on tourist dollars and supports small businesses. At the same time, it is an area that has invested taxpayer funds and private donations to leverage purchases of conservation land through land trusts and similar organizations. As development pressure mounts in this part of Maine due to a thriving economy, what would you do as governor to ensure the health of our small business economy while at the same time being mindful of the health of the environment?
We must stop framing environmental protection and economic development as inherently opposed. As the explosion of ecotourism jobs show, preserving Maine's natural beauty is entirely compatible with creating good jobs and expanding our economy. I support the Land for Maine's Future Board, and additional bonds to purchase Maine lands and waterways that are most vulnerable to development, including family farms. We must ensure public access and enjoyment, as well as protect fragile ecosystems across the state. I am also a party to litigation that will preserve conservation easements and access to beaches in York County. I oppose Gov. LePage's goal of imposing higher taxes on these conservation lands.
See more candidate profiles at seacoastonline.com/mainegov2018.


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Preston North End vs Bradford City preview
@Deepdale on Tuesday 22 October, 2013
By Jason McKeown
Phil Parkinson would have to slump a long, long way before Bradford City went the way of their fellow newly promoted club, Gillingham, in sacking the manager. Yet back-to-back league defeats have occurred against a soundtrack of faint criticism from a minority of supporters.
The manager – who takes charge of his 100th Bantams league game at Preston this evening – has been questioned for the approach he has taken to patching up a team without the services of key players. It has also been argued that Parkinson is making tactical errors that are costing City points. Perhaps my favourite – for the wrong reasons – vein of this criticism has come from a handful of supporters who have stated that Parkinson "still has a way to go tactically". You have to have a very high opinion of yourself to look down on the manager in such a disparaging "he's-done-well-but-this-is-how-he-could-do-better" style.
Every set of supporters in the land contains a thoughtless and whinging element; but still, there has been a breathtakingly ungrateful attitude displayed by the people who have stuck the boot into Parkinson over the last 10 days. The club has come a long way under the manager in a relatively short space of time, and that should surely allow him greater slack and understanding when City inevitably hit the occasional bump on the road.
Perspective is so crucial. After all, those back-to-back 1-0 defeats have caused City to slump to the depths of, erm, fifth place in League One. Offer me a top six finish this season and I will cheerily bite your hand off. We've not had it so good in a long time. Yet on the way back from the Tranmere match, the Pulse read out a Tweet from someone stating that blaming the referee for the defeat was "covering up the cracks". Unbelievably pathetic.
Have the wheels really come off? Can the club not function without Nahki Wells and Andrew Davies? Is the manager making a series of catastrophic blunders that threaten the future progress? City's recent history would suggest an emphatic no to all three questions currently being posed by some.
The tactical criticisms have centred upon the reshuffling of the defence against Tranmere last week and the choice of strikeforce in Wells' absence. On the first point, the moving of Nathan Doyle to centre half against Tranmere did disrupt the centre of midfield, which was significant. But as excellent a player as Doyle is, it should not be forgotten that City's late promotion charge last season occurred after he had been left out the side altogether. Big player yes, but not irreplaceable. He was excellent at centre half against Tranmere, and it's unfortunate that Jason Kennedy did not grasp his big opportunity to take Doyle's usual spot in that game.
As for the strikeforce selection of playing Mark Yeates with James Hanson; well, really you need to ask anyone who is criticising it one simple question: are you a complete idiot? Playing the pair in Wells' absence led to consecutive victories over Shrewsbury and Walsall, and no one was questioning the logic at that point. For it then to be criticised with such incredulity two games later suggests such people were not paying attention prior or simply want to find something to criticise the manager for, without worrying about irrelevant details such as reality.
Which is perhaps the most depressing aspect of listening to and reading criticism directed at Parkinson in recent days. The thought process seems to be that when we lose a game there must be something to blame the manager for, and so they look for it in the team selection without stopping to consider wider factors. "Parkinson got it wrong today" is the opening gambit, before over-simplifying 90 minutes of football by arguing it was all down to the inclusion of one or two players. Team selection is right when we win and wrong when we lose. If only it were that simple.
