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Every data provider has their own loan ID convention and oftentimes they are long alphanumeric strings. For both performance reasons and to avoid any ID collisions across datasets, we give every loan a unique dv01 loan ID called dv01_id. As the name implies, if you need to join any tables at the loan level you should use dv01_id (and account_name). Should you need the originator-assigned loan ID, you can get that from loan_id_provider in the Static Data view. Some data providers require that we obfuscate the original loan ID. As such, you may see some odd loan IDs with a lot of non-standard characters. This is not bad data or a failed load, this is a masked version of the original loan ID. How can I identify platform datasets, securitizations, or my own portfolios? Another important concept is that of a portfolio type. In this context, a portfolio type is either a bond (securitization), a whole loan portfolio, or a platform-wide dataset. It is important to note that a loan may appear in multiple data sources. For instance, a loan could initially be in a whole loan portfolio before being securitized. It is possible that this loan will show up in a whole-loan account, a securitization account, as well as a platform-wide account. It is important to note that Loan IDs are sometimes but not always maintained across accounts depending on the requirements of our data providers. In this scenario just described, the database could have up to three distinct loan IDs for a single loan. Can a single loan appear multiple times across portfolio types? Yes. It is common for a loan to appear in either a securitization or a portfolio dataset and again in a platform dataset. If a loan has multiple records, how should I join static_data to the aggregated or history tables? When joining tables at the loan level, the join should be done on dv01_id and account_name. How can I get the last record for every loan regardless of whether it is still outstanding? When a loan pays off (either voluntarily or involuntarily), not every data provider continues to report on the loan. As such, not every as-of date will necessarily contain a record for every loan ever in the portfolio. Certain analyses, primarily cumulative analyses like a cumulative loss calculation need to have knowledge of every loan in the portfolio, not just what is outstanding on a given date. To help assist with these types of queries, we provide a field called carry-through date. The carry-through date is the date for which the given record is valid until. Another way to think of it is as the last day in a reporting period. For a loan that has a subsequent record, the carry-through date will be the day before the next as-of date. The more important observation is that for loans without a subsequent record, usually either because they've paid off or simply because it's the most recent available date, we set the carry through date to 3008-01-01. Are grade and subgrade standardized across originators? Loan grades (and sub-grades) are unique to each originator. Originators may share the same nomenclature, but similarly named grades are not comparable across platforms. For example, Lending Club's B-grade loans are not meant to be comparable to Prosper's B-grade loans. Oftentimes, analysts will use a field(s) that is universally defined, the most common being FICO, to do cross-platform analytics within a credit bucket. Lending Club’s monthly data files tend to have one record per loan per month-on-book (MOB) with each MOB corresponding to a single as-of-date. It is reasonable to assume that the MOB and as-of month would increment by one with every record, but that is not always the case; there are loans for which an as-of month is seemingly skipped. The table below is an example from their platform dataset. In reviewing borrower agreements and the data, we believe this happens because Lending Club allows borrowers to make a due-date adjustment to get their loan payments in-sync with their 13 paychecks. For example, suppose a borrower’s due date is the 25th of every month, but he or she gets paid on the 1st and 15th of every month. Let’s assume this borrower made his or her payment on 5/25 and then asked Lending Club for an adjustment such that his or her payment can be made on the first of the month to coincide with their paycheck. As such, rather than the next payment being due on 6/25, it is due on 7/1 resulting in no payments for the month of June. To smooth these gaps, we anchor the dates to the most recently reported data point. From there, we would decrement the as-of date by one month for each prior MOB. In the above example, the data would now be represented as in the table below. In the periodic tables, do all loans have a month 0 record and why do some show a payment in month 0? Unfortunately, some of the datasets we receive do not contain an initial record. Because of this, there is no guarantee of a month 0 record for every loan. This especially applies to securitizations since we rarely have information before a loan is securitized. Further complicating matters is that not all datasets are consistent in their inclusion/exclusion of an origination record. We see a lot of datasets that do not include an origination record by default but have a handful of loans with a loan_age = 0 record, and these records usually show a corresponding payment. You may be wondering, “How can a loan have a payment in month 0 since month 1 is ‘on-the-clock’ once the loan is originated?” In at least some of the cases, this happens because a borrower made a payment between the origination date and the time the loan started to accrue interest, so technically month 1 was not yet “on-the-clock”. In their platform dataset, Lending Club has one big 31-120 dpd bucket; how do you have more granular dq statuses? For any loan that is 31 to 120 days delinquent, Lending Club will simply label it as “Late (31-120 days)”. Recognizing that analysts might want more granular delinquency statuses, we use balance and payment information to infer whether the loan is one, two, or three payments behind and label it as such. The method to make that determination is straightforward; given the reported month-on-book we know how many payments should have been made to date. Using the historical data, it is easy to determine how many payments have been made, and from those two data points we can determine the number of payments the borrower is behind. Conceptually the logic is clear, but reality is always a little grayer. We try to adhere to industry standards whenever we make a determination of delinquency. A perfect example of this is a partial payment - does a borrower get partial, full, or no credit for a partial payment? In this case the general industry consensus is that a borrower continues to roll forward until the full amount of a payment is made, whether it comes as a single payment or multiple partial payments. P Product is the author of this solution article. Did you find it helpful? Yes No Sorry we couldn't be helpful. Help us improve this article with your feedback. We use cookies to try and give you a better experience in Freshdesk Support Desk. You can learn more about what kind of cookies we use, why, and how from our Privacy Policy. If you hate cookies, or are just on a diet, you can disable them altogether too. Just note that the Freshdesk Support Desk service is pretty big on some cookies (we love the choco-chip ones), and some portions of Freshdesk Support Desk may not work properly if you disable cookies. We’ll also assume you agree to the way we use cookies and are ok with it as described in our Privacy Policy, unless you choose to disable them altogether through your browser.	7,920
I am so grateful to see that the sun is actually still up there. We have had so much rain and I am ready for some pretty fall days. All of the rain has kept me indoors though, so I have been able to search for some new clothes. Sweater dresses are big this fall and this one is super cute. J Crew I personally like this style because I think it would be cute unbuttoned and worn over a turtleneck and a pair of pants. J Crew I love being stylish, but I also love to be comfortable, and these updated pull-on corduroy pants look very comfy. How about some cute pull-on pants in check. J Crew I can clear a room in two seconds by saying that I want to go shoe shopping. I have a terrible time finding shoes that are comfortable and fit. I finally wore out my five-year-old moccasins so I am on the lookout for a new pair. I have never been a fan of puffer jackets. Personally, I don't need something that makes me look like a Puff a Lump (remember those?), but this puffer jacket is really cute. J Crew It's almost that time of year for me to turn on my fake TV fireplace, curl up with a good book, and put on a cozy pajama set. Find more Saturday shopping here. Until we meet again join me on Pinterest, Instagram, LTK, and Etsy. Thank you for supporting my small business. This post contains affiliate links. When you click on a link and make a purchase through that link I receive a small commission. This in no way affects your cost. shopping Comments ~Lavender Dreamer~ October 9, 2021 at 9:32 AM I have a pair of pjs just like those and another pair in red! It will be awhile before I need them though. I really have to try on clothes because not everything looks good on me. The sweater dress would simply not work for me but it looks pretty on the model and it would look great on you! ReplyDelete Replies Junkchiccottage October 9, 2021 at 12:36 PM ReplyDelete Replies Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes October 9, 2021 at 11:07 PM I love to shop (especially shoes - I'll go with you!), but finding it harder and harder to find stores that have styles I like. Now when I find something I like, I end up buying it in several colors. ReplyDelete Replies All verbal donations to my comment box are gratefully accepted. It is free for you and priceless to me. Please note that comments with links will be deleted. Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) Hey there! I'm Laura. Welcome to Simple and Serene Living. I've worn many hats in my life on this fabulous planet; daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and friend. This space is one of my favorite hats.	2,694
NEW: Our regional policy recommendations call on decision-makers to uphold young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights as we build back post-COVID. Read more Most Popular This Week Resource \| 29 September 2022 Combatting harmful gender norms through innovative education Rigid gender norms or stereotypes limit people’s ability to pursue their professional careers and make choices about their lives. Read more Resource \| 6 July 2022 The pandemic remained an ever-present backdrop to our work in 2021, as online tools brought new opportunities for learning, innovation and expanding our reach, but with valuable face-to-face activi Read more Resource \| 20 June 2022 IPPF members are working hand-in-hand with networks of actors from within and around diverse Roma communities in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. Read more Resource \| 8 April 2022 Working with the Roma community and local actors for reproductive freedom In the Balkans, IPPF members are working hand-in-hand with diverse networks of actors from within and around Roma communities. This work was shaped as the My Body, My Rights project. Read more Ukraine: putting sexual and reproductive health and rights at the heart of the EU response Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24th February 2022, humanitarian needs have been increasing by the hour. Millions of people across Ukraine are fighting for their lives. Read more Resource \| 30 March 2022 Youth access to SRH information, education and care in the Balkans in COVID times COVID-19 created the largest health and socio-economic crisis of our generation. Read more Resource \| 18 March 2022 Ukraine crisis: sexual and reproductive health and rights are non-negotiable and lifesaving Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24th February 2022, humanitarian needs have been increasing by the hour. Millions of people across Ukraine are fighting for their lives. Read more Resource \| 31 January 2022 The new Council of the EU Presidency Trio - an opportunity for SRHR and gender equality Over the last years, the EU has been facing many challenges in the realization of its core values: the rule of law, democracy, human rights, equality, gender equality and women’s rights. Read more Filter our resources by: Sexual Health Young People Albanian Center for Population and Development Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association Institute for Population and Development Facet member association resources \| 29 March 2022 Youth access to SRH information, education and care in the Balkans in COVID times COVID-19 created the largest health and socio-economic crisis of our generation. Many health systems were pushed to the brink by restrictive measures rushed in to respond to the pandemic, resulting in the deprioritisation of some existing healthcare services. In almost all European countries, COVID-19 had a negative impact on the delivery of vital sexual and reproductive healthcare, including maternal health and family planning, for women and groups that face barriers to accessing care, including young people. The pandemic also uncovered weaknesses within our systems and exposed the fact that countries are not adequately prepared to deal with health emergencies. To help bring about positive change for young people, IPPF European Network is working to strengthen healthcare systems through the project Youth Voices, Youth Choices, and to remove all kinds of barriers preventing youth from accessing essential care in five Balkan countries: Albania; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Bulgaria, Kosovo and North Macedonia. We are focusing particularly on the needs of those living in remote areas, as well as those from communities that face challenging social conditions, such as the Roma. NEW - POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS In October 2022, IPPF EN is launching a set of regional policy recommendations that call on decision-makers to listen to young people and uphold their SRHR as they build back health and social systems in the wake of the pandemic. Presented at the European Parliament on 26 October by youth advocates and experts, with the support of MEP Fred Matić, the recommendations were developed by a group of specialists who came together to develop a blueprint for designing systems that prioritise access to youth-friendly SRH care, and better support of young people’s health and well-being. The policy recommendations are available for download below. RESEARCH REPORT As a basis for this work, in 2021 and early 2022, we conducted a study to provide us with a clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic on young people’s SRHR. The data was published in a series of reports presenting the findings of the study, carried out by and among youth in five Balkan countries. The reports, available for download below, document young people’s SRH needs and experiences and the perspectives of healthcare providers and other relevant stakeholders on these needs. They also capture the latter’s needs as they deliver services, information and education to young people, building on their experience of COVID-19. YOUTH VOICES Young people are at the heart of this work. They were part of the teams that carried out the research presented in the reports below. They participated in the expert groups that developed our regional recommendations for policy change at national and regional level, and they are being supported and empowered to advocate for these changes. And they have carried out a series of interviews among their peers to share stories in young people's own words of how the pandemic affected their access to SRHR, and what their vision is for a more youth-friendly future that listens to the younger generations and upholds their SRHR. Read more \| 30 March 2022 Youth access to SRH information, education and care in the Balkans in COVID times COVID-19 created the largest health and socio-economic crisis of our generation. Many health systems were pushed to the brink by restrictive measures rushed in to respond to the pandemic, resulting in the deprioritisation of some existing healthcare services. In almost all European countries, COVID-19 had a negative impact on the delivery of vital sexual and reproductive healthcare, including maternal health and family planning, for women and groups that face barriers to accessing care, including young people. The pandemic also uncovered weaknesses within our systems and exposed the fact that countries are not adequately prepared to deal with health emergencies. To help bring about positive change for young people, IPPF European Network is working to strengthen healthcare systems through the project Youth Voices, Youth Choices, and to remove all kinds of barriers preventing youth from accessing essential care in five Balkan countries: Albania; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Bulgaria, Kosovo and North Macedonia. We are focusing particularly on the needs of those living in remote areas, as well as those from communities that face challenging social conditions, such as the Roma. NEW - POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS In October 2022, IPPF EN is launching a set of regional policy recommendations that call on decision-makers to listen to young people and uphold their SRHR as they build back health and social systems in the wake of the pandemic. Presented at the European Parliament on 26 October by youth advocates and experts, with the support of MEP Fred Matić, the recommendations were developed by a group of specialists who came together to develop a blueprint for designing systems that prioritise access to youth-friendly SRH care, and better support of young people’s health and well-being. The policy recommendations are available for download below. RESEARCH REPORT As a basis for this work, in 2021 and early 2022, we conducted a study to provide us with a clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic on young people’s SRHR. The data was published in a series of reports presenting the findings of the study, carried out by and among youth in five Balkan countries. The reports, available for download below, document young people’s SRH needs and experiences and the perspectives of healthcare providers and other relevant stakeholders on these needs. They also capture the latter’s needs as they deliver services, information and education to young people, building on their experience of COVID-19. YOUTH VOICES Young people are at the heart of this work. They were part of the teams that carried out the research presented in the reports below. They participated in the expert groups that developed our regional recommendations for policy change at national and regional level, and they are being supported and empowered to advocate for these changes. And they have carried out a series of interviews among their peers to share stories in young people's own words of how the pandemic affected their access to SRHR, and what their vision is for a more youth-friendly future that listens to the younger generations and upholds their SRHR. Read more \| 29 March 2022 Youth access to SRH information, education and care in the Balkans in COVID times COVID-19 created the largest health and socio-economic crisis of our generation. Many health systems were pushed to the brink by restrictive measures rushed in to respond to the pandemic, resulting in the deprioritisation of some existing healthcare services. In almost all European countries, COVID-19 had a negative impact on the delivery of vital sexual and reproductive healthcare, including maternal health and family planning, for women and groups that face barriers to accessing care, including young people. The pandemic also uncovered weaknesses within our systems and exposed the fact that countries are not adequately prepared to deal with health emergencies. To help bring about positive change for young people, IPPF European Network is working to strengthen healthcare systems through the project Youth Voices, Youth Choices, and to remove all kinds of barriers preventing youth from accessing essential care in five Balkan countries: Albania; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Bulgaria, Kosovo and North Macedonia. We are focusing particularly on the needs of those living in remote areas, as well as those from communities that face challenging social conditions, such as the Roma. NEW - POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS In October 2022, IPPF EN is launching a set of regional policy recommendations that call on decision-makers to listen to young people and uphold their SRHR as they build back health and social systems in the wake of the pandemic. Presented at the European Parliament on 26 October by youth advocates and experts, with the support of MEP Fred Matić, the recommendations were developed by a group of specialists who came together to develop a blueprint for designing systems that prioritise access to youth-friendly SRH care, and better support of young people’s health and well-being. The policy recommendations are available for download below. RESEARCH REPORT As a basis for this work, in 2021 and early 2022, we conducted a study to provide us with a clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic on young people’s SRHR. The data was published in a series of reports presenting the findings of the study, carried out by and among youth in five Balkan countries. The reports, available for download below, document young people’s SRH needs and experiences and the perspectives of healthcare providers and other relevant stakeholders on these needs. They also capture the latter’s needs as they deliver services, information and education to young people, building on their experience of COVID-19. YOUTH VOICES Young people are at the heart of this work. They were part of the teams that carried out the research presented in the reports below. They participated in the expert groups that developed our regional recommendations for policy change at national and regional level, and they are being supported and empowered to advocate for these changes. And they have carried out a series of interviews among their peers to share stories in young people's own words of how the pandemic affected their access to SRHR, and what their vision is for a more youth-friendly future that listens to the younger generations and upholds their SRHR. Read more \| 30 March 2022 Youth access to SRH information, education and care in the Balkans in COVID times COVID-19 created the largest health and socio-economic crisis of our generation. Many health systems were pushed to the brink by restrictive measures rushed in to respond to the pandemic, resulting in the deprioritisation of some existing healthcare services. In almost all European countries, COVID-19 had a negative impact on the delivery of vital sexual and reproductive healthcare, including maternal health and family planning, for women and groups that face barriers to accessing care, including young people. The pandemic also uncovered weaknesses within our systems and exposed the fact that countries are not adequately prepared to deal with health emergencies. To help bring about positive change for young people, IPPF European Network is working to strengthen healthcare systems through the project Youth Voices, Youth Choices, and to remove all kinds of barriers preventing youth from accessing essential care in five Balkan countries: Albania; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Bulgaria, Kosovo and North Macedonia. We are focusing particularly on the needs of those living in remote areas, as well as those from communities that face challenging social conditions, such as the Roma. NEW - POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS In October 2022, IPPF EN is launching a set of regional policy recommendations that call on decision-makers to listen to young people and uphold their SRHR as they build back health and social systems in the wake of the pandemic. Presented at the European Parliament on 26 October by youth advocates and experts, with the support of MEP Fred Matić, the recommendations were developed by a group of specialists who came together to develop a blueprint for designing systems that prioritise access to youth-friendly SRH care, and better support of young people’s health and well-being. The policy recommendations are available for download below. RESEARCH REPORT As a basis for this work, in 2021 and early 2022, we conducted a study to provide us with a clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic on young people’s SRHR. The data was published in a series of reports presenting the findings of the study, carried out by and among youth in five Balkan countries. The reports, available for download below, document young people’s SRH needs and experiences and the perspectives of healthcare providers and other relevant stakeholders on these needs. They also capture the latter’s needs as they deliver services, information and education to young people, building on their experience of COVID-19. YOUTH VOICES Young people are at the heart of this work. They were part of the teams that carried out the research presented in the reports below. They participated in the expert groups that developed our regional recommendations for policy change at national and regional level, and they are being supported and empowered to advocate for these changes. And they have carried out a series of interviews among their peers to share stories in young people's own words of how the pandemic affected their access to SRHR, and what their vision is for a more youth-friendly future that listens to the younger generations and upholds their SRHR.	16,103
Happy Memorial Day! Today we honor those who gave the supreme sacrifice for our freedom. It’s a somber holiday when we thank all the men and women who bravely ran into battle to preserve the things we hold most dear, our liberty and our rights, one of which gives us the freedom to worship our God without the threat of government intervention (at least, when there is no pandemic). My father was one of those brave men who served in the European Theater during WW2. Though he was never in battle he made a great sacrifice non-the-less. His team was given the task of cleaning up the mess that battle left behind. He was made witness to the aftermath of carnage, and his sacrifice for this nation lasted well after his return. He never talked about his experiences because he didn’t want to remember. The only time he mentioned it is when he saw a motorcyclist wearing a germen helmet. He said, “I could have brought home a thousand of them from generals to privates.” The way he said it etched in my brain because it wasn’t simply a statement, it was a remembrance that brought him no joy. Yes, his sacrifice for this nation remained until his death just like so many other braves soldiers before and after him. Sacrifice has been one of the greatest themes in the building of this great country and it still goes on today. Our present war involves those brave men and women fighting against terrorism waged by crazed religious zealots who worship a god who condones violence and death. They believe in convert or die. I’m often left wondering who would want to worship such a god. Who would lay down their life for an impersonal god, who demands his people to strap on bombs to children if they must, so that their ideology might live another day. Praise God that He is nothing like this. Instead of asking us to kill those who do not believe, He asks us to reach out to them in love. Instead of requiring death, He promotes life. Instead of requiring us to be martyrs, He wishes us to live life to the fullest, assured of His guidance and protection. Instead of asking us to sacrifice our children, He sacrificed His only Son so that we could achieve peace “But God shows His love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Instead of asking us to sacrifice our lives in death, he asks us to be living sacrifices, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2) That’s not to say that God does not ask us to sacrifice. In a world filled with people who do not know about the salvation won through Christ for all people who believe, He asks us to share the truth of Jesus Christ and the supreme sacrifice He made so that we might be saved. In this way we sacrifice our time. He asks us to use the special gifts we have been given for the greater good. We do this by using those god given gifts for the benefit of our neighbors. In this way we sacrifice our talents. He asks us to use our money and possessions in such a way that they will also benefit others who are in need, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16). In this way we sacrifice our treasures. Our God knows a lot about sacrifice and praise Him that He offered up His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the supreme sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world. So, with sacrifice on our minds, let’s remember all of those who risked their lives for liberty and freedom. Let’s thank all of those today, who do the same on the front lines of this pandemic, and let’s consider those who are giving of their time, talents and treasures so that the promises of God might shine a light of salvation onto the world. Sacrifice still needs to be done and we are all called to be a part. Please pray with me: Heavenly Father, thank you for Your Son, who willingly became sin for us on the cross so that we might be saved. Forgive us for our shortcomings and help us to remember the sacrifices you have to make every day in love, even when we neglect you in return. Use us as living sacrifices to further your kingdom and be with us so that we might bravely wage the battle to victory. Thank you for all of those who willingly gave their lives so that we might remain free to worship you. Teach us to be your hands and feet in this world. Amen. Prince of Peace Lutheran Church is a vibrant faith community in Portland, OR, passing on faith from one generation to the next. Church Office: M-F 9:00am - 3:00pm School Office: M-F 8:30am - 3:30pm Events Who We Are Get Connected Copyright 2021 ® Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Portland, Oregon 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped or every good work.” Like any relationship, our connection to God is only as strong as the investment we make in it. The more time we spend with Him in His Word, the stronger our relationship grows, and when we pursue that relationship in the context of community we deepen not only our relationship with God, but also our relationships with others in our family of faith! At Prince of Peace there are three opportunities for you to connect and engage with other friends in faith during the week: This Monday Afternoon Study has been established at Prince of Peace for several years, but they are always open to new friends. The study meets at a member home on a weekly basis, Monday afternoons at 1:00pm. If you would like to know more or are interested in joining this Bible Study Community please contact Bev Peloquin for location, directions and/or more information. This Tuesday afternoon Bible Study is held weekly at the Home of Larry and Sandy Gross. It is also available to join virtually on ZOOM (See the Church Calendar for the Link) This opportunity is designed for those whose evenings and weekends are full, or for those who are uncomfortable being out or driving in the evening hours. Anyone who is free during the afternoon is welcome to attend. This study will meet on a weekly basis, Tuesday afternoons at 2:00pm. If you would like to know more or are interested in joining this Bible Study Community please contact Larry or Sandy Gross for directions and/or more information. This Saturday morning ONLINE ONLY Bible Study meets every week during the year (See the Church Calendar for the Link). This opportunity is designed for anyone interested in going deeper in their relationship with God with a small community of friends. This study will meet virtually on ZOOM, Saturday mornings at 9:30am. If you would like to know more or are interested in joining this Bible Study Community please contact Pastor Dan Haugen for more information. These Home Bible Studies are designed to be Small Group experiences, so it may be that the in-person studies quickly reach the capacity of their host homes. In that case we want to continue to expand the opportunity for Home Bible Studies at Prince of Peace. If you find that the study you are interested in has reached capacity, please contact the Church Office right away so that we can make plans to create another Small Group Bible Study in your area! If you are feeling led by God to open your home to a Home Bible Study and/or to lead a Home Bible Study we would also like to hear from you so that we can offer support, encouragement, and the means to spread the word to others who might be interested and looking for a Home Bible Study to join. We encourage you to contact the Church Office, Pastor Dan Haugen, or Family Life Minister Jeff Kranich to address any of these needs as they arise! Contact: Church Office We meet weekly on Fridays from 9:00am to approx. 12:00pm in various locations (Church entry, Member homes, etc.). It’s a great way to meet new friends, get to know each other better, and share what’s happening with your life and family! No need to sign up…just show up with some handwork (or not!) and have a chat! Contact the Church Office for this week’s location! Our mission is to provide opportunities to build real relationships with the women of our church, grow together in faith, and create opportunities for those considering joining our church community to get to know us on a more personal level. Annual Women’s Retreat We sponsor a women’s retreat in the spring each year, which is a Friday-Sunday weekend experience that includes worship, Bible study, activities and more. It is appropriate for adult women of all ages and has proven to build very close relationships among the women who attend. For Christmas, we sponsor an afternoon tea which is an opportunity to come have a relaxing, fun time in the midst of the busy season. This is a favorite event with soothing Tea and light refreshments, along with multiple glittering layers of Christmas Ornaments and decorations to get you in the Holiday spirit! Youth Bible Class Youth Group meets every Sunday at 8:45am in “The Cave” – our Youth Area downstairs in the main Church Building. It’s a great place for hanging out, for learning, growing, and sharing faith. We are currently engaged in a discussion about the validity of the Bible as God’s source of truth for the world. If you are curious about the value of Scripture and whether the Bible has the ability to stand up under close inspection then come and join us, and bring your questions!! This class is designed for everyone in Grades 7-12, and friends are always welcome! See you this Sunday at 8:45am in the PoP Youth Cave! In Ephesians 4:1 God encourages us to lead a life that’s worthy of the calling to which we been called. In order for us to make that happen we have to know our calling, and the only way to know that is to listen to to voice of the One who is calling us – Jesus! Confirmation provides a place where kids come together to sharpen their listening skills, learn to recognize God’s still, small voice, and strengthen and grow their faith through a two-year course of study leading to a Personal Statement of Faith and the Rite of Confirmation. We meet weekly as a whole group for study and reflection based on the Bible, and the Six Chief Parts of Luther’s Small catechism (10 Commandments, Apostle’s Creed, The Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession/Absolution, Holy Communion). Classes are interactive and fun! The classes happen weekly on Wednesday from 5:00-6:00pm, and include music, Bible study, workbook activities, and Catechism study. After 10:00am worship on Sundays or other times during the week we can be available to answer questions, provide guidance, direction, and help on any part of the Confirmation Curriculum. Sunday School Sunday School at Prince of Peace is a Rotational Model – which means that kids learn the weekly lessons in a variety of settings. One week they will go to “Storytelling”, another week they will do a special activity like cooking, or a learning game, another week they will do music, or a special Bible craft. All sections help tell and re-tell the details of God’s love in the timeless stories of the Bible! For Service Projects, we seasonally collect various items for special initiatives like hygiene items for assembling care kits for the Homeless, non-perishable food items for our Food Pantry, warm blankets and other winter clothing items for cold weather support, neighborhood collections of shoes, clothing, sleeping bags, gloves for Homeless Youth, and more! Classes begin each week with a special Devotional Opening at 8:45am in the Church Sanctuary for children’s classes that includes songs, special announcements, and more. After the opening, at 9:00am, kids follow their Shepherds to various activities in a multi-age setting. Join us each Sunday during regular Sunday School classes throughout the year – from “Story Time” to “Bible Crafts” to “Faith Café” there is something for everyone!! Plan to be a part of Sunday School this year, and spread the word to all your friends! Contact: Teresa Brophy (School Director) Compassion International has created a network around the world to provide opportunity for us to put His words of love into action by sponsoring needy children from countries all around the globe. Our School sponsors 5-year old Latera Gamachis from Ethiopia, Africa. Contributions to Latera help provide him with new clothes and shoes, good food, medicine to keep him healthy, and the opportunity to go to school. Our school children write letters, send cards, and receive pictures of Latera and his life in Africa. Rev. Gordon serves 7 churches in some of the poorest parts of Kenya, Africa. Donations from Prince of Peace members and friends were the source of the funds that bought 500 bibles and 500 Catechism’s to serve Lutheran kids in those Churches. Last summer our Vacation Bible School kids took on the Kenya Mission as their focus and raised money to buy over 100 chicks for the villages that Dr. Gordon serves. These chicks will grow to provide a valuable source of sustenance and income for the villages in eggs and meat sales. We look forward to continuing our support for the Kenya Mission in the coming year. Once a year we invite a representative from The Gideons International to share a presentation at our Church about the work of making Bibles available to people around the world. Millions of Bibles have been placed by the Gideons in Hotel rooms, Resorts, Parks, and more. We learn about this important work and have an opportunity to support their mission with financial contributions. Information is made available to anyone who would like to become more involved with the work of the Gideons. Every November, Prince of Peace Church and School Families join together to pack brightly colored shoe boxes with fun and useful gifts for children of all ages. These shoe boxes are gathered, blessed for their journey at our worship service, then delivered to an Operation Christmas Child sorting and distribution center where they are sent to children in remote places around the world who have never celebrated Christmas, or received a Christmas gift. The boxes are given out with a clear Gospel message about Jesus and the Story of Christmas, and families are engaged to teach them more about the love and grace of God in Jesus Christ. Prince of Peace Church sponsors one African Student per year by helping pay their tuition to complete a College degree in fields like nursing, engineering, management, and more. These students then take their new skills and give back to the communities they grew up in, helping to build a better infrastructure and a better future for their families and friends in the local villages they call home. Over 2000 of our neighbors in Washington County are homeless youth. At Prince of Peace our vision is to “boldly serve our neighbors in ways that show them Jesus,” so we team up with HomePlate Youth Services (www.homeplateyouth.org). On the 2nd Wednesday of every month at Aloha Church of God, 18380 SW Kinnaman Road, Aloha, OR 97007, our team serves homeless youth a hot dinner, talks with them to give encouragement, and provides access to support resources. Please join us in helping our community (and having fun at the same time)! You can choose one or more of these volunteer jobs. A long-term commitment is not required. We always pair new volunteers with an experienced volunteer to make it easy and fun. Serve food, mingle with the youth, and help clean up at the dinner location (2.5 hours) Prepare food in advance at the Prince of Peace kitchen (2.5 hours) Shop for groceries in advance (3 hours) Transport food from Prince of Peace to the dinner location (1 hour) Coordinate the serving team at the dinner location (3 hours) Store equipment after use (1 hour) You can also pray for the youth we support, donate to HomePlate’s list of needs, or learn more about combatting homelessness and housing insecurity. Sign up in advance at https://signup.com/go/YdC4Hu (If possible, make this pretty with a button or similar.) This helps us make sure we have the right number of volunteers for a dinner. You can sign up for as many dates as you’d like. Who can come / Who is it for All are welcome. We’ll find a way for you to help. Please check with the coordinator in advance if you want to bring a large group or youth under 16 years of age. 4 X 8 foot garden boxes are available to plant and manage for an annual registration fee of $30 / box. Soil and Water is provided on-site. Garden boxes are available to Church members, friends, and community neighbors, and are open and accessible at all times. We ask that each Gardener contribute 10% of their harvest as a donation to our Food Pantry Ministry to help provide fresh produce to the families we support. This Ministry Team meets on a weekly basis to re-stock, sort, and organize our Food Pantry resources. Maintaining fresh food resources is a constant and ongoing job. We partner with our Community Garden donations to offer seasonal fruits and vegetables, and stock a variety of dry goods, canned goods, and other non-perishable food items to share with those in need in our neighborhood. There is always a need for more volunteers to stock, sort, and distribute the blessings God provides! School Support Team Contact: Teresa Brophy (School Director) We love our school! Helping Hands is a team of church members who are on call to help school families going through a crisis. Examples of things that team members do: prepare a stock of emergency meals in advance, deliver food, encourage a teacher, help in a classroom, or do light house cleaning or watch children to give parents time to attend to pressing needs. We meet at various times during the year. Members commit to be available to help serve up to 4-6 times per year on an “On-Call” basis. Anyone who would like to help support our School and School Families is welcome to participate. Serving others is a key element of following Christ. This team learns about the needs of our neighbors and explores and develops tangible ways to meet those needs. It helps people at Prince of Peace serve by making them aware of needs and service opportunities and by sponsoring service activities. We meet at various times during the year, and Anyone who is interested in reaching out to our neighbors in service is welcome to participate. The Hospitality Ministry Team provides opportunity for extended fellowship after church services, celebration of youth and adult milestones such as first communion, confirmation, new members, etc., supports Family Events such as Oktoberfest and Progressive Dinner as planned to help enrich relationships among members and friends of our Church family. The team is also available to help with church member memorial services and special occasions. We meet two or three times a year to plan and schedule events, and typically host one event per month. This Team is open to any Church member or friend, and is especially good for those who enjoy cooking, decorating, and event planning. Sometimes Guys Just Need to Talk…About Guy Stuff…Fishing, and Building, and Fixing, and Sports, and Families, and Making it all work! Sometimes we can do it on our own, and sometimes we need help. It’s good to hear from other guys who have been where you’re going, or who have questions like you that need to get answered. We make Bacon, we eat, and we talk to God and to each other about life as Men. Everyone is welcome, and nobody leaves hungry. See you there! The “Quilting for Kids” ministry group meets monthly to sew quilts for the shelter. In 2019, we provided 75 quilts for abused and at risk women and their children. Some of our members come and work only at the monthly meeting, some work only at home and others work both at our monthly meeting and at home. We have work available for all skill levels, and even for those who don’t sew at all. We are willing to teach quilting as you work on a quilt for the shelter. Day/Time: Our meetings are usually the first Monday of the month January thru October from 10:00 – 4:00 at one of our member’s homes. Get Involved: Please contact / leave information with the church office if you are interested in joining our group. The Coffee Corner ministry is supported by the Pre-school board and Prince of Peace church. The goal is to develop stronger relationships with parents who have time for free coffee. The service is nicer than regular coffee, served from a quality machine with flavored syrups for additional choices. Members of the church operate the coffee machine in pairs each Monday and Tuesday in the church lounge (narthex) for approximately 90 minutes. These servers are committed to engaging the parents in conversation. It is hoped that the ministry will encourage the participants to consider Prince of Peace as their church home. Children not yet in the pre-school are invited to play with toys from the church nursery while parents enjoy the coffee. The goal of A.C.T. is to put on 3 larger productions a year, as well as a number of smaller ministry and outreach events as the Lord provides opportunity. Eventually we will develop a smaller offshoot made up of our very best actors to form an outreach team called, “ACTing Out.” They will use their gifts in theater ministry to spread the Word of God using dramatic arts through skits and workshops. There is no charge to join any of A.C.T. ‘s ministries. We meet once a week for theater training and twice a week when a show is in production. We also invite Moms and Dads to be a part of the team. Every show involves hours and hours of preparation and we could certainly use the help. Your involvement in the Alleluia Children’s Theater will provide you with a great opportunity to be involved with your kids doing something they love and that’s lots of fun for the whole family. As a Praise Team, our goal for worship is to lead people to a place where they can open their hearts to God each week, and allow the Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen them in their faith-Journey. We represent a wide range of age and experience, but we do our best to use the gifts God has given us to praise His name! Praise Team members practice together at the Church at 7:00pm on the Thursday night before the Sunday when they lead worship. We work to include a mix of well-known and well-loved music, as well as new and current Christian worship titles in our song list. If you love music and want a place to express it, definitely contact Family Life Educator, Jeff Kranich, to join us! The Voice Choir rehearses once a week at the Church at 7:45pm on Wednesday nights. We sing a wide variety of Choral Music that follows the seasons and celebrations of the Church year. The ability to read music is a plus, but not a requirement, and you will have many mentors to help you on your way. Most anthems are accompanied by our talented Music Director on Keyboard, but we do a fair number of pieces acapella so we can just enjoy the sound of blended voices singing together in praise to God! Contact our Music Director Bev Peloquin if you are interested in joining our Voice Choir. The Handbell Choir rehearses once a week at the Church at 6:45pm on Wednesday nights. We play classical as well as contemporary pieces, and with our creative Director use a variety of techniques to create unique blends of sounds and tone. The Handbell Choir is open to anyone who has a good sense of rhythm, and can follow a line of music. The more you advance, the more Bells you will have the opportunity to play! We play two or three times a month for worship on Sunday mornings, and often join with the Voice Choir during festival seasons like Christmas and Easter. Worship Arts The team meets periodically to discuss ways that the arts can augment worship especially during significant days of the church year. For example, the team is responsible for decorating the church for the Advent and Christmas season. Recently the team created an entrance to the church sanctuary for Easter morning, giving the effect of celebrating Easter from inside the empty tomb. The Team meets three or four times a year to make plans and divide up the tasks needed for adding the arts to the worship experience. The pastor and Family Life Educator are invited to participate in this planning. The Worship Ministry Team is made up of the Called Church Staff, our Music Director, and an intentional generational mix of lay people with an interest and heart for Worship. We meet seasonally, about once every two months, to coordinate the regular, ongoing details of our weekly worship, and to prepare specifically for special worship experiences during Church Year seasons and events like Advent, Lent, and Reformation. We get especially excited to plan worship elements for the big celebrations of the year at Christmas and Easter. Contact Family Life Educator, Jeff Kranich, if you are interested in being a part of this Ministry Team. Adult Education There are several Bible Studies that meet at various days and times during the week. There is a Monday night study that meets weekly at 7:00pm in member homes, a 2:00pm afternoon study that meets weekly on Tuesdays for those who do not wish to drive at night, a 1:30pm study that meets weekly on Wednesday at a local care facility, a 7:00pm evening study for Young Adults that meets weekly in member homes, and a Saturday morning Men’s Breakfast Bible Study that includes a home-cooked breakfast and lots of bacon! The Pastor leads a weekly Bible Study on Sunday mornings between our two worship services, often based on the Scripture Readings for the day. This study also can include a themed video series, or a topical study lead by guest speakers from our local Lutheran University. We are always open to and encouraging of more Bible Study opportunities. If there is no study at a time when you can attend, or if you have a desire to start and/or lead a Bible Study, please contact Jeff Kranich, our Family Life Educator, to explore how to make that happen. Children’s Ministry Sunday School Our Children’s Ministry Team leads a weekly Sunday School Opening and classes for all ages of kids, from 3 years through 6th Grade. We follow the stories of all the main Biblical Characters, and use a creative, hands on curriculum that allows kids to participate in the lessons and learn by doing. Journey with Jesus Each year we put on a family ministry event called “Journey with Jesus” which is an interactive experience that allows families to visit and learn about the final hours of Jesus’ life on earth. There are several interactive stations to visit where kids and parents can engage in tasting the bread and wine (grape juice) of the Last Supper, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Standing on the Pavement where Jesus was tried by Romans Authorities, experience the Empty Tomb, and the joy of Resurrection Butterflies. The Saturday before Easter at 10:00am we pull out all the stops and host a celebration Worship experience for kids and families, as they anticipate the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning. Through songs, videos, and an interactive message, kids are reminded of the power of the Resurrection and the Forgiveness of sins Jesus won for us on the Cross. Afterward we gather in an outdoor space on our Campus where kids hunt for over 900 Easter Eggs. It’s an amazing celebration. We hope you will join us this year! Vacation Bible School Every year in the Summer we host a community Vacation Bible School Program with Music, Videos, Bible Story Telling, Games, Themed Snacks, Recreation, and a Mission Project. Kids from our Church, our School, and our Neighborhood join together to Learn about Jesus, and shine His light in our lives. We celebrate regular milestone events in the lives of all our children at Prince of Peace. We start with a “Prayer Cube” for the very young, celebrate with “Prayer Journal” and “First Bible” when they learn to read and write, “First Communion” so they can participate with their families in the Sacrament, and “Faith Chests” as they approach the age for Confirmation. Each milestone intentionally involves and engages parents in actively participating to pass on their faith to their children. Our Sunday Morning Youth Bible Study often includes a Hot Breakfast along with stimulating study and discussion of faith topics and current issues facing teens. The Youth Group is open to all Middle School and High School members and friends, grades 7-12. The Youth Ministry Team hosts a Fall Beach Retreat, a Winter Snow Retreat, and a Summer Lake Retreat each year. They also sponsor regular service events, and support and participate in family ministry activities like our Annual neighborhood Trunk ‘n’ Treat, and our Fall Oktoberfest celebration. The Leader Team at Prince of Peace works with the Pastor and Church Staff to oversee, support, and give direction to all the ministry activities of our Congregation. They determine the overall ministry vision for our Church, set the annual operating budget, approve and manage ministry initiatives, and monitor the spiritual life of our membership. Membership on the Leader Team is open to all committed members of our Congregation, both men and women, who have a heart for ministry and a desire to serve. Contact our current Congregation President, Sharon Kravitz, for more information on how to become a part of the Leader Team. Christ as Savior and Lord We believe, teach and confess that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, and that through faith in Him we receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation. We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven and that all who die without faith in Him are eternally damned. We believe that those who believe in Christ will enjoy a blissful relationship with Him during the interim between their death and His second coming, and that on the last day their bodies will be raised. Law and Gospel We believe that the two chief doctrines of Holy Scripture, Law and Gospel, must be constantly and diligently proclaimed in the church of God until the end of the world, but with due distinction. The Law, as the expression of God’s immutable will, is to be used by the church to bring men to a knowledge of their sins as well as to provide Christians with instruction about good works. The Gospel receives the primary emphasis in the ministry of the New Testament, for it is the message that God forgives them all their sins through Christ, accepts them for His sake as God’s children, and out of pure grace, without any merit of their own, justifies and saves them. The Mission of the Church We believe, teach and confess that the primary mission of the church is to make disciples of every nation by bearing witness to Jesus Christ through the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. Other necessary activities of the church, such as ministering to men’s physical needs, are to serve the church’s primary mission and its goal that men will believe and confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We believe, teach and confess that all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit and that God is therefore the true Author of every word of Scripture. We acknowledge that there is a qualitative difference between the inspired witness of Holy Scripture in all its parts and words and the witness of every other form of human expression, making the Bible a unique book. We believe that all Scripture bears witness to Jesus Christ and that its primary purpose is to make men wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We therefore affirm that the Scriptures are rightly used only when they are read from the perspective of justification by faith and the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. We believe, teach and confess that the Gospel of the gracious justification of the sinner through faith in Jesus Christ is not only the chief doctrine of Holy Scripture and a basic presupposition for the interpretation of Scripture, but is the heart and center of our Christian faith and theology. With Luther, we confess that God’s Word cannot err. We therefore believe, teach and confess that since the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God, they contain no errors or contradictions but that they are in all their parts and words the infallible truth. We believe, teach and confess that since the same God speaks throughout Holy Scripture, there is an organic unity both within and between the Old and New Testaments. While acknowledging the rich variety of language and style in Scripture and recognizing differences of emphasis in various accounts of the same event or topic, we nevertheless affirm that the same doctrine of the Gospel, in all its articles, is presented throughout the entire Scripture. We believe, teach and confess that God, by the almighty power of His Word, created all things. We also believe that man, as the principal creature of God, was specially created in the image of God, that is, in a state of righteousness, innocence and blessedness. We affirm that Adam and Eve were real historical human beings, the first two people in the world, and that their fall was a historical occurrence which brought sin into the world so that since the fall of Adam all men who are propagated according to nature are born in sin. We confess that man’s fall necessitated the gracious redemptive work of Jesus Christ and that fallen man’s only hope for salvation from his sin lies in Jesus Christ, his Redeemer and Lord. Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith. Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally. And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance. For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another. But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit: the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated; the Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal, just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite. In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord; and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord. Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords. The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding. Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another; but the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal, so that in all things, as has been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped. Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity. But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man. He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age: perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity. Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead. At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire. This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved. (The ancient text definition of “catholic,” means the whole Church as it confesses the wholeness of Christian doctrine) I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only‐begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. (“Us men” means all people) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen Vacation Bible School Vacation Bible School is a weeklong event for children ages 3 through 5th grade at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. The week includes all kinds of fun and faith-filled activities for children. To learn more or sign up, contact us today! Milestone Ministry is designed to celebrate and mark important steps in a child’s journey of faith. Throughout the year, special celebrations and ceremonies are conducted to encourage and promote Christian faith in every child’s life. For more information about Milestone Ministry or to get involved, contact us today. The Alleluia Children’s Theater is an amazing opportunity for children to grow in their talents and use them for the Lord! For more information about the Alleluia Children’s Theater or to get involved, contact us today. Youth Retreats Our youth go on a retreat each year to grow in their faith and build friendships with one another. The dates and locations are coming soon, but if you need further information, contact us. Education Vision Statement: To encourage and equip our members through Bible Study and Community Building to share their faith with their family and friends, and to prepare and equip our children through Bible Study and Community Building to be confident in expressing and sharing their faith with others. Pastor Dan Haugen joined our ministry Staff in June 2018. He is an outgoing, creative, and energetic leader with a heart for reaching out into our Community with the Good News of Jesus. He loves to serve in a Team Ministry environment and is gifted in helping our staff and our members to invest the gifts that God has given them for living out their personal calling in ministry. Pastor Dan has a deep love for Theater, and plans to begin a Community Christian Theater in our area. He is also a dedicated Minnesota Vikings Fan, and an avid Motorcycle rider. We are blessed to have Pastor Dan as our Shepherd and look forward to how God will work in and through him in the days to come. Jeff Kranich (Mr. K) joined the staff of Prince of Peace in January 2011. He loves serving in a Team Ministry and working to help others develop the gifts God has given them for ministry. Mr. K leads Confirmation Class & School Chapels, and works with our Ministry Teams and leaders to create events for Family and Community Faith development and growth. He is an accomplished singer-songwriter and uses his musical gifts in worship, school activities, and youth ministry. His focus is helping our members to joyfully reach out to our surrounding community with the love of Jesus Christ. Church Office Assistant Becky Kranich joined our Office Staff in 2015. She is a Northwest Native, and a Pastor’s kid, so she is very familiar with the Lutheran Church. Becky is in the Office on Mondays and Thursdays from 9am-3pm. In her free time she enjoys knitting, scrapbooking, reading, and keeping up with her children and grandchildren online. Church Secretary Chris Miller joined our team in February 2013. Chris is in the office Tuesday – Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. Stop by to see her during the week, or call her at the office at 503-645-1211	44,642
Germ stands for something small that can grow into a lot. Like the germ of an idea that starts small but can develop in something great. And maybe the whole thing is stupid. “If I do anything, I have to start over, but all I have is fragments of ideas. What inspired All the Bright Places? She recalled the last conversation she had with her agent, who told her that, whatever she wrote, she should write it with her “whole heart.” Niven became inspired to write All the Bright Places, based on a boy she had been in love with many years before who lived with bipolar dissorder. How long did it take to write All the Bright Places? “I didn’t tell anyone I was writing it and I sat down and I wrote it in six weeks. So, it obviously wanted to come out.” The book was immediately optioned in 2014, about nine months prior to its release in January 2015. Why did Finch kill himself in all the bright places? Finch is mourned by family and friends, but the specifics of his death are purposefully left vague. “We purposefully did that because we don’t feel that [Finch’s death] was as simple as, ‘Well, he committed suicide. He was depressed and he wanted to die,’” Haley said. Why was all the bright places banned? All the Bright Places. Challenged and under review in the sophomore-level Academic English II classes at Lemont, Ill., High School District 210 because a parent considered it “pornographic.” The novel won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult fiction. Does Finch kill himself in the movie? Inspired by a tragic event in the author’s own life, All the Bright Places ends with Finch’s suicide by drowning, and Violet’s struggle to rebuild her life after. Why was All the Bright Places banned? Why did Finch die in all the bright places? After another one of Finch’s mysterious disappearances, Violet fears for the worst and goes searching for him at the Blue Hole (another one of their “wanders”). She finds his car parked on the side of the road and his clothes on the lake’s bank, and it’s clear that Finch has died by suicide. Did they ever find Finch’s body? At the end of the book—and if you didn’t listen to the spoiler warning at the top of this article, now is the time to do so—Finch sends a goodbye letter and is found drowned in a lake. Why did Finch kill himself in All the Bright Places? Why did Finch die in All the Bright Places? Previous: How can I treat my dog for Salmonella at home? Next: Can you outgrow dust allergies? What is germ in all the bright places? by Shantelle Lovell 0 comments What is germ in all the bright places? Germ stands for something small that can grow into a lot. Like the germ of an idea that starts small but can develop in something great. And maybe the whole thing is stupid. “If I do anything, I have to start over, but all I have is fragments of ideas. Do Violet and Finch kiss in the book? To those who went into All The Bright Places blind, there’s one scene that might have come off kind of strangely: Violet and Finch’s first kiss. In the book when the pair are filling in “Before I Die” blanks in chalk, Finch writes that he wants to kiss her but he doesn’t tell her when. Does all the bright places swear? Deeply moving, irreverent film about friends, cancer, life. Poignant teen drama doesn’t shy away from alcohol or sex. Intense drama reflects teen culture; substance use, cursing. Is all the bright places book appropriate? Parents need to know that All the Bright Places is the young-adult debut of the author of the Velva Jean series, and suicide is the central theme. The message is ultimately hopeful, but the path to finding hope is heartbreaking, and readers should keep a hankie close by. Older teens and young adults smoke. Why did Finch kill himself in all the bright places? Finch is mourned by family and friends, but the specifics of his death are purposefully left vague. “We purposefully did that because we don’t feel that [Finch’s death] was as simple as, ‘Well, he committed suicide. He was depressed and he wanted to die,’” Haley said. Why did Finch die in all the bright places? After another one of Finch’s mysterious disappearances, Violet fears for the worst and goes searching for him at the Blue Hole (another one of their “wanders”). She finds his car parked on the side of the road and his clothes on the lake’s bank, and it’s clear that Finch has died by suicide. Can a 13 year old watch all the bright places? According to Spectrum, TV content with this rating is, “Intended for adults and may be unsuitable for children under 17. Possibly contains crude indecent language, explicit sexual activity or graphic violence.” How many F words are in all the bright places? The f-word is used nearly 15 times, and the s-word is heard three times. Other profanity includes multiple utterances of “p-ssed” and “a–hole.” At what age should I read all the bright places? Why was all the bright places banned? All the Bright Places. Challenged and under review in the sophomore-level Academic English II classes at Lemont, Ill., High School District 210 because a parent considered it “pornographic.” The novel won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult fiction. What was wrong with Finch all the bright places? As for Finch, he suffers from depression and experiences near-constant thoughts of suicide during his so-called “Awake” periods. Finch’s family does not understand his depression, making him feel isolated. How many F words are in All the Bright Places? Where are all the Germs in the world? You might not want to think about it, but we know germs are everywhere. Every place you go and everything you touch is awash with bacteria and other microbes. No nook, cranny, or surface is truly, totally clean. The good news is that most of the 60,000 types of germs you encounter every day are harmless, or even helpful, to your health. What kind of germs live in shared towels? The same general rules apply here: Germs love moist environments, and thrive on shared towels of any kind (whether in the kitchen or the bathroom). “If you utilize a shared hand towel in the bathroom, you are likely sharing more than just the towel,” Reynolds says. Sharing things like MRSA, for instance, or the flu virus. Is it possible to get sick from germs at home? And while both of those places can definitely be germy, you’re actually more at risk of getting sick from the germs that you pick up at home, Kelly Reynolds, Ph.D., director of the Environment, Exposure Science and Risk Assessment Center at the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health, told BuzzFeed Life. How can we prevent the spread of germs? One of the easiest ways to prevent contracting illnesses from these harmful germs is obvious—limit your contact. That means cleaning your hands and your home. Of course, you do your best to keep clean areas where you know harmful germs love to camp out (e.g., toilets, communal shower floors). Do you know there are germs in your home? Everyone knows there are germs around them. Some of the places are obvious—you probably wash your hands after cleaning up your cat’s litter, changing a diaper, or using the toilet. But there are places in your home that probably escape your attention, and some of those places need to be cleaned as frequently as germ hot spots you already know. Where do germs love to hide in your home? In the following article, learn the environments where germs love to hide. You and your family can enjoy fewer colds and other infections as well as a healthier daily life by learning these germ-filled locations and cleaning them frequently. How many times a day do you check your smartphone? Why do germs like to live in warm environments? It’s surrounded by soap and warm water while you use it, but think about how much time your kitchen sponge spends being damp and warm. That’s exactly the type of environment bacteria love, because it allows them to multiply quickly. And that’s particularly concerning if you cook with raw meat. Which is better for germs hot or cold water? MYTH #2 Hot water cleans best. MYTHBUSTER: Cool water washes away the same amount of bacteria as hot water, according to a recent study of people whose hands were analyzed for germs after washing at various temperatures.	8,375
Every Monday and Thursday, a member of the Press Publish community will post a conversation starter and chat in the comments for a week. Keep coming back to weigh in with your experiences! Boundaries in Blogging “You’re going to blog about me, aren’t you?” If you haven’t gotten this question from you friends, family, coworkers, or random strangers at Target yet, it’s just a matter of time. From the moment that I made it known to my friends and family that I had set up my own digital space to tell my stories, people in my life have wondered when, exactly, they would make their grand entrance on my blog and immediately start receiving their residuals. Hey, it could happen. Almost four years into my blogging stint, my friends and family now know that I would never write anything personal or sensitive about them, and even if I did, I would vet the post with them first. None of us lives life in a vacuum, so it’s important for us to exercise discretion when we share our world on our blogs. The truth is that there are other lives in the mix, lives that may or may not appreciate being read about. Being a parenting blogger, I’ve struggled with the question of boundaries ever since my daughter was born. She’s a toddler now and only associates my blogging habit with me drinking gallons of coffee in one sitting. But I know that, eventually, the day will come when she’ll want to read what I’ve written about her. And since she’s going to hate me anyway when she’s a teenager, I’d rather it be because I wear God-awful jeans that come all the way up to my boobs and not because I shared too much about her on my blog when she was small. The older she gets, the more I try to write in broad strokes about her and avoid the embarrassing, personal stories that aren’t really mine at all to tell. What about you? What boundaries do you have in place when you write about your family or friends? Comments February 26, 2015 at 11:11 am I wrote in a journal – a journal for each – (before blogging!) on every birthday until my daughters were 21. I never shared what I had written. My oldest daughter just turned 30, I wrote one last entry and I sent her the journals on her birthday. She has told me that she has read them more than once. I think she she has a better understanding of how much I love her, and how very special it is to have her in my life. She is now older than when I started the journal and she is able to get a glimpse of who I was when I was her age. LikeLiked by 5 people February 26, 2015 at 12:25 pm That’s a beautiful story, Linda! Your daughters are very lucky. LikeLiked by 1 person February 26, 2015 at 12:46 pm Thanks! The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 1:53 pm Linda, what an amazing gift! I may have to steal that idea Thanks for reading! LikeLiked by 1 person Julie is HostessAtHeart says: February 27, 2015 at 9:06 am That is amazing. I wish I would have thought to do that. LikeLiked by 2 people February 26, 2015 at 11:16 am I write under a pen name and avoid talking about anything too sensitive or revealing about my family. LikeLiked by 2 people The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 1:55 pm LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 11:42 am Reblogged this on The Waiting and commented: I’m over on the Press Publish blog today talking about boundaries in blogging. Come on over and join the conversation! February 26, 2015 at 11:43 am The most embarrassing things I share are the ones that happened to me. There’s a surprisingly large amount of material from which to draw. Anything else I check first with those involved. And Oreos, I write a lot about Oreos. LikeLiked by 3 people The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 1:57 pm Snack foods are always good blogging topics. I’m quite prolific on the subjects of Pop-Tarts and Cheetos. LikeLiked by 1 person Julie is HostessAtHeart says: February 27, 2015 at 9:09 am It’s oatmeal for me. Who knew you could write so much about oatmeal. LikeLiked by 2 people The Waiting says: February 27, 2015 at 10:10 am Oatmeal is a pretty fantastic muse. LikeLiked by 1 person lucysfootball says: February 26, 2015 at 12:37 pm It’s a fine line – I don’t use names of most people (or, if I talk about other bloggers, I’m careful to use only the name they use on their own blog) and am careful to only talk about things, like you said, in broad strokes, unless I know the person very well and know they won’t mind if I go into a little more detail. There are things you want just for yourself, and there are things you want to share, and sometimes those things dovetail, and that’s tough – how much is too much? And then there are people who think you owe them everything from your life – luckily, I haven’t run across many of them, but I have had some readers who’ve contacted me either outside of the blog or in comments asking some pretty personal questions that I purposely didn’t address on the blog. These are the things people don’t tell you about when you start blogging – and it’s all kind of like feeling your way around an unfamiliar dark room while wearing a blindfold. LikeLiked by 2 people The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 2:03 pm Amen to that. Sometimes I miss the days when approximately zero people read my blog because then I didn’t have to worry about what I said or didn’t say. I still get kind of a bee in my bonnet when people ask me what C’s full name is. LikeLiked by 1 person Judah First says: March 2, 2015 at 3:23 pm What a silly question! Cindy, obviously! (Yes, that’s my name, so I’ll claim C as a namesake, just ’cause she’s so adorable. I’m pretty sure living vicariously through children is every parent’s favorite occupation. ) February 26, 2015 at 1:57 pm I also write about my daughter but the topic is limited to the books we share together so I’m not that worried that I’m sharing too-personal details. I do however take greater care of which photographs I use to illustrate my posts, selecting shots which only show abstract body parts or the back of her head so that hopefully she is not too embarrassed by my blogging when she is older. LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 2:06 pm The photo question is a really good one. My policy is very similar to yours: I try to use pics where my daughter’s face is obscured or ones where I am pictured with her. LikeLiked by 1 person T says: February 26, 2015 at 2:01 pm In my early and mid 20’s I dabbled in overshare. Actually, too much of it, so calling it dabbling probably isn’t fair. Anyways, I learned that a) people don’t actually want to hear what you think of them, and b) people don’t want other people to know what you think of them. Break it all down and blogging can feel a lot like gossiping. And gossiping erodes relationships of all shapes and sizes. In my mind I was venting some well earned frustrations and sorting out my childhood issues. In theirs, I was airing dirty laundry. We were both right. And the outcome was to be expected: hurt feelings. I realized (far too late) that while my story is partially tied to their stories, I still can not tell their stories. That isn’t my job. My job is to own MY bullshit. Not make them responsible for their own. I know I’m speaking of a very specific sort of blogging, but I also know it’s very tempting for a lot of people who have things to deal with and finally an audience encouraging them to deal with it. Yes, the blogging community at large makes it feel safe to start questioning things you’ve experienced in life, but at what cost? We joke about blogging being therapy, but therapy is different because it’s private, quiet, and safe from the eyes and ears of the people who harmed you. So, as someone who had to learn the hard way, don’t overshare your personal family/marriage/relationship battles, unless doing to in ABSOLUTE anonymity, and maybe not even then. Talk to friends in person. Or a therapist. Or a pastor. Or a support group. Even if you’ve been done wrong. Wrong enough to sort of justify the public flogging of those who’ve wronged you. Don’t do it. You won’t win. Not that way. LikeLiked by 2 people The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 2:19 pm Yes. Yes to ALL of this February 26, 2015 at 2:46 pm My main boundary is not to write anything that would embarrass someone. LikeLiked by 3 people The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 3:10 pm Definitely a good rule of thumb! Lori says: February 26, 2015 at 3:37 pm Great topic! I write about caring for and living with my elderly in-laws and mother over the past few years. I found that there was a learning curve to blogging. While I use my real name, for everyone else I either do not use names at all or I change their names. It is a thin veil though, as any one who know me also knows who I am writing about. I try to be respectful about what I share, but there have been times that I have gone off on a rant that I should not have published. I found that using an editor helps to keep me on the straight and narrow. She is a filter for when mine seems to be missing. LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 5:08 pm You bring up the really important point that having someone from your “real life” filling an editorial role is so important. I have a couple of friends who are writers themselves who I often run posts by before I put them up and the feedback I’ve received from this has been invaluable. Thanks for reading and commenting, Lori! February 26, 2015 at 4:27 pm Great topic. It’s the same issue any memoirist has. Sometimes I read things like the essays of David Sedaris and wonder how his family feels about the light he shines on them. But if he wasn’t so specific, his writing wouldn’t be as strong…or his career as successful. It’s a fine line. LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 26, 2015 at 5:11 pm I have wondered the same thing about David Sedaris! I would guess that if you’re writing so specifically about your family and friends, they’d have the appreciate hyperbole. LikeLiked by 1 person becomingcliche says: February 26, 2015 at 6:47 pm I almost never write about my two older kids because the could easily be embarrassed. Occasionally they give consent (or even ask me to write). The youngest is teetering on the edge of implied consent. He is in kindergarten now and more aware of things than he was when I first started. Sadly, he is even funnier now than he was then, so I face a dilemma. I may take my blog in a whole new direction at some point just so I don’t have to answer this question. LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 27, 2015 at 10:12 am The fact that Squish is now a kindergartner is mind boggling. Didn’t you just transition him from the crib? becomingcliche says: February 27, 2015 at 10:14 am Sometimes it feels that way, and sometimes it feels like he has been little for half my life. Time is funny that way when you have kids. February 26, 2015 at 7:05 pm Great post. Definitely something to consider. LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 27, 2015 at 10:12 am February 26, 2015 at 10:54 pm Reblogged this on a little bit of everything and commented: In a very little span of time, I enjoyed blogging a lot. But when it comes to sharing it to the people I know, family or friends, I have this feeling that I need to keep this blogging thing a secret from them. Not all of them really know what I have been blogging about, and I intend to keep it that way. For me, the people who are close to me and don’t know what I’m doing means I’m worry-free and carefree from their judgemental eyes and minds. It also means I can be myself without thinking what they can say or think about me. LikeLiked by 1 person February 27, 2015 at 4:36 am I wrote something heart felt and very complimentary about a family member ‘once’ but received such a negative response from that person that I deleted the post and have never done it since. Live and learn. LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 28, 2015 at 11:39 am Ooooh, I’m sorry that happened! Kudos for learning from the experience, though. A lot of people would have just thrown their relationship to the proverbial wolves. February 27, 2015 at 7:17 am Good morning. Lovely to meet you and so looking forward to seeing you talk in Portland. My wee blog is about my life on a farm and is very perstinent so your question did make me think. ( And in fact I have deleted and rephrased my comment about a hundred times already as i try to truthfully answer). OK I have written stories (the funny and the sad) about my life as a child growing up on the beach.These stories have included my sisters and brothers, sometimes my own children -( I was a very young Mum). But I have never had anyone complain. I have devised a code for most names though most do not care if i use theirs. But there is a whole raft of stories i would never tell.. if nothing else I am sure it would only embarrass my readers anyway. I think if we add kindness to the equation, the boundary line becomes very clear. See you in portland!. c LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 28, 2015 at 11:47 am Hi Cecilia! I am actually going to be at the Phoenix event so it looks like we’ll be missing one another, but say hi to all your Portland cohorts for me! You raise a good point about changing people’s names. I have always referred to my daughter as “C” or “Cee” and my husband by his first initial. February 27, 2015 at 9:33 am We are very much on the same page. I write less and less about my kids as they get older…or maybe I refer to something they may have done generally, without mentioning they specifically did it. As far as family and friends, I have written “tribute” pieces to a few, but who wouldn’t want heaps of praise for all to see? Other than that, it’s pretty much off the table for me. Risking my relationships isn’t worth all the likes or shares in the world. I never want people I love worrying that something they do or say around me is up for grabs in my writing, even if it “disguised” with the whole “names have been changed” disclaimer. Never. LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 28, 2015 at 11:58 am And one of the things I love about your writing is that it is more about parenting than it is about your kids. Remember that meme awhile back with the little kid saying “You worry about yourself!”? That’s what you do, and that’s what makes your writing super-relate-able. LikeLiked by 1 person February 28, 2015 at 9:09 pm You are the best and the sweetest and the yummiest (because you are full of Pop Tarts). Thank you, friend…and you know those are the very same reasons people keep coming back to your writing as well. And that is the best meme evah!!!! In fact, we quote it on a daily basis at our house, always mimicking her: “Worry ’bout yo’self!” I think I may have even put that you tube clip in a blog post at some point. It has pretty much changed my life. February 27, 2015 at 10:18 am I don’t usually share anything TOO personal about my friends or family online, but some of my friends have actually asked them to write about them/things we do together. They read the blog, so they want to see their name in print!! There’s definitely a boundary, though, like how I would never discuss work things in a negative light. LikeLiked by 1 person The Waiting says: February 28, 2015 at 12:00 pm How fun! Some of my family members have asked me to write about memories from our shared pasts, too. I love it when this happens because it’s an opportunity to bring the people exactly what they want! LikeLiked by 1 person March 2, 2015 at 9:32 am My daughter is old enough now to LOVE seeing her picture on anything, including the internet. If she had her way — at least at this stage — I’d write about her every single day, all day long. LikeLiked by 1 person March 2, 2015 at 10:13 am That was me when I was little too. I hammed it up any time a camera came out. February 27, 2015 at 6:32 pm I am struggling with boundaries now that I am a mom. So far, it’s been all about me and sometimes my husband, and he gets to be a consenting adult. But my boy? I have to make the hard choices for him…mostly, I am afraid I’ll regret some choice I make now. LikeLiked by 1 person March 2, 2015 at 9:30 am That’s a tough position to be in, and I empathize. On one hand, you don’t want to post anything that they’ll be mad at you for later; on the other hand, I want my kids to be proud of every part of their lives, even when adolescence hits! Sigh, internet — you complicate things sometimes! LikeLiked by 1 person February 28, 2015 at 12:01 am I have to say that it’s personal anecdotes are what I really WANT to write about. I don’t write things that I think will make people mad, but I quote and recount events as I remember them with little hesitation. LikeLiked by 1 person Karen @ Mended Musings says: February 28, 2015 at 5:32 am My posts often deal with uncomfortable subjects so I’ve had this dilemma. It’s hard to tell my story without telling parts of someone else’s so I try to focus on me, my feelings and my lessons. I find that telling too much gets in the way of the heart of a story and that readers want to know how I got to where I am, not all the excruciating details. As for my kids, I don’t use their names but I do use photos. They’re at the age where I can tell funny stories that involve them but the focus is still on me. LikeLiked by 2 people March 2, 2015 at 12:11 am What I could blog about my three boys would be supportive and positive since they are all capable and self sufficient. Their accomplishments should be acknowledged and celebrated by their peers as we, the parents add a nod of approval. My blogging is to bring to light the forces that diminish their lives and livelihoods. That is what is important to me as a parent now. At this point in ther lives, LikeLiked by 1 person March 2, 2015 at 8:37 am Easily solved…my family does not read my blog. Just kidding. They get that it’s about a dog and his pet therapy adventures with my, ahem…strong opinions regarding certain topics (and probably are grateful I don’t scrutinize them endlessly. Still this is exactly why I do not have work colleagues nor every former high school mate as Facebook friends. Some things are just better left unsaid and not everything needs to be the subject of some form of social media. Selectiveness is it’s own virtue. LikeLiked by 1 person March 2, 2015 at 9:28 am How great that your family is so understanding of your need to vent! LikeLiked by 1 person Pingback: Anonymous Blogging \| Press Publish Judah First says: March 2, 2015 at 3:25 pm The only time I’ve run into this question was when I posted the three-parter about my family of origin’s journey to America. I did not want to offend my many cousins, so sent the first installment out by email to them for permission. Thankfully, they loved it! But I would not have posted it if any of them had objections. LikeLiked by 1 person March 3, 2015 at 7:34 am Reblogged this on Love the Everyday and commented: This is something that I am not at all good at. I write from the heart, and sometimes I feel like I have word vomit all over the screen. I am careful about writing about coworkers and family members, but my own stuff is just all over the place. I think it’s important to keep in mind that the internet is forever, and nothing really goes away. Every thought, every story that is told, every single post should be thought through before posting…. but where do you draw the line? March 5, 2015 at 7:36 am The playing field gets much trickier when your kids are older. I’ve read many bloggers that talked (not in broad strokes) about their younger kids and wondered how that will play out when those kids are old enough to say: stop! I started when my oldest child was already 21, her brothers 19 and 15. They have been clear in their boundaries from the start, and I’ve had to wrangle that from time to time… balancing what I want to write about, how to express myself (when so much involves them) and how to respect their privacy and personal boundaries– versus my writing and personal boundaries. It’s a real balancing act! I found that when I started writing regularly for the HuffPost, I got much more discerning about what I say. I don’t want my kids identified for lots of reasons, including their safety, when I write about Israel, or some other topic that pushes people’s buttons. Great post, Emily! This is a topic that all writers should really look at… March 5, 2015 at 8:01 am Great topic, Emily. Most of the people I know in real life aren’t at all tuned into my blog. I mention it sometimes, because it’s important to me, but I don’t think they can relate. None of them blog. I recently started writing a column in the local paper and that is much more concrete to my friends, because it’s in a form they can see and relate to. NOW I’m getting the comments, “are you gonna write about this?” I think most would be secretly flattered if I did. My family doesn’t live near me, so they can’t relate to the column. Some of them read the blog so I have to watch what I say. One of my sisters has cancer and I have to be extra careful how I mention that in my non-snarky posts. She doesn’t mind if I talk about it, but she rarely visits or comments. She just doesn’t want to think about it. On writing about your daughter, I would write what you want because when she grows up she probably won’t read your shiz at all. We parents couldn’t possibly do anything interesting, especially in their teen years. We are merely a (hopefully) stable platform from which they launch their own lives. That’s what I usually think. Then the other day my just-turned-23-year-old daughter said how impressed her girlfriend was with my blog. I was shocked. Also touched when it occurred to me that it was possible that my uber-cool kid was showing me off because she was proud of her old mom. So, yeah. Better watch what you say. March 5, 2015 at 11:50 pm Being a travel blogger I get this ALL the time. And honestly, I do blog about people I meet quite often because their part of that journey. Recently I decided to feature other travelers on my blog and vlog. It’s been amazing. One slippery slope I’ve found personally is family. Those who you know so intimately are the most likely to be bothered or offended by what you write about them. But those around me know who I am. I write the way I speak and that tends to be from the hip with little regards to filters. At times this has caused a bit of a rift but it’s my truth same as theirs. A concession I’ve found is changing of names. Doesn’t work well when I say brother, mother, or granny though. lol Comments are closed. Anonymous Blogging → Author: The Waiting Date: February 26, 2015 February 26, 2015 Tags: blogging, boundaries, parenting, The Waiting Subscribe to Posts Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts and event news by email.	23,961
