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Scrapbooking LayoutsWritten by Liza Hartung
Scrapbooking layouts can be the hardest things to come up with. Sure, you have the stock seven or eight that you use, but what do you do when you want to break out of that mold? There have to be other layouts out there that would provide the perfect creative touch to this page. Don't you hate running that thought through your mind over and over? You're sitting there, perhaps for hours, with your photos in your hand, your decorated paper spread out, and you move them randomly around the page in your scrapbook.
You are hoping that something will suddenly strike you. Ah, it does! Oh, wait, that's the same layout you did two pages ago. You can't do that again so soon. What do you do when you get stuck in this rut? There are several solutions. Obviously, if you have a scrapbooking book, you can refer to that. If you don't have one on hand, however, you will have to get a little creative with your scrapbooking layouts.
Creative Inspirations for Scrapbooking Layouts
First, really study the photos. See if there are any colors in them that move you. Maybe they are of fall scenes. You can use fall colors like burgundy, rust and orange to create the background. Use leaves for a border. You can connect the leaves together with a green string, or paint a thin rope with gold paint and use that. Make the entire layout in the form of a tree if you wish. Have photos coming off of each branch.
A fun and basic layout that I like is the ripped look. You literally rip the paper that you will be using for your photo borders, regular borders, captions, whatever you like. You can also go with very simple scrapbooking layouts for busier photos. Try dividing the page into four equal sections. Use a slight variation in color for the background of each. Then, center one photo in each section, putting captions or summaries if you like.


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Price: £15.95
Quantity: 1 available
Book Condition: Very Good
"Centenary edition reprint with no jacket. In overall very good condition, embossed red cloth boards with black decoration and tipped-in coloured plate to front board, are faded to spine and with a few minor signs of shelfwear to edges. Binding tight and square, no annotations or inscriptions - period presentation bookplate to ffep (1st Prize award 1928). Slight tanning to end-papers and page-ends a little marked but text and coloured plates clean and clear throughout. A charming, well-preserved copy."
Title: David Livingstone. The weaver boy who became a Missionary
Categories: Auto/Biography, Religion, Theology and Philosophy,
Publisher: Humphrey Milford/OUP: 1922
Binding: Hardback
Book Condition: Very Good
Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Item: 1.00 Item
Seller ID: 110887

subset: commoncrawl


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Sculpey Super Slicer
Price: $39.90
Sculpey Super Slicer
The set includes four blades for slicing clay and creating a variety of design edges or cuts. The handles snap off for use on all blades. Blades included are rigid, flexible, rick rack and wave.
Use this tool to make your little sculptures look super professional!
6pc set


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Christmas is well packed away now, but one set of lights, which we don't actually use, seemed worthy of a blog. These were lights that belonged to my late father in law. My wife remembers then in the 1960s but they may be older. They are still in their rather battered box.
These lights were made for a company called Timothy Whites and Taylors. The box says so.
This company had been formed as the result of a merger in 1935. The company was taken over by Boots in 1968 which resulted in many branch closures. In my home town, in the 1960s, the shop was just called Timothy Whites but officially the company had the 'and Taylors' as well. The name vanished in the 1980s.
We are pretty confident these lights are at least 50 and possibly up to 60 years old.
They were sold in the days when you got full information and instructions.
We have seen glimpses of the bulb set – here they are.
They came equipped with a bayonet fitting for plugging into a normal (for the time) light bulb socket.
Father in law was keen on things electrical and he acquired a flasher bulb for this set. The flasher bulb wiring in which a bimetal strip could make and break the circuit as it bent when it warmed up. With the circuit broken it cooled down and made the circuit again.
It looks as though the first one had to be replaced.
This had been bought at another now vanished store – Woolworth.
Mother in Law has written ordinary on the box/label to indicate that it now contained an ordinary bulb. It looks as though the flasher cost 1/8. That's about 8½p.
Although we don't use these lights, they do work and here they are, still in the box but alight.
And to finish, click here to see a film of the bulbs flashing away.


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A familiar name in Washington politics that is emerging as a potential central figure in the Nevada cattle dispute is none other than U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Senate Majority Leader. Reid figures into the scandal in at least two ways.
According to radio host and Fox News Channel contributor Dana Loesch, Sen. Reid moved the boundaries of the original habitat of the endangered desert tortoise in order to accommodate a development by Reid's top political donor, Harvey Whittemore. But why is this of such vital importance?
Protecting the original habitat of the endangered tortoise was the supposed primary reason for the federal land seizure of that portion of Nevada to begin with. But that motivational factor was thrown out the window in a hurry when Reid decided to help his cow with his development project on that land. Reid, thus, changed the boundaries of the habitat and moved the tortoise to the new area.
But this is not the only way that Reid is directly connected to the growing Nev. cattle scandal. In 2012 both Breitbart and Reuters reported that Sen. Reid was pushing a land deal with the Chinese that would result in the construction of a $5 billion dollar solar panel plant on the very land that is now being disputed in Clark County, Nev., the home of rancher Cliven Bundy whose family has used the land for cattle for over 150 years.
Senate Majority Leader (D-NV) Harry Reid's "SON" Rory Reid, - - is the primary representative for ENN Energy Group, a Chinese energy company seeking to build a $5 billion solar panel plant on a 9,000-acre Clark County desert plot in Laughlin, Nevada.
ENN scored big when Clark County commissioners unanimously voted to sell the Chinese company the public land for just $4.5 million, despite the fact that it was appraised at $38.6 million.
Sen. Reid has been one of ENN's biggest supporters, having recruited the company during a 2011 trip to China. According to Reuters, last month Sen. Reid tried to "pressure Nevada's largest power company, NV Energy, to sign up as ENN's first customer."
Both Reid and his son denied lobbying the Chinese to secure the land deal. But this would explain why, after 150 years, the Feds appear to be so eager to get Bundy and his cattle off of that land.
Views: 374
Bastiches Nailed....Reid is toast, believe the senile ol' bastard knows it too
Dems in for a rude awakening, thanks to that usurping prick invading the executive branch, not to mention all his cronies. Still hoping for warrants and arrests even after this "VeryBarry Care" Admin is over...firm believer this farce of a Healthcare act will be vanquished, repealed, destroyed, and scattered to the winds!!


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Thoughts From the Coffee Table: What do you see? What can your imagination generate?
I have a creative mind. Ideas pop into my head all day long, and earlier in my career they were the squirrel to my canine attention span. Now I write them down and review them later to decide what to implement, what to discard and what to consider for another time.
I often envy linear thinkers. Do they get more done without the distraction of random thoughts? Or am I just making assumptions?
I have been at a conference all week with some very linear thinkers, and it has been a great counterpart to the constant activity of my right brain. It's like a workout to boost my left brain capability!
Yesterday I took a guided hike through Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and practiced just being in the moment. The impact of the CA drought is clear here, and every brief flash of new life is welcome.
Our guide pointed out this small dried out plant and asked what we thought it looked like. Turns out, once upon a time, model train enthusiasts picked these, painted them green, and used them as trees in displays.
Linear thinker meets creative eye. A combination that provided job for both. And an opportunity to live in harmony. For an end result I could have never imagined.


