text:
Compassion is aimed at alleviating suffering—that of others or ourselves—and can be ferocious as well as tender. These two poles are represented by the dialectic of yin and yang. In traditional Chinese philosophy, these two seemingly opposite qualities– soft and hard, passive and active, feminine and masculine – are integrated in a non-dual manner, with the understanding that all people contain both essential energies. A metaphor for yin self-compassion is a mother tenderly comforting her crying child. We hold ourselves with love so we can heal our pain. The converse metaphor for yang self-compassion is that of a momma bear defending her cubs. When we tap into this fierce energy it gives us the strength and power needed to stand up and take action.
When most people think of self-compassion, they imagine its tender yin form. Yin self-compassion involves "being with" ourselves in a compassionate way. We comfort and soothe ourselves when in pain just we might do for a friend who is struggling. We give ourselves our own kind attention and care rather than cutting ourselves down with self-criticism. And we validate our pain, acknowledging that our suffering is worthy of attention. Fierce self-compassion involves taking action in the world to protect, provide and motivate ourselves to alleviate our suffering. It means saying "no" to others who are hurting us - drawing our boundaries firmly. Or saying no to our own harmful behaviors so that we can be safe and healthy. It means giving ourselves what we genuinely need mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually without subordinating our needs to those of others so we can be authentic and fulfilled. And it means motivating ourselves to reach our goals or make needed changes in our lives.
In order to be truly self-compassionate, in order to be whole, we need to integrate both yin and yang. If we are yin without yang, we risk becoming complacent or disempowered. If we are yang without yin, we risk of becoming hostile, selfish, or perfectionistic. Like a tree with a solid trunk and flexible branches, we need to stand strong while still embracing others as part of an interdependent whole. We need love in our hearts so we don't perpetuate harm, but we need fierceness in our belly to stand up to harm.
This unique workshop will teach skills of both yin and yang self-compassion skills. In addition to learning theory and research on the topic, it will provide concrete practices drawn from the empirically supported Mindful Self-Compassion program for use in daily life. This course is relevant to practicing mental health professionals.
This workshop offers 6 CE hours.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
As an undergraduate at UCLA, Dr. Kristin Neff studied communications, and as a graduate student at UC Berkeley she studied moral development. Her dissertation research on children's moral reasoning was conducted in Mysore, India. As a post-doctoral researcher at Denver University, she studied issues of authenticity and self- concept development. Dr. Neff is currently an Associate Professor of Human Development and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin.
While doing her post-doctoral work she decided to conduct research on self-compassion – a central construct in Buddhist psychology and one that had not yet been examined empirically. She has a new book titled "Self-Compassion" published by William Morrow in 2011.
Dr. Neff lives in the countryside in Elgin, Texas with her husband Rupert Isaacson – an author and human rights activist – and with her young son Rowan. She and her family were recently featured in the documentary and book called The Horse Boy – www.horseboymovie.com
Self-Compassion Theory
The Yin and Yang of Self-Compassion
Misgivings about Self-Compassion
Self-Compassion Research
Gestures of Yin and Yang Self-Compassion
Practice: Yin and Yang Supportive Touch
Practice: Yin Self-Compassion Break
Practice: Soften-Soothe-Allow
Practice: Protecting Yang Self-Compassion Break
Exercise: Working with Anger
Practice: Providing Yang Self-Compassion Break
Exercise: Giving ourselves what we need
Practice: Motivating Yang Self-Compassion Break
Exercise: Motivating Ourselves with Compassion
Practice: Using the breath to integrate yin and yang
Co- sponsored by R. Cassidy Seminars
R. Cassidy Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. R. Cassidy Seminars maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 6 CE hours
NY: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychoanalysts. #P-0005. (6) clock hours.
Social Workers
CA: The Board of Behavioral Sciences has deferred CE course approvals to APA and other state Social Work Boards for its licensees. See those approvals under Psychologists and Social Workers
Other States: If your state is not specifically listed, nearly all state Social Work boards accept either APA or are reciprocal with other state licensing board approvals, such as those listed below. Check with your board to be sure. The Ohio and New York Boards include Social Workers
NY: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0006. This program is approved for 6 contact hours. Live in-person
OH: Provider approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board for (6) clock hours, #RCST110701
Counselors/Marriage and Family Therapists
CA: The Board of Behavioral Sciences has deferred CE course approvals to APA and other state MFT and Counselor Licensing Boards for its licensees. See those approvals under Psychologists and Counselors/MFTs.
Other States: If your state is not specifically listed, nearly all state Counselor and MFT boards accept either APA or ASWB approval, or are reciprocal with other state licensing board approvals, such as those listed below. Check with your board to be sure. The Ohio Board includes Counselors and MFTs.
IL: Illinois Dept of Professional Regulation, Approved Continuing Education Sponsor, #168-000141. (6) hours.
TX: Approved CE Sponsor through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists. Provider #151 6 CE hours.
Chemical Dependency Counselors
CA: Provider approved by CCAPP, Provider #4N-00-434-0221 for (6) CEHs. CCAPP is an ICRC member which has reciprocity with most ICRC member states
TX: Provider approved by the TCBAP Standards Committee, Provider No. 1749-06, (6) hours general. Expires 3/31/2020. Complaints about provider or workshop content may be directed to the TCBAP Standards Committee, 1005 Congress Avenue, Ste. 460, Austin, Texas 78701, Fax Number (512) 476-7297.
TX: R. Cassidy Seminars is an approved provider with the Texas Education Agency CPE# 501456. This course is (6) CE Hours.
CA: Provider approved by the CA Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CeP12224, for (6) contact hours
Occupational Therapists
R. Cassidy Seminars is an American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Approved Provider No. 6782. This course is offered for (6) CE Clock Hours (61 Clock Hour = .1 AOTA CEUs). The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations please contact our office 30 days Or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification.
Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often And while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions Or concerns about this course meeting your specific board's approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.


