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Abe Warns Officials against Controversial Comments on Wartime Sex Slavery
The Japanese Prime Minister has warned his officials to exercise care in the aftermath of controversial comments made by a ruling party lawmaker who identified wartime sex slavery sufferers as hookers.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday issued the warning during a House of Councilors meeting.
He advocated Japanese government and ruling party officials to make opinions based on the recent Seoul-Tokyo settlement of Japan's wartime sex slavery.
Prime Minister Abe was asked to reveal his stance on comments by ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Yoshitaka Sakurada who said comfort women were "prostitutes by profession."
source: via


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At this time the pdf version is available only through www.lulu.com. An E-book version is planned.
Spiral-bound hard copies can be found at DX Engineering or click Lulu to order the hard copy and PDF Version to download the PDF from www.lulu.com.
(Coming soon to a ham radio store near you.)
Check Lulu Discount Codes before ordering as there might be a discount available for your purchase.
Class Instructors: Lulu offers bulk discounts for more than 15 copies. 3% : 15 - 29, 8% : 30 - 59, 10% 60 - 119
but check for Lulu Discount Codes because they can be 15% or more.

subset: commoncrawl


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ISO Consultancy Services
We have a network of approved consultants across the UK who can work with you to help develop effective management systems and ensure your organisation can meet the requirements of the ISO standards in a manner that doesn't add unnecessary extra work or overheads. Contact us for the details of your local ISO consultant or to have a chat about your requirements.
Experienced Consultants - All our consultants have extensive experience of implementing ISO compliant management systems as well as broader business experience which they will use to try and help your organisation improve or adopt best practice.
Quick fix & Ongoing Support - as well as helping with review and development of management systems we also provide ongoing support for companies who are not able to or do not wish allocate staff to developing or maintaining management systems and would prefer an external consultant to take the lead role and complete internal audits and other updates on a temporary or permanent basis.
Good value - we try to make sure we provide good value and achieve as much as possible in each consultancy visit. Our consultancy service is based on a day / half-day rate and we only charge for work completed. We can provide a costed proposal detailing number of days consultancy / cost and activities / actions to be completed.
Consultancy Approach
The approach of our consultants follows the main philosophy of our business - Simple, Smart, Consultancy Services.
Integrated & Streamlined - our consultants will help implement integrated management systems that are as simple as possible with no unnecessary complication.
Enabling your independence - Our consultancy approach is to help our clients take control of their own management systems. To assist with this when we supply documents / files they will be in an editable office or equivalent format allowing you edit, amend and take full control.
Avoid unnecessary complication - sometimes too much ISO consultancy can be dangerous as it can lead to development of overly complex systems which may end up serving the purpose of the ISO system itself rather than the business. At all times our consultants will strive to avoid creating unnecessary forms or procedures that lead to increased paperwork and provide little or no advantage to the company.
Resources - alpha-Z Documents
Our consultancy service is backed up by our alpha-Z Documents package which can be used as a flexible framework for your management system. The alpha-Z documentation package is a simple yet comprehensive documentation package comprising forms, policies, registers, checklists and implementation guidance which our consultants can use to assist and support their consultancy.
Remote Consultancy
As well as onsite consultancy we also provide a remote consultancy service where we can provide remote assistance with preparing and writing any necessary procedures and the management system documentation required. Our remote consultancy package makes use of our alpha-Z documents package which includes various implementation checklists and guidance documents to enable the development of effective and ISO compliant management systems at much lower cost than a full consultancy package.
ISO 9001:2015 Transition
We provide a simple and low cost transition package to update and transition your existing ISO documentation into a simpler format that also meets the requirements of the updated ISO 9001:2015 standard. Contact us for more details.
Management Systems / Certification - The best approach?
Not all companies need external help but there can be issues with trying to implement management systems by yourself just as there can be some issues with using a consultant. We have prepared the below potential pitfall planner based on our experience of some of the worst management systems we have seen over the years.
Can we get ISO certified without any external help?
Should we bring in a consultant?
Can that company really get us ISO certified in 2 weeks without us having to do anything other than pay their bill?
ISO Consultancy - Potential Pitfalls
- DIY Approach
- Fixed Fee - Guaranteed Certification
- Independent Consultant
DIY Approach - This approach can be sensible for some companies and whether is it right for you will depend on who you have available to lead the ISO implementation process and how busy they are. There are several documentation packages that can be purchased to assist with this approach but some of them are very complicated and may actually make the implementation process take longer and ultimately lead to a management system that is bloated and unworkable.
Management System - Potential Pitfalls
- Junk & Jargon - Management System written around the ISO standards rather than the business operations. Far too much documentation and makes no sense to anyone
- Pointless Documentation - Your Management System is just a template with your company name on the front and does not relate to your organisation in any way
- Complicated & Self-serving - Your Management System is overly complex and has become counter-productive to business objectives with unnecessary new procedures and forms
- Waste of Time - The time taken to develop the management system exceeds the cost of bringing in a consultant who could have done the same work in a day
- Eye off the ball - The focus on developing the management system has led to some shortcomings in other business operations and loss of customers / profits
ISO Certification - Potential Pitfalls
- Fake Accreditation - You have been signed up for 'Accredited' certification that is not UKAS (or equivalent) and has been rejected by your customer
- Expensive UKAS - You have achieved UKAS accredited certification but your competitor has won the contract using much cheaper unaccredited certification
- Crippling Contract - You have signed a 10 year contract for certification that does not meet your requirements and now also need to pay for another Certificate
- Audit Hell - Selected certification is creating extra overheads due to an excessive annual audit schedule which is not appropriate or best value
Fixed Fee - Guaranteed Certification in 14 days!! - This is where much of the pain & misery associated with ISO Certification is generated. Some of the fixed fee companies are expensive and often will provide very little service for the fee, typically giving the consultant a few hours to prepare and provide documentation using a Template based on the ISO standards. The management system provided and certified (usually by the same consultant) would be very unlikely to pass an audit by another certification company.
Management System - Potential Pitfalls
- Terrible Template - Consultant was only allocated a couple of hours to complete your entire management system which means your documentation is just a template with your company name pasted onto the cover page and does not relate to your organisation in any way
- Disastrous Duplication - The template approach may mean that you get a separate manual / system for each standard so if you are covering multiple standards this can lead to documentation overload and much duplication which would be avoided with an integrated system
- Junk & Jargon - Management System written around the ISO standards rather than the business operations. Far too much documentation and makes no sense to anyone
- Complicated & Self-serving - Your Management System is overly complex with unnecessary procedures and forms
- Not ISO Compliant - The main problem is likely to be the fact that the supplied documentation and limited consultancy does little or nothing to actually help achieve ISO compliance
ISO Certification - Potential Pitfalls
- Fake Accreditation - You have been signed up for 'Accredited' certification that is not UKAS (or equivalent) and has been rejected by your customer
- Crippling Contract - You may be required to sign a 10 year certification contract
Independent Consultant - There are some very good ISO consultants but there are also some terrible ones. The worst offenders tend to be the 'Jargon-Merchants' who try to make the entire ISO implementation process overly complicated and use the ISO standards to justify unnecessary and pointless activities. There are also 'UKAS Puritans' who will insist on only using UKAS accredited certification even when it isn't necessary and may actually place a burden on the company they are supposed to be helping.
Management System - Potential Pitfalls
- Painful Parasite - The consultant has made the management system so complicated that only they fully understand it and it may also require so much time and input to maintain that you need to retain their services on an ongoing basis to keep it running
- Locked / Licensed - The consultant has used 3rd party software with ongoing support / license costs or supplied files in a format you are unable to edit and can only read and therefore have no control over your own management system
- Junk & Jargon - Management System written around the ISO standards rather than the business operations. The supplied documentation is full of jargon and gobbledygook which makes no sense to anyone except other ISO lunatics
- Pointless Documentation - Your Management System is just a template with your company name on the front and does not relate to your organisation in any way
- Complicated & Self-serving - Your Management System is overly complex and has become counter-productive to business objectives with unnecessary procedures and forms
ISO Certification - Potential Pitfalls
- Expensive UKAS - You have achieved UKAS accredited certification but your competitor has won the contract using much cheaper unaccredited certification
- Audit Hell - Selected certification is creating extra overheads caused by an excessive annual audit schedule & is not appropriate or best value
- Audit Interpreter - Your consultant has advised that they should be in attendance at all audits leading to even higher audit costs
- Costly Certification - Your consultant has a cosy relationship with a particular certification company and has recommended using their services rather than shopping around for a better deal
ISO Standards / Schemes
We can help achieve compliance to various ISO standards as well as other pre-qualification schemes including the following;
- ISO 9001 - Quality Management Systems
- ISO 14001 - Environmental Management Systems
- OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001 - Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems
- ISO 27001 - Information Security Management Systems
- ISO 22301 - Business Continuity Management
- EN 1090 - CE marking of Structural steel
- EN 15713 - Secure Destruction of confidential material
- BS 10008 - Legal admissibility of electronic information
- Achilles Schemes - UVDB, RISQS, Building Confidence, FPAL
- CHAS, Constructionline, Safecontractor, Acclaim & other SSIP schemes
- FORS - Fleet Operators Recognition Scheme
Want to join us?
We are actively looking for consultants who share our vision and approach for assisting clients to implement beneficial and useful ISO compliant management systems. Contact us to find out more about becoming an isoassured approved consultant.
Benefits of working with isoassured;
- We are honest and up front with your clients and our consultants
- Lowest certification fees for your clients
- Reward scheme for bringing your clients to isoassured for certification
- Referrals for consultancy in your area
- Free access to alpha-Z documents and guidance / support if required