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*This feature is only available for residential customers
At New Jersey American Water, we remain steadfast in our commitment to keeping you informed as we work to deliver clean, safe and reliable water and wastewater services to you during the COVID-19 public health emergency. To access the latest American Water COVID-19 updates click here.
With a 100-year track record as a safe, effective disinfectant, chloramine is
widely used by municipally run and privately owned water systems across the
United States. Unfortunately, misinformation on the Internet and from
other sources has created unnecessary confusion. Below are responses to commonly
asked questions about chloramine.
To comply with new, stringent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
regulations, New Jersey American Water needed to transition the water treatment
disinfection practice at several of its facilities from chlorine to chloramine.
We made the change to reduce the levels of disinfection byproducts that EPA has
found to have known health risks. These byproducts are potentially harmful
contaminants that form when chlorine reacts with organic compounds naturally
present in our surface water sources of supply during the normal water
purification process.
Compared to chlorine, chloramine produces substantially lower concentrations
of the disinfection byproducts that the EPA regulates in drinking water. The new
federal regulations are in effect, and we took a proactive approach to ensure
that our water meets all public health standards.
People use chloraminated water in all the same ways for drinking, bathing,
cooking, cleaning and watering lawns and gardens. The only change that customers
might notice is a reduced taste and odor of chlorine. If you prefer, products
are available that reduce or remove chloramine, such as home treatment systems
and water filters, which often contain certifications describing their
effectiveness. We recommend that you visit the
Sanitation Foundation's (NSF) Web site
, where NSF
provides information on in-home filters that remove chloramine and chlorine.
Please note that two groups of customers need to take special precautions:
kidney dialysis patients and fish owners. For more information, visit
Precautions for Dialysis Patients and Fish Owners.
For nearly 100 years, water systems across the United States and Canada have
used chloramine without any ill effects. Every day, one in five Americans
receive drinking water treated with chloramine, including residents in
Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Boston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Denver and Miami.
Please note that two groups of customers need to take special precautions:
kidney dialysis patients and fish owners. For more information, visit
Precautions for Dialysis Patients and Fish Owners. In addition, New Jersey American
Water brings over 30 years of experience using chloramine to treat water in
its Raritan System, which serves customers in Mercer, Somerset, Middlesex and
Union Counties.
In the dialysis process, water comes in direct contact with the bloodstream.
Just like chlorine, the presence of chloramine in dialysis water would be
harmful and it must be removed. Dialysis systems already pre-treat their source
water to remove chlorine and many of the pre-treament systems will also remove
chloramines. To be certain that modifications aren't necessary to remove
chloramines, dialysis patients should consult with their dialysis provider or
health care practitioner. Consult your physician if you have any questions.
Yes. Chloraminated water can be consumed because the digestive process
neutralizes the chloramine before it reaches the bloodstream. Kidney dialysis
patients can drink, cook and bathe in water treated with chloramine. Please
consult your physician if you have any questions.
Like chlorine, chloramines are toxic at low levels and must be removed from
the water to be used for aquatic life, because they can come into direct contact
with their bloodstream. Therefore, chloramines should be removed from water used
in aquariums, fish tanks and ponds. Individuals or businesses that keep fish or
other animals in tanks, aquariums, or ponds should ask a pet supply company
about removing chloramines. Customers who use drinking water for aquaculture
purposes (growing plants in water tanks or ponds) should get expert advice
regarding the need and procedures to neutralize or remove chloramines. Also,
restaurants and grocery stores with lobster tanks must take special precautions
to treat the water.
Chloramine is safe for all mammals – including dogs and cats -- as well as
birds and most reptiles. Please consult your veterinarian or local pet store for
more information.
No. Proper corrosion control is always the key to reducing the risk of lead
leaching, and New Jersey American Water has extensive experience in this field.
In fact, when the Washington D.C. water system had issues with lead and a lack
of proper corrosion control with chlorine – before it made the transition to
chloramine, the EPA called our parent company, American Water, to help resolve
the issue. Our environmental experts assisted Washington D.C. officials in
developing the solution – a phosphate-based corrosion inhibitor.
New Jersey American Water practices corrosion control at all of its water
treatment facilities, and is in compliance at all systems with the Federal and
State Lead and Copper regulation.
No. Water disinfected with chloramine is no different than using chlorinated
water to cleanse a wound. Virtually no water comes into direct contact with the
bloodstream, so there is no harm.
Businesses and other establishments that use municipal drinking water for
commercial laundering, laboratory procedures, and other processes that require
carefully controlled water characteristics should get advice from equipment
manufacturers or other suppliers regarding any changes that may be needed. These
types of businesses may include laboratories, microchip manufacturers, biotech
companies, soft drink bottlers, photography labs and restaurants or seafood
suppliers with fish tanks.
You should continue to treat your pool according to the manufacturer's
recommendations. Test kits available at your local pool supply store can be used
to measure the disinfectant concentration in the pool water. Contact your local
pool supply store for additional details.
No. The low levels of disinfectant in the water should not have any effect on
plant life. The bacteria that contribute to plant growth live within the soil
and are generally protected from chloramine concentrations by the soil layer.
Soil will reduce or remove the disinfectant, thereby reducing its levels in the
water that reach the plants.
Dr. Jeffrey Griffiths, Associate Professor of Public Health, Medicine, Nutrition and Engineering, Tufts University School of Medicine "The reports of adverse health effects of chloramine are both anecdotal, and at times biologically implausible. There continues to be confusion amongst some individuals as to the effects of monochloramine versus more complex chloramines, such as di-chloramine and tri-chloramine and other chemical species. However, no creditable evidence that chloramine (monochloramine), as used as a water disinfectant at recommended concentrations, has surfaced. Investigations by the Centers for Disease Control have not yielded any evidence of such adverse effects. In addition, no peer-reviewed papers or journal articles have been published in the scientific literature that would support the thesis that drinking water disinfection with chloramine has adverse health effects for humans."
Mark Hartle, Chief Aquatic Resources Section, Division of Environmental Services, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission "Both free chlorine and chloramines are quite toxic to aquatic life. Consequently, both compounds are used effectively as disinfectants. Chlorine is toxic to many aquatic organisms at concentrations less than 1 part per million, and we find that slightly higher chloramine concentrations are necessary to produce the same level of toxicity."
Jeff Hines, President and CEO, York Water Company "The York Water Company has been using chloramines since 1942. I have been with the company for 20 years and have never received any complaints related to chloramine. In fact, the only calls we get are from people who actually say the water tastes good, because they can't smell the chlorine."
Bernard Brunwasser, Water Commissioner, City of Philadelphia Water Department "Philadelphia made the switch from chlorine to chloramine over 30 years ago, because it is less corrosive, less odorous and more persistent through the 3,000 miles of Philadelphia's underground piping network and the plumbing of our customers' homes, thus protecting the water all the way to the tap."
If you have a question that is not listed here, please send it to us via the Chloramine Question Form, or call our customer service center at 1-800-272-1325.
Call center hours are M-F, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For emergencies: We're available


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There aren't many people who can truthfully say, "I was a teenage Zombie." Two of them – Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone – are Zombies again, part of the reformed British Sixties band that brought us songs like "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", and "Time of the Season", and the acclaimed album Odessey and Oracle recorded just before they broke up.
If "Argent" sounds familiar, it's also the name of the successful band that Argent founded after The Zombies, which is best known for the hit song "Hold Your Head Up". Over the years, Argent has also recorded with other artists, most notably The Who on their 1978 album Who Are You.
This interview with Rod Argent was done for a preview article for noozhawk.com for the 9/4/16 concert by The Zombies at the Libbey Bowl in Ojai, California. It was done by phone on 8/23/16. (Andrew Eccles photo)
"Everything happened in 1966 for The Spencer Davis Group," says someone who would know – Spencer Davis himself. And what a year it was for the band. They started off with a UK Number One song "Keep On Running", which knocked The Beatles' single "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" off the top spot. Another UK Number One song, "Somebody Help Me", followed a few months later.
But the highlight of the year for the band was the release of the timeless classic "Gimme Some Lovin'", co-written by Davis, Muff Winwood, and Muff's kid brother Steve, the band's lead singer who also played organ and a bit of guitar.
Now, 1966 wasn't actually the only year that things happened for The Spencer Davis Group. Their song "I'm A Man" was released in early 1967 and hit the Top Ten; a couple years later it was memorably covered by Chicago. But Steve Winwood left the band in 1967 to form Traffic, and as Spencer Davis puts it, they "lost a huge amount of momentum".
This interview was for a preview article for noozhawk.com for the concert by The Spencer Davis Group as part of the Happy Together Tour at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara on 7/13/16. It was done by phone on 6/29/16. (Liz Barry photo)


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NCAA College Basketball Sports Betting Match Up Previews for SundayFriday, January 31st, 2014
The Super Bowl will take center stage for sports bettors on Sunday February 2nd at 6:30PM Eastern Time as the Seahawks and Broncos will tee it up. That's too long for most sports bettors to get into action on a Sunday. Thankfully there is several college basketball games scheduled over national television on February 2nd that will satisfy the appetite of sports bettors nationwide.
Bet NCAA college basketball at Oddsmaker sportsbook, where bettors can now Claim their Free 100% Bonus up to $1000. Sign up today and get into the excitement of watching and wagering on college basketball all the way to the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament on the first Monday of April!
There is Big Ten basketball scheduled over national television as the Purdue Boilermakers visit the Penn St Nittany Lions. Things get started from Penn St at 11:30AM Eastern Time over Big Ten Network. Penn St enters play winners of two straight and coming off a monster overtime win at Ohio St on Wednesday. Purdue has lost three straight after a nine point loss at Michigan on Thursday.
From the AAC conference the South Florida Bulls are sent on the road to face the Cincinnati Bearcats. Start time is 12PM Eastern Time on CBS Sports Network. Cincinnati is coming of a monster win on Thursday to Louisville as a +9 point road underdog. South Florida is coming off a home upset win against SMU as a +7 point underdog.
A monster game from the ACC conference will tip off between the Virginia Cavaliers and Pittsburgh Panthers. The Cavaliers and Panthers will begin from Pittsburgh at 12:30PM Eastern Time and ESPNU will provide the coast to coast broadcast. Pittsburgh is looking to take out their frustrations after a 15 point defeat on Monday at home to Duke. Virginia has covered eight straight games and has won seven of eight during that stretch.
From the Big Ten conference the Michigan Wolverines will hit the road to face the Indiana Hoosiers. The two teams get underway from Indiana at 1PM Eastern Time over CBS Television. The Wolverines have yet to lose a conference game at 8-0 thus far. Indiana has dropped three of their past four.
Two PAC 12 clubs will tangle at 2:30PM Eastern Time as the UCLA Bruins will travel to play the Oregon St Beavers. The teams get started from Oregon St at 2:30PM Eastern Time and ESPNU provides the coast to coast broadcast. UCLA looks to build off their win at Oregon to begin this road trip on Thursday. Oregon St is winners of three of four after a one point home to USC on Thursday.