text:
Jury selection for the trial of four people accused of taking part in the Mong Kok riot took place in near secrecy at Hong Kong's High Court on Wednesday.
A pool of more than 100 potential jurors was whittled down to just nine – five women and four men – but the process unfolded under almost unheard-of levels of security.
Television footage of the events in court No 7 were broadcast outside the courtroom, but cameras avoided showing the jurors, while journalists were barred from entering the courtroom until after the nine selected jurors had left.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Judiciary said the intention was to ensure the jurors could exercise their duties without interference, in a case Mr Justice Albert Wong Sung-hau said was sprinkled with "political colours".
Among those on trial is pro-independence activist Edward Leung Tin-kei. He and the other defendants face a string of riot and unlawful assembly charges over the events that took place in Mong Kok on February 8 and 9, 2016.
In Hong Kong courts, a live stream would normally be provided in high-profile trials if a judge had to make space for an unusually large pool of potential jurors.
The stream, available outside the courtroom, normally shows the interaction between jurors, lawyers and the judge, and how the jurors proceed to their seats after being selected – but not on Wednesday.
Journalists are normally given access as soon as jury selection is finished, and certainly before jurors leave the room.
Refusal to order inquiry into 2016 Mong Kok riot is an ominous sign
It was not clear who had made the decision regarding jury selection, as lawyers at the trial said it was not something the court had previously discussed.
Leung faces one joint count of rioting with his three co-defendants, Lee Nok-man, Lam Ngo-hin and Yung Wai-yip.
Flashback: Edward Leung recounts his life story in 2016
Yung faces a separate count of inciting others to take part in an unlawful assembly, one of taking part in an unlawful assembly himself, one of assaulting a police officer, and three further counts of rioting.
The charges are related to events that took place in some of Mong Kok's best-known areas, including Portland Street, Argyle Street, Shantung Street and Fa Yuen Street.
Before selecting the nine jurors from more than 100 candidates on Wednesday, Mr Justice Wong told them to set aside their personal views.
Online trolls warned against berating judge over Mong Kok riot trial
"This may have touches of political colours and background," he said. "You may have certain political views or impressions [of the incident]."
But he told them to ignore any preconceived notions and only rule according to the evidence in court.
"Otherwise it will not be a fair trial," he said.
Among the pool of candidates were a secondary school classmate of Leung, and a friend of the defendants' lawyers. Both were excused from jury duty.
The trial continues on Thursday.
This article Jury selection for Mong Kok riot trial takes place with unprecedented levels of security at Hong Kong court first appeared on South China Morning Post
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Guilty plea from Hong Kong designer who burned cardboard, hurled bottles in Mong Kok riot
- Hong Kong Bar Association, Law Society condemn online trolls targeting judge who sentenced Edward Leung for Mong Kok riot
- Hong Kong independence activist Edward Leung files appeal against Mong Kok riot conviction and jail sentence
- Hong Kong activist Edward Leung, the face of city's independence movement, jailed for six years over Mong Kok riot
- No British-style probe into causes of Mong Kok riot, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You Need to Get Fired!
As scary as it sounds, I am so happy that it happened. It was an awful moment, I felt like I was losing my baby and a family. And it became clear that I was "just another employee." However, it was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me.
I have always been afraid of failure. I am an only child and deep down I am a people pleaser at heart. I always wanted to make my parents proud and do the right thing. And for the most part I have. I was a good kid growing up. I didn't do drugs or get involved with alcohol. I wasn't part of the bad crowd and I got pretty good grades. I went to college and even went back to get my Master's degree. I was driven and liked the taste of success.
What I didn't realize was that I was on a path to a high-stress career mixed with a low-quality life — a recipe for never being satisfied. I became a workaholic, traveling around the country. Don't get me wrong. I was doing some awesome things and I really loved my job, but I didn't realize how much "noise" it was creating in my life. I became consumed with reading about my industry; being connected to all the social networks, doing all the "right" things, and in the process sacrificed a love life and peace of mind.
New Beginnings
What I have found out is that life is all about balance. I was lucky to find a job I loved. As they say, "If you love your work it won't feel like a job." I learned that when your passion consumes every waking minute… your job is unhealthy. I am now beginning to decompress and believe that I can love my work and still live a good life.
The day I was fired was the day I jumped two feet into a relationship with a man who has become very special to me. I don't think that would have happened with all the noise and stress from my job. Being free allowed me to give of myself in a way that I hadn't in years. I was now open to all sorts of possibilities and to what the future holds for me.
Now don't get me wrong… being fired isn't what I would have chosen. Especially given how it happened and the circumstances surrounding that day, but when life hands you lemons it is your job to make lemonade. I was a bit freaked out and I was terribly sad as I felt I was losing a family that I had grown to love very much.
Fortunately, I do have some of the best friends in the world and they rallied around me, bringing over champagne to toast new beginnings. My family has also been incredibly supportive about the entire process and wants only for me to be happy. I have felt a roller coaster of emotions since that day… I think I am just going through the natural stages of grief. I have been angry and I have cried, but not nearly as much as I would have thought. But all of it has brought me to realize that I now have the power to do something of my own. Not to work for someone else's fortune.
About three weeks after being fired I woke up at 3:00 a.m. That's when the next step in my career became very clear. I have wanted to become a motivational speaker for over 10 years, but I never knew what I would talk about or how to do it. I realized I have always been surrounded by some of the most extraordinary people who have gone through remarkable challenges and have taught so many people about grace, forgiveness, acceptance, strength, courage, and fearlessness. Many times they have done this quietly. I call them my "Silent Heroes." I want to share those stories — I want to help people not feel alone in their life journeys and I want to inspire people to fight for their joy and happiness.
So I begin my adventure with Lemonade Tales. I am determined to make lemonade from the lemons of being fired. I am just adding my version of sugar and water: Hope, Optimism, Friends, Family, and Faith.
What lemons have you been handed and how have you made lemonade?
I don't know exactly how I missed that you launched a website, but somehow I did. Congrats on the site, and cheers (and high five) to your new career path! I'm all for new beginnings, and with your sass and verve, you're bound to go places.
I just sat down and read some "Lemonade Tales" for the first time today. It's brilliant and I'm inspired! I'm very proud of your accomplishment and cannot wait to read more!