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Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books that we are excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that are yet to be released as well. It's based on "Waiting On" Wednesday hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine
Title: Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay, #4)
(Click on the title to know more about it on goodreads.)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publication Date: September 26th, 2017
Goodreads Summary:
Run for the hills temporarily. That's Colbie Albright's plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie's so over it that she's under it. She's also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she's pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won't be a stranger for long.
Make merry...
Spence's commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn't have to worry about the powerful--okay, crazy hot chemistry--he's got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she's gorgeous and a great listener just because she gets Spence immediately doesn't mean he won't be able to let Colbie go. Does it?
and hope for a miracle.
Now the clock's ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime.
I'm waiting because...
PS: I am hosting readathon on Instagram, its #sunsout5books1week, meaning challenge to read 5 books in 1 week from July 1st till July 7th! Check out my Instagram if interested! Its pri_bibliophile


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Bloomsbury Popular Music is a unique source of scholarship and serious in-depth analysis of popular music in a global context. Read more about Bloomsbury Popular Music.
Explore the artistic collaborations which forged an extraordinary career in music and video.
Discover the topics, artists, and countries in focus in our new Featured Content Archive.


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Brian and Larita Moorhead are living the dream in Houston, Texas and just opened their Vom Fass store in Rice Village. We caught up with Brian for an interview just after the official opening and just before his Grand Opening, Thursday, November 20th.Read more →
November 11th, Veteran's Day, marks the anniversary of Vom Fassiness Association (NaVOBA). David Gibson, CEO of Vom Fass USA and Vietnam Veteran, is eager to introduce returning military to the benefits of business ownership and offers a substantial franchise fee discount in honor of their service.Read more →
The Dickisons went to Florida to buy a house and bought a Vom Fass franchise instead! Imagine what they'd get if they went to the store for a carton of milk!Read more →
vomFASS, other specialty stores bring fresh take on oils, vinegars and spices By Rebecca Hennes Published: October 31, 2014 Houston Chronicle From the top of a villa overlooking the foothills of Tuscany, Ben Meinen enjoyed a six-course meal made from ingredients all grown or produced within a […]Read more →
Vom Fass in downtown Sarasota is the pride of husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Robert and Debbie Kay, who opened their Southwest Florida shop in April 2013.Read more →
The colorful history of wine evolved right along that of humankind. Wines ancestral roots reach back almost 12,000 years. As various cultures spread out into new parts of the world, so did the grapevine and the art of wine-making. Today there are vineyards throughout the world with great wine being produced from the United States to South Africa and Australia to South American and Europe.Read more →
MADISON (WKOW) — Just in time for Halloween, our friend Chef Kevin Appleton from vomFASS stopped by Wake Up Wisconsin to help us make some Halloween friendly dishes. Get the recipe and watch the segment courtesy of: WKOW 27: Madison, WI WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, […]Read more →


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Nicola Sturgeon announced new "targeted" measures on Wednesday to help stop the spread of coronavirus in Scotland.
The First Minister set out the Scottish Government's plans to slow down the virus and reduce the R-number across the country.
People living in the Central Belt will no longer be able to visit pubs, bars or restaurants at all, starting today at 6pm for 16 days.
The new wave of restrictions comes following a continued rise in coronavirus cases across the country, with Scotland recording more than 1000 cases on Wednesday and Thursday.
Here's what you can and cannot do over the next 16 days.
Hospitality industry - Central belt
Because of higher levels of infection in the central belt, the Scottish Government are introducing stricter restrictions in the following five health board areas - Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley.
In these areas, all licensed premises - with the exception of hotels for residents - will be required to close indoors and outdoors, though takeaways will be permitted.
Cafes will be able to stay open until 6pm to support social isolation.
The Scottish Government will offer financial compensation of £40m to the businesses impacted by these decisions.
Hospitality industry - outside of Central belt
Pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars will be able to operate indoors on the following very restricted basis only.
During the day, from 6am to 6pm, for the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks only.
Cafes will be able to stay open until 6pm to support social isolation.
Hotel restaurants will be able to operate beyond 6pm, but only for residents and without alcohol.
Can I go inside other peope's homes?
You should not meet people from any other households in your home or another person's home socially, unless they are in your extended household.
What is an extended household?
An extended household is one where two households have joined together to form a single household.
An extended household can be formed by a person who lives alone - or only with children under 18.
They and another household of any size can agree to form an extended household.
An extended household can also be formed by a couple who do not live together, and their children.
Can I meet people outdoors?
You can meet people outside, in your garden or a public space, in groups of up 6 people from no more than 2 households (not counting under-12s).
You should limit as far as possible the total number of households you meet in a day and stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household.
Can I meet a friend in a cafe?
Yes but the restrictions will be strictly applied. And all the current regulations and the limits on meeting a maximum of 6 people from 2 households will still apply.
Nicola Sturgeon said:"The reason we are not closing indoor hospitality completely is that we know the benefits, in terms of reducing loneliness and isolation, of giving people - particularly those who live alone - somewhere they can meet a friend for a coffee and a chat."
Can I go on holiday?
Speaking on BBC's Good Morning Scotland, Deputy First Minister John Swinney responded to that question.
He said: "Yes, but we ask people to take the greatest of care.
"That's the principle piece of advice. Holiday plans can take their course, but people must exercise great care.
"And, of course, where they are going to areas of the country which may have, for example, a lesser prevalence of coronavirus, to be respectful of the fact that we don't want to be any way responsible for the spread of the virus in other communities."
Should I cancel my half-term break?
Nicola Sturgeon yesterday said people should not cancel any half-term breaks that they have planned.
However, she is advising not to travel outside of your health board region if you don't need to.
People in other health board areas should not travel to Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley unless they need to.
Can I visit people in care homes?
Visits over and above essential visits are being gradually re-introduced.
Care home residents can have up to three outdoor visitors from no more than two households at a time by pre-arranged appointment
One indoor visitor once a week by pre-arranged appointment if care homes have had their visiting plans approved by local public health teams
These arrangement may be different if you live in an area with additional measures.
What about hospitals?
Visits over and above essential visits are being gradually re-introduced.
Each person in hospital can have 1 designated visitor, to be made by pre-arranged appointment.
Again, these arrangement may be different if you live in an area with additional measures.
Can I get married?
Yes, you can still get married.
Can I go to outdoor live events?
In the central belt outdoor live events will not be permitted in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley for the next two weeks.
Can I play sports?
In the central belt, snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will be closed from the 10th of October.
Contact sports for people aged 18 and over will also be suspended for the next two weeks with an exception for professional sports.
Can I go to the gym?
Indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed - although the current rules will remain in place for under 18s and gyms can remain open for individual exercise.
Can I go on public transport?
The first minister says that although there are not any mandatory travel restrictions, people in the central belt should not travel outside their local area and others shouldn't visit there "unless they need to".
Will schools stay open?
Nicola Sturgeon stated that the Scottish Government is not proposing to close schools.
She said: "Apart from the October holidays which are already planned - we are not proposing to close schools either wholly or even partially."
Is this a return to lockdown?
The First Minister stated that the Scottish Government would not be proposing another lockdown at this stage, not even a temporary one.
Is there a nationwide travel ban?
Nicola Sturgeon said that there are no plans for a nationwide travel ban, however this wasn't ruled out for hotspots in the country.
Will the hospitals and doctors stay open?
The First Minister said that the NHS will stay open for conditions that aren't related to Covid-19.
She said on Tuesday: "We are not about to halt the remobilisation of the NHS - it is vital that our National Health Service is there for non COVID conditions as well as there for everything we have to deal with in relation to COVID."
Can I go to the shops?
Customers must wear a face covering in shops and other retail premises. Some people do not have to wear a face covering including for age, health, or disability reasons.
Shop and retail staff who come into contact with customers must also wear a face covering. There are some exemptions, such as where there is 2 metre physical distancing or a screen between staff and customers.
Can I share a car?
You should only share a vehicle with those from your household or extended household.
If you have no other option, you should follow the safe travel guidance at the Transport Scotland website which provides advice on how to share vehicles safely.
Carers and those they provide unpaid care for can travel together but they should follow that advice.
Should I work from home?
Everyone who can work from home should continue to do so.
Where work cannot be done at home, employers should take clear steps to help protect workers and create safe places to work.
Non-essential offices and call centres should not yet re-open.
Guidance on how to work safely in different types of workplace has been developed in consultation collaboration with industry, trade unions, regulators, local authorities and others, including equality organisations.
What if I'm shielding?
The first minister says the government is not recommending that people who shielded over the summer should return to staying completely indoors.
They should take more care, however, especially in the Central Belt.