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Pandering to antisemitism
23 Nov 2009 by CST
Oliver Miles is a former British diplomat who, five years ago, wrote a letter protesting against then-Prime Minister Tony Blair's Middle Eastern foreign policy and organised for 51 other former diplomats to sign it before releasing it to the media. The specific act which so enraged Miles that he felt moved to do this, was Blair's support for a Middle East peace plan that had been put together by President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. This act of public revolt against government policy by so many former diplomats was relatively unprecedented and became a major international news story.
Miles' latest intervention on Middle East policy is unlikely to cause similar controversy, but only because it represents the kind of negative discourse about Jews that so often passes without comment nowadays. In his column in yesterday's Independent on Sunday, commenting on the composition of the Iraq war inquiry panel which meets for the first time this week, Miles wrote:
The Prime Minister's choice of the members of the committee has been criticised. None is a military man, Sir John Chilcot was a member of the Hutton inquiry and has been closely involved with the security services, Baroness Prashar has no relevant experience, Sir Roderic Lyne was a serving ambassador at the time of the war, and so on.
Rather less attention has been paid to the curious appointment of two historians (which seems a lot, out of a total of five), both strong supporters of Tony Blair and/or the Iraq war. In December 2004 Sir Martin Gilbert, while pointing out that the "war on terror" was not a third world war, wrote that Bush and Blair "may well, with the passage of time and the opening of the archives, join the ranks of Roosevelt and Churchill" an eccentric opinion that would seem to rule him out as a member of the committee. Sir Lawrence Freedman is the reputed architect of the "Blair doctrine" of humanitarian intervention, which was invoked in Kosovo and Afghanistan as well as Iraq.
Both Gilbert and Freedman are Jewish, and Gilbert at least has a record of active support for Zionism. Such facts are not usually mentioned in the mainstream British and American media, but The Jewish Chronicle and the Israeli media have no such inhibitions, and the Arabic media both in London and in the region are usually not far behind.
It is astonishing that Miles thinks that the Jewishness of two of the panel members should count against them in this way. The implication is that they will think the same way, because they are Jewish; and that their Jewishness - or, much worse, "a record of active support for Zionism" - would automatically colour their opinion of how the British government prosecuted the Iraq war. The alternative, implied but not spelled out by Miles, is that Jews should have been ruled out of participation in the inquiry, because they are Jews. I do not accuse Miles of being an antisemite, but he has arrived at a clearly antisemitic position, which should have caused him to review the thought process that brought him there.
Miles compares the willingness of the Jewish and Arabic media to mention whether somebody is Jewish with the reticence of the British and American media to do so. There are obvious if contrasting reasons why the Jewish and Arabic media are quick to do this, as Normblog has pointed out. However, Miles does not have to look far to find examples within the British press: he shares the Independent stable with Richard Ingrams, who has already noticed the "Jewish historians" on the panel. That Ingrams and Miles both think that the Jewishness of Gilbert and Freedman is relevant to an inquiry about Iraq, not about Israel, begs a whole other set of questions.
Perhaps the most craven part of Miles' article comes in the next paragraph:
All five members have outstanding reputations and records, but it is a pity that, if and when the inquiry is accused of a whitewash, such handy ammunition will be available. Membership should not only be balanced; it should be seen to be balanced.
Miles has spent many years in the Middle East, both as a diplomat and, since retirement, as a businessman. Conspiracy theories about Jews are common enough in that part of the world, and Miles is probably right when he warns that they may be used to undermine the findings of the inquiry. I do not accuse Miles of sharing those conspiracy theories: they appear to be absent from his writings on Middle East politics for the Guardian's Comment Is Free, for example, and there is evidence that he is sensitive to the existence of antisemitism even within the Foreign Office. But it should be the job of Britain's diplomats abroad to challenge such prejudices when they encounter them, not to advise that British policy should bend over to accommodate them.
Dispatches: Where is the evidence?
23 Nov 2009 by CST
Alleged plot to assassinate Yemeni rabbi
20 Nov 2009 by CST


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Kamehameha Schools Hawai'i Visit!
Aloha, friends,
My DREAM school visit happened last week at Kamehameha Schools Hawai`i campus. It was truly a privilege and honor of a lifetime to speak at home about my book set in the islands. Mahalo nunui to Carmen Oliver, Kapua Helm, and all of the staff and students at the school for making it such an extraordinarily special day. I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by all of the aloha. Before I began my presentations to 2nd-8th graders I was greeted with song and lei. So, yes, I was weepy. But I found a way to compose myself so I could speak. I wish I could have stayed all week. We are ohana (family) now. And I can't wait to return.
Posted in News on 08/31/2017 01:12 pm


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(6 word story )
Post my thinnest picture to Facebook 😌
The End
Copyright © 2017Vivian ZemsAll Rights Reserved
Mum, author and dentist is how I describe myself. I love creating pictures from
words. Sometimes a painter, other times a weaver- words are my tool; trying to create
something beautiful.
When I was nine, my dad introduced me to audio books. I was hooked. With his guidance, I fell into a world where words became life simply by weaving them together. So here I am, living out my passion- reading and writing!
Enjoy the ride with me 😁😁
Six Word Story
post to Facebook
June 30, 2017 at 1:02 pm
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 30, 2017 at 6:21 pm
July 5, 2017 at 8:28 pm
Luv it lol
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CASE: Animatronics Steam CD Key
Available payment methods
Welcome to the police department, where late work can lead to tragic consequences. You're a swamped with work detective - John Bishop who carries out his investigation till the late night. After a strange dream he gets awaken up by a mysterious call from an old "friend" and everything goes sideways.
The police department is left without electricity, security system has been hacked and all exits are locked. But that is not the real problem. Someone is following you, someone red-eyed and made of steel. You better know them as animatronics. Figure out what is going on and remember - no one will hear you scream.
- A tablet to watch the security cameras carefully. Еnvironment of the police station is the key to salvation. Be quiet, be alert, move fast, and remember you can only rely on your legs, tablet and a torch.
- Hide & Sneak. Use closets and cabinets to sneak between animatronics and catch a breath.
- Animatronics. Their steel legs and arms will treat you well. Get ready to be confused with their abilities.
- Figure out what's happening. Explore the police department in search of explanations. Don't forget to listen the world around and notice changes around. It can save your life.
- OS: Windows 7
- Processor: Intel Core2 Quad Q8400
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 1GB / Radeon R7 250X 1GB
- DirectX: Version 10
- Storage: 1 GB available space
- OS: OS X version Leopard 10.5.8 and above
- Processor: Intel Core i5
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
- Storage: 1 GB available space
- Sound Card: Standard
Go to: http://store.steampowered.com/ and download STEAM client
Click "Install Steam" (from the upper right corner)
Install and start application, login with your Account name and Password (create one if you don't have).
Please follow these instructions to activate a new retail purchase on Steam:
- Launch Steam and log into your Steam account.
- Click the Games Menu.
- Choose Activate a Product on Steam...
- Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process.
After successful code verification go to the "MY GAMES" tab and start downloading.
If you have any problems regarding activation, please contact us:


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Comics Academe: How Do You Teach Comics?
- Comics, Comics Academe, Essays
- September 12, 2014
If you are reading anything on this site, you probably like books. This is a bit of a stretch, I'll admit, but you may also like people too? Let's get really wild here: you might even like your home, especially comfy spots like your living room sofa. Personally, I like reading, and people, and evenREAD MORE
The Direct Market was the name given to the distribution channel that stocked the shelves of the fledgling comic shop network in the 1970s. It was "direct" because the books were shipped from printers straight to the stores on a non-returnable basis, bypassing messy corporate newsstand distributors. Over time, different companies have helped to supplyREAD MORE
When I think of SFX makeup, generally my first thought is a wide array of expensive products and various techniques that come together to create a stunning visual effect. Then I remember that I'm a student on a budget with no time for professional classes. However, as I have shown in previous articles, there isREAD MORE
Looking to add a little sparkle to your holiday gift giving? Then these fun hair fascinators are for you. I originally delved into the world of hair fascinators as a fun way to be found across the convention floor. You can make them low-key for every day wear or, like me, as something fancy forREAD MORE
It's that time of year when holidays are happening, and as a knitter, I love the holidays as an excuse to knit presents for my friends. This project is one that was essentially commissioned by WWAC staff, and all around badass, Wendy Browne.READ MORE
Ornaments have always been a big part of my family's Christmas traditions: my brother, sister, and I each have plastic tubs full of the ornaments we've been gifted over the years, and my mother has been hand-making ornaments for us and for friends and family for as long as I can remember.READ MORE