text:
Kistler Barn
Located on the same site as Kistler's Trenton Roadhouse, the renovated barn serves as a private event space. The site's original barn was dismantled, reconstructed, and expanded to become a small wine-making and tasting facility adjacent to the property's lake. Salvaged wood from the original barn and other local resources was integrated to create complementary interior finishes and to provide materials for the custom steel and wood tables.
Early conversations with the winemaker inspired a design that highlights the winemaking process. Through a series of glazed openings along the length of the two barrel room walls, guests can catch a glimpse of the fermentation process which includes allowing the wine to bubble over and out of the barrels as it ferments.
The new brick on the pavilion was sourced from the original Aberhill Clay Mine in Lake Elsinore that has been in continuous operation for over 100 years. The same bricks are still made by Pacific Clay Products.
Early warning smoke detection systems were provided to minimize impact to the historic spaces. A VESDA system or (Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus) uses aspirators (or sniffers) that take regular samples of the air before a fire even breaks out.
ARG provided conservation monitoring of historic architectural features, finishes, and collections to ensure that dust and vibration would not damage these priceless collections and irreplaceable finishes.
Several bronze sculptures located on the campus were cleaned and treated by ARG Conservation Services.
Photography by David Wakely


text:
Send your existing customers a timely postcard to remind them about your products or services, and consider offering an incentive offer to make a repeat purchase.
Lifecycle Marketing
Customize the front and back of this postcard template with your personalized imagery, logo, messaging, call-to-action offer, and color scheme.
Suggested merge variables include:
Have an idea for a template you'd like to see? Want to submit a template for our gallery? Let us know!Contact Us


text: Hello, first of all I have to apologize for the crosspost, but I am kind of desperate. I need to know if there exists an ODBC driver (commercial too) for the IBM AS400 system (maybe DB2 is equivalent) that can be easily installed on a *Mac Os X*. I cannot usa jdbc because the program that needs to access this AS400 is FileMaker Pro 8, and it handles only odbc connections. Thank you for your help and patience, -- Guido | Experience is a strange teacher, | | it gives you the problem before the lesson |


text:
Why enterprise information architects don't have the option of disregarding this question.
My last installment talking blockchains and other dispersed ledger technologies (DLTs) coped with their decentralizing possible. Really, while it's mainly possible for now, it'so reasonable to say it appears to be a solid one.
How do we know this?
A recent article from Forbes indicates that DLTs are not a fad. Blue-chip businesses are developing blockchain protocols for prospective business. Only the mere inclusion of the term blockchain into the title of a provider makes firms cash. In October of this past year, when a British tech firm On-Line Plc added the term blockchain to its title, its stocks soared by 394%. When Kodak announced earlier this year it might incorporate the blockchain protocol, it saw an over 200% growth in value instantly. IBM is focusing on a food security blockchain pilot application with Walmart, Chinese e-commerce firm JD.com, and the Tsinghua University in China. Investors (Google and Goldman Sachs one of them) are paying serious heed to DLTs' possible to disrupt traditional financial protocols and to make new markets.
Bottom line? Any business that puts a premium on collecting and safely storing data from a fantastic number of people while ensuring both ethics and confidentiality stands to profit from this blockchain protocol. This has implications for Seagate's customers and their worlds: enterprise data centers, IT architects, and the digital storage sector as a whole.
But there are more general uses of DLTs pertinent to information centers — their own bones, also.
In a world where virtually every news cycle alarms with tales focused on breaches to information, privacy is where it's at. Considering the growing need for securing users' data in the age of hacks as well as the exponential growth in visitors, data centers can learn from blockchain protocols. What remains are architecture and implementation.
"By changing their architecture and adopting a blockchain strategy, they can take the next step ahead to a totally connected society. "
But what occurs to a data centre that's conduct on a shared ledger protocol? Could we even speak of a data centre ?
In order to adapt, many data centers are transitioning from the traditional but increasingly inefficient 3-level tree network architecture model to the 2-level spine-and-leaf system structure, which is more useful for server-to-server information transfers.
Once the structural kinks are worked out, information centre operators are most likely to see more information centre programs implementing "capacity planning, cooling, asset management, and virtualization on the blockchain," all which lead to lower prices, based on data center consulting firm instor. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ether, and Litecoin are very likely to continue using information centers. This usually means that theyrsquo;ll expose them to security risks that come with the rewarding excavations. Adapting DLTs can address the security issue.
With the change to cloud-based architectures, edge devices playing a critical role in networking, and information volumes and visitors ever on the rise, data centers, data architects, and the information storage sector have to adapt to ensure secure and speedy transfers of information. If dispersed ledger protocols are really the near future of cloud storage, and the change to cloud storage proceeds, data centers and storage solutions companies might have to meet customers' expectations for lower prices that DLTs are bound to create.
If this is so, the nature of information centers may change. Maybe the information facilities that adapt will include DLTs — at least as an option in their menu of offerings.
1 thing which 'so certain? Data centers, IT architects, as well as the information storage sector might no longer have the choice to dismiss DLTs' radical, decentralizing, disruptive presence.