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These homeowners are likely to fail in improving their home, for they always start without the comprehensive knowledge. Many homeowners are jumping into home improvement projects they have no idea how to handle. Hiring a skilled professional to do the work will usually end in delight for the homeowner as they are left with a great looking job for a pretty affordable price. Certainly, there are many dishonest contractors out there; therefore, you should be careful to find a good one who will keep the client’s interest in mind. If you just make some changes on your home design, you should better find a smaller company, instead of a larger one. Smaller companies often will give a home more care and attention, while the larger company usually focuses on the larger projects for they think the small project do not deserve their attention. Do not hire a contractor who does not seem to take your project seriously. Whatever the project, it is a big deal to the homeowner. They hope for a good result. So it is important to find a contractor who takes a special interest in your project and give much care and attention to your projects to ensure a desirable outcome. Posted in Home Improvement \| Posted on June 17, 2016 by admin The best way to prevent your laminate floors from damage is to take care of them. By utilizing regular maintenance and care strategies you will be able to remove elements from your floor’s surface that could potentially damage their appearance. One way to protect your laminate floors is to sweep them regularly. This will remove abrasive debris that can dull your floor’s finish, cause gauges and discolor them. The second thing that you can do to keep your floors in good condition is to wipe up spills immediately after they happen. This will minimize damage to the floor planks and keep your laminate flooring from warping. Finally you can use a mild detergent or cleaning product to remove stuck on grime. Do not scrape your laminate floors as this will damage their finish. If your laminate floors get damaged them you should try to address the problem as soon as possible to protect the integrity of your flooring. Repairing laminate floors can be tricky, especially if the damage makes it necessary to replace a plank. The easiest way to replace a plank is to use a skill saw to cut the plank from the floor. When cutting out the plank be careful not to cut too deeply. To fit the replacement plank you will need to cut off the tongue on the plank. After the tongue has been removed you will need to apply wood glue to the edges of the plank and fit it into place. Wipe any glue that floats to the surface. Finally tape down the plank to keep it in place while the glue sets up. If your laminate floor is scratched or gauged then you can buy a repair kit to fix the problem. Most laminate flooring manufacturers will offer their own repair kits. These kits will have the right color wood putty to fill in the gauges in your floor seamlessly. Posted in Home Improvement \| Cosmetic Medicines Ordering, Storage, Supply and Incident Reporting Posted on June 15, 2016 by admin This article gives an overview of the systems and processes that must be followed by cosmetic clinics when supplying prescription medicines. A prescription medicine or drug legally requires a qualified doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist to write a prescription for a named patient. The list of drugs and prescribing qualifications may vary in different countries. A cosmetic clinic must ensure that all medicines are ordered, stored and supplied within the legislative and other relevant pharmaceutical guidelines available. Therefore ordering, storage and supply of medicines for use within the practice must be undertaken according to appropriate procedures and guidelines to ensure all relevant legislation and pharmaceutical information is adhered to. Any medicines stored within a typical cosmetic clinic are those used for aesthetic purposes, this includes drugs such as Botox ® and Hyaluronidase. These must be stored according to manufacturer’s guidelines in a locked refrigerator or locked cabinet as appropriate. The temperature of the refrigerator should be monitored and documented daily. If the temperature is found to be outside the recommended range the pharmacy supplier must be informed as soon as possible and if necessary the medicines are returned to the supplier and a new supply obtained. Supply of Medicines and Maintaining Patient Records for Cosmetic Clinics The Medical Practitioner is responsible for maintaining a record of medicines obtained from the supplier for use during treatment. A copy of the prescription is retained in the patient’s notes and the following information is noted in the Medicines IN register. The Medical practitioner must include the following details: – the name of the medicine (generic) – the dose provided by the pharmacy – the amount provided by the pharmacy The Medical Practitioner is responsible for ensuring that details of the medicines administered are recorded in the patient notes, including: – the name of the medicine (generic) – the route of administration – the date and time of administration The Medical Practitioner must also document in the Medicines OUT register the name of the patient the medicine was administered to and the date and time of administration. This will ensure an audit trail is available for each practitioner. All medicines not used or expired must be returned to the pharmacy. In conclusion only a medical professional should be accepted on a cosmetic training course. This will ensure all practitioners have experience with the use of prescription only medicines and record keeping. The medical practitioner who facilitates a cosmetic intervention should be a qualified doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist. These specialists have the prerequisite medical experience plus understand their legal and ethical requirements in prescribing, dispensing and administration of such drugs. Any errors with the medication must be recorded and reported. Reporting a Medication Incident A cosmetic clinic must ensure that all medication incidents follow local legislative and other guidelines for your country of practice. The following is based on the UK CQC guidelines. All practitioners involved with medication prescribing, dispensing or administration must be aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of a medication error or near miss. Medication errors or near misses will occur despite having risk procedures in place, and all personnel involved in medication prescribing, dispensing or administration are at risk of being involved an error or a near miss. Because of this, comprehensive reporting of all medication incidents is crucial to enable the organization to learn from mistakes and improve practice wherever possible. All incidents involving medication prescribing, dispensing or administration, ‘near misses’ and serious drug reactions must be documented on the Incident Report Form. A medication error is a preventable incident or omission that results in an increase in the risk of patient harm. A ‘near miss’ is a medication error that is discovered before it reaches the patient, thus preventing harm to the patient. What to Report The following are some of the issues that require an incident report: – incorrect dose administered (both over and under dosing) – incorrect route of administration – administration to the wrong patient – administration of an expired drug – allergies not recorded – serious adverse effects including allergic reactions Near Misses will also be recorded on the Incident Report form. The incident should be documented fully before the end of the day. This report form must be completed by the Medical Practitioner and given to the Practice Manager without delay. A follow-up is undertaken by the Medical Practitioner to ensure the safety of the patient. If necessary the patient must be referred to the nearest Emergency department for further review. The Practice Manager must undertake an investigation into the event ensuring a statement is taken from those involved. The incident must be discussed at the next Clinical Governance meeting and an action plan developed to aim to prevent recurrence; this may include further training for the personnel involved. Any severe medication incident must be reported to the within 24 hours of it occurring. I hope you enjoyed the article. For more information about medicines and their regulations you can check with the Department of Health and MRHA in the UK. In the USA please refer to The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Posted in Health \| Of Film Festivals, Creativity, and Copyrights Posted on June 15, 2016 by admin Movies with poor reviews do not necessarily give anyone the excuse to pirate them. Art is subjective and stealing is wrong. These are two truths that should be recalled when dealing with piracy. It is not wrong to share content as long as it doesn’t cross any copyright. Copyrighted materials are certified and protected, and owners have grounds for copyright infringement claim if necessary. The world constantly asks for innovation; that’s almost a rule. In film festivals, exploration and development meet. Storytellers who take risks with fresh ideas get to display their original work. It is where indie or independent artists show off their stories without political and commercial pressures, and restrictions. Film festivals connect artists and audiences in several countries. It is a place where both established and emerging artists show documentary and dramatic films, innovative short films, cutting-edge media and art installations, and live music performances. It brings together the modern day’s most original storytellers and supports engaging programs for students and the community. Every film festival welcomes distinguished artists and opens great opportunities for students and newcomers. Some movies are even directed by celebrities. For example, “The Company You Keep” was directed and starred by an American actor. This political thriller was well-crafted, and the creator skilfully directed a cast of talented actors. When this TCYK LLC film was pirated, copyright holders tracked the infringers to protect their rights. While you play other people’s intellectual property, it is essential to have a basic understanding of what is legal and ethical. Everyone should learn how to be a good digital citizen and get familiar with the copyright law and respect content creators and their original work. Upon creation, any work is automatically copyright-protected. When your work is capable of copyright protection, it is likely that you own the copyright. However, copyright might belong to someone else if you have assigned or transferred your copyright in writing. Also, ideas cannot be protected unless it is made into its material expression like a painting, novel, or film. So it is important to transform your ideas in its material form. Copyright protection applies to all formats whether it’s in print, online, or digital media. While there are organizations that protect freedom of expression and help people understand their rights and responsibilities around copyright law, there are also entities like the owners of the TCYK LLC film that are dedicated to protecting the rights of creators and content owners. Only the original content holders have the exclusive right to the use of their work. It isn’t fair that other people commoditize from other people’s work without their consent. Copying and distributing others’ work without permission is copyright infringement, which means illegal distributors could be charged with a huge sum for damages. Creativity is unique, and artists deserve all credits due to them. Some are too passionate about their craft that they don’t mind how their work is being used. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to all. Most creators need financial support to make and produce their work. Pirating does not help them in any way. Posted in Law \| Health Is the Strength of a Country Posted on June 13, 2016 by admin The development of the health of the world very rapidly now makes the emergence of new discoveries in anticipation of a disease or how to cure a disease. While the definition of health is a prosperous state of body, soul, and the social that allows every person to live a socially and economically productive. Health care is an effort to combating and prevention of health problems that require examination, treatment and / or treatment, including pregnancy and childbirth. With increasing health consciousness of a nation will make the standard of living and economy of a nation’s level will be high. This makes many governments in various countries that provide health budget to more than 20% of their total expenditure per year. Health Development Goals For long-term health development is directed to the achievement of key objectives as follows: 1. Increased ability of communities to help themselves in the field of health. 2. Improvement of environmental quality that can ensure the health. 3. Improved nutritional status of the community. 4. Reduction of morbidity (morbidity) and death (mortality). 5. The development of healthy families prosper, with growing acceptance of small family norm of a happy and prosperous. As for the basics of national development in health sector are as follows: 1. Every citizen is entitled to obtain an optimal level of health to work and live properly in accordance with human dignity. 2. Government and society are responsible for maintaining and enhancing people’s health status. 3. Implementation of health measures stipulated by the government and conducted in a harmonious and balanced by the government and society. Posted in Health \| Posted on June 10, 2016 by admin If you run a fleet management company, you will have drivers who work for your company. In this case, it is the employers responsibility to make sure that their employees hold a valid UK driving licence. A Driving licence validation can help protect employers from having to pay unnecessary penalties. The status of a driving licence may change many times for a number of reasons. In some cases a driver may not even know about the status change. After the first validation of a licence has been done, the next validation is automatically scheduled. However, the frequency of this licence checking process is usually based on a driver’s risk profile. If the licence gets disqualified during the validation process, then the employer will be notified immediately. Third-party licence checking services conduct the driving licence validation process using the Access to Driver Data (ADD) service. ADD gives real-time driving licence information through a business-to-business interface. ADD includes all the necessary information needed such as driver’s name, date of birth, address, and other driving details such as entitlement, disqualifications, and penalties. ADD provides 24/7 real-time driving licence data. ADD gives you a quick response with accurate licence/driver information. If there is no information available, it returns a simple response saying driver’s information is not available. Davis is an expanded brand, which includes some additional information about the driver and vehicle. It is a cloud-based solution, which enables customers to add or remove various optional modules. It mainly covers four areas: the vehicle, its driver, Policies/Guidelines and driver/vehicle related services. The modular structure of Davis allows customers to utilize either a single service or a mixture of several services. This mix-and-match approach is highly beneficial to a business in that it allows them to add or remove modules when they want. Davis helps organizations to meet the regulations needed to avoid them receiving any unnecessary penalties. Another service provided by a third-party licence checking service is a Card Reader (CDR). It captures all the licence/driver data in a single pass. Both sides can be read simultaneously. It just requires the software to be installed on a local PC to drive the reader. Using CDR, forged data can be detected easily. CDR is very user-friendly, and requires minimal training. Once the data is read, it is directly uploaded into the software. The CDR helps to speed the process up as it can read large amount of data in a short time. Benefits of Driving Licence Checking and Validation Driving licence validation can offer a lot of advantages to your company, some of them are listed below: Saves you time, because e-consent is valid for three years. Companies can avoid potential penalties. Business owners can have peace of mind. They can be confident about their employees driving licence and insurance information. Improves travel/road safety for everyone, including company, customer, and the driver. Posted in Law \| Posted on June 9, 2016 by admin When it comes to lowering your health insurance premiums it takes no rocket scientist to figure out how it’s done. If you’re trying to reduce your insurance premiums then you need to become less of a risk for the insurance companies. You can become less of a risk for insurance companies through exercise, eating healthy and preventative care. If you’re not exercising at least three times per week then you have got to get on a program. A good program consists of you doing cardiovascular training three times per week for 45 minutes. You should be weight training at least twice per week for 30 minutes. For some, getting to the gym might be out of the question. If it’s difficult for you to get to the gym, then take up some other form of exercise including walking, running, hiking and sports. If you’re not currently eating 5-6 meals per day then you have got to get on the band wagon. All nutritional experts agree on the principle of grazing throughout the day, taking in smaller portions for meals. When you are doing this you are allowing your body to digest food much easier thus creating a faster metabolism. When your metabolism speeds up then you are able to lose weight and get in shape. Along with eating five to six meals per day also remember to eat healthy. The best part about eating healthy is that there are many options for healthy food. The best tip for eating healthy is to keep it as natural as possible. Try to avoid processed food at all costs. Preventative care is you being proactive with your body, and going in for a check-up if something feels out of place. Preventive care is you avoiding unnecessary risks that could jeopardize your health. This mindset is you acting, and not being acted upon. If you are truly exercising a preventative attitude then you won’t allow yourself to get obese or unhealthy, because you are in control of your future. If you exercise, eat healthy, and implement preventative health care, you will be able to not only live longer and healthier, but you will also have reduced your health care substantially. Posted in Health \| Posted on June 9, 2016 by admin Your granite counter-tops are beautiful, and you were attracted to them because they are a natural product, but now comes all the news coverage of their potential health threat. How do you know if your granite counter-tops are giving off radiation? The easiest way to find out is to hire someone with a Geiger counter to measure the levels coming off the granite. The truth is, most granite will emit a tiny amount of radioactive energy. What is coming off the granite counters is called radon progeny or radon daughters, and is the result of naturally occurring radioactive elements such as uranium or radium decaying. It can also emanate from basements, or any place the earth is exposed. In an outdoor setting it’s harmless, as the radon becomes diluted with fresh air. But in confined settings such as basements or kitchens, it can build up, posing more of a health risk. If your counter is emitting just a tiny amount, this isn’t something to worry about. But some counters tested have hot-spots that emit levels of radiation that, with continued exposure, could cause health problems later on in life. And while some reports state that these dangers are more common in exotic colors like reds and purples, they’ve also been detected in the mottled beige to yellow counters that are actually quite common. As gorgeous as granite is, it might be a good idea to have yours tested. The Environmental Protection Agency states that about 20,000 people die annually from lung cancer related to radon exposure. That’s not something to ignore. If your levels are low, like at or below 2-3 picocuries, it may be enough to install a good air exchange system in your kitchen. But if the level are high, replacing your counter may be the prudent thing to do. But don’t worry. Unless you’ve had these counter tops for decades, and work in the kitchen all day, you’re probably perfectly healthy. However, limiting your exposure to radon is always a good idea. It is probably best to consult a professional to determine whether your radon levels are high enough to be a concern. If you haven’t bought granite yet, but are considering it, ask the supplier about radon levels. Find a responsible dealer that has invested in a Geiger counter. If the granite or marble dealer simply denies any risk, consider them uninformed. Of course they want to minimize the perception of risk. Their business depends on it. But a responsible business owner will test the product and only sell low to no-risk granite. That’s who you want to buy from. Posted in Home Improvement \| Posted on June 7, 2016 by admin When kidneys stop working effectively, you either have an option of a dialysis or a kidney transplant. Dialysis ensures that you get rid of the waste products from your body but it does not replace all the functions of the kidneys. When you are diagnosed with failing kidneys, treatment can sometimes prevent or at least delay their complete failure. However, with a transplant, your body can continuously remove the waste products of metabolism, and excess fluid. Kidneys also help in the production of a natural hormone called erythropoietin that prevents anemia. It also helps convert the vitamin D in food into an active compound that helps keep bones healthy. Moreover, it helps excretion of some toxic drugs. Finally, it plays an important role in helping control blood pressure. Kidneys normally undertake all these functions. It is a known fact that kidney transplant provides patients with a better quality of life than dialysis. Assessment for kidney transplant There are a few very important factors to be checked before you undergo kidney transplant surgery. To begin with, you will be referred to transplant only when you are nearing or have started dialysis. There is no dependency on age factor or ethnic background when it comes to assessment for a transplant. It all depends on whether you are fit enough to have the operation and deal with all the after effects of the surgery. Some of the factors checked are evidence of heart disease, chest conditions and other problems. Special investigations are conducted to assess whether these risk factors are too great for transplant. Next there will be a thorough discussion between the specialists such as the surgeons, nephrologist, cardiologist and the physician before the decision is finalized. Once you are considered fit enough for a transplant, the specialists will explain all the risks and benefits to you. Many times there is a waiting list for a transplant. There will be a number of tests conducted to check whether you have had certain virus infections. Well, the specialists will also ask you whether you have any close friends or family who are willing to be live donors. Live donor transplants are known to give the kidneys a better chance of long term survival as compared to diseased donor transplants. Whether you receive a particular donor kidney or not is determined initially by the blood group. It is pretty difficult to get two people to be perfectly alike, because the genes are different. It is however possible to achieve a good enough match for a successful transplant. The surgery takes around three hours and appropriate care needs to be taken post operation too. Posted in Health \| Posted on June 5, 2016 by admin Running an operationally efficient call center that delivers a high-quality customer experience can be a difficult objective to achieve. Consumers are becoming increasingly know-how and their expectations for quality customer service and support is steadily growing. Most corporations may see a contact center as an added expense but as you weigh things down, you find that a call center is a necessity for your business to thrive. It is quite a task to systematically deliver excellent customer service while cutting down additional costs. This may seem intimidating, but it is definitely possible to transform your contact center into a profit-producing asset. But it is difficult to handle a call center with the upper level of customers’ satisfaction. Here, I am going to represent some ideas of specific strategies to empower your call center business to get the high level of customer satisfaction which will affect your sales graph positively. While the phone remains at the heart of customer contact centers. There is an increasing need to effectively manage data from multiple channels thanks to the exponential rise in social networks like Twitter and Facebook. This requires solutions that have both the intelligence and flexibility to adapt changing market and consumer needs. Social media has empowered consumers to become broadcasters or journalists, so speedy and flexible customer service is critical. A complaint sent via Twitter that is left unanswered could spread internationally overnight. Empower your employee: Employees are the main factor of a call center who have to communicate with customers directly. We can say that the employees are the heart of a company. So, enable your employees to make their own recommendations on improvements, after all, they are much closer to the working procedure than senior management. A focused call center can help a brand realize its goal whether that be higher levels of customer satisfaction, more revenue per customer or driving increases in sales. Establishing the right policies and working practices can empower call center employees to support the brand and the business. Your customer care center will work in tandem with your call center software to create synergies in your customer service department. One of the biggest advantages of this software is its ability to collaborate with your customer history. For instance, say you get calls from a long time customer on a monthly basis. Call center software can be set to display “screen pops,” which allow the agent instant information as soon as the call is answered, reducing call times and customer satisfaction. Screen pops can be customized but most commonly will include customer purchase and return data on every inbound call. It doesn’t matter if you are making inbound or outbound phone calls providing customers and prospective clients with the right answers, faster can really streamline your sales efforts. Understanding the demographics of your customers is a key first step toward determining which tools and approaches will best help you achieve your business objectives. For example, tech-savvy customers will likely expect to connect with you through more technical channels, such as online forms, chat sessions, or social media drove community-based solutions. Less tech-savvy customers, on the other hand, may require more traditional, higher-touch solutions, such as phone, fax, or email.	29,946
The value of literacy is far-reaching – for individuals and society. Literacy is good for your health, builds skills, improves the economy, promotes gender equality, strengthens democracy, and enhances quality of life. And yet, for all its benefits, improving literacy is still a challenge. According to the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, 34% of students score below reading level in fourth grade. And while most states have seen childhood literacy improve since 2003, five states have seen it decline. It’s not just a problem for children, either. The U.S. Department of Education reports that 54% of U.S. adults – 130 million people – lack proficiency in reading. And a 2020 study by Gallup revealed that low levels of adult literacy cost the country as much as $2.2 trillion per year. What’s to be done about it? Parents and teachers play the most important role. For example, in my own family, my wife (a teacher, not coincidentally) and I began reading to our two daughters when they were still infants. Those early seeds grew into a full-blown love of reading that continues today, a decade later. But not all families understand how vital literacy is. Socio-economic status can have a negative impact, and with adult literacy a problem, some parents are not well-equipped to instill that love of reading. At schools, a lot of teachers are already overwhelmed and stretched thin, especially in disadvantaged communities. The fact is, we need to provide all kids with access to books, make it easy for them to practice their reading skills, and to develop the joy of reading and exploration. That’s a belief we at Keen Research share with LeVar Burton, literacy activist, long-time Reading Rainbow TV host, and newly-named Chief Reading Officer of Osmo. Osmo is using Keen Research speech recognition technology in its just-launched Reading Adventure product to make learning to read more fun and exciting for children. Part of global EdTech company BYJU’s, Osmo products are used in more than 2.5 million homes and 50,000 classrooms. Reading Adventure is just the latest example of how the Educational Technology market has embraced the use of KeenASR SDK for on-device speech recognition. That’s not surprising. Before starting with on-device speech recognition at Keen Research several years ago, I spent a number of years at Ordinate Corporation where we developed the first automated spoken language test – and speech recognition was a core part of the platform. I was well aware of how speech recognition technology could be leveraged for different EdTech uses. What I didn’t realize was how speech recognition could engage new readers by helping to create magical experiences for them. That realization came several years ago when we started working with Novel Effect. They had already built their augmented audio reality app for storytelling, but needed a reliable and accurate on-device speech recognition engine; that’s where Keen Research jumped in. The result was purely magical. While a parent (or teacher or student) reads a real book, the Novel Effect app tracks where they are in the book – using KeenASR SDK – and plays corresponding audio effects or “soundscapes,” as the company calls them. This creates an immersive experience and pulls kids into the story. For example, as you read “…and the lion roared,” kids hear the sound of a lion’s roar from the speaker on the smartphone. What makes this really magical is that the technology is completely hidden from the user – the focus is on the book and reading. The technology augments and enhances the experience by engaging more of the senses. The voice-interactive EdTech magic continued with Rally Reader. This digital reading coach offers a plethora of digital books and motivates kids to spend more time engaged in reading; it’s been scientifically proven that 15 minutes or more of engaged reading per day delivers significantly higher literacy scores. Next was Readability Tutor, which provides a reading and comprehension learning mobile app, focusing on young and struggling readers. Their app is focused on improving reading skills and fostering a lifelong love of reading. The common thread for almost all of these mobile apps is that they allow kids to practice reading on their own and get real-time feedback. Using the KeenASR SDK for on-device speech recognition enables these apps to know when and what the kids are reading, and how well they are reading. In between working with these customers we’ve helped other EdTech companies voice-enable their mobile apps focused on children. Nickelodeon uses KeenASR SDK to power interactive videos in their Noggin app; kids can interact with characters in videos using their voices – and learn in the process. PBS Kids built a STEM-focused app called The Cat in the Hat Invents that uses KeenASR SDK for voice control of a little robot that moves in the game. Almedia developed a mobile app focused on promoting cross-border cultural collaboration between Germany and France; their app helps students practice speaking German and French. When we started signing up our first EdTech customers, our SDK features were not as rich as they are today, yet the SDK was still useful. For oral reading tasks, even basic information like a solid estimate of reading accuracy and the rate of speech provides tremendous insight into a child’s reading ability. Since these early days, we have added many exciting features that enable our customers to develop better products and help kids learn how to read. Some of these features include: Acoustic models optimized for kids’ voices The ability to recognize incomplete words The ability to model common mispronunciations for words In addition to these features specific to oral reading instruction and assessment and language learning, the fact that all the processing occurs locally on the device means that products using KeenASR SDK can have: Low latency The ability to customize the SDK to specific use cases Finally, developers can build their apps in native development environments, like ObjC/Swift on iOS, Java/Kotlin on Android, or use our Unity plugin for on-device speech recognition for cross-platform development. We are continuously working on improving the KeenASR SDK, from core speech recognition performance (accuracy and speed), to providing additional features that enable our customers to offer better quality apps to their users. It’s gratifying to see how products developed with our technology have been embraced by children, parents, and teachers. Our future depends on their success and we are proud to support them. Above all, we are proud of our customers and how they are using the KeenASR SDK to help raise literacy levels across the United States – and beyond. Other posts How We Started With On-device Speech Recognition: The Story of Keen Research We provide professional services for SDK integration, proof-of-concept development, customization of language and acoustic models, and porting to custom hardware platforms. ABOUT US Keen Research is a privately owned company located in scenic Marin, just a few miles north of San Francisco. We develop SDKs and software tools for on-device speech recognition on mobile devices and custom hardware platforms. Our solution is used in a variety of applications, across many industry verticals.	7,627
02/12/2020 Comments Off on Hiring an Attorney For Personal Injury in Philadelphia in Attorneys, Personal Injury Lawyer by Adriane Adame Sharing is caring! 0shares Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye but injuries and recovery can last for months, years, or a lifetime. Many are hurt due to the negligence of another, whether it be in a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall, or some other unsafe situation that causes injury. Medical bills, possible vehicle or property damage, lost wages from work and many other expenses are all possible when injured, even if it’s due to another’s failure in safety. Because of this, it’s important for the injured party to contact an attorney that specializes in Attorney For Personal Injury in Framingham MA. An attorney will ensure the rights of his or her client are protected, and secure compensation for any financial loss suffered, plus, many times, pain and suffering for the injuries received. When attempting to hire an attorney who deals with Attorney For Personal Injury in Framingham MA, it’s important to ensure a good match is made between attorney and client. Visiting a website, such as website, can answer any questions potential clients may have about the services provided by their attorney. Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning they only receive money if and when their client receives a settlement. The amount owed for a personal injury case is not a flat fee, but instead usually a prearranged percentage of the settlement. This ensures to the client that the attorney will work tirelessly to make certain the settlement is as large as possible, as the more money the client receives, the more money the attorney receives, as well, making it a profitable experience for both. Some injured parties may hope to handle an injury case on their own, but it’s usually not recommended. The confusing legal paperwork and negotiations are best handled by professionals, while the injured person concentrates on recovery. It’s been proven that most insurance companies and adjusters will settle for a greater amount of money when dealing with an attorney instead of an individual. This is most likely due to the fact that an attorney has the ability to take the case to court, increasing the defendant’s potential liability. Many will rather settle at that point instead of facing a risky trial. By hiring an attorney the injured party can be assured that their rights are protected and they’ll get the compensation they deserve.	2,534
Anime fans can already be forming their belt. This October is coming A golden age at the level of premieres and reunions with our favorite series. It is the time of truth for the different animation studies, who gather their great launches in the calendar. There are days of sticking to Crunchyroll and simply letting themselves be carried away, so that they will open mouth with a rapid review of the 5 great premieres of the seon that you cannot miss . Premiere date: October 1 We want to stay in the world of Spy X Family. What the hell, we want the Forger family to adopt us. spies, murderers and telepath , what else can you k for? The anime revelation of lt spring puts an end to its summer break and returns wanting to repeat feat. Because to earn a hole in our little heart, he needed only 12 chapters (you can update with a rapid weekend marathon ). Now Twilight, Anya and Thorn Princess return with 13 more secret missions (or in other words, with 13 more episodes ) that make up the second part of the first seon (to deceive us, for many it is already the second seon). Chosen one of the 5 sleeves you must read this summer, Spy X Family tells the story of Twilight, The best Berlin spy in the Cold War . In these convulsive times, Twilight (also known Lord Forger) is responsible for the most complicated mission of his career : form a family. Thus, he can enroll her daughter in an elite school and go to the doors of the same to pick her up and become a friend at that time of another father with her offspring enrolled in the center. There is no other way of approaching the objective of the mission. But of course, the problem is that Lord h seven days to get a woman and daughter . An urgency that will lead you to adapt to a very strange orphan with telepathic powers , Anya, and to marry without knowing it with all a professional murderer , For (aka Thorn Princess). The perfect family, go. Both the manga and the Spy X Family anime start from that bis to create a Costumbrista comedy in which Lord is gradually developing feelings towards his family's family. Only Anya, who can read the mind , knows the true identity of Twilight and For, whom she will try to protect and keep united in her way. A Tortola girl saving the best spy in Germany and the most lethal murderer of the globe . Humor hides in the day-to-day life of any family: admission interviews, physical education clses, visits to the zoo and, in general, the routine. Safety pin. Premiere date: October 10 Bleach said goodbye to us for the lt time in March 2012, when the anime w canceled overnight and left us without knowing the end of the history of Kurosawa, Chichi and company. But now, more than ten years later, the series returns with around 50 new episodes that will adapt the 218 chapters that were missing from Time Bubo manga (from 480 to 698). The anime will try to redeem what happened by returning with its Banzai version. The new seon will not have censorship of any kind and will introduce important novelties in the plot. Managua apologized and confessed that it w because he could not. He suffered from his shoulders and had several tendons torn a result of the infernal schedules to which he had submitted fifteen years, many Bleach had lted. The artist spent whole days prostrated in the pain of pain and needed to give folder to the history of the Kirigami. But Bubo himself h noticed, Thousand-Year Blood War will take his time and will answer the questions that the manga could not answer . He h worked closely with the creators so that it is not an adaptation is, but to serve to solve several script lagoons. We will see how many loose ends he is able to tie and if they manage to say goodbye with the honors that he deserves to the one who w one of the most important shōnen of the 21st century . Premiere date: October 11 It is the most anticipated adaptation of the year and is not for less. To put yourself in context, Chainsaw Man is right now The most read manga , where he competes with industry giants such One Piece or Dragon Ball Super. The tragic story of Benji and his demonic dog, Wichita , h caught millions of people around the world, largely thanks to their lack of claims... and scruples. In vain with a crazy character whose best example is the protagonist: A young man with chainsaws by arms and head . In 2021, it w selected the best shōnen of the Manga Salon de Barcelona and although it consists only of 11 volumes or volumes, the work of Katsuki Fujiko offers us a refreshing cocktail of Gore and jokes , an Adventure full of surprises and adrenaline in which we will find one of the 25 best plot arches in history. Chainsaw Man is a yes like a big chainsaw . The first seon consists of 12 episodes and h been carried out by the Zappa animation studio (those responsible for Singer no Kaolin ), who have promised us Not to censor absolutely anything of the manga. Any Chainsaw Man reader can imagine how complicated the negotiation with chains and television platforms must have been. Fujiko's work is an action, blood and unprecedented viscera . Premiere date: October 5 After almost three years up the walls, this month of October returns that for many it is one of the best anime of the lt decade . We refer to Mob Psycho 100, the Avatar series of our beloved Nobel, in which we usually follow the steps of a high school student with psychic powers . And do not think of powers that are triggers or clichés like reading the mind. Our protagonist, Mob, becomes practically God . The only problem lies in that of course, Mob is very friendly and naive for his own good, and you already know those who say. A great power entails a great responsibility, God gives bread to whom He h no teeth, and so on. Mob Psycho 100 is loaded with great powers, incredible fights and tons of extravagant characters to fall in love. We will see what surprises await us in the 12 or 13 episodes of this third seon, because in the previous ones, the first 13 volumes of the manga were adapted, and the series only h 16 volumes ... that is to say that Mob's anime Psycho could say goodbye definitively this same autumn or break with the official canon and destroy us even more mentally. Do the one or the other, we do not recommend anyone to lose it. And less after its majestic launch trailer: Premiere date: October 9 We could have closed the present list with Seon 6 of My Hero Academia , which also comes out this October 1, and it is well worth it, but we wanted to risk a less known name, and we have no doubt that it will, It takes between little and nothing to become a ms phenomenon. Slam Dunk, Haiku!, Ping-Pong, Rookies... What do you have all those anime in common? Its sports genre , also called Spoken. Blue Lock will be a new soccer series that will take the use of Captain Tsuba, Trauma Eleven and so many others, but that h demonstrated in manga to be everything but one more . It is a series that distill emotion and that is set after the Japanese failures in the recent World Football (his fanty is mixed with real events). The country begins a program to create the Blue Lock, the best striker in the world, a killer that leads Japan to win their first World Cup , almost nothing. Far from going to the power of friendship and team game, the series bets on selfishness and individualizes, a curious sea approach that you will devour if you are football fans. Other Apps october we want spy family season Labels: october we want spy family season Other Apps Comments Popular posts from this blog November 27, 2021 Adjustments of the jobs of Agatha Christie: Agatha surprised Wanda, exposing herself to be a villain as opposed to the nosey neighbor she'd been depicting. We're rarely stunned, though, that the WandaVision earworm Agatha The whole time has been nominated for a Grammy after remaining in our cumulative heads for so long. Certainly, Agatha All Along, the shock theme song for WandaVision's shock villain, received a Grammy election for Best Track Created for Visual Media for 2021. Noted by stat tracker account Chart Information on Twitter, WandaVision is the first TV show to sneak right into this group in 8 years. Various other candidates consist of All Eyes On Me from BO Burnham's Within, All I Know Thus Far from P!NK: All I Know Thus Far, Defend You from Judas As Well As The Black Messiah, Below I Am (Singing My Way Home) from Respect, and also Speak Now from One Evening In Miami... Significantly, Agatha's head copper got among three Imaginative Arts Emmy Honors Other Apps Read more November 09, 2021 Who browsing the relevant online shops and thereafter games like Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is looking for something disappointed. The digital versions of these two titles have disappeared today (8 November 2021) — at least temporarily. The right explanation delivers INAMI on the official website. Accordingly, leaked licenses of the trigger for this decision are part of the publisher. The licenses relate to various historical shots, which are visible in the two games. INAMI must therefore first take care of their extension before preparing a comeback of the digital versions. How long that will take is not known yet. By the way, this temporary off of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Incidentally, Snake Eater also affects all compilations as well as Special Editions in which the two games are included. Here is an overview: PlayStation 3 Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty HD Edition PlayStation 3 Metal Gear S Other Apps Read more Fear is a further height... horror ADV ILL first play trailer released! It takes place to be drawn by UE5 transition January 06, 2022 Developer Team Clout has published a new trailer that will be the first time in 10 months of focused horror ADV ILL at the end of 2021. This work is a first- person perspective horror ADV. Initially, development in Unreal Engine 4 was progressing, but in November 202, the transition to Unreal Engine5 was transmitted at PATREON developed in November. And the trailer published for the first time in 10 months is the actual gameplay video under development at UE5. The image is different from the concept trailer that has been published on YouTube channels, one of the developers, and the figure of the different shape is also lacking in the impact, but it is lacking in the impact, but it is released in the real Engine5 The created graphics and environmental sounds are quite immersive. ! Caution! If you are not good at grotesque expressions and cruel expressions, please refrain from browsing if you are under 18 years old. Details such as stories and characters are still unknown, but a	11,275
Posted by Tony Oliva on Apr 3, 2014 in Email Featured, Featured, Gun Control FAIL, military \| 0 comments 40shares There is a common misconception among the civilian population that US Military bases are full of armed soldiers walking around ready at all times to repel attack. On US soil, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth of the matter is that US Military bases are treated like gun control cities regardless of what state they happen to be in. Soldiers on all military installations, including Fort Hood, are not armed while on post, nor are they permitted to carry any privately owned firearms. Only law enforcement and security personnel are allowed to have weapons on post. From the Department of Defenses Regulations: The authorization to carry firearms shall be issued only to qualified personnel when there is a reasonable expectation that life or DoD assets will be jeopardized if firearms are not carried. Evaluation of the necessity to carry a firearm shall be made considering this expectation weighed against the possible consequences of accidental or indiscriminate use of firearms. DoD personnel regularly engaged in law enforcement or security duties shall be armed. That basically makes Military Installations in the United States giant “Gun Free Zones” where the people who reside therein are denied the right to keep and bear arms in order to protect themselves. Unlike the general population, the servicemen and women who don’t want to mass murder people are more likely to follow the law. In a tragic twist of irony, this means that our nations most trained defensive force is left helpless at the hands of a person with malicious intent. It leaves places like Ft. Hood at the mercy of Ivan Lopez, a Specialist who lived off base. Lopez came on base, started firing on the disarmed and helpless soldiers he found, killing three and wounding an additional sixteen. How was he stopped? Like most cowardly mass shooters, the MOMENT someone armed stood up against him he shot himself. Unfortunately the unnamed female MP officer didn’t arrive until after Lopez racked up 19 causalities. Rep. Steve Stockman (R) of Texas summed it up best when he introduced legislation that would allow both service members and federal civilians to carry their personal weapons on military installations after the Navy Yard shooting: “Our disarmed military bases are vulnerable targets for terrorists, as we saw in Fort Hood and the Navy Yard. Despite that, soldiers trained to use guns cannot carry on base. The result is two mass killings where defenseless soldiers had to watch as their friends were murdered.” Stockman will continue to be proven a sage until the members of the US Military are no longer disarmed and left like lambs to the slaughter at the hands of madmen.	2,842
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The lady that did them was so amazed at the quality of the dress and recognized that the dress was not one made in a bulk factory but that it was of the best quality!!! I was so excited and pleased!! Another great thing is that for the quality of the dress, the price is beyond reasonable! So affordable for brides that have a tight budget but still want a beautiful/quality made dress! At the wedding everyone was telling me how beautiful the dress was. When I show pictures, I get the same reaction. Most importantly, I felt like I got the dress of my dreams for the best day of my life!! I totally recommend Devotion Dress. They will NOT disappoint!! ... Had a dream dress in mind and the staff at Devotion dresses made my dream come true. They make amazing quality dresses fitted to your exact size and can alter dresses on their site to your liking. The whole experience was so personalized and easy. 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Their customer service is excellent, their dresses are affordable, high-quality, and made-to-measure - does it get any better? We measured my body twice before submitting my order, and Devotion actually reached out to advise that one of the measurements seemed disproportionate to the other measurements submitted, and sure enough, we rewatched the tutorial video, and realized we were measuring from the wrong starting point. When my dress arrived, it was perfect!! I did minor tailoring because I wanted a bustle and the sleeves removed, but the dress fit perfectly!! It was absolutely beautiful and extremely unique. I received so many compliments on my dress, from my guests, vendors, and even from my tailor, who designs dresses herself. Their customer service kept me updated throughout the process. Cannot say enough good things about this company! ... I will recommend every bride-to-be to go the route of finding their dream dress at Devotion. I was blown away with the ease and expertise I experienced through this seamless (no pun intended) process. From the initial communication helping me decide a dress that worked for me - to the delivery of a beautiful box with a dress that fit me to perfection and was better than I imagined. The quality is amazing - the care was exceptional. Don't be afraid to order your dress online. I'm so thankful that I found Devotion Dresses! ... I would highly recommend Devotion Dresses. From the very beginning communication was excellent, reply was always within 24hrs. The experienced team picked up on mistakes that I had made with my measurements not once, but twice. They are so thorough. The quality of my dress was exceptional, I felt like a fairy princess. Ladies do not worry, do not hesitate, if you’re thinking of using Devotion Dresses, just do it, the returns policy is amazing...but you won’t need it because their dresses are amazing. ... I was a little stressed at the idea of ordering a dress on the internet. But devotion dresses reassured me. Indeed, the dress was beyond my expectations. A beautiful dress that makes me look like a queen. It fits me perfectly and arrived on time. And the communication team was very dedicated to my service. I am very grateful for that. I highly recommend this site to anyone planning to get married. ... This dress is absolutely gorgeous. Completely took my breath away when I opened it! It looks exactly like the picture. I am still stunned with the quality as I was nervous to order online. Customer service was extremely helpful in ensuring my sizing was correct and the dress is almost a perfect fit! I only have one alteration to get. I am beyond excited to wear this on my day and am so so satisfied. Would absolutely recommend purchasing from this shop!!! ... This is my absolute dream dress, I am so happy I ordered from Devotion Dresses! The customer service was so helpful and kind from the moment I bought the dress to the moment it arrived. They double checked every measurement I submitted, and even had me remeasure if they thought a measurement didn't make sense. It paid off, because this dress is a Perfect Fit! The process took about 2 months which I completely expected. Customer service did a really wonderful job at giving me updates about my dress along the way! My dress arrived in a really beautiful box - with great instructions on how to handle and care for it. The quality of the dress is outstanding. It honestly far exceeded my expectations. I absolutely cannot wait to wear this on my wedding day! ... I am so beyond excited about my dress! Before ordering, I reached out to ask about some alterations to the neckline. Mia was very responsive, gave a lot of information and made additional suggestions for alterations that would compliment the changes I had asked for. This shop has a very handy video guide for taking all of the measurements at home and my dress arrived a few weeks later, fully tailored to everything I had asked for. The fabric is so soft and the dress is constructed beautifully with a lot of attention to detail. I could not be more happy and can't wait to wear it to my wedding! Would highly recommend this shop for brides! ... I’m blown away. I always wanted the experience of going to a bridal shop with my closest friends and family and finding the wedding dress of my dreams. But when I got engaged, I knew the exact style I wanted. I was nervous to order online, but DevotionDresses made this experience more than I could have asked for. I’ve never felt more beautiful and I cannot WAIT to wear this on my wedding day! Mia was the most responsive person and was incredibly kind. It’s obvious DevotionDresses cares about each and every bride they make a dress for. ... This dress. I tried it on and immediately came to write a review. It is STUNNING. The quality is so high, the details are absolutely beautiful, and the fit! Exceeded my expectations (though I tried this one by myself, so the back is not fully zipped, but I can only imagine it'd only get better). I cannot wait to wear this on my wedding day. It's perfect. Like everyone else, I was so nervous to order online, but do NOT hesitate with this company! The customer service was impeccable. They will make you a beautiful bride!! ... I am absolutely in love with my dress! As most people, I was nervous about ordering my dress off Etsy but since COVID, didn’t have the option of going to a store. I would recommend this shop 100%! The gals were in touch with me through the entire process. The measurements were pretty easy and the dress fits like a glove. I’m so excited to get married in my gorgeous dress!! *Note: I didn’t have anyone to help button the back when I tried it on so this is back notbuttoned up	10,133
We have various job opportunities, where we provide support to children, young adults and adults with a learning disability, autism, or both. Why join us? Our roles Our stories Applying for jobs with us Recruitment events Opens in new window Share on Facebook I just feel so lucky. It literally is the best job! Carol - Support worker Who will I support in Cornwall? We support adults, young adults and children, in their own home, whether they live on their own, share with others or live with family. Some individuals have support 24 hours a day, other people only have a few hours each week. Our aim is to enable the people we support to live their lives in the way they choose. The people we support’s interests, like everyone’s, vary, and so what you’ll support them to do in everyday life will vary too. We provide support and care in the following locations in Cornwall; Bodmin, Camborne, Falmouth, Hayle, Launceston, Liskeard, Newquay, Par, Penryn, Penznace, Perranporth, Playing Place, Redruth, St Austell, St Columb Major, Truro and Wadebridge. Why do staff enjoy their roles? Our staff tell us they find it genuinely rewarding getting to know the people they support and helping them to live their lives and do things they wouldn't otherwise be able to do. Some say it's about taking the time to understand how people communicate, and seeing people respond to you using technology. Some say it can be the 'big' things, like supporting someone to maintain contact with their family. For others, its the 'little moments, or when they have supported someone whose behaviour can be considered challenging – and have helped them though a difficult time. What can you offer me? Supportive teams Full training Plenty of variety Shift planned in advance Freedom to make the right choices Professional relationships I feel very lucky to work with the people I support and my team. What's a typical day for a support worker? You'll support people with a learning disability, autism or both in all aspects of life at home and in their communities, to live life in the way they choose. It is a varied role where no two days are the same. However, you might start a shift by helping someone to get ready for the day, including providing full support with their personal care. You then might support them to go to the cinema, or the theatre, to visit family and friends, or out for dinner. Sometimes you might organise a day trip to the beach … it really depends on what they want to do. Read Mark's story about his trip to Bangor Races. There can be quite a lot of manual work too depending on who your supporting, as some people are wheelchair users. There will be challenging times, and often things don't go to plan. You'll need resilience to deal with these occasions, but you'll be trained, and you'll have supportive teams around you. Could I be a support worker at Brandon? People join us with a wide variety of different experiences; we employ people from all kinds of backgrounds. They bring life experience and skills to a role where they're valued. You'll need good communication skills and a positive, patient approach. Respectful of people's differences, you can build professional relationships and have a flexible attitude. You'll share our values, ask questions, make decisions, and get stuck in to do whatever needs to be done. You'll need resilience and will always start with the needs of the individual you support. You will need to be able to work 24/7 shifts including weekends, evenings, and nights. We're happy to discuss the shifts to see if there is flexibility to fit with your needs.	3,763
Up to this point, all of the horses here in Tasmania, Australia have worn the Parelli Bareback Pad. Now they are at the point where it doesn’t bother them anymore, so today I moved on and introduced them to a good ol’ western saddle (back-cinch and all). One mare has already been ridden in it multiple times, but today one of the owners of the horses came out and took pictures, so I thought I’d share their first experiences with you. Every horse has their own way of processing their first saddling experience. When I saddle a horse for the first time, the session involves being saddled twice. This way, the horse smells the saddle and pad before getting it put on, experiences it on their back (bucks), comes back down off the adrenaline (then I take the saddle off), are given a chance to smell the saddle on the ground again, and are then given a “second chance” to process a full saddling from beginning to end. The second time around, the horses either don’t buck at all or very little in comparison to their first round. This is why I saddle twice – it gives them the chance to experience everything with a different understanding. Then I let them think about it for a while. So, Pearl gave us a great rodeo show the first time around and was very tense and reactive about being cinched. Here she is after her first saddling; Photo by Rebecca Schmidt It generally takes Pearl a while to come off of adrenaline – instead of responding to a situation, she reacts. This is getting better every day. After a while of playing around, she was calm about wearing a back-cinch. Photo by Rebecca Schmidt Ty, the 2-year-old gelding, also gave us a good bucking show – often elevating completely off the ground with all four feet. No problemo. What I liked about him, was his genuine and thorough curiosity about the saddle. When he was given the chance to smell it (on all occasions) he thoroughly explored the entire saddle and pad, slowly and deliberately. I really liked seeing this, as the other horses simply gave it a quick sniff or tried to paw it. Photo by Rebecca Schmidt After a few minutes, it was a different story. Photo by Rebecca Schmidt Ty, thinking like a partner Gold, my next victim, is one of my favorite horses here. She is very smart, talented and athletic. Although she can be skeptical or unsure of what you are asking (she is becoming more confident every day), she will still do whatever you ask. This shows me what a strong heart she has and how trusting she can be. I don’t want to ruin that! My goal is to keep her sensitivity and trust intact. Photo by Rebecca Schmidt Gold is new to the human world and fairly new to the “parelli/natural horsemanship world”, but even so… she can jump a single barrel. Even after being saddled for the first time! Go Gold!	2,869
It seems odd for pirates to have rules. After all, are they not the lawless ones, the enemies to all nations? Yet pirates need to keep order among themselves, if they are to cooperate successfully in the taking and plundering of other ships, as well as managing their own ships. In the third “Pirates of the Caribbean” film, Keith Richards gets to play the keeper of the pirate code The pirates of the “Golden Age of Piracy” (roughly 1713 – 1730) took as their model the articles apprentices signed when they joined a profession. It is these articles that describe the pirates’ codes of conducts. We have at least four examples of pirate articles adopted by crews during the Golden Age, specifically between 1721 and 1724: those of Capt. “Black Bart” Roberts and Capt. John Phillips, who at one point sailed with Roberts, and those of Capt. George Lowther and Capt. Ned Low, who at one time sailed with Lowther. (Wikipedia gives the text of all four, plus that of Capt. John Gow, which I’ve excluded because it’s not clear whether his crew ever actually sailed under them.) Their many commonalities reflect not just a common pirate culture, but a recognition of the need for certain rules on any pirate ship. Maybe his lesser share as captain explains why John Phillips once forced a man to drink at gunpoint The highest priority in the pirate articles was the equality of the crew members. Every code stated that crew members equally share in the plunder. Roberts’ code, the most elaborate, also called for equality in voting, provisioning, and joining boarding parties. The captain, quartermaster, and a few other officers got somewhat larger shares (typically two for the captain, though Capt. Phillips had to make do with only a share-and-a-half), but that’s about the only exception to equality on pirate ships. This put them in marked contrast to merchant vessels and navy ships, in which authority and pay were structured very hierarchically. It’s no wonder sailors sometimes chose to join a pirate vessel that attacked them. Pirate ships offered sailors more authority over their own lives, as well as a chance at more money, so long as you didn’t also mind the risk of being hanged. Next in the articles came discipline. Pirates by their nature had to be ready and willing to engage in combat whenever they came upon a potential prize. Roberts and Phillips made this explicit in their codes: weapons were to be kept in a state of readiness at all times. Perhaps even more importantly, cowardice and desertion were forbidden according to all four of the codes. The most typical punishment for those crimes: death by being marooned. Marooned (1909) by Howard Pyle (1853 – 1911) Marooning was a simple and devilish punishment. The idea was to strand the offending pirate on a small island that lacked food, shelter, or fresh water. Preferably the island should be far away from the shipping lanes, such that the chance of rescue was unlikely. The marooned sailor was sometimes given a bottle of water or rum. But he was always given a pistol, and enough powder and shot to blow his own brains out. So the marooned sailor had two choices: die quickly from a bullet to the head, or die slowly from starvation and dehydration while hoping that maybe a ship might come by and rescue him. Most marooned pirates probably died. Without witnesses, their ultimate fate was lost to history. But some survived. Captain Edward England was marooned by his crew over a dispute on the treatment of captives, was left on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean in 1720, along with three pirates who had taken his side in the dispute. They managed to escape to Madagascar. Said to be Captain Lowther Capt. Lowther, whose articles are among those we are examining, was marooned, so to speak, not as a punishment, but due to misadventure. He had taken his ship to a small island to be careened, that is, to be rolled on its side on a beach to scrape off marine growths and repair the hull. Unfortunately for Lowther, an armed merchant vessel spied the pirates and attacked them, damaging the ship and taking much of the crew prisoner. Caught on a small island with no hope of rescue, Lowther is said to have shot himself in the head. But piracy wasn’t all hard rules and tragic endings. Three of the codes contained incentives for good performance at helping find loot, such as sighting a prize or being part of the boarding party. (And probably the fourth vessel offered the same rewards, but just didn’t put them in their code.) And should you be injured in combat, all four codes offered you compensation according to the severity of your injuries. Lose a leg? Three out of the four sets of articles would pay you 800 Spanish dollars; Ned Low’s crew cheaped out and would only pay you 600. However, if you ever felt a little envious of some legless crew member for getting cash up front, and tried to take treasure for yourself instead of turning it over to the common treasury, you were violating the equality of sharing, and that would get you marooned. Howard Pyle did a LOT of pictures about pirates, as well as writing about them Piracy was a violent life, no doubt, and the captains and crews knew it. So they set rules to keep from destroying themselves. Quarreling on board was absolutely prohibited, and was punished at the crew’s discretion. Roberts’ code contains what was probably the “safety valve” for this rule: if you wanted to fight, you had to take it ashore. More curious to the modern eye, but just as essential, was the rule common to all four codes against gaming on board. Why? Think about it. The premise of piracy is that all will share and share alike. But if gaming is allowed, some will leave the ship much the richer, while others will have little to show for their efforts. Gaming would breed dissention and internal conflicts among the crew. It would increase dissatisfaction among those that no longer were making a profit from the voyage. So it was bad for the unity of the crew, for the happiness of the crew, and for the success of the voyage. This rule was so old it can be traced back to buccaneers like Henry Morgan. For much the same reason, Roberts’ rules include one that the crew will not break up until everyone makes a fortune of £1000. With the threat of death by execution hanging over them, pirate ships needed committed crews. Only Roberts’ and his one-time crew member Phillips’ rules say anything about keeping women off the ship, or prohibiting pirates from molesting “prudent” women. I suspect this is yet another attempt to maintain discipline and keep the crew from internal conflicts. It was unlikely that a pirate ship would encounter sufficient women at sea to keep their entire crew happy. Best that everyone go without until the next time the ship visits a port. Not all crews felt that way; Low’s gang-raped and tortured at least one woman. But then Low was a psychopath, and probably inspired his crew to such deeds. Sorry, JSB, yours is not a sick beat as far as pirates are concerned No women, no gambling: life on a pirate ship could get pretty dull. What to do for a diversion? Why, music, of course. Pirates loved music. I doubt they were great fans of Johann Sebastian Bach; they probably liked country airs and other old traditional songs. So when they took prizes, if they found any musicians aboard, they often “forced” them to join the pirate crew. But the pirates were not without some humanity. Roberts’ code contains a provision that the musicians are guaranteed Sunday as a day of rest. But they couldn’t refuse to perform any other day! And that’s symbolic of these pirate articles in general: a mix of concern for the free and equal members of the crew, combined with the need for iron discipline among a society of violent men. Because that’s what these pirates were: an egalitarian society of criminals. Related This entry was posted in Pirates and tagged Black Bart Roberts, Edward England, George Lowther, John Phillips, marooning, Ned Low, piracy, pirate code, pirates on July 3, 2015 by Brian Bixby. ← The career of Calico Jack Rackam, the pirate with two women pirates on his ship Getting rid of a pirate captain in the Golden Age of Piracy → 12 thoughts on “Pirate codes of conduct from the Golden Age (1721-24)” sarij July 4, 2015 at 10:32 am Interesting article. I knew a little about the code, but had no idea that gambling was not allowed on the ships. It would be interesting to know if once caught, the musicians were set free, or were they considered by the authorities to be pirates. Brian Bixby Post author July 4, 2015 at 10:53 am Many men captured as pirates claimed to have been “forced men.” So Admiralty Courts developed some guidelines to decide who should be legitimately so, and be set free instead of hanged. Protesting when you were forced was a good start, but easy to fake. Cooperating as little as possible with the pirates, as demonstrated by the testimony of others (other pirates, captives, people on board ships pirates seized), was considered very significant. Being punished by the pirates also helped. On the other hand, playing an active role as a pirate generally doomed you. If musicians had resisted being taken, and then done nothing but play music, I thinbk they would have had a good chance to be freed. But I don’t actually recall reading what happened to any musicians in an Admiralty trial. So I’ll have to remind myself to check to see if musicians are mentioned when I’m reading more trials. Good thought, thank you! LikeLiked by 1 person E. J. Barnes July 4, 2015 at 4:16 pm “…Capt. Phillips had to make DO…” Brian Bixby Post author July 4, 2015 at 4:24 pm crimsonprose July 5, 2015 at 2:23 pm Two things come to mind. 1: It’s no wonder the authorities were intolerant of pirates. Not only were they scooping the gold, but they also offered better working conditions than any navy of the time (or indeed later times). You’d think they have might aped a few of those rules, instead of hanging whoever they caught. 2: I’m amazed that Disney’s scriptwriters actually got some wee detail of pirate life right when they gave Capt Jack a pistol with one shot to it. Brian Bixby Post author July 5, 2015 at 2:45 pm Marcus Rediker has argued in several books (which I’ve only had a chance to skim so far, but intend to read soon) that pirate culture was just one of several that contributed to the development of democratic ideas in the Atlantic world. Sadly, even merchant sailors wouldn’t benefit directly anytime soon; captains were still abusing their crew well into the 19th century with the state’s support. crimsonprose July 5, 2015 at 2:47 pm Yea, to my mind the British navy in particular was more brutal than any pirate ship would have been, even without the equality of shares or pay. LikeLiked by 1 person Brian Bixby Post author July 5, 2015 at 3:10 pm On the other hand, the lack of discipline on a pirate ship, compared to a navy ship, is one reason why pirate ships almost always came off the worst in an engagement with the navy. LikeLiked by 1 person Damyanti July 9, 2015 at 8:05 am Brian Bixby Post author July 9, 2015 at 8:57 am Though to be accurate, these rules, all of which were written between 1721 and 1724, only reflect Caribbean and North Atlantic piracy culture during the latter part of the so-called “Golden Age.” Why is this important? Well, I don’t know for sure, but here’s a theory. This pirate culture developed out of the Caribbean buccaneers of the 17th century. Up until 1718, the pirates usually had some sort of base in the Caribbean, and drew most of their personnel from there. But they lost their last major base when Woodes Rogers came with the British Navy to take over New Providence in the Bahamas in 1718. Thereafter, the pirates had to scatter, and some wandered quite far afield. Roberts made two cruises off the West African coast, and died there. Phillips was sometimes sailing out of Newfoundland. And so on. My guess is that the pirates, who were wandering far from the Caribbean, had to find recruits from people unfamiliar with the existing pirate culture. Therefore, these articles, these codes of conduct, were written down in the early 1720s to explain to new hands the previously unwritten rules of pirate culture. LikeLiked by 1 person Damyanti July 9, 2015 at 9:06 am Interesting theory. Sounds like someone could write a fine historical novel set in the era, and in the Caribbean… Brian Bixby Post author July 9, 2015 at 12:51 pm I can take a hint. The best swashbuckler I’ve ever read is 1922’s “Captain Blood” by the always readable Rafael Sabatini, subsequently made into a hit movie in 1935. It’s a old-fashioned romance, and while Sabatini did do research, he also conformed to stereotypes of the era in which he was writing. And then there’s Tim Powers’s “On Stranger Tides” (1987) which somehow became the basis for the 4th “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie (loose basis, shall we say), but is fairly realistic about pirate life in New Providence . . . until voodoo comes into play in the novel. LikeLiked by 1 person Leave a Reply Cancel reply Email (required) (Address never made public) Name (required) Connecting to %s Notify me of new comments via email. 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I was introduced to ISCOS by a staff of the organization. I didn’t hesitate to sign up as a volunteer since I was already working with SCORE. I believe in giving people second chances as I was fortunate to have been given many throughout my life. I have taken part in a couple of events […] Read more 0 ISCOS Appreciation Tea by Leroy Ang Thank you ISCOS for giving me the opportunity to contribute towards your cause! My participation continues to resonate with my belief that everyone should be given a second chance. Sharing a quote from our beloved Singapore President, Mr S R Nathan, “Although they have made a mistake in life, they deserve a second chance. We […] Read more 0 At 40, Azmi is full of hope for the future and is a pillar of strength for his family of five. Such positivity and mental strength did not come easy to him. Since the age of 14, Azmi was incarcerated nine times for drug-related offences and rioting. Even though he knew what he was doing […] Read more 0 Grit and Determination Reaps Results Shahlis, 13, has been an ISCOS beneficiary under the Yellow Ribbon Fund-ISCOS Fairy Godparent Programme (FGP) for three years now. Her father, an ISCOS member, is currently unemployed which makes her mother the sole breadwinner of the family. It has been difficult for them to make both ends meet but despite her family’s financial challenges, […] Read more 0 For most people hitting 40 years old, they would have been established in their career and settled down. But for Mazlan, aged 47 years, he has just started his life of normalcy a few years ago. From the age of 18 till his early 40s, Mazlan had been in and out of prison, throwing away […] Read more 0 Law Firm Showers Ex-offenders with Family Fun Ms Celeste Ang, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Principal at Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow said: “We are delighted to once again be supporting and collaborating with ISCOS for their annual Family Day and to see so many from our firm involved. Supporting the local community is important to our firm and we are proud of […] Read more 0 Underprivileged Children Receive Bursary For Good Grades Singapore, 30 November 2013 – A total of 216 needy students from primary to junior college levels, including those from families of ex-offenders, received bursaries today ranging from $300 to $500. The bursary served as a reward to the students for receiving above average results in their final examinations this year, despite challenging family situations. […] Read more 0 375 Ex-offenders to Benefit from New Training Programme 19 April 2014 – The Industrial & Services Co-operative Society Ltd (ISCOS), a co-operative for ex-offenders, and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) today unveiled a collaborative effort to enhance the employability of ex-offenders at a Job Fair organised by ISCOS. Known as the SOAR (Strengthening Opportunities, Advocating Resilience) Programme, the initiative is designed to […] Read more 0 Project LEAP gives needy ex-offenders’ households proper home study environment 14 July 2014 – ISCOS (Industrial & Services Co-operative Society Ltd), a Co-operative for ex-offenders, has started its first series of Learning Environment Assistance Project (LEAP). The initial phase is currently underway and will benefit a total of 21 children from seven needy ex-offenders’ households. The project involves cleaning and giving each house a new […] Read more 0 Singapore, 6 September 2014 – A total of 335 ex-offenders and their families attended the annual ISCOS Family Day organised by ISCOS (Industrial & Services Co-operative Society Ltd), in collaboration with law firm Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow. The fun activities and games of the family day inside River Safari revolved around the theme ”River […]	3,868