I personally did not have a problem with the way Parkinson reshuffled the team against Tranmere, as injuries and fatigue robbed him of all but one of his centre halves. I'd only differ in I would have picked Ricky Ravenhill ahead of Kennedy, but the former Rochdale man can hardly be blamed for the surprise 1-0 defeat. Had the referee Darren Drysdale done his job properly in sending off Ian Goodison and later awarding the Bantams a penalty when Yeates was tripped, the game would have been won. I didn't go to Crawley on Saturday, but losing narrowly to a fellow play off chasing side is no disgrace.
Parkinson will get things wrong as manager. Every manager in the land does, and certainly every person who has vacated the Valley Parade in my time has made mistakes. When we observe any manager, including Parkinson, making an error of judgement, it is incredibly frustrating and the inevitable criticism will have some merit. But we can't continue this lowbrow approach of assuming that every dropped City point could have been avoided by Parkinson making a different decision. He deserves better than that.
Losing Wells for so long was always going to be a blow. He was a fantastic League Two striker and has quickly proven himself at this higher level. We have not had a forward like him – effective at least – in many years. When Wells is not available, the team has to adapt and find a different way of playing. Yeates and Hanson may not be everyone's choice (and it may not be continued this evening) but it had yielded two victories to justify the manager's continuation of it.
Defence is, for me, less of a concern. Andrew Davies is undoubtedly our finest centre half and the Bantams have long been a better side with him in it, but his two years at Valley Parade have been repeatedly punctured by lengthy periods of him not being available, and we've coped just fine. We have some fine centre halves on the books, and we will deal without Davies.
For the majority of fans – the sensible ones – the mood has been dampened by back-to-back defeats, but optimism still thrives. With the Tranmere game moved to a Sunday, results on the Saturday before had offered the Bantams a great incentive to cement their top six position by going eight points clear of seventh place. It wasn't taken, and now the chasing pack are catching up; yet still, the league table currently makes great reading.
With Preston, tonight, and Wolves, on Saturday, recent form may yet get worse before it gets better. After several seasons struggling to mount a League One promotion push, North End look a strong proposition this time around and on Saturday moved a place above the Bantams following a 2-1 victory at Peter Taylor's Gillingham. Wolves, meanwhile, are currently unbeaten on their travels. A tough, tough few days, in which City will firmly be underdogs.
Yet that suits the players, whose quiet ascent up the division resulted from some impressive early season victories against highly fancied sides. This time a year ago we undertook away trips to Northampton and Burton. Games like Preston and Wolves, and weeks like this, are what promotion from League Two is all about.
There is an expectation that there will be some shuffling of the pack, with Saturday to consider also. Should Matthew Bates be fit enough to play two games in quick succession, expect the back five to remain unchanged as Parkinson clearly prefers a settled backline. Luke Oliver's demotion may have been harsh – he did fine against Tranmere – but balance is the key and the right-sidedness of both he and Rory McArdle means they are unlikely to ever form an effective partnership. So if Bates does drop down, the left-sided Carl McHugh is likely to come in instead.
In midfield concerns about Garry Thompson's form are growing, not helped by a couple of missed opportunities on Saturday. Rafa De Vita is yet to start a league match and may come in, although if Parkinson elects to go with two out-and-out strikers the versatile Yeates could take the right midfield slot. Gary Jones, Nathan Doyle and Kyel Reid are all in form and likely to continue. Parkinson's weekend comments about being too open and players not doing their jobs when not in possession would appear to be chiefly directed at his midfield.
Up front – and assuming Wells is not fit to return to the starting XI at least – does Parkinson stick or twist? The problem is not so simple as to throw in another conventional striker: they have to be able to play with Hanson. Alan Connell failed to forge a functional partnership with City's number nine when he was given opportunities last season. Caleb Folan's arrival is aimed at easing Hanson's workload, and he could be considered for a full debut alongside him.