text:
Our body loses its firmness and smoothness in areas like the abdomen, knees, legs and arms as we age. Even though we might lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise on a daily basis, it can be harder to get back into shape after pregnancies or losing weight.
Since most of us like to stay in shape to look and feel our best, at TACHA we offer medical-aesthetic treatments that allow us to stretch, firm and mold areas of the body that have lost their firmness and smoothness in order to achieve a more youthful appearance.
After an extensive evaluation and diagnosis, our aesthetic medical team will choose and personalize a combination of the best treatments and technology to bring youth back to the body you desire.


text: Editing Jade Hat 0 You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons: The action you have requested is limited to users in one of the groups: Users, FANDOM Staff, FANDOM Helpers, Wiki Managers, Content Team Members. Please log in to edit this wiki.Joining TibiaWiki is free, and it only takes a minute.We hope that you sign in, and become a member of the community!Click here to log in or create an account You must confirm your e-mail address before editing pages. Please set and validate your e-mail address through your user preferences. more + You can view and copy the source of this page: {{Infobox_Item|List={{{1|}}}|GetValue={{{GetValue|}}} | name = Jade Hat | vocrequired = sorcerers and druids | levelrequired = 60 | flavortext = | itemclass = Body Equipment | primarytype = Helmets | secondarytype = | attrib = magic level +1 | armor = 4 | weight = 9.00 | value = 9,000 - 15,000 | npcvalue = 9000 | npcprice = 0 | stackable = no | droppedby = [[Ghastly Dragon]], [[Battlemaster Zunzu]], [[Hatebreeder]], [[Ethershreck]]. | buyfrom = Players. | sellto = [[Lailene]] ([[Edron]]) ''' 9000''' [[gp]]. | implemented = 8.54 | notes = }} Templates used on the current version of this page: Template:Clear (view source) Template:Dropped By (view source) Template:Dropped By/List (view source) Template:Extension DPL (view source) Template:GetClass (view source) Template:Infobox Item (view source) (protected)Template:Infobox Item/Look (view source) (semi-protected)Template:Inline List (view source) (protected)Template:Inline List/2 (view source) (protected)Template:Is Numeric (view source) Template:NPC Trades (view source) Template:NPC Trades/City (view source) Template:NPC Trades/Format (view source) Template:NPC Trades/Notes (view source) Template:NPC Trades/Plain (view source) Template:NPC Trades/Table (view source) Template:Navigation (view source) Template:Next Update (view source) Template:Notes (view source) Template:Notes/List (view source) Template:Parameter (view source) Template:Price to Buy (view source) (protected)Template:Price to Sell (view source) (protected)Template:Status Messagebox (view source) Template:Transfer Impossible (view source) (protected)Template:Transfer Impossible/Get (view source) Template:Update (view source) Template:Version Date (view source) Template:Yes No (view source) Template:Yes No/Inverse (view source) Return to Jade Hat. Retrieved from "https://tibia.fandom.com/wiki/Jade_Hat" Edit summary Preview Mobile Desktop Show changes


text:
2-Tier Kitchen Spice Rack
- The HEOMU Advantage: 100% factory direct sales,the same price to obtain more reliable quality assurance to ensure Salt and pepper shakers, mason jars,pickle jar, cans, canisters, and condiments remain safe and reliable when baking or cooking.
- Multi-Functional: Classification storage, which can be used in any countertop on any room of the house to store, sort,Usable in cabinets, on shelves, or in pantry's,even used in the study to storage debris.
- Multi-Purpose:Perfect for storing spices, sauce,condiments, tea,grains, canned goods, salt & pepper grinders, nail polishes, face towels, cleansers, soaps, shampoo, and more home items
- Design Deeply Touching: Two baskets and two stents select high quality steel metal and adopt the latest surface treatment technology, anti-corrosion, anti-rust, durable. Non-slip design. Dimensions: 14.2*12.1*5.8 inches. Space between tiers: 7.8 inches.
- Easy-Assemble-Disassemble: Tool-free assemble and enjoy a stress-free set-up, straight out of the box, no need to install with screw.Less than half of the original volume after disassembly for easy storage