To search in site, type your keyword and hit enter "The Way To Wealth" Wisdom From Ben Franklin Kitsap County Featured Health & Fitness Education Law Enforcement Local News Sports Traffic Advertise With Us By admin on March 5, 2020 Comments Off on McConnell Defends Judicial Independence Following “Reckless” Schumer Comments Share on Facebook Follow on Facebook Add to Google+ Connect on Linked in Subscribe by Email Print This Post Washington, DC…U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the Supreme Court: ‘A few weeks ago, I spoke on this floor about a dangerous trend that threatens our self-government. ‘I explained how some in the Democratic Party appear more interested in attacking the institutions of our government than in working within them. How Democrats increasingly respond to political disappointments with extreme claims that our system of government itself must be broken. ‘The failure can’t be their own. It can’t be that the left needs better arguments or ideas. No, the fault must lie with the Constitution itself. ‘Democrats have tried to cloak their anger at President Trump in rhetoric about protecting norms and institutions. But in reality, it is their own side of the aisle where anti-institutionalism is rampant. ‘We could talk about attacks on the office of the presidency… on the Electoral College… on the First Amendment… on the Senate itself. ‘But most striking of all have been the shameless efforts to bully our nation’s independent judiciary. And yesterday, these efforts took a dangerous and disturbing turn. ‘By now, many already know what the Democratic Leader shouted outside the Supreme Court yesterday morning. ‘I’m sorry to have to read it into the Record. ‘First, he prompted a crowd of left-wing activists to boo two of the Associate Justices — as though Supreme Court justices were professional athletes and Senator Schumer were jeering from the stands. “I want to tell you, Gorsuch! I want to tell you, Kavanaugh! You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price! You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.” End quote. ‘I’m not even sure where to start. There is nothing to call this except a threat. And there is absolutely no question to whom it was directed. ‘Contrary to what the Democratic Leader has since tried to claim, he very clearly was not addressing Republican lawmakers or anybody else. He literally directed the statement to the Justices, by name. And he said, quote, “if you go forward with these awful decisions,” which could only apply to the Court itself. ‘The Minority Leader of the United States Senate threatened two Associate Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Period. There’s no other way to interpret that. ‘Even worse, the threat was not clearly political or institutional. As I’ll discuss in a moment, those kinds of threats are sadly nothing new from Senate Democrats. ‘This was much broader. The Democratic Leader traveled to the workplace of two judges, and in front of a crowd of activists, he told those judges “you will pay the price” and “you won’t know what hit you.” ‘If any American had these words shouted at them from a sidewalk outside their office, they would hear those threats as personal. And most likely they would hear them as threatening or inciting violence. ‘That’s how any American would interpret those words if they were directed at us. And that is certainly how the press and leading Democrats would have characterized them if President Trump or any senior Republican had said anything remotely similar. We have seen much more hay made out of much less. ‘Perhaps our colleague thinks this is absurd. Perhaps he would like the most generous possible interpretation: that he got carried away and did not mean what he said. ‘But if he cannot even admit to saying what he said, we certainly cannot know what he meant. ‘At the very best, his comments were astonishingly reckless and irresponsible. And clearly, as the Chief Justice stated in a rare and extraordinary rebuke, they were “dangerous.” ‘Because no matter the intention, words carrying the apparent threat of violence can have horrific unintended consequences. ‘In their most recent year on record the United States Marshals Service tracked thousands of threats and inappropriate communications against the judiciary. ‘Less than three years ago, of course, an unhinged and unstable left-wing activist attempted a mass murder of congressional Republicans at a baseball field across the river. ‘A Senate leader appearing to threaten or incite violence on the steps of the Supreme Court could literally be a matter of deadly seriousness. ‘So I fully anticipated our colleague would quickly withdraw his comments and apologize. That’s what even reliably liberal legal experts such as Laurence Tribe and Neal Katyal have publicly urged. ‘Instead, our colleague doubled down. ‘He tried to gaslight the entire country and stated that he was actually threatening fellow Senators. As though that would be much better. But it’s a fiction. ‘And then a few hours later, the Democratic Leader tripled down. Instead of taking Chief Justice Roberts’s sober and appropriate statement to heart, he lashed out yet again, and tried to imply the Chief Justice was biased for doing his job and defending the Court. ‘Our colleague therefore succeeded in attacking thirty-three percent of the Supreme Court in the space of a few hours. ‘Throughout the impeachment and the Senate trial, for months, Washington Democrats preached sermons about the separation of powers and respect among equal branches. ‘So much for all that. And sadly, this attack was not some isolated incident. The left-wing campaign against the federal judiciary did not begin yesterday. My colleagues will recall that during the impeachment trial, the senior Senator for Massachusetts and outside pressure groups tried to attack the Chief Justice for staying neutral instead of delivering the outcomes they wanted. ‘Those same groups came to Senator Schumer’s defense yesterday with gratuitous attacks against the Chief Justice for condemning the threats against his colleagues. ‘And last summer, a number of Senate Democrats sent an extraordinary brief to the Supreme Court. It threatened to inflict institutional change on the Court if it did not rule the way Democrats wanted. ‘Here’s what they wrote: “The Supreme Court is not well… Perhaps the Court can heal itself before the public demands it be ‘restructured’…” ‘A political threat, plain as day. As you read the document, you half-expected to end by saying: That’s some nice judicial independence you’ve got there. It would be a shame if something happened to it! ‘Independence from political passions is the cornerstone of our judiciary in our country. ‘Judicial independence is what enables courts to do justice even when it is unpopular; to protect constitutional rights even when powerful interests want them infringed. ‘Judicial independence is what makes the United States of America a republic of laws rather than of men. ‘It has almost been a century since the last time Democrats threatened to pack the Supreme Court because they wanted different rulings. History still judges that disgraceful episode to this day. ‘So I would suggest that my Democratic colleagues spend less time trying to threaten impartial judges, and more time coming up with ideas that are actually constitutional. ‘Fortunately, this extraordinary display contains one ironic silver lining. ‘These clumsy efforts to erode a pillar of American governance have just reminded everyone why that pillar is so crucial. ‘These efforts to attack judicial independence remind us that independence is essential. ‘Every time Democrats try to threaten sitting Justices, we are reminded exactly why the Framers gave them life tenure and salary protection. ‘Every time Democrats toy with packing new seats onto the Court, we are reminded exactly why, as Justice Ginsburg recently said, “nine seems to be a good number.” ‘The distinguished men and women of the Supreme Court do not, and must not, serve at the pleasure of angry partisans. ‘They do not need to pay any mind to unhinged threats, as shameful as they may be. ‘In fact, as the Chief Justice reminded us all yesterday, they are duty-bound to pay such things no attention at all. ‘Their job description is simple. To apply the law to the facts, as the Chief Justice put it, “without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.” ‘I have great confidence the Court will do just that. I am confident that if the facts and the Constitution would have led the Court to disappoint Democrats the day before yesterday, they will still feel free to do so today, tomorrow, and beyond — notwithstanding these shameful tactics. ‘I had hoped I would not need to reiterate what every Republican Senator told the Court in August after Senate Democrats sent their threatening brief. But today I have no choice but to say it again. ‘Republicans are absolutely and unshakably committed to the core constitutional principle of an independent federal judiciary. ‘As long as this majority holds the gavel, we will never let the Minority Leader’s dangerous views become policy. This majority will ensure the only casualties of this recklessness are the reputations of those who engage in it.’ McConnell Defends Judicial Independence Following “Reckless” Schumer Comments added by admin on March 5, 2020	10,073
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You’re driving to work in heavy a.m. rush-hour traffic. Your “Check Engine” light starts flashing. What’s your go-to response? Scenario A: You immediately pull over to the side of the road, call your mechanic, discuss it with him or her, and make an appointment to bring your car in ASAP. Scenario B: You bang on the dashboard a few times to see if it stops but continue on to work, then call your mechanic when you have time. Scenario C: You’re too busy to take your car in, so you ignore it (and the other light that started blinking last week) until your car dies at the worst possible time, in the most inconvenient place. As a die-hard Scenario A person (I love my cars), I cringe when people choose Scenario C. After all, that’s what warning lights are for—to let you know you could be in for a world of inconvenience and expense unless you pay attention. That’s why it bothers me to see a number of firm leaders choosing Scenario C now, despite the warning lights everywhere. Not with their cars, but with their firms. “Warning: Check firm health” You’d think emerging from a pandemic would mean fewer warning lights, but in fact, lights are blinking furiously for businesses all over the globe. Why? Because the past year has caused a major shift in the way people think about their jobs. A large segment of the office-based workforce has been doing their jobs from home and doing it well, proving beyond a doubt that remote work is viable. In the process, they’ve realized that it’s possible to have a job and a life—from just about anywhere they want. A recent Prudential Financial “Pulse of the American Worker” survey found that a quarter of the workers surveyed plan to leave their jobs after the pandemic, with the majority looking for a job with more flexibility. Even half of the workers who don’t actively plan to change jobs say if their company doesn’t offer long-term options for remote work, they’ll look for a company that does. Another blinking light is that workers are leaving expensive areas—mostly urban—for places with a lower cost of living. Some just move farther out into their city’s metro area or suburbs, but others are taking the freedom offered by 100 percent remote work to move to areas where they’ve always wanted to live. That’s the great thing about remote work for both workers and employers; since location isn’t an issue, the talent pool is virtually limitless. In a recent Better Every Day podcast, I talked with John Mitchell, Rootworks’ Chief Brand Officer, who used to work in media production. He said one of the best media production companies in the U.S.—the one that everyone wants to work for, the one that’s acknowledged by industry professionals to have the best product and culture—is giving their employees the option to work 100 percent remote. Immediately, the two or three next-best media production companies in the U.S. lost employees as they applied at the company everyone wanted to work for. “Warning: Trend in process” The factors I mention above aren’t just one-offs; it appears to be a trend. And I’ll be the first to admit it’s challenging to realize a trend is taking place before (or even as) it happens. It’s much easier to observe them from a historical perspective. The rise of more flexible work options is one of the few trends we’ve actually been able to watch unfold, because it was happening even before the pandemic—which is what finally put the pedal to the metal and got the trend in gear. (I know, another car metaphor…) The trouble is, not every firm leader believes it’s a trend that will affect them. “We’re too small to worry about that,” those leaders might say. Or “Our staff likes being in the office with each other.” Or “We need to be face-to-face with our clients; it’s what they expect.” But is that true anymore? Just like our staff, our clients—even those who didn’t use virtual meetings before the pandemic—have had no choice but to meet virtually over the past year. Now, they’re old hands at navigating virtual appointments and other remote activities. And like the workers who serve them, many have found they actually prefer to do business virtually because it makes their lives so much easier. “Warning: Monitor self-awareness levels” Is this trend causing a warning light to go on in your own firm? If you’re not sure, here’s where self-awareness—the ability to objectively look at who you are, what’s missing, and what needs to change in your life or business—comes into play. We get so comfortable in our place in the world that often it takes other people to make us see what we’re doing or not doing—and how things really look on the other side of yourself. In our podcast John mentioned something Andy Stanley, an Atlanta-area speaker he admires, says to do if you need to check your self-awareness: “Ask three people in your life, ‘What’s it like to be on the other side of me?’” You can do that with your firm. If you’re at all nervous about these warning lights, take a deep breath and go to three people you trust in your firm. Ask them, “What’s the temperature around here? What are you hearing? How are people feeling?” Whatever the answers you ask for may be, I’m going to leave you with this thought to use for perspective as you ponder your next moves: We’re not going back to 2020. That ship has sailed; that train has left the station; <insert your favorite “it’s too late” idiom here>. As a small business owner, do you really want to be stalled on the side of the highway while the rest of the profession zips by? Or would you rather make the changes that will let you merge smoothly back into traffic and keep pace with those who have chosen to move forward? It’s a conversation you really need to have with yourself—and with your team. Because if you’re not planning to work with them to offer the flexibility and trust they’re looking for, it’s time to let them know—and to make sure you have good road service for those warning lights that won’t stop blinking. It’s an understatement to say the past 18 months have been like no other in our lifetimes. None of us has a manual or how-to guide to navigate through all the changes that have taken place—and will continue to take place—but there are five things we all can do to make things easier for our team and our clients. Be flexible. Things won’t be like they were before, but that doesn’t mean we should reject them. The pandemic fast-tracked 25 years’ worth of change, especially digital transformation. Is your technology stack adequate? What’s the best way to communicate with clients and each other? We’re all catching up and determining the best way to work now. Be open to ideas and encourage everyone to share theirs. Understand it’s a process. Whether your team is returning to the office, staying remote or adopting a hybrid model, everyone needs to be involved in making it work. How do you stay connected as a team no matter where people are working? Do workflows need to be adjusted to accommodate the changes? Include everyone in the firm and ask for ideas and suggestions. Remember, we’re all learning. Let the team know it will take time to get it right. Look at the opportunity. Many of the changes happening in your firm may not have been planned, but there’s an opportunity to reassess, improve and grow now. What does your tax process look like; is it smooth for clients and staff? Do you need a better way to track client work to stay on top of delivery dates? How often do you have staff meetings? Do you have clients who need to be terminated? Processes, technology, communication and ideal clients are vital to the firm’s success moving forward in this changing environment. Identify champions for the initiatives so everyone in the firm is part of the solution, or can be part of it. Support your team’s wellbeing. How is everyone feeling? What can you do to help? None of us should be alone right now as we find our way to a new normal. Promote the wellness program offered by your firm’s health insurance carrier or the plan under which your employees have coverage. Many of these programs cover therapy visits and virtual or telehealth therapy sessions. Making a call, asking for help and learning a new way to manage is something we can and should encourage. Be kind to yourself and others. We tend to give others more grace and understanding than we give ourselves. Is the new way of doing something not working for you? When making changes and decisions that impact others, give yourself and your peers permission to try a different approach. If it doesn’t work the way you hoped, don’t dwell on it. Learn from the experience and move on with a new approach. Be kind to others who are experiencing the same trial-and-error cycle as well. The most important role firm owners and supervisors have right now is to be a trusted leader. For a team to follow a leader, the team must believe their leader is committed to their wellbeing and values their input. This promotes a culture of clarity, candor, connection and consistency. Ask for their ideas and suggestions, explain your goal to simplify things whenever and wherever possible, designate champions to implement those changes and—most importantly—celebrate their successes. If you’re a Rootworks member firm and want more information about culture for your firm, please log in to your Rootworks.com account, go to Resources > Business Model Basics and refer to the Culture element, which provides a roadmap to build a modern and healthy culture that drives a profitable and successful firm. If your membership includes coaching, schedule a call with one of our coaches who can help you implement change in your firm and promote a healthy culture. SSL and your website: An essential aspect of a modern firm Website visitors, especially prospects, will make a judgment call about your site—and by extension, your business credibility—within the first minute. As a modern accounting firm, give your online visitors the security and credibility they look for with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. SSL has been around since the mid-1990s. The main goal was to secure the transfer of data over the web. In 2014, Google focused on raising the awareness of SSL certificates by launching an “HTTPS Everywhere” campaign. In mid-2018, Google enforced SSLs for websites by flagging sites without SSL as “Not Secured,” which furthered the value of an SSL by relating it to a business’s credibility. Rootworks websites included SSL certificates before browser enforcement, and continue to meet industry standards for SSL certificates. Not convinced of the SSL’s value? Here’s a real-world situation we see far too often: You try to visit the website of a financial advisor or bank whose SSL certificate has lapsed (you’ll know by the absence of the little padlock symbol before the URL). You encounter a warning message about the site’s lack of security, which indicates that information you share on that site may not be secure. How long will you stay on the site? If you’re like the rest of us, not very long. Which makes it much less likely you’ll want to work with this business, if their security measures are as lax as the website’s security. So, how do you get an SSL certificate—and what, if anything, do you do once you have it? If your website is Rootworks built and hosted, an SHA-256 bit SSL is included and fully maintained by Rootworks. There’s nothing more you need to do. If you maintain your site, make sure you have a valid SSL certificate. Check with your website provider for details on obtaining an appropriate certificate if one isn’t currently present. Once the SSL is updated, be sure to keep up with the renewals to avoid any lapse in protection. SSL will lend credibility, authentication and trust to your business online. Having an SSL certificate is also one of the easiest ways to boost your search engine ranking, since Google makes security a top priority. Give your clients the modern—and secure—firm they’re looking for with SSL. Marketing in the post-pandemic landscape We’re operating in uncharted waters; navigate thoughtfully It’s safe to say that none of us in our lifetime has experienced what unfolded over the last 18 months—a sudden global pandemic that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and brought entire segments of the economy to a screeching halt. Although the recovery has been nearly as rapid as the onset, we’re not out of the woods yet. A virus variant is threatening a new wave of infections, global supply chains are in disarray and inflationary concerns are creating uncertainty and anxiety. So what kind of marketing messaging do you deliver in this environment? When operating in uncharted territory, there’s no clearly defined model to follow. To a large extent, we fall back on common sense and sensitivities. Viewed through the lens of marketing professionals, here are some common sense ideas and analysis on how to handle your communications in the transition back to life as we once knew it. When the whole world feels like it’s shifting beneath our feet, we need big truths to hold onto and steady us. Uphold your brand values during times of crisis and uncertainty. In last month’s column, we explored culture marketing; it’s highly relevant during a time when we’re all seeking to reclaim part of our humanity that’s been trampled underfoot by anxiety, social angst and political polarization. And speaking of politics, it should go without saying that you should leave all traces and hints of it out of your marketing messaging—that’s common sense. The pandemic was certainly not an equal opportunity crisis. Some segments—particularly food service and hospitality—took a far worse hit than others. Keep this in mind when you’re developing marketing messages. You need to pay much closer attention to how you target and deliver messaging to specific audience segments. Customer experience matters Customer expectations were already on the rise before the pandemic unfolded; in many ways, the Covid-19 crisis accelerated that demand. Clients want a frictionless experience that doesn’t consume time and energy. Is your firm equipped and organized to deliver this? Look for points of friction in your client interactions and design ways to overcome and eliminate them. Although this is a more operations-focused activity, it has big implications for marketing. Relationships matter most What turns a prospect into a long-standing, loyal customer? A relationship built on trust. How do we establish trust? By making and keeping promises. This is straight from Stephen Covey’s playbook and his concept of the “emotional bank account.” Promises kept are like deposits; disappointments are like withdrawals. Examine your brand promise and ask yourself what you’re doing to reinforce and keep that promise to your clients and reassure them that they can count on you. At the end of the day, what do we have, if we don’t have relationships? Welcome to the post-pandemic (we hope) world. And remember, when you don’t have a clear roadmap to follow, let common sense and sensibility be your guide. Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win by Marshall Allen The Great Workplace: How to Build It, How to Keep It, and Why It Matters by Michael Burchell Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh End-of-year events are coming together! Inspire, a virtual event for the entire firm, happens October 21-22. We’ll present on a variety of key topics spread out across a multitude of breakout sessions. New with this event: On the second day of Inspire, Rootworks vendor partners will deliver training sessions on their products. These sessions are geared to those firms currently using or evaluating those particular systems. Throughout August we’ll announce more details on the agenda, including information on the vendors who will be presenting and their sessions. Gather, an on-site event at the Ritz-Carlson in Sarasota, Florida, is scheduled for November 10-12. Gather will be different from our previous on-premise conferences in that it’s intended for firm leaders. The majority of the event will be dedicated to roundtable discussions on attendee-driven topics. There will also be a significant social element as Rootworks members gather in person again. Please note: Space at Gather is limited, so it’s a good idea to register as soon as possible to ensure your spot. Note to Gather registrants: Rootworks sent out a survey to those who were registered for Gather as of mid-July to capture specific topics you’d like to see discussed. If you could complete the survey and send it back as soon as possible, we’ll get busy scheduling roundtables on the topics that are most important to you. Thanks for your help! Log in at Rootworks.com and go to Resources > Events to find registration for both events. Our Education team has been busy planning for the end of summer and onset of fall with new live staff training sessions for August, September and October. Starting August 18, we’re bringing you the following new staff training topics: Transitioning Clients: We’ll help you create strategies for communicating with clients and developing processes for transitioning your current clients into your new model. Goal Setting Processes for Firm Leaders: Use the SMART approach for setting goals to guide you through a process of identifying tasks and delegating them to staff. Dext Setup and Use: Participants will learn Dext setup recommendations, best practices for using the technology by both the client and firm, and updates since the Dext enhancement. Virtual Presentations Best Practices: We’ll review tips and tricks for working in your virtual meeting software, effective presentation techniques and how to set up your physical space. Best Practices for Handling Tax Notices: We’ll review what it means to provide audit protection services, how to develop a strategy for your firm’s audit protection process, pricing and billing considerations, and discussing audit protection with clients. Using Fathom for Advisory Services: This class will examine how Fathom delivers relevant, valuable information to clients and cover core concepts for using Fathom to help clients make critical business decisions. Software Tips and Tricks for Daily Use: In this class, we’ll cover some tips and tricks to make working with different programs easier. We’ll primarily focus on how staff can use Excel, Adobe and OneNote for a more efficient workday. For weekly tips and advice from our experts in your inbox subscribe to our newsletter. Getting started Email sales Technical support Email support © 2022 Rootworks, LLC Service agreement Member login Please complete the following: Where would you like to go? Rootworks members can now use an early access version of Insights, which delivers customer segmentation and pricing data as well as reports for your firm and clients. Connection to QuickBooks Online is required for firms and/or clients.	19,552
This summer, FX brings Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s The Strain to TV for some creepily delicious vampire horror. We’re here to bring you our weekly take on just how well the adaptation holds up. With the first two episodes of The Strain, I was patiently waiting for the hook to sink in much like Game of Thrones or House of Cards or The Walking Dead. I previously stated that the writing had a ways to go before it would get up to passable TV standards and that some of the chemistry would also need to be ironed out here and there. Furthermore, as a fan of the novels, I wanted to see just how much they would drift from the original narrative, through characterization, plot, or otherwise. Well folks, I’m proud to say that this episode, entitled “Gone Smooth,” comes through in a big way here. FX Returning to where the plot left off last episode, with Eph, Nora, and Jim are frantically trying to get to the bottom of what just happened at the medical examiner’s office. With so much of their authority constantly chipped away, they leap to the conclusion that there must be some kind of conspiracy, possibly linked with the military or the government. The trio separate so that they can look for more answers as well as deal with their own personal issues. Nora (Mia Maestro) tracks down the elderly Setrakian, appearing for his day in court after being jailed for trespassing. Setrakian feigns frailty to the presiding judge, to which David Bradley plays up the solid fake out well, convincing the court to drop the charges. Confronting the shop owner later, Nora confirms, through albeit obscure allusions, that what they face is far greater than any man-made contaminant. Once again he impresses on the woman to destroy any bodies that stayed on the dead flight, whether they are walking around currently or not. FX Eph’s (Corey Stoll) personal turmoil continued during his custody hearing as his son seemingly betrayed his coaching from the previous episode, choosing to relegate his father to part-time status, only seeing each other a few times a month. Though his former wife, Kelly, has to this point put on a strong facade throughout their divorce, here we see the toll it takes on her later in the episode, still holding onto old photo albums of better days and Natalie Brown plays it up very well. Jim (Sean Astin) finally gets some background here having a chronically ill wife in need of getting into a drug trial. Wanting to do whatever he can to help his spouse, the man has linked himself with the Stoneheart group and, unknowingly, the Master as well, being the inside man in the CDC. This symbiotic relationship pays dividends for him, however, as his wife is let into the drug trials in reward for allowing the Master’s coffin to pass through security at the locked down airport in the first episode. Previous stories have always shown how such a relationship can prove costly, so it will be interesting to see just how far this one will go. From the open, we see that the mysterious Thomas Eichorst (Richard Sammel), the Master’s liaison, has been living in disguise for some time under heavy makeup and prosthetic appendages, hiding his throat goiter and fangs to pass unnoticed among humans. This was a great point of clarification as to what exactly we’d be seeing of the vampires in The Strain and if they’d appear as they were described in the books. Fortunately, I’m glad to see they’re sticking to the source material here. FX With the focus of this episode lending itself to expanding our knowledge of these vampires, “Gone Smooth” shows three of the four passengers who survived the plane flight and their continuing transformations into vampires, with each in varying stages of conversion. The production did not hesitate to go full tilt on just how deep the strain will infect its hosts, especially with the transformation of Goth singer, Gabriel Bolivar (Jack Kesy), who experienced one of the most shocking elements of body horror to make the show. Over just this short period of time, it would seem that the four are near complete conversion over to their new species, as we see each of the survivors slowly losing their humanity. FX The only real noticeable deviation for this series would be the casting of Kevin Durand as the pest control specialist Vasiliy Fet. By no means is he a bad casting decision, but for book fans, his build is much different from his original incarnation. Despite that the spirit of the character is still there and while his deadpan seriousness remains, I expect him to be the main comic vehicle for the rest of the series. By episode’s end here, our heroes come face to face with a fully converted vampire, the former pilot, Captain Redfern, as his pincer has finally developed along with his taste for blood. Escaping to the basement and devouring blood packs, the monstrous husk lashes out at the team. Shocked and horrified at this new development, the team fights him off, with Eph putting the finishing blows on the man, caving its face in with a fire extinguisher. “Gone Smooth” definitely raised the stakes for The Strain that struggled mightily in the beginning to incorporate its realistic elements into a story about undead bloodsuckers. Getting the science out of the way of the narrative, the show now has the potential for more monstrous fun as well as uncovering the mystery surrounding the sudden appearance of these entities, wonky dialogue aside. The invasion has already started and our heroes are far behind. While we wait for next week’s episode, I want to ask my viewing audience question: what would you do if you found your significant other drinking the blood off a raw piece of steak? Please comment below. Reddit Please confirm your email address in the email that we just sent you. Elias is a senior at Morgan State University that has comics in his blood. His grandfather put comics in his hands when he was young and they've never left his side...ever. If the newest panels aren't holding his attention, then he's likely critiquing the latest indie flick or blockbuster.	6,431
This past year has been a challenging year for nearly everyone across the country and across the globe. Now that we are seeing people get vaccinated, along with the COVID-19 numbers declining in most states, more businesses are beginning to open their doors and return people to the workplace. This article will address some key points to consider when welcoming employees back to the workplace using the three C’s. Employee Considerations An employer’s number one objective should be to keep employees safe, and this should be the highest priority when returning employees to work. As you return people back into the office, you may find that there are some logistical considerations with office space in order to facilitate social distancing. Should you have all remote employees return to the workspace, or offer some kind of hybrid solution? Will you test employees for COVID-19? Will you require employees to get vaccinated? If so, do you have to pay for these things? And what about the employees’ time? What happens when employees don’t adhere to the policies set in place? What if employees don’t want to return to work? If you have a unionized workforce, what must you pay special attention to under the Collective Bargaining Agreement? These are just a few questions employers should consider as they begin the return-to-work process. Returning employees to work should be a deliberate and documented process. The most effective way to do this is to create a plan. The plan should address the questions posed above. There isn’t necessarily a correct answer for any of these questions; it is based on the needs and best practices of the employer. Not only is it a good idea to have a documented plan in place, but OSHA may also require it. Under OSHA, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. The OSHA website says that implementing a workplace COVID-19 Prevention Program is the most effective way to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at work. An effective plan will include the following elements: Assign a point person and/or team who will be responsible for COVID-19 issues on behalf of the employer. Perform a hazard assessment to identify potential workplace issues related to COVID-19. Establish safety protocols such as when face masks and social distancing are required. Establish a system of communicating effectively with employees. Educate and train employees on COVID-19 policies and procedures and consequences if they are not followed. Provide guidance and any requirements regarding screening, testing and vaccinations. Implement a system to report concerns together with protections against retaliation for such reporting. Employers should be concerned as they begin bringing employees back to the workplace. There have already been cases filed in the courts for things such as not providing accommodations under the Americans Disability Act (ADA), not providing leave under FMLA and FFCRA, workers’ compensation cases, Fair Labor Standards (FLSA) cases, and OSHA cases. With a myriad of employment laws to consider, it can feel as though you are navigating a minefield. As such, there are a few things employers can do to help mitigate risks. While not all-inclusive, important points to consider while returning employees to the workplace include: While “fear” is not considered a disability, research has shown that COVID-19 has exacerbated many mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Employers are advised to engage in an interactive conversation with the employee if an employee asks for accommodation. The employer is still permitted to make a decision on whether the accommodation imposes an “undue hardship.” Employers may require vaccination for their employees; however, they should be prepared to accommodate those with a medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief. Employees may also be covered under workers’ compensation laws if they have an adverse reaction. Finally, there may be protections for employees who refuse the vaccine because of a safety concern and if it’s a discussion among employees it may be considered a concerted activity. While the vaccine is not a medical exam, the questions that are prior to the vaccine are considered medical inquiries and subject to ADA standards. Employers can ask their employees if they have been vaccinated. They can NOT ask “why not?” Employers want to avoid obtaining additional medical information from employees as they respond, as that could invoke protections under federal or state disability laws. There is not a mandated vaccine credential, and many states have banned use of a “vaccine passport” (verification of the vaccine). The requirement that employers provide paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave under the FFCRA expired Dec 31, 2020. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) allows small and midsize employers to claim refundable tax credits that reimburse them for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave including leave taken by employees to receive or recover from COVID-19 vaccinations. These credits are available from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. The leave is not mandatory under federal law, but there are a handful of states and cities that have their own leave and vaccine requirements and rules such as California, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania localities. Employers should keep in mind that other leave laws still apply, both at a state and local level as well as federal law under the Family Medical Leave Act. Employer-required temperature checks or COVID-19 health screenings, COVID-19 testing, and required COVID vaccinations are considered compensable time under the FLSA. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic situation slowly subsides, employers across the nation are gradually bringing their teams back to work. There are many things to consider when deciding how and when to bring employees back and resume operations. Returning to work you must consider: Legal Considerations Check updates to federal, state, and local mandates. It is important to recognize that the laws related to COVID-19 are changing frequently. Additional information and resources are available in the HR Service COVID-19 Toolkit. Ensure required COVID-19 notices have been posted, both for your employees and, in some cases, specific postings may be necessary for guests or customers. Based on the state you do business in, employers may be required to provide and pay for masks for their employees. Although not required, some businesses may also elect to provide face masks for customers or visitors. Review and follow OSHA, CDC, and other agency and industry-specific guidance related to your workplace. If collective bargaining agreements are in place for your workforce, coordinate with Union representatives. Ensure employees are aware of any new policies, as well as the consequences for violating them. Document training that has been provided and keep acknowledgments in employee personnel files. Update your company’s sick leave or PTO policies as needed, particularly to address FFCRA leave requirements. Remember to maintain the privacy of employee health information, including medical screening or test results. Determine what sort of business travel (if any) will be allowed. This should include the method of travel, as well as logistics (hotel, rental car, etc.) in the destination city. Coordinate any new COVID-19 compliance requirements with the businesses your employees will be visiting to ensure that there is an agreement in advance of what is required. Impose meeting size limitations to ensure compliance with social distancing requirements. Consider closing off common areas (e.g., conference rooms, lunchrooms) for the time being. For companies situated in buildings that have multiple tenants, check with your landlord or property management group to determine what COVID-19 protocols are being implemented in common areas such as elevators, restrooms, hallways, and lobby areas. Ensure these policies are communicated to your employees and are followed. Selecting and Notifying Employees of the Reopening Determine which employees or employee groups will be rehired or recalled first. If separation agreements were used, rehired employees may need to have them revised or amended. Provide sufficient advance notice to employees so they can make necessary preparations to come back to work. If possible, we recommend at least five working days when appropriate. This may be particularly helpful to some employees who may be hesitant regarding safety measures or may have childcare arrangements to work through. Make certain you are using non-discriminatory recall or rehiring practices. “First Out, First Recalled” is one good way to approach this. A formal or informal disparate impact study may be helpful to ensure compliance. NOTE: There is an understandable inclination for employers to want to protect certain groups of people (e.g. older workers) while the COVID-19 virus is still active. Please be aware that even when done with the best of intentions, discriminatory rehire or recall practices are still illegal. If employees are being brought back on a different shift schedule, or at a different rate of pay, make sure to notify them in advance, and in writing, of these changes, and confirm if these changes are temporary or long-term changes. Physical Modifications to the Workplace Social distancing is still in effect in nearly all jurisdictions. Most often this requires maintaining at least six (6) feet separation between people, and ten (10) feet separation in places where physical exertion may cause more labored breathing and/or perspiration. Employers may need to install solid partitions between workstations, or physically remove some workstations, to ensure that social distancing protocols can be maintained. Certain businesses may be restricted to the number of persons allowed inside the premises based on square footage and / or occupancy capacity. Some retail establishments may be required to mark customer aisles as one-way only and have procedures in place to enforce these new traffic patterns. Workplace Considerations Make sure CDC cleaning and disinfectant protocols are followed. Ensure that adequate cleaning supplies are available and accessible. High-contact surfaces such as counters or tabletops must be sanitized more frequently. Think about allowing split shifts or alternate workdays (partial reemployment, 20 hours vs. 40 hours) Be ready to address other accommodation requests from employees. Keep an open door and open mind; a greater degree of flexibility than usual is helpful and necessary during this unprecedented situation. Safety Considerations Remind employees not to come to work if they are sick or exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. If you are planning to conduct temperature screenings or other medical screenings for employees, make certain that their privacy is maintained and that the person(s) administering the screenings are properly trained in privacy practices. Other Review whether any Benefit Plans (health/wellness programs as well as retirement plans) need to be revised or reissued. A Summary of Material Modifications (SMM) document may be required. Advise employees of any plan changes directly, in addition to providing the more formal SMM. Remind employees of their FFCRA rights (if applicable). When FFCRA leave is exhausted or not offered, interactive discussions for reasonable accommodations under the ADA may be necessary. Continue to allow employees to telework where practical, especially those in higher-risk populations. Consider using any available slow time to complete annual industry training/retraining requirements. Be prepared to address employee concerns regarding returning to work. An interactive dialogue can be very helpful in addressing employee concerns. Once an employer has taken the steps prescribed above, it is important to communicate effectively with your employees. Remember this is a human experience, so make sure you are listening to employee concerns. Document everything, follow the required rules and regulations and be prepared to be flexible as you consider employee needs. Prepared by Holly Young, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Additional Reading Compliance Calendar 2023 Important Dates The following are important compliance due dates and reminders for 2023. The laws and due dates apply based … Need-to-Know End-of-Year Compliance Updates As 2022 ends, there are several new benefits compliance updates for year-end that employers and insurers need to know. This …	12,894
Wildlife Nurse Rob - the Australian RN turned Veterinary Nurse that's Changing Lives Around the World. Rob Leach, known as @wildlifenurserob on Instagram, is one of the most humble human beings I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. But, while he doesn't go on about all the impacts he's made and continues to make around the world, he leaves a wake of compassion, collaboration, and education wherever he goes. His current work as a manager with Vets Beyond Borders has him collaborating with global teams such as the World Health Organization, the UN Food and Agricultural Org, communities, individuals, and governments all aimed at eliminating human deaths from Rabies by 2030. And, that's just one of the things Rob has on his plate. Tune in to learn more about Rob and all the things he's doing to make the world a better place. Discussing NOMV and How we cope with stress as vet students In this episode, we discuss the recent loss of several veterinary professionals and the work that Not One More Vet (NOMV) is doing to help change the landscape of mental and emotional wellbeing within the profession, some of the reasons for burnout, and how we're coping with stress as vet students. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, you're not alone and there's help. If you're in the United States, reach out to the National Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255For anyone outside of the U.S., the International Association of Suicide Prevention has a hotline for every country and that resource can be found here: https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/ We're starting the second block of semester 2! In the first block, we covered the musculoskeletal system and in this second block, we'll be studying heart, lung, and kidney function. Today (March 1st) was day one and we're super excited for this next section. We may or may not gush about our professor, Dr. Schlacks in this episode. We also chat about what we did over our 1-week break and reveal who our next special guest on the podcast is going to be! Have ideas or requests for the show? DM us on IG @vetmedradio or email us vetmedradio@gmail.comHappy vetting everyone :) A Shorty Episode: A Recap of Week 1 of Anatomy in Vet School Week 1 of our Spring semester kicked off with an introduction to anatomy and a return to lab on campus. It was a jam-packed several days as we make adjustments to our study strategies daily schedules and artistic abilities on the white board. Tune in to my YouTube channel Far Fetched Adventures for a behind-the-scenes look at what the week was like. http://bit.ly/FarFetchedAdventuresYou can find us on Instagram @VetMedRadio, @FarFetchedVetStudent, and @DogtorAZThanks for tuning in! If LL Cool J's iconic track "Don't Call it a Comeback" wasn't copyrighted, it absolutely would have been the soundtrack for this first episode in 2021 after a long hiatus. We're gonna call it an extremely productive sabbatical that ended up landing me, and the amazing new co-host of the show, Anne, in a seat at the inaugural University of Arizona's College of Veterinary Medicine. Hang out with us as we talk about our experiences as first-year, vet students (during the chaos that was 2020), what we have ahead for our second semester, and life in general. Stoked to be back! 75 minutes \| Aug 27, 2019 The many layers of Nicole Laforest of @veterinarytechnicians This is not at all a predictable episode. While she might be IG famous for her no BS posts and interesting cases she and her husband treat in their traveling orthopedic practice, she also has many other sides to her that make her an amazing human. She was brave enough to sit down with me to have a candid conversation and hit the record button. The wiiiiiiide spectrum of topics is nothing short of enlightening, funny, and full of even more reasons that make her easy to love. Follow Nicole on IG @veterinarytechnicians 7 minutes \| Aug 20, 2019 Back to School Minisode: Death by Vectors, Golden Nuggets of Procrastination, & Who's Up Next on the Show Winter is coming......the next semester is upon is....I'm already convulsing from scalars, vectors, and stupid ass calculations to determine how far balls will drop and roll from ends of tables. But! in this mini mini VMR episode I'm brining you some of my favorite ways to completely waste time instead of killing brain cells with physics. I want to know YOUR favorite procrastination habits! Leave them in the comments over on the IG. In the meantime, here are the golden nuggets of hilarity and goodness:@thatvetlife @vetpocket@overheardvet@crazybitchproblems@drunkbetch 62 minutes \| Aug 9, 2019 Finding her path, creating balance, and living without apology with Shelby aka @traveling_dogtor Her posts are the type of genuine transparency that make us feel like she's the friend we'd want to have coffee with on a Sunday morning to talk about life. Shelby, aka @traveling_dogtor, gets candid about how she found her way back to her calling for veterinary medicine, the tragedy that helped shape her, bucket lists, and how she finds balance on and off her mat as a yoga instructor. If you're not already following her journey as a second year vet student and avid traveler, make sure you check out her blog and instagram and give her a follow! Links below:IG @traveling_dogtorBlog: www.travelingdogtor.com 14 minutes \| Jul 28, 2019 After a 14 week abduction and probing by emotional aliens, Vet Med Radio IS BACK and so stoked to reconnect with all of you. The last few months have been...well..........just give this short little mini episode a listen and I'll tell ya all about it. 13 minutes \| Apr 20, 2019 Phlegm Phriday. The Pneumonia Episode. A silver lining to hacking up lung tissue and with a side of pink eye? You betcha. Getting completely sidelined by pneumonia right before finals actually does bring some positivity with it...and it's not drug induced delusion (entirely).In this episode, I read YOUR tips and suggestions for staying healthy that you posted on @vetmedradio and I talk about some new perspectives brought by the onset of fever and prescription meds. DM or email me your funniest clinic stories!! Let's get the VetMedRadio Comedy Hour going!vetmedradio@gmail.com 39 minutes \| Apr 12, 2019 Traveling around the world to work with animals sounds like something all of us might eagerly raise our hands for. But, travel and cost of living isn't cheap and then there's a host of other things to consider when spending time abroad. In this episode, Amber tells us exactly how she manages to spend several months volunteering in places like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia all while still being able to live comfortably. If you're dying to follow your nomadic spirit, don't miss this episode! Find Amber on Instagram @vettechandtravel to keep up with her latest passion project of traveling around the world to serve animals in need. Links from the show: Phnom Penh Animal Welfare SocietyLoop AbroadWorld VetsRAVSAVMA International OpportunitiesInternational TEFL AcademyPal FishVIP KID Mutts and Guts Brings Wisdom and Wit from her 15 years as a Veterinary Technician. If you already follow Jenn of @Mutts_and_Guts on Instagram, you already know she brings us daily posts that leave us laughing, cringing, thinking, and holding our breath for more...all at the same time. Her photos and captions teach us and her humor make us wish we could all be that witty and wise while extracting foreign objects and expressing anal glands. In this episode we dive into her 15 year career as a vet tech, her nearly 60k instagram stalkers (I'm one of them), how her kids thought she was being cat-fished in the DM's, the time she had to explain male ejaculation to a client and the time she squirted the most foul of foulness into someones eye...and of course the serious stuff too, like the current state of veterinary technology as a profession, the "nurse" initiative and lots more. She's hilarious and wise...like the owl from those tootsie pop commercials... Too young to remember those? Stick around young'un. Let these old ladies teach ya a thing or two. 4 minutes \| Mar 27, 2019 VetMed Radio takes a candid look into the many layers of veterinary medicine by talking to professionals in a variety of fields inside and outside of the clinic. Tune in as I talk to students and seasoned professionals all across the globe sharing our common passion of serving animals and the planet. From general practice to unique specialties, this show leaves no question unanswered regarding the path to practice, how to stay there, but more importantly how to thrive while serving others.	8,898
Whenever i try eight, my buddy intimately, verbally and you can really mistreated me personally consistently tapered on my toddlers – PT. FSR Cahaya Mandiri Whenever i try eight, my buddy intimately, verbally and you can really mistreated me personally consistently tapered on my toddlers Whenever i try eight, my buddy intimately, verbally and you can really mistreated me personally consistently tapered on my toddlers I was “obviously” scared to inform Mother getting concern about the woman reaction This is a good article. I’m able to absolutely relate however, my personal abuser are my brother and you may now, simply receive therefore late inside my existence one to my personal Mom are a genuine Narcissist. I did share with my personal Mother once i are advised because of the a good pal so you’re able to “Tell Mother” when i broke off inside the rips that night at the her family. I became nonetheless a child but I recently did not hold in my personal soreness anymore. My pal hoping me she would getting with me getting help. Oh my personal, exactly what a tragedy! She never ever did actually most tune in to what i is seeking to share with the girl, she was only livid one my good friend was indeed there! She never ever delivered it once again hence making it possible for my cousin to help you keep his abuse. I sustained by yourself. It aunt experimented with a keen apology far after within my lifestyle however, it absolutely was truly one-sided, it was obvious he had been doing it to have it off His chest as he told you just what the guy needed seriously to state and you may when i made an effort to make sure he understands my personal attitude, the guy got up-and produced the fresh dismissive review, “We just have to prevent disliking each other.” I became surprised. Yes I did so create one wall surface, brick of the stone not so long ago and i also too feel unable to understand how I’m able to take it off since it do affect my personal marriage. I’m sure in the event the he had been respectful inside the apology and is willing to listen to me personally away and you may regard my personal emotions, we can make progress but rather, since i have maybe not forgiven your, the guy continues to lash out playing with shame once the their equipment and you will faith to frighten me. It merely deepens my animosity for the your. The guy nevertheless never actually “OWN” what he performed. It is alway’s an excuse or absurd reason as to the reasons he did exactly what he did but never simply getting full duty. How can you forgive somebody once they merely continue fanning the newest flames? Today, at the almost half a century old, I understand the damage my mom inflicted right through so you’re able to today, she’s got become pitting united states against each other which have lies in the lady triangulation communications strategies. It has been taking place for many years I just discovered. She manipulated myself to the becoming the girl caregiver because of the telling myself lies in the my brothers refusing to deal with this lady whenever she try diagnosed with dementia. We in some way experienced obligated and you will gave her nearly a decade off my entire life being their slave. I believe like the planets greatest sucker. My husband has been privately abusing me personally for a long time. I fundamentally known as cops toward him the very first time, two months ago, after he assaulted me personally before our youngsters and you may our baby just who become weeping hysterically. I setup an excellent DVRO and you will would definitely declare split up. However,, he claims he’s already been taking cures and alter and understands he cannot has damage myself. Says he did not understand it is traumatizing me otherwise one crappy that we would ultimately telephone call the authorities. I’m mislead. He has an effective PhD away from Harvard into the Physics. How could he maybe not be aware that , for-instance, striking myself about head and you may offering me personally a beneficial concussion wasn’t “wrong”? How could he not know that beating me together with fists and you may gear while i is actually 37 months expecting maybe not ‘abuse’ otherwise ‘traumatic’? How could he today know that throwing me on the right back, dragging myself out from the bed from the my locks, and twisting my case behind my back a few months ago would not ‘traumatize’ me personally? The guy carries on apologizing and you will says they are delivering procedures and you can DV courses now knows just what the guy did is completely wrong and wants us to ‘heal’ and start to become children again. He’s insisting that he changed of course Really don’t try to ‘heal’ with him and you can rebuild us, it might be my personal fault which our family members is forgotten and our cash damaged basically do not get rid of the newest DVRO (given that he says he’s going to eliminate their large expenses business if the new employer finds out discover an excellent DVRO against him- In my opinion he would not and is looking to guilt myself). But, he states all this work having ‘apology’ and you can stating he has got ‘changed.’ That there is something very wrong with me for not acknowledging his apology and shedding the DVRO and you can permitting him back to living and you will are now living in our house. I simply tell him I am frightened and you may traumatized in which he have with the are ‘pushy’ on soothing myself that he’s alter and can never lay a little finger to your me once more. I have 18 noted situations off actual assault within the last five years. I am not sure exactly how otherwise as to why I will forgive him and you will Believe they have changed once eight months since becoming arrested. Or, am We ‘paranoid” and will abusive people Change, or, was the guy manipulating me personally. I’m your DVRO gets me coverage but he says this is not requisite and states I want to downgrade it so you’re able to a quiet contact buy very his job won’t be jeopardized. I do not require your straight back however, he states if it cannot occurs, he will falter throughout the stress of the things, will not to able to steadfastly keep up his job as well as eradicate it when the Hour finds out he presently has good DVRO, and since he’s the amount of money earner i will be economically lost due to the fact he states the guy aren’t able to find various other job to possess a dozen-1 . 5 years which have https://datingranking.net/es/citas-en-tus-40/ a DVRO on the document. Please let. 22 April 2022 22 April 2022 Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *	6,871
The Anaheim City Council Tuesday night cast a final vote to rezone seven acres of parkland to industrial so the property can be sold to a developer, a move critics say could leave thousands of residents without adequate open space. The land is between Anaheim Blvd and S. Lewis St., which is also close to the Platinum Triangle development, a high-density mixed-use zone where some 27,000 residents are expected to live when it is built out. City officials purchased the land approximately a decade ago for $2.9 million, and they expect to get three times that amount by selling it. City council members in May approved issuing a request for proposals to purchase the site. City officials say the land, which is undeveloped, is not suitable for a park because of its proximity to the 5 Freeway, citing environmental agencies’ advice against building parks near freeways. They also said it’s awkwardly shaped and provides residents with limited access. They decided to sell the property even though Anaheim and much of north Orange County is “park poor,” with little or no open space for its residents. Officials say they will look for other property that is more ideal for a park. But that commitment wasn’t enough to secure a unanimous vote from council members. The vote to approve the rezone was 3-2, with Mayor Tom Tait and Councilman James Vanderbilt voting no. Council members Jordan Brandman, Kris Murray and Lucille Kring voted for the rezone. “It’s a big, big mistake with consequences for a generation. And for that reason I’m voting no,” Tait said. “It’s owned by the people. Once it’s gone, its’ gone forever.” Tait pointed out there are several parks in the city near freeways, including Miraloma Park, which just opened, and that, while the site might not be ideal, Anaheim is urban and fully built out. Community Services Director Terry Lowe said the air quality advisement applied to parks with sports fields, not parks without them like Miraloma. Councilwoman Kris Murray said she was comfortable rezoning the land with a commitment from Lowe that the city would strive to make finding a replacement site “a reality” and not some “pie in the sky” proposal. Lowe said he and city officials would do their “absolute very best” to find a park site near the Platinum Triangle. However, he said the city isn’t currently in negotiations with any potential sellers. Related Since you've made it this far, You are obviously connected to your community and value good journalism. As an independent and local nonprofit, our news is accessible to all, regardless of what they can afford. Our newsroom centers on Orange County’s civic and cultural life, not ad-driven clickbait. Our reporters hold powerful interests accountable to protect your quality of life. But it’s not free to produce. It depends on donors like you. Join the conversation: In lieu of comments, we encourage readers to engage with us across a variety of mediums. Join our Facebook discussion. Message us via our website or staff page. Send us a secure tip. Share your thoughts in a community opinion piece.	3,202
Organizational changes can range from small-scale incremental adjustments all the way to large-scale radical transformations. Whatever the magnitude, managers inside the organization, sometimes supported by consultants from outside, need to stimulate and guide change. In this sense, every manager is also regularly a change manager. To realize change, managers need insight into change processes (see no. 25, Everest Model of Change), but also require tangible change management tools. These are ways of influencing what people do (intervention methods) in order to steer changes in the right direction. The Change Manager’s Toolbox framework suggests that there are four change manager roles, each with four categories of tools. These roles differ along two dimensions. The first dimension is whether the role is focused on changing things (content-oriented) or changing behaviors (people-oriented). The second dimension is whether the role is focused on changing in a planned way (control-oriented) or in a more evolving way (responsive-oriented). All change manager roles need to be played by someone, but not necessarily by the same person. Which categories of tools are used will depend on the situation and the change manager involved. The four change manager roles and their associated tools are the following: Project Manager. Every change can be seen as implementation project of getting from A to B, whereby the change manager needs to go through the classic plan-do-check-act cycle to ensure the effective and efficient execution of change. To run this cycle, the project manager will typically use tools from each of the following in four categories: Activity planning. Tools for determining which tasks need to be carried out and when. People planning. Tools for finding the right people and assigning tasks to them. Resource planning. Tools for providing these people with all the necessary means. Team Coach. Every change can also be seen as a team challenge of getting from A to B, whereby the change manager needs to coach the squad to work together in unison to be successful. To achieve this concerted effort, the team coach will typically tap into all four categories of potential tools: Direction setting. Tools to ensure all team members are striving towards the same goals. Expectation alignment. Tools to help mutual understanding and agree on shared rules. Team building. Tools to foster team spirit and commitment to each other. Learning Facilitator. Every change can also be seen as a learning journey of starting at A and finding out whether B is the right destination, whereby the change manager needs to facilitate the unfolding insight and to trigger the required adaptation. To achieve this ongoing learning, the learning facilitator can draw on tools from four categories: Learning from practice. Tools for gaining understanding from implementation feedback. Learning from experiment. Tools for discovering from controlled testing of assumptions. Learning from mistakes. Tools for drawing conclusions based on errors made. Learning from others. Tools for capturing and transferring best practices from elsewhere. Engagement Officer. Every change can also be seen as an uncomfortable move of going from A, inside people’s comfort zone, to B, somewhere outside. The change manager needs to win people’s hearts and minds to embrace this discomfort and then keep them engaged when the going gets tough. Four categories of tools are typically employed: Process participation. Tools to facilitate involvement and influencing of the change. Personal connection. Tools to help relationship-building and mutual bonding. Confidence building. Tools to stimulate people’s conviction that success is attainable. Inspiring leadership. Tools to encourage people to follow the change leader. Change has four different faces. Change can be seen as an implementation project, as a team challenge, as a learning journey and as uncomfortable move. All four sides of change pose different questions and require their own response. Change managers can play four roles. To tackle each of the four change issues, change managers need to play a different role – project manager, team coach, learning facilitator and engagement officer. All roles need to be filled, but not necessarily by the same person. Change managers can be content- and people-oriented. The roles of project manager and learning facilitator focus more on the ‘what of change’ – things and activities. The team coach and engagement officer focus more on the ‘who’ – the people. Change managers can be control- and responsive-oriented. The roles of project manager and team coach focus more on the planned side of change, while the learning facilitator and engagement office focus more on the evolving side. The change manager’s toolbox has 16 compartments. Each of the four roles has four categories of tools, giving a toolbox with 16 compartments, each with room for a whole range of specific tools. A change manager’s toolbox is big and needs time to be filled.	5,237