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The International Conference on Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (ICONN) is a joint venture between the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering at LUMS, and the School of Chemical & Materials Engineering at NUST.
The second conference of this series (ICONN-2019) will be held in November at LUMS. The conference welcomes relevant students, colleagues and professionals in the interdisciplinary field of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology. Early bird online registration is encouraged to get your participation confirmed in time.
Date: November 1-2, 2019
Venue: LUMS
Important Dates
Early bird registration deadline: September 16, 2019
Abstract submission deadline: September 1, 2019
Notification of acceptance: September 6, 2019
Registration Fee
Professional (international): USD 150 (USD 200*)
Student (international): USD 100 (USD 150*)
Professional (local): PKR 3,000 (PKR 4,000*)
Student (local): PKR 1,500 (PKR 2,000*)
* fee after September 16, or on-desk
For additional information, please click here


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Use FourZero to Implement Event Driven Control Architecture on your PLCnext instead of creating inefficient cyclic controls
Create a network of collaborating, distributed intelligent devices with PLCnext and FourZero Technology. Program PLCnext Control with fully encapsulated, reusable function blocks. This makes FourZero ideal to run a changing system.
FourZero is a development platform for distributed embedded systems. The graphical programming environment combines elements of the IEC 61499 standard, event-based architecture, App programming structures and SOA.
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The police has not yet been able to find out details about the murder of the SBI employee Junu Sharma even after 36 hours of the incident.
The Rangia Subdivision Police Officials are searching the vehicle for clues. The Manager of SBI Dadara Branch Ashapurna Sinha is also being interrogated by the police.
However she refrained from commenting and said that there are strict instructions from higher officials.
On Wednesday a meeting was held at Dadara Police station by the higher officials of Assam Police regarding the incident.
Additional director general of police(ADGP) Mukheh Agarwal, Kamrup Police Superitendent Partha Sarathi Mahanta and ADSP Sanjeev Saikia were present at the meeting.
Junu Sarmah was shot dead in Agyathuri near Guwahati on Oct 9th. According to reports, two persons on a bike shot the woman, who was in her car
Reportedly, the miscreants fled the scene after committing the crime.
Police however has detained Sharma's driver, identified as Pranab Kalita. Police also suspect the involvement of the driver in the incident.


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Percentage of women in European national legislatures, 2014
Slovenia, Serbia and FYR Macedonia were kind of a surprise to me. Spain, too, a bit, and Belarus. Hungary, you got some explaining to do. (Comment from 2019: boy, was I ignorant of the dominant but by no means universal political forces that had been brewing in Hungary then!) France, vous me désappointez aussi.
As it does in every possible measure of national success, of course, Scandinavia rocks.
Mostly, this was a chance to take my hex grid chloropleth of Europe out for a spin!


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Surge offers a perfect alternative for single gay men who feel uncomfortable looking for partners at a bar or a gay party. If you prefer to meet someone online and get to know them before setting up a relationship, you have every reason to join this great gay dating app. Here guys will have a better and more private environment to connect with like-minded people around the world. Surge boasts more than 3.5 million members of all ages looking for guys to connect, which makes it easy for every new member to meet potential matches.
Surge has a very modern design and you will realize it from the moment that you open this gay dating app. Then you link your Facebook account to this app or you can simply register a new account here. It is easy to place a profile since it only requires you to input your name, email address, password and your birthday. After your account is done, you can start to browse other profiles to find guys that you like as you wish. You can choose to upload one profile photo to allow others to know what you look like on the browsing page, and you can also upload another five public photos and three private photos to your album.
After you upload a profile picture, you can check single gay men nearby on the main page. All you have to do is check the profiles that placed on the page and click like on those profiles that you are interested in. Once that member likes you, a match is made and you can start a conversation with that guy. If you find someone that you really like and you don't want to miss this chance, you can Power Like this member. It is the fastest and the most direct way to show others that you are really interested in them. However, all members only have one chance to Power Like someone per day. You can choose to buy a pack of PL or update your membership to get free chances.
What's good about this gay hookup app is that Surge is free to download and join. There are no ads on the page that will bother members when they are searching and connecting with other guys. You can only send messages to men that you have matched with, which decrease the chance to receive lots of spams and messages from guys that you don't like.
From its launch, Surge has become one of the most popular and largest gay dating apps in this world. It earns a good reputation from its members because it knows how to make it a great platform especially for gay singles to connect. If you are looking for a gay friend to support you, or a date to start a relationship, Surge will definitely be the highly recommended app for you.


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Hunting and Fishing Presidents of the United States
It's Presidents day and we at Shotem' and Caughtem' thought we might put together a list of presidents who loved the great outdoors as a tribute. These are the past presidents who loved to hunt and fish. As you can see, although hunters and fisherman only make up around 10% of the population here in the United States we tend to elect those who love being one with nature.
President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) is the undisputed leader of sportsmen in the White House, and he had lots of followers: Half the presidents in the past 50 years were avid hunters. Those same leaders loved to fish.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-61)
Ike began hunting in his youth, managed to arrange a partridge hunt in North Africa during World War II, and shot quail in Georgia nearly every February during his eight-year presidency. He loved fishing even more, for trout, muski and northern pike. Constituents sent lures, hooks, even fish. White House gift files contain some 200 entries for flies.
John F. Kennedy (1961-63)
An experienced sailor, JFK is known to have fished one time, when he caught a sailfish - off Acapulco on his honeymoon. He hunted once as well. As historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. recalled it, Lyndon B. Johnson "liked to impose tests of manhood, of which the most notorious was bringing politicians to his ranch and insisting that they kill deer. John Kennedy, filled with deep distaste, had killed his deer after the 1960 election."
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-69)
A 1964 article headlined "LBJ - Outdoor Sportsman" recalled Johnson flying on Air Force One to Texas during a storm, his brows furrowed until he returned from the cockpit relieved that the pilot would "have us on the ranch in time to see the deer before dark." Johnson was known to go after only the biggest racks; dove hunting was his favorite blood sport. His lakes were stocked, and Johnson spent hours catching grasshoppers for his daughters to fish with.
Richard M. Nixon (1969-74)
Nixon was so ill-at-ease in nature that he walked on the beach in a suit and dress shoes. He was never known to hunt (although he did occasionally fish in the Bahamas with Robert Abplanalp and Bebe Rebozo). A search of the National Archives turns up a number of hits, such as this tape-recorded meeting with counsel John Dean on March 21, 1973, the height of the Watergate scandal (Dean has suggested he might go to jail to spare Nixon):
President: Sometimes it's well to give them ...
Dean: (Sighs)
President: something, and then they don't want the bigger fish then.
Gerald R. Ford (1974-77)
Although Ford's father and two brothers were big on hunting and fishing, the president's alpha male was expressed mainly through football and basketball. A complimentary Pennsylvania fishing license is in his White House files. Contacted recently, he had no memories of either.
Jimmy Carter (1977-81)
"I had a fishing pole in my hands as early as I can remember, and would go hunting with Daddy long before I could have anything to shoot other than a BB gun," Carter wrote in his memoir of growing up in the South. He hunted everything from possum to deer to duck, and has fished around the world. He helicoptered from the White House to Spruce Creek, Pa., where he still flyfishes every year.
Ronald Reagan (1981-89)
Known more for riding horses and chopping wood, both in Hollywood and as president at his Santa Barbara ranch, Reagan did recall fishing the Rock River as a boy. But biographer Lou Cannon wrote that he "was so caring of the wildlife at Rancho del Cielo that he had rattlesnakes near the ranch trapped and carted away, instead of following the usual ranching practice of simply killing them."
George H.W. Bush (1989-93)
Bush learned to hunt as a boy visiting his grandparents' lodge in South Carolina. His first love is the fishing of his Maine childhood. Equally at home on the ocean or by a stream, casting from a boat or on shore, he missed the 1992 Democratic convention and Ross Perot's ending of his third-party bid while by a creek. "The joy of fishing with your son in a river in Wyoming, I'll tell you, it's hard to compete with anything," he said upon returning to civilization.
Bill Clinton (1993-01)
In Clinton's rural Arkansas, deals are sealed over a duck hunt. He did go, both as governor and president, but friends said his heart wasn't in it. "He loves people, loves doing what people are doing," recalled a longtime friend and hunting buddy in Little Rock. "The actual going out there and seeing how many ducks you can kill is not part of his nature. The camaraderie part is." Clinton is not much into fishing, either.
George W. Bush (2001-)
The proprietors of the lodge where Carter flyfishes in Pennsylvania's Huntingdon County said No. 43 was rumored to be interested but a visit never materialized. Bush loves the bass fishing of his native Texas, and likes to spend New Year's Day hunting quail with his father (and high-powered family friend James A. Baker 3d) in south Texas. "I think I shot five," he told reporters on Jan. 1, 2004.