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What Yoga Is Really About
I'm finally resting my head on my pillow after a long day in the city. It was a great day, don't get me wrong, but it was also long.
I went to the city to teach a community class at the studio I graduated from. I wasn't very nervous; in fact, I was calm and I felt prepared, unlike how I felt when I auditioned to sub at a studio local to me. Because I was auditioning at that time, I was so nervous about how the studio owners were going to like my class. I had also not taught people aside from my mom in a month.
Well, that audition went well and I'm now on their sub list. My community class in the city went well too, but something happened that inspired me to write this post.
The community class I led consisted of five people, one of them being my darling girlfriend. All of the students were engaged and connecting their breath to their movements, which was awesome. I made adjustments, offered props, and I provided a ton of verbal support. Everyone seemed to enjoy the class, especially because they were all smiling at the end and thanked me several times. Well, everyone except for one student who had spent a majority of the class disregarding my instruction.
First of all, one does not have to do every single thing a teacher says to do. If you are tired, you are welcome to rest. If something hurts, which it shouldn't, but if it does, you can get out of a pose. You don't have to do the hardest version of a pose either, you can do modifications that are offered.
I feel like these are the general guidelines for how students act in a class. One student in my community class, as I said before, did not behave in this manner.
I offered her a prop to more safely do a pose, but she quickly moved it away from her the second I took a step back. I then said that there is nothing wrong with probs, I use them all of the time. I should have added that the props are there to support you and to allow you to come into the true form of pose that is right for your body. Even if I did say that though, I don't know if it would have made a difference. She hardly touched the props.
For the inversion, I instructed everyone to put their legs up the wall and to release their hands by their sides. She had her arms crossed the entire time, which to me is an uptight gesture.
During the entire class, she added some of her own poses that made things a little more challenging. Some of them were minor while others were a little more noticeable, such as doing dancer when that was not part of the class. Her decision to add her own poses was most notable during the final stretches and savasana though. She did her own stretches, completely disregarding my instruction, and she never took savasana. At one point I thought she was going to do an inversion. The old camp counselor/tennis instructor in me walked up to her and advised her not to go upside down. She claimed she was stretching so I moved on and focused on the people who were participating in my class, but it was so unexpected. I felt like I was chastising a kid rather than an adult in her twenties, or possibly even older.
This experience caused me to remember what the "capital-Y Yoga" is really about.
Yoga is not about pushing yourself during every class to go the deepest in a pose. Yoga is also not about being able to do the hardest poses.
I'm a teacher, although a new one, but I'm not flexible nor can I do most advanced poses. I don't really enjoy inversions and the tendinitis in my elbow from my tennis-playing days makes arm balances really uncomfortable. I don't do chaturanga because it requires a ton of arm strength I don't yet have, and it also flares up my tendinitis.
Basically, I'm not the typical example of a yoga teacher because I can't or I don't do the "fancy" poses. You won't see me post a photo of myself doing a deep backbend or an arm balance right now, but I'm okay with that. That mentality is part of the true, "capital-Y Yoga."
On the first day of my yoga training, one of my instructors said:
Yoga is about getting with what is.
In the case of what my body is capable of, I am content with what my body can do during a yoga practice. I focus on what I can do, rather what I cannot. Besides, I don't have to be able to do all of the hard poses to be able to teach them. Plus, I am grateful that I'm even able to do the asana yoga practice because I'm able-bodied.
It is worth noting, however, that the asana practice is only the third limb from the bottom of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. In other words, the asana practice is not the most important part of the "capital-Y Yoga."
Lastly, and maybe most importantly about the practice of Yoga, if you can do all of the hardest asanas but you are a jerk, you are not doing the real Yoga. You're just doing gymnastics.
The student in my community class, while she was or wasn't doing the real Yoga is besides the point…what I think is important though is whether I was doing the real Yoga.
I feel like I did practice the real Yoga because I was patient and accepting of her and I ensured that she was safe. I taught her what I knew and I supported her to the best of my abilities. As a new teacher who does not have a rapport with the students because this was the only time I taught them, I believe I did all that I could do.
Plus, I don't know her situation. As my girlfriend pointed out, maybe she can't afford more challenging classes, or maybe she doesn't want to pay for it. Perhaps she has an inability to relax and surrender. It's possible her yoga practice is the only area of her life where she feels competent, so by me offering props, she felt I was insulting her. On the other hand, maybe she is a perfectionist and believes she is a failure if she uses props.
Basically, there are tons of possibilities as to why someone would focus so much on doing poses how they think they should look as well as not participating in the relaxing and surrendering portion of the class. That is not my business though. If she was a regular, I would definitely spend a little more time with her to get to know her, but that is not the case unfortunately.
This student also reminded me that everyone comes to Yoga from a different place. For me, I was attracted to Yoga as another form of exercise, but one that provides coping mechanisms for anxiety and grief. For others, it may be because their partner is doing it, because it's trendy, because they want to lose weight, because they want to become more flexible, etc. I don't know what that student's reason for doing yoga, but it seemed that she was interested more moving rather than staying still. People come to yoga for all different reasons, but they may fall in love with the philosophy and spirituality of Yoga, as I did.
So…I hope that the student I had eventually finds the "capital-Y Yoga." I also hope that you learned a little bit of what Yoga is, and perhaps you can take some of this knowledge into your own lives by honoring and getting with what is.


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text:
Season 16, Episode 6
Age: 23
Location: Sissonville, West Virginia
Addiction: Methadone, Alcohol, Benzos
What's Memorable: I've watched every episode of Intervention, many of them multiple times, and after 16 seasons in 12 years, it's become more and more difficult for me to get emotional. Maybe it's because I know the show's formula so well and I've seen all the possible endings – from successful treatment to relapse to death – that it's hard to surprise me. I don't even try to guess anymore if an addict is going to be successful or even survive. You just never know until you get to that final black screen. But it bothers me that it doesn't make me cry so much anymore. I mean this is sad, heavy stuff and I used to cry at every pretty much every episode, now it's 1 or maybe 2 per season that does it to me. Anyway, this was apparently that episode. I can't say what it was exactly that cause me to cry like a little baby at the end. Maybe because Sturgill was such a good and warm-hearted guy. Maybe it was how much he and his family cried in pain and in joy, or how hopeful but honest Sturgill was after getting sober. Maybe it was that he wanted to get into Drug & Alcohol counseling to help other people because that's just the kind of person he is. Maybe it's just my own issues with addiction being triggered by his story. I don't know, but this was an excellent episode of Intervention and it gets placed in the Most Likeable Addicts and Most Uplifting episodes. Because that's how I felt when it was over. Uplifted. Hopeful. Happy. Like Sturgill.
Legacy Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX5zvExzSCk
Official Synopsis: Sturgill was a promising young golden gloves boxer and wrestler who dreamed of the Olympics. He was also an academically gifted pre-med student. But a broken arm and multiple surgeries led to a pain pill addiction, which soon turned to heroin. Now, Sturgill's drug habit includes a dangerous combination of Methadone, benzos and alcohol. His family fears that he's on the verge of mixing that one fatal dose. Sylvia Parsons is Sturgill's Interventionist.
Date Aired: Dec 2016
Interventionist: Sylvia
Season 14, Episode 14
Age: 32
Location: Bryan, Texas
Addiction: Heroin, Methadone
Legacy Update: As of the June 20, 2018 episode (Abbie), Justin has been sober a little over 2 years and looks AMAZING. Here's the video
Official Synopsis: The black sheep of a successful family, Justin got hooked in prescription opiates after he was run over by a truck. Now he begs, borrows, and steals from family and friends to maintain his methadone and heroin habit.
Original Air Date: August 2015
Interventionist: Candy
Season 10, Episode 10
Age: 30
Location: Williamstown, New Jersey
Addiction: Methadone, Xanax
What's memorable: The way her young daughter and grandfather treat her is pretty horrifying, and while deserved it to a certain extent it's still hard to watch and seems like a bad way to behave. And the weird relationship with the 75 year old boyfriend, yikes. I really like Michelle, I hope she got her shit together and her family is nicer to her.
Official Synopsis: Michelle, 30, looks like an aging mother of two who takes a daily concoction of methadone, Xanax, and blood pressure pills to keep her identity as an edgy party girl alive, while her family begs her to wake up to the harm that her addiction has caused them. Now the family has had enough, and they're finally ready to confront Michelle at an intervention.
Original Air Date: August 2011
Interventionist: Candy
Season 6 Episode 6
Age: late 30's?
Location: New York City
Addiction: Methadone with anti-anxieties (benzos)
What's memorable: How attached Nikki's younger daughter is to her despite never really having a good relationship with her, the boyfriend who certainly cares but also seems to need her to be messed up in order to feel needed.
Official Synopsis: When she was young, Nikki's mother and grandmother worked hard to give her a good life. Nikki excelled in school, but she was devastated when her grandmother died. She began hanging out with a rebellious crowd, skipping school, and using crack. Nikki eventually had two daughters, but has remained addicted to drugs. Her daughters desperately want to have a relationship with Nikki, and know that an intervention is their only hope of saving their mother's life.
Original Air Date: July 2009
Interventionist: Ken
Season 9, Episode 4
Age: 28
Location: LaSalle, Illinois
Addicted to: Methadone
What's Memorable: How sick Jimmy's addiction has made his mother Joanie. She's way more of a mess than he is, and probably the most enabling and co-dependent parent I've seen on this show.
Official synopsis: Raised by an absentee alcoholic father, Jimmy joined a gang at 13 and was soon addicted to heroin. The birth of Jimmy's son prompted him to try to get clean, but when things got tough with his new family, he began using again. Now Jimmy shares a dangerous methadone addiction with his ailing mother that threatens to kill them both.
Original Air Date: January 2011
Interventionist: Jeff
Season 2, Episode 8
Age: 22
Location: Long Island New York
Addiction: Heroin, methadone
What's memorable: His mom has to keep all her valuables, cash, and prescriptions locked in her car so he won't steal them.
Official synopsis: Billy seeks a fix for his terrible drug addiction in many ways–he's an IV heroin user, he steals his mother's Xanax, he shoots Ambien intravenously, and he shoots up cocaine.
Original Air Date: March 2006
Interventionist: Candy