Why this site exists \| My Background \| Related Videos and Links \| Golden State Sports Medical Stalking's \| A taste of some of these Childhood setup attempts and frame jobs to try to make me look crazy \| The Entertainment Industry and Media turned and used against me as a mental illness weapon \| Some of the Worldwide Lies about me \| Worldwide Coffee Shop Stalking's \| Worldwide Restaurant Stalking's \| Worldwide Internet Stalking's \| Worldwide IRC (Internet Related Chat) Stalking's \| Security Companies Contacted to Stalk Me \| Daily Blog \| Interactions with people \| Police Stations I've tried to file crime reports and get help from \| Lawyers I've contacted refusing to help me and avoiding the truth \| Psychologists/Psychiatrists/Therapists I went to told to try to remove me from society \| Some of the Porn Stars and Models and Actors Who are more heavily involved with the Entertainment Industry \| Memory Maps \| A taste of some of the things done to my cars \| A taste of some of the More Obvious Messages In Public Directed at me \| Things I've done to prove what is going on or make a point about what is being done to my life \| Some of my Artwork People and the Police and Government are using to try to make these operations look Justified \| Thrown in Maximum Security Prison for Speaking out about what is being done to my life \| Organizations and Business related Incident Report Database (Detailed daily incident reports of my targeters) Searchable database by time, date, tactic, amount of harassments per day Assault And Battery's done to me \| People in my life and their tactics \| Tactics Used \| Video Evidence \| Video Diary \| Interviews, Dialogs, and Therapy Sessions \| Incriminating Evidence \| Changing Psychological Labels \| Changing Criminal Accusations \| Criminal Defamation, Defamation, and Slander information put online to rule the masses against me \| Some of the Lies Disseminated to the WORLD \| Detailed Database Reports by minute \| Counter Surveillance with PoliceAbuse.com \| More Police and Gov Targets \| Raw Data Dump (Unedited raw data collected from mass never ending attacks) LAPD Refusing to investigate or put a stop to these crimes against me (Police Offices I have been to, to file reports and get detectives to investigate, showing they all refuse to lift finger over the years and get anything documented in the Police system on my behalf as well as investigate the mass crimes against me as to what has and is being done to my life. They are also trying to cover it all up by saying that this is somehow my fault, when them refusing to stop, and take part in the actual crimes is their own fault and all they had to do was say this is wrong when they found out I was being hunted and working with Mike Huntley sent after me at a young age) Go straight to Locations I attempted to submit evidence and file reports of the enormous crime spree against me Go straight to Police Contacted for specific incidences showing I am not crazy and under attack in which they REFUSE to lift a finger to stop and are supporting since a young child Link to Raw Data of these conversations exposing being lied to as you can see by what they say and how they act avoiding every aspect of the situation to lock me away to cover up their 40 year crimes I have pretty much have gotten the same exact packaged responses from all divisions, fabricating lies that absolutely no crime is being committed basically telling me that people who get together, attempt to kill, torture, inflict pain until something happens to you with aggressively and endlessly following you, or waiting for you in large groups from place to place, with pre-meditation, Motive, and intent to hurt, harm, mame, and rid someone of the world conspiring together is absolutely no crime, is allowed. And therefore killing people according to them is allowed, because their is no physical contact. Basically saying killing people is only illegal is physically touched and done in an obvious manor. And if it is done in other ways, it is ok, and has nothing to do with motive and intent. Showing they support illegal, criminal activities such as this for those they just feel they don't like. And has nothing to do with Law and Order, or right or wrong when they hold the power to make choices about peoples lives and crimes being committed. Police and News Admission that Gang Stalkng is real with Police Stating that it is a crimes While going from station to station all throughout California with solid proof and evidence of these mass crimes, I was told by each and everyone of them all in global communication that no crime has been committed against me and people are allowed to inflict psychological terror, especially to end someones life. But right here, we have news organizations and the Police saying the opposite. Showing that they are involved in my stalkings. And don't wantto help me in any way, shape or form, and want me quiet or dead and gone. Showing these aren't just civilian operations. But government operations who usually contact the citizens turning them into vigilantes. For 17 years, trying to hire Private Investigators to prove what has been going on, each and every one knew who I was, and refused to help me even after taking my money. Government trying to keep me quiet in Washington DC when I hired PoliceAbuse.com for counter surveillance to prove what is going on https://kevinperelmantarget.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/trip-to-washington-dc/ Yet if Kevin Perelman blinks wrong or smiles at a girl it is the end all be all of capital crimes, and the Police have no problem followng me from place to place with NSA/FBI and probably billions in resources on me. Making me 10 times more known, or Infamous for no legitimate reason then Donald trump and destroing me life and name in secret. Except the difference is, that I am told I am imagining it, when each and every person I m in contact with world wide knows me, and does not want to admit it for some reason, basically doing the types of things that cause paranoia. Try talking to person after person who knows you and says they don't. What is the affects of that kind of trong>ABUSE to your life? How could you even have a life? Hence one of their many crimes against me. That is not mental illness, that is a reaction to the manipulated devious situations against me. Hence the cover ups, becuase they don't want to admit the truth to the world. Because that invovles admitting all sorts of crimes and illegal operations that have been done to me my entire life. Hence destroying my name and life for who knows what the real reason is. Some of their lame cover up excuses is I joke around on my social networks, as if that is going to cause chaos, and somehow it isn't other people actions and behaviors doing things in my name. Yet no matter how many times it's said or reported at these people are stalkign me. The police will turn things around on me refusing to be honest just like all the false arrests, threats, and things done to me. Showing they have ulterior motive and hidden agendas to dictate my life or lock me away. Which goes against our constition of the United State. Example, when you were 21 you walkd down to the store in Ashland Oregon and bought a joke shirt that said "Lords Gym", "His pain, your gain" somehow equals, I am creating worldwide Chaos and am a nuisance. Yet, the people who make the shirt, where you can now buy at christianbook.com. The Store owners, have done nothing wrong. Just the person they don't like is committed the crime of all crimes and they can't even tell me in a direct sentence what my crime is, shows that this is not about some joke shirt and things like this that people normally do all day and night. That is like saying Robin Williams is creating chaos by telling jokes. The Psychochology communities involved in trying to cover up these operations with the Police aiding and abetting one of the largest crimes in history against one man with worldwide support. Some black girl named Felicia also invovled in following me to Topanga/Ventura Starbucks and Encino Ventura/Havenhurst Starbucks telling me that in order to stop what is going on is to sue and that she is a secratery at a law firm with changing stories. While she is right as far as the people responsible for destroying my life and holding them accountable for damages. She seemed to be playing both sides of the fense with the Police and Lawyers in respect to them trying to put me in a bad light, as well as locking me into positions with the police and lawyers to charge huge flat rates instead of hourly, and keep arresting me to fraudulantly steal my money with a large group of lawyers, and turning things around on me, trying to make it look like I am crazy and a sue happy nuisence. All planned out with these mass groups. Also notice, that while there are some recent ILLEGAL setup attempt, and frame job by the LAPD, in these endless operations to rid me of the world. This also shows MOTIVE in their behalf to lock me away for no reason, because they just don't like me for soem reason. Because filing a police report shows the truth that I am being stalked, targeted, and hunted. And filing the report, shows that I am the victim. This showing that they are involved, and aiding and abetting one of the largest crimes known to man. And are not acting on things like crimes being committed. Just hunting down people they don't like for no reason, just like Adolf Hitler. Especially with some court dates coming up in regards to these arrests would show that I am being stalked. And the the Police showing that, that hunting down and killing someone is ok for some reason when they don't like or trust people. Yet it is never ok, for any reason which most people generally know. There is no reason why the Police would not file this at any time. After turning 29, about 17 years ago, and not being able to comprehend the situation and get past being freaked out, I went to the LAPD, and at every single time was denied help. After the first few times that nothing is going on, the usual lies and cover ups, or whistle blower hints, with them whistling at me, or other cryptic thuggings, I went to several Private Investigators who pretended they didn't know me and ripped me off. One was even a Police officer who did part time Private Investigations showing this was about a cover up to endless crime spree's against me since a very young age. Why would they not want me coming in reporting a crime when I found out directed at me? After this, I decided to get proof with servaillence equipment because no one would help me, which seemed to make them angrier that I wanted to document and prove crimes being committed against me, which is their job, which they refuse to do for some reason. Even after this, things like telling them, and trying to present them with the proof and evidence. Going to the detectives with a hard drive of 6 months of psychological torture of servaillence video at public locations of these endless terror attacks directed at me now going on over 35 years. Which I found out at 29 was going on. Undeniable vidence Presented to these Police Stations THEY REFUSED, to take one second to even look at it. Or investigate it A restraining order form showing that obviously crimes without physical touch such as putting poisen in someones food or pre meditated psychological terror/torture operations with large groups are illegal. Showing their lying to cover up their involvement Which the Police will make insane comments, that because their is no category for these mass stalkings against me that I am supposedly imagining. That no police crime report can be filled out. Example, Mass stalking, Attempted murder, Group mental batterings, Group Harassments. As if the end all be all importance is what is on the Title of a piece of paper which goes to dedectives who alredy know me and the endless crimes to INVESTIGATE! Especially the amount of reports or times I had to call the police. The whole concept of a report is to get it to the detectives to do their job and figure out what the crime is. Which they INENTIONALLY refuse to do because they don't want the truth coming out. That I have done absolutly nothing wrong and am being hunted since 5 years old. And the BEHAVIORS show that I have nothing to hide, and they have everything to hide. Especially since 29 years old and fnding out. This is exactly what was given to them and a little more. All they had to do was look at the pictures and be honest. So those who looked at it are lieing, and those who refused to look at it, or instantly cut it short, are showing they are INTIONALLY avoiding the evidence so that they don't have to investigate the crimes. Showing they are invovled in illegal operations to end my life or remove me from society which makes them responsible and involved in one of the largest crimes in history directed at one man. On each and every place station, they do whatever it takes to INENTIONALLY avoid the issues. They pretend that they are busy and don't have time, The ydo whatever it takes to stop me once I am about to show them the flat out deniable proof. They pretend I can't verbally tell them, but once I start to explain the complex details to cut me off pretending all crimes are based oon a single sentence. Example. "He hit me", "He threatened me" Yet they know who I am, and refuse to take the time to look at the evidence. Either way, it does not matter if they know me or not. Someone comes in a police station who is being stalked, or for any reason, and it's instant blow off's, and then things like "We are watching you" shows that they are negligeable for not stopping the crimes in all circumstances. Especially if someone walks in with proof, and they don't want to take the time to see it. And if they have seen it and refuse, they are even moreso guilty of aiding and abetting a crime.Or refusing to do their job and stop the crime against someone who's life is in danger. This is done with Malice, and Intent to stop me from talking, Stop them from filing reports, or investigation, PRETENDING that things have to be a specific way in life. And this is not only the street officers, this is the Detectices who do things like invest their lives and all day in figuring out a crime. Showing that they are guilty and involved, and don't want the crimes stopped because people they know will be held accountable. Making the statement that killing people is ok, if they are friends with them. Showing that they are involved and don't want any of this coming out with world wide cover up labels working with corrupt paid off psychologists, that I am crazy and a Paranoid Schizophrenic, while trying to collect anything they can to cover up their crimes against me. What they have always done to me my entire life. They refuse to file a simple report. In every single time or location I go to the Police trying to make it look like I don't want this stopped, am crazy, and stop any paper trail with evidence I keep trying to get them, showing a crime is in progress, then trying to say I am a nuisance, and trying to cover it up by pinning it on me and turning the entire situation around on me. Simply filling out a report that goes into the system, and shows that these things are being done to me, they absolutely will not do at any PoliceDivision all contacted with packaged responses. Normally, you come into the Police Department, a report is filed, if there is enough their for detectives, they investigate it. They are intentionally avoiding step 1, so that there is no record of anything. No matter how much Undeniable proof I have of these stalkings, harassments, terror operations, they will do whatever it takes to try to cover this up, make sure it doesn't get into the police system with evidence, and investigated to protect and sever me for some strange reason. Which seems pretty simple to me, even if you didn't believe it, someone people would be curious to take a few seconds to look at the photos in front of them, saying, this unacceptable, like they would every other person on this planet. So, here are all the locations that all have been contacted, as we know they are all one connected organization through the Internet, and will not simply fill out a simple piece of paper saying I am being stalked, harassed, provoked, threatened, you name it by groups with every lie known to man One officer said to me. "This does not meet the level of a crime", "People can park their cars on the street". Any time things like Motive, Pre meditation, people conspiring to use their cars and mental illness weapons to end my life and commit crimes they pretend is perfectly normal, allowed, and accepted and that I just have to get used to being hunted with mental illness tactics for some reason.Which is a conspiracy to hurt, harm, mame, kill, remove from society, you name it is completely ignored as they play stupid. They simply refuse to do what they are obligated to do which is fill out a piece of paper that goes into the system, and then is reviewed to see if it needs to be investigated despite that fact that the evidence that I bring in each time normally a detective would instantly look at and say that what is going on is unacceptable.. Also, when talking to the investigators, or detectives, they all have the same cover up story, non of this is a crime. And we all know their is one of the largest crimes known to man, in history, and with world wide support. Their is no crime larger that what has been done to my life. With literally every criminal and civil laws being broken known to man directed at me. On almost every instance of going to police stations all over, each and every one tried to manipulate me back to the source, at Topanga, and Woodland Hills Division in California. On each instance, I went out to public locations, like starbucks, witnesses the crimes against me. Took pictures and video, and when walking in explaining of the situation also with pre printed examples of where I live, and world wide examples they tried to play games that it is not in their jurisdiction even though the daily crimes are being committed in each and every one of these city's by mass groups. Showing the crimes are taking place in their jurisdiction but they for some reason want to keep me on a leash, with the originating predators in the LAPD, who have targeted me at a young age with these operations. Normally, you would be somewhere else, no one would know you. Of course, they pretend they don't know me and I am crazy, to try to cover up what they have done to my life, while data-mining, and following me from place to place collecting every detail of my life, and using it for mental illness tactics, and their spy game suggestive messages hinting that they know this or that, one of Brain Longbotham's tactics sent after me, while hiring me for a Universal Studios job called Spy Game. to try to make me look like a Paranoid Schizophrenic. Which shows that information and what they are trying to do to me and my life is all being controlled with pre-meditation, motive, and intent with an end goal. And that is removing me from society which is the crime of all crimes. ls known as STALKING. Except in this case, with world wide support since younger then 9 years old. Yet on fox news, a girl posted on her twitter, "Good, I made a girl kill herself" who committed suicide in High School, and yet she was arrested immediately under the same criteria.And this is one person, And I have worldwide groups working on me all day and night, 24/7 for 35 years. Showing that they are trying to sweep this under the rug or turn it around on me. Conspiring to do things to people by itself is crime. No matter if they say it is to help someone or rid them of the world, especially in world wide groups with every lie, smear, slander, defamation, criminal defamation, endless death threats I had better not say anything, and things like this. You name it. People in positions like Karine Echington, Susan Donar, Oscar Pakier being paid off to throw clinical labels on me, while disseminating my conversations, taking them out of context, turning them around on me, giving them out to the public, and Lorena Escobar, or having people endlessly try to prove their theories on me, until they make it come true in their heads with their endless obsession is a crime as well. These are all illegal activities pursuing and targeting me. Especially if I go to them paying them to have someone to talk to breaching confidentiality agreements. Showing that these people will try to get any information to take out of context and use against me illegally and with Motive, Pre Meditation, and execution of a crime, that they are trying to accomplish. The definition of all these things are CRIMES! Also, they refuse to file any type of other reports for me that while appear as other incidents, are linked to the same operations, like the fraud operations they are working with the private citizens. For example, the Private Investigators, the Lawyers, all involved in these activities, and stealing my money in fraudulent acts while trying to lock me away and try to figure out ways to not only take my money, but stop me from getting help on any level, after. Even told to my previous Lawyer Richard Barnwell, who has no concern for these illegal operations, and turning it around on me saying that I am screwing with the cops, and it is my hunt or pursuit while working with the prosecution to try to get anything to use to use against me. Showing that this is a criminal supporting these illegal operations, while Lawyers, and Private Investigators, psychology community, seem to all be connected and involved in these illegal operations and told to do the same things. Example, after they have people commit crimes against me, I call them for help, and Officer Dinse, Detective Angela Stuart, and a lot of others my entire life will be contacted worldwide and make sure they take my money and put me in jaul. After 100's of phone calls to each and every one. Same thing, also letting me know they have been contacted. This is because of what I know was done to me my entire life, This has been done to me my entire life for some reason, which is strange and they want me dead and gone. Even operations of the Police in Colorado sending in a squatter in my home, and when the police were called, them coming after me for simply doing what people are told to do, and that is call the police. When trying to report this mass crime spree, and put a stop to it, On almost every occasion the police do not want to take the evidence I have showing they don't want any record of what is going on, sometimes I am told a Detective will contact me, But never anything to file a report, get it in the system and start investigations, and put a stop to the crime since 29 years old. This is a packaged response, done with intent to stop me from getting any help, showing specific proof of crimes against me. Seems strange that the people who talk about law and order, and peaceful communities don't want that, and to stop horrific crimes especially against one person, like this. Met will all sorts, of thugging, blackmail, indirect threats, you name it. Also, this is so large, they already know of it, and the world knows it, and nor should I have too even spend the time trying to get people to do the jobs they are obligated to do once they know of the crimes against me, weather I go to the police station, or not.. They should have stopped the criminal activities before I even knew about it. Because that is their job, to keep the peace. Not create the Chaos and pin it on someone for finding out, and watch them be hunted so they can keep their 35 year secrets covered up. Also, each and every time I go into a police station, just like the public places, mass groups follow me in with the tactics in 10 minutes tracking my cell phone locater. With all the tactics, clothing colors, you name it. I would think, instantly, they see these people coming in with these mental illness operations, it would be unacceptable. And not try to somehow cover it up saying it is my fault. Recently 10/30/2017, I am now walking into the Police station with this evidence printed on paper and put in front of them in simple format. Undeniable that a 10 year old can comprehend, and they say their is absolutely nothing strange, out of the norm, or illegal going on here. Which is a blatant lie and showing they are aiding and abetting this crime, and refuse to put a stop to it. Most of them don't want me hading it to them and leaving it with them when I leave showing they don't want any record of the crimes against me. What they are handed which is printed from this page Why they are not after 17 years of their refusing to lift one finger to stop this working with their community volunteers (Empowered corrupt Vigilantes) as they call them. Especially down in the Topanga Division. Now at least after 17 years they are giving me their cards showing that I am reporting it, like I have always tried to do, showing I have done part in reporting it, not that I should have too, but still.no official information filed so I have to walk around the planet in isolation while they try to make me look like a crazy person to this world wide mob who wants to control me, instead of being honest about the situation so I can have the life I was robbed of. 1991 - Police have Kelly Hatch follow me to Southern Oregon State College Stalking me and trying to figure out ways to remove me from society for some reason, trying to collect whatever she can, frame me, try to set me up, and give the world every lie, information taken out of context, or trivial things that don't matter taken out of context and given to the world. Also claims I stole her car, and after her telling me to go in her room to get what I needed to barrow, telling the world that I broke in her room. Also trying to get a confession when the Police pull me over driving on the way to the movies with her. 1993 - University of Colorado - Homeless man pays a little down and signs a sublet agreement, probably an undercover cop, does not pay and rent and squats. Moving me out of my place. Just before I move out, My brothers friend Jason Baum who was sent after me with the Police and was told to Befriend me working with my brother. Tries to scare me into a false confession about my father and the LAPD putting a bullet in my fathers 300e Mercedes, and they tell the world I tried to kill or scare my father. Police called several times for things going on with this person, yet for some strange reason they are hunting me down over this situation with cover up operations, still in 2017, and in California.. Around 1998 - Police send a girl named Skyler(Stephanie) after ho befriend me on IRC working with all sorts of frame job operations, also trying to make me look crazy, We meet in Florida 30 mins away from where my brother lives, and she is working with thePolice in Operations to try to scare me into false confessions when Police pull her over From 2001 - 2017 - when going down to the Police Station on and off for help, every single time was denied help with lies, harassments, or terror tactics to make sure they would not stop the crimes against me. Went down there on and off. And several time with solid evidence. The same types of things you are seeing now, except that I couldn't comprehend the situation. Where it was coming from, what it was about. I was afraid to be firm about people worldwide knowing me and almost every interacton with people worldwide involving endless passive aggressive provokings and psycholgoical terror operations connecting mass worldwide groups across the Internet. While each person tried to leverage themselves over me to make me look crazy and remove me from society. The same operations have always been going on since 5 yeard old. Just going to larger and larger, more aggressive groups and tactics progressing over the years to try to keep me quiet and remove me from society. The only reason the police would not want to stop this is because they are involved and guilty of doing this to my life, and they don't want to incriminate anyone they know. Showing that they are not about law and order and involved in illegal operations. Around 2005 - contacting a Private Investigator who was a part time LAPD employee did whatever it took to silence me, and was not concerned with doing his job to prove what was being done to me 2011 - 2012 - I called the Police called while at Encino Starbucks (16461 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91436) as I go into CVS Phamecy next door, a black man is waiting in the distance by the cashier line. Cashier which endlessly provoked me for about 5 years with worldwide support. As I go into line, the black man working with the Police and Starbucks COrporation says I cut in front of him. I am nice enough to tell him, he was waiting on the other side way over there, but if he wants the spot in line, and it means that much to him, he can have it. He makes a derogatory comment, and I let him know I am not afraid. He then punches me in the face, non damaging, but non the less, a Battery. Once again while calling 911, and talking to the Police, the police let me know they know of the situation before I called letting me know they are working with him to stalk and hunt me in these 40 year operations. Like usual, at no point are these endless attacks on my put in the System to establish a paper trial of me bying hunted by enormous groups while saying I am a crazy violent paranoid schizo and public Nuisence to cover up these operations. 2012 - assault and battery by Jonpaul Narnjo against me at Starbucks nothing was done on my behalf 2012 - The day after these assaults Jaguar top was slashed - Filed report, they saw no need to investigate 2012 - the next day after this, they slashed my front and rear tire - They saw no need to investigate this when a report was filed 2012 - 10/30 - After telling a Encino Starbucks manager that people would not stop harassing me they told me I wasn't allowed there. After letting the Security Guard know everything that I already knew he knew was going on, he called the police on me making up lies with the customers After talking to a security guard from Andrews Internatonal he then calls the police on me. Policecome with security guards and Starbucks work on me with more false accusations to cover up the mass crimes they are involved in.Still working on me while just sitting outside to show that even though I was no longer in the Starbucks, anymore they would still continue to stalk and hunt me with the police, and mass worldwide groups You should take note that, by me simply sitting on a bench outside, and being forced to document these mass mental batterings in what the police call SKULLFUCKING to end my life or rid me of the world, that everything other then them saying what is being done to me is wrong. Putting a stop to it, admitting or ackknowledging the situation is happening is their focus. In other words. I do not speak of it, or I am a dead man for speaking out about being hunted. After this on 1/23/2013 A Police office who made up a name Officer Toro based on someone they sent after me 20 years prior at Soouthern Oregon State College named Javiar who would joke around saying "If you mess with the Bull, you get the horns" threatened my life saying "If you ever take a picture of a person, I will exercise the law in my own way" Keep in mind, not only is this person not Javiar. But the only thing I could have done to Javiar like everyone else in my life is blink or yawn incorrectly. And obviously this has nothing to do with Javiar, Just SKULLFUCKING me to death as they've been doing as far back as 5 - 9 years old for some reason In the late 90's they had a girl on IRC befriend me basically telling me they were going to SKULLFUCK me to death however it was cryptically delivered to me so I didn't know it was actually a death threat by her and the police. For a detailed incident report of these mass mobbings at this location alone, you can go to: http://www.kevinperelmantarget.com/Report/Default.aspx and sort by location to see the minute by minute attacks that went on for years, and are still going on worldwide all day and night 24/7 4/6/2013 - Attacked by a security guard on the Topanga shopping center property working on cover up operations with the police for destroying my name and life worldwide with endless mental terror attacks. Once I got photographs of the paperwork, John Paul Narano attacked me with 5 - 7 blows to the head to try to put me in the hospital or end my life to try to keep me quiet about not only what I know. But proof of libel, Defamation, Slander, on paper that is PROVABLE in a court of law. To their endless 17 year crime spress against me with WORLDWIDE support, and contacting every coffee Shop worldwide with 1000's of lies directed at me to rile up the masses to end my life Of course, the police were called, but like usual, they felt it was not a crime to kill someone if the person or people don't like them making up whatever lies they feel necessary. The fact remains, the person tried to bash my skull in and put me in the ground. And it was not in self defense. An arrestable crime no matter what his reasoning was. Yet, like usual, in the endless filed police reports my entire life. This is all perfectly normal and every day life for everyone. In this paper alone all sorts of cover ups and false accusations that they tried to FORCE and BLACKMAIL me into signing false confessions. What has been done to me my entire life to figure out ways to remove me from society After they turned the bathroom lights off on me 14 times, and had people keep following me to the bathroom, I called the employee's bluff sarcastically saying "I must be masturbaiting" she didn't like me standing up to her and they claim I told a girl I was masturbaiting in the bathroom. They Also had a Persian Friend of theirs yelling at me the top of his lunges trying to start a fight that I ignored. They then claim on this paper they didn't want me having a copy of that "I was yelling racial slurs, and starting a fight" They then also claim I threatened someone. Despite their 10 years prior of having 1000's of people per day provoking me endlessly, with every crime known to man done to me to end my lif, frame me, set me up and rid me of the world which no one wants t otalk about. All Related to my family, Mike Huntley, Paul Humphry, Polie and government illegal operations they don't want me talking about. While their Libel, Slander, and Defamation with Internet based resources go a lot deeper. This is just what is on this paper proving a few of them. They have made claims I am a white supremecist, Pedaphile, Tried to kill or scare my father by putting bullet holes in his mercedes which was him working with the police framing me with these endless other operations, Car Thief, Supposedly harassing woemn in Southern Oregon State College, And University of Colorado sent after me, Somehwo doing something to loiterers sent in my house to run me out of my house in college, Did something to a gay person in college by the crime of not asking him out, Asshole who abuses women, Am a hacker trying to make people mentally ill, Claims with the people at Golden State Sports Medical, my fathers company, after having Lorena Escobar hire me to finish her 30 year stalkings, are making up lies I am doing things to them to cover up their endless crime spree against me to end my life. These are just a few of their worldwide lies destroying my life on every level known to man to cover up this mass crime spree against me, and even funded by the Starbucks and Coffeebean Corporations to try to silence me with corporate money, and contacting Security, and having people follow me from place to place threatening my life over and over. Especially when corporate is called for complaints. 2014 - Officer Toro - "If you ever take a picture of a person, I will exercise the law in my own way" Threat, and reported to Internal Affairs 2014 - Around same time - Officer Jensen and Officer Sean Dinse misdemeanor with all sorts of bunk charges like assaulting someone by throwing a card at them because I asked Officer Jensen for his badge number when he showed he kept lying to me of things that weren't true. Like saying it is illegal to have a tripod on a sidewalk reported to Internal Affairs 2016 - Black people in car working with Starbucks follow me home while I am on my bicycle and egg me - Police take over 1 hour to show up after multiple calls 2016 - Filed a report of Vynal Wrap sign torn off my car. They saw no need to investigate all these incidences 2017 - Black people from the Metro Complex stage a fake theft, one jumps in my window of my car to frame me and try to make it look like I am involved in a theft, 911 is called, cryptic harassing messages from them directed at me, They still don't investigate what is being done to my life 2017 - Multiple calls to LAPD to come out on things like neighbors leaving rat tails on my welcome matte, and The cars parked in patterns to create mental illness, in the 1000's alone in a few blocks around my house. All they had to do was write some reports. Even the ones sitting in front of them while trying to thug me quiet that I am a 5150, and a Paranoid schizo. Refused to take a simple 100 yard walk with me showing them what was going on, which is blatantly obvious, and normally would have a a detective investigate it.Trying to make me look crazy. Making sure nothing was documented on what is being done to me and trying to make me look crazy. 2017 - Call to Westlake Village/Sheriff to come out being attacked and mobbed at Champagne French Bakery, and when showing him cars parked in such was, and walking back to my car and them doing it, he didn't want to write a report, and when calling to get the report, they never filed on like he said he did. Telling me weird things that I am winning and things like this. Trying to make me look crazy. Making sure nothing was documented on what is being done to me and trying to make me look crazy. September 2017 - Terrance Scroggins working with the LAPD and Sean Dinse in setup attempts, comes on my property throwing cards, following me around threatening me, with other threats from neighbors, I am arrested as the Police pretend that I call them while coming in my locked gate, just one of the many illegal setup attempts and Sean Dinse telling everyone on his personal facebook to set me up - Case was dismissed. Lawyers all contacted and told not to help me or steal as much money as possible while working with the prosecution on flat rates, and refusing hourly with retainers on every single one called. October, 2017 - Baily Bernard - Follows me home, harassing, provoking, blocks my gate to my place to stop me from getting in, Police are called, No evidence is taken, Detective Angela Stuart calls, does not want evidence, when asking if she wants me to proceed, they arrest me on a false warrant arrest they try to throw in fake charges of battery against me which was thrown out. Angela Stuart Contacting all the lawyers telling them not to help me, and refusing hourly with retainers on every single one called. November, 2017 - Reported multiple fraudulent thefts of my money stolen with corrupt pre meditated fraudulent operations with proof. LAPD refused to take reports, lying and saying they are civil matters. Would not make a simple report, nor would they investigate them November, 2017 - A Neighbor walking says "That is the man I want dead" while politely handing him a card. LAPD is called, Cryptic messages, and yet, nothing is still investigated on my behalf November, 2017 - Hispanic person waiting at my complex in gray infinity working with other neighbors, and Baily Bernard, does the same thing as Baily following me, and harassing me. Once again, the LAPD is called. They never come out and cryptic terror messages on the phone 2017 - Officer Sean Dinse - Stalking, Detective Angela Stuart, Officer Jensen and one claiming to be named toro stalking me "If you ever take a picture of a person, I will exercise the law in my own way" 2/15/2018 - - Police called on a car vandalism, a camera theft after taking pictures of my car, and an hour later for a person with a trained attack dog, who assault and batteried me, and sent an attack dog biting me while his girlfriend was hitting me in the head. And also wanted my other camera to try to thug me quiet. Reported to Topanga Division, and Van Nuys Division. Van Nuys didn't want to see a thing even though I was standing in ripped jeans and a dog bite saying that it needs to be reported to Topanga no matter what. Also, the day before a police K-9 Unit was driving by my place on Canoga/Burbank, and a police car waiting for me to take a walker NoNotice, nothing in the reports about a person having his dog attack me Download the Police Reports Endless calls to the LAPD about things after thing from random strangers I do not know, have no contact with, and when they come out, I am not involved in the crimes, or they are things like me simply going to the park and sitting on a bench trying to relax, where call after call is made. Even multiple times per hour, when they come out. I am simply sitting on a bench trying to relax. while they come out with their mass terror mobs, the police aren't concerned with, and They still don't investigate what is being done to me. Notice in the Reports, the Person unleashing a dog on me and biting me isn't even it it, while standing in front of them with blood and ripped flannel and jeans 8/16/2018 - on the phone with Detective Shapiro aabout this same person who see's me coming home, yelling "Fucking Faggot" and something else. Which she doen't want to take the time to look at with ACCUSATIONS that I am Delusional. Flat out telling me I was never assaulted or bitten. AVOIDING the evidence sent to her. A flat out statement, that I am crazy, this never took place. Showing she is not doing her job because she is throwing labels on me. It is irrelevant if I am crazy or not. Her job is to STOP CRIMES. and that is it. And those statements of hers, basically state that killing crazy people is allowed. Yet the Proof is right here, which she says never happened and does not exist. She also claims that he didn't say "I'm going to get you, you little snitch, Your dead" on the video and all it says is Dead, 7/17/2018 trying to play stupid while asking me about the time I emailed her focuing on the specific time. Which she seems mad at me because I emailed her late at night instead of 9 - 5 which is IRRELEVANT. She is also REFUSING to give me his name to file a restraining order to protect myself from him. 3/8/2018 - Police called about someone writing "Homo" on my other car in their endless obsessed angry rage to try to figure out ways to remove me from society while they keep doing this over and over, year after year. Police officer said she did not know what Title to put on it and would ask Watch Commander. Also turned out that after this people were following me the next day, trying to get information to use against me while saying "Gotcha" over and over which at the same time hinting about the movie from 1985 "Gotcha" where the Strip Club owner calls the person not going into the Strip Club a "Homo" showing that mass groups are working on me with paranoid schizofrenia Tactics. Download the PPolice Report from this hate speech 3/11/2018 - Black Person follows me from Ralphs lot who doesn't like me documenting the illegal activities yelling at me in his car. 911 is called and tells me to not go to Topanga Division because they are closed. Then tells me to go to Van Nuys and report it and they will be notified that I am coming in. When I go in. They refuse to file the report. Telling me I am crazy. And that due to freedom of speech, people are allowed to follow me in cars yelling in obsessed threatening manors. No report was filed with them saying no crime was committed. Because they didn't want any documentation in my behalf showing that mass groups are taking turns on me. I also have video footage of the event, which they did nto want to take it into evidence or file a report even with solid black and white proof of the situation. 3/14/2018 - 911 called and police come out to take report of someone who unbolted my front license plate nad put it on my front window. No report was written, just a card with an incident number. This could be because they don't want a paper trail of what is being done to my life to try to make it look like I am a violent paranoid schizofrenic. Was told by Officer Jaron that Detective Shapiro would be getting this information with the other things being done to me. Also, as per the conversation at the police station with the detective was to call 911 and have police come out and document it. 3/21/2018 - Restraining order processing against Victoria Walker, a person sent after me by the name of Brian Longbotham, a Visual FX superviser who befriended me after being fired from Modern Video Film, who I thought we had common interests to make money to find out he was sent after me by the government. IIntroduced me to Micheal Bialys, a Criminal Defense Attorney, and Victoria Walker. Told to befriend me, reel me in, and then try to filet me. Victoria has come back after 17 years to finish the job so to speak after it taking them 40 years of worldwide attacks to get the arrests they wanted. Even though they are trumped of charges of things done to me. Showing her true colors trying to get murder confessions, then tell me they are trying to find out what is wrong with me to cover up their endless, hate, rage obsession, nd destroying my name and life. working with the police, and having someone write her address 187 on my car after calling me telling me that 187 is the penal code for murder. Then having people assault and batter me with dog attacks once calling the police about the hate speech of theirs on my cars. Read More about it 4/6/2018 - Police called when Greg Koenig, and Dog attacker follow me out as I take a walk. Greg walking by me not saying a things as I didn't say anything either. Next day trying to jam my windows with cards working with Elsie Sandobal, and the dog attacker person who saw me on the other side of the street yelling things at me then flicking me off. While no actual crime was committed. The Dog attacker showed agression after threatening my life, having his dog attack me, and assualt and battery me with his girlfriend while working with Officer Sean Dinse's mass setup and extermination operaitons he packages as a neighborhood watch group. 4/7/2018 3 3:00 am After going outside to get some fresh air, Metro Neighbors can out in an angry rage, that I am still breathing to cover up their 35 year crime spree against me trying to passive aggressively provoke me by making U-Turns in front of me over and over. Finally one in a white BMW went out of control speeding on a right turn to try to bait, provoke, or guilt me about the lies they are told. And while doing this lost control and now is involved in a hit and run. Hitting the door of a white 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse. These people are Involved in Officer Sean Dinse's so called Neighborhood/Terror wtch groups as they try to package them. Setup operations to rid people they just don't like of the world who have done nothing wrong with childhood government flaggings. Starting in on me at around 5 years old. The hit and run has been reported with video of the incident. Although the car had no plates on it since a large part of the city has been told to take off their license plates directed at me as seen in other videos. One of Officer Sean Dinse's Gang Stalker/Neighborhood watch group ends up in Hit and Run while trying to provoke me with passive aggressive behaviors to try to figure out ways to lock me in jail This video shows what has happened every single time I have left my house for 17 years. Even simple walks, anywhere in the world directed at me with Officer Sean Dinse, and Mike Huntley’s so called Neighborhood watch groups. Which don’t fir the definition of what a neighborhood watch group is. And are personal terror operations now going on since early childhood to remove me from society with mass groups taking turns in anger and rage on me for reactions to lock me in jail. In this hour time, multiple people came out with more aggressive behaviors. One saying go to fucking hell 3 times in a row. 2 of them making U-turns where I am sitting because they don't want me walking around a cul-de-sac, And finally the person causing crashing, then fleeing the seen while the person waiting at the corner involved didn't want it on video While this never stops, it actually starts on more subliminal tactics starting around 5 years old and at 29, met with all sorts of Death threats from a person sent after me growing up named Mike Huntley a friend of my brothers. And at 29, going from pretending to be a friend to "We are using the system against you", "You had better live a careful life", "I have given you enough rope to hang yourself with", dropping papers about making people in South Korea mentally ill, while singing "World of paranoia" Working with the LAPD, officer Sean Dinse, and many others in these operations across 40 years, NSA/FBI support for some strange reason. And telling me weird things like Adolf Hitler, or a Slave owner would say "You are not allowed to defend yourself" On any level. Even verbally. 4/12/2018 - Went to Chatsworth Courthouse to file a Restraining order against Greg Koenig with undesputable proof of his stalkings with groups. The court denied the temp restraining order which makes sense, but after setting a hearing date for 6/1 for the main restraining order. The clerks refused to sign it, stamp it, and refused to give me to papers to serve Greg. Trying to play word games by packaging the temp restraining order with the normal Restraining order. With multiple people involved. Filing it in the computer systems as open, with no hearing. But on the paperwork has a hearing. To stop any record of what is being done to me in their computer systems. Multiple clerks were lying saying that because the checkbox says temp restraining order is denied, So is the perminent one. And the 6/1 hearing was to get the temp one again, which does not make any sense because temp referes to the immediate moment and how would you get a temp later, for now? If you've watched this video, how could you not want a hearing for a restraining order? Does something seem out of place? That is because they don't want anything truthful coming out about what has been done to me my entire life. And you can't make excuses to justify their actions or they can just hunt down and rid whoever they want of the world with lame excuses they did this or that based on whatever they want to say in their propaganda. Everything they've done to me my entire life is one sided arguments in secret to the world behind my back and in SECRET! The true sign of a liar who is trying to cover up their crimes with the Police and Government against me. Greg Koenig Showing who he really is. Notice how he says "Never Yell at me" with a thug personality. I do what he says or he stalks me. Is that the personality of someone who wants a peaceful neighborhood? Or a tyrant working with the police who will do and say whatever he wants to get what he wants. While going down to Chatsworth Courthouse to get a restraining order, the Judge Refused the temp Restraining or, and set a hearing date for the main one. After the judge signed the Approval forms, the Clerks all got together making sure to not sign it, and get me the appropriate serving papers saying that it was denied packaging the Temp with the Main one on word tricks After I got the main clerk to sign it, they Still refused to provide the paper work making up every lie known to man. Eventually when they figured out I wasn't stupid and knew the process, the main clerk took away the papers, and they gave me back copies missing the front page with the CH-109 form which shows a hearing date. This has all been recorded as anyone with common sense can see their endless lies to stop me from getting anything in the system that shows what is being done to my life. With such death threats by Mike Huntley a 25 year friend sent after me at 14 "We are using the system against you" This shows huge judical system corruption and after seeing this, you should not feel safe at all! The police are not here to protect you! If they don't like you, they will hunt you with every resource known to man. The reason they don't want me filing police reports, or restraining orders is, it will disprove all their lies to the world about me. I was flagged at 5 years old and my constitutional rights taken away. You should be afraid, very afraid! You could be next. For the crime of spilling your cereal milk on the table as a child This is all because I turned 29, wondered what was going on, and started asking questions and telling people what I was finding out Document with hearing date. But not in their computers And no papers to process the respondent to show up Eventually the Clerk in the court room signed it but after after for processing papers associated with it. She took it back showing they don't want it going to Greg Protecting the criminals they are working with in thee illegal operations. And gave me 2 copies of the one without a stamp. In there 2's tactics Online court schedule. Notice it is open, but their is no hearing done. So it is completely pointless. What is their excuse? I am a bad person so they don't want anything truthful coming out? That bypasses the entire judicial system that has to prove someone is a bad person. So they show guilt, and aiding and abetting crimes. Because there is no other reason they would stop this process that determines innocense and guilt. Why not just put jews up against a firing line and blow their brains out because they are supposedly bad people then 5/3/2018 - Officer Sean Dinse working with someone told to write "Homo" on my car in the endless car vandalisms, and defacings, then comes by and writes a parking ticket of 1.5 inches in the red on my car, about a week before him taking the stand in is falsified arrests to remove me from society, and lies that I am a 5150 Violent Paranoid Schizofrenic to cover up the crimes he is invovled in. Notifying mass groups off his facebook account to stalk me his illegal and unconstitutional Neighborhood watch groups directed at me to rid me of the world. And of course, my lawyer did not think that this information showing an obsessed police officer trying to rid me of the world is an act of a personal vendetta about keeping me quiet showing something highly illegal is going on in the courts, to the judge, or in front of the Jury. While this cannot really be reported to the Police, It has been Reported to Internal Affairs.Wether or not they are going to do anything about these corrupt unconstitutional operations. I cannot answer this. 5/10/2018 - After going to Van Nuys Court House, Instead of Chatsworth, they provided me with the Filed Restraining order paperwork. But of course the Chatsworth Courthouse Sheriff's could no get the papers to Greg Koenig after paid to serve him. Gee, Imagine that. The Restraining Order Paperwork can be downloaded here 5/19/2018 - On my way to Van Nuys Court House to take the Stand for Officer Sean Dinse's Illegal Fabricated operations to "Incarcerate me for life", because he is involved with thesse illegal 17/40 year stalkings with Mike Huntley as I quickly stopped to get coffee, and came out my 2007 GMC Envoy tire was flat and a person claiming to work for a tire company was sitting next to my car who didn't want to give me any information for my lawyer or court to let them know ehy I could not make it with passive aggressive harassments in anger.. But not only this, as I called the tow truck, the Persian Gas Station owners came out threatening the Tow Truck Driver not to tow me. When reporting this incident to the police on multiple occasions. They made up lies that because I was not the one threatened that the crime should not be reported or does not matter, even though it was directed at me non the less. Yet they have their neigborhood watch groups that report when lint falls off my shirt to the police with worldwide information disseminaton. But real crimes like this, that are in repetition, normally would go to detectives showing obsession and stalking directed at one man. While I will admit the tire rubber is old things aren't what they appear. And with the amount of resources on me, people and the police get very crafty to get what they want on every level known to man with endless resources since I was a young child Police are here almost every night being social with these people who are involved in a mass worldwide extermination campaign against me. While I cannot tell you if this is racial, I can say that I am Jewish, and they are Persian.And of course on the spookyer side, right after I came out ot my car, about 6 cars with "Keyes" plate covers showed up instantly, and several others without plates with mass groups working together on these psychological terror attacks which heen been esculating and growing since 5 years old directed at me. The things that are harder to grasp. Some of their Police Friends showing one of the reasons why the police won't uphold the law when it comes to me. While these police have pretty much been here almost every night for 10 years. My guess is that they are befriending the Persian Gas Station Owners to come after me. And that if I didn't stop by on the way to work years ago to grab a cofee, they never would have hung out with these people. Either way, the polices job is to uphold the law, and not kill others because they are friends with criminals. Groups of them congregate together with their Persian Criminal Friends who are involved in a mass stalking and on video which Topanga Police refuse to take with everything else I have being done to me. 6/22/2018 - Morning Groups of them congregate together with their Persian Criminal Friends 6/22/2018 - Night Once they realize I am documenting the situation because they have thrown me in maximum securiy prison based on false police allegations. He take off his plates. And since they didn't care that their Gas Station owner friends helped pop my tires on the way to court to take then stand, then THREATEN the Tow Truck Driver to not tow me with endles worldwide crimes being done to me with the Persian Community as well as other racial groups with worldwide defamaiton that I am a white supremecist and a crazy violent paranoid schizofrenic. And no matter how much proof of crimes against me did nothing to stop the crimes against me, covering up these mass unprecedented crimes. Who their friend friend officer Sean Dinse, who falsified endless charges and convicted me with illegal and UNCONSTITUTIONAL OPERATIONS to try to silence me for their endless 40 year crime spree against me. And these recent arrests start once I made phone calls to civil attornies for damages to my life. I have been THEATENED by peopel in the judical system that I will be incarscerated life if I tell people what is going on, and rid me of the world. As police and Judicial thugging for what I know. 6/7/2018 - Come home, and my car is gone 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse, towed and impounded. Howard Sommors Towing had towed my car. They refused to tell me who authorized it. And even after signing paperwork with the authorization on it, they refused to give me the signed paperwork. When I got my car back, at Howard Sommors Towing, the tire had been popped or slashed. After talking to the police on the first visit on a friday at about 4:30 pm, 6/8/2018 I spoke with an Officer Ortiz #27808. Who told me to talk to a detective on monday and DEMAND he do his job which I told he him I wasn't going into police stations demanding things from Police Officers, especially ones making up lies that I am a violent paranoid schizofrenic and 5150 and need to be incarcerated for life for what I know. On monday 6/11/2018 I spoke with a Detective who pretended he didn't know me and gave me the runaround how they will probably never investigate it. And it looks like nothing strange is going on. When I mentiond the video of the Gas Station Owners trying to stop me from towing the car, and threatening the tow truck driver and on video. Not only did ne not want proof of what looks to be a criminal threat. Saying because the Tow Truck driver is not reporting the crime of the Gas Station owners threatening him. Then it doesn't matter. And I can't report the crime being a third party, even though they are coming after me. Also, these Gas Station Owners are friends with some of the Topanga LAPD Officers who hang out each night with them. Showing the police support criminals. After this, I spoke with Officer Valdivia. He wrote of the 2 reports under the same report number. But of course kept mouthing off that nothing had happened and they are just old tires as if he knows everything and his opinion is the end all be all without investigating showing he is involved in a crime with his friends. Valdivia gave me a lapd email address to send more information, but he gve me a bunk address that bounced. After finally getting the paperwork from the Police Station, it turned out Officer Sean Dinse, working with these mass groups had someone slash my tire, and then impound it in front of my house on the public street claiming that cars can only be on the pulic street for 72 hours which isn't really enforced. Officer Sean Dinse who took the stand a few weeks prior, and gave me a parking ticket right before he took the stand for 1.5 inches in the red zone and not a Parking Enforcement person showing his person obsession to try to blackmail and thug me quiet. While talking to the Detectives about the continual tire poppings and other related incidents, like usually they give me a song and dance how their is not enough their to investigate, pretending they don't know me. And endless police reports like this showing I am being hunted which they seem to support. Once again, the leak appear to be right at the seam, but these tires keep going flat at convenient times, as well as the amount of resources to do these things with mass conspiracies, and provokings from almost each person involved while trying to hide who impounded my car for reasons that cars aren't normally impounded. 6/20/2018 - Gettng into my car and leaving to go to a Psychiatrist they are trying to BLACKMAIL and make me look MENTALLY ILL with their endless severe abuse to try to put me on medication to stop me from talking by putting me into some kind of zombie state, jail cell, or mental institution, I notice once again, the 3rd time in this month, on the GMC Enovy, in the same spot the Eclipse was parked on 6/7/3028. Someone let all the air out of my tire. And when I drove and felt it flat, the tire bead came off the wheel. After inspection of the tire after taken off, there was no actual damage.When going to Topanga LAPD to report the third time of this.Once again, Officer Valdivia was there. Same person who made the reports last week, Valdivia, who gave me fake emails was atthe front desk. This time said that nothing was strange about 3 flat tires on different cars in one month. Especially with the threats by the Gas Station owners to stop me from getting towed which I see police cars their every night hanging out talking to them. and that it is a bad tire. Not only did he not look at any pictures. He REFUSD to write up a report showing this keeps happening over and over. He even told me I could talk to "Officer Sean Dinse, he is in the back" trying to thug me in one way or the other as I let him know "Officer Sean Dinse is a lying Piece of Crap" At this point, because all police computers that are connected worldwide, and them telling me I am only allowed to go to Topanga Police Station to report the crime, like some kind of Manopoly or I am only allowed to go to the location of officers who have wanted me dead since Middle School with Tom Farley, I went to West Hills Police Station acouple of miles away and filled out a report with Officer Cozzarc, who says a detective will be contacting me. Althugh I have not seen this happen in 17 years since 29 and finding out I am being hunted by worldwide extermination operations for some reason. 7/17/2018 - Dog attacker See's me on the corner of Canoga/Burbank Woodland Hills, as I am making a right turn,. Threatens my life "I'm going to get you SNITCH, your DEAD" Report filed, but will the detectives do anything? Reported to Topanga Division LAPD Especially when it comes to my reputation and what is going on for the last 40 years, or these recent trumped up falsified charges and arrests by officer Sean Dinse, and Detective Angela Stewart? His statement alone proves they are mad at me for speaking out about then endless crime spree against me in which he doesn't want me talking. 7/24/2018 - Blackmail and extortion emails linking back to when I was the IT admin at my fathres office Golden State Sports medical showing privacy violations linked back to Lorena Esscobar and the Employees Went to Van Nuys Police Station and reported a crime of receiving blackmail and extortion emails saying they wanted money because they knew that when I worked at Golden State Sports Medical, at one point I changed my password to "ST@LK3D". I did this because Lorena Escobar, Fernanda SIme, George Escobar, Shanna Briantseva kept getting the admin passwords. George kept hinting he had them, but never directly said it. Fernanda Sime, kept demanding the passwords. And Lorena Escobar was hiring IT people to try to make me mentally ill, and shred up the network infrastructure as well as telling the world I am crazy in her mass stalking campaign my father was paying her to do as posing as an office manager while demanding I get rid of the firewall, and telling everyone I was somehow BLOCKING them from working because I was keeping outthe mass network attacks which she wanted to destroy the computer network and pin it on me. I changed the password to this to let them know that I knew what was going on to see what they would do. It's been years since then, and I was fired about 1.5 years ago. But you can see, something has lit a fire under their aass's and they took the bait, as they don't want me talking. Hence these blackmail and extortion letters you are seeing here which go a lot deeper into illegal activities directed at me my entire life from one thing to the next like this from person to person all INTERCONNECTED. Like usual, when I went down to the Police Station, they knew me, and didn't want to take the report, because they want to make me look like a Violent Paranoid Schizofrenic for what I know. And after having a long discussion about that, and a few days prior DEATH THREATS, in a slew of endless life long DEATH THREATS. That these people were adminently hunting me. He at this point after talking to a detective filed a report, I am sure they will do nothing with. Because he was pretending that he could not understand how a death threat from a person who has already attacked me with a dog, and assault and battery calling me a snitch, somehow isn't a danger to my life stating the "I am going to get you SNITCH- You are DEAD" he says is not a criminal threat somehow. Yet my farts according to the Police, are attempts on peoples lives. While Eventually this was delivered to a Detective Pamela Noon, who seems to be big on hinting messages about 12's. And first tries to fabricate things I've said to turn things around on me. And try to get any type of dirt to cover up what they are involved in. Then tells me that this is a genric spam that everyone is getting.And then telling me that it has nothing to do with me, even though my password that no one could have in it is on it. And the fact that I put it their because I was being stalked and wanted to see what they would do with it as we are now seeing years later. Not only this, with Coffee Shops WORLDWIDE claiming that I am somehow masturbaiting at them in public. And theirs supposedly no correalotion to these, Lorena Escobar sitting me in front of their security camera while having employee's provoke me every 5 minutes for 14 years. As well as tell me I am not allowed to use the bathroom. And Starbucks employees turning the lights off on me in the bathroom each time as well. Somehow this isn't connected? Ya right!. Also, she claims that Cyber Division doesn't have the ability to track the email. Yet 15 years ago it took the FBI one day to catch the EBAY hacker who shut them down. But she was adment on the phone as if she herself was CYBER DIVISION. Of course, at the end of the call, she said "Bye Bye" which is what Detective Angela Stewart said to me 7 months ago when these recent Cover Up Arrests started when I started calling cvil attornies. And all the Attorny's worldwide, and now psychologists are told to all say "Bye Bye" to me with some kind of most likely DEATH THREAT, or threat they are going to rid me of the world with their psychological warface campaign they call SKULLFUCKING, while trying to INCARCERATE ME FOR LIFE. Which seems to start at 5 years old. And the more I find out, the angreir they get for talking about it. After this, Pamela Noone is back to some of their older tactics with my father at Golden State Sports medical claiming that I am a hacker which they started in on my back in 1994 after having my brother call me up at University Of Colorado and introduce me to the Internet. While Just recently contacting www.GoDaddy.com, www.A2hosting.com and telling them to shut me accounts down or try to stop this website from being online with Corporate Employees who are violating their own agreements, and unethically associating with the police to shut down my accounts and steal my money. Aiding and bedding these Police Crimes against me. Also right at the same time, my father trying to contact me about his business domains trying to reel me back closer to him to work on me some more. They also seem to be back on their "We think Kevin has a gun" tactic which has gone on my entire life. But of course no one for some strange reason ever questioned the 2nd Amendment - The right to bare arms. Showing that, my fathers 40 year hunt that I might have a gun and am a danger to myself or others. Is not based on any actual crime being committed. But him just wanting to hover over me dictating my life and if he doen't trust me, lock me away forever. After finally getting these illegal trumped up fabricated convictions, the Police, and my father are trying even harder to get in my house to try to figure out how to cover up his crimes, and dispose of the toy gun that he had Victoria Walker give me to put me in jail stating I have a gun. Working with Karine T Philips, and Therapist Karine Echigian, who was working with Lorna Escobar to remove me from society. 8/10/2018 - Dog attacker walks by, says nothing, and like usual, say nothing, 10 minutes later Police car drives by where I am sitting, which seem to be working with him in more setup and frame job attempts which never work, and have not for 40 years all day and night 8/15/2018 - Dog attacker see's me driving, calls me FAGGOT with other threats - Of course 911 and Detective Shapiro is notified. As she tells me I am Delusional, and none of these events have occured which are all on this website, and have been emailed to her pretending like she is incapable of watching a video with black and white proof. Also refusing now for about 6 moths to give me his name and let me file a restraining order so that I am safe from him and those working with im. Showing she is involved in a mass crime while trying to make me look crazy instead of doing her job to stop crime. Also, 911 with their cryptic "Bye Bye" threats whatever they mean by this. 8/16/2018 - on the phone with Detective Shapiro aabout this same person who see's me coming home, yelling "Fucking Faggot" and something else. Which she doen't want to take the time to look at with ACCUSATIONS that I am Delusional. Flat out telling me I was never assaulted or bitten. AVOIDING the evidence sent to her. A flat out statement, that I am crazy, this never took place. Showing she is not doing her job because she is throwing labels on me. It is irrelevant if I am crazy or not. Her job is to STOP CRIMES. and that is it. And those statements of hers, basically state that killing crazy people is allowed. Yet the Proof is right here, which she says never happened and does not exist. She also claims that he didn't say "I'm going to get you, you little snitch, Your dead" on the video and all it says is Dead, 7/17/2018 trying to play stupid while asking me about the time I emailed her focuing on the specific time. Which she seems mad at me because I emailed her late at night instead of 9 - 5 which is IRRELEVANT. She is also REFUSING to give me his name to file a restraining order to protect myself from him.Remember, according to Shapiro, nothing out of the norm is going on in this video as well and I'm imagining it. 8/25/2018 2:45 am - Dog attacker and group of people in clothing patterns all follow me out with The Met Security pointing their security cameras at my house, as I go out to take a walk. Dog attacker starts walking my way and once again, starts yelling and threatening me. Police are called. An hour later Officer Jensen, arrives at the scene, Original police officer trying to cover up the My Brothers BBQ mobbings, with worldwide restuarants helping by arresting me for sitting on the sidewalk. Like usual, Jensen tries to turn things around saying things like I am walking by him so it is my fault. Or because he only threatened to beat me up, it's nto a ctime. Yet I have endless death threat video's with previous physical and dog attacks showing he is obsessed and stalking me. Yet Jensen pretends he has done nothing, is not a danger to my life, and has done nothing wrong. Of course me sitting on the sidewalk is the crime of all crimes back in 2013. Where he arrested me for asking for his badge number. Yet things like peaceful communities don't apply, only exterminating Kevin Perelman applies. 911 is called as well, of course their like usual "Bye Bye" Threats 8/28/2018 - Starbucks Woodland Hills, Oxnard/Canoga - Lady wants a card, then asks me about my life. When she realizes I can explain the situation in specifics, logic and, facts, details, showing that I am being hunted and stalked. She gets extremely angry and starts provoking me as the Starbucks employee whistles at me that I am a whistle blower. A common tactic. Lady tries to give me back my card I say do whatever you want with it as she tries to force it on me, one of their cover up lies to try to stop me from ever passing out a card to anyone worldwide or tell them about my life. At this point trying to somehow force it on me, then throwing her body up against mine over and over. Eventually, she gets even angrier, and and hits me in the face. After this working with a person in black and grey saying I hit her, to cover up their mass crime spree and the Starbucks Employee telling me to wait outside while trying to make it look like I am on the run. When I go to get a new coffee she says I had hit her, with like usual, people willing to lie and support them in their crimes. I go down to Tpanga Division Police Department, once again have them write up a report, which they are not concerned about the situation trying to make me look crazy, but write up a report saying a detective will get back to me in 2 weeks. Of course with 100's of similar reports like this and them not concerned. Shows that they are aiding and abetting a mass crime to rid me of the world since a young child. Police ask some questions. Why I didn't call the police then which takes them over an hour to come out each time for me, plus the fact that everyone will all make up lies to remove mefrom society in these endless worldwide attacks no one thinks is wrong for 40 years now. Pus I have it all on video anyways so their is no argument. Women working with Starbucks who struck me after employee whistled at me hinting I am a whistle blower to try to silence me and set me up who claims I had hit her after with Starbucks and a Grey and Black tactic person has no bruises Women working with Starbucks who struck me biggeted racist look with their "Your kind Can't Exist" for some reason and no bruises or cuts As lady leaves, she flicks me off showing her guilt anger, rage for my kind existing which they will not tolerate, and have spent 40 years with worldwide support to remove me from society for some strange reason Proof of contusion to my face while of course, like usual, city groups are trying to cover it up saying I have hit her like many others in my life over and over on all sorts of tactics for 40 years At the hospital so their is documentation so no one can lie stating I am a violent paranoid schizofrenic who is imagining this Police Report showing it was reported even though the world will be told I am a vigilante even after reports are filed which the Police refuse to do anything about Hospital Report Download Hospital Report 2 day prior Youtube post showing that this is all pre-meditated, and groups working together Audio and Video of yet the next endless attack to try to silence me for what I know coming soon 8/29/2018 - 5:50 pm, Dog attacker follows me out while I am taking a walk yelling over and over something about Fish, or maybe Snitch or Bitch, trying to thug and intimidate me. Detective Shapiro at Topanga Division Notified. Who has made previous claims that I am delusional and none of this exists even after sending her all of these videos. 8/31/2018 - Got an email from detective Shapiro stating that because I could nto identifiy him in a fraudulent photo lineup. Where 5 pictures were not him. And one was of a person with photoshopped stretched ears, and a wide angle lens shooting upwards at the person. Made the person UN IDENTIFIEABLE and barely looking human. So if the picture was him, as I am told he might not even be in the Lineup by Detective RUIZ. Even if the 6th Photo was of him, no one would be able to identify him. Now showing that Deputy City Attorney Karine T Philips is involved in HIGHLY ILLEGAL LAPD Operations to cause chaos, destruction and mass mobbings against one person out of some kind of PERSONAL hate, rage, jealousy, obsession. working on me for 40 years to put me in the ground or remove me from society for what I know. They Also through out the investigation on the same person after flat out attacking me with his dog. And having the girl with him hitting me in the head. Showing, they are paying him off to aid and abet in their crimes to have me killed or removed from society. This is basically PROOF that the LAPD is telling mass groups to hunt someone down and kill them WORLDWIDE, and they will ALLOW them to do it! 9/3/2018 - Call to Topanga LAPD to get the newer Case Nimber for the Dog Attacker they closed because they are paying these people off to have me killed, and telling the worldwide groups to support them, refusing to Protect me, and uphold the law for me, since I was 5 years old for some strange reason. Officer Ortiz, who on a prior situation tried to manipulate me into looking like I have an anger and agression problem with the detectives. To try to set me up says "Man" to me while people world wide are told to say man, over and over to create mental illness and have me killed for what I know. Also refusing to provide me with the Case Number Showing the LAPD's involvement in having me killed for what I know. 10/10.2018 - Dog Attacker waits for me to park my car while a person in a black pickup follows me home, waits behind me with lights on. As I get out of my car to go in my house. Which appears to be a KKK, White Supremecist dog attacker yells, "Fuck you faggot", "You Coward".Keep note that a lot of these people who have threatened me, are bald, and I am Jewish. He is also working with Offficer Sean Dinse and Detective Angela Stewart with what appears to be a police trained K9, which can attack on que. Reported to Detective Shapiro tonight of the Topanga Division. Who closed the case and made outrageous claims previously that I am somehow a danger to this person which is why they stopped me from filing a restraining order. And closed all investigations on him lying saying he never attacked me with his dog which is all on video above, and hospital photos and video. 11/5/2018 - Person keys my car, in front of my place on Juliana/Burbank aftter I go out to Malibu and Therapist Christina Vescovo, wants me to meet her a Cross Creek, Marmalaid. Then she wants to eat as I talk about my life. Reported to the police to Officer W, Mardn, 35067. Who like all of them pretended they didn't know who I am, and was trying to get coerced false confessions as he got mad at me for knowing more then he wanted me to about these illegal operations and what has been done to my life. In hopes they can make it all just go away. Of course, like usual I was told a detective will contact me in two weeks. But that will never happen with things like providing them video footage of the dog attacker, who they say it never happened even with me providing flat out black and white evidence of these endless WORLDWIDE Crime spree against me. 12/24/2018 - Go out this morning and notice someone had slashed 2 rear, brand new tires at the same time on my GMC Envoy tires once again. Go to Topanga Division, and report it. While I am there, the other Police Officer keeps humming hinting I am a whistle Blower because they don't want me talking about their 40 year crime spree against me. On the say home, The Dog Attacker is notified to go out and take a walk with his girlfriend as he yells Faggot. He then yell's Bitch, as I do not respond, he gets angry and throws something at my car in anger to try to cover up Tom Farley's, Eric Johnson Egg Mobbings when I was in 8th grade. While calling Topanga LAPD and notifying them, they were checking with the watch commander to see if to file a report which their is no reason why they would not unless they are aiding and abetting a crime. On the way back from the Police Station, the dog attacker was waiting for me with a girl yelling "Faggot, BItch", and throwing things at the car. In which is on Video. Upon calling, they did not want to write up any paperwork in regards to this. The next day I went it with photos and video. They did not want to put anything on paper with the $1000.00's of damage with the keyings. And photos of Faggot, and Homo, on my cars. I am supposed to hear from a detective Avila, from Topanga Division 11/30/2018 - LAPD tries to illegally break into my house with, just like my father when they got their fabricated convictions. I am not home at the time, and it appears they know this. Also, an officer with rank on his shoulder showing that this goes right up to the top, in illegal police operations. Once again, Just like Officer Jensen stalking me back into 2013 to try to silence me. And his ex partner Sean Dinse. They are trying to get into my house to get whatever they can try to use against me. Or possibly even plant something on me, as you can see they are putting things in front of my door matt and moving boxes around on video. Also, I am sure this website and all the evidence on it is also upsetting in EXPOSING their mass crime spree against me. Internal Affairs, once again is called and given more proof of the situation as well as recent break in attempts from LAPD to try to rid me of the world no matter what it takes for what I know. 12/30/2018 - LAPD tries to break in my house when not home 5/21/2018 - Father tries to break in my house right after he frames me with Victoria Walker, giving me a toy gun for my 30th Birthday, and telling the world I am a violent paranoid schizo with a gun, riling the masses against me 12/15/2018 - Terrance Scroggins who claims his life is in danger from me, comes on my property putting papers on a chair to try to do what he always does and bait me to go after him which never works, despite what the police are telling the world Proof Internal Affairs has been contacted and supposed to be investigating the situation 2/10/2019 -3rd attack from a bald person working with Topanga LAPD Police Divisions who have been contacted - Assault and Battery from a person working with Lead Officer Sean Dinse who didn't want me talking. And get defensive when I mentioned his name. Saying I'm a liar. LAPD is called. Officer Lee and Partner come to the scene. I try to give him video proof. He REFUSES to take it. He also tells me the Police are not obligated to help me which means. He is trying to cover up their MURDER operations to have me killed and clearly is obligated. He makes up lies in his police report saying I am a witness to a murder to try to make me look crazy. The person comes walking around the corner and I point him out. And the Police do nothing showing, just like the Dog Attacker, people are being contacted and paid off to have me killed since 5 years old. He also tells me a Detective won't call me 2/15/2019 - Go to Van Nuys Police - tell them that Officer Lee Refused to do anything on any level, they told me they could not do anything and I had to go to Topanga Division and ask for a Detective Superviser 2/19/2019 - Dropped video off to the a Detective of assault and battery, while he told me he does not believe these worldwide events are connected. As we all know they are since 5 years old while he kept saying "BUDDY" over and over. One of their tactics. Another officer who previously refused to admit to all the tire slashings, Whistling at me that I'm a whistle blower sending me messages they are not going to help me because they are aiding and abetting a mass 40 year crime to have me killed. 3/20/2019 - Person comes by holding a beer, knocking on the door straight for 15 minutes, calls me name 3 times. When I look through the peep ole in the front door, he is hiding by how the door opens so he could wedge himself in to attack me on setup operations and frame jobs. Also, he unscrews the light bulb by the door, and places his beer under the light. He then proceeds in trying to get in the sliding door. Right before leaves, takes off the cat door. When going to Topanga LAPD, they, like usual, did not want to file a simple breaking and entering police report giving me weird bugerly nunmbers. The one officer got mad, calling me MAN over and over, one of their provoking worldwide tactics to try to set me up to remove me from society trying to make me look crazy, as I signed in because he didn't want record of me there. They refused to take any of the video, photos of flat out proof of a crime against me telling me "No means No" based on the last aassualt and battery where they had Officer Lee tell me "We are not obligated to help you" Showing they are an accery to attempted murder. I made it clear they are OBLIGATED to help me, and are not allowed to turn a blind eye where crimes are involved or it is a crime. I then proceeded to West Hills, and once again, not only did the front counter want to take a report, they sent me up to the Detectives. Detective Kim, played all sorts of mind games trying to curve the situations and make me look crazy. After his obvios line of avoiding the issue, and skating every direction other then the point, while trying to turn it aaround on me. I hold up the photo in front of his face he does not want to look at and he gets EXTREMELY MAD, as if I wronged him somehow. Telling me it's rude to hold up a picture of someone breaking in my house. As I explained them refusing to help me and playing all sorts of mind games is rude. He then told me to go down stairs so they could file a Police report and asked me why they didn't as they are stonewalling me. And he put "tresspass" when the crime is Breaking and Entering and Endangering my life. Once again, writing things that don't make sense, and dumbing down the situation so detctives won't investigate the real crimes they are trying to cover up and eradicate me for what I know. In endless attempts made to simply file a police report of the crimes against me by these mass worldwide Gang Stalking groups, and or speak with a detective, showing they all are involved as each and every one are told to REFUSE any type of help on any level, and then try to make me look crazy paperwork being filed on my behalf as to anything being done against me and investigating the crimes still occurring when it comes to the big picture and anything that is of importance establishing what is going on or given to detectives is always refused no matter where I am worlwide, No matter how much solid evidence I have. And while each Officer tells me mass groups mentally battering someone is not a crime, I have video of the police saying it is for other people. They all give the same packaged response showing their guilt and involvement. And most even try to manipulate me back into the Topanga Division as if the police aren't connected through central and Internet based systems. Pretending that what is being done to me, isn't a crime, which is the crime of all crimes. Pretending they don't have the resources, capabilities to do anything, yet when it comes to spreading their lies to the world about me. They can do it. And at no point having Detectives investigate the crimes, which is their job, and what they are paid to do. Pretending all they do is write speeding tickets or something while hunting me with endless fake fraudulent investigations for some reason. Topanga Police Department Department - 10/30/2017 West Lost Angeles Police Station - 10/30/2017 2101 E Olsen Rd, Police Department Devonshire Division - 11/01/2017 LAPD Foothill Community Police Station - 11/01/2017 2111 E 1st Los Angeles, Ventura County Sheriff's Department - 12/01/2017 These new divisions all working together with a new angle that I am violent and a danger to myself or others for simply walking in with evidence, and trying to tell them what they already know is going on, and telling me nothing is going on, and their is no crime. Also working their Kevin suffers from mental illness label, to try to get leverage over me and try to make their crimes look justified with all these jurisdictions working together, to stop anything from being filed, and stopping the crime with instant communications as how to stop me from talking. Last a checked when walking into a Police station and trying to get them to stop a crime, usually doe not result in them grassing you, and trying to intimidate you with questions about weapons or being violent. Showing they are guilty and aiding and abetting a crime. When they can just take the evidence they refuse at every location to take, and file a report, and have a detective investigate and stop the crime. But the trigger of the Sandiego Police's oguilty panic to cover up these operations and try to frame me and thug me is based on Christina Stalinsky, and Mike Wexler, and Eric Christianson, multiple people sent after me to get me to Sandiego For some reason working with them from the age 20 - 25 for some reason Sandiego Police, like all others refusing to do their obligated job to hepl me showing involvement and Negligence keeping this mass crime against me going, making up lies it isn't a crime. Showing they are violating my constitional rights for protection, 1st amendment, 2nd amendment, 4th amendment, and many others Officer Nigro, lies to me see mass group stalking is not a crime, and sending me off on a wild goose chase not only saying a mass stalking is not a crime, but then telling me to go to Central Division office, which has a note to come back to 1401. Then proceeding to old town on Harbor Blvd, them telling me to come back. After this, When I was adiment that, yes, me being stalked and hunted to kill me no matter what the method is, is a crime. He got mad and told me to read a sign on the wall about misconduct, and how he was going to drag me out himself. I then proceeded to leave knowing he is covering up their crime, while he contacted all other divisions world wide in frame operations saying I am violent, and a danger to myself or others for simply standing up to his lying with a stearn voice, showing is he corrupt and needs to be fired, and does not belong in a position he claims to help people. First someone who is in non uniform approaches me, says he is the police, I let him know what is going on. After this another person comes in uniform, and he says he wants to speak with me outside and doesn't want people knowing his conversation. Like usual, won't take the information, and won't file a report, Trying to make it look like I am violent, and they had to take me outside in front of others outside watching even though like usual, their was nothing done out of anger. He pretends to be sort of helpful in an off the record way, but like usual, what assurances do I have anything is being done on my behalf if they won't even file simple paperwork showing of the crimes against me. He also tells me I shouldn't go places. Which shows the same old. You haven't committed a crime so we are going to home jail you for not committing a crime because we don't want you talking Oceanside Police Department - 12/06/2017 When go down to police station and ask to talk to a police officer, even though they are still open, they do not let me talk to anyone having an officer arrive later how they would after hours in a patrol car. As I come in to report the crime, I am met with all sorts of questions about do I have a weapon. Yet I am the one walking in reporting the crime. Showing they have been notified to try to thug me quiet, and intimidate me. Keep in mind, this is in Oceanside, two hours away from Sandiego. Different county's, Different Jurisdictions. I wait for about an hour in their office they locked up as I knew they were stalling or maybe wanted me outside in front, So I went out to get my laptop, then they told me I could not come back in. So I waited outside, eventually 2 patrol cars came with a female officer with a scared look asking questions about do I have weapons and am I a danger to myself or others. Yet of course, the only event like usual that has occured on these locaitons is someone walking in, being friendly, and reporting a crime with proof and evidence they intentionally don't want to see, and not being a push over. Hence showing their true colors.	96,817