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Item Details
Members of the United States Army Yellow Fever Commission in Cuba
- Format
- Photographs; Online
- Date
- August 1900
- Summary
From left to right: Aristides Agramonte, Jesse W. Lazear, and James Carroll.
- Language
- English
- Collection
- Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection circa 1800-circa 1998 bulk 1863-1974
- Location
- Box-folder 76:5
- Copyright & PermissionsRights statements and licenses provide information about copyright and reuse associated with individual items in the collection.
Additional information about rights, reuse of Library materials, suggested citation forms, and related issues can be found on the "Permission to Use Library Materials" page.
- Copyright Not Evaluated
- Extent
- 1 page
▾See more
▴See less


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Our Veg of the Week at the Wilde & Greene Farm Shop last week was the Golden Turnip. To celebrate this tiny (but triumphant) vegetable I made turnip dauphinoise, just to see whether it was possible. It was, and it was great. I've put together the recipe for you so that we can all share the power of the turnip.
It's a great side dish to meat and goes very well with leafy veg such as kale, spinach or brussell tops.
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5-6 medium turnips (golden or regular) peeled and thinly sliced
227ml (one pot) organic double cream
100ml milk
100g parmesan cheese, grated
Pre heat oven to 180° or gas mark 4.
Slowly heat the cream and milk in a medium pan until it starts to thicken. Add the garlic and turnips to the pan and allow to cook slowly for 10-15 minutes when the turnips have slightly softened.
Once they have started to soften, pour the mixture into a deep tray, ensuring that the mix is not too spread along the bottom of the tin (there must be a good thickness to it to make sure that it cooks before burning). Add the parmesan cheese to the top of the mixture (I also added cherry tomatoes whole which was lovely) and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Once the top has browned and the turnips are fully cooked, serve.


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956674599786704319.post78896567563792985..comments2019-11-10T22:54:46.136+05:30Comments on abhirupsblog.com: Eureka tips to get rid of Mouth email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956674599786704319.post-25273431170513948082018-03-08T03:25:23.072+05:302018-03-08T03:25:23.072+05:30Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it...Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as
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IITA-DRC holds third planning workshop for CBSD Project
IITA's project "Action to control the Cassava Brown Streak Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)," organized its annual review and planning meeting for 2018–2019 in Mbujimayi, the capital city of Kasai Oriental Province.
The opening ceremony was chaired by the provincial Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Charledoux Mbuyi who welcomed the participants. He assured the then IITA Country Representative, Nzola- Meso Mahungu, of his personal involvement and that of the Provincial Government in implementing project activities. He also said the specialized services of his ministry will take into account all the recommendations and conclusions from the meeting for their own development programs.
Introducing the meeting, Mahungu reviewed the objectives of last year's meeting held in Kisangani and invited colleagues and partners involved in the projects to align the presentations to last year's plans.
Each INERA station where the project activities are implemented was invited to show its achievements. Results from different research areas, comprising breeding, crop protection, agronomy and multiplication of planting materials, and monitoring and evaluation were highlighted and discussed. Lessons learned and challenges were drawn, and an orientation was given for the activity planning session. On the following day, scientists from the different research areas constituted four working groups to discuss activities for the 2018–2019 workplan.
During the workshop, three thematic presentations were made on 'Breeding activities and the use of Marker Assisted Selection (MAS)', 'Varietal maintenance in cassava seed system,' and 'SAH technology' by Mouritala Sikirou, Sylvain Bidiaka, and Mamy Binzunga, respectively. On the last day, a session on capacity enhancement of participants on mapping GIS data using Google MyMAPS was facilitated by Adrien Ndonda.
Also, a presentation on IITA finance procedures and requirements for financial reimbursements was done by Samuel Munkiba, the IITA Station Administrator in Kinshasa. He then reminded partners on technical and financial reporting dates given in the partnership agreements.
Workshop participants include the representative from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Augustin Kadima, delegates of the Ministry of Agriculture, in particular those of the National Seed Service (SENASEM), as well as researchers from IITA-DRC (Kinshasa and Bukavu) and from the National Institute for Agricultural Studies and Research (INERA), University of Kinshasa, and University of Kisangani. Other partners included the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), HarvestPlus Program, WAVE Project, Kasai Agricultural Support Project (PRODAKOR) funded by the Belgian Agency ENABEL, and members of the private sector, including seed agri-multipliers. The CBSD project in DRC is funded by USAID and is now on its third year. It operates throughout the country from pilot provinces including the Central Kongo, Tshopo, South and North Kivu, and Kasai/Lomami.