text: Finding Community: Gretchen Marquette MFA '12Gretchen Marquette MFA '12 knew she wanted to be a writer. As an undergraduate at St. Cloud State University, she planned to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA) after graduating. She didn't plan on getting her MFA from Hamline, however, until she heard Hamline MFA professor Sheila O'Connor read. "She had a lot of good things to say about Hamline," Marquette said. "I wanted a graduate program that would let me keep writing both fiction and poetry." Marquette started in Hamline's MFA program the following fall. At Hamline, she found that her instructors not only expanded her knowledge of writing and poetry, but they also connected her to the Twin Cities, "the best place in the world to be a writer," she said. At Hamline, she learned not only how to write, but how to become a working writer. "My professors helped me understand that I don't live in a bubble," she said. "The way they encouraged us to engage with our outside community by attending readings and submitting to local publications—they are doing that, too." After taking a variety of writing classes, Marquette chose to focus on writing poetry. "I made a commitment to myself, to devote myself to poetry," she said. "I know that I changed a lot as a person and as a poet between my first day at Hamline and my last." Focusing on poetry led her to take on the assistant poetry editor position on the editorial board of Hamline's literary journal, Water~Stone Review. In this position, Marquette not only honed her poetry skills, but she also learned how the publishing process works. "The experience helped me learn how to write query letters and cover letters," she said. "I refined my editing skills. I saw first-hand what publishers are looking for and applied that to my own writing." Because she chose to be a full-time MFA student and took out student loans, Marquette was able to fully devote herself to her writing. She also immersed herself in the writing of other poets. "I was able to focus solely on my course work and to read hundreds of books," Marquette said. "I was also able to establish myself as a poet in the Twin Cities." Her dedication and decision to take on student loan debt paid off. One year after graduating from the MFA program, Marquette received a contract from Minneapolis-based Graywolf Press to publish a book of poetry. Marquette says her previously published poems had everything to do with her book deal. "It is so important to be publishing single poems while building a manuscript," she said. "I was very, very lucky—not only in getting Graywolf's attention, but in publishing several of my poems in the first place." Marquette's first book of poetry, titled May Day, will be published in 2016 by Graywolf Press. The book "documents a struggle to accept the impossibility of protecting oneself and loved ones from harm as well as the acceptance of grief, which allows passage back into the world she loves," she said. Currently teaching as an adjunct writing professor at Normandale Community College and at Hamline, Marquette is working on her second book and continues to write and submit poems for publication. She is proud of her accomplishments, but knows she wouldn't be where she is today without her unique Hamline experience. "My advice to any beginning writer is the same advice I received when I started out: read as much as you can," she said. Find out more about Hamline's MFA program on the Creative Writing Programs website or contact Hamline's Graduate Admission Office to learn more about joining the Hamline community.


text:
Anything for Amelia, by Andrew C. Branham, tells a horrific adoption story of fraud and abuse.
Jackson, MI, USA (October 29, 2015) — Andrew C. Branham's Anything for Amelia is a true story of the challenges endured by two gay men who had the desire to adopt a child. Consistently ranked in the top 100 on Amazon. All FIVE Star Reviews!
When Andrew and DJ decided to adopt and bring a child into their lives, little did they know what they were about to endure; yet never did the thought cross their minds to give up. The horrific, pitilessly, and beyond comprehensible hoops one women would make them jump through demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that little Amelia was going to be much better off in the loving home that Drew and DJ could provide her. Just when you think, how can two people survive such a nightmare and the journey is just about over when little Amelia is born and will be safely in the arms of her loving dads, Sandi decides to pull one more shenanigan that could change their lives forever.
More than 10 million adults have been adopted or fostered in their childhood. Along with spiraling increases in adoptions comes a growing need to disclose the significant flaws in adoption laws that open the doors to fraud, manipulation, and abuse of the system. AMELIA is the first book to explore this dark side of the adoption process through the true story of one couple's journey through hell. Called "the most difficult adoption in U.S. history" by adoption experts, the book appeals to nearly all families (traditional and non-traditional) interested in adoption, foster parenting, or surrogacy. An amazing book filled with tips, advice, and eye-opening first-hand accounts, this is one feel-good story that serves an important purpose and fills a critical gap in adoption literature. – D. J. Herda
Common throughout the reviews – "A must read!, Intriguing, I was sad and needed to stop for many tissues, Shocking Story, Eye opening, Awesome, Loved, Great, Heart-breaking, Touching, Beautiful, …" This book is the type of book you will not put down until you're done, and even at that point you will want to re-read it.
Keywords – Gay, Dads, Adoption, Horrific, Nightmare, Child, DFS, Adopt, Advice, How To, Relationship, LGBT
The ebook version of Anything for Amelia ISBN 9781506900278, published by First Edition Design Publishing (http://www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com), is available on-line wherever ebooks are sold. The 234 page print book version, ISBN 9781506900261 is published by First Edition Design Publishing and distributed worldwide to online booksellers.
Media Contact:
Andrew C. Branham


text:
Night Vision Anti-Glare Driving Glasses
Night Vision Anti-Glare Driving Glasses
Get this Night Vision Anti-Glare Driving Glasses that eliminates dangerous glare! It clears up your vision allowing you to drive safely without straining your eyes. It Instantly turns any dull, fuzzy and strained vision into clearer and better view!
We ship with a USPS/Intl tracking number. Shipping takes between two and four weeks.
- Material: Polaroid Lenses and High-End Plastic Frame
- Size: 13.6x11.5cm / 5.4x4.5"
- Features: Anti-High Beams, Enhanced Light, Increase Clarity, Stylish, Lightweight, Comfortable and has an HD Night Vision. It is also applicable for any outdoor and sports activities including Fishing, Hiking and Cycling.
- Package contains 1 Cloth Bag, 1 Test Card, 1 Strap and 1 Night Vision Anti-Glare Driving Glasses.
Click the "Add to Cart" button now! Limited Quantity - Will sell out fast!
Secured Checkout via:- Paypal - Mastercard - Visa
Note: Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.