Posted on December 2, 2014 by Terri Scott in Affiliate Programs, Marketing, Promotions with 1 Comment At first glance, it’s easy to think PR is a function separate from affiliate marketing. The fact is, the two functions are quite symbiotic: they need each other, and they complement each other. In fact, the Public Relations Society of America defines PR as, “a communication process….that is strategic in nature…emphasizing mutually beneficial relationships.” E-commerce platforms exist to communicate and create mutually beneficial relationships with shoppers. Retailers can glean tons of information that informs the brand about the social “temperature” of their branding targets. In plain language, PR informs and guides shopper engagement. When positive PR has been established, the shoppers are far more likely to become first-time and possibly, life time buyers. Now that you understand why PR strategies need to become an integral part of successful e-commerce outreach, you should consider 3 platforms that you can use to engage your PR campaigns, in order ramp up your revenues: Social media platforms are to online marketing what the “cool kids” were to your high school. The problem is that most retailers engage in social outreach like the resident high school “dweeb.” That is, they engage potential shoppers with little to no grace or social skills. Let’s look at a true-to-life example. Let’s say that you’re standing in a group at a party, everyone’s having a great time. Then, out of nowhere, a person comes up to everyone and shoves their way into the center of the group, interjecting themselves into the middle of the conversation without knowing what everyone’s talking about. Worse, they start laughing obnoxiously, especially at the wrong point of the conversation. How would you feel about this awkward, rude person who clearly lacks social skills or respect for others? Yet, this is how many e-commerce brands engage shoppers on social media! As we can see from the example, it’s not enough to jump into the conversation with social media shoppers. It’s far more important to understand the type of shoppers who are interested in developing a relationship with your brand, along with understanding how to approach the shoppers in a manner that organically allows them to warm up to your brand. Social media PR and engagement isn’t a process that any brand can possibly afford to get wrong. An infograph on OfferPop shows that social media platform engagement will drive sales that are estimated to equate up to $650 billion in sales this holiday season alone. There’s no shortage of online shoppers to influence. The only question is, how quickly and succinctly can you turn around your poor PR and engagement strategies? Coupons While it’s common for retailers to send shoppers amusing or heart-warming cards in order to stay “top of mind,” it’s becoming increasingly common for retailers to also send out special coupon codes which can be redeemed online. Don’t balk at sending shoppers coupons (read: discounts) during the holidays. The trend over the last 10 years has been for retailers to begin discounting their inventory, well ahead of the post-Christmas shopping period. With so many brands all competing for revenue, smart retailers have used discounting strategies in order to win shopper’s loyalties. Shoppers appreciate a retailer who reduces their financial burdens. Shoppers perceive a retailer that discounts during the holidays as a brand that isn’t greedy or taking advantage of them during a financially vulnerable period of the year. When shoppers feel like they’re more than a flesh and blood income stream, they are more likely to divert their dollars to the “caring brand” throughout the rest of the year. And, they’re extremely likely to tell their friends and family members about any discounts being offered by the retailer. Word of mouth is worth its weight in gold, so make coupons easy to share, and consider referral discounts. There are a lot of ways you can get creative with coupons. Targeted Blogger Relationships Speaking of mutually beneficial relationships, one important PR tool that most retailers overlook is the importance of developing targeted, branded blogger relationships. Take, for example, Stacey Ernstoff Caron, publisher of the popular branded blog, Stacey Snacks. She began her blog 7 years ago. She promotes the use of locally-sourced, high-quality ingredients, while also (in tandem) promoting the use of specified kitchen tools. “I started out by using the Amazon affiliate program because I was already recommending products to my blog subscribers. I figured that I might as well earn money on my recommendations”, she explained to me during a recent phone interview. “My blog subscribers trust my recommendations. […] I’ve been able to attract a targeted subscriber base of mothers, housewives, and adults who are 35 and older.” When asked about her statistics, she revealed that her site generates over 5K hits daily, and the site has generated approximately 3k subscribers, so far. She also says that during the winter holiday/Q4 shopping season, her site can generate at least 16K daily hits. “My stats, along with the feel of my community has attracted the attention of aprox. 20 PR firms that represent food and kitchen product retailers. They court my recommendations by sending me products such as food and beverage samples, high-end kitchen utensils, and chef-authored cookbooks. But, I’d never recommend any product that I don’t honestly like or believe in. My readers know this, and that’s why they trust me for product recommendations.” Stacey’s example is great news for e-commerce retailers: There are plenty of opportunities to develop organic, authentic relationships with bloggers who host relative communities. But, it’s not enough for affiliate managers to send out links, along with information texts, and possibly a few product samples. Affiliate managers need to become true branded partners with these kinds of affiliate bloggers. Try participating in the blogger’s comment section, particularly when the blogger has created a branded recommendation post. You should also make yourselves available for Q&A chats with blog readers on platforms such as Facebook, or Twitter (for example). Displaying an authentic concern for the blogger’s readership (read: potential buyers) makes the blogger’s life a lot easier, and endears the blogger to your brand. “I care far more about the authenticity and the relationships that my blog develops than I care about the sparkle and flash” Stacey says, summarizing her blogging and affiliate marketing journey. Who says that affiliate marketing, or for that matter, e-commerce marketing has to be a one-sided venture of revenue generation? Today’s shoppers certainly don’t think so, and they’re increasingly demanding mutually beneficial relationships with retail brands. The smart retailer will use authentic PR strategies to build profitable rapport with shoppers. The payout is obvious. Terri is a content marketing storyteller and strategist. She teaches marketing and entrepreneurship through stories for marketers of all stripes. Her specialty is creating narrative and she writes essays and memoir in her spare time. Terri Scott December 23, 2014 at 4:03 pm A side note from the article author: Today as I was clipping coupons, I noticed a full-page advertisement from One Stop Plus.com. The add promoted the brand while offering an online coupon code via offline printed material.	7,664
If you've been on Instagram (or the internet, really, where they've been going viral for months), or happen to live anywhere near New York City, you've probably seen a rainbow bagel. If you haven't seen a rainbow bagel, you've probably seen a monster milkshake. And if you haven't seen a monster milkshake on Instagram, you've definitely seen a bloody mary piled high with bacon, or another elaborate food trend that's cycled its way in and out of your Instagram feed. Hot food items come and go, but — shocking — how popular they get isn't always quite based on how tasty they are. If we're being honest, most of the food we want to eat on the regular isn't particularly good for the 'gram. (Mac and cheese. A hoagie. Mashed potatoes.) The food we actually eat is even worse. (Morningstar anything. Frozen burritos because we're avoiding Chipotle. A whole block of cheddar cheese.) And the food that is good for Instagramming? Yeah, very little of it actually ranks highly on a list of things we'd like to consume. As Jia Tolentino put it so wisely on Jezebel, "if something is more fun to photograph than to experience, it's bullshit. That goes for everything, and it really goes for milkshakes." Of the various "trends" to ever pass through our feeds, here are the ones we have little interest in eating: We love sushi. We love burritos. But one of the beautiful things about sushi, to some people, is their delicateness and their fresh, bite-sized flavor. Raw fish is great in small chunks in a tuna avocado roll. But massive slabs of raw salmon in a Chipotle-sized burrito? Something about this just seems unappealing as, well, Chipotle these days. There's actually more than one kind of these monstrous calorific milkshakes, which are basically milkshakes with four other desserts piled on top. Australia's Pâtissez cafe in Canberra went viral over the summer for serving up milkshakes layered with s'mores, pretzels and Nutella. Months later, New York pub Black Tap sent everyone into a sugar craze for putting literal slabs of cake on milkshakes (and it's apparently inspiring copycats). All of this separate is delicious. But all of it together... vaguely nauseating? Poached eggs OK, don't get us wrong. Runny, poached eggs can be fucking delicious. They are also fancy. They are sexy in that drippy way. But sometimes, we really just want scrambled. They're not pretty, but you know what? Sometimes we just want a lump of opaque eggs. Bloody marys with pretty much anything other than celery Whose bloody idea was it to put entire meals on top of bloody marys? History isn't totally clear, but we do know that it's fairly absurd. Like monster milkshakes, massive Insta-ready bloody marys combine all sorts of foods that are fine on their own but wholly unappealing when piled on top of a cup. Plus, who wants that many obstacles between them and their alcohol? Of all the foods the French have given us, the tiny yet mighty macaroon is the prettiest. You'd think the colorful, meringue-based cookie was created for Instagram. But anyone who's ever sampled the delights at, say, Ladurée knows these babies aren't like Oreos: You can't have more than a couple before they become far too rich. An abundance of macaroon riches looks nice on Instagram, but not so much on your plate. Yeah, it's still around — and to be honest, it's not unappealing because of how it looks. On the contrary, it looks like the most virtuous beverage, eternal health bottled up for the low, low price of $9 a pop. But just as our eyes are sometimes bigger than our stomachs, sometimes our eyes are more evolved than our tastebuds. A lot of green juices, especially those chock-full of kale, taste like grass. You could add lemon, and maybe some sweetener, and maybe... well, maybe just have lemonade. A thousand versions of the same meal in a row As if you didn't have enough insecurities about not living a healthy, adult life, here come the meal prep enthusiasts on Instagram to demonstrate what it's like to have a healthful, home-cooked meal... seven days in a row. The perfectly symmetrical rows are visually perfect. The idea of eating the same thing every day for a week straight? That's grown-up discipline we're not sure we have. OK, maybe just a bite. Just to see what a bagel that tastes like Fruit Loops is really like. But really, a kaleidoscope of color doesn't necessarily improve the everything bagel experience, especially when you swap out chive cream cheese (the ONLY kind worth eating) for sprinkle-dotted cotton candy cream cheese. Why change up one of the greatest food combos of all time?	4,775
The September tour has come to an end and I am relishing in autumn sweaters and hot drinks. I’ll share some tour highlights once I catch my breath and do some laundry. While I was in Ottawa, I stopped in at the CBC studios to talk to Meg Wilcox from Bandwidth. The episode aired over the weekend, but you can listen to the archived audio here. ← Previous Post Next Post → Email Address Listen: Recent Posts Showcases and Song Camp Hurricane Coming nominated for Ontario Folk Music Award Fall fell in Ontario Music fests are the best Archives Select Month November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011	2,261
What makes a Relational Database actually Relational? In this blog we see some keys and constraints that can be defined while creating relational tables. Read more Data is one of the most important parts of geospatial or I would say almost every industry. Each Industry is now taking data management seriously, thus it becomes an important part of our career as IT people to understand it. This guide is a one-stop article walking you from the ground (What is Data) to the sky ( Understanding and using geospatial queries).	543
At Kellett School, a large emphasis is placed on the importance of a well-rounded education. Expressive Arts have always featured strongly, whether it be through music, drama, art or design and technology. Kellett's Senior School campus has facilities and spaces for the arts that are second to none. Purpose-built art studios, design and technology suites, exhibition spaces, a 380-seat theatre, top-of-the-range Music suites and practice rooms, drama and dance studios, all help to create an exceptional learning environment. These wonderful facilities form just part of the excellence that makes up the Expressive Arts at Kellett School. The breadth of the curriculum, the extensive extra-curricular activities offered and the strength in teaching expertise in this area are what give Expressive Arts at Kellett School its strong and enviable reputation. Art at Kellett is highly respected within the school community and constantly enjoys outstanding success. The Art curriculum focuses upon building a wide range of skills in a breadth of disciplines that encompasses drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and sculpture. The Kowloon Bay campus has three well-equipped and spacious Art studios, as well as a large open plan working space and exhibition area that creates an exceptional learning environment. The students’ works have a high profile around the school with regular displays and an annual exhibition, both in school and at an external public venue. The department has two full-time, highly-experienced staff, both of whom are practising artists, and a full time technician with strong graphic design and digital skills. Students are taught to analyse the works of other artists and are encouraged to visit galleries both in Hong Kong and whilst traveling overseas. Local and international artists are regularly invited to use the exhibition and working space and present their work to the students. This relationship with practising artists is invaluable in building a deeper appreciation of other artists’ working practices. High expectations are placed upon the students in all year levels and the units of work are often ambitious and designed to inspire a strong sense of creativity and individualism. All students are able to enjoy and learn to appreciate Art making and Art studying and build upon their creative successes in a positive, nurturing environment. The Senior Music curriculum, extra-curricular activities and music trips offer an exciting and dynamic range of opportunities to broaden and develop our students' love of music. At the centre of our programme is the Senior Music curriculum, which is dynamically styled to immerse our students in Performance, Composition and the Appraisal of music to an advanced level. All activities take full advantage of our purpose-built music Suite, which includes an Apple Music Technology Suite, rehearsal and ensemble rooms, professional theatre and music library. Throughout the year, there are numerous performance opportunities for all of our students, Some of these events are concerts, some are competitions and workshops, and others are combined events with other curriculum areas and the Preparatory School. As part of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA), Kellett students are also afforded the opportunity to join with musicians from across Asia to perform musical pieces both locally and abroad. The Senior Drama curriculum, extra-curricular activities and drama workshops offer a range of explorative and performance opportunities for students to engage with drama as an art form. Drama at Kellett in Years 7 - 9 is structured to provide a breadth of experience in Making, Performing and Responding, and these skills are developed and honed within Years 10 - 11 and Years 12 - 13, as the students become more sophisticated practitioners. All activities take full advantage of our purpose-built spaces from the full equipped The David Kidd Theatre, to the dance and drama studios. Theatre Technicians also support the department providing guidance to our student technical team. Throughout the year we offer a number of drama workshops, conducted by our own specialists and also by outside providers. These are intneded to build on the skills developed in curriculum drama but also to provide extension work. A large number of theatre visits also provide drama enrichment for our students. In Design & Technology, students at Kellett combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make products and systems that meet human needs. Students learn to use current technologies and consider the impact of future technological developments. They learn to think creatively and intervene to improve the quality of life, solving problems as individuals and members of a team. Working in stimulating contexts that draw on the local ethos, community and wider world, students identify needs and opportunities. they respond with ideas, products and systems, challenging expectations where appropriate. They combine practical and intellectual skills with an understanding or aesthetic, technical, cultural , health, social, emotional, economic, industrial and environmental issues.	5,317
My head is still pounding and my stomach is still growling. I just drank the second and final bottle of that nasty CLENPIQ. Yep, it still tastes like stinky feet. I barely slept because of my headache and being terrified I would fall into some low blood 🩸 sugar coma. I’ve been shaky for many hours. So, I’m going to try to return to slumber for about an hour. Oh, I found out why I slept so late yesterday; I accidentally set my alarm for 1:00 am. Between now and 10:40 am I have to drink at least three 8 ounce cups of clear fluid. I can’t have anything beyond that time, which is two hours before the colonoscopy. I’m having a cup of hot chicken broth. I will probably follow that with a cup of white grape juice and then that’s all I can have till it’s procedure is done. My roommate is taking me to the office in Orlando where the doctor will do the colonoscopy. It’s not past downtown-not as far as I thought. I’m scared there’s something scary in there. Chicken broth. Oh yay! Supposedly, they are dealing with the issue. I again repeated that the procedure was happening TODAY and I wasn’t putting myself through this crap again and had no money to get another prescription. I also added, “I’m already putting bad publicity out there on Facebook and my blogsite!” I am so fucking pissed. Now they are telling me I owe $192 fir the procedure plus $68 for the doctor. I told them I have $100 and was not expecting to pay anything except my usual co-pay. I am so fucking pissed. I told them it’s still happening. This is a fucking nightmare. I guess I’m in. The intake nurse was nice as was the anesthesiologist. But, I’m still pissed and telling my primary and calling my insurance company. It’s done. We’re at IHOP in Casselberry. Rose is diabetic and I’m hypoglycemic; we are both STARVING and ready to eat the upholstery on the booth benches. We got decaf. I asked for lots of cream or, the cow. Our server understands the concept of, “lots of cream.” It turned out the, “back of the house,” staff at the surgery center was a huge contrast to the receptionists. Still, my primary is gonna hear about it. Dr. Giday, the gastroenterologist, found four polyps. I think the nurse said two were kind of large so, I got clips inside me. Yay. Supposedly, they get pooped out. I have to go see the doctor in, I think, two weeks. He’s going to tell me what the biopsies say. Yay! Still don’t know if I’m ok. I hate this. My first solid food in 39 hours. We are back home. I’m exhausted. Dr. Giday cleared me to work tomorrow but, I’m not supposed to lift things heavier than ten pounds. Clearly, he never worked in a grocery store. Scratch the four polyps. Looks like there were just two and paperwork said they, “appeared to be benign.” However, I was told something to the effect that they, “…have to look at them.” I’m unsure; I was stoned. I have a file of paperwork. I’m not feeling so good. I’m glad I brought half my omelette home. I didn’t want to overdo it.	3,104
I have two pieces on display in the 2018 Hands Across Missouri Exhibit in Chillicothe, Missouri. This is a juried exhibit put together by The Best of Missouri Hands. I participated in this exhibit last year and am excited to be included again this time around. My pieces include The Universe Favors Spheres: These pieces look really different from each other, and they are, but they also represent everything I love when I make art. I enjoy bright colors and high contrast and weirdo fluffy, glitzy yarns. I also enjoy dyeing wool with things from my garden and getting the subtle golden hues that come from nature. Basically, I am all over the place, and that is ok with me. Also, I made both of these pieces while we were in the upheaval of selling the house. I’m happy to have produced things during that stressful time. Hands Across Missouri runs through August 30, 2018. The exhibit is at the Cultural Corner Gallery in Chillicothe, MO: Hours: Tuesday through Friday: 10 AM – 4 PM Saturday: 10 AM – 2 PM Closed Sunday and Monday Free and Open to the Public There will be a closing reception from 5 – 8 PM on Thursday, August 30. The reception is free so stop by if you are in the area! Until next time, The Nature of Fiber Exhibit January 5, 2018 February 8, 2018 \| Annie Hello there, fiber folks! How’s it going? Mike and I are camping out in our house at the moment. We are in the midst of doing some house selling and some house buying, but we are hung up waiting on some paperwork. All of our stuff is in storage, but we have clothes and camp chairs and an air mattress. I don’t know when we will actually get to move, but soon, I hope. Soon. I have been crocheting away while sitting in my camp chair and watching game shows from the 1970s on the laptop. One of the pieces I finished before we started all of this packing and moving business is on display at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center right now. Our group of Kansas City Fiber Artists is putting on “The Nature of Fiber,” a collection of works relating to fiber and nature. I saw a few of the pieces when I dropped off my work and it is a cool exhibit! I used yarns I dyed with marigolds in the fall to create my piece. This is one is called “Marigold Merriment:” You can see my piece and the work of 14 other artists through January and February: Monday through Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM Open until 7 PM on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month Open 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, 9 AM – 4 PM On January 16th, there will be a Meet the Artists event from 6 PM – 7 PM at the Center. I’d love for you to stop by, see the show, and chat with all of us. Yay!	2,818
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Featured Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts Advisory Committees En Español Products Medical Devices Animal and Veterinary Emergency Preparedness News and Events Training and Continuing Education Inspections and Compliance Health Professionals Federal, State and Local Officials Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations Compliance Actions and Activities Medical Devices Recipient: Recipient Title Owner 216 1st St, Ste A United States Office of Medical Device and Radiological Health Operations (Division 3) United States December 26, 2019 During an inspection of your firm located in Eaton, CO, on June 3, 2019 through June 20, 2019, an investigator from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that your firm manufacturers low level LED light therapy devices including the Vevazz Contour (Contour), a product with large and small LED paddles that are attached to the body with straps, and the Vevazz Bed (Bed), a bed with LEDs. Under section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), 21 U.S.C. § 321(h), these products are devices because they are intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the body. FDA has reviewed materials collected during the inspection, your firm’s websites (vevazz.com, slimlinesystem.com),1 and you firm’s prior correspondence with FDA regarding the marketing of the Contour. Based on this review, FDA has determined that the Contour and Bed are adulterated under section 501(f)(1)(B) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(f)(1)(B), because your firm does not have an approved application for premarket approval (PMA) in effect pursuant to section 515(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360e(a), or an approved application for an investigational device exemption (IDE) under section 520(g) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360j(g) for the devices as described and marketed. The Contour is misbranded under section 502(o) the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(o), because your firm introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce for commercial distribution this device with significant changes or modifications to the intended use, design, and components without submitting a new premarket notification to FDA as required by section 510(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360(k), and 21 CFR 807.81(a)(3). The Contour is also misbranded under section 502(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(a), and 21 CFR 807.97 because representations on your website create an impression of official approval of your device and are misleading. The Bed is misbranded under section 502(o) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(o), because your firm did not notify FDA of its intent to introduce each device into commercial distribution, as required by section 510(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360(k). Your firm holds two 510(k) clearances for low level LED light therapy devices. In a letter received by FDA on November 30, 2018, you indicated that the Contour was marketed under both of the following premarket notification numbers: The “Vevazz LED” was cleared under K172111 and is a prescription device that is intended “to provide the non-invasive dermatological aesthetic treatment for the reduction of circumference of hips, waist, and thighs.” The “Vevazz LED Heat Lamp” was cleared under K162763 and is a prescription device intended to emit “energy in the infrared spectrum and is to be used to provide topical heating for the purpose of elevating tissue temperature for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, arthritis, stiffness or muscle spasms; the temporary increasing of local blood circulation and/or temporary relaxation of muscle.” However, statements on your firm’s websites and in materials collected during the inspection suggest that the device is also intended for the treatment of neuropathy,2 inflammation, and other uses, which constitute major changes or modifications to its intended uses for which your firm lacks clearance or approval. Examples include: “VevazzTM Contouring is [a] safe, painless, and completely non-invasive treatment for fat loss, spot reduction and aesthetic body contouring. Other treatments Light therapy has been proven to help are Cellulite Reduction, Scar Treatment, Wrinkle Reduction, Skin Tightening, Neuropathy, Pain and Inflammation.” “LED Light Paddles Options:…Green: Best for Cellulite” “Infrared: Best for stretch marks, scars, neuropathy, pain and inflammation.” “Vevazz light therapy treatment of low intensity initiate analgesic, anti-inflammatory and biostimulatory effects, resulting in an increase in local microcirculation and increased healing. Increasing microcirculation induces an essential function in the tissue repair process and in pain control. This process allows increases in oxygenation and nutritional supply to tissues. This process allows for the expulsion of metabolic byproducts, which may contribute to reduce pain and inflammation. Furthermore it stimulates repair and regrowth of nerve tissue.” Statements that indicate the Contour is intended for the treatment of neuropathy are not supported by your firm’s clearances. In addition, this intended use raises new questions of safety and effectiveness not addressed by your firm’s clearances, including, but not limited to, increased risk of burns, wounds, skin trauma, tissue injury, and delayed healing because patients with neuropathy may have an increased safety risk when using the Contour due to absent or reduced sensation of the nerves in the skin. This use also raises public health concerns because patients may use the Contour before or instead of seeking other medical care, which could delay treatment of an underlying injury or disease. For example, if treatment or diagnosis is delayed for a patient with neuropathy caused by diabetes, the patient could experience foot ulcers or, depending on the severity of the diabetes, require amputation. In a letter to FDA received on November 30, 2018, you stated that you believe the Contour may be legally marketed for the treatment of neuropathy because pain is a symptom of neuropathy and the device was cleared to temporarily relieve pain under K162763. While pain may be a symptom of neuropathy or other tissue damage, use of the Contour to temporarily relieve a symptom does not treat the underlying disease or condition causing the symptom. The treatment of neuropathy is a different intended use than the temporary relief of pain, and, therefore, different evidence is necessary to demonstrate a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness for a device intended to treat neuropathy. Your firm has not provided any evidence to FDA to demonstrate the Contour’s safety and effectiveness for treating neuropathy. To date, FDA is unaware of any low level LED light therapy device approved or cleared for the treatment of neuropathy or evidence that would substantiate the safety and efficacy of your device for that use. Your firm is also marketing the Contour to treat inflammation. In a letter to FDA received on November 30, 2018, you stated that you believe the Contour is cleared to treat inflammation under K162763, and that alternatively, the Contour’s treatment of inflammation is a use that is exempted from premarket notification requirements under 21 CFR 890.5500 (Infrared Lamp). We disagree. Treatment of inflammation is a different intended use than the intended use (temporary pain relief, temporary muscle relaxation, and temporary increase in circulation) for which the Contour was cleared under K162763. Further, devices classified under 21 CFR 890.5500 (Infared Lamp) are not intended to treat inflammation. Generic devices of this type topically heat tissue for medical purposes, including, but not limited to, temporary pain relief, temporary muscle relaxation, and a temporary increase in circulation. Devices classified under 21 CFR 890.5500 (Infrared Lamp) are exempt from premarket notification unless they exceed the limitations on exemption at 21 CFR 890.9. Because the Contour is intended for uses different from those of legally marketed devices classified under 21 CFR 890.5500 (Infrared Lamp), it exceeds the exemption at 21 CFR 890.9(a). As explained above, your firm is marketing the Contour for a different intended use than cleared in K162763 and permitted by 21 CFR 890.5500, namely to treat inflammation. This unapproved intended use raises public health and safety concerns because patients experiencing inflammation may be at risk for burns and tissue injury due to modified skin sensitivity or delayed healing if, for example, the underlying condition causing the inflammation may be untreated or exacerbated due to treatment with the Contour before or instead of seeking medical care. Your firm has not provided any evidence to FDA to demonstrate the Contour’s safety and effectiveness to treat inflammation, and, to date, FDA is unaware of any low level LED light therapy device approved or cleared for the treatment of inflammation or evidence that would substantiate the safety and efficacy of your device for that use. In addition, statements that the Contour may be used to reduce cellulite, treat scars, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and tighten skin are not supported by your firm’s clearances. In a letter to FDA received on November 30, 2018, you explained that statements that the Contour reduces cellulite; treats scars, fine lines, and wrinkles; and tightens skin, generally relate to other manufacturers’ “equipment” and that you “include” the equipment in the Contour “system” or tell customers where to purchase the equipment. However, the statements on your website (and included above) specifically reference the Contour and do not mention other equipment, manufacturers, or upgrades to your device to accommodate such equipment and/or make such uses possible. To date, there is no low level LED light therapy device that is approved or cleared to treat scars and/or tighten skin, and your firm has not provided evidence to FDA to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of any of these new uses (including to reduce cellulite or treat fine lines and wrinkles). In addition, we remind you that integrating other equipment into the Contour system may require submission of a premarket notification to FDA as required by section 510(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360(k), and 21 CFR 807.81(a)(3)(i), if it is a change or modification in the device that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device, e.g., a significant change or modification in the design. Based on a review of materials collected during the inspection and statements made on your website, your firm made significant changes or modifications in the design and components of the Contour as cleared under K172111 and K162763, which could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device. For example, the Contour was cleared with a 650 nm wavelength under both clearances, but you added 532 nm and 840 nm as additional wavelengths. Your firm also increased the number of LEDs in the small paddles from 4 to 28 and increased the number of paddles containing LEDs from 16 to 32. Increasing the number of available wavelengths, the number of LEDs, and the number of paddles could increase the risk of burns to the patient because, during use, the LEDs come into contact with the patient’s skin and the number of increased paddles with varying wavelengths could result in a larger skin-contacting- surface-area than the amount of skin contacted with a 650 nm wavelength under the firm’s two existing clearances. To date, your firm has not provided evidence to FDA to substantiate the safety and efficacy of these changes to the Contour’s design and components. Further, because the mechanism of action for the reduction of circumference of the hips, waist, and thighs by low level light therapy devices is not well understood, it is uncertain whether increasing LED contact with the skin could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the device as cleared and marketed under K172111. Representations that Create an Impression of FDA Approval The Contour is also misbranded under section 502(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(a), because representations on your firm’s website create an impression of official approval of the device and are misleading. In addition, 21 CFR 807.97 states that any representation that creates an impression of official approval of a device because of complying with the premarket notification regulations is misleading and constitutes misbranding. Your website contains such representations. For example, your website states: “VevazzTM Contouring is a clinically proven non-invasive fat loss treatment that is pain free that doesn’t require recovery time, plus is natural, safe, effective and FDA approved” and “Natural. Safe. Effective. FDA Approved.” Further, under an “FDA-approval” tab, your website states: “FDA approvals obtained by Vevazz: 1. Class 1 Device: FDA registered for adjacent treatment of obesity 2. 510(k) Clearance: FDA Cleared for Pain and Inflammation, as well as Immediate Fat Loss and Body Contouring Only. for Pain and inflammation, some of the symptoms of Neuropathy 3. Body Contouring: FDA Cleared for Pain and Inflammation, as well as Immediate Fat Loss and Body Contouring Only. for 510k for immediate (1 visit) Body Contouring results” In addition to misbranding, these statements further support the false impression that FDA has evaluated and cleared the Contour for the unapproved uses described above. Our inspection, review of materials collected during the inspection, and review of your firm’s websites also revealed that your firm is currently marketing an unapproved device, the Bed. Specifically, under the “Vevazz Bed” tab, your firm’s website states: “[The Bed] is safe, painless, and completely non-invasive. Red light has been shown to help with fat loss, spot reduction and aesthetic body contouring. Other treatments red light has been shown to help are Anti-aging, and wrinkles.” “No other device in the market offers such a short treatment time per surface area and no staff required!” Under the headings “Red light benefits and the Vevazz Bed difference” and “what has red light has [sic] been shown to help with?,” a number of benefits are described, including: reversal of sun or UV damage to the skin; wound healing; increased blood flow/circulation; reduced pain and/or inflammation; treatment of acne; reduction of appearance of wrinkles; pigmentation spots, stretch marks and/or scarring; and “Skin rejuvenation, restoration, oxygenation and/or hydration, Collagen/Elastin production/reorganization of skin structure, elasticity and/or metabolism.” The Bed is not approved or cleared by FDA for marketing in the United States. During our review of your website, FDA learned that your firm is marketing the Face Mask, a mask with LED lights, in the United States without marketing clearance or approval, in violation of the Act. Specifically, under the “Face Mask” tab, your firm’s website states: “Face treatment mask with 3 different LED lights for optimal treatment of Wrinkles, Scars, Acne and Skin Tightening.” “Red Light<650-730nm> Will stimulate the production of collagen. Collagen is an essential protein used to repair damaged tissue and to replace old tissue. Beat [sic] for fine lines, and will also help to reduce large pores.” “Green Light<525-550nm> The balance of green light can balance color pigment, reduce fine lines, nutrient aging skin, speed up the healing process of the wound, and lighten the scare [sic].” Under section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), 21 U.S.C. § 321(h), the Face Mask is a device because it is intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the body. We have determined that the Face Mask is adulterated under section 501(f)(1)(B) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(f)(1)(B), because your firm does not have an approved application for premarket approval (PMA) in effect pursuant to section 515(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360e(a), or an approved application for an investigational device exemption (IDE) under section 520(g) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360j(g) for the device as described and marketed. The Face Mask is also misbranded under section 502(o) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(o), because your firm did not notify FDA of its intent to introduce each device into commercial distribution, as required by section 510(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360(k). For a device requiring premarket approval, the notification required by section 510(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360(k), is deemed satisfied when a PMA is pending before the agency. 21 CFR 807.81(b). The kind of information that your firm needs to submit in order to obtain clearance or approval for the device is described on the Internet at http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/HowtoMarketYourDevice/default.htm. The FDA will evaluate the information that your firm submits and decide whether the product may be legally marketed. The inspection also revealed that your firm’s Vevazz LED light therapy devices are adulterated within the meaning of section 501(h) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(h), in that the methods used in, or the facilities or controls used for, their manufacture, packing, storage, or installation are not in conformity with the current good manufacturing practice requirements of the Quality System regulation found at 21 CFR Part 820. Operations observed in your facility during the inspection included final acceptance testing and release of finished devices received from suppliers, customer service, administration, incoming acceptance, storage, and distribution. We received a response dated July 8, 2019 from you, concerning our investigator’s observations noted on the Form FDA 483, List of Inspectional Observations (FDA 483) that was issued on June 20, 2019. We address the response below, in relation to each of the noted violations. These violations include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Procedures for receiving, reviewing, and evaluating complaints by a formally designated unit have not been established3 and maintained per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.198. During our recent inspection, your CEO / Office Manager provided a Complaint Handling Procedure, QP33, Rev. 00, dated 6/3/2019. This draft procedure was dated the day our inspection began and had not been reviewed or approved as required by your Document and Data Control Procedure, QP03, Issue 0, issued 6/2/2019. During the inspection, we reviewed complaints that described potentially serious issues such as “burning sensation on skin” and “paddles too hot and burning patients.” The complaints did not include all required information per the regulatory requirements of 21 CFR 820.198 or your requirements under the Complaint Handling Procedure. Your response indicates you will implement the “complaints procedure” by 12/25/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections to date. For reference, the Agency defines a complaint under 21 CFR 820.3(b). Your firm should review this definition and the requirements under 21 CFR 820.198 to ensure that a procedure that meets these regulatory requirements is established. We request that you notify our office when a procedure has been updated, as necessary, and established. Please provide a copy of the established procedure (highlighting any changes) and examples of complaint records that demonstrate the procedure was established, including documentation of complaints received, as applicable, and the results of the “review [of] all previous customer complaints for evaluation against complete complaint information.” 2. Procedures for design control have not been established and maintained per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.30, to include a complete risk analysis. During our inspection, the Design Control Procedure, QP34, Rev. 00, dated 6/3/2019, and the Design Change Control Procedure, QP37, Rev. 00, 6/3/2019, were provided. These draft procedures were dated the day our inspection began and had not been reviewed or approved as required by your Document and Data Control Procedure, QP03, Issue 0, issued 6/2/2019. The Design Control Procedure states that devices developed before the Procedure became effective may follow a retrospective approach for documenting design; however, the documents provided did not document any such retrospective approach. In general, many design documents reviewed during the inspection were not approved, were not complete, and did not follow an established procedure. For example, a Design Plan, document DDP01, Rev 00 was provided, but it is undated and has no signatures demonstrating the document is approved as required by your Document and Data Control Procedure. In addition, two design checklists were provided dated November 2014. The checklists refer to a “Product Brief” that could not be provided upon request. The checklists were not signed and did not demonstrate approval (i.e., all places for “sign off” were left blank). Design reviews, verification and validation, and design changes should follow an approved procedure and be governed by document controls that demonstrate appropriate review, approval, and control. The Software Validation Procedure, QP11, Issue: 0, Date of Issue: 6/2/2019, (issued the day before our preannounced inspection began) was also provided during the inspection. All documents related to software validation should be aligned per the requirements of your design procedures and this Software Validation Procedure. We recommend that you review your procedures against 21 CFR 820.30 to ensure all requirements are met because the software validation documents provided during the inspection do not appear to have been governed by a procedure at the time of performance. In addition, the Software Validation Report dated July 2016 references a (b)(4) minute default setting for the run time of “The Vevazz” yet the treatment time is listed in the “Vevazz” User Manual as 7 minutes. The test plan referred to within this report was requested, but could not be provided. Per the two different treatment times indicated in clearances, the device and related software should be validated to demonstrate consistent performance for either treatment time based on the indication(s) for use. Your firm’s Software Validation and Risk Mitigation Procedures reference risk assessment. The Software Level of Concern document provided to address risk analysis lists mitigations to defined risks such as visual inspection, however no documentation of visual inspection or other mitigating steps could be provided during the inspection. Without adequate records documenting performance of risk mitigation steps, there is no assurance that the risks identified with the device have been adequately controlled/mitigated to reduce the hazards to the user as required per your Hazard Analysis document, rev 0, no release date. Your response indicates you will implement the “design control procedures” by 12/25/2019, and compile the Design History File (DHF) by 12/26/2020. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. As applicable, design control documents should demonstrate they have been reviewed, approved, implemented, and appropriately controlled to be considered “established.” We have included an FDA guidance document titled, “Design Control Guidance for Medical Device Manufacturers” to assist in your corrections. We request that you review this document and 21 CFR 820.30 and provide a summary of your corrections, including if you developed new procedures made updates to existing procedures. 3. Procedures to ensure that all purchased or otherwise received product and services conform to specified requirements have not been established and maintained per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.50. During our inspection, the Supplier Management Procedure, QP31, Rev. 00, dated 6/3/2019, was provided. This draft procedure was dated the day our inspection began and had not been reviewed or approved as required by your Document and Data Control Procedure, QP03, Issue 0, issued 6/2/2019. Your firm could not provide documentation demonstrating evaluation and qualification of your supplier for the contract manufacture of your Vevazz LED devices labeled to treat pain, inflammation, neuropathy, and obesity as required by your unapproved procedure. Your response indicates you will implement the “purchasing and supplier management procedures” by 12/25/2019, and compile an Approved Supplier List (ASL) by 12/26/2020. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. We ask that you review 21 CFR 820.50, establish procedures to meet the requirements, including the retention of applicable records. Please be aware in your review of this section that the regulation also applies to consultants. Please provide our office a timeframe for when this can be completed, a copy of the procedure(s) once established (highlighting changes as applicable), and an example of records demonstrating the procedure has adequately corrected this violation. 4. Procedures for finished device acceptance have not been established and maintained per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.80(d). During our inspection, your CEO / Office Manager told our investigator that you perform a functionality test of finished devices upon receipt from your contract manufacturer. He described this as a meter test of the (b)(4) and described using a (b)(4) meter. No procedure was provided governing this performance / acceptance testing method or its acceptance criteria, and documentation of the results of this testing were not consistently observed during record review. In addition, the instructions for use (IFU) of the meters being used were not followed and processes relevant to using these devices for measurement such as defining (b)(4) are not addressed in a procedure to ensure consistent performance. Your response indicates you will implement a “device acceptance procedure” via batch record review and final device testing instructions by 12/25/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. The final acceptance practices your firm is using are inadequate because they do not meet the requirements of 21 CFR 820.80, specifically test procedures explaining how finished device acceptance should be conducted have not been established. We suggest that you review 21 CFR 820.80 and establish procedures to meet the requirements, including retention of applicable records. Please provide our office a timeframe for when this can be completed, a copy of the procedure once it is established, and examples of records that demonstrate that the procedure was established. 5. Procedures to ensure equipment is routinely calibrated, inspected, checked and maintained have not been adequately established and maintained per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.72(a). During our inspection, your CEO / Office Manager provided the Product Realization Procedure, QP05, Rev. 0, issued 06/02/19, the day before our preannounced inspection began. He also provided the IFUs for both the (b)(4) meter used in the final acceptance meter test described above. Records were not available to demonstrate these meters were calibrated for use (b)(4) per your firm’s Product Realization Procedure requirement to determine the effectiveness of the sensor used for measurement every (b)(4). Your response indicates you will implement a “calibration procedure” and calibrate all critical instruments by 12/25/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. Please review 21 CFR 820.72, ensure your procedure meets all requirements, and provide calibration certificates upon completion for the meters used in final acceptance testing. 6. Procedures have not been established and maintained to control product that does not conform to specified requirements per 21 CFR 820.90. During our inspection, your CEO / Office Manager stated your firm does not have established procedures for controlling product that does not conform to specified requirements. Then, your CEO / Office Manager later provided your Product Realization Procedure, QP05, Issue: 0, Date of Issue: 6/2/2019, issued the day before our preannounced inspection began. This Procedure requires nonconforming product to be segregated and requires reworked product to meet the same specifications as conforming products. However, your CEO / Office Manager stated that your firm does not have a segregated area for nonconforming product and disposition of units that fail the meter tests is not documented. Your response indicates you will implement a “nonconformance procedure” and review any critical nonconformances by 12/25/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. Nonconformity is defined in 21 CFR 820.3(q). We request that you review this definition and all requirements of 21 CFR 820.90 and establish a procedure to meet these requirements. We request that you notify our office when the procedure has been fully established including providing a sample of nonconformance records, as appropriate. Please provide a copy of the new or updated procedure and a few examples of how this procedure has been implemented. 7. Procedures for corrective and preventive action (CAPA) have not been established and maintained per the requirements of 21 CFR Part 820.100. During our recent inspection, you provided three CAPA related procedures: Corrective and Preventive Actions, QP-07; Corrective Action, QP-20; and Preventive Action, QP-23, all of which were in initial revision and issued 6/2/2019, the day before our preannounced inspection began. During the inspection your CEO / Office Manager stated that one corrective action of a “(b)(4)” was performed as a result of complaints received. No documentation could be provided related to this change, and the CEO / Office Manager could not provide any additional details related to whether this was also a design change, when it took place, any documented investigation, or CAPA effectiveness check. Your Corrective and Preventive Action Procedure indicates “corrective actions” will be initiated based on nonconformities, complaints, etc.; the “corrective action” will be investigated; a CAPA will be proposed; and the CAPA will be reviewed and approved by the Quality Representative. At the time of our inspection, the CEO / Office Manager stated that you, Mr. Fettig, are the owner and Quality Representative. It was also noted that you are typically onsite (b)(4) per year. Your response indicates you will implement a “CAPA procedure” and review previous quality events “for applicability to Corrective Actions and Preventative Actions” by 12/25/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. We request that you review these CAPA-related procedures to ensure they meet all requirements under 21 CFR 820.100 and that you also ensure you are able to comply with your own requirements (or update those requirements to fit your current operations). If new procedures or changes to procedures are required, please notify our office and provide a copy of the new/updated procedures, highlighting changes as necessary. Please also provide details related to the regulator change referenced during the inspection. 8. A device master record has not been maintained, per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.181. During our inspection, you could not provide a Device Master Record (DMR) for your Vevazz LED devices. A DMR is a compilation of specifications for design, production, quality assurance, packaging, labeling, etc. which helps to ensure a medical device is manufactured according to the most current specifications and applicable procedures. Your response indicates you will create a DMR by 12/25/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. A DMR should provide all current specifications for the device in one place, and the DMR should be updated as various specifications are updated. Our investigator noted differences between the power light energy output listed in your labeling compared to your clearances. This is an example of a specification that should be defined in the DMR. We ask that you review the requirements under 21 CFR 820.181 and provide a copy of the DMR with the complete list of specifications when complete. You do not necessarily need to provide all related documents as they will be reviewed during your next inspection. 9. A device history record has not been maintained per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.184. During our inspection, your CEO / Office Manager provided the Product Realization Procedure, QP05, Issue: 0, Date of Issue: 06/02/2019, which appears to be the only procedure that we were provided that, although incomplete, governs how Device History Records (DHRs) are maintained. This procedure refers to a Quality Plan / DHR for each product. Your CEO / Office Manager explained the devices are contract manufactured offsite and then tested at your facility. The CEO / Office Manager stated that no DHR is generated at either site. The CEO / Office Manager also explained the testing procedure for final acceptance, but could not provide records demonstrating that these activities have been consistently performed for your distributed Vevazz LED devices. The Product Realization Procedure does not include requirements for inclusion of the following in the DHR: dates of manufacture; quantity manufactured; quantity released for distribution; acceptance records which demonstrate the device is manufactured in accordance with the DMR; primary identification label and labeling used for each production unit; and any unique device identifier (UDI) or universal product code (UPC). Your response indicates you will create a DHR by 12/27/2020. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. We request that you review the requirements of 21 CFR 820.184 and establish a procedure to meet these requirements. Please notify our office when this procedure has been established and provide a copy as well as an example of a completed DHR. 10. Procedures for training and identifying training needs have not been adequately established per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.25. During our inspection, your CEO / Office Manager provided the Training Procedure, QP12, Rev. 00, dated 06/02/2019. This Procedure requires that “HR” maintain a personnel file for each employee with quality system responsibilities including qualification data, job description, and training records to include training on processes that may affect quality. Training records were requested for the two employees who perform the meter test described above for final acceptance, and no records could be provided. During the inspection, the CEO / Office Manager told our investigator your firm did not have certain procedures that our investigator later identified in documents provided by your firm. It is the responsibility of the personnel at your firm to find and provide applicable procedures and records relevant to the requirements of the quality system regulations during an FDA inspection. Almost all procedures provided during our inspection were dated either the day before or the day our inspection began. During the inspection, your firm could not demonstrate that employees were trained on the new procedures. Your response indicates you will implement a “training procedure” and develop a training plan for all employees by 12/25/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. Please review the requirements of 21 CFR 820.25 to ensure your training procedure meets all requirements. You should conduct training to the new procedures that were or will be drafted and ensure that it is clear what specific regulatory terms mean when they are used in a procedure. Be prepared for training records to be reviewed as part of your next inspection. In addition, upon completion of training, please provide records to our office demonstrating the employees who perform the meter test have been trained to do so. 11. Procedures for quality audits have not been established per 21 CFR 820.22. During our inspection your CEO / Office Manager provided the Quality Audit Procedure, QP14, Issue: 0, Date of Issue: 6/2/2019, issued the day before our preannounced inspection began. The Procedure requires annual audits. The CEO / Office Manager indicated that your firm has not ever conducted any quality audits of your quality system. Your response states that you will implement a “quality audit procedure” by 12/27/2020. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. We request that you review the requirements of 21 CFR 820.22 and ensure your established procedure meets all regulatory requirements including re-auditing deficient matters. Please provide us a copy of the procedure (highlighting any changes) as well as the date of and evidence demonstrating your first audit has been completed. Be prepared to provide evidence of any audits (but not the results) as well as your overall audit plan during your next inspection. 12. Management with executive responsibility has not reviewed the suitability and effectiveness of the quality system per the requirements of 21 CFR 820.20(c). You provided a Management Responsibility Procedure, QP01, Issue: 0, Date of Issue: 6/2/2019, issued the day before our preannounced inspection began. This Procedure, along with your Quality Manual, QSM-13 (undated), requires that a documented Management Representative conduct management reviews (b)(4) per year. There is no appointed and documented Management Representative pursuant to requirements of your Procedure (and as required by 21 CFR 820.20(b)(3)), and your CEO / Office Manager stated no management reviews have been conducted to date. It is of note that the titles and related responsibilities described in your Quality Manual and your Management Responsibility Procedure as well as those referenced during our inspection are inconsistent. You should review all documentation, including your website, and update as necessary to reflect consistent titles and responsibilities. Your response indicates you will implement a “management review procedure” by 12/27/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. We request that you review 21 CFR 820.20 and provide a summary of your corrections and evidence of the completion of your first management review. Our inspection also revealed that your firm’s Vevazz LED light therapy devices are misbranded under section 502(t)(2) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(t)(2), in that your firm failed or refused to furnish material or information respecting the device that is required by or under section 519 of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360i, and 21 CFR Part 803 - Medical Device Reporting. Significant violations include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Written Medical Device Reporting (MDR) procedures have not been implemented per the requirements of 21 CFR 803.17. During our recent inspection, your CEO / Office Manager initially told our investigator your firm did not have an MDR procedure. Later that day, the CEO / Office Manager provided a Medical Device Reporting Procedure, QP 30, Rev. 00, dated 6/3/2019, which the CEO / Office Manager stated was provided by your consultant electronically during the inspection. This draft procedure was dated the day our inspection began and had not been reviewed or approved per the requirements of your Data Control Procedure. In addition, no complaints or other documents reviewed during our inspection demonstrated that, pursuant to 21 CFR 820.198, an evaluation whether the complaint represented an event required to be reported under 21 CFR Part 803 occurred. Your response indicates you will implement a “MDR procedure” by 12/25/2019. We cannot evaluate the adequacy of your firm’s response and proposed actions at this time as you have not provided objective evidence of corrections. We request that you review the requirements of 21 CFR Part 803 and ensure your procedure meets these requirements. Please notify our office when complaints begin to be evaluated for Medical Device Reporting according to the regulations so that these may be reviewed as part of your next inspection. Our office requests that Vevazz, LLC immediately cease activities that result in the misbranding or adulteration of its low level LED light therapy devices, such as the commercial distribution of the devices for the uses discussed above. Your firm should also take prompt action to correct the violations addressed in this letter. Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in regulatory action being initiated by the FDA without further notice. These actions include, but are not limited to, seizure, injunction, and civil money penalties. Additionally, premarket approval applications for Class III devices to which the Quality System regulation violations are reasonably related will not be approved until the violations have been corrected. Also, requests for Certificates to Foreign Governments (CFG) may not be granted. More information on processes for persons denied a CFG can be found at https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidancedocuments/process-request-review-fdas-decision-not-issue-certain-export-certificates-devices. Please notify this office in writing within fifteen business days from the date you receive this letter of the specific steps your firm has taken to correct the noted violations, as well as an explanation of how your firm plans to prevent these violations, or similar violations, from occurring again. Include documentation of the corrections and/or corrective actions (which must address systemic problems) that your firm has taken. If your firm’s planned corrections and/or corrective actions will occur over time, please include a timetable for implementation of those activities. If corrections and/or corrective actions cannot be completed within fifteen business days, state the reason for the delay and the time within which these activities will be completed. If your firm does not believe that the devices are in violation of the Act (as described herein), please include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration. Your firm’s response should be comprehensive and address all violations included in this Warning Letter. Finally, you should know that this letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the violations at your firm’s facility. It is your firm’s responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations administered by FDA. The specific violations noted in this letter and in the Inspectional Observations, FDA 483, issued at the close of the inspection may be symptomatic of serious problems in your firm’s manufacturing and quality management systems. Your firm should investigate and determine the causes of the violations and take prompt actions to correct the violations and bring the products into compliance. Director OHT4: Office of Surgical and Infection Control Office of Product Evaluation and Quality Center for Devices and Radiological Health Program Division Director Office of Medical Device and Radiological Health 1 Last accessed December 17, 2019. 2 Neuropathy refers to general diseases or malfunctions of the peripheral nerves. Signs and symptoms may include numbness, pain, muscle weakness, heat intolerance, and changes to sensation. There are many causes of neuropathy (e.g., trauma, infections, disease), and if its root cause is left undiagnosed or untreated, neuropathy may result in serious complications. 3 For your reference, FDA defines “establish” under 21 CFR 820.3(k) as “define, document (in writing or electronically), and implement.”	47,043
The annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium will feature recordings of new music by UNM composition students, local and international composers, as well as interviews and panels. "An Outstanding Place to Make Art" - Egbert Hiller on New Music in New Mexico In 2020, the 49th Annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium was scheduled early, and German journalist Egbert Hiller had an opportunity to write about the event and the New Music scene in New Mexico.	484
Following my piece a few months back on the phenomenon of concentration - the great invisible force shaping pretty much everything right now - I wanted to do another similar piece on a different macro-trend. The purpose of such pieces, which of course aren’t strategy “how tos” like some others, is to give you a grasp of the soup we are swimming in (at least as I see it). This is crucial, since all ideas and plans we might have need to be acutely sensitive to context. For example when I talk about business, I often use the terms “the value you offer the market” and “the value you offer the world” interchangeably. This is because they are interchangeable. Focusing on the market or category can be helpful because it gives you a digestible starting point, but ultimately the true category anything exists in is life at large. And therefore, it helps to know what’s going on in it - and this one’s a biggie. The idea is that of supernormal stimuli. Supernormal stimuli are essentially artificially intensified versions of natural stimuli, which we consume and in doing so make ourselves “immune” to the effects of the natural. For a simple example consider the following: if you eat a Mars bar every day then strawberries will cease to taste sweet to you. The Mars bar represents a supernormal dose of sugar - far more than would be accessible in a natural context - and thus it sets your expectations of sweetness artificially high. So much so that old norms sweetness cease to be sweet at all. On the flip side if you never ate any refined sugar the opposite would be true: strawberries would taste very sweet indeed. One high profile example of supernormal stimulus which most people these days have cottoned onto is pornography. Porn is of course a supernormal version of sex, and is engineered to elicit highly concentrated doses of titillation. As a result porn addicts - just like sugar addicts or any other form of addict I suppose - are constantly chasing ever more specific and rarified hits of stimulation in order to remain satisfied. This has resulted in an epidemic which parallels that of obesity, only this time in sexual dysfunction. Reportedly real sex is no longer hitting the spot for a great number of young men who have been raised with on tap access to pornography - resulting in negative side effects ranging from performance issues to alarming stories of violence and degradation towards women being carried from the internet into real life sexual encounters. In the case of both sugar and sex, supernormality is broadly understood and well documented. The point I want to make in this piece is that today everything is becoming supernormalised; and that it’s a pattern which has become both a blueprint for business success, and a roadmap to where we are going. For better and (let's face it) worse. Taken in the abstract, the pattern looks something like this: Each year new businesses are finding ways to supernormalise different parts of every day life. Because human beings find the supernormal irresistible - it’s something they like, but now offered in boundless form - these businesses become phenomenally successful. I would venture that the majority of “unicorns” are in the supernormalisation game either directly or indirectly. Almost invariably supernormal products are tech based, since the defining feature of the internet is the removal of boundaries and constraints. This means that people need to “plug in” to access these rewards, and in doing so gradually retreat from the “real life” which houses the old fashioned “non-super” stimuli. In summary: People are drawn into the online world by the supernormal And in doing so withdraw from the real world, as well as finding it increasingly boring and unsatisfying Now I expect you might be a little bit sceptical of how pervasive I suggest this trend to be. Sure, we can all picture in our mind the stereotypical young male dropout, existing purely in a world of gaming, internet forums, and porn. In the US they’re sometimes called “incels”; in Japan sometimes “grass eating boys”. But most of us aren’t like that. Most of us resist such supernormal traps, right? At the acute end of the spectrum perhaps this is true. But the issue here is that we don’t recognise how many of the innovations we believe are “good” and “normal” are themselves in fact supernormal. To take a single example, think about podcasts. At first glance they seem to be uncontroversial, and all upside. Quality information, available anywhere, often educational and mind expanding. All this is true. However the thing about the supernormal is that it is its very quality and goodness which presents a danger. Podcasts are to conversation what Mars bars are to strawberries: their very richness and ubiquity recalibrate our expectations of the real world, in a manner it often can’t live up to. Let’s face it, when chatting with the average person 80% of what they say is totally banal - small talk, how’s the kids, awkward silences etc. Podcasts (not to mention audiobooks, Twitter, etc.) have none of that. It’s all killer no filler. Better still, you don’t have to lift a finger. You don’t have to participate, just consume - any time, anywhere, totally on your terms. No wonder the image of the couple having dinner both glued to their phones has become a cliché. The phones are genuinely more interesting than the other person. Not purely because of nefarious manipulation on behalf of the social media companies, but because they truly give you more of what you want. They’re not powerful because they’re “bad”. It’s not a trick. They’re powerful because they’re good. Too good. Rich content which is more interesting than another person has been around for a long time of course - in the form of books, theatre, and latterly TV. However, like all non-super stimuli these were highly bounded in terms of logistics and accessibility. The options at any given moment were limited, and typically only available in a particular place. They were mildly super-normal, no question, but not enough to throw shade on the real world. You could’t live in them - hence perhaps why TV is now seen as a relatively wholesome pastime for kids. Eventually they’ll get bored and do something else. Supernormal stimuli on the other hand removes friction. It combines intensity with ubiquity and ease: a potent combination. Let’s look elsewhere: the world of dating. App based dating has become so ubiquitous that some now consider it faux pas to ask someone out in person. Little wonder since - in true supernormal style - it simultaneously increases the volume of what you want (options) whilst removing the limiting factors (logistics and, more importantly, fear of rejection). One of the more widely understood consequences of this is of course the erosion of long term commitment. A more recent and more peculiar development that some users have reported is an increased volume of people who are happy to chat but never meet up. The chase is apparently more stimulating than the payoff - particularly, perhaps, when you have pornography to deal with that side of the equation. This analysis wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t fold the timely advent of Covid into the equation. People like to debate the effectiveness of lockdown restrictions, but the one achievement we can all agree on is the way they’ve accelerated our adoption of digital services. Items which we’d previously never have thought of buying on Amazon we now order habitually. Prime has fulfilled its destiny as the supernormal model of delivery. “Ordinary” delivery times and fees - or indeed the inconvenience of fetching items for ourselves - have now been rendered not only irritating but unacceptable. Services like Deliveroo have supernormalised the restaurant industry. Who needs to trek 45 minutes to a bistro to have stilted conversation with a friend when the very same food can come to you in 20 minutes, to be enjoyed with your favourite Netflix show / podcast / YouTube channel / social feed? I wasn’t remotely surprised the other day to see the emergence of the new grocery delivery app wars - promising to get your items to you faster than you can go out and get them yourselves. Slowly but surely the few remaining reasons we have to engage with the non-super world are being chiselled away; even if it’s simply popping to the corner shop for a Cornetto and a scratch card. (I won’t even bore you with the whole Zoom / working from home revolution - it’s too obvious an example to warrant even a mention). How do you know if you’re becoming supernormalised? You feel it, quite distinctly. When someone invites you to dinner - or worse still, a birthday party - do you ever feel a slight pang of duty? Sure, you’ll do it, old social mores are still clinging on - but secretly you’d just rather stay in. You personally may not feel this, but certainly many do. In 2019 an unbelievable 22% of millennials reported having no friends. Zero. Not something deliberate of course, but something which is becoming increasingly “easy” to achieve, or slip into, without realising it’s happening. Doubtless too you’ve read the various reports of the significant minority of people who don’t want lockdown restrictions to end, ever, or who are enjoying being released from their social obligations. Naturally there are various causes for this - but it’s pretty clear that a major contributing factor is the irresistibility of the supernormal life. Everything you want, better, faster, and in higher volume than ever before, all accessible without exertion or risk. Old life can back off thanks very much. The picture being painted here is one which makes the 1999 movie The Matrix seem highly prescient. In its dystopian future, machines grow humans for batteries to power their tech superstructure. In “exchange” the humans are plugged into the matrix: a simulation of the real world prior to the machine revolution. Where it went wrong of course was in painting the ordinary world of non-super stimuli as the fantasy to which we’d be connected. They didn’t anticipate that soon we’d have access to something much more intoxicating. However where it was right was in its portrayal of a future where the real might be somehow inferior to the fake: making it increasingly difficult to tell which you’d rather live in. Still, even if supernormalisation continues marching on, hopefully the result will be a little more soft and subtle than such sci-fi nightmares. After all most of us don’t even realise it’s going on even though (as I’ve hopefully demonstrated) it is. The strategic utility of understanding this pattern is threefold: Most plainly, if you understand supernormal stimuli, then you have a pretty strong model for making money. Sure, much of the low hanging fruit has been picked - but as can be seen with the instant groceries model, there is always a benign real world situation vulnerable to super stimulating. A few short years ago we were happy with the status quo of all these things; it is only once we’ve tasted alternative that we struggle to go back. Of course there are ethical dilemmas with all supernormal ideas - I’m not convinced that any of them are net positives in a socio-historical sense. But nonetheless that’s the way the current is flowing, so if you swim with it, and design things to connect with our increasingly insular “plugged in” futures, you can’t go too far wrong. (Knowingly or not this is what the avalanche of DTC brands are currently doing). Secondly, you always have the reverse option: to stand in opposition. Gradually the penny will drop on the negative consequences of many of these things - as it has more or less already with sugar and sex. This means that there are a huge number of underreported social issues to push against. Any movement, any media, and any brand profits massively from the presence of an enemy. The things people particularly remember almost always take an antagonistic stance. And in the rise of the super normal, there are enemies everywhere - so take aim, and take your shot. Finally, as I said at the outset, to effectively strategise you don’t need to know the “facts” of the world, so much as the dynamics. The system of feedback loops and incentives which are driving things, mostly unwittingly, in certain directions. Nobody is masterminding this process; this is nobody’s idea of an optimal future. It’s simply a wheel that’s been put in motion by particular technological capabilities coupled with natural human impulses. Spot such wheels, and you can spot strategies. As with the concentration trend, I would anticipate an eventual re-balancing, as nothing can go on intensifying forever. But I feel we’re some way from that at the moment. So until then this is playing field; let’s get out there and play ball. Any thoughts or questions about what you've read here? If so please reply to this email and I'll get right back to you. The URL of this, and all my previous issues can be found right here.	13,286
The Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR) has announced its Marketplace Fairness Penalty Reduction Program to help businesses comply with the state’s marketplace nexus legislation, which became effective January 1, 2018. Businesses that have had physical presence in the state prior to January 1, 2018 have tax liabilities prior to this date and are subject to tax collection responsibilities that could extend to the date business began or up to 8 years. Businesses that apply to register for the program by June 30, 2018 may receive reduced penalties and additional benefits. The program offers several benefits for taxpayers: The look-back period for tax liability is limited to the prior four years plus the current year (as opposed to seven years plus the current year) Up to 39% in penalties can be waived, which include a 5% assessment penalty for substantially underpaid tax; a 5% unregistered penalty; and a 29% late payment of a return penalty Note that full statutory interest will still be imposed on all amounts due. To qualify for the program, a business must have: Never registered with or reported taxes to the DOR Never been contacted by the DOR for enforcement purposes (see note below) Not engaged in evasion or misrepresentation in reporting tax liabilities If the DOR’s records indicate that a business had previous contact with the DOR, it may still be eligible for reduced penalties. The taxpayer would need to contact the DOR employee who they previously communicated with for more information by June 30, 2018. If a business has unregistered affiliates, subsidiaries or related entities that are required to register, a separate application to the program would need to be filed for each business entity. At the time of application, taxpayers will be asked to disclose the business name and contact information. However, taxpayers can choose to apply anonymously, in which case they have 15 calendar days from the application to disclose the business identity. If the information is not disclosed within 15 days, the application will not be approved and the taxpayer would need to reapply. For additional details on applying for and completing the program, click here to visit the Washington DOR’s program webpage. The DOR notes that the $20,000 penalty for not complying with the state’s notice requirements will not be waived under this program, and taxpayers would need to apply for a separate waiver. The DOR can be contacted at [email protected] for more information. (Washington State Penalty Reduction Program for Marketplace Fairness, Department of Revenue, Washington State) Posted on May 31, 2018 Join 16,000+ sales tax pros who get weekly sales tax tips.	2,818
The first draft is a huge hurdle for many non-professional writers (and also for quite some professionals, actually). Writing a first draft takes time and (often) way too much over-thinking. Here’s the thing: You never publish your first draft, do you? It’s what gets your writing started. You edit it. You restructure it. Sometimes you even re-write the whole piece. The first draft is what made the final piece happen. It’s what triggered your thinking to go deeper and find a way to express what you actually wanted to say. This is one way how AI writing apps can help people who struggle to come up with the first draft. To get to that first draft more quickly and find out what you actually want to say. You don’t publish the text that the AI produced. You use it to trigger your own writing. Have you tried AI tools, yet? How? And what for? I would love to hear about your experience. October 10, 2022 What if you could speak with irresistible clarity? My eBook teaches you a 5-step process that works Download for free (no email required)! 2 books that make the case that not all hope is lost 1. How to be perfect by Michael Schur Who doesn’t want to be a better person? My bet is that almost anyone reading this wants Read » Lack of time It never ceases to amaze me how the default mode in some sales forces (especially the larger ones) is to make loads of mediocre pitches Read » For most people, passion is not something that just comes along and says “hello”. It’s not something you wait for and suddenly, it’s there and	1,576