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Agile development begins within... continued
1 comment Latest by RyanA Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:03:16 GMT
"It is not the strongest of the species that will survive, or most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change."
- Charles Darwin
Last week I posted, Agile development begins within…, which referenced some bullets from the book, Practices of an Agile Developer. Since then, I have taken a little more time to read a bit further in the book. With books like this, I tend to jump forward and backward, so ten leaps further might put me on page two. In any event, I found a few more things that I wanted to point out… and by all means, you should go buy the book.
In Chapter 3, the authors, Venkat Subramaniam and Andy Hunt, discuss some ways to feed your Agile developer brain.
side note: while typing this… a huge bee just snuck in through my office window… where was I…
- Learn iteratively and incrementally. Set aside some time every day for catching up. It doesn't have to be long, but it should be regular. Keep track of concepts you want to learn more about—just jot down a note when you hear some unfamiliar term or phrase. Then use your regularly scheduled time to investigate it further.
This is a very important aspect of being a developer in any environment. Otherwise, you'll end up like that disgruntled guy who has been programming in the same language for 25 years and refuse to use tabs in a web browser. Trust me on this one. There are people like that… and it could be you!
The point that I liked within this is that you shouldn't just wander off and figure out what it is that you're not sure about. I believe many people have a tendency to immediately look up at their google search box in their browser and…well… google it.
Don't! Schedule time to do it… otherwise you'll end up learning about the Canadian farming industry. GTD it! ;-)
- _Attend local user groups. _
This is a no-brainer. Find a local Ruby user group… and start going each month. Perhaps your local Ruby user group meets more than once a month. :-)
Disclaimer: I've missed the last few meetings at PDX.rb. Bad Robby. :-/
I wanted to post more… but have since decided that it's probably time for you to just go and purchase the book for yourself. :-)
This sounds like a really awesome book. I really dug their 'Pragmatic Programmer' book.
You've convinced me, I'm going to purchase this book tonight!


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Last month, Roman Reigns announced on Raw he's been living with leukemia for the past 11 years and it had returned. Reigns then relinquished the WWE Universal Championship because he said he wouldn't be able to fulfill his duties as champion.
Earlier this month, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter said Reigns had just begun his treatment and a time frame for his return to WWE are a long way off.
Thank you to everyone who's reached out...I can't put into words what it means to me. Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) October 23, 2018
Your energy and positivity motivate me to get better quickly to get back in the ring, but for now I'm going to spend time with my family and focus on health.
Thank you - Joe/Roman
Earlier today, Reigns (who previous played for Georgia Tech) was in attendance for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Georgia Bulldog college football game. Reigns gave a quick comment before the game got started.
"I'm the real big dog here," Reigns said. "To hell with Georgia, baby."
.@WWERomanReigns knows the GOOD WORD!!! #THWG pic.twitter.com/bKxJF1mRtp Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) November 24, 2018
As noted by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, despite fans' outrage, Reigns' leukemia battle is going to find its way into the feud between WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, although there was no word on how often it will be brought up. On this past week's Raw, Ambrose made a reference to it in a promo.
"We're all gonna get what we deserve," Ambrose said. "I mean look at Roman. For Roman's part and what Roman did in The Shield, he has to answer to the man upstairs. But what's worse, is you have to answer to me."


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Possibly the biggest struggle people face in their professional careers is trying to find enjoyment or purpose in their work. When you're working for someone else, that often can be very hard. But you should be able to enjoy your career, and a franchise opportunity with Senior Helpers can give that to you. Of course, […]Continue reading
We don't need to tell you how important a healthy, balanced diet is for seniors. It's something we've discussed before, but really it's one of the basic principles of health. We learn from a very young age that it's critical to maintain that balanced, healthy diet, but it grows increasingly more important to observe those […]Continue reading
What Is In-Home Senior Care? In-home senior care is a wide-ranging term that refers to giving seniors various types of care and assistance that help them remain living at home in a dignified, independent state. At Senior Helpers, we're among industry leaders in providing quality and compassionate in-home care and assistance for our clients, ultimately […]Continue reading
Franchise Times Magazine recently released its "Top 200+" list of the best franchises to own, and Senior Helpers was highlighted by the publication for its tremendous position in the senior care industry. The magazine highlighted how well the senior care sector performed year over year, with even the "last place" finisher showing an increase in […]Continue reading


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Travel Booking Software - Streamline Your Business
Our omni-channel reservation platform is the only fully integrated, end-to-end leisure travel system on the market. It was designed to streamline the way travel is sold. With our travel software at their fingertips, your staff will be more efficient, more accurate and more productive. You'll benefit from enhanced customer loyalty too. All of which means more bookings and an increased bottom line for your business.
Save time & money
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A Travel Management System Like No Other
Our dynamic packaging platform, iSell, sits at the core. It has more suppliers plugged in than any other system on the market and has been recognised as the World's Leading Dynamic Packaging Solution for five years running.
On top, we've developed a range of additional product modules, including a back-office system, a tour operating platform and advanced cruise and tour packaging tools - all of which integrate seamlessly with iSell to give you one single solution for managing your entire travel portfolio. Just choose the ones you need and we'll build a solution that meets the exact needs of your business. We can transform your website too, giving your B2C presence a complete digital make-over. Whatever you need, we have it covered.Discover iSell
The Complete Solution
- Mid-office system
- Booking management
- Accounts receivable
- Accounts payable
- Reminder letter flags
- Branded documentation
- Full reporting suite
- Tour operating platform
- Own contract management
- Sales channel control
- Display and booking rules
- Inventory management
- Build tour operator
- Distribution capabilities
- Advanced cruise packaging
- Hand-pick components
- Tailor-make itineraries
- Present upgrades
- Live pricing & availability
- Customise content
- Book as one single package
- Advanced tour packaging
- Create unique tour packages
- Add content to itineraries
- Create unique documentation
- Highlight USPs & upgrades
- Flexible pricing - live or fixed
- Distribution capabilities
- Multi-market
- Multi-channel
- Multi-currency
Our system provides travel professionals with the most innovative booking tools on the market.


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Influenza 101
Influenza, otherwise known as the "flu," is an easily spread and sometimes deadly infectious disease. Causing upwards of 250,000 annual deaths worldwide and known to infect birds and animals as well as people, the flu is often hard to identify without consulting a doctor because it shares so many symptoms with the common cold and gastroenteritis, and because it has a tendency to morph, reappearing as a new "strain" especially in instances of interspecies transmission. One primary difference between flu sufferers and those infected with the common cold is the distinct correlative increase in instances of both bacterial and viral pneumonia outbreaks in the former, and this detail is one of the reasons the flu is—by comparison—so deadly.
How the Flu is Spread
Influenza is an airborne disease, which means it can be spread from one carrier to another without any physical contact or shared saliva. When an infected person coughs or sneezes the particles containing the virus are temporarily suspended in the air, if that invisible cloud of particles is then inhaled by an uninfected human, the disease will gestate and ultimately generate the same symptoms, thus the cycle continues. Other ways the flu can be spread include (but are by no means limited to): contact with contaminated surfaces, shared saliva, nasal secretions, and even bird dung.
Signs and Symptoms
While a surprising 30+ percent of people who are infected with the flu present no symptoms, those who do exhibit symptoms generally exhibit early, as soon as the day after infection in some cases, and tend to experience a sensation known as "chills" first.
Other potential flu symptoms include:
- Fever
- Aches
- Fatigue
- Congestion
- Cough
- Headache
- Watery Eyes
- Rash
- Diarrhea and Abdominal Pain (mostly present in children)
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that anyone in groups defined as "at risk" should get the flu vaccine.
At risk groups include:
- Children
- Elderly
- Healthcare Workers
- Chronically Ill
- Immuno-compromised
- People who work or live with children
For people who don't fall into this category and for otherwise healthy individuals, certain steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of infection, although the airborne nature of the flu tends to make precautionary measures beyond vaccination difficult.
Here are some good rules to follow all year long:
- Avoid hand/face contact
- Wash hands thoroughly and regularly with warm water and soap
- Get out in the sun whenever possible
- Keep blinds open don't spend too much time in dark dank areas
- Don't share anything that touches the face or hands
- Sneeze or cough into a tissue, rag, etc.
- Wash clothes in hot water when possible and use plenty of detergent