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28 April 2013
Quotes to Inspire
Dear Ruth
Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again.
There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:
Dear Ruth:
I`m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always, Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me?
I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer."
With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least!"
She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday.
Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?"
Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags
"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it."
Ruth looked at them both.
They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.
"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have i s a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."
"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway."
The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.
As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
"Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest."
She handed the man her grocery bag.
"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"
"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
"Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him.
She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
"That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth:
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.
Making Pancakes
-- Author Unknown
Six-year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor.
He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor, which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.
Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked! Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky.
And just then, he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But, his father just watched him.
Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process!
That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can't stand our job, or our health goes sour.
Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him.
But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried.
I was thinking, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that need rekindling or three words needing to be said... sometimes, "I love you" can heal and bless!
Suppose one morning you were called to God... do all of your friends know you care about them? Remind your special friends and relatives that you love them dearly, while you can, even if you don't think they love back. You would be amazed at what those three little words, a smile, and a reminder like this can do.
Pass some of this love on to others... send this to everyone you love... and never stop "making pancakes."
-- Author Unknown
Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore, Maryland and a consultant in the Space Program relates the following development. "I think one of the most amazing things that God has for us today happened recently to our astronauts and
space scientists at Greenbelt, Maryland.
They were checking the position of the sun, moon, and planets out in space where they would be 100 years and 1000 years from now. We have to know this so we won't send a satellite up and have it bump into something later on in its orbits. We have to lay out
the orbits in terms of the life of the satellite, and where the planets will be so the whole thing will not bog down.
They ran the computer measurement back and forth over the centuries and it came to a halt. The computer stopped and put up a red signal, which meant that there was something wrong either with the information fed into it or with the results as compared to the standards. They called in the service department to check it out and they asked, "What's wrong?"
Well, they found there is a day missing in space in elapsed time. They scratched their heads and tore their hair. There was no answer.
Finally, a Christian man on the team said, "You know, one time I was in Sunday School and they talked about the sun standing still." While they didn't believe him, they didn't have an answer either, so they said, "Show us."
He got a Bible and went back to the book of Joshua where they found a pretty ridiculous statement for anyone with common sense. There they found the Lord saying to Joshua, "Fear them not, I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not a man of them
stand before thee." Joshua was concerned because he was surrounded by the enemy and if darkness fell they would overpower them. So, Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still!
That's right, "The sun stood still and the moon stayed - and hasted not to go down about a whole day!" (Joshua 10:12-13)
The astronauts and scientists said, "There is the missing day!" They checked the computers going back into the time it was written and found it was close but not close enough. The elapsed time that was missing back in Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes - not
a whole day.
They read the Bible and there it was "about (approximately) a day." These little words in the Bible are important, but they were still in trouble because, if you cannot account for 40 minutes, you'll still be in trouble 1,000 years from now. Forty minutes had to be found because it can be multiplied many times over in orbits.
As the Christian employee thought about it, he remembered somewhere in the Bible where it said the sun went BACKWARDS.
The scientists told him he was ! out of his mind, but they got out the Book and read these words in 2 Kings that told of the following story:
Hezekiah, on his deathbed, was visited by the prophet Isaiah who told him that he was not going to die. Hezekiah asked for a sign as proof. Isaiah said, "Do you want the sun to go ahead ten degrees?" Hezekiah said "It is nothing for the sun to go ahead ten degrees, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees." Isaiah spoke to the Lord and the Lord brought the shadow ten degrees BACKWARD! Ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes!
Twenty-three hours and 20 minutes in Joshua, plus 40 minutes in Second Kings make the missing day in the universe!"
References: Joshua 10:8 and 12,13 and 2 Kings 20:9-11.
Publisher's Note:
I did some quick research to see if this story was factual and, unfortunately, it is not according to Snopes.com. HOWEVER, their explanation is not totally convincing, so you may want to read it yourself. I run stories like this for inspirational reasons, and do not feel a story must be true to be appreciated. To review this documentation, go to:
One day I woke up
-- Author Unknown
One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise.
Ah the beauty of God's creation is beyond description.
As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work.
As I sat there, I felt the Lord's presence with me.
He asked me, "Do you love me?"
I answered, "Of course, God! You are my Lord and Savior!"
Then He asked, "If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?"
I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn't be able to do, the things that I took for granted. And I answered, "It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You."
Then the Lord said, "If you were blind, would you still love my creation?"
How could I love something without being able to see it? Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation.
So I answered, "Its hard to think of it, but I would still love you."
The Lord then asked me, "If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?"
How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening to God's Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts. I answered, "It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word."
The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?"
How could I praise without a voice? Then it occurred to me: God wants us to sing from our very heart and soul. It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks. So I answered, "Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name.
And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?"
With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, "Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God!"
I thought I had answered well, but...
God asked, "THEN WHY DO YOU SIN?"
I answered, "Because I am only human. I am not perfect."
No answers. Only tears.
The Lord continued: "Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why seek Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things so unfaithfully?"
The tears continued to roll down my cheeks.
"Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the good news? Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry on? Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?"
I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give.
"You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away. I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away. I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to you but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you sat idly by as they were pushed away. I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all."
I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief. I had no excuse. What could I say to this? When I my heart had cried out and the tears had flowed, I said, " Please forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child."
The Lord answered, "That is My Grace, My child."
I asked, "Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?"
The Lord answered, "Because you are My creation. You are my child. I will never abandon you."
"When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you.
When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you.
When you are down, I will encourage you.
When you fall, I will raise you up.
When you are tired, I will carry you.
I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love you forever."
Never had I cried so hard before. How could I have been so cold? How could I have hurt God as I had done? I asked God, "How much do You love me?"
The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands. I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Savior. And for the first time, I truly prayed.
Did you know ?
Just for Laughs
Good News and Bad News
An artist asked the gallery owner if anyone had shown interest in his paintings. "I've got good news and bad news," she said. "The good news is that some guy inquired if it would appreciate in value after you died. When I told him it would, he bought all 15 of your paintings."
"And the bad news?"
"The guy was your doctor
Sin of Lying
A minister told his congregation, "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17."
The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Quite a few hands went up.
The minister smiled and said, "Mark has only 16 chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."
by Lew Wallace
Click Here>>> BEN-HUR READ The Story This Far
Part Five
Messala sends a letter to Valerius Gratus about his discovery that Judah is alive and well, however Sheik Ilderim intercepts the letter and shares its contents with Judah. He discovers that his mother and sister were imprisoned in a cell at the Antonia Fortress and Messala has been spying on him.
Ilderim is deeply impressed with Judah's skills with his racing horses and is pleased to choose him as charioteer.
Simonides the merchant comes to Judah and offers him the accumulated fortune of the Hur family business, of which Simonides has been steward. Judah Ben-Hur accepts only the money, leaving property and the rest to the loyal merchant. They each agree to do their part to fight for the Christ, whom they believe to be a political savior from Roman authority.
A day before the race Ilderim prepared his horses and Judah appoints Malluch to organize his support campaign for him. Meanwhile, Messala organizes his own huge campaign, revealing Judah Ben-Hur's real identity to the world as an outcast and convict. Malluch challenges Messala and his cronies to a vast wager, which, if the Roman loses, would bankrupt him.
The day of the race comes. During the race Messala and Judah become the clear leaders. Judah deliberately scrapes his chariot wheel against Messala's and Messala's chariot breaks apart. Judah is crowned winner and showered with prizes, claiming his first strike against Rome.
After the race, Judah Ben-Hur receives a letter from Iras asking him to go to the Roman palace of Idernee. When he arrives there, he sees that he has been tricked. Thord, a Saxon, hired by Messala, comes to kill Judah. They duel, but before it is over Ben-Hur offers Thord four thousand sestercii to let him live. Thord returns to Messala claiming he has killed Judah - so collecting money from both Messala and Judah, returning to Rome to open a wine shop. Being supposedly dead, Judah Ben-Hur goes to the desert with Ilderim to plan a secret campaign.
"Iras, the daughter of Balthasar, sends me with salutation and a message," said a servant to Ben-Hur, who was taking his ease in the tent.
"Give me the message."
"Would it please you to accompany her upon the lake?"
"I will carry the answer myself. Tell her so."
His shoes were brought him, and in a few minutes Ben-Hur sallied out to find the fair Egyptian. The shadow of the mountains was creeping over the Orchard of Palms in advance of night. Afar through the trees came the tinkling of sheep bells, the lowing of cattle,
and the voices of the herdsmen bringing their charges home. Life at the Orchard, it should be remembered, was in all respects as pastoral as life on the scantier meadows of the desert.
Sheik Ilderim had witnessed the exercises of the afternoon, being a repetition of those of the morning; after which he had gone to the city in answer to the invitation of Simonides; he might return in the night; but, considering the immensity of the field to be talked
over with his friend, it was hardly possible. Ben-Hur, thus left alone, had seen his horses cared for; cooled and purified himself in the lake; exchanged the field garb for his customary vestments, all white, as became a Sadducean of the pure blood; supped early;
and, thanks to the strength of youth, was well recovered from the violent exertion he had undergone.
It is neither wise nor honest to detract from beauty as a quality. There cannot be a refined soul insensible to its influence. The story of Pygmalion and his statue is as natural as it is poetical. Beauty is of itself a power; and it was now drawing Ben-Hur.
The Egyptian was to him a wonderfully beautiful woman--beautiful of face, beautiful of form. In his thought she always appeared to him as he saw her at the fountain; and he felt the influence of her voice, sweeter because in tearful expression of gratitude to him, and of her eyes--the large, soft, black, almond-shaped eyes declarative of her race--eyes which looked more than lies in the supremest wealth of words to utter; and recurrences of the thought of her were returns just so frequent of a figure tall, slender, graceful, refined, wrapped in rich and floating drapery, wanting nothing but a fitting mind to make her, like the Shulamite, and in the same sense, terrible as an army with banners. In other words,
as she returned to his fancy, the whole passionate Song of Solomon came with her, inspired by her presence. With this sentiment and that feeling, he was going to see if she actually justified them.
It was not love that was taking him, but admiration and curiosity, which might be the heralds of love.
The landing was a simple affair, consisting of a short stairway, and a platform garnished by some lamp-posts; yet at the top of the steps he paused, arrested by what he beheld.
There was a shallop resting upon the clear water lightly as an egg-shell. An Ethiop--the camel-driver at the Castalian fount--occupied the rower's place, his blackness intensified by a livery of shining white. All the boat aft was cushioned and carpeted with stuffs brilliant with Tyrian red. On the rudder seat sat the Egyptian herself, sunk in Indian shawls and a very vapor of most delicate veils and scarfs. Her arms were bare to the shoulders; and, not merely faultless in shape, they had the effect of compelling attention to them--their pose, their action, their expression; the hands, the fingers even, seemed endowed with graces and meaning; each was an object of beauty. The shoulders and neck were protected from the evening air by an ample scarf, which yet did not hide them.
In the glance he gave her, Ben-Hur paid no attention to these details. There was simply an impression made upon him; and, like strong light, it was a sensation, not a thing of sight or enumeration. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet; thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate within thy locks. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away; for, lo! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land--such was the
impression she made upon him translated into words.
"Come," she said, observing him stop, "come, or I shall think you a poor sailor."
The red of his cheek deepened. Did she know anything of his life upon the sea? He descended to the platform at once.
"I was afraid," he said, as he took the vacant seat before her.
"Of what?"
"Of sinking the boat," he replied, smiling.
"Wait until we are in deeper water," she said, giving a signal to the black, who dipped the oars, and they were off.
If love and Ben-Hur were enemies, the latter was never more at mercy. The Egyptian sat where he could not but see her; she, whom he had already engrossed in memory as his ideal of the Shulamite. With her eyes giving light to his, the stars might come out, and he not see them; and so they did. The night might fall with unrelieved darkness everywhere else; her look would make illumination for him. And then, as everybody knows, given youth
and such companionship, there is no situation in which the fancy takes such complete control as upon tranquil waters under a calm night sky, warm with summer. It is so easy at such time to glide imperceptibly out of the commonplace into the ideal.
"Give me the rudder," he said.
"No," she replied, "that were to reverse the relation. Did I not ask you to ride with me? I am indebted to you, and would begin payment. You may talk and I will listen, or I will talk and you will listen: that choice is yours; but it shall be mine to choose where we go, and the way thither."
"And where may that be?"
"You are alarmed again."
"O fair Egyptian, I but asked you the first question of every captive."
"Call me Egypt."
"I would rather call you Iras."
"You may think of me by that name, but call me Egypt."
"Egypt is a country, and means many people."
"Yes, yes! And such a country!"
"I see; it is to Egypt we are going."
"Would we were! I would be so glad."
She sighed as she spoke.
"You have no care for me, then," he said.
"Ah, by that I know you were never there."
"I never was."
"Oh, it is the land where there are no unhappy people, the desired of all the rest of the earth, the mother of all the gods, and thereforesupremely blest. There, O son of Arrius, there the happy find increase of happiness, and the wretched, going, drink once of the sweet water of the sacred river, and laugh and sing, rejoicing like children."
"Are not the very poor with you there as elsewhere?"
"The very poor in Egypt are the very simple in wants and ways," she replied. "They have no wish beyond enough, and how little that is, a Greek or a Roman cannot know."
"But I am neither Greek nor Roman."
She laughed.
"I have a garden of roses, and in the midst of it is a tree, and its bloom is the richest of all. Whence came it, think you?"
"From Persia, the home of the rose."
"From India, then."
"Ah! one of the isles of Greece."
"I will tell you," she said: "a traveller found it perishing by the roadside on the plain of Rephaim."
"Oh, in Judea!"
"I put it in the earth left bare by the receding Nile, and the soft south wind blew over the desert and nursed it, and the sun kissed it in pity; after which it could not else than grow and flourish. I stand in its shade now, and it thanks me with much perfume. As with the roses, so with the men of Israel. Where shall they reach perfection but in Egypt?"
"Moses was but one of millions."
"Nay, there was a reader of dreams. Will you forget him?"
"The friendly Pharaohs are dead."
"Ah, yes! The river by which they dwelt sings to them in their tombs; yet the same sun tempers the same air to the same people."
"Alexandria is but a Roman town."
"She has but exchanged sceptres. Caesar took from her that of the sword, and in its place left that of learning. Go with me to the Brucheium, and I will show you the college of nations; to the Serapeion, and see the perfection of architecture; to the Library, and read the immortals; to the theatre, and hear the heroics of the Greeks and Hindoos; to the quay, and count the triumphs of commerce; descend with me into the streets, O son
of Arrius, and, when the philosophers have dispersed, and taken with them the masters of all the arts, and all the gods have home their votaries, and nothing remains of the day but its pleasures, you shall hear the stories that have amused men from the beginning, and the songs which will never, never die."
As he listened, Ben-Hur was carried back to the night when, in the summer-house in Jerusalem, his mother, in much the same poetry of patriotism, declaimed the departed glories of Israel.
"I see now why you wish to be called Egypt. Will you sing me a song if I call you by that name? I heard you last night."
"That was a hymn of the Nile," she answered, "a lament which I sing when I would fancy I smell the breath of the desert, and hear the surge of the dear old river; let me rather give you a piece of the Indian mind. When we get to Alexandria, I will take you to the corner of the street where you can hear it from the daughter of the Ganga, who taught it to me. Kapila, you should know, was one of the most revered of the Hindoo sages."
to be continued
The Power of Positive Thinking
by Norman Vincent Peale
Chapter 16 continued
A famous neurologist tells of a man who was at death's door. The dying man looked up at the physician sitting beside his bed and began to call off names which the physician wrote
down. The doctor was personally unfamiliar with any name mentioned. Later the physician asked the man's daughter, "Who are these people? Your father spoke of them as if he
saw them."
"They are all relatives," she said, "who have been dead a long time." The physician said he believes his patient did see them.
Friends of mine, Mr. and Mrs. William Sage, lived in New Jersey and I was often in their home. Mr. Sage, whom his wife called Will, died first. A few years later, when Mrs.Sage was on her deathbed, the most surprised look passed across her face, and it lighted up in a wonderful smile as she said, "Why, it is Will." That she saw him those about her bed
had no doubt whatsoever.
Arthur Godfrey, famous radio personality, tells of being asleep in his bunk on a destroyer in World War I. Suddenly his father stood beside him. He put out his hand, smiled, and said, "So long, son," and Godfrey answered, "So long, Dad."
Later he was awakened and given a cablegram telling him of the death of his father. The time of his passing was given, and it was the precise period during which Godfrey in his
sleep "saw" his father.
Mary Margaret McBride, also a famous radio personality, was overwhelmed with grief upon the death of her mother.
They had been very close to each other. She awakened one night and sat on the edge of her bed. Suddenly she had the feeling, to use her own words, that "Mama was with me."
She did not see her mother nor hear her speak, but from that time on, "I knew that my mother isn't dead—that she is near by."
The late Rufus Jones, one of the most famous spiritual leaders of our time, tells about his son Lowell who died at twelve years of age. He was the apple of his father's eye. The
boy took sick when Dr. Jones was on the ocean bound for Europe. The night before entering Liverpool, while lying in his bunk, he experienced an indefinable, inexplainable
feeling of sadness. Then he said that he seemed to be enveloped in the arms of God. A great feeling of peace and a sense of a profound possession of his son came to him.
Upon landing in Liverpool he was advised that his son had died, his death occurring at the precise hour when Dr. Jones had felt a sense of God's presence and the everlasting
nearness of his son.
A member of my church, Mrs. Bryson Kalt, tells of an aunt whose husband and three children were burned to death when their house was destroyed by fire. The aunt was badly
burned but lived for three years. When finally she lay dying a radiance suddenly came over her face. "It is all so beautiful," she said. "They are coming to meet me. Fluff up my pillows
and let me go to sleep."
Mr. H. B. Clarke, an old friend of mine, was for many years a construction engineer, his work taking him into all parts of the world. He was of a scientific turn of mind, a quite
restrained, factual, unemotional type of man. I was called one night by his physician, who said that he did not expect him to live but a few hours. His heart action was slow and
the blood pressure was extraordinarily low. There was no reflex action at all. The doctor gave no hope.
I began to pray for him, as did others. The next day his eyes opened and after a few days he recovered his speech. His heart action and blood pressure returned to normal. After he
recovered strength he said, "At some time during my illness something very peculiar happened to me. I cannot explain it.
It seemed that I was a long distance away. I was in the most beautiful and attractive place I have ever seen. There were lights all about me, beautiful lights. I saw faces dimly
revealed, kind faces they were, and I felt very peaceful and happy. In fact, I have never felt happier in my life.
"Then the thought came to me, 'I must be dying.' Then it occurred to me, 'Perhaps I have died.' Then I almost laughed out loud, and asked myself, 'Why have I been afraid of death
all my life? There is nothing to be afraid of in this.' "
"How did you feel about it?" I asked. "Did you want to come back to life? Did you want to live, for you were not dead, although the doctor felt that you were very close to death.
Did you want to live?" He smiled and said, "It did not make the slightest difference.
If anything, I think I would have preferred to stay in that beautiful place."
Hallucination, a dream, a vision—I do not believe so. I have spent too many years talking to people who have come to the edge of "something" and had a look across, who unanimously have reported beauty, light, and peace, to have any doubt in my own mind.
The New Testament teaches the indestructibility of life in a most interesting and simple manner. It describes Jesus after His crucifixion in a series of appearances, disappearances,
and reappearances. Some saw Him and then He vanished out of their sight. Then others saw Him and again He vanished.
It is as if to say, "You see me and then you do not see me."
This indicates that He is trying to tell us that when we do not see Him, it does not mean He is not there. Out of sight does not mean out of life.
Occasional mystical appearances which some experience indicate the same truth, that He is near by. Did He not say, "...because I live, ye shall live also." (John 14:19) In other
words, our loved ones who have died in this faith are also near by and occasionally draw near to comfort us.
A boy serving in Korea wrote to his mother, saying, "The strangest things happen to me. Once in a while at night, when I am afraid, Daddy seems to be with me." Daddy had
been dead for ten years. Then the boy wistfully asks his mother, "Do you think that Daddy can actually be with me here on these Korean battlefields?" The answer is, "Why not?" How can we be citizens of a scientific generation and not believe that this could be true? Again and again proofs are offered that this is a dynamic universe, surcharged with mystic, electric, electronic, atomic forces, and all are so wonderful that we have never yet comprehended them. This universe is a great spiritual sounding house, alive and vital.
Albert E. Cliff, well-known Canadian writer, tells of the death of his father. The dying man had sunk into a coma and it was thought he was gone. Then a momentary resurgence of
life occurred. His eyes flickered open. On the wall was one of those old-time mottoes which said, "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth." The dying man opened his eyes, looked
at that motto, and said, "I do know that my Redeemer liveth, for they are all here around me—mother, father, brothers, and sisters." Long gone from this earth were they all, but
evidently he saw them. Who is to gainsay?
The late Mrs. Thomas A. Edison told me that when her famous husband was dying he whispered to his physician, "It is beautiful over there." Edison was the world's greatest
scientist. All his life he had worked with phenomena. He was of a factual cast of mind. He never reported anything as a fact until he saw it work. He would never have reported, "It
is very beautiful over there" unless, having seen, he knew it to be true.
to be continued