Whether you’re a racer or like to cheer on your favorite driver, there is no shortage of events to put on your calendar. For the complete racing schedule click here. Minor adjustments have been made to the GT Challenge series car classifications. Highlights include an adjustment to the calculations for mid-engine cars and PDK transmissions. The rewards weights rules have been altered slightly for occasions when a class may have limited number of entries. Click here for details. Reminder- Dyno results and GT Classification form must be completed each year before entering a race. Renew Your License Annually Competition licenses must be renewed each year. If your medical form has expired this must be updated as well. Please submit all questions and forms to tombagley@autobahncc.com The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post. Britt was introduced to motorsport through Kart Circuit Autobahn in 2009 before graduating into Autobahn’s Spec Miata Championship in 2011. Britt’s professional racing background and coaching experience is extensive. Since 2014, Britt has competed in IMSA and has collected numerous accolades including the inaugural IMSA TCR Championship and two IMSA Manufacturer’s Championships. In addition to a long list of podiums, wins, and pole starts, Britt’s successes are further complimented by his 2020 Gorsline Scholarship nomination and selection for Porsche Young Driver Academy VIII. Britt has extensive experience working for world-renown endurance sports car engineers and their North American motorsport programs. Away from racing, Britt is a 2020 graduate of Miami University’s Farmer School of Business with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Alan is the General Manager of the Kart Circuit at the Autobahn Country Club. Joining the team in 2019, Alan took on the responsibilities of everything Kart Circuit from kart sales, retail sales of apparel and safety gear, kart maintenance, Kart Circuit Autobahn Rental Kart League Race Director and league coordinator. Before coming to the Club, Alan spent 20 years as a Sales Manager for a global high tech software and telecommunications company. He’s used this experience to establish Dealer and Distributor relationships with over 15 Manufacturers and Importers of Karting and Car products available at the Autobahn CC. Alan is also actively involved and competing in two national kart racing organizations – SKUSA and USPKS. He is also a tuner and consultant for Kart Sport America. Tony is the Chief Instructor and Managing Director of Driving Programs at the Autobahn Country Club. He is responsible for developing and overseeing all of the driving programs at the Club. Tony also offers personal coaching with video, data, ride alongs, test driving, car set up assistance, and anything else to help our members and their cars. Over the years, Tony has developed and established multiple driving programs from teen driver safety, to competition licensing, to corporate defensive driving, to police training programs, to autocross, and customer appreciation events. Prior to joining the Autobahn team, Tony raced sedans, open wheel cars and prototypes in the Midwestern Council, SCCA, and IMSA. He was also a championship winning professional driver and owner of Datasport, providing coaching, test driving, data acquisition, and race car engineering services to the racing industry. Peggy is the Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Manager for the Autobahn Country Club. Peggy joined the team in 2005 and has managed the Café and Clubhouse ever since. She over sees all food and beverage production with the help of Steven Ferlin and Clubhouse Manager Colleen Fornoff. Prior to coming to the Club, Peggy worked as Marketing Associate/Sales Executive for Sysco foods and was the Executive Chef of two area restaurants. Peggy says her greatest accomplishment was turning the small hot dog stand with no kitchen into a full service, multi-faceted restaurant with the help of her incredible staff. Mike is the Track Manager & Race Director for the Autobahn Country Club. Since 2005 Mike has been responsible for overseeing our track operations for both corporate clients and members. Mike’s interest in motorsports has allowed him to network with others throughout the industry in North America, leading to a broad knowledge base that’s highly respected among the community. In addition to networking with others, Mike has also been instrumental in the creation of the Autobahn Member Racing League. This highly competitive league consists of multiple series for a variety of cars and has grown to be nationally recognized. Kevin is the Autobahn Country Club’s Chief Financial Officer. Since 2008 Kevin has been responsible for not only the Club’s finances, but also communicating with members about upcoming events, changes to the Club’s policies, and stories from members though our weekly e-newsletter. Before coming to the Club, Kevin spent 6 years as a Controller and interim General Manager at Medinah Country Club. Prior to that he was the Controller for the Westmoreland Country Club in Wilmette. Aside from crunching numbers, Kevin also enjoys spending time with his three children. Ron is the Sales & Marketing Director for the Autobahn Country Club. In addition to corporate entertainment and membership sales, he is responsible for managing the relationships with top auto manufacturers related to Autobahn’s fleet of over 25 performance and defensive driving vehicles. Ron’s motorsports career started in NASCAR entertainment, working for Petty Enterprises and Richard Petty Driving Experience. While working for “The King,” he created sponsorship programs incorporating national fleets of branded race cars and activated those sponsorships though experiential events at various NASCAR tracks across the US. Tim is the Autobahn Country Club’s President and Chief Executive Officer. He is a co-founder of the Club and is an equity owner. Tim also serves as a member of the Club’s Board of Managers. Tim took on key management duties at the Club beginning in 2018. Tim is a corporate attorney and a certified public accountant and has practiced law for over 30 years. His extensive business background led to the development and execution of a successful business model for the Club, which is a proven leader in the motorsports club industry. Tim is a car enthusiast and enjoys watching and participating in competitive sports. He particularly enjoys the camaraderie and sense of the community at the Autobahn Country Club. Mark is the founder and an equity owner of the Autobahn Country Club. He serves in the position of Founder and member of the Club’s Board of Managers. Mark is a three- time Chase Race Champion in 2010, 2017 and 2019. Mark’s true passions were always about cars and motorsports. Mark’s family belonged to a Golf Country Club for a few years and he wondered why car enthusiasts did not have their own place. This led him to develop the vision of a Motorsports Country Club. After years of development work, finding a suitable location, fundraising, and obtaining entitlements for the Club’s 350 acres, Mark was instrumental in making Autobahn Country Club a reality when they broke ground in 2004. Craig is a founding member of the Autobahn Country Club, has served on the Board of Managers, and is an equity owner. In January 2019, Craig assumed the role of General Manager with a focus on creating positive member experiences, nurturing and developing business relationships, increasing shareholder value, and investing in the team and facilities. His past experience of building entrepreneurial startup companies and navigating corporate business structures has created an ability to lead teams and companies with a clear mission, goals, and purpose. Craig enjoys all forms of motorsports – two wheels, four wheels, snowmobiles – anything with a motor! He has raced in several classes of open wheel formula cars with the SCCA, Autobahn Member Racing, and continues to enjoy track time.	8,373
No country in the world is self-sufficient today. All countries have to have trade relations with other countries in some form or the other. Therefore, GATT was established to facilitate and organize international trade. Along with globalization, the size of international trade increased. Therefore, on December 15, 1993, 117 countries of the world accepted the GATT Agreement and approved the largest multilateral trade agreement in the history of international trade. As a result and in January 1995, in place of “GATT“, “WTO” (W.T.O.) was established. With its establishment, the difficulties of international trade will be removed and its area will be wide. Its scope of work includes Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), Foreign Capital Investment Measures (TRIMS), General Agreement on Trade in Service, Market Access, Textile Industry and Agriculture and Institutional Affairs. has been done . The WTO also has the statutory right to oblige member countries to make changes in their internal national rules and domestic policies. By this, it can compel the member countries to amend the internal rules of the country hindering world trade. India is an agricultural country. India is one of the founding members of the World Trade Organization. After becoming a member of the WTO, it has become mandatory for India to follow its provisions. With the matters related to agriculture coming under the jurisdiction of WTO, its provisions will be applicable to Indian agriculture. Which will affect the Indian agricultural system. From this point of view it is necessary to study the effects of WTO on Indian agriculture. In 1947, at the Geneva Convention, the participating member countries decided to establish an institution which was named “GATT”, “General Agreement on Tariff Rates and Trade”. This organization was functioning since 1948. Initially the number of its members was 23 which later increased to 102. No country could become its new member until two-thirds of the current members gave their consent to it. All members were expected to abide by the Code of Conduct given in the agreement. The need was felt to establish a more powerful and empowered institution in place of “GATT” to remove the barriers to international trade, widen its scope and expand trade. In this context, the eighth session of GATT, “Uruguay Round” and after that after 6-7 years of deliberations, it was decided to establish “World Trade Organization” (WTO) in place of GATT. In April 1994, the final draft of the Uruguay Round (UR) was signed by the GATT member states, paving the way for the establishment of the WTO. From January 1, 1995, the World Trade Organization duly started its work. The headquarters of the World Trade Organization is located in the city of Geneva, Switzerland. By ratifying the WTO agreement on December 30, 1994, India became its founding member. According to estimates by the World Bank (WB), OECD and the GATT Secretariat, the establishment of the WTO will result in an increase in trade in commodities by $745 billion by 2005. The GATT Secretariat has estimated that the maximum growth (60%) will be in the textile trade. Apart from this, there will be an increase of 20% in agriculture, forestry and fishery products and 19% in the trade of processed food and beverages. Functions of the WTO The main functions of the WTO are as follows:- To provide an appropriate forum to the member countries for discussion on issues related to tariffs and trade. To implement the rules and provisions related to the review and procedure of business policy. To cooperate with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other international institutions to bring about greater harmony in the formulation of economic policies at the world level. To provide necessary facilities for the implementation, administration and operation of the World Trade Agreement and other multilateral agreements. To implement rules and procedures for the settlement of disputes between the member countries of WTO. The following are the objectives of the establishment of the World Trade Organization:- To improve the standard of living of the people in the member countries through a steady increase in real income and effective demand. Eliminating tariff and trade barriers and discriminatory practices in foreign trade relations. To increase the production and trade of goods and services. To increase the level of employment in the world by increasing the level of production and productivity. To increase world trade in such a way that each member country is benefited. To promote competition among trading partners so as to benefit the consumers. To be associated with sustainable development of business and environmental policies. WTO Law: The Uruguay Round of multilateral consultations resulted in the Treaty of WTO. The brief details of the agreements included in this treaty are as follows:- (1) Multilateral agreements on trade in goods – These include the following:- (a) GATT 1994 (GATT 1994) The provisions of balance of payments have been made in the GATT 1994 agreement. This treaty sets out the settlement criteria and procedures of Custom Unions and Free Trade Zones (FTZs). (b) Agriculture Agreement The talks about agriculture under WTO have been the most discussed and controversial. In the WTO’s final act, rules have been made regarding agriculture for the following three areas (i) Domestic support:- To help in agricultural production, almost every country arranges domestic support. According to the provisions of the WTO, all member countries will have to reduce the domestic support price. It has been termed as a holistic measure for support. If it exceeds 5% of the total value of production. (for developing countries this limit is 10%) then it will have to be reduced. Apart from this, non-customs duties will also have to be replaced by import-export taxes. (ii) Market Access:- Rules have been made by the World Trade Organization for market access trade policy review mechanism. These rules are administered by the WTO. Market access is improved by reducing trade barriers and eliminating discrimination. (iii) Export Competition :– One of the objectives of the World Trade Organization is to increase export competition. It encourages this through rules and procedures administered by the WTO. (B) Agreement on Textiles and Textiles :- This agreement has been made to integrate the textile and clothing sector into GATT – 1994. Those constraints of the Multi – Fiction Agreement ( MFA ) which were adopted on December 31 , 1994 , have been incorporated into the new GATT Agreement . According to the new agreement, a provision has been made to abolish MFA in various phases by the year 2003 and bring it under the ambit of GATT. – (C) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade:- This treaty of the WTO ensures that technical barriers do not interfere with international trade. (D) Treaty of Trade-Related Appropriation Measures- According to the provisions of TRAIMS of WTO, each member country should abolish all restrictions on foreign investment. Every country should provide all the facilities to the foreign investors which it is giving to the domestic investors. (2) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) :- This is the second important agreement under WTO. Under this agreement has been made to end the restrictions on foreign trade of services. GATS covers only those services which require high quality technology. For example, banking, insurance, shipping, transportation, telecommunication etc. GATS provides that all restrictions on trade in services should be removed and foreign companies should have complete freedom to provide these services. The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) covers all services, including financial services. GATS is based on two elements: – The rules and regulations that apply to WTO members, and (3) Intellectual property rights related to trade (TRIPS Agreement) :- 7 types of property copyrights and related rights, trademarks, patents, geographical indications, industrial designs, organized circuits and trade secrets under the TRIPS Treaty has been included. This treaty has been made with the aim of preventing the misuse of intellectual property rights. This will encourage discussions between the governments of the member countries. Patents and standards have been arranged under the TRIPS Treaty. (4) Dispute settlement system :- Rules and procedures have been provided in the agreement to settle disputes arising between the members of WTO. A Dispute Settlement Body has been established under the WTO. Efforts have been made to protect the interests of developing countries in the dispute settlement system. Arrangements have been made for automatic access to the office of the Director General of the World Trade Organization so that the disputes can be resolved satisfactorily in a short time. (5) Trade Policy Review Mechanism :- In the WTO agreement, necessary mechanisms have been arranged for the review of the trade policy of the member countries. Under this, the member countries are supported to implement the policy of liberalization and globalization. Working of WTO The highest policy regulatory body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which meets bi-annually. The signing of the WTO in Marrakesh was followed by the first and second conferences in Geneva and Singapore. The Third Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization was held in the city of Seattle, USA in 1999. The Fourth Ministerial Conference of the WTO was held in 2001 in Doha, the capital of the Arab country Qatar, from 9 to 14 November. Every decision in the ministerial conference is taken by consensus. Developed countries do the work of forming a consensus. Euro-American countries were successful in building consensus in the first two conferences after the Uruguay Round. But in the third conference, the developing countries organized and raised their voice. The US and the European Union refused to listen to the voice. As a result, the Seattle Conference was unsuccessful. Doha Ministerial Conference:– The Fourth Ministerial Conference of the WTO was held on 9-14 November 2001 in Doha, the capital of Qatar. In which the outline of the future program of the WTO was decided. Due to the failure of the Third Ministerial Conference (1999) held in Seattle, some developed countries made special efforts to approve the expanded agenda of the WTO. Adequate importance was given to this conference and wide publicity was given to it. But all the major developing countries, including India, strongly opposed the efforts of some developed countries to start negotiations for a new agreement in the name of development issue. India had launched a special campaign to thwart this attempt of the developed countries. Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran succeeded in getting the G-77 countries and China on his side. India mobilized all the major developing countries and placed a demand before the WTO that the opinion of all countries should be taken in the selection of agendas and not of certain countries. On June 25, 2001, at the General Assembly of the WTO in Geneva, India’s Commerce Secretary Praveer Sen Gupta had also said that the Doha Conference would not help with the agenda or the glut of issues. He said that the Doha Conference should only review the observance of the old agreement and give its opinion on the current policies and negotiations of the WTO. He also said that while reviewing agreements like TRIPS, it should also be kept in mind that every country should have the freedom to adopt and implement public health programs. India was of the opinion that the agreements agreed upon in the Uruguay Round of negotiations should be implemented and reviewed. Fifth Ministerial Conference of the WTO:- The Fifth Ministerial Conference of the WTO was held from September 10 to September 14, 2003 in Cancun, Mexico. In this conference, (1) agriculture and agricultural product trade, (2) service rules, and (3) the safety of small scale industries were the main topics of debate. The Cancun Conference was divided into two camps, first the alliance of developed countries, which included the countries of America and the European Union. The second group was of developing countries, which emerged as an informal organization of G21 developing countries. The major countries leading the G-21 were India, Brazil, China, Argentina and South Africa. Expectations from the Cancun Conference:- The requests of the developed countries in this conference were related to new rules of capital investment, guidelines for government procurement and ensuring the facilities of trade. In the Cancun conference, the developed countries were expected to take concrete decisions regarding limiting the migration of workers and removing trade barriers to imports. Conversely, the Developing Countries Group demanded that developed countries make time-bound reductions in agricultural subsidies because the US and the European Union alone provide subsidies of $311 billion annually on agricultural products. Developing countries argue that if this subsidy continues, agricultural products of the US and EU will dominate the world market and developing countries will not be able to compete. Apart from this, developing countries are in favor of free movement of workers and security for the unorganized sector. The G-21, an informal organization of developing countries, gained tremendous strength at the Cancun conference, when the exporting countries of agricultural products supported developing countries on the issue of agricultural subsidies, ignoring differences in access to the market. Australia’s trade minister Mark Valle, head of the Group of Exporting Countries of Agriculture, has warned that if the concerns of developing countries are not addressed at the Cancun summit, issues of disinvestment and competition will not be allowed to be discussed. The main concerns of developing countries were about export and domestic subsidies and market access on agricultural products. The failure of the Cancun conference :- The Cancun conference of ministers from the member states of WETO failed. Earlier also the organization’s convention in Seattle had failed. The main reason for the failure of the Cancun conference was the lack of agreement between developed and developing countries on the issue of reducing subsidies in the agricultural sector. Agriculture is very important for developing countries because a large part of the population is dependent on it. In the beginning of the conference, even though the suggestions of developing countries were accepted for consideration, but later the draft of the declaration was in favor of developed countries. Countries like India and China in Asia, Brazil and Argentina in South America and South Africa in the continent of Africa were not ready to give up their right to formulate their agricultural policy. The solidarity of the third world countries remained till the end and the pressure efforts of the developed countries, especially the US and the European Union, did not succeed. Sixth Ministerial Conference- The adoption of the Framework Agreement in relation to the Doha Round of trade-related negotiations in August 2004 by the WTO member countries again gained momentum. The agreement outlined the components and principles that would pave the way for further negotiations. The framework was an internal phase and it was decided to conduct further negotiations before the WTO’s Sixth Ministerial Conference (Hong Kong), including the preparation of detailed modalities and specific commitments of each member regarding non-agricultural market access. Negotiations on Agriculture The negotiations on agriculture, which are underway in special sessions of the WTO Committee on Agriculture, focus on achieving gradual and significant reforms across the global agricultural sector. The post-Cancun discussions have strengthened the G-20 alliance and also emphasized their access to other countries, especially the G-33 Alliance of Developing Countries on Special Products, the Africa Group and the Cancun Group of Agricultural Export Countries. has given . The Framework also expressly agrees to do away with export subsidies by a specified deadline. There is a provision for immediate repayment of 20% on the overall trade-distorting domestic support in the first year of implementation. In addition, the blending of reductions, discipline and monitoring requirements across various components of the domestic support pillar and tariff deficiencies based on the proportionately lower commitments made by developing countries than developed countries are examined. Formula is included. The framework recognizes the importance of agriculture to the economic development of developing countries in the city and the need to enable them to adopt agricultural policies that address their development goals, poverty alleviation strategies, food security and livelihood concerns. including measures taken through a new special safeguard mechanism against a potential increase in imports, such as special products. Non-Agriculture Market Access (NAMA) :- This framework identifies initial components for future work on modalities for negotiations under non-agriculture market access. These negotiations naturally focus on achieving the objective of reducing or eliminating tariffs, including higher tariffs, higher tariffs and tariff increases, and non-tariff barriers. Sectoral Initiatives :- On the proposal for regional initiatives, India, like most other developing countries, emphasized that the main modality for the dialogue should be the formulaic approach. Once a clear formula has been decided, the regional aspect should be considered. India’s view has been that regional aspects, if any, on the designated areas of interest to the developing nations with a notion of ‘less than full reciprocity’ in the reduction commitments being made for such initiatives. Should be focused. The Services Component :- Framework The key features of the service component of the agreement include:- Increasing competition among members for high-quality proposals in supply methods to the areas of interest to developing countries, so as to produce adequate production and access for all members. To ensure market access. To pay special attention to the ways of supplying the regions and export interest of developing countries. To find out the interests of developing countries, certain developed countries in the law (movement of natural persons). Stipulation of a time limit for submission of revised proposals by May 2005 and identification of interests in increasing discussions. WTO and India India has been an active member of the World Trade Organization and GATT since its inception. India has not only participated in the tariff and trade consultations organized under the WTO agreement, but has also clearly presented the problems and perspectives of the developing countries in the meetings of various committees. During the period from the Uruguay Round to the establishment of the World Trade Organization, various political parties and many thinkers expressed apprehension that the establishment of WTO would harm the economic interests of the agrarian countries, especially India. So India should boycott WTO. In the opinion of the critics of the WTO, exports of many goods manufactured in agrarian countries will be adversely affected. Because developed countries will put many restrictions on these items under the guise of environmental protection. The service sector of developing countries is very backward as compared to the service sector of developed countries and the interests of developing countries will be ignored as a result of competition. The interests of developing countries will be ignored even in the name of intellectual property rights. The economic aid (subsidies) that the developing countries are giving to boost their agricultural exports will have to be cut or eliminated. This will reduce their exports. Agricultural inputs will become expensive in agricultural and developing countries. The above criticisms of WTO cannot be said to be completely meaningless, member countries will only benefit from it. Can There is a considerable degree of truth in these criticisms, however, in the long run, its member countries will only benefit from it. WTO has urged India to improve the tax structure and duty policy by reducing subsidies and reduce the fiscal deficit by speeding up the privatization process. The WTO, in its review of the Indian economy, said that the economic reform program started in India in 1991 is a sign of progress. Due to this, India was successful in making rapid economic growth. The slowdown in the Indian economy in the years 2001 and 2002 was a part of the overall global recession. It also signifies the need to continue improving. According to the WTO, reducing the fiscal deficit will improve the investment climate and mobilize resources for investment in the infrastructure sector. In this context, the power sector context is important, which is very important for economic growth and requires investment. According to WTO, despite some liberalization in foreign direct investment (FDI) rules, India has not been able to attract more investment. But the steps taken for protection of intellectual property rights will help in attracting investment. While import license and duty barriers are generally being eased in India, there are increasing cases of resorting to anti-dumping measures. From 1995 to 2001, 250 anti-dumping cases have been initiated. According to the World Trade Organization, due to price control of fertilizers, petroleum products and some agricultural products, the burden on the economy increases. India responded by complaining that its exports were being banned by developed countries on grounds including scientifically unreasonable health standards. India’s textile export The country’s total export of the country is taking the mold in implementing the agreement. 30 percent and it is facing sanctions in developed countries. Developed countries are taking steps to implement the agreement. Indian Agriculture and WTO WTO will have the following impact on Indian agriculture:- Seeds produced in India shall be patented. On being patented, those seeds can also be exported, but the farmer will not be able to sell the crop (seed) produced from imported or patented seeds as seed in the market. Due to this poor farmers will get the seeds expensive and their economic interests will be adversely affected. According to the World Trade Organization agreement, the subsidy given by the Government of India for the production and export of agricultural products will have to be cut. Due to this, agricultural inputs will be expensive in the country and the export of agricultural commodities will be adversely affected. Under the guise of environmental protection, the import of many agricultural products manufactured in India by developed countries will be reduced. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), many types of non-trade barriers will be created by the developed countries on the basis of child labour, human rights, environment and other social issues. The above criticisms clearly point towards the present truths. International pressure on Indian agriculture and industries is clearly visible. India’s export of textile goods, tea-coffee and other items are being hindered in some way or the other by the developed countries. In developing countries, efforts are being made to prevent low cost goods made at low wages cost from reaching foreign markets in the name of environmental protection. Non-trade barriers created by developed countries are being opposed by other developing countries including India. Governments and companies of developing countries are taking the ISO-14000 certificate for environmental standards seriously. If environmental regulations are included in the GATT, it will adversely affect India’s export-oriented sectors like food processing and horticulture. For example, US health regulations require the level of pesticide residues in food to be zero, but Indian products do not meet this condition. The WTO periodically reviews the trade policies of its member countries under the Trade Policy Review Mechanism. There is a provision to review India’s trade policy after every four years. Therefore, the third review of India’s trade policy, behavior and measures was done by the WTO on 19 and 21 June 2002. In this review, the WTO has expressed concern about subsidies on agricultural products and inputs. In this review of WTO, it has been said that due to agricultural subsidies, a huge stock of food grains has accumulated in India. The WTO in its review has also objected to the restrictions imposed by India on the export of agricultural commodities. In this review, emphasis has been laid on bringing more liberalization in the agriculture sector. According to the Doha Mandate, by March 31, 2003, the outline of Negotiation in agriculture had to be done. Based on this framework, it prepares a schedule of commitments by September 2003. India has presented its detailed proposals in this regard. In these proposals, keeping in view the food and livelihood security of the large poor farming community, there has been a demand to cut the high tariffs and subsidies prevalent in the developed countries with a view to increase the export opportunities of Indian agricultural products to the maximum extent. It is clear that there are wide differences of opinion regarding various issues related to agriculture (tariff cuts, market penetration and export subsidies) regarding various member countries and groups of WTO. An acceptable settlement can be reached. It is hoped that the WTO will take into account the reasonable demands of all parties. keeping any service in the agriculture sector Establishment of Agricultural and Non-Agriculture Market Access Modalities :- In Hong Kong in December 2005, WTO Minister to establish Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) Modalities by April 30, 2006, July 31, 2006 agreed to submit draft schedules by the end of 2006 and to conclude negotiations in all areas of the Doha Round by the end of 2006. Regarding the service, all the members had to submit their revised proposals, 31 July, draft schedules. It was to be submitted by 2006 and October 31, 2006 but till this deadline the work could not be completed despite intense negotiations. Intensive discussions between January and July 2006 focused mainly on the tripartite issues of domestic assistance, agricultural access and NAMA. At an informal meeting of the Trade Negotiating Committee held on 24 July 2006, the Director-General of the WTO Minister, who is also its chairman, informed that it had become clear that the differences were substantial and recommended that the reason for the postponement of the Doha Round was serious differences among the partners. . Members agreed to suspend negotiations in all areas of the Doha Work Program, particularly because of the disruption in agriculture, and with the Doha Round of negotiations unlikely to conclude by the end of 2006, and to resume negotiations when the negotiating environment is favorable. But agreed. In India’s context, the adjournment was disappointing. India has welcomed the resumption of negotiations on 16 November 2006, as well as a complete resumption of negotiations on 7 February 2007 on principles that could maintain the nature of the negotiations. The results of the progress made so far have been balanced, ambitious and development friendly. India’s view on agriculture issues in WTO :- Background India’s total exports of agriculture and allied products including plantations were US$ 10.5 billion since 2005-06. This was 10.2% of the country’s export share. The share of India’s agricultural exports to the markets of developed countries has been around 35%. However, its contribution to the national economy is significant in terms of sustaining the livelihood of a large segment of the population, which includes productive and landless agricultural workers (who are considered low-income and resource-deficient). This section of the population lacks efficiency and is not covered under any security cover, while these factors are essential to ensure a minimum condition for the movement of labor from one place to another. Like India, most of the developing countries are also in a similar situation which is in stark contrast to the reality of agriculture sector of developed countries. Apart from the diverse number of agricultural crops, many other products including livestock products are produced in hilly / hilly or other disadvantaged areas or by tribal communities and women. Therefore, India and other developing countries have been consistently emphasizing that special and differential treatment for developing countries should be an integral part of the relationship on all sides, including the outcome determined by negotiations on agriculture under the Doha Round in the WTO. Low income, resource constraints, impact on farmers’ livelihoods due to price drop, price rise and competition, and other market deficiencies, including subsidies that distort trade being provided by some developed countries to their agricultural sector It is also important to reduce the risks of Therefore, India along with other developing countries (particularly participating partners in G-20 and G-33) has been insisting that the Doha agricultural outcome should include the following in its important work. Eliminate distortion subsidies by developed countries and introduce uniform rates. Suitable provisions should be made to meet the needs of food and/or livelihood security and rural development in developing countries. It is good for India and other developing countries that it was agreed in Hong Kong that special products and special safeguards would be an integral part of the modalities and outcomes of negotiations in agriculture. In addition, developing countries will have the right to self-designate an appropriate number of specific products, guided by indicators based on the three basic categories of food security, livelihood security and/or rural development needs. These designated products will help in a relatively flexible process. Developing member countries of the WTO will have the right to adopt special safeguard mechanisms based on import volume and value with concrete arrangements that will be defined later. The overall tariff reductions at rates bound for developing countries should not exceed 36%. The four-band tariff formula with linear reductions will have very high thresholds, taking into account the highest constraints of developing countries. The self-designated G-33 has proposed 20 per cent agricultural tariff limits as specific products in a suitable number of specific products (SPs) determined by indicators based on three basic and agreed parameters of food security, livelihood security and rural development needs. out of which 40 percent will be exempted from any tariff deduction. India cannot accept TRQ commitments on specific products as this would be necessary to substantially reduce the existing applicable rates on most sensitive products, such as specific products. An operational and effective specific safeguard mechanism to prevent global price slides and import flows, which is more flexible than the existing safeguards available mainly to developed countries. G-33 and India are firm on the subject that the premature exclusion of any product, in particular the exclusion of specific products from the purview of SSM, cannot be considered just or acceptable. Overall business representation domestic assistance by the United States (70-75% reduction) and the European Union (75-80% reduction), including settling the issue of product specific limits on aggregate measurement support, and concrete and effective deductions.	32,526
Here you will find answers to the most common questions about OpinionPioneer and how our survey panel works. How do I get started? You just simple go to the registration page and fill out the form. Then you will receive an email with a link to confirm your registration. As soon as you have clicked this, you will be able to log in and start earning by taking paid surveys. It only takes a few minutes to get started. When will I receive my first paid survey? For most people, there will be paid surveys available as soon as you have signed up. How many surveys that will be available will depend on your profile and the country you live in. If there are no surveys available immediately, then do not worry – just check back once per day and you will quickly find plenty of survey invitations. How many surveys can I expect to get access to? There is no exact answer for this as the number of surveys will vary from time to time and will also depend on the country you live in. But new surveys are added all the time, and, in many cases, you will be able to find at least a couple of new surveys per day. How much can I earn by taking paid surveys? It is important to understand that paid surveys are not a way to make a living or a part time income. It can be a great and flexible way to earn some extra money and have your opinion heard at the same time, but if you are looking for a way to make a living online, then this is not for you. Why can I get paid to take paid surveys? Companies and organizations need feedback to be able to improve their products and services and they are willing to pay for this feedback. An easy way to get feedback from a lot of people quickly is through online surveys. That is why you can get paid to take online surveys and OpinionPioneer makes it easy for you to get access to a wide range of paid surveys. How much do I need to earn to get paid? The payout threshold on OpinionPioneer is 1000 points which is worth $10. How quickly will I get my money? If you have done everything honestly, you will usually get paid more or less immediately after having requested a payout. How can I get paid / payment methods? OpinionPioneer currently offers to pay you in cash via PayPal. More payment methods will be added soon. Which countries is OpinionPioneer available in? You can join OpinionPioneer more or less from all countries. However, how many surveys you will get access to will vary from country to country. How do I qualify for more surveys? How many surveys you qualify will depend on your profile. The best you can to do make sure to qualify for as many surveys as possible is to make sure to take the profile survey right after joining. It only takes 2 minutes, and you will get 50 points for completing it. But make sure to fill it out honestly – lying when taking surveys will get you banned. Also, be aware that in some countries there are just more surveys available than in others. That is because there is more market research going on in some countries than in others, and that is just something you have to accept if you want to earn by taking paid surveys. Lying about the country you live in will get you banned, so do not try to fake your country.	3,203
Turkey and Thanksgiving ‘Just So Stories’ by Rudyard Kipling – book review what the lotus knows Who is the patron saint of the Internet? Music in my head ‘The Writings of a Savage’ by Paul Gauguin The Pope and the Heretic by Michael White Archives Select Month November 2022 (7) October 2022 (6) September 2022 (6) August 2022 (11) July 2022 (20) June 2022 (10) May 2022 (8) April 2022 (13) March 2022 (5) February 2022 (6) January 2022 (6) December 2021 (9) November 2021 (18) October 2021 (12) September 2021 (11) August 2021 (12) July 2021 (13) June 2021 (18) May 2021 (10) April 2021 (15) March 2021 (19) February 2021 (15) January 2021 (17) December 2020 (19) November 2020 (19) October 2020 (14) September 2020 (11) August 2020 (13) July 2020 (21) June 2020 (19) May 2020 (21) April 2020 (14) March 2020 (24) February 2020 (21) January 2020 (16) December 2019 (15) November 2019 (9) October 2019 (14) September 2019 (20) August 2019 (16) July 2019 (14) June 2019 (17) May 2019 (12) April 2019 (15) March 2019 (13) February 2019 (13) January 2019 (16) December 2018 (21) November 2018 (23) October 2018 (20) September 2018 (21) August 2018 (23) July 2018 (22) June 2018 (15) May 2018 (15) April 2018 (15) March 2018 (15) February 2018 (12) January 2018 (18) December 2017 (26) November 2017 (25) October 2017 (15) September 2017 (2) July 2017 (2) May 2017 (1) April 2016 (1) March 2016 (3) January 2016 (5) December 2015 (8) November 2015 (16) The masts were solemnly lowered as the anchor was triumphantly docked in at a Hoboken harbor in New Jersey. Then there appeared a young woman with eyes of brilliance that glowed with joy and alacrity of departure from her race against the time. One hundred thirty-one years ago today was when one steely journalist named Nellie Bly broke the boundary of imagination and reality by completing her round-the-world race in 72 days at New Jersey. Bly’s phenomenal record was indeed transcendent of the realm of fictitious reality where Phileas Fogg, Jules Verne’s creation of gentleman adventurer, finished his globe-trotting in 80 days. The world record was not only a sensational media headline in her time but also a glowing manifestation of grit, resilience, and the power of the mind that Bly demonstrated on herself as a woman. Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in 1864 in a small Pennsylvania mill town, Nellie Bly was her catchy nom de plume for the literary world, where she became successful. She was something of a frontier pioneer woman in investigative journalism and adventuring into unpathed areas of news reporting of the Dickensian world of crime and health bureaucracy, notably of the asylum at Blackwell’s Island in New York where she infiltrated as an undercover. However, a panoply of her achievements backfired when her pent-up yearning for holidays on a different shore agreed to a spectacular proposal by Joseph Pulitzer, the New York World owner, of the ingenious race-round-the world against the time. Bly’s decision to embark on the one-of-kind adventure was an apropos admixture of personal yearning to get away from the weight of reality and the publisher’s entrepreneurial aim to proliferate circulations. So there off, she embarked on the race with a trunk containing hygiene necessities, a few wardrobes, and some books to read, but without any weapon, not least because of her belief: “If you smile at the world, the world will smile at you.” She sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from New York, through Europe, the Arabian Sea, and the Far East, and then back across the Pacific to return to the homeland. During the voyage from Hong Kong to Japan, Bly heard that another contender emerged from the oceans’ edges: twenty-eight years old Elizabeth Bisland, the literary editor of Cosmopolitan, a rival publication of The New York World. Always achieving, always forwarding, Bly hastened to complete her race guarded by the goddess of fortune and blessed by Jules Verne, whom she met during the race in Europe and was able to trounce her rival journalist arriving five days earlier and Philias Fogg eight days. Bly was a supreme one of a kind, not most because she was a woman reporter who was some rarity. Instead, she was a person of indomitable determination, commendable work ethic, and insatiable curiosity, which were coveted attributes even to men of high aspiration. Bly demonstrated the Nietzschean will to power in her achievement by the epiphany of the noble soul to create capabilities to make the idea into an incredible and remarkable reality in the chapter of humankind’s history. Herodotus would have loved to record it. Related Published by I write stuff of my interest that does not interest anyone in my blog. No grammarians, no copy editors, no marketers, no cynics are welcome. View all posts by Stephanie Suh Posted on January 25, 2021 January 25, 2021 Author Stephanie SuhCategories book review, MiscellanyTags arts, book review, books, creative writing, essay, history, jules verne, literature, nellie bly, Nonfiction, phileas fogg, poem, Poetry, round the world in 72 days, verse, world history, Writing	5,441
Twitter (TWTR) is down 10% due in part to disappointing Q1 guidance and possibly concerns over the reporting shift from MAUs to mDAUs. The move is personally a good one, but the social-media company would be better off to keep reporting the MAUs, as well. BTIG slapped together this chart that provides a solid indication of why mDAUs are so important for the company. These mDAUs users have consistently grown at a 10%+ annual clips since Jack Dorsey returned as CEO. With the 10% dip in Twitter and the 20%+ jump in Snap (SNAP) the prior day, Twitter is now actually the cheaper stock. The company generated over $850 million in free cash flow last year while Snap is still burning $150 million per quarter. The market tends to over react so one should expect these moves to reverse over the course of the next quarter. Disclosure: Long TWTR. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. Other Apps Comments Popular posts from this blog By Mark Holder - November 18, 2011 The Conference Board reported this morning that Leading Economic Indicators for October came in at 0.9% easily surpassing expectation (how is that considering the numbers are known?). The leading indicators are usually an accurate predictor of economic conditions in the next months. This number continues to increase at a solid clip. If only the US market could focus on leading indicators like these and jobless claims and less on Europe. Not going to spend much time highlighting the individual components because it just doesn't matter. The numbers have been strong and will likely continue as like as monetary policy is accomondative. It likely won't change until investors become overly bullish on the stock market. The economy will continue rolling along producing jobless claims below expectations, but the stock market will get roiled by Europe. Some day though that will end and this bullish data will matter. 10:02 AM Oct. Leading Indicators: Leading Index +0.9% vs Read more By Mark Holder - December 08, 2021 Kohl's has activists wanting the company to spin off the e-commerce division to unlock value. The company already has plans to grow the business and activists have yet to show how a full omni-channel business can operate as two different companies. The stock is absurdly cheap at 7x EPS targets and Kohl's will repurchase over 15% of the outstanding shares this year. Looking for more investing ideas like this one? Get them exclusively at Out Fox The Street. Learn More » After an outstanding quarter with business booming, Kohl's ( KSS ) faces activists wanting to break up the business. The omni-channel retailer is facing the same pressure as other department stores to separate the e-commerce business in what amounts to financial engineering. My investment thesis remains very bullish on the retailer as the company reinvents the shopping experience. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha. Disclosure: Long KSS. Please read the disclaimer page for more details. Update - Read more By Mark Holder - January 09, 2019 Aurora Cannabis was left out of the major deal making in 2018. The cannabis company updated FQ2 guidance to revenues of $50 to $55 million with a continued focus on pure production growth. The stock is down as the market is becoming less impressed with commodity farming operations due to the prime Oregon example. The stock is below key resistance at $5.40 as medical cannabis patient totals failed to impress. As the end of 2018 came and went, Aurora Cannabis ( ACB ) was a notable absentee from the deal making in the cannabis market. Just about all of the other major Canadian cannabis players got large investments or signed up powerful partnerships, but the related stocks didn't generally maintain rallies following the deals. Based on the early legalization data in Canada and Oregon, the best option for Aurora Cannabis might actually be selling production capacity while the Canadian market remains hot. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha. Disclosure: No	4,225
This article is by Eleanor McGinnis, a freelance writer for Advance Me Inc., America’s leading provider of the merchant cash advance – an alternative to traditional, collateral based bank loans, for small-medium sized businesses. For anyone who is overweight or obese, there are some excellent reasons to lose 10 percent of your body weight. While 10 percent may seem negligible, especially if you don’t have much to lose, even losing this seemingly small amount can impact your health in important ways. The reality is, most people who are trying to lose weight set goals for themselves that are too drastic, and being unrealistic can mean that you’re setting yourself up for failure. For great results, a 10 percent goal is realistic and very achievable for almost anyone. Also, when you easily meet or exceed it, you’ll only be that much more positive and encouraged to continue. The most compelling reasons to lose weight can be different for each person. Some will be focused on improved health while others will be focused on improved appearance, or other reasons. Some of the most important health related reasons are: Decreased risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes – Heart disease is the most lethal killer in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control. Being overweight – especially into the range known as obesity – is a primary risk factor for developing heart disease. Stroke and diabetes enter the list at third and fifth place respectively, and they both also name obesity as a leading risk factor for falling victim to them. Decreased risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) – Known as the “silent killer” due to it’s lack of obvious symptoms, hypertension also lists obesity as a primary risk factor. Suffering from hypertension also increases the risk of developing the conditions listed under number one, so avoiding it is especially important. Increased energy and ease of movement – Removing extra weight provides almost instant improvement in these areas. For individuals who have been overweight for quite some time, it can be particularly noticeable and enjoyable. Improved mental health and quality of life – Reported data indicates that those who lose weight and keep it off enjoy better, more positive moods, reduced symptoms of depression, more self-confidence and an overall better quality of life. Of course, implementing new weight loss strategies can be difficult, and getting started is often half the battle so here are some tips to help you out – First off, think portion control. Losing weight, and managing weight loss, means that you can’t always eat as much as you want of any given food, but, portion control is a learned skill, so once you’ve mastered it, you can include most all of your favorite foods in your diet. There’s no need to give up things that are often considered “no-no” foods, if you utilize the principles of portion control. Don’t approach weight loss as a sprint, but as a marathon. Keep in mind that you’re learning about yourself. Things such as how many calories you can consume and still lose, and how active you need to be in the beginning. Developing new, healthy habits and lifelong skills will help you not only with losing weight, but also with maintenance. Make it one of your primary goals to understand the difference between stomach hunger versus mouth hunger, or, hunger eating versus non-hunger eating. This is an important skill to develop as it will help you to do battle with issues such as cravings and emotional eating. Try to focus on each new day and appreciate it for what it is – a new beginning. Don’t beat yourself up if you stumble along the path, and don’t give up if you falter. Begin each day with resolve, believe in yourself, and you will reach your goals! The following two tabs change content below. Latest Posts As a full-time career oriented mother of one, I love all things travel. I was in the hospitality business for 15 years and loved it. So why not become a travel agent. So I am trying to find my balance in life through being a parent to a teenager, my love of travel, and living the best life possible. Come join me on this bumpy journey of life. Latest posts by Karla Urwitz (see all) 3 Important Skills For Kids to Learn Outside of the Classroom - November 29, 2022 How to Improve Your Lifestyle with Healthy Eating - November 28, 2022 Tips For Pursuing A Career In Education - November 28, 2022 One thought on “Lose 10% of Your Body Weight for Improved Health and Wellness” September 19, 2011 at 7:49 pm Thanks Karla for posting this article about weight loss. Just the motivation and information I needed. So often we forget to take each day as new beginning. To healthy lifestyle, Comments are closed. Archives Select Month November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 January 2016 November 2015 September 2015 July 2015 May 2015 March 2015 February 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 October 2009 August 2009 July 2009 Looking to go to Italy, Europe, Paris, or Dubai? How about some amazing tours in the USA? Contact us today about take a guided tour and not have to stress the details. Click the blue chat button to talk to someone now or visit us on Facebook facebook.com/bwktravel	7,154
Vivian is a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist who often escapes her busy life in London through adventure and travel. Johnny is a 15-year-old Irish teenager, living a neglected life on the margins of society. On a bright spring afternoon in West Belfast, their paths collide during a horrifying act of violence. In the aftermath, each is forced to confront the chain of events that led to the attack. Inspired by true events, this is a story of the dark chapters and chance encounters that can irrevocably determine the shape of our lives My Review: Seriously I really don’t think anything I have to say here does this book justice and I don’t want to give this book the usual “riveting, gripping, page-turning” review because this is a book that everyone needs to read. Dark Chapter is based on a true story and inspired by the authors own sexual assault and therefore every word written is brutal, raw and harrowing. Often when I write reviews I might refer to the characters or the twists or the atmosphere, but Dark Chapter is a book that doesn’t require any of that in my opinion. This is a book that evoked powerful feelings from the opening page to the final chapter. How did it make me feel? Well simply put I think I felt too many emotions to list them all. Firstly when reading Vivian’s side of the story I was shocked, horrified, scared, traumatised and angry for her and with her throughout her story. Because the book is based on Winnie’s real life attack I knew that Vivian’s emotions and responses were real and that made everything raw. Her bravery in telling this story and making the reader feel her pain and horror is incredible and so intimate that you are able to feel everything Vivian’s experiencing. Reading Johnny’s version of the events made me sick to my stomach, angry and ashamed that there are people in the world who think this behaviour is acceptable or normal. There is very little I can add to this review except that it is a very brave and brutal story based on true events. A powerful and harrowing book which I know will stay with me for a very long time. About the Author: Winnie M Li is a writer and producer. A Harvard graduate, she has written for travel guide books, produced independent feature films, programmed for film festivals and developed ecotourism projects. After graduating with Distinction in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, she now writes across a range of media (including the Huffington Post), runs arts festivals, and is a PhD researcher at LSE. Winnie lives in London, yet is somewhat addicted to travel. Dark Chapter is her debut novel, published in June 2017 by Legend Press, and is inspired by her own sexual assault in 2008. It takes the unique perspective of both the survivor and the perpetrator and explores how the assault effects the lives of both. Read more from Winnie M Li: The Guardian: click here Find this book on Amazon Related My name is Tracy Fenton and I am a self-confessed book addict. I love recommending books almost as much as I love reading them and that is why I set up this website: to tell YOU all about my favourite books. So sit back, make yourself comfortable and have a look around – hopefully you will find a book here that is destined to become one of your best-loved reads too.	3,374
Nearest Schools and Churches are calculated `as the crow flies` and may not be the closest or easiest when travelling. About Our Lady`s R C Primary School Catholic School Maintained Primary School in Hereford (Diocese of Cardiff) Part of the Catholic Church - you can find other Catholic Churches, Catholic Schools or Religious Orders/Houses and Chaplaincies nearby above. Or you can use the Find a Church Near Me box above to search for a Church, School etc. Useful Definitions of the Structures in the Catholic Church What is a Catholic Bishops' Conference? An episcopal conference, sometimes called a conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. ... Individual bishops do not relinquish their immediate authority for the governance of their respective dioceses to the conference ( Wikipedia ). What is an Archdiocese? Dioceses ruled by an archbishop are commonly referred to as archdioceses; most are metropolitan sees, being placed at the head of an ecclesiastical province. A few are suffragans of a metropolitan see or are directly subject to the Holy See. The term 'archdiocese' is not found in Canon Law, with the terms "diocese" and "episcopal see" being applicable to the area under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of any bishop.[8] If the title of archbishop is granted on personal grounds to a diocesan bishop, his diocese does not thereby become an archdiocese ( Wikipedia ). What is a Diocese? The group of churches that a bishop supervises is known as a diocese. Typically, a diocese is divided into parishes that are each overseen by a priest. The original dioceses, in ancient Rome, were political rather than religious. Rome was divided into dioceses, each of which was made up of many provinces. After Christianity became the Roman Empire's official religion in the 4th century, the term gradually came to refer to religious districts. The Catholic Church has almost 3,000 dioceses. The Greek root of diocese is dioikesis, "government, administration, or province." ( Vocabulary.com ). As of April 2020, in the Catholic Church there are 2,898 regular dioceses: 1 papal see, 649 archdioceses (including 9 patriarchates, 4 major archdioceses, 560 metropolitan archdioceses, 76 single archdioceses) ( Wikipedia ). What is the difference between a Diocese and an Archdiocese? Each diocese is within a Province - a group of Dioceses - the Archdiocese is the main Diocese within that Diocese. The bishop of that Archdiocese is therefore automatically an Archbishop. If a bishop has been made an Archbishop personally is referred to as an Archbishop but it does not make their Diocese an Archdiocese. What is a Deanery? A subdivision of a diocese, consisting of a number parishes, over which presides a dean appointed by a bishop. The duty of the dean is to watch over the clergy of the deanery, to see that they fulfill the orders of the bishop, and observe the liturgical and canon laws. He summons the conference of the deanery and presides at it. Periodically he makes a report to the bishop on conditions in the deanery. www.catholicculture.org What is a Parish? In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish (Latin: parochia) is a stable community of the faithful within a particular church, whose pastoral care has been entrusted to a parish priest (Latin: parochus), under the authority of the diocesan bishop. It is the lowest ecclesiastical subdivision in the Catholic episcopal polity, and the primary constituent unit of a diocese. In the 1983 Code of Canon Law, parishes are constituted under cc. 515–552, entitled "Parishes, Pastors, and Parochial Vicars." Wikipedia Bishops` Conferences \| Dioceses \| Parishes \| Organisations \| Schools \| Priest/Religious \| People \| Catholic Churches by Town \| Catholic Churches by Region \| Catholic Churches by Postcode \| Mass Times By Town \| Mass Times By City/County \| Mass Times By Postcode \| Catholic Masses Near Me \| About Us \| Contact Us (Previous Catholic Church, Organisation, School) (Next Catholic Church, Organisation, School) Send Email an email to Our Lady`s R C Primary School Catholic School Please be aware that if you do not get a reply it could be the email address we have is not currently in use. If your enquiry is important please contact Our Lady`s R C Primary School Catholic School by phone on 01432 274814.	4,505
A group of ATPE state officers and staff are in Washington, D.C. this week for meetings to discuss education policy matters at the national level. ATPE’s Executive Director Gary Godsey, Governmental Relations Director Brock Gregg, State President Richard Wiggins, and State Vice-President Cory Colby have been liaising with several members of Congress and their staffs, along with representatives of the executive branch. ATPE’s Washington-based contract lobby team, led by David Pore, coordinated the meetings. Gary Godsey, Richard Wiggins, Congressman Kevin Brady, Cory Colby, and Brock Gregg On Tuesday, the ATPE delegation met with Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) to discuss Social Security legislation. Educators have long been penalized by a federal offset known as the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) that reduces the amount of Social Security benefits some government workers may receive when they retire. ATPE has advocated for repealing the controversial WEP, but because of the extremely high cost associated with full repeal of the law, we have also proposed that Congress take more gradual steps, both to make the WEP’s application of benefits fairer and to increase benefits when possible. ATPE and the Texas Retired Teachers Association have worked closely with Congressman Brady over several years to pursue a viable solution that would result in increased benefits for retired educators. As we reported on Teach the Vote earlier this year, Congressman Brady has filed H.R. 711, the “Equal Treatment for Public Servants Act,” to provide educators with some relief from the WEP. Brady’s bill, co-authored by Congressman Richard Neal (D-Massachusetts), would replace the WEP’s arbitrary and punitive offset formula with a revised calculation of benefits and result in a significant benefit increase for numerous retirees. ATPE's discussions with the Texas Congressional delegation and their staffs this week have also focused on plans to reauthorize the long-overdue Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), more commonly known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The ATPE team also visited the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) this week to talk about Texas's pending request for an extension of our state's ESEA waiver, which helps schools avoid being penalized by outdated provisions in the federal law, such as the requirement for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and restrictions on how federal funds must be spent. Gregg, Wiggins, Colby, and Godsey at the U.S. Department of Education ATPE's Brock Gregg reports that the group met with Monique Chism, Director of the Office of State Support, and the DOE's Texas waiver team on Tuesday. The discussions covered all aspects of T-TESS, the new evaluation system for teachers and principals that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has proposed in fulfillment of conditions attached to the original ESEA waiver that the federal government granted to Texas. The DOE agreed to postpone its review of our state's request to extend the waiver until after the 84th Texas Legislature adjourned its session earlier this month, and those negotiations with TEA have now resumed. In this week's meeting, ATPE State President Richard Wiggins was able to provide federal officials with detailed insights on the proposed new evaluation system after having served on the stakeholder committee that made recommendations to TEA on how it should design T-TESS. DOE officials explained that the main point of contention with Texas's plans for teacher evaluation is not the design of the new T-TESS instrument, but rather the fact that state law does not require school districts to use the state-recommended evaluation system. ATPE's officers and staff impressed upon DOE officials the importance of allowing school districts across such a large, diverse state to have flexibility to adopt appraisal systems that will meet their local needs rather than a standardized, one-size-fits-all approach. "Teachers really want a meaningful evaluation system that helps them grow as professionals," Gregg explained. According to Gregg, the DOE officials did not reveal any clues as to their timeline for making a decision on Texas's outstanding waiver request. If the request is denied, Texas schools will once again be subject to the original accountability provisions of ESEA, including its antiquated and highly flawed requirement that all students achieve "proficiency" by 2014. Without continuation of the waiver, nearly all Texas schools would be unable to meet such an unrealistic "proficiency" standard, would be considered low-performing under federal law, and would face harsh sanctions as a result. Gregg added, "This law has become arbitrary and capricious for schools all over the nation due to congressional gridlock and complete ineptitude for the last 13 years." Fortunately, both the U.S. House and Senate have ESEA re-authorization bills on the move. We could see floor action in the Senate as early as next week, and the House expects to get to its version in July. "Once the law is reauthorized," said Gregg, "there will be no reason for states to seek waivers, so we are hopeful that Congress will pass this legislation before the next school year." Previous Next Thank you for submitting your comment. Oops, an unexpected error occurred! Please refresh the page and try again. Tweets by TeachTheVote TRS Board receives 2022 annual report on health of the educator pension fund At its December 2022 meeting, the board got an in-depth look at a snapshot of the fund’s health as of Aug. 31, 2022. Media Advisory: Public Servants to Visit Capitol Dec. 14 to Exhort Congress to Act on Social Security WEP Reform Before Congress Ends Leadership change, retirement of ranking member Brady mean the clock is ticking on potential for bipartisan change. Teach the Vote’s Week in Review: Dec. 2, 2022 It’s December! As ATPE gears up to fight for public education in the Texas legislative session starting next month, we’re also pushing Congress to pass an important bill before its session ends.	6,195
The factions of RPP Chairman Kamal Thapa and General Secretary Rajendra Lingden have had a dispute about list of general convention representatives on the eve of general convention. The factions of Thapa and Lingden, who are contesting for party chair in the general convention starting Wednesday, had a dispute at the party's central office in Dhumbarahai Tuesday night. The party was to publish the list of representatives by nine Wednesday morning but has been unable to do so due to the dispute. The Lingden faction has accused that the list of representatives sent by districts have been changed on instruction of Thapa. The party has around 4,300 general convention representatives including those elected from each of 330 provincial constituencies. The Lingden faction claims that there were some vacancies in the section of women, dalit and other minorities in the list sent by districts and the Thapa faction included name of its persons in the list while name of some representatives who would vote for Lingden have been replaced by those from the Thapa faction, according to a leader from the Lingden faction. "It is not that big a deal. But there are claims that there have been some changes in names. There are accusations that they have put tippex over the names sent by districts. Suspicions have been raised as those who need not stay at the party office were at the party office last night," Hem Raj Gurung from Lamjung, who has pledged allegiance to Lingden, told Setopati. The Lingden faction is saying it will allow publishing of the list only after verifying it with the list sent by all 77 districts. Secretary at the central office Bhaskar Bhadra, however, claimed that there was only general discussion about active members and general convention representatives Tuesday night. "Everyone can have a look at the list of active members and general convention representatives. The documents sent by the districts are safe," he stated. "Friends showed some curiosity about the general convention representatives. There was discussion about that." He claimed that there have been no anomalies in the list. Parliamentary committee to give clean chit to Sharma in budget tampering Grande ordered to pay Rs 3.5M in reparations over negligence in treatment of Rihan Youths protest demanding action against consultancy owner who raped a minor NC wins in 41 local bodies, UML in 35 Surgeon, surgery and stress Deuba unable to expand Cabinet due to opposing stances of Nepal and Yadav	2,692
Summary: In this article, I will highlight the best third-party email hosting for small business & medium sized business website. These email hosting solutions for SMBs are scalable and allow you to send as many emails to your customers without the fear of getting blocked or landing in the spam folder. It is no surprise that email is still the most effective marketing tool for any business. Last year, 43% of businesses considered email marketing as one of the best ways to market their products and services. Ecommerce stores, online banks, forex, paid adverts, and user verification, all processes require valid email addresses to work smoothly for a business. Even a second’s delay in sending emails can lead to problems for most businesses. And if you are in the digital business you must know that customers start to panic when they don’t get business emails on time. A survey by Litmus, an email marketing company, ranked email marketing service problems as the third most important challenge that businesses face today regarding email marketing challenges. What is Email Hosting and Why Use It? An email hosting service is the one that runs an email server. You can get an email hosting server by signing up to the email hosting service. All you need is a domain name to use an email service. You can use an email hosting server to manage, send, and maintain your email accounts. Most of the large ecommerce stores have in-house email servers to ensure that the emails reach the recipients on time. However, the small businesses use email hosting solutions provided by companies like Google, Zoho, Rackspace, and many others. Recently, most website hosting services have started offering email hosting servers as an add-on with their regular services such as shared, dedicated, and cloud hosting. Cloudways is one of them. It offers managed cloud hosting services with an email hosting solution by Rackspace. Types of Email Hosting for Small Business There are many different types of email hosting solutions, each serving a different purpose. Let’s check out what type of email hosting service will work best for your business. This type of email service is available with a shared hosting service. You can’t use it for sending/receiving bulk emails due to limitations on the email server. 2. Third-Party Email Hosting Most digital businesses This article was written by Sajjad Shahid and originally published on The Official Cloudways Blog. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the product, We may receive an affiliate commission.	2,680
I was so scared but Dr. Rutland took his time made sure I was comfortable. There was no pain very quick. Best dentist experience ever!!! Dr. Rutland is AWESOME..My tooth had broke in half and I was in pain. He took me as a walk in , I felt no pain when he pulled my tooth!! He Saved my day!! Dr. Rutland is always so pleasant and he makes this experience painless. He really takes time and listens to his patients and make them feel relaxed and conveys very well that he really cares about the patients concerns. I have been a patient for over 20 years. He is great!!!!	594
Adult Small Group Personal Training Middle & High School Athlete Program Glenn has always been a strong, reliable, athletic, and inspiring Bent On Better community member. He understood and appreciated his community, which made people naturally gravitate toward him. For Glenn, we want you to be remembered for the strength you and your wife have poured over our community, not just as a Bent On Better member but as a man who never stopped fighting for the people he loved. Here is His Story: Glenn has lived all over the country but it was in this community of West Chester that he found a home. Glenn has always kept himself busy; he was a facilitator of adult training programs, an executive coach, business consultant, and founded his own company of 30 years, which he bought from his father. Glenn made it his duty to develop the “people’s side” of a business’ capabilities with his company, Strategic Learning Inc. He wanted to help businesses with learning to learn, relate, and choose – skills essential in running a company, a family, and even maintaining relationships. For years, Glenn had been in the best shape. He grew up in a University town in the late ’70s with good equipment, coaching, and weight-lifting. Training started in the summer spanning all year round up until he graduated in 1981. Glenn completing his 250th workout at Bent On Better As a 59-year-old adult, he continued his days as an athlete wherein he found an interest in Ice Hockey through his daughter and son, who also loved skating. His daughter’s interest in the sport led him to start a girls’ hockey team, which eventually motivated him to start his own pick-up hockey team. At 6’5” and weighing around 230 pounds, Glenn was unstoppable in his newfound sport! He first heard about Bent On Better from his wife – whom he met in college in 1984 when she was a Sophomore and him a Junior. A simple helping hand while moving her couch in her college dorm soon sparked a romance between the two, and they’ve been inseparable ever since! Because of his wife’s insistence, he joined the Bent On Better fundraiser along with his hockey friends. Glenn’s wife was an absolute beast in the gym, very much the opposite of Glenn, whose butt was kicked from doing his first few push-ups. However, life had its own way, which led Glenn to halt his Bent On Better gym visits. He continued to have problems with his business, one of which was being scammed out of hard-earned money by someone he once knew as a friend. One night as he was reading an article called “The Benefits of Synchronous Movements To Couples,” which talked about how moving in synchrony develops a closeness to the people around you, Glenn decided to get back to working out at B.O.B. with his wife. Within his first 2-weeks back at the gym, he started seeing progress; he could do ten more push-ups than before, he began to lose weight, and he even got better at skating. What Glenn loved about Bent On Better was that the coaches could tailor the routine to what you can do and do with proper form. He described himself as “stubborn” and “stuck in his ways,” but B.O.B. knew how to encourage him to do the right thing without demanding it. Even when the coaches found out about how Glenn at one point had a bulging disc on his back which sent him to the emergency room, and how he absolutely did not want to injure his back again, they continued to work with him until he could notice how his legs, arms, and even back got stronger. “If you’re looking for some weird-looking cool mechanical machine that makes you feel like you’re in the 22nd century, that’s not what this is about. If you’re looking for somebody to have this humongous body and say, “Look how big I can get! Come to this gym!”…well you can get a big body if you want one but that’s not really what this place is about. But if you want to be in good shape (great shape!), and fit, and feel great about your body, and your overall health, and you want some personal attention to make sure you’re doing things right because free-weights haven’t been your thing in the past or whatever else – this is a perfect place!” At first, he was skeptical of the whole process, but he continued to follow through with his routines until he eventually realized what it actually does – he and his wife continued to get in better shape. Glenn completing his 500th mark last March of 2021. Even during Covid, Glenn praised Matt on how quickly he could pivot into going virtual with Bent On Better. Glenn and his wife continued to do their workouts through Zoom, and as a businessman himself, he recognized how hard it was to run a business during a pandemic. During these times, while doing his sunrise workout with everyone at the beach, Glenn started to see how fun it was to be a member of B.O.B. “Anything I can turn into a game, I can do better. If it’s a game, I can play and if I can play, I can have fun.” With Bent On Better, he found a community. And as much as he loved working out, he loved the community the most, which all came as a wonderful surprise to Glenn. Life still wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows though. A year ago, Glenn started to feel a pain in his leg. Nick and Alysha saw him limping during one of their group workouts and urged him to get it checked. After a good amount of pushing from his coaches, Glenn finally scheduled to get an appointment with his orthopedist on October 30th. It was then that they found out that he had cancer on his left leg and had to get surgery and chemotherapy the following Monday. As heavy as the news was to Glenn, he had the confidence that he was going to recover. He considered his excellent health and fitness a good backer for making it through this setback. But life wasn’t cutting him some slack; they ended up having to reschedule the surgery and after three days, his leg later broke on its own – cancer eating it away. But even this didn’t phase Glenn. Being stuck in the hospital in the middle of the pandemic made him realize how important his community was to him and he could not wait to get back to the gym. “Bent On Better saved my life! It really did… I mean I’m pretty confident I wouldn’t be sitting here right now if it wasn’t for them paying close attention. So if you don’t need help with the form, just at least having somebody observe you is a good thing.” Jan and Glenn enjoyed some holiday cheer at Bent On Better After recovering from his first bout with cancer, he ecstatically returned to Bent On Better, where he got quite the scolding from Matt for hastily wanting to work out. Nevertheless, his community welcomed him back, and although they were accommodating, his coaches were paying close attention to how he was doing in every routine. He had asked permission from his doctor to continue exercising and later found himself back to stretching and coordinating with Nick and Alysha for a balanced fitness routine. When cancer from his left leg came back, Glenn sought help from various sources like the University of Pennsylvania, which described the cancer cell as having an unknown origin. During his days back at the hospital, Glenn found himself isolated once again but never truly alone. He was flooded by messages from his Bent On Better family wishing him a speedy recovery. At his weakest, Glenn made it a point that he had to keep fighting. He had his business, his family, people who depended on his business, and his gym family to fight for. “If nothing else, (do it) just for the community.” To you who are reading this, if you are someone who looks for community while being on your journey to good health…take it from Glenn: “You’ve got to learn to accept the differences because that’s a huge part of what this is about. It’s about letting people have their own fitness journey in a way that helps them grow, be stronger, be the best version of themselves they can and want to be. If you don’t do something, you won’t be living your best life. You need to find a way to stay active and to stay in shape…and what I’ll tell you is if you do it here (at Bent On Better) and you get yourself here consistently, you’ll find that you’ll want to do a little bit more. Before long you’ll be like, “Oh wow! Look at me, I’m in great shape!” and it wouldn’t have felt like work, it would have felt like getting together with a bunch of friends and having a good time.” From your friends and family here on Bent On Better… we’ll always remember you, Glenn, as an important part of what makes our community all the more Better.	9,161