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A composite (tooth colored) filling is used to repair a tooth that is affected by decay, cracks, fractures, etc. The decayed or affected portion of the tooth will be removed and then filled with a composite filling.
There are many types of filling materials available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. You and your dentist can discuss the best options for restoring your teeth. Composite fillings, along with silver amalgam fillings, are the most widely used today. Because composite fillings are tooth colored, they can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth, and are more aesthetically suited for use in front teeth or more visible areas of the mouth.
As with most dental restorations, composite fillings are not permanent and may someday have to be replaced. They are very durable and will last many years, giving you a long lasting, beautiful smile.
Reasons for composite fillings:
Composite fillings are usually placed in one appointment. While the tooth is numb, your dentist will remove decay as needed. The space will then be thoroughly cleaned and carefully prepared before the new filling is placed. If the decay was near the nerve of the tooth, a special medication will be applied for added protection. The composite filling will then be precisely placed, shaped, and polished, restoring your tooth to its original shape and function.
It is normal to experience sensitivity to hot and cold when composite fillings are first placed, however this will subside shortly after your tooth acclimates to the new filling.
You will be given care instructions at the conclusion of your treatment. Good oral hygiene practices, eating habits, and regular dental visits will aid in the life of your new fillings.
I highly recommend Arbor Dental Lodge to anyone looking for a new dentist! The atmosphere is cheerful, peaceful and relaxing; the entire staff is very friendly and professional; and Dr. Trullard is absolutely the best dentist I have ever had! She is highly skilled and knowledgeable and her mannerisms immediately put you at ease. I have personally found her to be attentive and responsive to all my dental needs - even while traveling!
Gwen H
It's so warm and comforting inside the office. And everyone is so sweet and welcoming. Tammy has been my dentist for over two decades, and is always amazing. And when she opened up Arbor Lodge, I was so excited for her.
Carlee B
Dental Postcards powered by PracticeMojo


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Pro sports, long on of the last holdouts in streaming content to the web is finally coming to the party. Tonight and for the next 3 nights the NBA Eastern Conf. playoffs will be webcast at http://www.nba.com/tntovertime/?cid=playoff10 . The NBA is setting the mold. Expect the rest to follow.
Judging from many of the postings on facebook around sports playoffs and season finale's the answer would seem to be an obvious "yes". However, in practice the answer is less clear.
Consumers have long had the ability to network in real time via phone, and they could do it on facebook or IM in real time if they choose. For the most part that just doesn't happen.
In a world of 140 character updates and uber-connectivity perhaps our friends don't want to hear about entertainment until the entire event can be completely summarized in one short burst. Or perhaps entertainment is not about bringing your virtual friends for the entire show, and entertainment is best enjoyed when you are fully in the moment. It seems "No talking in the theater" may be better rule than we knew.
ESPN has been trying for some time without success to force ISP's to pay fees to carry live internet sports feeds from ESPN360. If the ISP's don't pay, and most don't, ESPN blocks the feeds and substitutes a "warning message" that instructs the consumer to contact their ISP and demand ESPN360. Sound like familiar cable TV tactics?
This violates an iron rule of the web… the web is an open place and resists geographic, political, business or other artificial boundaries. ESPN's lack of success in signing up ISP's over more than 2 years is the least of their problems. Trying to use consumers as pawns to "close the web to paying ISP's" is heavy handed at best and significantly corrodes their Brand image.
If you want to demand sports feeds, I doubt your next post will be to your ISP. The steady stream of flames on the web points to ESPN instead.
On the web you create interest one person at a time based on their interests… not yours. Consumers are in control, and there are very few places where a marketer can go to reach a "mass audience".
facebook is doing it right and serves as a great example of advertising on the web. In facebook you can take one product or service and write ten different ads for it. Each ad can target a different age group, geographic area, lifestyle, hobbies, etc. With facebook you focus specifically on who you want to reach and how they want to be reached; you do not "blanket the airwaves".
Pricing is very flexible and you can pay per impression (ad was shown on a page) or per click. You compete with other advertisers to get seen, and like Ebay, it is a bidding system. Let's suggest there is a 20 cent range of prices. If you bid on the low end and a higher bidder is offering, then your ad won't get seen as much as the higher bidder.
Has it occurred to you that facebook is the perfect place to ask consumers to take an action…. "direct response style"? If it has, you are getting into it.
The best feature of Facebook advertising? You set the price limit. Per day. For the whole campaign. You only pay for what you use.
When it is all over, the measurement tools are equally impressive and detailed. Once advertisers learn to use these tools there will be no going back.
What seems like long ago, cable made the switch to digital and slowly but steadily increased Video On Demand (VOD) offerings. VOD offers 24/7 access to certain shows without having to set a DVR, and usually at no additional charge. If you can ignore the monthly bill, doesn't VOD it sound a lot like the internet?
When "free" becomes the accepted standard, VOD may be the only product cable has left. However, VOD is a technically mature product that Cable is well positioned to provide if they can sort the economics of "free" and move quickly enough.
To prepare for the future, Cable should start testing a model where they give "ISP only" customers free VOD. It's long shot considering that AOL's shell that "protected" users from the internet ultimately failed. However, cable's position of ISP provider should give it an advantage with consumers too new, or too busy to be bothered, to venture onto the web to find their family video entertainment.
The more widely available free online shows become, the harder it will be for anyone to go back to the "pay for access" model that supported cable and TV producers for decades. Disney's move to take a 30% stake in Hulu in exchange for letting the new partnership put ABC and Disney content online at Hulu.com, right next to NBC, CNBC, FOX and others, was a major signal that "free and widely available" will continue to dominate family online video.
Time Warner's CEO called this week to have standard "units" of ads that could be run on cable TV and web video interchangeably. He sited the lack of standards in on-line video ads as the primary reason why marketers are not running more ads on the web. He sited Hulu's limited interruption, reduced ad presence as an example of how the the advertising model on the web gets changed by nearly every portal. He is right.
However, producers continue to put large amounts of content on the web even without supporting advertising as a defense against unwanted re-distribution of their shows…. and the web audiences are growing. At some point economics may compel more standardized advertising on the web. However, never to the extent that Time Warner enjoyed in its heyday. Consumers are in control now, and advertising will have to reflect that.
Reported data in a number of marketing journals recently indicated CPG companies only deployed 1% of their media spend online in 2008. Many are wondering how and when media spending will move from traditional media channels to online. Most consider the shift to online inevitable because consumer eyeballs left traditional media years ago for the vast variety of content on the web.
Reasons given for limited online advertising were "too many small players to make media buying efficient, and lack of ability to measure impressions".
You will hear the term "Best Screen Available" a lot in relation to video entertainment. That means that when you are traveling or in a crowd, a laptop or iTouch is probably the best way to watch. When at home with the family, a big screen HDTV is the preferred way to go.
Online solutions that can best maintain their integrity across all platforms and screen sizes will have a huge consumer advantage over "better" but less portable online solutions.
ONLINE Media Daily reported today that 131 million Americans watched video online, and 13 million watched mobile video in the first quarter (Nielsen's A2/M2 study). The average online and average mobile viewing time were both about 3 hours per month.
It is only a short technological hop from YouTube, movie trailers and blooper clips on a laptop to full length shows on the "best screen available" where ever they are.
OMMA magazine reported the results of 2 studies today. Among 18-34 year old online Americans, 70% watch TV on the Web, and only 33% watch it via DVR or TiVo. The young have bonded with their laptops, smartphones and iTouches as the ultimate time-shifting, portable video machines, much as earlier generations bonded with TV and before that radio. (Solutions Research Group)
However, a mere 3% of online adults would pull the plug today on cable just to watch video online. (Leightman Research Group).
What does it all mean? As in the past, the young will drive the future of electronic entertainment distribution. Radio and TV took a decade to reach high levels of penetration. We are all on internet time now… 5 years might be generous.
The purpose of this site it to document and examine the one of the most exciting transitions in mass communication since TV came onto the scene in the '50s and began to displace radio.
Using the web to connect viewers, producers and advertisers will usher in a 24/7 global array of choices that blur the lines between producer and viewer, and between producer and advertiser.
The main "voice" of this site will be this blog page and it will alternate perspectives over time to represent the many faces of this evolution. The other pages on movementtv.com contain supporting reference material relavant to a particular group. Grab your mouse and let's go exploring!


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Our Real Estate Blog
As a homebuyer, you want to prepare as much as possible when you start looking at houses. By doing so, you'll be able to fully evaluate a residence based on your personal wants and needs and ensure you can find your dream house quickly and easily. However, there are many under-the-radar factors that homebuyers must consider when they check out a house, including: 1. Homeowners Association If you're evaluating condos, you should learn about the homeowners association (HOA) that manages the property. This will allow you to review HOA fees, how the HOA operates and other factors that may influence your decision to buy a home. Typically, it is simple to discover all you need to know about an HOA. To do so, you can work with a real estate agent who should be able to provide information about an HOA. Also, you can always contact an HOA directly and receive all the information you need without delay. 2. TV, Cable and Internet Service Providers Do you work from home and require a high-speed internet connection to complete your day-to-day tasks? Or, do you want to ensure you can get your favorite TV channels at all times? Regardless of your individual needs, you'll want to check out the TV, cable and internet service providers available in cities and towns where you'd like to live. This will enable you to find out if these local providers can meet your needs consistently. In addition, you should consider cell phone connectivity in an area, as this will allow you to determine if your cell service provider ensures you can enjoy clear calls in a particular city or town. 3. Attractions and Landmarks Do you enjoy spending a day at the park, checking out historic landmarks or going to concerts? No matter which activities you enjoy, it is essential to learn about the entertainment options near a home you may purchase. For instance, if a concert venue is close to a residence, it may affect nearby traffic patterns as concert-goers travel to and from this destination. Conversely, if you want a house that allows you to separate from the everyday hustle and bustle of the city, you may want to evaluate residences that are located many miles away from popular attractions and landmarks. 4. Walking Paths If you like to stay active, you'll surely want to find a house that features a wide range of safe walking paths that you can use every day. Whether it's going for a morning jog or simply enjoying a jaunt with your dog, you may be able to improve your chances of remaining active and healthy if you purchase a home with multiple walking paths nearby. Of course, a real estate agent can help you explore a vast array of homes in cities and towns nationwide. This professional will learn about your home preferences and allow you to streamline your search for the perfect house as well. Consider the aforementioned factors as you prepare to search for houses, and ultimately, you'll be better equipped to make a more informed home purchase.