text:
Stop swirling in self-criticism
Our flaws do not define who we are
Periodically, I revisit my old journals to see where I've been, what I've learned, and to discover patterns related to my personal and spiritual growth (or lack thereof). In a recent review, I noticed an alarming trend: how many times I wrote about the ways I failed at something. Pages were filled with what I did wrong, what I didn't do but should have, how I should have behaved differently, and countless other ways I let myself down. Too many sentences began with "Why can't I just…" or "Why do I always…"
And these are just the thoughts that made it onto paper. Countless other self-defeating thoughts have swirled beyond my conscious awareness. As a sensitive introvert, I am indeed in my head a lot. I process everything that happens very deeply. A stressful morning can send me deep into retreat mode - I just want to hide out and avoid all interaction with the world. I find it hard to function when I am overwhelmed, and it can take hours or sometimes days to recover from these overwhelming events or situations. I take things too personally, over-think, over-plan, ruminate, and worry. And when my behavior and choices don't align to my own impossibly high standards for myself, I beat myself up. A lot.
When our thoughts fill up mostly or even entirely with self-judgment, self-criticism, and self-condemnation, we don't learn. We don't change. And we don't grow. The more we bully ourselves for our behavior and our choices, the more we solidify unhealthy patterns that occur out of habit and become our default and stall our personal and spiritual growth.
So, what do we do? The first thing we need to do is to notice when we are swirling in self-judgment or self-criticism. We can't change what we aren't aware of. I do find journaling incredibly helpful for this. When I put my thoughts down on paper, it becomes so much easier to see the patterns in my behavior. (If journaling is not your thing, I recommend you find another tool to support your self-observation and self-reflection practices.)
Throughout the day, as soon as I notice myself feeling overwhelmed or stuck or stressed, or if I notice that I feel like hiding out or escaping from something (or someone), I stop and reflect on what's happening. I try to "catch myself in the act," so I can pay attention to the voices running wild inside my head. Sometimes it's easier to reflect on these situations the next morning.
But whenever you choose to do it, to move through and out of self-criticism, I have found it helpful to examine my self-defeating comments and explore self-reflective questions, such as:
These types of questions shift us out of self-judgment, self-criticism, and self-condemnation into self-compassion, self-kindness, self-forgiveness, self-care, and self-love. Ultimately, they increase our self-awareness and contribute to our personal and spiritual growth.
Our journal is indeed a safe place to let it all out. I can write anything I want in my journal - what I did, how I'm feeling about something, and what I don't want to repeat in the future. So yes, let it all hang out. Explore it, examine it, learn from it. And then release it. Let it all go. Don't get stuck in the negative stories about yourself.
We are all human. We all mess up. It's a normal part of life. But our flaws do not define who we are. Every choice we have made - even the "negative" ones, have gotten us to this exact moment in our life. We move through life one choice at a time and along the way we are learning valuable lessons about ourselves. Every situation presents us a choice about how to respond and how to move forward. We may not always choose well, but we can always choose again.
I've been questioning and exploring my life purpose for years: why am I really here? Who and how am I being called to be? What am I supposed to be doing with my life? In what ways am I supposed to be serving others? These are big, important questions so I often find myself grasping for or demanding quick answers so I can get on with it. But our deepest callings and our true life purpose may take years to emerge. Each little calling we hear along the way is pulling us forward, preparing us for the next calling and then the next. I have found that understanding the topic of callings has presented a challenge for myself and some of my clients. What is a calling? How do we know when we are being called? How do we know if something is a true calling or just a whim? What if we don't want to pursue a calling? The whole idea of finding your calling, let alone pursuing it, can feel overwhelming. In this post, I attempt to simplify it enough to get you started and share five things you need to know right now.
We will be invited to participate in a variety of calls over the course of our lives. Some will feel easier than others. Some will be downright terrifying. Sometimes we'll say 'yes,' sometimes we'll say 'no,' and sometimes we'll say, 'not yet.' Each time we say yes, we'll stretch more, grow more, and move that much closer to evolving to our highest potential. My hope for you is that you be open, be curious, and be willing to explore the possibilities of your calls.
April 2020