When I bought my very first home, I really got into gardening. Years renting apartments and watching houseplants die had taken their toll. I was ready to rock out every patch of dirt on that land I now owned. No barren areas on my watch! Then a challenge arose. On one side of the house, there was an overhang and no sun ever shone there. So, every time I would look out that dining room window, all I would see was grey soil and a few weeds. I couldn’t stand it. What would grow there? Nothing that was the least bit lovely to gaze at over my morning cup of tea. I decided to imagine something different. If not flowers, what else could that space be? One day, it came to me. In my beginner gardener’s eye I pictured a really cool space, no plants needed! I envisioned small green gravel with circular peach walking stones winding in a path. Now my quest to make this a reality took a long time. Because gardening places don’t sell stones at all. And places that do sell stones definitely don’t have gorgeous tiny green ones. They are grey or white baby, take them or leave them. This simply would not do. But I ended up finding a place way, way out that is an actual quarry that had the beautiful tiny bright green stones I’d been imagining. This was becoming quite an exciting adventure, as I had never been to a quarry in my life. I was able to get my gardener Ernie to drive out there in his pick-up truck to acquire however many cubic feet of stone we needed. Well, I had to walk the path that I saw in my mind and count how many circular walking stones it would take to get from one end of it to the other. I can’t tell you how many times I walked that patch of dirt in the path-shape I envisioned, while Ernie counted. Bless his heart. We hit the 101 freeway and drove west until there was actual open land. Then, he turned off onto a sandy path and suddenly, my eyes revealed a gigantic hole in the earth where trucks were driving deep below me, collecting stones. I was wowed at how cool this was. The men who worked there were incredibly. nice. They helped me choose my “dream green” stones and loaded tons of bags into the truck. Off we went. My heart sung at my successful willing this into existence. From sipping tea in my dining room to standing in a quarry! Then I had to find someone to open up these big bags of stone and put them down properly; and make sure the soil was level. That evolved into having to also buy bags of sand so the circular walking stones didn’t wobble when people walked down them. Ernie found a team of men to do the back-breaking work. I did my best to keep them filled up with sandwiches and sun tea. By day’s end, it was a reality. I had my green stones with peach walking stones brightening up the side of my new home. It was a completely gorgeous space where there had only been grayish, dried out dirt! Since that year, I’ve created all kinds of paths for myself, both personally and professionally. But it all started with bringing that actual path to fruition. You never know what the things you visualize might lead to! Happy daydreaming. We all go through major life transitions when relationships end… Through this website, I will share my thoughts as I walk the path of “New-Self” discovery. It doesn’t matter which side of 50 you are on. The real question is, Are you ready to live life? To forge a Path of Your Own Making (For a change!)? Then stop dwelling over the What-Might-Have-Beens and join me. Share your thoughts here, comment on mine, and let’s do this together!	3,686
When I was in seminary in Chicago, I took an intensive class with a small group of people from all different faith backgrounds. One of my classmates was finishing his studies to become a Catholic priest and a monk. He used to describe the monastery he was going to live in to us. It sounded beautiful, but the one thing that most stuck with me was his description of the communion rail around the table. They had a polished wooden railing – like a lot of sanctuaries do – that ran all the way around the chancel in a big semi-circle. All the brothers could fit around it together as they gathered for communion. Outside the sanctuary, on the other side of the chancel wall, the circle was continued in stone, and it came together to make one big ring around the table. On this side of the circle was the monastery’s cemetery. Every time they gathered for communion, this circle reminded the living brothers of the monastery that they were also gathered with the dead brothers of the monastery. And they remembered that no matter which side of the wall they were on, they were all part of the one, same community. November 7, 2018 4 Archives Select Month November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 June 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 November 2013 September 2013 July 2013 May 2013 April 2013	2,304
As India experiences a fast-growing second wave of COVID, only 25% parents willing to send their wards to school in April With B.1.1.7 known for high transmissibility within children, the majority of parents have expressed concerns 73% of parents believe that physical schools must not operate if active cases in the district are above 100 March 31, 2021, New Delhi: Three data points released last week are of great concern. First, the Chief Minister of Punjab announced that of the genome testing done by the state, 81% of the COVID-19 samples were found to be of B.1.1.7 i.e., the UK variant of SARS-COV2. The next day, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the B.1.1.7, which is fast spreading in the country is more transmissible than the original strain and is more dangerous to children and young people, and we need to put the protection of schools more front and centre than with the original virus. The day after she said this, the city of Bengaluru in the month of March reported approximately 500 cases of Covid in children under the age of 10. It is not hard to decode the developing story here. The kind of Covid surge experienced in many parts of India that have led to 6X growth in daily cases in the last 45 days, indicates that there is a different strain or two from the original one that is propagating in the country. With limited genome testing (being done on less than 5% of the samples), only 700 or so cases of B.1.1.7 have been officially identified. All of these developments have gotten parents of school children greatly concerned. With previous sessions of the school still continuing in some parts of the country, with the next session due to start in April, many parents have been raising their concerns on the LocalCircles platform. The platform, since April 2020 has been collecting responses from parents to gather collective pulse on school reopening and online classes, and has been escalating the same to the Government. After a clear ‘NO’ to school reopening by the majority of the parents, it was in January 2021, that for the first time, LocalCircles observed a drastic change in the opinion of parents. In early February, 67% of parents were in favour of schools reopening as daily Covid cases in India hit an all-time low of approximately 10,000 cases per day. Subsequent to LocalCircles raising the collective opinion to the Ministry of Education and Chief Secretaries of all states, physical schools for most classes opened in February 2021. Earlier, schools for senior classes, from 10-12 were operating in some parts of India and in some parts on a consultation basis with written permission of parents. Taking cognizance of the alarming rise of COVID-19 in several states and districts across the country in the last 45 days, LocalCircles decided to conduct another survey to understand if parents are willing to send their children to school in April, and also to determine a criterion that can be used to open schools. Approximately 250 districts in India now have over 100 active cases, while there are still 500 districts with active cases less than 100 and a handful with zero active cases. The survey received more than 18,000 responses from parents located in 272 districts of India. 44% parents that responded were located in metros or Tier 1 districts, 28% were located in Tier 2 districts and 28% of parents were located in Tier 3, 4, or rural districts. Given the latest rise in Covid cases, only 25% parents willing to send their children to school in April The first question in the survey sought to understand parents’ perception to send their children or grandchildren to school in April if the Central or State Government or District administration decide that schools should remain open or re-open. In response, only 25% of parents said “Yes”. The majority of 58% of parents said “No”. There were also 10% of parents who said that “schools for my children or grandchildren are shut in April for summer break”, while 7% couldn’t say. The poll in the survey received 9,687 responses. 73% parents want schools from the next session to be open as long as there are less than 100 active cases in their district The COVID-19 daily caseload in India has again crossed the 65,000-mark, more than 6 times of cases recorded in early February. Maharashtra, the top contributing state is seeing the highest-ever peaks to date with over 40,000 cases being reported in a day. With data from many European nations demonstrating the dangerous nature of the B.1.1.7 strain of the Coronavirus, confirmation that Punjab has 81% of the cases of the B.1.1.7 type, and the fact that it is proven to be impacting children much more than the previous strain of 2020, it is time to be more cautious than before. At the same time, realising that many districts in the country still have double-digit active Covid cases, board exams are around the corner for classes 10 and 12 and many schools do not have the facility to conduct online classes, LocalCircles sought the opinion of parents on what should be the criteria for re-opening physical schools. In response, 29% said “in-person schools be closed whenever active cases in a district exceed 100”, 18% said “in-person schools be closed whenever active cases in a district exceed 200”, 7% said “in-person schools be closed whenever active cases in a district exceed 500”, and 5% said “in-person schools be closed whenever active cases in district exceed 1000”. Breaking down the poll, 21% said “schools should be kept closed till there are any cases in the district”, while 6% couldn’t say. The findings of the poll indicated that 73% of parents want schools from the next session to be open as long as there are less than 100 active COVID cases in their district. The question in the survey received 8,613 responses. In summary, per feedback received from people and given the massive surge in the Covid cases experienced in the last 3 weeks, the default option for the schools should be closure from April – June. Exceptions may be taken on the basis of active case numbers in a particular district along with the variant type reported, the daily case curve to authorize District Magistrates to permit schools to operate as long as active cases are less than 100. As far as the scheduled Board Exams for Class 10 and 12 in the month of May is concerned, the Central and State Boards will need to make a decision based on the national situation. The feasibility of conducting the board exam both online and offline does deserve consideration. Finally, because of what has been reported of the B.1.1.7 world over with several European Countries including the UK seeing high transmission amongst children and young, the Punjab data confirming its dominant presence on the ground and the fact that a major city like Bengaluru had 500 cases of children under 10 being infected with the Covid, and the national caseload growing by 6X in 45 days, it does demand a much more conservative approach to school reopening. LocalCircles has submitted the findings of the survey to all key stakeholders in Central Government and all Chief Secretaries of States so the parents’ collective feedback is given the due consideration when deciding the school reopening approach for April – June 2021. 18000+ responses were received from citizens residing in 272 districts of India. 68% respondents were men while 32% respondents were women. 44% respondents were from tier 1, 28% from tier 2 and 28% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts. The survey was conducted via LocalCircles platform and all participants were validated citizens who had to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey. LocalCircles, India’s leading Community Social Media platform enables citizens and small businesses to escalate issues for policy and enforcement interventions and enables Government to make policies that are citizen and small business centric. LocalCircles is also India’s # 1 pollster on issues of governance, public and consumer interest. More about LocalCircles can be found on https://www.localcircles.com All content in this report is a copyright of LocalCircles. Any reproduction or redistribution of the graphics or the data therein requires the LocalCircles logo to be carried along with it. In case any violation is observed LocalCircles reserves the right to take legal action. Enter your email & mobile number and we will send you the instructions. Note - The email can sometime gets delivered to the spam folder, so the instruction will be send to your mobile as well Please enter your registered Name and Email ID and our support team will contact you. Enter your email and mobile number and we will send you the instructions Note - The email can sometime gets delivered to the spam folder, so the instruction will be send to your mobile as well	9,200
Europe is ageing. On average, each woman has 1.58 children in the EU, substantially below the 2.1 children needed to sustain the current population level. Due to low death-rates and high net-migration, the overall population in Europe may be increasing, but the median age is crawling slowly upwards: 42 years in 2014 compared to just 29 a decade earlier. The strains on pension and healthcare systems could also increase substantially, as Europeans live longer than ever before. Young Europeans will have to work harder, and be more efficient and productive in order to pay for the healthcare and pensions of a growing cohort of older Europeans (and, in turn, older Europeans may have to put off retirement, working into their 70s). The demographic challenge is more pronounced in some countries than others. Even when migration is factored in, some EU-28 countries are seeing their overall populations shrink, and population growth is slowing across the bloc as a whole. Unless current trends change, Europe is expected to be the only continent on Earth whose population will shrink by 2050. Curious to know more about demographics in Europe? We’ve put together some facts and figures in the infographic below (click for a bigger version). We had a comment sent in from Peter arguing that the EU “needs immigrants to counter [its] demographic decline”. To get a response, we spoke to Alejandro Macarrón, Managing Director of Demographic Renaissance, a think tank based in Madrid, Spain. How would he respond to Peter? I think we need immigration, if it’s properly managed in amounts that can be assimilated and, of course, consists of people with backgrounds able to join the job market relatively easily. But it cannot be the only solution to our demographic problem. It’s seen everywhere that solely immigration cannot compensate totally the deficit in births that we have. So, we need the two things: in the long term, more births. And, in the short term, well managed immigration is much better than no immigration. Next up, we had a comment from Bastian, who writes that Japan responds to demographic decline by “developing sophisticated technology. For example, harvesting [vegetables] – which in Europe is often a task for migrant labour – can be done by autonomous robots. Japan already has this solution developed.” In other words, could an army of robot workers be the solution to all of Europe’s problems? It’s part of the solution. But I think that if your focus is only on technology you risk having only old people anyway, so that’s not good. The demographic challenge is not merely an economic problem, but also a social problem. If I have no kids, no sisters or brothers, I think life is a little sad, no? When I’m old, I would prefer that my children take care of me. I don’t expect them to live with me, but sometimes they will visit me and help me. It’s not the same thing with a robot. We’re going to live long lives, and loneliness is increasing in society. Not everything is just about money… Finally, we had a comment from Nikolai, asking how we can encourage women to have more children if their careers will suffer as a result? Should more be done to support men and women who want to start families, so they do not need to give up working? Something needs to be done, I agree. However, if we pass the cost of maternity to companies, they are not going to like it. So, it’s society, state, and taxpayers who have to pay for it. The other thing is that for women and men, not everything has to be about careers. At some point in time, we made the two things compatible, and it’s very sad that some people only think of career and not family. It’s not just about women – it’s also about men, who might be successful in business but have kids and don’t take care of them, and don’t know them. So, I would say to women: don’t give up having kids because of your careers, try to make them compatible. And I think the state should, of course, take measures to make it compatible. I also think everybody has to be aware that every woman who has a child is producing a benefit for society. If everybody is telling me every day that it’s good to have kids, I’m going to look more favourably at my workmate who has a kid and has to take time off work to go to the doctor, for example. If we are really aware we need kids desperately, we will be more favourable. Compatibility between having kids and working is not perfect, but we have to make it possible. How can Europe reverse its demographic decline? Could immigration compensate for low birthrates in the EU? Or should governments offer greater support for young people who want to balance careers and families? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions! The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. How can Europe reverse its demographic decline? 577 comments What do YOU think? Sebastien Chopin May 2nd, 2016 Well we’re going to need to bring people in from abroad like we always did… How about the refugees? Write a reply [uknown] May 11th, 2017 So many conflicts happening in the southern world if it all ended the population wouldn’t get so over filled in one spot Steven Young July 26th, 2017 Why do people in charge never connect the dots? – Without being ironic why is there no cross fertilisation of ideas – the simple fact is that technology will result in 70-80% of current jobs disappearing – there is plenty of valid research to that effect – that is going to happen – certainly there will be new types of jobs but nowhere near the numbers that heavy industry required in the past – even jobs like doctors and lawyers will more or less disappear – so Europe definitely will not need tens of millions of immigrants – those who put forward this idea are not thinking clearly – I’ve read comments here about immigrants integrating – that is somewhat naive and maybe even racist – why should immigrants abandon their own cultural values just because Europeans seem so happy too – what? they will learn the error of their ways and suddently realise the social superiority of European values – I don’t think so – if tens of millions of migrants are brought in there is far more chance of major social disruption in the jobless future and my guess is that they are not going to be the least bit interested in paying for the pensions of old white people – some comments seem more on the spot – just because the population is readjusting back to pre-baby boom levels isn’t any reason to panic – the main concern is the 20-30 year period until the baby boomers are gone is paying for their pensions – after that time that particular problem ends it won’t be so bad – but coping with the tens of millions of jobless non-integrated immigrants might be of more concern – the solution is simple – make having babies financially attractive – very financially attractive ( for working people not jobless people) – pay women a lot to have babies – if it is as important as governments seem to think it is then pay women a lot to have babies – governments have no problem supplying huge financial support to corporations – well what is more important than having a new generation? but then again the corporations probably don’t care if Europeans die out as long as they are replaced by Africans – even better if they bring many of their existing social problems with them – there is a lot of money to be made out of human misery – the people I feel most sorry for are the socially liberal people – they might well live to see the once socially liberal Europe vanish – the new muslim Europeans will probably have very little time for womens rights as Western Europeans understand them and gays can totally forget it – kind of ironic really – the very people who tend to support mass immigration the most are the ones who probably will have the most to worry about in the new future – well not the current ones they will be dead in 50 -70 years but if mass immigration is the only solution – which it isn’t in a jobless future – Europe will have completely different social values in the future – chances are that the current socially liberal Europeans of today will have great grand daughters who will be wearing burkas which isn’t a problem really – the world changes – it’s just very ironic that the birthplace of such socially liberal values colludes in the ending of those very same socially liberal values – there are many groups of people that are extinct – so it doesn’t really matter in the long run if white europeans become extinct – in the end history won’t care at all johan November 13th, 2017 They are all men…you are not going to increase the birthrate with more men. You need more women. Rozalija Baricevic May 2nd, 2016 For decades, we have been educated about the world’s overpopulation, planned and responsible parenthood, enjoying democracy with things and not with children. Now you ask a question but you know the answer.as we know too. Write a reply Gino January 17th, 2019 Steven, couldn’t write it better myself. These “ignoramuses” have obviously decided to sell everything for short term profit…and this dictates the mood of the entire society…greed and selfishness just show itself in another way as in deciding that your time is just more important, even when it comes to having children who, heaven forbid might demand some of your “time and money”. And, when folks actually manage to have the one token child, this child never learns to share and thus further encourages the greed and even more selfishness. As if natures laws now have to be replaced with grand ideas such as current “distorted feminism”, far removed from what it was meant to be (now being the war cry against patriarchy – the same patriarchs that created this paradise to which everyone who legally can or legally cannot wants to come to). Isn’t something strange when the society talks more about gay rights (which I am a supporter of as all the research is pointing that it is genetic) then talking about issues such as families or the lack of. And, where is it coming from…maybe the question is who are these people, like many of recent European presidents who profess their love for their countries, just to then deny that cultures, borders or nations even exist. Who is instructing them to talk about everything except about issues that will actually allow their nations to be prosperous in the long term without losing themselves by resorting to forced immigration or “at the end robots” or cloning or maybe creating a society of cyborgs; that would be fun and interesting at least in the short term. I prefer my brothers and sisters to the grandiose experiment and / or gamble; true gamblers know when to get up and leave. And, most reasonable folks admit when they are wrong and stop the nonsense, especially when the stakes are this high. Nando Aidos May 2nd, 2016 Why do we need to reverse the demographic decline? Why do we call it a ‘decline’ in the first place? How about NOT calling it a ‘decline’ but an ‘opportunity’? How about restructuring daily life, corporate behavior, ‘employment laws’, etc., so that this demography becomes an asset and not a liability? How about trying new solutions to new problems? Instead of treating an aging population today like we treated aging populations a century ago? How can Europe thrive with its aging but more experienced population? Write a reply Because it is not sustainable. It can’t be an opportunity in the long run. If you check the numbers, you will see that in 10 generations from now, the population will be only about 10% what it is today. Aaron March 30th, 2017 The world is overpopulated as it is. Our resources should be going into lowering the birthrate in the developing world instead of trying to increase Europe’s population. Write a reply Stan Mulleners July 3rd, 2016 The birthrate in the developing world is already shrinking rapidly. In the world as a whole, the amount of children has already peaked. The only reason the world population still grows is because people grow older and so the death rate is much slower. India is going to grow quite a bit still and africa is going to grow quite something too, since africa is about the only place where the birthrate is still high. It’s already low in about all of Asia. Sure it’s good that population growth has slowed and will slow more, but we don’t want the population shrinking rapidly. With such a small percentage of the population young, they’ll have to provide for a very large amount of old people. Sure we will partly fix this with robotisation and such, but eventually we will want to have a population that maintains it’s size at least. Tt allen tucker October 13th, 2017 the more people in existence, the more discoverers, inventors, creators, comforters, artist, developers, writers, directors … larger populations dramatically increase an individuals access to quantity and quality in every facet imaginable in reference to discoveries, cures, inventions, advancements, and all creature comforts known. These things have been brought to you by the shear numbers of individual human beings who’s collective brain-powers now invent and cure everything for you. In this case, ” Less, is NOT more … ” Simply put, ” more brains = more gains ” and vice-versa. cyp March 27th, 2018 world is not overpopulated. this is a myth with the purpose of killing most humans and leave just a few slaves for those in power. the illusion of overpopulation is caused by consumerism. thehandbehindthecurtain October 11th, 2020 Next somebody will suggest post birth abortions even for adults, just go down to your local facility and get a Dr’s prescription for post birth abortion, save the planet by dying. If you are dead you no longer use space, fuel, plastics, oxygen etc. It’s the best thing for the environment. Get your post birth abortions for $99.99, you even get a 10% discount if you bring two friends to take the procedure with you. Σαντυ Μπαλμπαγάδη May 2nd, 2016 Write a reply Ivan Burrows May 2nd, 2016 Import millions of young Muslim men from the middle east & Turkey, problem solved. Write a reply thehandbehindthecurtain October 11th, 2020 What could possibly go wrong. Stefano Ciarrocchi May 2nd, 2016 Write a reply Costi Ciudin May 2nd, 2016 Write a reply Miro Šarić May 2nd, 2016 by investing in young families, not taxation them to the financial death.. Write a reply Toni Muñiz May 2nd, 2016 The answer you want is migration, mass uncontrolled migration. But what we really need is to foment native child birth by taking care of newborns necessities until an adult. Otherwise doing what you do now will only halt further native births. Who wants to bring a child into a future Eurabia? Write a reply Kei Nakanishi May 2nd, 2016 Too much human on this world. The earth is crying Write a reply allen tucker October 13th, 2017 William Dibellla June 30th, 2018 The Earth weeps tears of pain and bloodlust. We are Terra’s chosen species, our hatred and rage will drive us to the stars, and we shall spread our Mother’s thirst for the blood of planets to the galaxy. Such is our manifest destiny. Vinko Rajic May 2nd, 2016 Demographic decline is NOT a problem , that is very good . We have to many people in the EU . We don’t need to make Bangladesh out of the EU . The last time a global survey was attempted – by the United Nations in 2005 – an estimated 100 million people were homeless worldwide. Population decline is good . Eurostat estimates that 22.159 million men and women in the EU-28, of whom 16.924 million were in the euro area (EA-19), were unemployed in November 2015. If EU population decline we are going to have high standard of living and we don’t need to make India out of the EU . Australia is rich because they are just over 23 million . Bangladesh , India and Pakistan are very poor because of big population . If you have big population you need strong industry and resources . The EU is going to become very rich if we don’t accept 100 million Arabs . If the EU accept 100 million Arabs the EU is going to become poor . We have over 50 million EU citizens without full time work . We don’t need more people , we have to many people in the EU . Arabs should STOP population growth , people should have one or two children and not more than that . Twenty years ago, the world had about 1.1 billion Muslims. Twenty years from now, it will have about twice as many – and they’ll represent more than a quarter of all people on earth, according to a new [Pew] study released [January 27, 2011] Thursday. https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Muslim_Statistics_-_Population Write a reply allen tucker October 13th, 2017 ” by the United Nations in 2005 – an estimated 100 million people were homeless worldwide” Hmmm… Now…lets have a look-see at what those really big and scarey numbers actually mean at a pedestrian level, shall we? 100 000 000 ( The worlds homeless) Divided by 7 600 000 000 (the current world population) = 0.013% … or in other words, for every 1000 people housed, there’s one person (give or take, an arm or a leg) who might lack housing. As world history go’s… Sounds (to me), like pretty good housing stats. So… how many people might you suppose, lets say, out of a thousand, are decidedly lazy or just plain don’t want to live in a house, or have chosen “other” as an abode ? When the scary numbers get broken down, they kind of just lose their titillating-scary magic, now … don’t they? ( P.S. I live in a converted bus…Decidedly-Homeless ? ) allen tucker October 13th, 2017 Here is the United States of America’s – C.I.A.’s (Central Intelligents Agencies) World Factbook web address concerning the fertily rates of all 224 nations on Earth, as 2016. Each nation is listed in an alpha-numerical order so that the information is a fun and quick experience to the nation of your choosings future demise. Keep in mind that if any nation that has a fertility rate of “2.1 children ( per women )… or lower… ( per woman) is a nation at NON-REPLACEMENT VALUES. As an exercise in concision: see where your nation stands in the grand scheme of things. The website is: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html and here’s a little tip, to go the extra mile…. Go to Youtube and search for “Demographic Winter” parts 1 & 2 ( 1hour Each) quite an eye opener ! Petr Horak May 2nd, 2016 European challenges: 1) The brain drain in the east is significant, drop of working population under unsustainable levels 2) Under current system the majority population will proportionally work less time compared to schooling / elderly pention. 3) Mismanagement of immigration, idiotic schemes not promoting braindrain and rather keeping immigrants on government welfare. Increase in heterogenity of etnicities leading to public unrests. 4) Better treatment of working women on maternity leave and social support to single mothers doesn’t seem to bring fertility up to needed levels. 5) The experience based on evidence in demography says that there might be unexpected changes in fertility or immigration. Write a reply Michael O'Dwyer Connolly May 2nd, 2016 Just do what Russia is doing, subsidise having kids, national holiday for procreation, trying to restrict abortion. It’s working for them, TFR back up to 1.8 from 1.3 Write a reply Nik Nenkov May 2nd, 2016 Write a reply Financial incentives to European (autochthonous European) families. Build more State – run kindergartens and schools, campaigns for the traditional families and stop with gay propaganda mass hysteria. Award local autochthonous families with 3 children or more especially in Eastern Europe. Write a reply Write a reply Vadim September 8th, 2017 Europeans have plenty of sex. It’s just they use stuff in order to prevent getting a child out of it. Jude De Froissard May 2nd, 2016 Just motivate people….just pay less taxes..just be with the citizens….for the citizens…..not against them Write a reply Julia Hadjikyriacou May 2nd, 2016 Firstly, the ECB is injecting 20 Billion a month into the economy via QE and tax evasion and tax avoidance is rife among the mega rich. So do QE for the people, end tax havens and tax loopholes, tax the rich, welath cap them too if you like. Money is not a problem so don’t moan about pensions and working class people living longer. Poverty doesn’t need to exist and can be ablolished by the EU if it wanted and acted in the peoples interest. As for demographics, people cannot afford to raise children, not do they enjoy raising them when both have to work, and women have to go back to work after 6 months to a year. Again, an unconditional basic income would solve that. It is not as if you need parents to work like slaves and not enjoy their children with so much unemployment there will always be people to fill job positions. Write a reply Daniel Parvanov May 2nd, 2016 There is no decline it is return to normal after baby boom after WWII … Political class and government workers are scared that less workers payed taxes their will be less money for them ….(Thay say social system will collapse… I do not agree … they just need to adapt to the new (old) normal and spend less… Write a reply Yordan Vasilev May 2nd, 2016 The EU must invest in the youth, defend the mothers and care for the children. Write a reply Enric Mestres Girbal May 2nd, 2016 Ban abortion and give european working families the same aid as you give to the inmigrant families. Food, clothing, pushchairs, prams, living quorters, school gratuitie, free children activities, etccc. Write a reply Liri Kodhelaj May 2nd, 2016 Hahaha, I will just remind you that there are people in Britain who never worked in their lives, not just one generation, milking the system living on other people`s taxes, including taxes of immigrants. They are the people who want everything for nothing Write a reply Michalis Pouros May 2nd, 2016 Write a reply Athanasios Tempridis May 2nd, 2016 The main reason its austerity if you dont have money you will not make children’s Write a reply Chris Pavlides May 2nd, 2016 New life vision & a new human centric socioeconomic model. Good schools, working stability, women @ home taking care fulfilled kids home & family, a very serious job. Then the figures will come acceding expectations! Happy people & social balance is the key to ultimate financial optimization. Write a reply Joao Antonio Camoes May 2nd, 2016 by atracting people that want to be and desire by european, adopting their social/political values and cultural heritage. Write a reply Yanni Sfyrides May 2nd, 2016 Βy establishing strategies for sustainable growth.Mrs Merkel prefers the inflation guarding plan.This is not a plan for EU.Mrs Merkel reminds us the Super market owner of our neighbourhood.Very cheap plan in order for Germany to get reacher and reacher at expense of peripheral countries!! The solutionsof Deographic problems go together with the Economic grouth and prosperity for people. Write a reply Jimi Sowa May 2nd, 2016 Stop socialism, stop femism, stop bdsm, stop grnder and to prison Rotshild, Rockefeler, Soros, Warburg, Shiff etc.. families owned FED and banking cartel, who pay for that. Write a reply Ruairí Hallissey May 2nd, 2016 Give tax incentives to families and pass legislation around pre schooling, child care, healthcare etc that helps ease the burden of having children in our very busy world. Write a reply Vlasta Peric May 2nd, 2016 Write a reply Omid Danesh Khorak May 2nd, 2016 Write a reply Mavis Allen May 2nd, 2016 Start with BRITAIN voting to come OUT of this undemocratic club. WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT Write a reply Thanos Spiropoulos May 2nd, 2016 We have to give money to young people to make babies. Write a reply Vesna Brezovac May 2nd, 2016 Employers bear part of responsibility as well. Am I supposed to leave my children alone at home when they are sick? Or kill them so I could go to work? If you are on sick leave, you are considered lazy. Many women in Croatia get instantly fired if on sick leave. Also, inferility is becoming really a big issue… I don’t really see a way out. Write a reply cyp March 27th, 2018 good. that is the cure. fire women. the problem is women waiting until 30 to have children José Bessa da Silva May 2nd, 2016 Let the population reduce. The world is quite crowded as it is. Instead of trying to make europeans to have babies, just try to make underdeveloped nations to stop breeding like rats! Let us reduce our world population. Let us be environmentaly friendly once in our history, for real. Let us see what we really are, a plague! Write a reply Sylvain Duret May 2nd, 2016 Stop austerity, respect people in EU ! Write a reply stop taxing peoples’ own house and small land owning and transmitting to their children. stop taxing small local activities. feeling safe (food, housing and a few money earning possibility) is the key to confidence needed for peoples to have children. Write a reply Andreas Pishias May 2nd, 2016 Why do think people do not have more kids. It is all about economics…give out incentives for large families that will help. Write a reply Michal Pečeňa May 2nd, 2016 The planet is overpopulated. Europe shouldn’t encourage procreation – all that we need is to let in all those people who want to live here. Instead of spending tons of money on forcefully keeping them out. Write a reply I think we need more than one strategy: – Convince the population that it is indeed a problem (many comments state, that it isn’t) and it is not sustainable as it is in the long run – introduce a new strong incentive: give a big surplus in retirement pensions for 2+ kids. Write a reply Le Gay Luron October 4th, 2018 I Don’t feel very concerned by this topic maybe because I’m french. all my cousins – (3 couples) they all have 2 babies my sister is having her first baby after she has abort because it was twins but she project a second baby. [For notice my all family is white (christian/atheist and live in France for over a century] France population in 1945 41 millions Prediction 2050 75 millions the most populated country in EU (especially if UK leave with brexit, Germany is shrinking), and the biggest ;-) Immigration can be also good if this immigration share the same way of life (I like Vietnam and South East asian like chinese, japanese… 1 million asian in France the biggest asian communauty in europe peaceful and hard worker in general) When I was Younger I doesn’t want children because it cost a lot of money and time but I changed my mind. Now I’m 30 years old and I am a civil servant I’ve got a job for life over 11 weeks/holidays per years + all my Sundays and Saturdays + public holidays (around 10 in the year) almost free healthcare + free universities I earn around 2000$/month (1800euros) so after all why not children for my beloved country they also will paid my pensions when I will be an old man. We have already a surplus for a retirement pension for kids in France you can take your retire before. We will have around the same number of young people between 0-20 in 2050 than now according all the polls. France Birthrate around 2.00 children/woman. Thanks to De Gaulle’s policies,after WW2 (a great leader for me), He want to reverse the gap with Germany and put a strong politics for having children and it’s works.. Bad immigration is Bad.(massive or very different by religion and way of life just bring terrorism or others stuff like robbery). Firas Alali May 2nd, 2016 if the main argument is hot to solve the demographic decline of Europe without bringing people from out side Europe, the answer is it’s impossible, scholars and researchers already answered this question. the decline is irreversible because all the EU countries hit the rate of low population growth that make it impossible for any civilization to continue. for the people who are saying to reform the EU policy toward the aging population it is like asking the elderly to continue working till they die. the problem is not about how skilled they are to continue working. the main problem is that the rate of newborn within the EU MS is sow low and lowers the the death rate. that means simply that the EU population need external labor to keep the welfare system functioning. EU need foreign workers to keep up with industry, agriculture, trade, institutions, financial system and so on. the other main problem is about the ageing categories of EU citizens. EU is and old population which means that the elders are the majority. more over the new youth generation still need more time to get engaged in the workforce. and if the recent trends continue, they will grow up like the no a day adults workers with lack of skills to get engaged and the work market. the solution is there: it’s not immigration and refugees at a random level. like just bring people with not criteria. . the EU already have a blueprint system call the BLUE CARD, this system need reforms. the new system should attract interested workers from foreign countries who have the skills and qualifications that the EU societies need to legally join the EU and become part of the society as equal citizens. they should be integrated at a full scale. and with all this the EU might be able to reduce the damage of it’s demographic decline rather than facing the fatal destiny Write a reply Tony Goulart May 2nd, 2016 Bring in young refugees from Syria, that’s basically what Germany did. Write a reply Wendy Harris May 3rd, 2016 Write a reply Tarquin Farquhar May 7th, 2016 Might I suggest you put yourself forward first! Bastian May 3rd, 2016 a) Never before have so many people lived in Europe as today. b) In a few decades the baby boomer generation will be gone, that will lead to a more balanced age group distribution again. d) An industry 4.0 high tech economy doesn’t need high population figures, particularly not mass immigration. The latter would be rather detrimental for Europe’s future. e) The danger is not at all demographic decline but an indistinct open border policy destroying the identity of Europe. f) Just to remember: The Portugal which shaped part of the world in the 16th century was able to do so with only 1 Mill. inhabitants. Or, at the beginning of the 17th century the German people were about 16 Mill. declining to 5 Mill. during the Thirty Years’ War. This did not hinder Germany to become a major power in the centuries which followed. g) It is obviously not numbers what counts to subsist in history. Write a reply André Snellman May 3rd, 2016 have more white children Write a reply ironworker May 3rd, 2016 Jobs, jobs and more jobs. A decent, predictable and secured income/individual, a bit of risk taken, hope and faith, will eventually solve the problem. Lack of jobs, uncertainty, deception, unbearable taxes and fees, bad housing and schooling policy and economic austerity (in general), will push things from bad to worse. Write a reply Dan Florin May 3rd, 2016 easy, just teach people the right stuff Write a reply Dan Florin May 3rd, 2016 easy, just teach people the right stuff Write a reply By way of further information to the reader, I was born in Asturias, a charming land in the North of Spain, that had the lowest fertility rate in the period 2010-2014 of the 257 regions that officially exist in Europe, all countries combined. The next two least fertile regions in that timespan were also Spanish (Canary islands and Galicia). German people is the most aged in Europe, and is dying slowly. Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal and all Eastern Europe have also a lousy demographic health. In no European country there are even 2 children per woman. If we deduct the contribution of non-European immigrants to births and fertility, even the European countries with a higher total fertility rate, like France or Sweden, look not so fertile. Even Ireland has only around 1.9 children per woman now. I love my Asturias, my Spain and my Europe. And I find most disgusting to contemplate how they die slowly because we do not have enough babies everywhere, while our politicians / elites / intellectuals / academia / media mostly ignore or downplay this immense problem. Europe should not surrender to demographic suicide without trying seriously to avert it! Either we experience a true demographic renaissance, based on more babies or else…. Write a reply Hi Alejandro, I share your concern. However, I don’t think that the problem is downplayed only by a political elite. Reading through the comments in this thread, it seems to be a common opinion that the demographic decline is not a bad thing. I am very worried to read that. Miriam September 21st, 2017 They killed us all with their fascism and still seem to be actively trying to. How are we supposed to forget being called terrorists ourselves (Irish) and being absolutely crushed? They’re tricksy thugs and it’s not a world you feel secure enough to bring lots of children into. João Carlos de Sousa May 3rd, 2016 Immigration! and integration. Write a reply EU reform- proactive May 3rd, 2016 How can Europe reverse its demographic decline? Why should it? Out of panic or because some politicians & advisers say so? How big a catastrophe could it be- if not achievable? Admittedly very complex situations where politicians reached & even think tanks are nearing their wits end! A rather long story? How to influence a trend in human evolution? We learned & witnessed from politicians & economists that the present trend is: “nothing needs to balance anymore”. The choice & will of voters does not balance with the deeds of politicians. Government expenditure increasingly soars & is only matched by more debt, bonds & borrowings. THOSE who pretend to provide the shortfalls dominate everything- be that by TREATIES, money out of thin air or openly admit to “manage” referendums not to their liking! The reproduction rate follows politics & economics. The taxpayer in the end has to pay for all this folly anyways- never the have’s. Why not change from a private reserve bank to a “the taxpayers reserve bank”- print & lend its “own” money at zero %? No need to use an agent or go between with all the expensive hocus pocus. Every responsible citizen should have the ability to save and be obliged to finance their own pension during their ~45 working lifetime- not defer it to the next generation. An impossibility? Conditioning? By whom- the past, the corporate political system? Why not (slowly) change the system? Ongoing & better education produces not only better qualified people & furthers innovations, but provides a chance & demand for a better life quality- satisfaction, independence- none traditional life choices as well. These consequences equally need acceptance & be confronted. So far, destructive (US) inspired capitalism forces all & couples to work to make ends meet. More stress, no time, more play, higher demands, delayed & no marriages result in less children with a shortened & maybe unhappy childhood. The above average rich can afford gardeners, nannies, cooks & cleaners- but not the majority and average worker. Is that what immigration is all about? To afford them their freedom to be free to do what they want & squeeze the rest? The present political cum destructive economic model is the chief terminator and creator of all imbalances. Change the status quo, change the model, mindsets & imbalances. The demand on the economy must be to create & maintain sustainable jobs, remain profitable within a fair competitive market, without endless growth, politicians learn to govern without lying, the schemers, fraudsters & banksters brought to heel & to justice and the differential between insane salaries & average earnings contained by a certain factor. A world with a shrinking but educated, happier, tolerant & clever population could become an example for a just & better world through honest, less greedy, more humane governance and less utopian concepts driven by impossible targets. To be seen which forces will be the winners! Write a reply Anne Voie May 3rd, 2016 Demographic decline is not a problem. Old people are pretty independent until they reach the very last 3-4 years before they die. The only problem might be the retirement age, it may need to be raised. So no need to make a drama out of it. The only thing that will happen is that the population will get smaller. Which means plenty of space and housing for everybody. Write a reply Codrin Cernăuțianu May 4th, 2016 Simple, move the whole of Africa, Asia and South America to Europe ! Problem solved. Oh wait, they are already doing that ! No worries than, the demographic problem will soon be over. Write a reply catherine benning May 4th, 2016 I repeat what I wrote on another thread, because of gulag style political correctness and the ensuing fear to speak out, the people of Europe, including the UK, have developed, Stockholm Syndrome. And are colluding in their own demise,rather than finding a way to rid themselves of obvious destruction. Write a reply Matej Mlinarič May 7th, 2016 The only reason young don’t have more children cause there is never enough money for them to have jobs and support families, cause all that money rather goes to everybody else……. Write a reply SD May 8th, 2016 If Europe wants to fight against it it’s demographic decline it must encourage marriage. Write a reply Maia Alexandrova May 9th, 2016 If nurseries are free and parents receive from their government 1000 euros per month per child, for example, I believe more children will be born. But if there is no money to do that, then probably it is better to have less children until such time comes when it will be possible to raise children without financial difficulties. Write a reply Ivan Burrows May 9th, 2016 Let Mad Mama Merkel invite millions of virile young men into the Schengen area, not sure the women in the EU are going to be happy about it though. Problem solved. Write a reply Al Belegratis May 9th, 2016 Give bonus to families do not ” punish” them with taxes. Values to believe not only numbers we r humans stupid Write a reply Michael O'Dwyer Connolly May 9th, 2016 Restrict abortion, better subsidies for families, national conception holiday, etc. follow the Russian model. Brought their TFR from 1.3 to 1.8 Write a reply Le Gay Luron October 4th, 2018 LOL the Russian Economy is the Size of Italy. I’m in France and all my cousins (3 couples) have 2 children. 1.8 LOL we have over 2 in France 2.01 My sister has got a little girl she has abort because she doesn’t twins she project to have a second. When have legalise the abortion the number of abortion has Fallen (abortion was made in secret for us it remember Vichy laws a Fucking collaborator of nazis) [For your Knowledge all my Family is white christian (catholic)/atheist and live in France for over a century] Thanks from De Gaulle’s policies (a great leader he avoid a civil war, put the US forces out of France enlarge our territory with some ex-italians cities like Tende, gain a seat ONU) he put a strong politics from having children he wants to reverse the gap with Germany. Germany win because it was much more populated than France in 1939 France 39 Millions Germany 81 Millions (same as today) the main reason of our defeat in 1940 bigger army and best material (and no mention of the 300 000 italians in our borders).. France 1945 41 millions 2050 75 millions We will have the same number population of 0-20 in 2050 than today according the poll we will be the most populated country in EU and the biggest. When I was Younger i Don’t want children. Now (I’m 30 years) I will probably accept with the girl I love after all I’m a civil servant I’ve got a job for life it help. I have over 11 weeks/holidays per year (+public holidays) + all my Sundays and Saturdays. Almost Free Healthcare, Free university + a lot of childcare in France,.. I earn 1800euros/month and I’m the less paid in my job ( I’m one of the Younger Nothing wrong)..…. I have work in the French navy and a lot of officiers has got more than 3 children and they don’t look immigrant (africans, arabs….) quite the opposite. The UK NHS and unemployement allowance in uk are a joke comparing the French système (and it’s some brittons my mother’s friends who said it). The worst is we are keeping immigrants who wants to come in UK in Calais. I will wote for a leader who let them enter in UK…They take the better and let us the worst I think we will change it in the Future. Financial incentives to European (autochthonous European) families. Build more State – run kindergartens and schools, campaigns for the traditional families and stop with gay propaganda mass hysteria. Award local autochthonous families with 3 children or more. Write a reply invite millions of muslims with benefits Write a reply Write a reply Claudio Bartoletti May 10th, 2016 nice topic, and quite simple to reverse, give europeans a better standard of living and maybe more incentives to have children, you see the scenario is as follows, an intelligent person calculates how much is needed to raise a child and give it all it needs in life, good education, certain amount of luxury and a dignified standard of living, other cultures breed like rabbits and raise their children in poverty, so we do not need to fill europe with rabbits to make numbers, we simply have to put europeans in a position to afford more children, as the saying goes ” Quality not Quantity”. Write a reply Marco Peel May 10th, 2016 In an overpopulated world with dwindling natural resources, and an EU with high unemployment rates and refugee inflows, you worry about declining birth rates ???. The modern economy no longer needs to depend on cheap labour, and shouldn’t by any standard. Any economist who argues we need more people should have his head examined – perpetual growth in a finite environment is mathematically unsustainable. Write a reply Nando Aidos May 10th, 2016 We do not need to reverse the demographics. We need to reverse the working conditions and the substance of the working life. Why should I stop working at the age of 60? Why do I want to? Because at that age I am sick and tired of working for some idiot bosses performing some idiotic tasks. But if I have the opportunity to continue being productive and useful and appreciated I will not want to stop working at the age of 60. I know what I am talking about. I am 70 and still productive and working. Ah, and cut the crap, stop all the tax havens and severely punish those caught in some rogue foreign tax haven. Write a reply Nando Aidos May 10th, 2016 We do not need to reverse the demographics. We need to reverse the working conditions and the substance of the working life. Why should I stop working at the age of 60? Why do I want to? Because at that age I am sick and tired of working for some idiot bosses performing some idiotic tasks. But if I have the opportunity to continue being productive and useful and appreciated I will not want to stop working at the age of 60. I know what I am talking about. I am 70 and still productive and working. Ah, and cut the crap, stop all the tax havens and severely punish those caught in some rogue foreign tax haven. Write a reply nando May 10th, 2016 We do not need to reverse the demographics. We need to reverse the working conditions and the substance of the working life. Why should I stop working at the age of 60? Why do I want to? Because at that age I am sick and tired of working for some idiot bosses performing some idiotic tasks. But if I have the opportunity to continue being productive and useful and appreciated I will not want to stop working at the age of 60. I know what I am talking about. I am 70 and still productive and working. Ah, and cut the crap, stop all the tax havens and severely punish those caught in some rogue foreign tax haven. Write a reply Lucas Kroon May 13th, 2016 Why have the European politicians never encouraged their people to get children? I know they have seen this problem coming. Haven’t they even tried to conserve the European people instead of taking in immigrants? Why is immigration always a good answer to them? Instead of solving the problem, it causes ghettos and ”no-go zones” in European cities. Most of them are not integrating and unemployment is 60-80% in Swedish immigrant sub-urbs. Write a reply Rui Correia May 15th, 2016 Quite simple (or maybe not)… develop our economy further, create more jobs and opportunities for Europeans, with decent salaries… and we’ll have lots of babies and huge families!!! Most Europeans are not stupid, and people need to have minimum standards of living to provide for their families… health, food and clothing, education, etc etc… it all costs money… why am I telling you this?? You guys know!!… Without these minimum standards, well… sorry… you do it… PS- immigration DOES NOT COMPENSATE FOR NOTHING, it only adds fuel to the fire!!… it makes the whole problem even worse, and it brings down all standards!!! We should take care of ourselves first, and then afterwards, we will be in a better position to help out everyone else in the rest of the planet… building a better Europe first, then a better planet… and so on… Write a reply Brian July 26th, 2016 Decline in total fertility rate is essentially irreversible. The only way to compensate in terms of maintaining a stable population that is balanced by age is to a) have the government subsidize procreation, and or b) support a robust immigration policy. Otherwise all countries will eventually pass through the 4th stage of demographic transition to the end state contraction phase. Remember we are the only species on earth that chooses not to reproduce. The human population is currently trending toward voluntary extinction, which might not be a bad thing for the rest of life in the biosphere Write a reply PG August 25th, 2016 All the politicians talk of population decline , yet none think about sustainability ,is it beyond their comprehension , especially as all are talking about the consequences of global warming for food and water resources . It would appear that the city dwelling politicians no longer understand sustainability and resources , and what climate change will really mean Write a reply Alex October 17th, 2016 What we call demographic decline is just a natural phenomenon to do with the consequences of societal changes, such as equal numbers of men and women being in the workforce. The decline of the coercive influence of religion and culture has a big part to play as well. Over time, I think people’s attitudes will change, and women may regret not having had children.You’ll probably see women in the late forties having lots of babies more and more. Some women may decide having a career is no special either. Perhaps more men will stay at home, and bring up the kids if their wives are doing well in their careers. A much more radical solution could be for society to pay womenor men a salary to stay at home and bring up their children. Who knows. Write a reply Vicki November 14th, 2016 I am a mother and know well the irreplaceable joy that having a family brings. All species have to reproduce in order to survive and modern western lifestyles and expectations are totally out of sync with nature, if this is no longer happening. The human family is the bedrock of a culture, nation and civilization and also vital for our personal and emotional health. I believe we urgently need to make the population of western Europe aware of the issue especially at school and university. Having children is natural, it is our skewed society that is now making it harder and less desirable to have them: 1) Have more positive role models for women who popularize motherhood in leading and key government and academic roles. The modern feminist agenda is anti motherhood. 2) Desist from telling parents how to raise their children and from making it seem such an impossibly expensive task. The cult of spoiling children materially is putting people off having them. Children do not have to be costly, they do not all need the latest iphone to be happy. Siblings to play with and a loving home with engaged parents are more important to children’s happiness than gadgets and material possessions. 3) A positive vision of motherhood needs to be re-embraced. Today women who choose motherhood over careers are looked down upon and almost reviled by society, as if they are unintelligent and unfit for anything else. It is not a dumbing down of a woman’s intelligence to be a mother. Running a home and family successfully takes the same level of skill as running a business. This vital role needs to be more highly valued. 4) Young families should be encouraged with tax breaks and financial assistance. Society should share more in the cost of raising future generations. For the childless couple who will need their pensions paid by the children others pay to raise, this should be seen as part of their pension plan. I am an educated woman who gave up a successful career to raise my children. I had been persuaded to see motherhood as low status, almost a prison for a woman and therefore against my rights as an equal to men, by my education. Luckily I had a little ‘accident’ or would have been denied the joy of being a mother. How little I knew or understood what would really bring me happiness! I have never regretted my choices. Write a reply Patrick March 25th, 2017 I am total support of your ideas and values PG December 15th, 2016 There seems to be little thought about sustainability of countries as climate change kicks in and many countries will have food and water supply problems , and importing countries no longer find sources of food , the aging and reduced population will become a norm . As can be seen in Muslims countries with little birth control and a population increase , there are major problems of food , water and infrastructure leading to internal conflict .The Earths resources are finite and nature has a very nasty way of dealing with excessive populations . Politicians always talk about aging populations because they do not want to change the current financial and business models which are outdated and dangerous for the planet . Write a reply joey kilgore jr January 11th, 2017 stop bringing in migrants who hate you for starters secondly stop pushing white guilt over racism and colonial policies of past stop giving handouts to economic migrants and welfare junkies from africa and middle east and stop pushing things like feminism and gender identity and homosexuality on people and support traditional policies and you will have a huge population rebound and also get away from poisonous U.S. and pivot to russia Write a reply Whocares386 January 18th, 2017 Politicians should listen advices from scientist otherwise that problem cannot be solved. There is an article about that: Write a reply arnold February 20th, 2017 All the answers given here as to incentivate birth rate with longer maternal leaves, money to families etc. definetly help, but the most important thing is a societal change of attitude, of values and of priorities, and not all the gold in the world can achieve this. In one word, the only way to reverse this problem is that WE REALISE IT IS INDEED A PROBLEM AND HAVE THE WILL TO TAKE ACTION ON IT. Write a reply Pat sam July 29th, 2017 Write a reply Daniel Parvanov August 4th, 2017 by listen more what people want and adapt Write a reply José Ferreira de Almeida August 4th, 2017 its al about corrupted politician impunity Write a reply Should it? Write a reply Răzvan Grigore August 4th, 2017 Yes, if we want our race to survive Fernanda Parente August 4th, 2017 Marios Tsamandouras August 4th, 2017 Can not. İt s all about money for the german etc plutocracy not people or hunanity. Write a reply Boyko Vesselinov August 4th, 2017 Only qualified immigration – point system like Australia, Canada etc., plus incentives for families. Write a reply Matej Žganec August 4th, 2017 We have some of the best universities on this planet, why can’t we educate enough skilled labor? These unis are publicly funded anyway, so why do we import competition for the people that we pay to get educated. If we prioritize importing skilled labor rather then educating them, then cut public funding to universities. Ofcourse I’d rather the EU implements programs that incentivize young people to study the needed programs, but the EU has no interest in that…. they rather fund some ridiculous NGO organization that does god knows what. Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 That is precisely what the UK is going to do now we are leaving the EU. Quality migrants over quantity. Boyko Vesselinov August 4th, 2017 If it is done by selection and student visas with option to stay upon graduation – why not. That does not mean to let in just anybody over the fence. Υοu mean how can increase population of course.With new babies (with increase social benefits and incomes for parents) or with increased migrants who already contribute to solve the problem.Of course not by guiding old citizens to death earlier by cutting pensions and health care Write a reply Vytautas Vėžys August 4th, 2017 Write a reply George Yiannourides August 4th, 2017 More immigration to combat aging populations . Write a reply Alekos Michaelides August 4th, 2017 I don’t know what is the solution but the importation of immigrants from 3 countries is not the solution. Write a reply Fernanda Parente August 4th, 2017 Bombing their countries was the solution? Alekos Michaelides August 4th, 2017 no, bombing their countries IS not the solution. But bringing people in europe after we bomb them is just crazy. You telling me that the solution to the demographics in europe is to import people from abroad? Lee Marsden August 4th, 2017 The planet needs a demographic decline. There’s too many people using up too many of its resources. Write a reply Răzvan Grigore August 4th, 2017 But this is happening just in Europe. Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Would you be happy to see the extinction of western society to achieve your demographic decline ? Lee Marsden August 4th, 2017 What are you defining as Western society? And what evidence do you have that it is going to go extinct? Lee Marsden August 4th, 2017 It’s happening in Japan as well Razvan. It isn’t unique to Europe at all. Fernanda Parente August 4th, 2017 Not in Europe Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Western society as not in African or middle eastern. Have you actually read the article ? lol Louis Jeffs August 4th, 2017 Ivan Burrows have you? It says that the population will only start shrinking by 2050. You’ll probably be dead by then. Maybe by motivating European citizens making kids? Write a reply Andrew Potts August 4th, 2017 Start with affordable housing for young European couples. The modest ambition of a stable relationship, a home and a few kids in the community you grew up in is a modest one. It does seem every Government, economic and social policy is against this. A home is not an asset it’s shelter. Young European couples are being betrayed and by everything from endless work pressure to de valuing motherhood and fatherhood. If a nation does not value it’s own children it will only feed somebody else’s. Replacing European families with the rest of the worlds families is the sure death of all European nations. Investing in a nations families is renewal. Write a reply The real question is should Europe reverse its demographic decline? Because just maybe we are simply balancing our population. And it’s not like we’ll go extinct because of a replacement ratio of 1.8 that can actually go on for centuries before we reach 100million population. Write a reply Tiago Bartolomeu August 4th, 2017 Became conservative and religiouse again Write a reply João de Oliveira August 4th, 2017 and forbidding women’s pill, condoms, …, any type of birth-control method .., right? Tiago Bartolomeu August 4th, 2017 The biguest problem is the comercialization and vulgarization of sex Tiago Bartolomeu August 4th, 2017 Fernanda Parente August 4th, 2017 Rui De Sousa Santiago August 4th, 2017 Italy Portugal Spain Germany in the red line this countrys needs more baby’s Write a reply Cristian Birleanu August 4th, 2017 Why worry? Robots will take over. Write a reply Not quantity but quality is important. Write a reply Alessio Ver August 4th, 2017 Wise words! Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Below 2.1 children per family = extinction of western society = No quality. Europeans have always invested heavily in there children. We are the quality. Ariste Arvanitides August 4th, 2017 you need the FAMILY, and morals to come back into fashion. Write a reply João de Oliveira August 4th, 2017 Reducing the retirement age… if people retires at age of 60 still is active and healthy enough, they can assist growing their grand-children’s, they can develop their communities, they will travel … Mind, people do not eat money … As bigger the retirement age is, bigger is the unemployment of young people. If young people have no jobs, there is no baby’s, the innovation and creativity shrinks, no workplace renovation … it’s easy to understand, just look at the figures, it’s not rocket science… Write a reply Alessio Ver August 4th, 2017 In Italy the age for retirement is going to be over 67! João de Oliveira August 4th, 2017 Alessio Ver, and look at the youngest unemployed… is growing in the same level and the natality is shrinking in the same rate … it’s 99% correlated. And the issue gets even worse, young people start looking at that and stop willing to study more… they question “Why, if there’s no jobs?” … after a while we get a young population under educated and therefore not fit for the jobs of the future … Alessio Ver, it will be the same in Lithuania. It’s currently in the phase-in stage. Benoit De August 4th, 2017 Well the trend to ask people to work for an older age is increasing through Europe… Another issue, at least in France, is if you get fired after 50 years old, nobody want to hire you anymore… at the same time retirement time is moving to 65…. João de Oliveira August 4th, 2017 Benoit De, absolutely… that’s the issue… all that people has at least 25 years ahead and what gets as income? Does the EU institutions think about the major social impacts of a large number of people without income ? And in the future with all the automation (Robots, AI …) more people Will be out of work… Ayla Kosebey August 4th, 2017 Arab refugees are in intention to change the demography Write a reply Alessio Ver August 4th, 2017 Europe is overpopulated! We need a demographic plan of slow inhabitants reduction! Write a reply Fernanda Parente August 4th, 2017 Do you want to kill some people, that’s your solution? Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 A birth rate of 2.1 is needed to ‘maintain’ the species so your plan would be to depopulate Europe of Europeans ? De Visu Carlo August 4th, 2017 Matthew Wolfbane August 4th, 2017 Europe’s population is easily eclipsed by the populations of Asia and Africa. Alessio Ver August 4th, 2017 Fernanda Parente…tell me where I wrote this you say Alessio Ver August 4th, 2017 Matthew Wolfbane…probably the immigration is the answer to your answer! Arnout Posthumus August 4th, 2017 Why would we? More people doesnt mean a better quality of life.. Write a reply All Doughty August 4th, 2017 Someone needs to work to pay for public services, pensions etc. Arnout Posthumus August 4th, 2017 if the decline is normal then there is no such problem. We now have a problem because of babyboomers. Rickard Uddenberg August 4th, 2017 All Doughty do not forget that more people means more pollution, and environmental impact…so if you’re worried about the climate stop making babies. :) Kaloyan Yanakiev August 4th, 2017 Rick, that’s not necessary true. We, as species has raised efficiency ridiculously in the last few hundred years. Arnout Posthumus August 4th, 2017 We still used up earth for this year already :P Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 But less people does mean a poorer quality of live, or are you expecting the magic Brussels money tree to pay for your retirement ? Arnout Posthumus August 4th, 2017 Ivan Burrows no we have refugees foreign workers like the netherlands has always had. Thats why we are rich. Unlike the UK who thinks they where all great by themselves instead of the labour they deprived from afar. We do facts :) Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Sweden’s birth rate is reliant on immigration of unskilled Middle eastern & African immigrants, does this make you happy because it fits your ‘fact’ ? we will see how long Sweden remains rich & if they will pay your pension. The UK’s birth rate is currently around 1.9 & rising, mainly due to the 3 million young intelligent ‘European’ immigrants. The Netherlands, Sweden and all Nations controlled by Brussels stupidity will go the same way of the dodo. De Visu Carlo August 4th, 2017 With robots there will be no need to work Arnout Posthumus August 4th, 2017 Ivan Burrows what a stupid question? It doesnt make me anything. Why should it make me sad or happy. Sweden pay my pension? Do you know how rich the netherlands is? XD The dodo being? Oh yes education makes sure people do not multiply. So thanks for the awnser. Also we are made out of refugees/foreign workers for centuries so I dont know what you are on about because you have some awesome 1 day statistic. We have trived off thier work as I told you before, neglecting my history and your own is just stupidity. We got rich off them and thats why we need them and education will also slow them down. Facts all facts. Deniss K Victorovich August 4th, 2017 Write a reply Theofanis Faid Koulouris August 4th, 2017 Offer a societal solution which can allow young couples to have children with less financial, professional and psychological cost. You cannot ask from a young woman with a good degree to be successful as a professional, with no background financial support and somehow find the time, effort and risk to make children. In the end, yes, love is very important and a new life is a sacred thing, yet someone who has been raised all this life with a middle class quality of life, cannot today find a fit in that. The wages are low, the risk is big, the cost is huge. Who wants not to be able to provide for his child? Write a reply Rick Wilmot August 4th, 2017 Create a United States of Europe on a system of Social Democracy. Write a reply Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 How on earth would that create babies ? Rick Wilmot August 4th, 2017 Mixing the gene pool! :) Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Mixing the gene pool will not end the decline, more babies are needed not the same number of babies with a new fake Nationality. Rick Wilmot August 4th, 2017 OK, let’s look at it from another angle. The sperm count is declining and if is carries on then eventually humanity as we know it will be defunct. We can then leave the planet to the machines. Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Mixing the gene pool amongst Europeans will not increase the birth rate, only more births per family or importing more European migrants will.. Which is pretty much what the UK has done by importing 3 million young intelligent European migrants. But at least the the EU will replace them, a pity it will be with unskilled African / Middle eastern migrants though. Rick Wilmot August 4th, 2017 People are people, we’re all basically the same, just different conditioning. Christoph James August 4th, 2017 By stopping the abortions, supporting financially families with children or making food banks for them, stop food waste, creating more jobs for people etc. Write a reply Alfredo Coelho August 4th, 2017 Not by importing dark ages 7th century people, but with policies to promote birthrate grow to the europeans. Write a reply Apostolis Karabairis August 4th, 2017 By bringing in immigrants. Simple and quick <3 Write a reply Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 That’s pretty much what the UK has done by importing 3 million young intelligent Europeans, the trouble is the EU is replacing them with unskilled African migrants which will be a disaster, particularity for the Eastern & Southern European Nations who are losing a whole generation of child bearing age people. Higaara Nakamura August 4th, 2017 Population is increasing and this should be the problem we should be addressing as resources are scarce and consumerism unsustainable if we want to make peace instead of war. Technically we are living in the information and technology era, we shouldn’t be worried about doing heavy works that require a lot of muscle, machines should be doing them instead and we should be using brains and experience upon them. We cannot have the good part of life without the bad, either we have a lot of dead people and younger populations or we have fewer younger people and not so many dead. Pick yours. Write a reply Faddi Zsolt August 4th, 2017 Europe should not take away everything from young couples in the form of taxes. EU should motivate them financially. Family planning has become a material problem today in many countries, thank to economic systems made by the unelected rulers of the world! Write a reply Finally, I’m glad you took note and acknowledged that. It is indeed a huge problem for our future. I will not pretend to be a social policy expert but, at least how I imagine it, a variety of campaigns could be organised on a regular basis to promote family and family values, children at school should have a specific class where they would be taught familial values and how to share family-related responsibilities with their partner (this is actually very important because everything starts with school), better conditions for young women to re-enter the labour market, longer parental leaves, a good creche network, perhaps even some form of a financial incentive, for example, for those who choose to have more than one child, etc. On a more abstract (but actually even more important) note, something must be done to inspire the Europeans with a belief that our civilisation is worth to be continued and to flourish in their future. Why am I saying that? I have noticed that way too many people have this attitude of “meh, I don’t care, we’ve had a good run” (in different variations but it’s the same in the end). It may seem like nothing but it is actually what will be the end of us because too many people have simply lost the will to continue and don’t see the point. It is a combination of many different factors, so the approach to counter that should be a comprehensive one. We need a vision of the future, the sense of where we are going (and may I suggest, it should also include further space exploration and advancement towards creating colonies on other planets in the future). If we manage to pull it off, we will recover. If not, in the long run we’re finished. Write a reply Vintan Ioan August 4th, 2017 1. Raise wages in Eastern Europe. 2. Return to Orthodox Christianity, primary philosophy of life. 3. Drop your family planing and LGBT ideea. 4. Children are not a product, a commodity. Write a reply Benoit De August 4th, 2017 Aligned with 1 and 4 Forgot the 2 and 3, this is part of our European identity to be free. That’s your right go to church it’s mine to do not and to support my LGBT friends against discrimination Vintan Ioan August 4th, 2017 This, is my opinion. Is my solution. Aniway, succes in its own extinction. I say it with real sorrow. Thomas Beavitt August 4th, 2017 If demographic decline is a problem, then LGBT is indisputably a major part of that problem. Or, as others here have argued, maybe it’s not a problem. Let the West decline! Plenty of other civilisational models out there willing to make a go of it! No LGBT there! Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 How many children have ‘ever’ been born to LGBT couples ? Fernanda Parente August 4th, 2017 And how many children are abandoned by straight couples? Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Doesn’t really solve the problem of a low birth rate though does it. Vintan Ioan August 4th, 2017 The mistakes of the philosophy of the French revolution begin to show their ugly reversal of the medal. Write a reply Benoit De August 4th, 2017 You are out of topic, freedom is a core value Vintan Ioan August 4th, 2017 Sorry. And the suicidal people have freedom, but i think they do not use them anyway. Freedom without reason has utopian value. Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Genetic & cultural extinction is a core value of the EU ?, that god we are leaving the madhouse. Voinea Aurel August 4th, 2017 very simple, raise wages and cut the work time from 8 to 7 hrs/day Write a reply Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 That would give people more time to watch a bigger Tv. Stefano Rossi August 4th, 2017 Write a reply Vintan Ioan August 4th, 2017 Come back from the actual philosophy of the basic instincts to the old Greek-Orthodoxism. Plato and Paul the Apostle. Write a reply Vintan Ioan August 4th, 2017 Otherwise, western civilisation in this present form will quikly disappear. Write a reply Christina Pontiki August 4th, 2017 By protecting and giving motivation to the Europeans . Write a reply Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Write a reply Piedade Luisa Pinho August 4th, 2017 By giving to EUROPEANS – not promoting an invasion of Muslims and Africans – hope and political measures to incentivate them to have children!!!! Protecting and incentivating EUROPEAN families! A Write a reply Ntinos Gotzis August 4th, 2017 by taxing the babies like in Greece and even more taxes in food Write a reply Piedade Luisa Pinho August 4th, 2017 And don’t even dream that European women will ever have children from the invaders!!!! We shall abort the result of rape!!!! We will abort them all! Write a reply Ahmet Azmidolu August 4th, 2017 actually you should. Craig Willy August 4th, 2017 Yes, where there’s a will there’s a way! (Israel and France, for instance, have successfully implemented policies raising the birth rate.) Write a reply Ricardo Santos Marques August 4th, 2017 Israel and France have large Muslim minorities which contribute enormously to the birth rate spikes… Tiago Do Val August 4th, 2017 Ricardo Santos Marques August 4th, 2017 Tiago Do Val sure it is xD Craig Willy August 4th, 2017 Whatever works! Stefan de Vries August 4th, 2017 The birth rate in France has been declining for many years now. And by the way, there is no proven link between an active birth policy and birth rates. The only answer to the question above is immigation. Craig Willy August 4th, 2017 Craig Willy August 4th, 2017 1) I think the historical record shows that policies can indeed affect the birth rate. There are many examples (economic incentives, measures to promote work-life balance, awareness-raising campaigns, etc). That isn’t to say it is easy (it isn’t). If we consider low fertility a problem, we should of course at least try to reverse the trend. 