Calls for youth striker Oliver McBurnie to get his chance are depressingly over-simplified. Yes, he is doing fantastic in the youth team, but is he ready for first team football? Parkinson will know better than anyone from seeing how he fares in training against first team players, and whether that merits a place ahead of the likes of Folan, Connell and Andy Gray. Trust his judgement for the good of club and player. McBurnie's time will come if he keeps doing what he is doing.
What was less commented on at the weekend was the size of City's away support. Over 700 down at Crawley is remarkable and a useful measurement of the optimism around the club at the moment. Expect a massive following at Deepdale, ahead of a packed out Valley Parade on Saturday. These are truly exciting times to be a City fan. So tonight, let's stand together in our support for what Parkinson and his players are achieving.
See you down the front.
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When building a bot in Tars, you want to optimize the UX so that users can easily understand what is going on in the bot. Part of this means that the user should have enough time to read each message before the bot sends the next message.
This is why we have included the message delay feature.
When you click on an individual question in the bot builder, a modal will open up where you can change the messaging
Next to the message text you will notice a smaller green bubble with 1.0 written in it.
This represents the number of seconds of delay before the message it is next to.
That is, if you change it to 2.5, the bot will wait 2.5 seconds before sending the message.
We recommend that you set higher delays when the previous message is longer. Take the example below.
We added a delay of 3 seconds before the message saying PSLV stands for Polar Satellite launch Vehicle because the previous message was slightly longer and the user might require more time to read it.


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- Poster presentation
- Published:
The role of hypoxia in rheumatoid tendon disease
Arthritis Research & Therapy volume 7, Article number: P7 (2005)
4894 Accesses
1 Citations
Tendon disease is often the first presentation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Tenosynovial proliferation results in scarring and adhesion formation. Synovial invasion into tendons occurs in 50% of cases and is associated with multiple tendon ruptures and a poorer prognosis. Recent work on diseased joints suggests that hypoxia may play a key role in synovial invasion. We hypothesised that hypoxia promotes and maintains the inflammatory response in RA tenosynovium via neovascularisation.
To measure oxygen tension (pO2) within the synovium of rheumatoid tendons and joints in vivo. To study markers of hypoxia and neovascularisation in invasive and non-invasive tendon synovium by immunohistochemistry. To investigate the effects of hypoxia on in vitro cultures of invasive and non-invasive tenosynovium.
Patients undergoing elective hand surgery for RA were recruited into the study. In vivo oxygen tension measurements were taken intra-operatively using an established microelectrode technique. Readings were taken from tendon and joint synovium. Diseased tissue was harvested from areas of oxygen sampling for immunohistochemical analysis of CD31 expression.
Tissue was also harvested from invasive and non-invasive tenosynovium. Joint tissue was used as a control. Serial sections of tissue were stained for the pro-angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the hypoxia-regulated transcription factor hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-2α.
Separate tissue from these three areas of interest was enzymatically digested and cultured in hypoxic (1% oxygen) and normoxic (21% oxygen) conditions. Supernatants were harvested at 24 hours and analysed for expression of key inflammatory cytokines by ELISA.
We observed profound hypoxia in the synovium of RA tendons and joints in vivo despite immunohistochemical evidence of markedly increased vascularity, measured as expression of CD31. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed twofold greater VEGF expression in tenosynovium (P < 0.05), compared with joint synovium from the same patient. Levels of HIF-2α were found to be similar in tendon and joint synovium.
One of the consequences of synovial hypoxia could be the modulation of inflammatory and angiogenic cytokines. We found that hypoxia upregulated in vitro expression of pro-angiogenic cytokine VEGF in both joint and tenosynovial cultures (P < 0.05) by an average of 128%, and in parallel increased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor alpha by an average of 105%. In contrast, hypoxia downregulated expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (P < 0.05) by an average of 44%.