text:
With over 100 years in shipping, we have a lot of experience with packaging and have resources to help you package your shipments so they arrive in good condition. UPS account holders can use free UPS envelopes, paks, and cartons, and order them at ups.com with My UPS.
The packaging experts at The UPS Store® can pack almost anything and help ensure your items arrive intact.
Learn More About the Certified Packaging Experts at The UPS StoreOpen the link in a new window
Looking for greener packaging? Look no further than the experts at the UPS Package Design and Test lab. We can provide innovative and cost-effective packaging solutions including environmentally responsible packing and cushioning materials to reduce damages and the need for replacement shipments, and "right-sizing" packaging recommendations to reduce waste.
Remarkable services that go beyond shipping and tracking to help you expand your
Address Validation API
Quantum View API
Sign up for email offers, insights, and industry news that can help improve your shipping. You can manage your preferences at any time.
News and Insights to help you ship smarter
Service Updates to alert you to severe weather and events impacting operations
Promotions and Offers to help you get the most for your money
Product News to keep you up-to-date on new services, tools, and features


text:
Thank you to Insect Lore for sending a Butterfly Farm Kit in exchange for my honest opinion in this review.
From the moment our Butterfly Farm from Insect Lore came in the mail, my daughter was so excited! She loves butterflies (and so do I)! I waited a couple weeks before I ordered our caterpillars because it was a cold spring here in the upper midwest. Once I ordered the caterpillars they shipped free and arrived in only a couple days. We got 6 live caterpillars in our shipment (5 are promised), so that was a fun surprise.
Included in the Butterfly Farm:
~ Butterfly Farm Habitat
~ Cup of 5 live baby painted lady caterpillars and food (if you buy online) or voucher to redeem later for 5 free baby caterpillars and free shipping (if you buy in store)
~ Chrysalis Station Log
~ Butterfly Feeding Dropper
~ 2 Sugar Packets to make butterfly nectar
~ Special flower-shaped butterfly feeder
~ Caterpillar Quick Guide
~ "Read Me" including helpful caterpillar-raising tips
*** Note we did not receive the 2 sugar packets nor the special flower-shaped butterfly feeder in our box. I did not try to contact the company to get replacements, though I am sure they would have sent them if I would have. We fed our butterflies fresh watermelon and overripe bananas, as the instructions indicated we could do. ***
We watched the caterpillars eat and grow and move around in the container they came in for about 10 days and then they changed into chrysalises and 5/6 hung from the top of the container, one had fallen to the bottom of the container. We let the chrysalises harden for three days as the instructions said to do. Then we transferred the top of the container to the chrysalis station log. I checked the Insect Lore site and it said to transfer the one that had fallen onto a paper towel on the floor of the butterfly farm so I did so.
We then waited another approximately 10 days and the butterflies started to hatch! My daughter was so excited. Every day she would check on the status of her butterflies and the morning the first butterfly had hatched she didn't want to leave it to go to daycare!
After 6 butterflies hatched we watched them for a few days in the Butterfly Farm then we set them free outside.
My parents were over when we released the butterflies, and it was a family affair! It was so much fun to see the excitement on my daughter's face as we released them!
Every time I see a Painted Lady butterfly in our yard/garden this summer I will wonder if it is one of the ones we grew!
Insect Lore also offers other butterfly growing kits including the Butterfly Garden and The Butterfly Pavilion. You can also grow other insects with Insect Lore's Ladybug Land (where you can grow your own ladybugs from larvae), Ant Mountain, or their Praying Mantis Gift Set (it comes with a praying mantis egg case containing 75-200 baby mantids!) Insect Lore also has a "Life Cycle Collection" and "Nature Collection" featuring Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Grouchy Ladybug. Insect Lore also offers new Life Cycle Figurines and much more.
Buy It: Head over to Insect Lore to see for yourself the great selection of products they offer.
Connect: Don't forget to like them on Facebook, follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, and subscribe to their YouTube channel for all the latest news and promotions.
Win It: Insect Lore is generously offering one of our lucky readers a Butterfly Farm with live insects. The giveaway is open to the continental US only. The giveaway will end June 22nd, 2016. For your chance to win, enter the Giveaway Tools below. Good luck!
Hi, my name is Asha. I am 31-years-old and am a nurse by profession. My husband and I have been married for over five years and together we have a sweet four-year-old daughter, a one-year-old son, and a lovable bunny named Caramel. I enjoy spending time with family, taking photographs, scrapbooking, hunting, fishing, cooking and gardening.
This post currently has 6 responses.
This is a great way to show kids how nature can work. We had an ant farm when I was growing up, but the butterflies are more fun.
I think Alysia would be fascinated by this. She loves bugs!
Copied the wrong link into the twitter entry. Should be: https://twitter.com/slehan/status/1138979663676489728
If my great niece was just a little older I would get this for her, of course her mother might kill me. All kids would loves this heck lets be honest adults would also love
Awesome way to teach kids about nature. Lots of kids are fascinated by bugs.
Thank you for sharing this I never knew something like this existed my little girl would be ecstatic she loves bugs especially butterflies! I blame that on me, I do to.. so much to the point I have three butterflies as a tattoo!


text:
Our primary topics today are two liars on a boat and one non-liar in a sunken boat. Unsurprisingly, we hold the latter in higher honor. But that's entirely because he putted the same ball 15,000 times. We have very specific criteria.
Devin Kelley was obviously crazy, but did you know that he was certified crazy? It's true. Women who kill their sugar daddies and KQ employees belong to a level just below Mr. Kelley, and below that is people who showboat in private planes. The lesson here is don't do what anyone we talked about today did.
Clickbait isn't just a name; it's called bait for a reason. Why do people take the bait, you ask? Our brains having evolved thousands of years ago has something to do with it, and they really like bad news.