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A client from Colonial Heights recently returned to Extreme Audio in Midlothian to discuss moving the audio system we had installed in his Lexus RX350 into a brand-new Dodge Durango. The client wanted similar performance in terms of system output capabilities and bass. We scheduled an appointment to remove the audio equipment from the Lexus, and once he took possession of the Dodge, our installation team inspected the new vehicle so we could come up with a plan to make it sound amazing!
Audiofrog Speaker Upgrade
We started the installation by removing the factory speakers from the Durango to make way for GS- and GB-Series speakers from Audiofrog. We installed the Audiofrog GS690 6×9-inch woofers from his Lexus in the stock locations in the front doors. A set of foam acoustic coupling rings on outside of the speaker focuses the output of the drivers into the vehicle through the grille in the door panel.
The Lexus had a set of GB15 tweeters in the upper portion of the door. The factory tweeter pods in the Dodge Durango are a perfect fit for the 1-inch Audiofrog GB10 tweeter, so we swapped them out for the client. All we had to do was remove the mesh grill from the pod, and the new tweeters dropped right into place.
To round out the sound in the truck, we installed the GS62 6.5-inch coaxial speakers from the Lexus in the rear doors. We added acoustic coupling gaskets around the speakers and used a few sheets of damping material on the factory mounting bracket to ensure the foundation was solid.
JL Audio System Amplifiers
Upgrading the sound system in the Lexus was complicated by the up-mixer integrated into the factory audio system. PAC makes a digital interface for the radio in the Dodge that makes it much easier to upgrade. We used PAC's AmpPRO4 AP4-CH41 Amplifier Integration interface to provide a clean, processing-free signal to the pair of JL Audio amplifiers.
A VX600/6i six-channel amplifier is connected to the factory source unit using a PAC AP4-CH41 audio interface and provides dedicated amplification channels to the tweeters, woofers and coaxial speakers. The VXi amplifier includes advanced digital signal processing that allows us to configure and tune the audio system.
The subwoofer in the truck is powered by a JL Audio XD1000/1v2 1000-watt amplifier. The amp is mounted above the VXi amp on a wooden bridge. The bridge gives the six-channel amp adequate space so that it will cool properly while making both amps easy to access for tuning.
Two runs of Stinger 4 AWG power wire feed the system amps, and we were able to ground the system to the chassis just a few inches away from the amp rack to ensure excellent power delivery. We used Stinger 4000-series twisted-pair interconnects to feed audio signals from the PAC interface to the VXi amp and from the output of the VX600/6i to the XD1000/1v2 subwoofer amp.
High-Output Subwoofer System
The client wanted solid bass performance from the system that would get loud and play low. We created a custom vented subwoofer enclosure for a single JL Audio 12W7 sub. To handle the incredible pressures this monster sub can create, we doubled-up on the thickness of the front panel of the enclosure and added internal bracing to join the rear panel to the front.
The enclosure is wrapped in a durable black trunk liner carpet. The area around the sub is finished in carbon-fiber textured vinyl. We added a chrome trim piece where the vinyl meets the carpet at the accent trim ring that surrounds the subwoofer. A set of JL SGR-12W7-ROD-RP aluminum rods act as a protection for the sub.
Dodge Durango Audio System Upgrade
After three long days of work, the Dodge Durango audio system was installed, tuned and ready to go back to the client. He was thrilled with the way the subwoofer enclosure looked and loved how perfectly the tweeters fit in the dash. The bass from the big JL sub delivered the low-frequency extension he wanted, and the overall tonal balance was spot-on for his tastes! If you live in the Richmond area and are looking for a premium audio system upgrade for your car, truck or SUV, drop by Extreme Audio in Mechanicsville or Midlothian and speak with one of our Product Specialists.