Hypoxia is a feature of rheumatoid tenosynovitis. Key cytokines are regulated by hypoxia in this disease process. HIF-2α may represent the link between hypoxia and VEGF-driven angiogenesis in rheumatoid tendon disease.
BS is a Royal College of Surgeons of England Research Fellow. The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology receives a core grant from arc.
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Sivakumar, B., Kang, N., Taylor, P. et al. The role of hypoxia in rheumatoid tendon disease. Arthritis Res Ther 7 (Suppl 1), P7 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1186/ar1528
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/ar1528
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression
- Tenosynovitis
- Factor Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
- Joint Synovium


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Customers are a universal part of any job no matter what industry you are in. Everyone from the secretary, stock person, to CEO will deal with customers on some level. It doesn't matter what job title a person has, part of their job is to make customers happy.
Unfortunately in some cases, customer service is a part of the job description that often gets overlooked. We've all experienced bad customer service in one way or another. In fact, when we receive excellent customer service it can often be shocking, when in reality, it should be standard. There a lot of easy ways to make sure you deliver great customer service.
Ask for feedback (and listen!)
One of the easiest ways to improve service is to ask your customers what you can improve on. You can do this through things like comment cards, online surveys, or a variety of other ways. The most important part of receiving feedback to let your customers know that you are listening. You don't have to implement everything they suggest, but responding will let them know you take their opinions seriously, which can go a long way. On the flip side, don't ignore everything suggested. Find ways to implement good suggestions and your customers will continue to come back.
Often bad customer service can be a result of poor communication, so make sure communicate with your customers on a regular basis. If you feel like something can be better explained over the phone than in an email, don't hesitate to make a call. Working on a big project? Send an email to the client letting him/her know the status. Respond to inquiries or questions in a timely manner. Effective communication will let your customers know they matter.
Remember the Raving Fans Approach
A few weeks ago we talked about the book Raving Fans, which is a guide to customer service. The book stated the 3 key points to creating raving fans are to (1) decide what you want (2) find out what the customer wants and (3) deliver plus one.
A big part of excellent customer service is figuring out who your customers are. Not everyone is your customer. Be sure to consistently deliver great service to the people that are.
Make time for your customers
Our jobs require us to do a lot of important tasks and meet tight deadlines. While those tasks are definitely important, they aren't the only things that are important. Remember that your customers are the people buying your products and using your services. They are just as important as your tasks and deadlines. Make time for your customers just like you make time for everything else.
A few simple tasks can greatly improve the way your customers perceive you and your company. Have you experienced great customer service lately? Share your stories with us.


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Rights of the Girl Child in India
Struggle for existence and Well-Being
- Nitu Kumari - Assistant Professor at Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur
Introductory Sociology
Children were practically considered the private property of parents, and their status never seen fit for public discussion, till the middle of the twentieth century. As children are defenseless and easy to target, they suffer the most in any crisis, be it war, natural disaster or any other type of crime or calamity. Among children, however, the girl child suffers even more, as she faces double discrimination because of her tender age and her gender. In the mid-1990s, instances of reported abuse of girls in the form of foeticide, infanticide, prostitution and sexual exploitation, especially in zones of war and ethnic cleansing such as the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, became rampant. This led to the girl child receiving separate identification as a group for the first time in the Beijing Declaration of the 4th UN World Conference on Women in 1995. In India, the status and treatment of girls in society ranges between inadequate and deplorable, with the girl child being victimized in several ways.
This book focuses on both the development (through enhancement of the nutritional, educational and health status) and welfare (through freedom from physical and psychosocial stress due to deprivation, exploitation and the resultant feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem) aspects of the girl child's existence. It covers in detail all facets of the well-being of the girl child that are of concern to governments as well as international organizations. It explains in detail the challenges faced by government and non-governmental organizations in implementing any welfare and development initiatives for girls, including the discriminatory social norms impacting programme and policy implementation. It closely explores the differences between the theory and practice aspects of prevalent governmental programmes and policies. In the concluding parts, the book makes several policy recommendations and also seeks to lay out a future roadmap for the well-being of girls in India.