text:
Widow Year Two: "Deathaversary"
The days are past me now, Valentines and Dave's date of death (February 15). The second. Counting. Widowed.
I am breathing freely, feeling relieved in some ways, yet heavy in another. Not a burden of heaviness, a heart of heaviness, But it is all OK. It is not as heavy as an outsider might want to assign to me "because I am a widow, and therefore I must suffer." No, this is not a suffering moment, but a heavy heart.
This morning on the windward side of Oahu, it is calm. The past nights since arrival have been increasingly noisy and blowing, with a stormy awakening on Saturday, February 15. I've had several small sleeps each night, with curtains blowing, doors rattling and surf pounding. As I lie in bed it is hard to tell if there is rainfall or just rustling of palm trees. But I like the windows open or the air would stagnate and the humidity dampen even more.
What a difference a year makes. Choosing to travel during Dave's death week is right for me. I am challenging so much about who I am, where I've come from and what's ahead. I do this from a context of our love, marriage, relationship and growing up. Because that's what we did together really – grow up.
I am a changed person. Or perhaps I am a more defined person. I like this: a more defined person. Because over the past two years this has my grief work – to define me. The transformation through loss is the accepting not simply of Dave forever gone but the deep accepting of who I am on my own. The we-to-me is a powerful revelation. The opinions and influence of every day originate with me now. I am required to make and own my personal world. I recognize this is not a challenge everyone is willing to take on a a way through grief. For me it is working.
Traveling during the week of Valentine's and Dave's death date is to make and own my personal world. The week is especially exciting as I am here to help plan our daughter's wedding. To spend time with her in looking at her future, our future, what we've learned since out time separated by an ocean… in the vernacular of travel credit cards: priceless.
To be able to measure the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual changes in my life first from year one and then years two to three is an exercise in tremendous gratitude. To do so as a measure of change which reflects deep satisfaction and confidence in life was unpredictable.
On Saturday, we took a predawn walk up Makapu'u Point Lighthouse trail to watch the sun rise. We were the first to arrive; no cars, no people. The winds were blowing. Rain threatened. There were no disposable ponchos to be bought at 5:30 in the morning! The Valentine's Day full moon to light our way was hidden behind cloud cover. The hike the day before made my arthritic hips ache, and the leftover of my vestibular disorder added a feeling of drunken hangover. Balance in the dark is still difficult. I began with a limp, a sway and a determination.
Not far into the walk, the wind thinned the clouds and uncovered a beam of natural light enough to see the path in front of each step. The rock we wandered around was protection from the winds for the lower part of the ascension. We stopped briefly as needed. Time. Step by step.
At the top we were rewarded with a changing skyscape of color and cloud formations. I had forgotten the awakening and renewal that accompanies the light of day. The unspoken promise. A new day.
Afterwards, one more task awaited: to send Dave body surfing in the Pacific. I carried a small pouch of Dave's ashes with us.
Dave loved his time in Australia probably most of all in life. As an college athletic swimmer, the ocean called him out to play. He spoke lovingly of being in the waves and body surfing. It seemed only proper to return him symbolically and physically in the only way we can for now. At Sandy Beach, a renowned body surfing area, Leah and I, witnessed by her fiancee Scott, sent Dave to catch the currents around the oceanic world. In a gesture that feels right and good, I am left with the bittersweet knowing of loss and release. On a second anniversary of his death, this is a time to give him back.
The birds are singing louder today. The air is the calmest of my days here. Geckos change with their surroundings. Sand crabs run from stick to hole, scurrying from the ocean foam. There is a rhythm on the beach that is timeless in the moment. Paradise is overcast, yet plenty warm to a Pacific Northwesterner. (And good enough to sport my vacationer's sunburn!)


text:
The real question for you should lie in where do you stand on this spectrum? If you are comfortable signing up for automatic bill payment for every single one of your monthly invoices, then by all means you should sign up for all of those services.
On the other hand, if you like seeing the minutia behind where your money is coming and going, you should stick to that and do what you feel is most comfortable. When it comes to your money, you should be handling your bills however you see fit.
While a lot can be said for micromanaging every penny in your account, though, we here at About Bill Pay are big fans of management services and automatic bill payment. But, on that same note, we also pride ourselves on staying up to date with everything that goes on with our bank accounts in general (we do, after all, work in financial dealings). That being said, we are somewhat middle of the road in regards to technological control simply due to the fact that we still manually monitor all of our income and payments.
Whatever the case, the fact of the matter in regards to the question of whether or not you should let technology handle your finances is just how comfortable you are with trusting a computer with taking care of such transactions. If you are already okay with paying your bills online, the next step isn't a leap as all of your information is already being sent over the internet.
You see, we fully trust the security measures in place when it comes to computer-aided transactions, and letting tech handle your finances is just one small step further. The only real issue then lies in how much dedication will you have to making sure that your bank account always has enough funds available for whenever those payments are automatically withdrawn. If you already have no issues making payments on your accounts, auto payments are a time-saving dream come true. Otherwise, keep handling things on your own.


text:
My physiotherapist suggested the reason only Ventolin relieves my breathing and tightness is because I breath wrong with my mouth. She thinks because I have a dodgy breathing pattern I get the air trapping and hyperinflation we saw on the chest x-ray and lung function tests leading to chest muscle tension. The tension radiates up my back and neck making my nose feel 'blocked.' The Ventolin relaxes my chest and I can breath deeper using my nose. This may be why I often wake up ok in the morning before I start thinking about my breathing, although I do tend to gasp in my sleep a lot which is still unexplained. It may also explain why I do better in the warmth.
We don't know if asthma is behind the air trapping but apparantly anxiety and overbreathing can cause air trapping too. Right? This is where I need some insight please! First I've heard of this all but I don't want to get my hopes up if my physio is wrong-! I am a very tall and skinny young male so I don't know if the air trapping we discovered is just a red herring or not.