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This set is a happy marriage of style and practicality. A Nordic flavour and smooth wood veneer will catch your guest's eyes, but it's the efficient use of space and storage that might steal your heart. That minimal looking coffee table? It slides to reveal a full storage box with dividers and bins. The extendable TV stand is also cleverly designed to perfectly fit your wall. Everything's even super easy to assemble. Tidiness is definitely a look.
Storage, elegantly hidden in a Nordic-inspired exterior. Smooth, stunning wood veneer finish.
A slide-to-reveal full storage box with dividers in the coffee table. Smart divides and drawers all around. Everything just fits.
Designed to last
Sturdy AAA grade plywood with a scratch-resistant veneer finish.
Currently Featured in our Ka Makana Ali'i Showroom
Coffee Table
28"W x 51-82"L x 16"H Inch
TV Stand
16"W x 78-111"L x 16"H Inch
Can fit a TV screen up to 43" Inch
|Plywood AAA / Wood Veneer
|Carton Size
Coffee Table
58"W x 30"L x 18"H Inch
TV Stand
80"W x 17"L x 18"H Inch
Coffee Table
152 lbs
TV Stand
114 lbs
|Delivery Options
|What it includes
|We will prepare your order for pickup from our Town warehouse, M-F 10am-5pm. Just come with a car/truck and let us do the heavy lifting :)
|Curbside Delivery
|We will deliver to the entrance of your house, or building.
|Inside room of choice
|We will deliver into your house and place the item in a room of your choice.
|Inside + Assembly
We will deliver into your house and Assemble the items for you.
Hawaii- Maui / Big Island / Kauai- Free port pickup
Delivery Options
What it includes
|Fedex Delivery
|5-7 days. Available for smaller items only.
Port Pickup
|We will ship your order to the closest port to you, and you will be picking it up from port.
You will pay directly to young brothers for the shipping cost
Curbside Delivery
We will deliver to the entrance of your house, or building.
Young Brothers shipping cost is anywhere between $50-$150 depending on the number of items, size, etc.
For example, a standard sofa will cost around $50.00
For more information please call us at (808) 359-2775
or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
We strive to provide you with the best customer service. Your happiness is our top priority! If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, please contact us to schedule an exchange or to receive a store credit in the amount of your purchase.
|No refunds.
|You can cancel the order for a full refund within 24 hours of payment.
Within 14 days from delivery. for another item or a full store credit.
Order Cancellation Policy
All orders are automatically processed as soon as they are placed. During this process we incur irreversible fees. Therefore, while we understand that orders might need to be changed sometimes, we are unable to offer refunds. You will be eligible for a store credit for the full amount or an exchange. We strictly adhere to the following cancellation policy:
- If you cancel your order within 24 hours, you will receive a full refund.
- If you cancel your order AFTER the 24 hours period, we won't be able to offer a refund. We will provide you with a store credit or an exchange.
- Orders which are REFUSED AT DELIVERY will be assessed all of the applicable fees listed above - including restocking, shipping, cancellation and other applicable fees.
To be eligible for a exchange, your item must be
- Disassembled and in the original packaging.
- With all screws and parts.
- No damages.
Items not eligible for exchange
- Mattresses.
- Pillows.
- Items on sale.
- Custom Items.
- Flat box items.
How do I exchange/return an item?
First read our cancellation/refund policy to see if you are eligible for an exchange/credit.
To schedule an exchange or return please contact us firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone +1-808-359-2775 ext 2.
Cost of picking up an item for exchange or store credit- We can pick up the returned item from your house for the cost of $50 that will be deducted from the full exchange / store credit amount.
You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs/delivery costs for returning your item.
It's time we stop overpaying.
We've been led to believe that modern & quality furniture are expensive. That's just not true.
Valyou is leading a consumer revolution to provide high-quality furniture at reasonable prices.
We at Valyou have a vision to grant you, the customer, quality products at a fair price.
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Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.


text: IceFrog999 Report post Posted June 22, 2009 You really dont feel any of those 3 are ready? I think Carson and Borer could both handle being on the 3rd pairing. You gotta take a chance sometime. We got real issues up front that money could address. That's the problem though. By losing D-berg, we lose a #4 defenseman and we replace him with a 3rd pairing defenseman (whether that be Babs, Wallin or one of the AHL callups), thus, our defense as a whole becomes weaker. At least, that's what I believe he's saying. Personally, I think Babchuk played fine as a #4, as long as you have someone who can mesh with him well (see: Pitkanen) on that pairing as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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The Mentoring I offer is a source of inspiration and creativity that gives you the push you need to reach your full potential and to Go Your Own Way.
I specialise in Creative Mentoring, covering your values, life-goals and ongoing projects as well as for owners of Business start ups and all that the early stages of setting up and running a business entails.
The Mentoring takes place either 1:1 if you are in Suffolk (where I am based) or on an on-line Zoom call (like a professional FaceTime), which covers most of the world.
Everything we talk about remains CONFIDENTIAL
Effective strategising is something I can help you with. One of the first things I do when we first talk is to ask specific questions about what you want to accomplish and help re-focus your thinking to make sure you're going about it in an effective and meaningful way.
Part of what a Mentor does is help you reach your goals quicker and with less effort. Efficiency is key to keeping momentum up and creating lasting changes.
Some people just want to book one, two or three hours, others want many more, it's up to you how long you want us to work together. I offer a free 20 minute 'Discovery Call' if you would like to find out how we can work together. Please email me and we can arrange a date and time to talk.


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How mindful are organisations of the potential of meetings? How many organisations pay explicit attention to leveraging the power of meetings to drive the organisation's performance? How aware are leaders of organisations of the (usually inexplicit) culture they create through the way they run meetings?
How do meetings play out in your organisation? And what are the implications of this for your business? Is there room for improvement?
Before we explore this in more detail, let's take a look at what we have found.
+ Hypothesis: meeting culture is a reflection of organisational culture, and organisational culture is reflected in meeting culture
For many years we have held a belief that systemic issues in organisations show up in meetings and meetings have the power to drive profound impact and change.
Katherine, founder and CEO of Meeting Magic, and the team at Meeting Magic have had the privilege of working with groups around the world, in all kinds of organisations, at all levels.
We have learnt from our work that meetings can do great things. When the people-power within a meeting is harnessed, groups can do great work: solve the unsolvable, develop new insights, take meaningful action. And when people work together effectively, not only are the results fantastic but people leave the meeting feeling engaged and motivated by their work.
When this is a consistent experience it leads to greater overall commitment and engagement in the organisation and improved business performance.
We also know that the reverse is true. Problems in meetings are symptomatic of deeper systemic issues within the organisation. Whilst the symptoms can superficially look the same in different organisations, or parts of the organisation, the root causes can be very different. For example, two organisations might both claim to have problems with too many meetings, wasting time. The cause in one organisation might be lack of clarity of purpose and strategy, whilst in the other organisation the root cause is leadership decision-making.
This correlation between meeting culture and organisational culture can be leveraged two ways:
1. Diagnosing the meeting culture of an organisation can provide powerful insights into how people work together across the organisational culture. These can serve as a catalyst for enhancing and building on things that are working, and addressing things that are not.
2. By paying attention to meetings we can develop a change in meeting culture that in turn drives profound change in an organisation. This means that leveraging meetings to change organisational culture is a practical and effective way to implement culture change, which can otherwise seem like a big ocean to boil.
+ What the research shows
+ Conclusions: insights that the evidence offers
It is well established that organisations with staff engagement and organisational commitment outperform those without. So, these research insights combine to make the link directly between a productive meeting culture, emotional connection to the business and business performance, in a unique way.
Many of these findings, in hindsight, may not be a surprise but that's what makes the research results especially compelling — they make sense. They support what our experience of meetings has, up to now, suggested. Whether we experience meetings as a meeting leader, a participant or a facilitator, there is congruence in what is considered important for them to be effective.
These findings do highlight some particularly useful insights. And, they provide us with a way of identifying the things to tackle in changing our meeting cultures that will make a substantial difference:
+ The potential in your meetings and how Meeting Magic can help.
Where there is a dissonance between the intended purpose of a meeting and the way in which the group process plays out, there is little or no business impact after the meeting.
To get more from your meetings we offer a couple of routes in
Diagnose and improve how people work together:
Meeting Magic has collaborated with experts in the field of diagnostic research to develop a diagnostic approach, using various tools, that can get under the skin of what goes on in your organisation's meetings. Through this, we can discover where meetings are succeeding and failing to get the best from people.
Once meetings are properly understood, action can be taken to leverage them and to build on what's working and drive changes in the effectiveness of group working.
For example, aligning meeting outcomes with business strategy; managing participation in meetings in a way that's aligned to business values; managing decision-making to get commitment and drive for action; and bringing collaboration, co-creation and connection into meetings to create a meeting environment that gets the best from everyone involved.
Meetings as a vehicle to drive profound change:
Alternatively, if there is a culture shift that you are looking to make in your organisation, Meeting Magic can work with you to design this into a way of running meetings that will drive the desired culture change.
We have worked with clients who have chosen pivotal meetings in their organisations to drive change. The great thing about this approach is that people see and experience first-hand the difference in meeting behaviours and resulting action, which has much more power than talking about it.
For example, if you are looking to embed values in an organisation, or part of an organisation, we can work with you to embed these values in the way everyday meetings are run, which will mean people experience the values in their everyday work, leading to stronger alignment, commitment to the organisation, and stronger emotional drive to agreed actions.
+ Your next step to improved meetings and a changed meeting culture
We are passionate about meetings and impacting organisations through them. Tell us what meeting issues you encounter or call us at +44 (0)1628 471 114.
If you are in the Asia Pacific region our offices in Singapore can help. +65 8244 0244 or complete the form giving your country location.
We regularly support clients in China, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.
This article is co-authored by Kenda Gaynham, Senior Facilitator, and Tim Nugent, Marketing Communication Manager