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Feb 08,2017 Let's eat Saba(mackerel) Sushi, the specialty of Kyoto!!
Kyoto city is in abundant in nature like mountains and the river but is far from the sea. However, you can eat delicious seafood in there.
When Japan's emperor was in Kyoto, neighboring area delivered own special products like tax to that city. There were many ways to Kyoto from neighboring area. The ways which are Wakasa city in Fuki Prefecture to Kyoto were about five. Wakasa was called 'Miketsukuni' (a region that produces food for the emperor) because that area delivered salt and salted fish to Kyoto and also fulfilled its function of the entrance for the sea which means that the area accept continental culture. Especially the one way was the most frequency used by delivering Wakasa's salt mackerel to Kyoto. This way was called Wakasa Kaidou. That way's route is from Obama via Kumakawajyuku and Kutsuki village in Shiga Prefecture and Oohara to Demachiyanagi. That way which is like ancient route is called 'Sabakaidou' now. (Sabakaidou's last stop is Demachiyanagi)
The salted mackerel is very popular food in Kyoto now. They eat the salted mackerel as 'Saba Sushi(Zushi)'. I'll introduce the Saba Sushi restaurant in Demachiyanagi which is Sabakaidou's last stop.
△When you walk from Demachiyanagi station to the river and cross two bridges, you can see Masugata shopping arcade which has been loved by local people since 1977. There are two Saba Sushi restaurants in this shopping arcade.
△This is the shopping arcade. There are a lot of shops like vegetable stores, fish shops and fruit stores. The shopping arcade bustles with local people and university students.
△I found Saba Sushi restaurant which locates at entrance of the shopping arcade. You can eat Saba Sushi with udon noodles or soba noodles. Many local people come to eat lunch so at lunch time you should wait about 15 minutes. These days, many foreign tourists come here. This restaurant was established 100 years ago, so this restaurant is older than the shopping arcade.
△This is most popular set menu 'Saba Sushi set', the price is 1000yen.
You can choose Kitsune udon or Kake udon. The picture is Kake udon.
△This Saba Sushi is very thick. This is filling and taste is different from normal Sushi. They say that Sab's salt is just right when Saba arrive at Demachiyanagi from Wakasa. You may be able to eat the most delicious Saba Sushi in the world at Demachiyanagi.
△You can take out Saba sushi at Hachise ooiwa. This shop's lunch box is about 600 yen to 1000yen. I recommend that you should eat this lunch box at Kamo river which locate near there. (Attention: When you eat lunch at Kamo river, sometimes kites may come and eat your lunch. Please bring litter back to keep protecting the abundant nature.)
There are many interesting Saba restaurants in Kyoto, for example SABAR is specializing in Toro Saba dish. You can eat original world dishes which are used Saba like Saba's fish and chips, tandoori Saba and… Saba's cheese cake!?
Let's try to look for your country dishes!!
△I sometimes use for my friend's birth day party. You should try combination of various Sake and Saba dishes.
The restaurant is flood with Saba, so you can enjoy Saba not only dishes but also like interior decoration.
- Sushi and Noodles Masugataya
179, Nishincho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto
Shop hours:12:00-18:00
Closing day:Wednesday
Access:5minutes from Keihan railway station 'Demachiyanagi station',3minutes from Kyoto city bus stop'Kawaramachi-Imadegawa'
- Meibutsu Sabazushi Yase Ooiwa
Kawaramachi-Imadegawa, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto
Shop hours:10:00-18:00
Closing day:Wednesday
Price:from 1000yen
Access:5minutes from Keihan railway station 'Demachiyanagi station',2minutes from Kyoto city bus stop'Kawaramachi-Imadegawa'
- Specializing in Toro Saba dish SABAR Kyoto Karasuma
287, Horinouchi chou, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto city
Nearest station and access:5minutes from Subway station 'Sijyo staion' 5minutes from Kyoto city bus stop 'Sijyo Karasuma'
Shop hours:Lunch time 11:38-14:00(LO13:30)
Dinner time 17:00-23:38(LO22:38)
Closing day:Monday
※Above information is correct as of January, 2017.