text:
Where to begin with the sublime Good Dance?
Before the performance began, I was comparing the stage to that of another Walker dance performance this season, Bolero Variations. Whereas the stage for Raimund Hoghe was more mysterious, undefined, and open, the stage for The Good Dance is something circumscribed, bare, and exposed. There are no curtains to hide behind like there were in Bolero. But The Good Dance is free from the heavy movements of Bolero, and it exists in a state of play with none of Bolero's austerity.
Red lights and industrial beats open the show, and the music turns out to be a remix of "Mary, Don't You Weep" the most jaw-dropping of the tracks on Aretha Franklin's 1972 live album, Amazing Grace. The track is the most exceptional example I know of both the genre and improvisational genius found in gospel music—the gospel song to send to space—and The Good Dance moves within these rituals and improvisations. The music in Good Dance is so strong, so emotive, from the trance of R.L. Burnside-like blues to the guitar wizardry of Congolese musician Franco.
The Good Dance shifts into a state of play, with disposable water bottles half-empty/half-full kicked and thrown all over the stage. As the bottles are assembled, bowled over, and reassembled on the stage, they create the boundaries within which the dancers move. Since disposable water bottles seem to signify a disconnect from the natural world as much as being a vessel for the life-giving substance of water, it's tempting to see the dancers moving between this dichotomy throughout the performance. And the water bottles seem to signify many non-literal things as well.
Reggie Wilson asks us to think about what a Good Dance would be in light of the many adherents to the "Good Book"(s). Evoking both the pleasure and pain of rituals, The Good Dance confronts us with the sacrifices necessary for transcendence. It also shows us that it's only the performer—not the audience member—who can be the most passionate spectator, to both watch and be watched, and it is only the performer who is free to both move and be moved.
The Good Dance is a seduction, the performances of marionettes who are stringless for the first time. Ouamba himself is a tour-de-force. Two nights left; go see The Good Dance.
Jesse Leaneagh is a Performing Arts Intern for the 2009-2010 season


text:
Fannin Falls to GilmerTeam FYN Sports January 11, 2019
This past Saturday, the Lady Rebels took on the Gilmer County Lady Bobcats at home for their first game of the month. Fannin looked to redeem themselves from one of their first games of the season when they endured a 52-45 loss to Gilmer in the ETC Tournament.
It started as a back and forth game from tip off when the Lady Rebels started with the ball. Fannin earned an early lead as they drove the defense in then passed the ball out for wide open shots. Sophomore Abby Ledford and junior Morgan Holt, led Fannin in scoring for the night with fourteen points each.
The Bobcats were ahead 9-8 when Holt drove the lane for a layup to take a 10-9 lead. Fannin played a heavy defense where they fouled the Bobcats which led them to take an 11-10 lead with made foul shots. Holt continued to score more points as she rebounded a shot and went up for a basket that put Fannin ahead 12-11. Gilmer once again found themselves at the free throw line where they tied the game 12-12 with thirty-five seconds left in the first quarter. As the clock wound down, Fannin fouled again and Gilmer made two foul shots to go into the second quarter with a lead of 14-12.
Gilmer started to drive towards the basket to extend their lead over Fannin at the beginning of the second quarter. Maleah Stepp showed off her ball handling skills and added four points to Fannin's score with her jump shots. As Gilmer still had a 28-21 lead going into halftime, Fannin fought to make a comeback.
Fannin tried to adjust to Gilmer's defense and found a new method of scoring. The Rebels found senior, Reagan Henderson, wide open on the block who contributed five points for the night. Mackenzie Johnson assisted in earning some of those points as she went up for a layup and then passed backdoor to Henderson who was wide open for a shot. Johnson also added to Fannin's score for the night with three points overall. The Bobcats extended to a ten point lead to end the third quarter with a score of 43-33.
Both teams continued to play like they were neck and neck. They continued to put the ball into action and score even more points. As the game drew to an end, Gilmer found themselves victorious over Fannin once again, with a final score of 58-45. Fannins loss put their overall record at 6-10 and let their region record at 3-2.


text:
Innovation, Technology and Operations Management (ITOM) groupsplay Innovation, Technology and Operations Management (ITOM) groupsplay
The ITOM group in Norwich Business School undertake research, scholarship and teaching in the fields of Innovation, technology and Operations Management. Our research is mainly concerned with digital technologies, including the ways they are invented and developed; the ways they are deployed, managed and used within and between organisations; and, the impacts and effects that they have.
The group have particular strengths in the areas of Value Chain Analysis, Supply Chain Strategy and Supply Management, Data Analytics, Sustainable Energy, Social Media and Digital Transformation. We use both qualitative and quantitative methods, but have specific expertise in business analytics and a variety of modelling and data driven decision support and optimisation techniques. We conduct analysis at the organisaition, supply chain and business eco-systems levels.
We work on applications across manufacturing and services, and across public, private and third sectors, but have particular expertise in Agri-food, Energy and the Digital sector.
We are working closely with the users of our research at local, national and international scales.
ITOM Group members:
Dr Alfonso Avila-Merino – Associate Professor in Innovation Management
Dr Pat Barrow – Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems
Dr Adrian Benfell - Associate Professor in Digital Business
Dr Arijit Bhattacharya - Associate Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management
Professor Konstantinos Chalvatzis - Professor of Sustainable Energy Business
Mr James Cornford - Associate Professor in Digital Transformation
Professor Andrew Fearne - Professor of Value Chain Management
Dr Tomas Harrington - Associate Professor in Digitalisation and Operations Management
Dr Nikolaos Korfiatis - Associate Professor in Business Analytics
Dr Antonios Karatzas - Lectuter in Supply Chain Management
Professor Fiona Lettice – Professor of Innovation Management
Dr Brad McKenna - Lecturer in Information Systems
Dr Andrew Vassallo - Associate Professor in Business Management
Dr Dimitrios Zissis - Lecturer in Operations Management