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. unit labor costs increased faster than initially thought in the fourth quarter amid weak worker productivity, but the trend pointed to a gradual increase in inflation.
The Labor Department said on Wednesday that unit labor costs, the price of labor per single unit of output, rose at a 2.5 percent annualized rate in the last quarter instead of increasing at a 2.0 percent pace as reported last month.
Unit labor costs rose at a 1.0 percent rate in the third quarter. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2016, they increased at a 1.7 percent rate. Costs increased 0.4 percent in 2017, revised up from the previously reported 0.2 percent gain.
Inflation is expected to accelerate this year, driven by rising commodity prices and tightening labor market conditions. The labor market is considered to be either near or a little beyond full employment. Inflation has consistently undershot the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target since mid-2012.
The increase in hourly compensation in the fourth quarter was revised up to a 2.4 percent rate from the previously reported 1.8 percent rate.
Worker productivity was revised to show it unchanged instead of declining at a 0.1 percent rate as reported last month. Productivity grew at a 2.6 percent rate in the third quarter and increased at a 1.1 percent rate compared to the fourth quarter of 2016.
Worker productivity has increased at an average annual rate of 1.2 percent from 2007 to 2017, below its long-term rate of 2.1 percent from 1947 to 2017. Sluggish productivity could make it difficult for the Trump administration to lift annual economic growth to 3 percent on a sustainable basis.
Annual economic growth has not surpassed 3.0 percent since 2005. Gross domestic product expanded 2.3 percent in 2017.
The government slashed the corporate income tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent in January and there is cautious optimism that businesses will use some of the windfall from the $1.5 trillion tax cut package to buy machinery and other equipment to boost productivity.
Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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We are a small accountancy practice based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. We offer all aspects of accounts, bookkeeping and payroll services to individuals, partnerships and limited companies.
Our core clients are small owner managed businesses, self-employed consultants and private individuals looking for an efficient and affordable service they can rely on along with sound business and tax advice.
We deal with a variety of services within the accountancy sector from yearly self-assessment tax returns for individuals to running the entire accounts department for small to medium sized businesses.
We spend our time getting to know our clients so we can provide a tailored service to facilitate our clients needs.
Company accounts & tax returns
Self-assessment tax returns
VAT returns
All aspects of training
Business planning & advice
Business start-up
Capital gains tax
Cash flow management
Company formation
Consolidated accounts
Debt management
Financial budgeting
Financial forecasting
Implementation of procedures
Management accounts
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Performance/Costing reports
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And much more…….
All our services are tailored to your needs
We also offer 24/7 support for all our regular clients at no extra cost
Cost effective but efficient service
We have structured our company around our clients to provide them with a cost effective but efficient service. We have done this by;
• Reducing our costs so you pay less.
• Offering an out of hours service for individuals and businesses that do not have time during the day to deal with these matters.
• Simplified annual accounts so they can be understood by everyone
• Setting out our fees in advance with no hidden extras.
• Offering full accountancy, bookkeeping and payroll services at our client's premises or off site.
• Only using experienced staff who offer a speedy service whilst maintaining the highest quality of service.
• Opening 24 hours a day (appointment bookings only) to facilitate our clients that cannot make standard office hours.
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• We store all personal information on encrypted hard drives which are locked away and protected by CCTV .
• We complete letter of engagements and non-disclosure agreements with all our clients so you know your personal information is in safe hands.
We work from a terrace house in Ilkeston. We are located at 43 Buller Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 5AZ. You can find us just off Nottingham Road near Asda Petrol Garage.
We work from a house to reduce our costs so we can pass the savings onto our clients.
We are not always at this property so we recommend you book an appointment prior to turning up.
You can book yourself an appointment using our online booking system.
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We have set maximum prices we would charge you for all our annual self-assessment tax return services but we still guarantee to be at least 25% cheaper than your current accountant. If you are being charged a better price than our fees, we guarantee to beat your current fee by 25%.
To qualify all you need to do is book a 1-hour meeting with us on the online booking system and turn up at our office at the agreed time.
You need to bring the following with you;
• Last year's annual self-assessment tax return report which would be provided to you by your accountant.
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In this meeting we will;
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If you did decide to go ahead with our service, we will sign you up whilst you are here, take all the information from you that we require to complete your self-assessment tax return and contact you once your annual self-assessment tax return has been complete.
Our clients recommend us because we deliver an exceptional level of service, followed by a friendly and professional approach which makes our clients feel secure in the advice and service they are getting.
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Don't even get me started on how amazing this little "experiment" turned out & I am so excited to share it…
This oddly fantastic concoction was born out of inspiration from this recipe on How Sweet It Is. I follow a variety of blogs for a number of reasons, & I read this particular blog for it's beautifully photographed food, not necessarily the food itself. But a few days a go a recipe caught my eye & got my creative juices flowing. I love pesto, I love mac & cheese (who doesn't?), combining the two for a super super jazzed up version of comforting bliss? I'll take it.
I've been craving mac & cheese, like, forever. I recently stumbled upon the frozen Candle Cafe Mac & Cheese on sale at Whole Foods, so I grabbed it, rushed home, waited rather impatiently as it heated up & was sadly & thoroughly disappointed. Ever since then I've had a hankering & wanted to do it homemade. I've only made one attempt at a homegrown version on vegan mac. It was ok. I needed better than mediocre, I needed mind blowing. I've collected nearly a dozen recipes from around the blog-o-sphere for vegan mac & cheese, & the one recipe that called to me the most was the non vegan recipe. Go figure. As my weeknights are busy, I don't get to play as much in the kitchen, so I love to have one or two weekend cooking projects lined up so I can bust out my inner domestic goddess. This was my perfect, under the weather, stuck in the house challenge: get to work on how to make a vegan version.
The pesto part was easy…
I started with the recipe on HSII & left out the cheese, then made some intuitive adjustments from there. I was lucky to have a fresh bunch of local organic arugula from my recent CSA share. Here is my version, in a nutshell…
Arugula Pesto
- 4 cups organic arugula
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 Tbsps. vegan parmesean
- sea salt to taste
- In a food processor, combine garlic, arugula, almonds, vegan parm & lemon juice. Pulse until combined. Stream in olive oil a tablespoon at a time until the pesto becomes smooth. Taste & add sea salt if needed.
The biggest challenge was deciding on a "cheese" sauce that would mimic the mild white cheddar part of the recipe. After looking at countless sauces from the most simple to the most complex, I finally settled on the Quick & Easy Vegan Alfredo from Angela at Oh She Glows.
(photo via Oh She Glows)
This sauce was everything I needed it to be – creamy, mild, yet flavorful. I was a bit worried as Angela said it dried out upon reheating, & my dish called for baking, but as this was an experiment, I kept an open mind.
For the pasta portion I used Quinoa Harvest shells…
While I am not trying to be gluten-free, I liked the idea of using something healthier than semolina. I've used this brand before & really like it as an alternative to whole wheat, which I usually buy. I've learned that I prefer this pasta cooked a bit longer than recommended. The package instructions advise not to over-cook, but I've found that even after 10 minutes it's too chewy, so I let it go until 12. Even though I was baking this dish, I decided not to under-cook it.
Once all components were ready to go, it was time to put it all together. I added the sauce…
Mixed in the pesto…
Sprinkled on a mixture of paprika, panko bread crumbs & chopped fresh Italian parsley & then popped it in the oven. I sat with a wish, prayer, fingers crossed & a growling tummy for 30 minutes while it baked away & then pulled it out of the oven…
Hello crispy, bubbly, aromatic, & absolutely gorgeous vegan mac & cheese!
- 1 8oz box of uncooked pasta shells
- 1 heaping cup of vegan alfredo sauce
- ⅓ cup arugula pesto
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Sprinkle of paprika
- Bring water to a boil & cook pasta according to directions.
- While pasta is cooking, make the vegan alfredo sauce.
- Add pasta to a baking dish & pour alfredo sauce over top. Stir to distribute sauce, then stir in pesto. Top with bread crumbs, parsley & paprika. Bake for 30-minutes, until top is golden & bubbly.
OMG! This turned out better than I ever thought possible. The baking process did dry it out a bit, but left it with a texture reminiscent of my favorite homemade (dairy based) mac & cheese my Mom used to make – & she made the best! This made me nostalgic & satisfied my mac & cheese craving with every bite. Mind blowing? Yes! The pesto is mild, but gave the pasta just an extra bit of "umph" that made the entire dish that much more special & satisfying. I loved it, friends loved it, I think even the Pug would love it. I would also like to attempt a creamier, non-baked version of this, just to see how that turns out! Perhaps next weekend…
Cheers to sweet, or savory in this case, success! Please make & enjoy!