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(Email subscribers: Click the title above to view the Spotify playlist)
Recently, my wife and I watched the movie London Has Fallen. It was exactly what we expected going in: a good old-fashioned action movie with cheesy dialogue, lots of action, and a plot that left much to be desired. It was predictable throughout and never took a turn that you didn't see coming. Towards the end of the movie the U.S. president gets kidnapped, and although they drag it out and build up the suspense, I never really doubted that the secret service agent was going to get to him on time, kill the terrorists, and save the day.
When we read the Bible, it's easy to read it like a cheesy action movie. We're familiar with the gospel, we know that we worship a God who always saves His people, and it's never very surprising to us when God rescues His people. In our passage this week, we are finally given a big picture snapshot of the Jews throughout the Persian empire. The last several chapters have been so focused on Esther and Mordecai as they seek deliverance for their people that it might be easy for us to lose sight of the fear and anticipation that the Jews have been experiencing this whole time. Things are gloomy, and they probably feel hopeless as they await the day when their enemies will be given free reign to destroy them.
This is the situation that the Jews are facing prior to this week's passage. It's easy to lose sight of the fact that this was the situation that each of us was in prior to the salvation bought for us by Christ. Prior to our salvation in Christ, we were all hopelessly awaiting the day of our destruction. That is no longer the case. Through Christ, we have been set free from our sin and the punishment we deserve because of it. But in order to really understand what God has done for us, we must first understand where we were: lost in our sins and the wickedness of our hearts, bound for destruction, and without hope. If we lose sight of this, we will also lose sight of the beautiful and miraculous nature of the gospel story.
Scripture: Esther 8:1-17
Sermon: God's Providential Deliverance is Fair Play
A Mighty Fortress is Our God (Traditional)
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You Never Let Go (Matt Redman)
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Our Deliverer (Evan Wickham)
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All Things New (Red Mountain Music)
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Song of Preparation: Doxology (Romans 11) (Andrew Peterson)
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Song of Response: We Will Feast In The House Of Zion (Sandra McCracken)
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Written by : uptownworship
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You have no idea just how much I've missed blogging. Though blogging may seem like only uploading photos, typing some captions and words, discussing topics that are on my mind or updating about what's going on, there's this therapeutic thing about writing to an audience.
A mass audience that you know could reach the other side of the world. A mass audience that you don't know and are strange to you.
And when they return to read your blog time and again, or better still, leave nice comments, you know you've done well :) Fulfilling little rewards that make this blogger keep blogging :)
*Note: She TRIES to blog more often, every now and then ;)
A photo taken by Kel Li with my iPhone 4S. Absolutely love the 8MP camera. Only apps I immediately downloaded when I first got my phone were photography apps. Not even Whatsapp! How surprising? :P
This photo was edited using Pixlromatic's vignette effect + some Chinese app called Mei-tu-xiu-xiu + Instagram's X Pro II. Nice? :)
The December 2011 issue of Seventeen Magazine is out! :)
Some BTS photos.
Look of the shoot:
Soft curls + minimal eye shadow & blusher + red, hot lips.
Sometimes in life, we TRY to be cool =.=
See-through Christmas leggings.
Love just how Blair Waldorf-y this look is! :)
Previews on the comp.
The practical yours truly used to think that accessories are completely unnecessary. But little did I know adding accessories to your outfit could change your entire look!
Love the necklace!
Jeen, the woman responsible for the awesome shoot!
The final product!
It's out in the stores! Go geddit! :)
On a separate note,
On my 22nd birthday,
I got engaged.
Stay tuned for my account on the proposal ;)
love, careen