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The flag of Greenland was designed by Greenland native Thue Christiansen. It features two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of center. The top half of the disk is red, and the bottom half is white.
Its local name in the Greenlandic language is Erfalasorput, which means "our flag," but Aappalaartoq (meaning "the red") is also used for both the Greenlandic flag and the Dannebrog. Today Greenlanders display both the Erfalasorput and the Dannebrog, often side-by-side.
Greenland first entertained the idea of a flag of its own in 1973 when five Greenlanders proposed a green, white and blue flag. The following year, a newspaper solicited eleven design proposals (all but one of which was a Nordic cross) and polled the people to determine the most popular. The Dannebrog was better liked than any. Little came of this effort.
In 1978, Denmark granted home rule to Greenland, making it an equal member of the Rigsfællesskab. The home rule government held an official call for flag proposals, receiving 555 (of which 293 were submitted by Greenlanders).
The deciding committee came to no consensus, so more proposals were solicited. Finally, the present red-and-white design by Christiansen narrowly won over a green-and-white Nordic cross by a vote of fourteen to eleven. Christiansen's red-and-white flag was officially adopted June 21, 1985.
To honor the tenth anniversary of the Erfalasorput, the Greenland Post Office issued commemorative stamps and a leaflet by its creator. He described the white stripe as representing the glaciers and ice cap, which cover more than 80% of the island; the red stripe, the ocean; the red semicircle, the sun, with its bottom part sunk in the ocean; and the white semicircle, the icebergs and pack ice. The design is also reminiscent of the setting sun half-submerged below the horizon and reflected on the sea. The colors of the flag are the same as those of the Dannebrog, symbolizing Greenland's place in the Danish Realm.


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When our energy is aligned, we can illuminate the world with our pure intentions. A bracelet cuff with an 18k gold plate open work lotus design—symbol of new beginnings—sets the backdrop for seven semi-precious gemstones that support the seven chakras, or energy centers.
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Of a cartoon that was drawn from life.
Do you ever find yourself thinking that the motion picture, television, and entertainment industry has long since been given over to pre-pubescent teenage accountants?
I'm drawn to the conclusion when I see advertisements that tout valueless depictions of equally valueless source material and aim it at an 11-year-old's mind. While asking the viewers to pay a day's wages for a ticket and a chocolate ice cream.
It is either the best thing since sliced bread for the investors or the worst thing since smallpox for the customers. Both might get what they want, but I should be happier if they both got what they deserved.
A modest proposal; if you are going to base a modern motion picture upon a historical Disney cartoon, or a modern Disney cartoon upon a historical motion picture, at least have the goodness to charge the original ticket price for the remake. If " Dumbo" was selling for 15¢ a ticket in 1939, make that the charge for the modern version.
In any case, if it is live action movie, don't cast Jim Carrey as the mouse. Rodents deserve more dignity.
PS: Yes. I've seen an elephant's fly, but I don't boast about it.


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Creationism or Evolution (final part of three)
Date: 01 September, 2009
By: Chief
To read part one.
To read part two.
e, as humans, scrap, bicker and fight all the time over just about anything. Believe it or not, people have been killed because they rooted for the wrong soccer or football team. That ought to really impress our galactic neighbors. We can't even agree on an abbreviation for universal coordinated time. No joke. Just ask two lawyers the exact same question — you will get at least three entirely different answers.
I suspect we have done this throughout our entire history, both here and wherever we originally came from. As I wrote earlier, we are a sorry lot.
In fact about the only thing we seem to be really good at is what might be considered to be tribal warfare on a global scale by any real civilized planet. On this particular point the great author Jules Verne wrote (From the Earth to the Moon):
"Yes, my dear fellow! Imagine our meeting some of the inhabitants up there! Would you like to give them such a melancholy notion of what goes on down here? To teach them what war is, to inform them that we employ our time chiefly in devouring each other, in smashing arms and legs."
I wish I was so eloquent.
Hence because we could not or would not get along with each other, let alone anyone else, we somehow made life for an advanced civilization a living hell (just ask Josephine cave girl about her thoughts on Joe cave man or vice versa). And finally they had enough.
Somebody or some group in turn made a decision to get rid of the "problem children:"
"Hmm, that third rock from that distant sun, what's it called again ... oh, that's right ... Earth.
"It's a long way from here, they'll have everything they need to survive, yeah I know it's mean, but they just won't learn ... round 'em up and ship 'em.
"Better keep an eye on 'em, they are somewhat clever.
"Well actually they tend to be rather clumsy but kinda clever."
Think about the Australians. Most non-immigrant Aussies are a direct descendant of — criminals. Australia basically started out as a British penal colony. So was the Continent of North America. Our very own thirteen colonies in general. And Georgia specifically.
We call ourselves civilized and have for centuries. What a joke. I will grant you one thing — we are obstinate but not at all civilized.
I fully believe that some very advanced civilization not only did, but continue to, keep an eye on us. They bloody well ought to as well. If for no other reason than for their own peace of mind and possibly their own security. Face it, with our history — we cannot be trusted. We don't trust members of our own species. Most of us don't even trust our next door neighbor. And for good reason. We steal, vandalize, rape, ravage and pillage the village. Some consider it a sport. As a species we are not at all honorable. But we are opportunistic. Just like any other predator.
How else can anybody, rationally or reasonably, explain Roswell, New Mexico? Yeah the 1947 spaceship crash north of Roswell. Oh yes, it happened. Why it happened I truly believe is merely because we successfully and violently crashed the galactic nuclear club. In 1945 we detonated an atomic bomb at White Sands, New Mexico.
I would not have wanted to be the individual who had to tell some planetary leader or council of whatever planet is keeping an eye on us that good news. It may have gone something like this:
"We have a situation, someone needs to inform the leader.
"What kind of situation?
"Those fucking humans have just detonated a very crude atomic device.
"Ah shit (After a fairly long pause).
(A bit later) "I awoke and spoke to the leader and she is not a happy camper.
"Before she briefs the planetary council she wants independent verification of your report."
Two years later — crunch.
Could be fiction or it could be fact. Who is to say? One thing that is a certifiable 'for sure' — time and distance. Two years maybe a long time for us but it is nothing for a civilization who have mastered interstellar travel.
And that folks, in a nut shell, is my theory. To any naysayer (there might even be one) I say to you — prove me wrong.
I have told my theory to a few people in the area (cause that's all there are) and in each case I've been hit with the same questions. The first question normally is:
"How come aliens won't talk to us?"
Answer: There is no central leadership for the planet. Our President is not in charge of the planet even though he thinks he is. Additionally, the Secretary General of the United Nations is not in charge of the planet either. He isn't even in charge of a single podunk country. Lastly there is no planetary common language.
The second question is a derivative of the first:
"How would we talk to them?"
Answer: Being they have mastered interstellar travel I am not worried about being able to speak with them. I'm sure they have that all figured out.
The third question is (believe it or not):
"What if they want to take over the world (Earth)?"
Answer: [Audible sigh] If some civilization travels to Earth from another planet with the intent of taking over the planet — they can do it and there is not one blasted thing we can do to stop them. Further, what do we and this planet have to offer such an advanced civilization? With the possible exception of entertainment, sort of a planetary version of the Roman coliseum, an Earthlings versus lions kind of thing, we are and have nothing of value.
And the last question is:
"Well, if they are so advanced how come they crashed in '47?"
Answer: [Thinking to myself: 'You must be joking'.] We, for reasons unknown, consider ourselves to be an advanced civilization but how many car wrecks happen daily? How many collisions at sea are there yearly, how many train derailments and collisions are there each year and how many airplanes fall out of the sky or crash some other way annually? It could have been weather (we get hellacious electrical storms that time of year), mechanical failure, pilot error or a combination.
I said they were very, very advanced — not perfect.
And so ends a rather lengthy, hopefully though not boring, story. I cannot prove my theory but:
- Anthropologists,
- Paleontologists,
- Theologians, and;
- Biblical scholars —
cannot, in anyway, disprove it either. Furthermore I am certain I am not the only person who has this belief.
A final word about the theory of natural selection. I can factually prove the theory is either a complete fallacy or, at a minimum, does not apply to the human species.
Down the road from us several miles lives a family. All five generations of 'em. The oldest is about 80 and the youngest is around 6. Each succeeding generation is dumber than the previous (which ain't saying much either). I am not kidding. Claire, who is about 66, considers the sixth grade to be her senior year. She actually told us that. Kyle, who is the oldest (around 80), had to repeat the fifth grade — twice. He finally just quit. Allen, who is eleven, is so completely scatter brained — he makes a kid with ADD seem as though they are in perpetual reverse. Clyde, who is Allen's father is a certified, verified bi-polar. And the middle generation, a girl — is in prison for the next twenty years or so (drugs, fraud and hooking). So much for natural selection or evolution of the human species. It certainly appears closer to de-evolution to me.
Oh, by the way, Scopes was found guilty.
"They civilize what's pretty by puttin' up a city where nothin' that's pretty can grow [...], when I see a parson I gotta put my arse in a wagon that follows the tail of a crow" (Lee Marvin, Paint Your Wagon, 1969).
[Ed. note: This story has been updated.]