2) The idea that a childless population can only make up for this by population replacement with outsiders is the mark of a dying people. Europe cannot survive her short-sighted, hedonistic, and decadent elites! Matej Mlinarič August 4th, 2017 Stop mass immigration. Kick out useless masses that are shopping for welfare and have no interest to contribute anything. Especially get rid of criminals, islamists and their supporters. After that allocate capital from those welfare programs to job creation and help our young families. That is what it takes. Just if this aging population claim is even real that is on you. Cause you spend decades undermining everything that each native European population stand for. Just i know that this won’t happen with current political “leadership”. Cause you are doing everything to fight against coming change and wishes of European populations. You are deliberately sabotaging our economic development cause only thing that those politicians are concerned with is more control. Just what you fail to realize that without our support your decisions mean very little. Cause all that control you want to impose ultimately needs to be self-imposed. Any puppet government that you want to impose will mean very little when populations reject them. So really start respecting interests of our populations and stop lying to further your own economic interests at our expense. Write a reply Sylvain Duret August 4th, 2017 Stop austerity is a good beginning, fight against tax cut on richs in order to help poor and middle class, create job will help a lot. Write a reply Non-Muslim immigration and natalist policies. Write a reply Lino Galveias August 4th, 2017 social policies instead of merely economic ones. One Europe for the people that focuses on social development, happiness, welfare, justice, democracy. A life-work balance, fair development. The current hyppocritical financial mood of EU is destroying its social and demographic tissue Write a reply Sylvain Duret August 4th, 2017 All EU could join France as associated states ! Write a reply Sylvain Duret August 4th, 2017 All EU could join France as associated states ! Write a reply Sylvain Duret August 4th, 2017 All EU could join France as associated states ! Write a reply Sylvain Duret August 4th, 2017 All EU could join France as associated states ! Write a reply Sylvain Duret August 4th, 2017 All EU could join France as associated states ! Write a reply Sylvain Duret August 4th, 2017 All EU could join France as associated states ! Write a reply Bódis Kata August 4th, 2017 Support families and young people. Young people are often forced to choose between education/carrier and having a family, so they put off having children and in the end may have none. Universities and employers should be made more family-friendly through legislation. We also should make an effort to change our role models in popular culture. There are too many selfish a*holes worshipped as stars.. The EU currently spends at least 50 billion(!) euros on migration and we know that over haft the people are illegitimate asylum seekers. Send them home so we have more resources to support European families. Write a reply Chris Panayis August 4th, 2017 Reminded me of a stupid joke: “how do you impregnate a witch? You fuck her” Write a reply Michael paul Borg August 4th, 2017 Well it seems that our Europe is dying and we need to improve our technology like the Japs and also make much more awareness campaigns in order to help our fertility rate since we Europeans are much more focused on job related activities rather than focusing on a healthier less stressful lifestyle. Thus we need to have a balanced life and focus on other things such as family, something that here in Malta is effecting us negatively. In our islands we are having an illegal migrant takeover due to the bad lifestyle. Write a reply Write a reply Kánai Mariann August 4th, 2017 Socialism cannot work. Ivan Burrows August 4th, 2017 Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. – Winston Churchill. Here is the reality of real socialism. Look at Sweden this is real and modern socialism country (app.70% taxation level). Socialism can work :) Bódis Kata August 4th, 2017 Sweden doesn’t have socialism. Sweden is a parlamentary democracy with a market economy and a fairly good social system that costs a lot of money to taxpayers and is an attraction to free riders. (Look up the term if you don’t know it. ) Get an education, people.. Kánai Mariann August 4th, 2017 Socialism is not about high taxes. Actually there are hardly any taxes , because people do not own properties. Ivan Burrows August 5th, 2017 Sweden can’t really be said to be a real socialist country as it believes in free trade, is business friendly and relies on NATO, none of which are socialist ideology. At best it could be called conservative with a small ‘c’. Here is the reality when Sweden does follow socialist dogma. Zoltan Kiss August 4th, 2017 By supporting families with tax breaks and affordable housing. Having children must be promoted and supported. Mass migration from different cultures is not a solution. Write a reply Vugar Bakhshalizada August 4th, 2017 It needs more refugees Write a reply Piedade Luisa Pinho August 4th, 2017 F… them all. We have and will, get you out of Europe! You all belong in the Hell Koran has teach you to create! This is a God’s continent. Get out! Glenn Zasman August 4th, 2017 1/3 of all pregnancies in Europe are terminated. Few other species on Earth eliminate their own progeny and then bemoan the fact that their population is in decline. Write a reply Giusi Nibbi August 4th, 2017 Write a reply Rodrigo Zarzuelo August 4th, 2017 Write a reply Lucrezia Borgia August 4th, 2017 we are stuffed of people, 550mln of citizens!the planet earth is running out of resources!!! Write a reply Michael Paraskevas August 5th, 2017 Write a reply The demographic reverse could be change if you create more jobs and more benefits to the european youths in order to be able to get married and making childrens…. Your stupid idea of importing migrants to solve the demograpic problem is absolutey wrong i repeat wrong….. Write a reply Arthur Lamy August 4th, 2017 Why It should? Whenever I hear these sort of blues I’m a bit baffled. On one hand the biggest challence humanity faces is complex environment deterioration to which we do not have any feasible technological answer. The only one at the moment is slowly decrease overall populations, not boost them. What we need is not some deep tought about the way we can economically manage the decline. Yes. When the decline in one part of the world is too steep then in the other, the only solution should be migration – we see how popular it is however :( Write a reply Luis García August 4th, 2017 with a economy for citizens, and not citizens for economy. Write a reply Sérgio Santos August 4th, 2017 Arthur Gustin August 4th, 2017 Write a reply Louis Jeffs August 4th, 2017 Why would you want to reverse it? Write a reply Vera Cardoso August 4th, 2017 Creating more permanent job positions with fair salaries, increasing the parental leave and ensuring general access to public education and day care for all ages. Write a reply Sasa Sale Alexis August 4th, 2017 Give the people enough money!! Write a reply By reducing stupid taxes and anything that stops motivation to have children Write a reply Matthew Wolfbane August 4th, 2017 More children. Which I don’t personally want any myself, but that seems the main thing which could gradually help raise indigenous demographics again. Write a reply Enric Mestres Girbal August 4th, 2017 Probably incentivating the normal family to have more children through social help instead of spending the money subsidying inmigrants. Write a reply Áron Kalmár August 4th, 2017 And if they did that, the problem would be that. “Those free loading young people! Getting MY money from taxes to raise their children!!! BACK IN MYDAY!!!” Agressively shakes cane* Sabin Popescu August 4th, 2017 probably by getting out of people’s pockets, people’s lives and people’s beds… Write a reply Europe is overcrowded Write a reply Miguel Branco August 4th, 2017 Take a look to Ecology science, please: carrying capacity and age structure are too much linked… Not a surprise for me, neither a problem in my opinion. Immigration shouldn’t be seen neither as a problem but not as a solution. What about the economic politics rules? This World is overpopulated and we should think about how to have societies sustainable (at any scale you think of) with much lower impact in ecosystems. Write a reply Chris Pavlides August 4th, 2017 A family oriented europe, according to the mediterranean model. Write a reply Adriana Lung August 4th, 2017 De ce nu aduceți imigranți gata să se fecundeze și cu bătrîneledin poză ? De ce susțineți familiile de homosexuali , care nu pot să dea naștere la copii ? Voi sunteți de vină … Write a reply Áron Kalmár August 4th, 2017 Personally, no matter how much subsidies I’d get… i’d never want children. For one, I want to live my life, thank you very much, and second, i don’t think I’d be even remotely capable of even trying to raise them in to a decent person. Write a reply David Fernandes Coelho August 4th, 2017 Give the people definite better living conditions. Cut the European parlament salaries by half and offer free schooling for all. Write a reply Francesco Vasata August 4th, 2017 give money to Europeans and not to foreigners Write a reply Ivan Burrows August 5th, 2017 Europeans of a different Nationality are also foreigners. Luísa Cunha Ventura Gagean August 4th, 2017 Let’s think about that. But we don’t need refugees. And the Islamic want to come and control us. Write a reply Martin Michael Monz August 4th, 2017 Write a reply Boyko Vesselinov August 5th, 2017 Cut spending on gay propaganda and increase spending on family incentives. Simple. Write a reply Merryn Wainwright August 5th, 2017 Immigration Write a reply Merryn Wainwright August 5th, 2017 Immigration Write a reply Merryn Wainwright August 5th, 2017 Immigration Write a reply Merryn Wainwright August 5th, 2017 Immigration Write a reply Merryn Wainwright August 5th, 2017 Immigration Write a reply Merryn Wainwright August 5th, 2017 Immigration Write a reply Wolfgang Mizelli August 5th, 2017 Why should Europe do that? Write a reply Enric Mestres Girbal August 5th, 2017 The 1,58 ratio for european women crashes with the 4-6 children for muslim ones. So, where does the money go?. because 70% of subventions go to the last. Write a reply Nuno Menano August 5th, 2017 Write a reply Jorge de Jesus August 6th, 2017 In Portugal lots of people want children but it is impossible to have them even since salaries are to low to have a family even with both parents working. Give better working conditions and proper child support and see what will happen :) Write a reply Daniel Martinez August 7th, 2017 At least in my country (Spain), the most part of young couples which that doesn’t have children are due to economic reasons. Mainly the unenmployment and the bad employment conditions especially for young people. So the better we improve economic conditions, the better born-children results will be seen… Write a reply Jip August 15th, 2017 In the UK: Super inflated house prices, 20 years of wage stagnation, conning children to get into debt for unnessecary education that in many cases is not needed, making jobs as unslable to keep wages low and corporate profits high, structuring work so that children have to move away from their familys so reducing help with children, and hollowing out of middle income work, damaging social cohesion and ethics has caused this. In many ways it is surprising that the brith rate is still at 1.6. Write a reply Captain Yolo September 8th, 2017 There is little emphasis on the importance of children, loads of birth control, high number of abortions and hedonism/consumerism seems to effectively have turned life into a me, myself and I attitude for a lot of people. Why have kids when they are a drain on your finances and take precious time that could be spend on living the life, you only live ones. Europe (and the US) have seized to be countries and turned into giant shopping malls. The mall needs consumers, and they have no problem importing the children Europeans couldn’t bother to have. The mall beats all. Write a reply Andrian Marinov October 3rd, 2017 Stop propagating about how bad it is to have children. Stop with the aggressive 24/7 commercials about pills and condoms. Promote families with 3 or more children by giving them some dividends and ensuring the success and actual possibility of having a normal amount of offspring like that.. Write a reply Diaconu George Razvan October 3rd, 2017 pills and condoms are necessary! have you seen unwanted childrens fate! you have to do it in the good way aka … take care of them food shelter chlotes education! Sorin Costea October 3rd, 2017 Diaconu George Razvan maybe he likes to get stds man. Don’t judge. Andrian Marinov October 3rd, 2017 You didnt understand a thing from what I wrote, did you? Im writing about the commercials that brainwash people from a child age that everything is scary and will ruin your life. Having kids could stop you from sleeping with whomever you want (with the whole world if its possible), could ruin your business life and everything. They also scare you with stds which aint possible if you live a normal life and make a family like people did for millennias. The politics of the EU and the west are self-destructing. According to them we get people from the third world to fix our demographic crisis. In the same time they did create the crisis by demoting the family life and promoting whoreness and living for your job aka they just want to make from the white Europe a mish mash which started in the ex colonial empires and they aim to do it everywhere else. Not only we wouldnt hate each other and a unification of Europe would be possible but we would be so little by the time we understand whats happening that we wouldnt even think about fighting each other… Oli Lau October 3rd, 2017 let young people flourish, earn a good salary, stop stressing them like hell, with crazy taxes and regulation on approximately everything they would need (job, house, etc.) in order to raise a family. Write a reply Baptiste Lonlon October 3rd, 2017 We should not… simply Write a reply Jérémy Erismann October 3rd, 2017 Write a reply Bódis Kata October 3rd, 2017 Give huge tax cuts to families and young people who want to have families, support their housing. There are countries in the EU where people are disadvantaged to rent an apartment if they have children! Such discrimination must stop. Write a reply Marko Martinović October 3rd, 2017 Start with deporting “refugees”. Stop anti fammily and abortion propaganda. Stop feminist anti hetero campains. Write a reply Javier Mnts October 3rd, 2017 Marko Martinović October 3rd, 2017 Javier Mnts That is a bad sentiment to solve named problem. My answer would indeed solve the that problem. Marko Martinović October 3rd, 2017 Javier Mnts That is a bad sentiment to solve named problem. My answer would indeed solve the problem. Юлиан Начев October 3rd, 2017 Write a reply Christoph N. Hotep October 3rd, 2017 Longer life span is not decline but Eulogy.The article is cruel and inaccurate Write a reply Tvdor Voda October 3rd, 2017 More personal free time. Write a reply Max Berre October 3rd, 2017 Four steps. 1: both women AND men get parental leave 2: state-subsidized child care 4: take every alt-right xenophobic retard and hang them in the nearest public square. Write a reply Craig Willy October 3rd, 2017 We need a social and political consensus that this problem must be redressed (as exists in Israel, which has successfully raised Jews’ birth rate to 3.1, equalling the Arabs). European media and politicians need to systematically raise awareness on this: bearing and raising beautiful children is one of the best things Europeans can do, perpetuating our priceless peoples and civilization, the legacy of our ancestors. They need to talk about families more and less about materialist short-sightedness like free trade and GDP. We can imagine policies: life-work balance, financial incentives, good healthcare services. Awareness-raising, I think, is the most important step however. The rest will follow. The Israeli example shows that the slow decline and physical replacement of Europeans in their own nations is not inevitable, but is a highly questionable political choice by our ruling class. Write a reply Ivan Burrows October 3rd, 2017 Don’t worry, the EU’s plan is to subjugate its citizens as Spain has done in Catatonia and import millions of migrants. ‘One people, one Nation, One Leader’ is the new motto of Brussels. If you have never heard that before google it, it is ‘your’ future. Write a reply Phil Malatino October 3rd, 2017 It’s clear you don’t understand the difference between a nation and a federation. Ivan Burrows October 3rd, 2017 Phil Malatino Is the USA a ‘country’ ? I am perfectly aware of the difference comrade and as your unelected president Juncker has made perfectly clear, you will all be part of the Nation of the United states of Europe, whether 440 million people want it or not. ‘One Nation, One people, One Leader’ is the new motto of Brussels, sound familiar ? Stefania Portici October 3rd, 2017 e invece il moello britannico !? Parla del tuo modello Ivan che al nostro ci pensiamo da noi Valentin Nebunescu October 3rd, 2017 Well adjust the social and economic policies and nature will take the usual course. Write a reply Olivier Dutreil October 3rd, 2017 Easy …less taxes on families….wages for mother at home and more hope and enthusiasm for future in Europe….less Muslim more employment more security.. Write a reply Andrey Enev October 3rd, 2017 absolutely impossible, because the problem is culturel not economical Write a reply Joaquim M Pinto October 3rd, 2017 for what many people in this world we dont have 2 planets Write a reply Quality of life. Anything else devolves into eugenics. Write a reply Vicente Silva Tavares October 3rd, 2017 And why we need to have more people? The experts are not saying the new economy will be based on robots and that most people will be unemployed? So, more people for what? To be unemployed and living on welfare? Write a reply Chris Pavlides October 3rd, 2017 Marie A Lund October 3rd, 2017 More people to ruin the planet. The whole globe is overpopulated. Africans and Middle Easterners, Europe’s closest neighbours breed like rabbits, so there will be far more than enough people to take care of Europe’s elderly, as we won’t be able to stop them from entering Europe. Providing, that we don’t give them incentive (no child support for the third or any subsequent children – for Ethnic Europeans, too) to have many children but to have few (though it does sound cruel, I admit, but how do you make people by centuries manipulated by religion to limit overpopulating?) may be we can lower population growth and improve our quality of life insted of destroying it. Simeon Milanov October 3rd, 2017 Vicente Silva Tavares October 3rd, 2017 Maria Lunderius October 3rd, 2017 Demographic decline is a BLESSING. To mitigate climate change and other issues we need to as rapidly as possible LOWER POPULATION GROWTH. In Africa, Middle East and other more primitive (religion and tradition manipulated) societies it is far more difficult to do, thus might take longer than this planet can stand. Europe is the most advanced and should lead. We need to plan for other means to support aging population than constant population growth. More advanced technology, for example, changes in taxation, changes of distribution of income and wealth. And benefits for those who contribute to depopulation instead for those who thoughtlessly multiply like rabbits. Write a reply Ntinos Gotzis October 3rd, 2017 More taxes Write a reply Simeon Milanov October 3rd, 2017 Yes, more taxes are the way to DECREASE the population. Ntinos Gotzis October 3rd, 2017 Not according to Troika Chris Pavlides October 3rd, 2017 A connected refrigerator, a autonomous car or modern money slavery do not mean for humans a better standard of living or a meaningful life to share with kids. Write a reply Mathias Darmell October 3rd, 2017 Write a reply Marco Matani October 3rd, 2017 Refusing labour reforms Eu and Germany are trying to impose us and let families to be formed Write a reply Simeon Milanov October 3rd, 2017 Certainly not with welfare state and EU regulations. Europe’s demographic problem is a cultural one – cultural egoism, atheism, lack of family values and the fact that most young people are a bunch of Peter Pan’s who don’t want to grow, but instead focus on endless pleasures (bloody hedonists). Stop regulating everything, lower taxes so people may pursue their fortune and stop with the destruction of European Christian civilization, and you will have higher fertility rates :) Write a reply James Taylor October 3rd, 2017 Where do you people come from? Stefan Valentin Pestean October 4th, 2017 he is nuts , but kind of right Simeon Milanov October 4th, 2017 James Taylor I come from Bulgaria and I am on 1l iiter of whiskey so d o you wonna aruge?! Ibrahim Uzun October 3rd, 2017 In Greece if some one wants to start new business is almost impossible, the remote areas population has dramatically declined, and specially in Macedonia / Thrace area because of the government wrong policies and the closure of the schools there is no way that this can be reversed, just simple example , In Thrace region in most villages( %90 ) there is no internet and no mobile phone network is working, If they are opportunity yes they are, but with all this negative movements is better to stay away. Write a reply Ibrahim Uzun October 3rd, 2017 In Greece if some one wants to start new business is almost impossible, the remote areas population has dramatically declined, and specially in Macedonia / Thrace area because of the government wrong policies and the closure of the schools there is no way that this can be reversed, just one small example , In Thrace region in most villages( %90 ) there is no internet and no mobile phone network is working, If they are opportunity yes they are, but with all this negative movements is better to stay away. Write a reply Yanni Sfyrides October 3rd, 2017 Yes it can! Every problem has its solution. but the step one, is to realise that there is a problem- In any way I don t see the population ‘import’ a proper solution though.There are other far more better solutions and steps to be made to the benefit of European societies. Write a reply Vicente Silva Tavares October 3rd, 2017 European Union – EU should worry about corporations not paying taxes, dislocation of factories, robots and unemployment in the future. Germany receive 1 million refugees. How many are working? I heard it was about 100 thousand people. Who care about the 900.000? Europeans with their taxes. Is this what EU bureaucrats want? To destroy once for all the Welfare State? Write a reply Alex Sascha October 4th, 2017 William Steinberg Fogle October 3rd, 2017 It’s too late you idiots. Write a reply Can Ivan October 3rd, 2017 Write a reply George Yiannourides October 3rd, 2017 They are young and hard working and have children . Write a reply Chris Panayis October 3rd, 2017 Write a reply Wolfgang Mizelli October 3rd, 2017 why it should? people come, people go. might be sad, but that’s nature. Write a reply João Machado October 3rd, 2017 Mathematically too late. But it’s another mathematical factor of a specific demographic group that scares me the most.. Write a reply La F Ham October 3rd, 2017 More beer and Doritos Write a reply Nuno Dias October 3rd, 2017 Write a reply Manuel Freire Barros October 3rd, 2017 Lol, making many more children. Write a reply Franck Legon October 3rd, 2017 It’s not a “decline” that has to be reversed, it’s the evolution of intelligent mankind in order to have a balance with earth’s biotop while keeping on the technological progress and modern way of life. It’s the other countries that have to be stopped making so much children and start a responsible demography, through limiting the number of children they make, just like China did, or the nature that sustains our life will die soon. Demography shouldn’t be a decision based on shareholders profit growth will, that asks for ever more customers import through migration to defeat the natural evolution for balance, but on ressources availability management on the long run. Write a reply It is necessary to create conditions for young couples, that is to say, housing and benefits. Write a reply David Moody October 3rd, 2017 Debating Europe ~This article in conjunction with previous ones are akin to Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll: “We need to increase the birthrate as we have a declining population, and we need to import masses of people to make it increase & do the jobs”. ~Followed by~ Mr Hyde “We must do something about population numbers, the world population exploding and the planet cant cope, the carbon footprint is too large. Also, we will need less people to do jobs in future due to automation & robotics”. Ok that makes it real clear, of what riddles ye speaketh of here / EU wot M8? Write a reply David Moody October 3rd, 2017 Debating Europe ~This article in conjunction with previous ones are akin to Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll: “We need to increase the birthrate as we have a declining population, and we need to import masses of people to make it increase & do the jobs”. ~Followed by~ Mr Hyde “We must do something about population numbers, the world population exploding and the planet cant cope, the carbon footprint is too large. Also, we will need less people to do jobs in future due to automation & robotics”. Ok that makes it real clear, of what riddles ye speaketh of here / EU wot M8? Write a reply David Moody October 3rd, 2017 Debating Europe ~This article in conjunction with previous ones are akin to Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll: “We need to increase the birthrate as we have a declining population, and we need to import masses of people to make it increase & do the jobs”. ~Followed by~ Mr Hyde “We must do something about population numbers, the world population exploding and the planet cant cope, the carbon footprint is too large. Also, we will need less people to do jobs in future due to automation & robotics”. Ok that makes it real clear, of what riddles ye speaketh of here / EU wot M8? Write a reply David Moody October 3rd, 2017 Debating Europe ~This article in conjunction with previous ones are akin to Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll: “We need to increase the birthrate as we have a declining population, and we need to import masses of people to make it increase & do the jobs”. ~Followed by~ Mr Hyde “We must do something about population numbers, the world population exploding and the planet cant cope, the carbon footprint is too large. Also, we will need less people to do jobs in future due to automation & robotics”. Ok that makes it real clear, of what riddles ye speaketh of here / EU wot M8? Write a reply David Moody October 3rd, 2017 Debating Europe ~This article in conjunction with previous ones are akin to Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll: “We need to increase the birthrate as we have a declining population, and we need to import masses of people to make it increase & do the jobs”. ~Followed by~ Mr Hyde “We must do something about population numbers, the world population exploding and the planet cant cope, the carbon footprint is too large. Also, we will need less people to do jobs in future due to automation & robotics”. Ok that makes it real clear, of what riddles ye speaketh of here / EU wot M8? Write a reply David Moody October 3rd, 2017 Debating Europe ~This article in conjunction with previous ones are akin to Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll: “We need to increase the birthrate as we have a declining population, and we need to import masses of people to make it increase & do the jobs”. ~Followed by~ Mr Hyde “We must do something about population numbers, the world population exploding and the planet cant cope, the carbon footprint is too large. Also, we will need less people to do jobs in future due to automation & robotics”. Ok that makes it real clear, of what riddles ye speaketh of here / EU wot M8? Write a reply Andrew Potts October 3rd, 2017 It is a modest ambition of young Europeans to have a home, stable relationship and a few kids in the communities they grew up in. It would appear the EU, media, every government agency works against them. From tax laws to mass importation of labour to nutty educational requirements the odds are stacked against the young Europeans. Provide the environment of affordable housing with three and four bedrooms, then this generation will have the same families their parents and grand parents took for granted. Write a reply Art Dodger October 3rd, 2017 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R1Q38EXXJY9WAG/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1903386233 Browne advocates zero net migration: equal numbers coming and going. Those coming should include some refugees, as well as children, husbands and wives. It does not mean ‘fortress Britain’. It does not mean zero immigration. Browne concludes, “As this book has shown, Britain doesn’t have a declining population; Britain doesn’t have a declining workforce; it isn’t faced with a demographic time bomb; immigration is no fix for an ageing society; there are no economic benefits in terms of increasing GDP per capita; Britons don’t want to be culturally enriched, but, like most peoples of the world, want to preserve their culture.” Trip to the library? Write a reply Art Dodger October 3rd, 2017 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/RCP8FYX509AFZ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1906837740 As Rowthorn notes, “There is widespread agreement amongst specialists that the overall fiscal impact of large-scale immigration is normally small as a proportion of GDP. The large positive fiscal contribution of some types of immigrant is largely or wholly offset by the negative contribution of others. Dustmann and Frattini (2013) estimate that over the period 2001-2011, migrants made a net fiscal contribution in the range -0.7 per cent to +0.2 per cent of GDP, depending on how it is measured. Their widely publicised claim that recent (post-2000) migrants from the EEA have generated a large fiscal surplus should be seen in perspective. The estimated surplus of £22 billion over the 2001-2011 is only 0.2 per cent of GDP.” Write a reply Jude De Froissard October 3rd, 2017 By not milking them with taxes and unnecessary bureaucracy. …by motivating them by giving them hope for a better and safe future and jobs.Due to stupid austerity and fictitious debts….people are not making babies anymore…too expensive . Write a reply Marcel October 3rd, 2017 Why is EU declining? No point to look for a solution until one understands the problem. Maybe EU population is being forced to be selective about their lifestyle? Write a reply Magaly Morales October 3rd, 2017 Equality for women would help. Now a woman have to choose between maternity and no career prospect and poverty in older age. Write a reply José Ferreira de Almeida October 3rd, 2017 stop and punish al corrupted politicians and reduce al citizen taxes Write a reply Matiss Shiraazi October 3rd, 2017 By denying the access to pharmaceuticals and medical services to anyone who has reached the age of retirement. Only. :) Write a reply No we need to have or low costing baby stuff , like diapers etc Nuno Cunha October 3rd, 2017 No need. A world war will solve it easily. Write a reply Marcelo Augusto Pires October 4th, 2017 Children’s daycare for free, tax discounts and incentives for families, longer maternity leave, immigration… Write a reply Why does it need to reverse it. Earth is overpopulated. Maybe more continents should follow Europe ‘s example. Write a reply João de Oliveira October 4th, 2017 Reducing the retirement age to 60 years old… that would force a renovation, more jobs for younger people, more babies … more innovation, more growth… it’s so simple.. an unemployed person cost to governments is bigger than the balance between retiring a 60 years one and employing a younger … moreover, peoples do not eat money, so the 60’s will be spending money in their communities, for example … Write a reply Zé Miranda October 4th, 2017 And how do you propose they live for 30 years without a job? Social Security wouldn’t be able to handle the strain as to be sustainable the age needs to go up and not down. Without some kind of decent private pension products being introduced in the market to help ease the strain on public pension systems there is no way a person can retire at 60. Marcelo Augusto Pires October 4th, 2017 Higher taxes for those who make more Marcelo Augusto Pires October 4th, 2017 You have to finance the welfare state with taxes. Higher taxes for higher fortunes. Not for everybody, not to every company. Just for those who nowadays pay less. João de Oliveira October 4th, 2017 Zé Miranda, the people retiring give place to others that will compensate the social security…moreover, the 60’s can help the communities, can assist their sons with the grandsons… they can create their own small businesses … people do not eat money…and with 60’s they still are active…simply they will work when they want doing what they want … they can even go to the interior and develop it … it’s a all new way of living and organize the society … extending the retirement age is driving a huge unemployed crowd of young people, is decreasing births, is slowing down innovation and economic growth… look at EU … having an average growth of less than 2% for 20+ Year’s now … Zé Miranda October 4th, 2017 “I think we need immigration, if it’s properly managed in amounts that can be assimilated and, of course, consists of people with backgrounds able to join the job market relatively easily.” – key: people able to join the job market! Write a reply Vicente Silva Tavares October 4th, 2017 Muslims never integrate. You can see it in all countries with big Muslim minority communities. And many of them live on welfare. Recognized by their own people. There is a video of an Egyptian saying that in an interview. Faddi Zsolt October 4th, 2017 It must support the families materially and mothers should stay at home 3 years after giving birth with her children. As it is in Hungary. Write a reply Rui Correia October 4th, 2017 Very simple, pay up!… pay better/higher salaries, and paying extra sums to native Europeans who have children, etc etc… no one with half brain will have children to live in poverty. Write a reply Iasen Kostov October 4th, 2017 And somehow the reverse is true. Poor UNEDUCATED people / countries (outside Europe – Asia and Africa) have more children and the richer/ educated have less … Christina Kler October 4th, 2017 Write a reply Christina Kler October 4th, 2017 Write a reply Christina Kler October 4th, 2017 Write a reply Christina Kler October 4th, 2017 Write a reply Christina Kler October 4th, 2017 Write a reply Christina Kler October 4th, 2017 Write a reply Peter Samouris October 4th, 2017 Start having sex. Write a reply Luca Bennati October 5th, 2017 Write a reply Alves Henriques October 6th, 2017 Write a reply Ira Aleksandrovna Osobskaya October 7th, 2017 Write a reply Christopher October 10th, 2017 A declining birth rate is not a ‘problem’. As for pensions and healthcare, make people work for longer. If that means people retiring then falling in an dying after two years then that is just tough. Write a reply Julio Cubillas October 23rd, 2017 Its a cycle really…A big population is necessary during these times for a strong economy, thus immigration is the best deal. Bringing a constant flow of immigrants (Not a huge amount just constant) will bring more money and consumers. The genetic identity of the population will slowly change while still tilted towards spanish (European) genetic. Those immigrants and children culture and value will, also, change towards that country’s, and then they will have less kids and more immigration will come in. The cycle repeats. Theoretically, this will raise the quality of people overall while depopulating huge countries like mexico, japan, Brazil. Unemployment will be higher than normal, but those who are educated will be a lot more by comparison. Yes, alot of jobs that exist now will not exist in the futures and skill will become more important. But there will always be menial jobs like small food booths, street performing, lifting, and most importantly, soldiers. An army is extremely important for first world countries, and you need a reasonable amount of people without a college degree (as they tend to join the army more) to create a good-sized army. Write a reply Miriam Wells November 9th, 2017 They didn’t care about us. They’ve been slaughtering us and calling our communities terrorists at random for centuries. Now we’re all dead or have given up they are whinging. Write a reply Riza Guntur Prakoso November 15th, 2017 Well, it is very clear from the stats and predictions, European citizens will grow old and die as everyone does. The problems exist within the European values, which do not value a birth apparently, do you? A bit of unpredictable natural disasters may speed up the decline. Then, the world will be replaced by sober people who think easier, live happier although the lives may be just decent. They are Muslims who will win without any war, just from the higher birthrate as explicitly stated in Islam as Allah commands. It is the will of God anyway, no worry no problem. If you think they are foolish, you may need to reflect on you yourself. Obeying to no God? Atheistic with no respect to family values? Neglecting parents? Cruel taxation system? What hardship you must face. Poverty is a problem that can be solved by charity not taxing anybody. Write a reply cyp March 27th, 2018 Stop hiring women. Women with careers will only consider children after 30 and by then is too late as they are almost at menopause. The gov forces companies to hire women despite producing less than men having more vacations and costing companies more. And all their money is spent on clothes cosmetics and junk. Hiring women is a lose lose situation. There aee exceptions like kineergarden and primary school teacher but not many. Write a reply Matej May 4th, 2018 Encourage starting families insted of importing them. Write a reply George May 4th, 2018 answer: enjoing more time in bed! Write a reply Ivan May 4th, 2018 Write a reply Bódis May 4th, 2018 Ivan May 4th, 2018 Rui May 4th, 2018 Support the families to have more babies Write a reply Antonio May 4th, 2018 Phorbid porn…..no. I meen forget about that one. Higher wages for people old enough to think about starting a family. Write a reply Joaquim May 4th, 2018 No more births are need it. The earth doesn’t have the resources for one more decade of capitalism. The time that everyone decides if and how many needs to stop. They only are interested in more births to sustain social security. Write a reply Ana May 4th, 2018 Make equality between women and men a political priority in all public policies. Write a reply Ivan May 5th, 2018 equality between the sexes as been the law for decade’s so do you mean to force women to do jobs they don’t want to do just to hit some idiotic quota ? Ana May 5th, 2018 You miss the “h”: has been instead of “as been”. Also decades instead of “decade’s”. Paul May 4th, 2018 Write a reply Julia May 4th, 2018 A universal basic so mums or dads can afford to stay home and be able to support their children. Write a reply Chris May 4th, 2018 In case women stay @ home a) no more unemployment + increased incomes b) demographic solved c) happy kids = promising future d) more balanced society = productive e) everybody happy! Write a reply Limoc May 4th, 2018 I pay extra taxes per children, the local taxes are increasing with every child you have. I am force to bride everyone, teacher, doctor, etc. How can we can to make more children when i don not have the money to provide for them all the family is working. Write a reply Bódis May 4th, 2018 In Hungary taxes decrease with every child. Most people with 3 children hardly pay any income tax and young married couples who promise to have 3 children or more can apply for family housing support and cheap mortgage generally enough to build a home. (Sales tax is high though.) Péter May 5th, 2018 And real wages are nowhere near Western standards… Jaime May 4th, 2018 Os jovens não têm emprego estável e que lhes permita formar família e sem isso não arriscam a gerar filhos. Como os donos do dinheiro cada vez estão mais ricos e os restantes mais pobres, eles que tenham filhos. Write a reply Bódis May 4th, 2018 Jobs for young people and support for families. Write a reply Georgi May 4th, 2018 easy: parenting = paid occupation. Write a reply Bobbi May 4th, 2018 This is f*ing issue:) Write a reply José May 4th, 2018 Immigration. Write a reply Marquitos May 5th, 2018 Removing economic growth as the goal of every single life and stopping the promotion of endless consumption of goods as the path to happiness. Write a reply Ivan May 5th, 2018 Can we assume you wrote that on a 20 year old computer or does your idea not apply to you ? Marquitos May 5th, 2018 Ivan Burrows I don’t have children so I may be part of the problem. Jude May 5th, 2018 Diminish taxes…give everybody a home…support families with one or many children accordingly..unstress people by making them think they are only money machines for the state. Write a reply Ivan May 5th, 2018 End the baby murders called abortions. Write a reply Anonymous May 5th, 2018 Bribe people at durex and trojan to poke holes in tge condoms hahaha no seriously, improve hope: its the basis for all. If you believe europe will be here in 50 years (many people think we are going to world war 3) and that your children will be taken care of if you fail/die. (By the state for example) etc. But it all comes down to hope. Second id say cristian values, why bother marrying when you can stay single and fuck eastern european girls for 50 euros? Why indeed?… Write a reply Elena May 5th, 2018 By 2050 diminishing population at last. I will not be around, but i am glad i have done my part by not having children. Write a reply Julia May 5th, 2018 Perhaps by making it more affordable for the young inhabitants of Europe Tobe able to start a family. For a young couple who can only afford to hire a room in an apartment starting a family is out of the question. Write a reply Simon May 5th, 2018 I think it has less to do with policy than peoples mindseds and values. So this is trully a spiritual question that has no solution!;-) Write a reply Sándor May 5th, 2018 There is a direct inverse link between the level of education and fertility. So, kick the girls out of school at 15 and voila. /sarc Write a reply António May 8th, 2018 Write a reply randomguy2017 May 23rd, 2018 The answer to this is quite simple. Warning for leftists and liberals you wont like it… Here are steps: 2)stop spreading promiscuity and lbgt as normal 4)promote family families 5)benefits for the those who want families 6)encourage active lifestyle and less sitting Write a reply randomguy2017 May 23rd, 2018 7)less anti social media… stop facebook, twitter, and anything like it. maybe people will leave their homes more. Write a reply George September 7th, 2018 Write a reply Max September 7th, 2018 Actually they’re asking how to REVERSE demographic decline. Not sure which part of the EU you live in, but in Belgium one resident in 3 is retirement aged. George September 7th, 2018 Max then I guess “importing migrants” and austerity measures did not work in Belgium, so why ask for more? South Europe has a ton of migrants, when can you take them in, so you can fix your demographic problem? 🤔 Ivan September 7th, 2018 It’s simple, put all social justice warriors into lunatic asylums where they belong and return to the natural order of men + women coming together, having children & bringing up them up ‘together’ . It’s not rocket science. If we continue with the current politically correct nonsense it will lead to the utter destruction of Western Civilisation. Write a reply Kirstie September 7th, 2018 I think you wish to be selective in who you refer to as a ‘social justice warrior’, a lot of the rights you take for granted were achieved by those very people you want to put in ‘asylums’. The women in your life didn’t get the right to vote by just asking nicely! Mathilde September 7th, 2018 I think he is speaking of LGBT community and their difficulty of bearing children. Ivan September 7th, 2018 Ivan September 7th, 2018 Kirstie Lets try this one. Suffragettes were not SJW’s, they were upper class women demanding rights for upper-class women who had no interest in the lower classes. The legislation was already going through parliament before their movement so their actual impact was minimal at best. Most women did not want it as it should have included the draft & equal employment, so not being called on to die in muddy fields in some god forsaken part of the world or work 12 hr shifts killer industries is a female privilege, To SJW’s sexual discrimination seems fine when it only works one way. Christophe September 10th, 2018 Kirstie giving people the right to vote has screwed up the world. The only people who do should be allowed to vote is intellectuals who have a grasp of politics. Robin September 7th, 2018 1. Offer real incentives to support couples having children. It’s too expensive to have children, really. Maybe we should offer free daycare, free kindergarten, free education, 2 years paid leave for one parent, to raise the new offspring, better child-supporting infrastructure (parks, theaters, activities), the child-raising period should count as work etc. 2. This is not only a matter of bringing a child into this world, but also a matter of: we have a child, what’s next? There is little significant support for families with kids. 3. Immigrants are not a problem. What, I can’t have kids because some poor soul came into my country and tries to make living? This is ridiculous. 4. As societies, I don’t think we’re offering enough support for single parents. Also, couples don’t seem to receive the necessary support, it may sound ridiculous, but maybe they need a two week break from kids, once or twice a year. Not mandatory, but compulsory. Finally, as more and more people travel, I don’t think the rights of children born overseas are properly enforced, or even remotely useful in the 21st century. Write a reply Любомир September 7th, 2018 You can’t do all of these things without raising taxes significantly. And they are high enough as it is. High social spending is the main reason for high taxes in Europe, and high taxes are one of the reasons people don’t feel they have enough money to have and raise children. All social spending on non-EU citizens must stop immediately and these funds should be used for the needs of the European citizen and taxpayer. And especially for the young European family. Raquel September 7th, 2018 This might actually work Robin September 10th, 2018 Любомир This ca also be achieved by a more efficient use of our current money. Christophe September 10th, 2018 Любомир A newspaper article from 1889 said ”a handful of people control the money wealth of the world and therefore the world itself!”. Market manipulation, Bank crisis/depression/austerity can be traced back to those handful of people. There are a million and one ways they enslave us and make child bearing an economic decision for most as to whether or not they should have one or more children or none at all. Любомир September 10th, 2018 Christophe This is explained perfectly by the Pareto principle and has always been valid, regardless of the socioeconomic system and structure. Guilherme September 7th, 2018 Well immigration is clearly not an option Write a reply Max September 7th, 2018 Clearly not. Just ask the Canadians. :P Guilherme September 7th, 2018 Max I was being ironic due to all the things that are happening to refugees Любомир September 10th, 2018 Illegal economic migrants are not refugees. David September 7th, 2018 Why do you want to stop the demographic decline? I find it a good thing, there are too many people in this planet already. Write a reply Matej September 7th, 2018 Sure, but economically speaking it will lead to a collapse. David September 7th, 2018 Matej With less people there’s more to share :) Любомиp September 7th, 2018 It’s a myth that there are too many people on the planet. Ivan September 7th, 2018 David Unless you are one of those to be replaced ? Christine September 7th, 2018 More immigration. Young folk, hopeful of building a new life for themselves and their families. The planet is our home Write a reply Любомир September 7th, 2018 Stop all social spending for non-EU citizens and use these funds to stimulate young European families. Every single cent the EU citizens pay in taxes should go back to them, not to immigrants and foreigners. Family and children should become the cornerstone of European social policies. Write a reply Mathilde September 7th, 2018 What, and have a multitude of children? my generation does not want multiple kids – they’re costly and they hinder our careers. us females now have more opportunities than before, so we choose not to have children so young as our parents did Write a reply Sandrine January 11th, 2019 I’ve seen enough! I have nearly pulled all my hair out! We need to slow down population growth, mostly in developed countries (because we, per person, create 16 to 50 times as much CO2 a year than developing nations) and re-align the corporate driven economy to not be purely dependent on growth…which is the way it is now. We NEED to downsize because our resources (i.e. food) are going to decline due to desertification and failed crops year after year. Look around! It’s already happening and government patches aren’t going to be able to keep up in very short order. This also means importing the “other” 6 billion people into our wasteful consumerism ways will spell disaster very quickly. OMG I just don’t understand this “we need more babies”. Middle class is an anomaly in all history, and we’re all going to have to pay the piper, get less, be the pions once more…at least with the goal to save our planet. Write a reply diligentdave March 10th, 2019 I don’t believe it can. And I don’t believe women want to. People divorce themselves mentally and emotionally from the fate of their nation or continent. It’s become every man, or, in this case, every woman for herself. Everyone is selfish. They don’t give a fig about the people around them. Not enough to sacrifice themselves for them. Love has largely been lost, one person for another. Lust and lasciviousness largely prevails. The natural man (and woman) is not only an enemy to God, but an enemy, ultimately, to themselves. Carbon footprint and environmentalism? It’s phony baloney, simply to control people by the elites, and for certain elites to make big money on everyone else. But the whole world is falling apart. The middle east is. Africa is. Asia is. No one is virtuous anymore. Once good nations have become evil. There are no good guys. Just innocent children who are being perverted in various ways. Europe would have to become truly Christian again, but not forcibly Catholic or Protestant or Orthodox. But they won’t. Other peoples of other religions will grow in numbers, until they can take everything over by their numbers. Their resentment of white Europeans grows year by year (I’m not in Europe, and I can feel it clear on the other side of the world). It will become worse than few now imagine when the others from elsewhere take over. (BTW, I am not plotting this at all myself—it is just so obvious as to the degree of denial by most ethnic Europeans that this will happen. Most are happy to “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die”. Party, party, party! Drink, get drunk, get high, screw your live-in. Go next door and screw who you can there. And no familial connections to speak of. If there were, more people would get married. But, there is no true (or even legal) commitment, much, to speak of. (There should be. It would be much better for all involved). But most don’t marry, because they are a sinful and adulterous generation, just like so many of the Jews (and gentiles) were in Jesus’ day. That’s why he called them out on it. It was true also in the days of Jeremiah among the Jews— 7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses. 8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife. 9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? —Jeremiah 5:7–9 But this isn’t anti-Semitic. I’m speaking against all who do this anywhere. Lack of chastity before marriage, brings lack of fidelity afterwards. As my nearly 103-year old father-in-law has long said it (about men not marrying if they don’t have to), “Why buy the cow, when the milk is free (anyway)?” My father-in-law himself didn’t practice this. He just observed that women who will put out for a guy without marriage first, can’t afterwards expect fidelity after she gives him what he wants, for free! And fornicators and adulterers don’t care about children. They just want to fornicate and adulterate. Children to them are just a nuisance. As long as a fornicating and adulterating culture prevails (and it will, without severe punishment otherwise), children by-and-large won’t be desired. Carnal pleasure is all this ‘me’ generation wants. I wish Europe could and reverse its demographic decline. Unfortunately, that ship left port decades ago (as much as many of us would have it otherwise). Write a reply Paul Rice March 10th, 2019 The world is overpopulated and the population will decline in the near future , as climate change effects food and water resources , governments will have to reduce populations to a sustainable level , and strictly control immigration . The world business and financial models will have to be changed and consumption made a dirty word . The other problem with immigration is that most immigrants are not educated enough , and as jobs are automated there will be less unskilled jobs , and they will be a burden on society. Today asylum and refugee agreements are being misused for immigration not protection , and refugees refuse to go home . All male asylum seekers should be told to go and fight for their countries and their rights and not just run away and expect others to house and feed them Write a reply Jérémy April 29th, 2019 Why should we be always growing ? There is no point anymore in growing. We should even be reducing how many we are Write a reply Dionìs April 29th, 2019 who is we? Not all counties have same population growth Borislav April 29th, 2019 or population density. Raquel April 29th, 2019 Jérémy April 29th, 2019 We still don’t need to be so many. If your country is not full, enjoy it and keep it that way. No point being everyday more Matthew April 29th, 2019 two reasons. First, businesses want to make sure they have a steady supply of labor. Second, the government wants to make sure that it can maintain its tax base. If a country has a lot of elderly people, it also needs a lot of younger people to pay the taxes necessary to support the pensions and healthcare costs of those elderly people. If the native population stops having children at replacement levels or higher, the country will eventually face a fiscal reckoning. Of course, that’s why countries with low birth rates tend to want immigration. If their own people won’t have children, they will bring in people who will. Giossas April 29th, 2019 more fiscal and work benefits for couples with kids Write a reply Fabio April 29th, 2019 increasing and manageing migrations Write a reply Michael April 29th, 2019 Develop gestation via artificial incubators as an alternative to pregnancy. Write a reply Dani April 29th, 2019 I live in a small city AND I STILL DON’T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING SPACE, even if I live at the edge of the city ! WHAT IF this is not exactly right? Afterwards STATISTICIANS DID WRONG MAAAAANY TIMES ! ! ! Comparing to generations with too many people of course the demographic decline is bigger ! Afterwards this is a problem for the people born in 50’s-70’s whom retirement incomes might be reduced because of less and less people getting born and work for them ! It’s not really that bad that they are less and less people ! ! ! Chinese knows best ! And it’s not an ironical race joke, it’s the goddamn truth ! Write a reply Lore April 29th, 2019 The Chinese have changed their 1child policy as they are facing a demographic issue too with many old and too few young people.Do we want masses of poor pensioners? Dani April 29th, 2019 Borislav April 29th, 2019 – is the pension system a ponzi system? If so We Will never get enough youngsters, mainly because a lot of migrants work without or zero hour contacts and no social insurance. – Is our economy ponzi system? If so growing by numbers but not by providing better wellfare/wages for everyone thru automatisation is a scheme that wouldn’t improve no matter how many youngsters the average nation has. Write a reply Matt April 29th, 2019 Write a reply Bódis April 29th, 2019 Millions of young Europeans cannot afford a home and cannot afford a family, and they are brainwashed by the media that family is not important, they should just endeavour to make a career and consume, live for the day. Causes have effects. Write a reply Franco April 29th, 2019 Low wages, high taxation, predatory banking, health and pension uncertainties and misandry and feminism are not motivations to bring new life to the plantation of free range Europeans serving oligarchs, by men likely to lose their scanty wealthy, families, children and be sentenced to slavery and parental alienation, at the whim of a capricious woman with the egregious abuses of our terrorists governments. In a way, this is why the silenced Yellow Jacket movement is fighting; for family, for a stronger Europe for all, not a few. Write a reply George April 29th, 2019 Write a reply Tiago April 29th, 2019 easy,., stop mass migration and promote european family policy you idiots Write a reply Е. М. April 29th, 2019 It is definitely not with immigrants and refugees. Write a reply Mário April 29th, 2019 And why not? Borislav April 29th, 2019 Mainly because the integration policies aren’t as effective as one hopes thus creating a minority that does live In a democracy but votes authoritarian e. g. The Turkish referendum few years back. Larry April 29th, 2019 and what about the native majority that votes authoritarian e.g. the Hungarian election? Max April 29th, 2019 you didn’t answer the question Taline April 29th, 2019 Provide supporting system like the Scandinavian countries Write a reply Michael April 29th, 2019 The Scandinavian countries are also in demographic decline. It’s great to have more support anyway, but it’s not working to reverse the trend. Παυλος April 29th, 2019 Enric April 29th, 2019 Incentivating the EUROPEAN families with social help for children, housing, schooling, etc. Write a reply Max April 29th, 2019 you’ll need to travel back in time 20 years and implement that idea back then if you need that to work. Seriously. We’re seeing a ton of old people retire RIGHT NOW. So we need solutions that’ll work WITHOUT time travel. Παυλος April 29th, 2019 it’s not that difficult, there are lots and lots empty houses abandoned by their previous owners, that in most cases there are returning to government ownership, only to be neglected and fall apart, for the government will cost nothing to give them to people that need them and couldn’t be even a source of taxes, the rest can be done thru the public education system . Also retiring people might be a cause of financial problems right now but we have to make plans for the future Daniel April 29th, 2019 Let it go. Its a self regulated system, why to interrupt it. All climate problems are caused by overpopulation Write a reply Franco April 29th, 2019 If you believe overpopulation is the problem, you can help by self sacrificing. All you need is a bio-rope. Daniel April 29th, 2019 u don’t need to kill people, just don’t try to prevent people from wanting less kids Dionìs April 29th, 2019 so you want to solve the problem by making the caring part of population extinct? The caring ones ain’t the problem neither. And EU has negative population growth rate. Daniel April 29th, 2019 Extinct? I would say adjust. U know, our planet has its own limits. I would say adjust the population number to limits of our planet Bódis April 29th, 2019 Have you noticed that it’s not Europe that’s getting over-populated? And if the European way of life is such a problem to the environment, then why bring in millions of new people to live the same European way of life when they could have stayed on their small carbon footprint wherever they came from? Daniel April 29th, 2019 So u want others to live in poverty? João April 29th, 2019 First, allowing taxes rate to go down and quickly… Write a reply Mathias April 29th, 2019 Write a reply Oscar April 29th, 2019 Less taxes and higher wages Write a reply Mário April 29th, 2019 And who pays for public services? Oscar April 29th, 2019 you with the heaps of cash you make not paying stupid high taxes and with a decent salary increase. 15% flat tax on people and companies. Born equal pay equal. Nuno April 29th, 2019 You’ll pay public services with your heaps of cash but don’t want to pay taxes… Yeah, i see you! Oscar April 29th, 2019 yeah born equal, it’s not India luckily, we have equal rights, we should pay the same percentage. Federico April 29th, 2019 no, rich folks have to pay more. And by the way I don’t see the correlation between taxation, tax rates and birth rates. Hungary , Romania, Baltics and Ukraine all have flat taxes, and they are all a demographic disaster Max April 29th, 2019 and that’s going to address the issue how exactly? Jay April 29th, 2019 @ Mario how about..Let’s radically cut public services. Then no-one needs to pay for the part we’ve cut. Simples :) Manuel April 29th, 2019 Provide early retirement for couples with children and more years of work for couples without children :) Write a reply Mário April 29th, 2019 Παυλος April 29th, 2019 A very interesting proposal Extreme times need extreme solutions Jay April 29th, 2019 More time for couples with kids as punishment for contributing to overpopulation. Extreme times, extreme measures. Jude April 29th, 2019 Easy…..stop harassing people with taxes and stupid bureaucracy Write a reply Max April 29th, 2019 how is that going to solve the problem exactly? Παυλος April 29th, 2019 people now days can’t afford to sustain them selfs, how they are supposed to have children also? In my country if abortion wasn’t concentrated a huge sin birth rates would had declined even more Jude April 29th, 2019 It will solve some of the expenses one has when having children …..it will give more purchasing power…. Today it costs a lot of money to have children in europe. … Marco April 29th, 2019 Working 30 hours a week Write a reply Borislav April 29th, 2019 next thing is that companies can use two shifts of 30 hours a week to maximize the use/efficiency of The provided workplaces without investing In New workplaces. Max April 29th, 2019 how is that going to solve the issue? Marco April 29th, 2019 you should have a child if you have time enough to educate him, otherwise better not to have it. Olivier April 29th, 2019 Less migrations and a strong family policy Write a reply Teresa April 29th, 2019 Putting Juncker, Tajani in jail and reversing this depressing period neoliberlism, fascism and corruption in EU Write a reply Παυλος April 29th, 2019 Give a stable financial/ political environment that will allow people to make new families Write a reply Belarmino Álvarez June 9th, 2019 Is necessary relate pensions to the number of children each couple has: to more children, higher pension in the future. Immigration is not the solution, rather a problem in a long term. Write a reply Alex June 11th, 2019 Give a chance to young people to get good money and job stability,to have a real family of their own. Write a reply Rob June 11th, 2019 Population aging/decline is not a bad thing, it will prevent depletion of natural resources, it will reduce energy problems, waste, water usage, epidemic risks, stress on the oceans ecosystems, poverty. It improves nature preservation, biodiversity, you name it. The only real drawbacks are a reduction in economic growth and GDP. So it would hurt large and international corporations and its shareholders. Write a reply João June 11th, 2019 Yeah I don’t see it as a problem. We had a baby boom now we need to use resources to sustain the elderly that outgrew the states’ contributors but it’s a temporary situation. Unfortunately the same is not happening in the massively breeding like rabbits countries so we will never be able to control excess population in the world; that will end us all no matter what we do. Write a reply John June 11th, 2019 It can’t and there is no good enough reason it should either.. Write a reply Marco June 11th, 2019 Write a reply John June 11th, 2019 The diference between poor and rich is to big. Same can’t afford kids anymoore and with a population in decline, over streested and over worked. Write a reply Aris June 11th, 2019 well, demographic decline is a complicated issue. The modern way of life make people marry in an older age and have 1-2 kids. When a woman marry at her 38-40s how many kids you expect she will have? An other important issue is the Economic issue. All parents wants to offer their kids the best they can. A lot of toys, a lot of clothes, high education etc etc. All these cost a lot. Maybe the European Goverments should offer economical benefits to parents who have more than 2 kids such as lower taxation, real free education etc Write a reply Maria June 11th, 2019 Do not destroy Family ! Write a reply Jude June 11th, 2019 By stopping harassing people economically …and giving them motivations to have children. Write a reply Michael June 11th, 2019 Artificial wombs for births without pregnancy. Write a reply Peter June 11th, 2019 Pay decent wages, organize free child care and tax the rich for it. Write a reply Tim June 11th, 2019 I would rather decline than be overrun. Better poorer and European Write a reply Xavier June 11th, 2019 You cant. Only thing we can hope for is a replacement rate (by ptoviding jobstability for youth before its too late for us to have kids) and global equilibrium through migration. Write a reply Andreas June 11th, 2019 Τhe solution has already been implemented…immigrants! Write a reply Tim June 11th, 2019 José June 11th, 2019 Immigration Write a reply Antonio June 11th, 2019 I don’t believe Immigration could be a definitive and sustainable solution fot that serious problem. Early it will change a more serious than the demographic decline, unfortunatelly! Hebron June 11th, 2019 Well the problem is being solved. With the mechanisation of all the jobs taking place hence cutting off people from the simple jobs. People will have no work but more time for sex will leads automatically to an increased chance of producing children like in the poor economic countries. And the legalisation of cannabis will create a happy generation of people. Now do the math ( more free time+poverty + high stoned happy people = increased sex activities hence increased birthrate) Write a reply Mathias June 11th, 2019 Write a reply Michal June 11th, 2019 I’m baffled by the anti-immigration voices here. If you want to have more young people, you should let more young people in, not fewer. Just open the borders and there’s no demographic problem. Write a reply Παναρας June 11th, 2019 How about make living for young couples more convenient and family orientated…? people chasing money and career forget to reproduce… Write a reply Julia June 11th, 2019 Make life and children more affordable. Give a GMI to mothers who want to stay home to see and guide their children while they are growing up. Governing bodies want tax payers [except for corporations, they get away with 1% tax from legal loopholes and local business that don’t declare their true revenue.] and do not care about people’s quality of life or basic needs. We were born on earth free, created a society to serve all except that went wrong. It just serves a few at the expense of the many. People are cash cows and their right to freedom and happiness has been taken away. Write a reply Galina June 11th, 2019 And I believe that your bosses says migration is the answer! I believe that we need people to consume and do the bad jobs, so the rich can get fatter! I think that we are enough and if we continue like this, soon the nature will destroy us. Write a reply Zap June 11th, 2019 Decline is good, we are overpopulated. Focus should be on a more productive population Write a reply Anna June 11th, 2019 Well it’s too late now so stop immigration into Europe especially from third world countries.. yes yes I know it sounds mean but that’s the only solution. Write a reply Amphib June 11th, 2019 Anna – how would that help? Tiago June 11th, 2019 why dont you promote European family policy instead of importing non european migrants in mass??? Write a reply Chris June 11th, 2019 Yes, if we realy want it. Write a reply Alan June 11th, 2019 By assisting legitimate fellow Europeans in South Africa who’s ancestry, lineage is restricting them from leaving the country back to Europe. Write a reply Wolfgang June 11th, 2019 open borders? Write a reply Dionìs June 11th, 2019 Europe’s demographics isn’t declining, obviously! It simply got partially OUTSOURCED starting from decades ago (well now, like many other thigs got outsourced, after all; local parents are too ” expensive to hire”) – maybe “reproduction got outsourced” would be a more correct terminology. Your question shall be changed into “how to rely on local production in case of scarcity from the outsourcing branch”. ….. The other question shall be, what do you mean with Europe? Write a reply Bódis June 11th, 2019 I remember 10-20 years ago the common propaganda: “the Earth is overpopulated, we will all suffer, it’s irresponsible to have more than 1 child…” Where are those people now? Dionìs June 11th, 2019 Bódis – the Earth is actually overpopulated but 1) technology and cooperation can take us out of this 2) Europe has another problem, the opposite one. Dionìs June 11th, 2019 Bódis – apparently Euroepans got confused cos they didn’t get they have a different problem. Frédéric June 11th, 2019 Could it be a good news as it is decreasing our ecological footprint ? Write a reply Sakis June 11th, 2019 Immigration used as a excuse to deal with this problem keeping pushing wages down is what eu politicians do the last 15 years. Creating themself the problem. Now asking how to solve it is a joke. Answer is so stupid easy. Acting like people have the iq of an eggplant is why people keep voting far left or right. People are fed up by business representatives playing politicians. People need real politicians. Richest part of the world created themselves problems its pathetic. Write a reply Elena June 11th, 2019 Just one correction, it is not the last 15 years, it is since the manmade economic crisis of the 1980’s. Michiel June 11th, 2019 Demographic decline isn’t necessarily a problem. With the robots coming for our jobs and the climate crisis less people might even be a solution to our problems. Write a reply Artur June 11th, 2019 My country has free abortion paid by taxpayers.They think thats’s the answer. Write a reply Hildin June 11th, 2019 Artur – Whereas you think forcing women to get children is the answer? Artur June 11th, 2019 Hildin – Pregnancy is not a disease. N H.S. should not “treat” it.I don’ t have to pay for somebody else’s mistakes. Michail June 11th, 2019 By making parenting profitable for Europeans and not for the aliens. Write a reply Federico June 11th, 2019 I didn’t know folks are coming down with UFO to breeding on Earth Michail June 11th, 2019 No. But people, who are utrerly alien to traditional European culture & values come enmass. And breed on welfare, yearned by others for them. Federico June 11th, 2019 tipical brexiter-like bullcr*. There is literally nothing which suggest that immigrants are having more children than locals because of that. First generation of immigrant always has a higher fertility rate simply because is the one they carried on from birthplace. Starting from 2nd generation, fertility rate plunges as it is happening everywhere. Michail June 11th, 2019 Typical liberal bias and stupidity. Even if you’re right, the welfare system of Western Europe benefits mostly the migrants, encouraging them to breed and not the locals. And there are plenty of examples, Federico. Andy June 11th, 2019 Michail – no typical sociological research. Unlike your prejudices. Worldwide research has shown that as the living standards go up people have less children because they no longer need to have many hoping some will reach adulthood and look after them. Instead they focus all their energy and resources and a few to give them the best education as possible for a better future. Same reason why despite the lifting of the 1 child policy in China people are still not having more children. It’s far more expensive now to raise children than it was when the 1 child policy was implemented. Facts not feelings. Xavier June 11th, 2019 How many kids do you have man? And how many do you wish to have? If, you can find a girl, as typical traditional societies believe that males kids are “worth more” instead of females, then you need to have 2 kids at the minimum. Nobody is making that because of typical right wing policies and the destruction of the welfare state. Migrants from rural areas also, being, you know, people, tend to drop their feriltility from 3 or 4 kids to 1 or 2 within a generation. The reasons are many. The main one is urbanization (as kids become an expensive coomodity in the cities instead of an asset in the farm, and other factors like women having rights these days). The book empty planet is a pretty good resource for the global population decline. Paschalis June 11th, 2019 Federico – actually there is many proof that this is exactly happening in the, UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy and I can go on but when people like you prefer to have a say on everything without a shred of proof that you had researched, what you are engaged in debating with others then we know as to why the EU is a failure Federico June 11th, 2019 Paschalis June 11th, 2019 Federico – well why don’t you research the countries I had stated on terms of benefits on illegal immigrants compared to locals. I am not going to be your father and give you everything on a platinum platter. It is funny because this is exactly what I had just state din my first comment, you haven’t done any research whatsoever Max June 11th, 2019 Michail – are they? That stats say otherwise examples you say? Larry June 11th, 2019 Wow, what a textbook case of Dunning-Kruger! spewing delusions as if they were facts, and then dismissing the facts that refute his delusions. Arber June 11th, 2019 Why are Slavic people the most anti immigrant and they get no immigrants Federico June 11th, 2019 Arber – in the question, you have the answer: they are countries of emigration so they do not attract immigrants. With noticeable exceptions of course: Slovenia and Czech Republic Jay June 11th, 2019 WHAT!? WE DON’T WANT TO REVERSE THE DECLINE! Millennials have been considerate of the environment and diligently NOT had kids….and here’s the boomers trying to repopulate again. Write a reply Roman Korn March 12th, 2020 Well, the prevailing opinion seems to be that population decrease is a BAD thing, as I see it, however only few if any admit that it is natural and in fact, necessary. Does anyone think of other living species sharing this world with us, anymore? We certainly have the technology to sustain an even larger population on this planet, however it would INEVITABLY lead to mass extinction of various animal and flora species in LONG TERM, considering our level of technology advancement and the impact it has on environment! Very few are willing to admit that our way of life is killing us along with all around us, transforming once lush and live land into concrete tombs of soon to be extinct civilization, OUR civilization – THAT is the real problem, as far as I can understand. There were many civilizations on this planet before us, all have met the same fate as we are going to do, and the new civilizations that will rise from the remnants of our, will follow that natural order of things as well. It would be naive and foolish to expect other outcome, considering all the evidence and knowledge we possess nowadays about ancient cultures and human psychology along with recorded history. Real question is, who volunteers? And also, who is prepared well enough to form the seed of our successor civilization? The latter is much easier to answer, however, giving us hope that our homo sapiens species will never get extinct, unlike many unfortunate others that once shared this world with us. Write a reply We are over populated. Leading to too much building. We need less stress on Nature and to handle increasing age average in another way. I am not against immigration but definitely against being blind about a natural balance with nature. Write a reply Yannick September 1st, 2022 Our per capita ecological footprint is still far higher than what is considered sustainable by scientists (about 4 to 8 times for Europe, depending on your choice of indicators). Therefore I think this idea of population growth seems rather linked to this enduring idea of economic growth at any cost. Since we are not very good at reducing this footprint, I don’t think reducing population is a bad thing per say. Nature might force it upon us faster than we think, sadly. Write a reply Christos September 1st, 2022 Stop bailing out banks and investing in arms and wars…. and start investing in families… Write a reply Olivier September 1st, 2022 With a family policy ….tax incentive for the 3 rd child Write a reply Любомир September 1st, 2022 Stop importing immigrants, lower the taxes, stop promoting sexual promiscuity and encourage the traditional family. Write a reply Γεώργιος September 1st, 2022 Ageing means raise of life span and its a benefit. The photo is cute and optimistic Write a reply Любомир September 1st, 2022 You are mistaking average population age for average life expectancy. They are two different things. Γεώργιος September 1st, 2022 Νo mister.They are the same. Γεώργιος September 1st, 2022 Νot proved by any reliable research. Write a reply Крис September 1st, 2022 By investing more in the Europeans quality of life. 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However, goddamn if it isn’t going to make my drunken binge purchases a bit more cumbersome. Digital comics retailer ComiXology announced on Saturday that it was “retiring” its existing iOS applications for iPhone and iPad and replacing them with a new version that does not include the ability to make in-app purchases, one of the platform’s most signature and popular features. The iOS app’s storefront is simply gone, leaving only a reader app in its place. Going forward, iOS users will have to pursue the less direct path of buying their digital comics from ComiXology’s Web interface and later syncing them to their devices using the new app. This process circumvents Apple — whose iTunes App Store takes 30% of all in-app purchases from all vendors in the IOS marketplace — and thereby presumably frees up more profit for comic book publishers and/or comic book creators. Presently, ComiXology’s branded iOS apps for DC, Marvel, Image and IDW are working as they have been. The Android app has also been updated, and users can make in-app purchases with a new integrated storefront instead of through Google Play. The news comes just a couple of weeks after ComiXology and Apple rival Amazon.com announced that the latter was acquiring the former, and the new iOS process resembles that which Amazon’s Kindle customers have followed to use those products on Apple devices. ComiXology has facilitated over 200 million downloads — not necessarily purchases, but downloads — of digital comics, making it the largest provider of American comic books from nearly every major publisher as well as small press and independent creators. According to Apple, ComiXology is the highest grossing iOS app that is not a game. It’s a big deal, and as a reading platform (on iOS devices, anyway) has been increasingly excellent. While the reading experience will not change as a consequence of this news, the discovery and purchasing methods are severely different. Before, ComiXology’s iOS users could simply launch the Comics by ComiXology app, navigate to the product or products they wished to buy, tap them, enter their user password (once, and sometimes not at all depending if one was already logged in properly), tap “download”, and then tap “read”. That’s all a user had to do to enjoy digital comics with ComiXology and its magnificent interface, including the trademarked Guided View technology. The process was especially helpful at facilitating impulse and a la carte purchases, for when something unfamiliar catches your eye or a friend recommends you try a specific book. [Comics Alliance] It’s not the fucking end of the world, but it is a bit of a pain in the ass. How much of a pain in the ass? Not much, I suppose. However, in a world where NOW is everything TWO FUCKING STEPS can feel like a lot to us needy, instant-gratification seeking babies. (I’m talking at the very least about myself.)	5,356
After reading Novell's report of the DST problem in GroupWise, I understand that a lot of these are software faults, and not problems with the OS or the timezone settings themselves. When dealing with multiple timezones, what will a developer do? They’ll convert it to UTC for storage and comparison and then convert it back for display. This solution appears to completely remove the timezone from the problem and gives the developer a nice, sortable value to store. Everything works fine until someone changes the start or end of DST. Immediately, all of the timestamps that were previously created for that period between the old and new start (and end) dates will be out by an hour. If you’ve got a monthly/weekly recurring meeting it will be out by an hour into perpetuity for that 1 week every year. The real fix is to store dates/times in the originator’s timezone and then convert them on the fly. It makes sorting a pain in the ass (time is no longer a single int!), but we’ve got CPU to burn so why not? One final gotcha with that. You CANNOT store the originator's timezone as an offset! It needs to be a name used to retrieve the TZ information. If it is stored as an offset (I'm looking at you Oracle), you have the exact same problem. Using a name means that it becomes difficult to create an index across timestamps with mixed timezones, but the values will be correct! The lesson to take away? You cannot convert a timestamp to UTC for storage if that timestamp is in the future. Posted by Jason Pollock at 2:10 PM 2 comments: The collary is that you should store the offset for past dates, or at least store the date with the time so you can work it out with the Olsen data. Assuming of course that the exact time is important for some reason... Jason Pollock said... I think that zoneinfo is historically accurate? So, you could conceivably store historic information in UTC without loss of information (given a working zoneinfo database).	2,020
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® #CBias #SocialFabric. All views and opinions are honest and my own. This week, Collective Bias™ invited me to take part in a Creative Baking Task. This could not have come at a better time for me, as it was Danny’s Tenth Birthday and I needed to make him a Birthday Cake. We went to Tesco Extra in Haverfordwest to buy our cake decorating ingredients. For our “day to day” shopping we go to our local store in Milford Haven, but it is smaller and there is not so much choice. My kids prefer a visit to Tesco Extra as they sell lots more toys! I do find that shopping can take a lot longer in a Tesco Extra unless I have a list and a clear agenda for the shopping trip. I find that browsing in the baking aisle can give me inspiration for future baking ideas. After seeing these butterfly wafers and pretty “Flower Power” cake toppers I now want to make a pretty, Spring cake. I may make one for the girls on Friday night… We popped our ingredients into our trolley. You can see more photos of our shopping experience in our #CBias Creative Shop Album. I was so excited when I found “Popping Candy” on the shelf. I would have taken a photo of it, even if I hadn’t have been doing this challenge! I HAD to buy it for Danny’s cake. I love the packaging of this Tesco cake decorations range. It looks so traditional. It makes me want to a have a “Cake Decorations” rack in my house in addition to my Spice Rack. Wow! I loved the look of this “Cool Coloured Sugar Dough”. Edible plasticine! I think I will buy some in the future and keep as a rainy day craft activity for the kids. We bought a pack of the black icing. Far easier than colouring your own icing. I’m all for time saving time when decorating cakes. When I only had Danny, I would spend at least a whole day baking and decorating his cake. With four kids, I no longer have that luxury. I also find I often make them three cakes for each birthday (one for a family party, one for a friend’s party or a day trip and another to bring to school). Once home, we started baking! Danny cracked the eggs and whisked them. He put the shells in the compost bin. The girls helped weigh out the ingredients. I always keep plenty of flour, caster sugar, eggs and cooking margarine in our fridge and cupboards, so we can bake (or make play dough!) whenever we want to. Everyone took turns creaming the egg and sugar together. We added cocoa powder in with the flour to make the cake lovely and chocolatey … especially once the chocolate chips were added too. Here are all the cake decorating ingredients ready to cover the cake. While we waited for the cake to cool, the kids played outside in the Sun (don’t ask me why Caitlyn is in a net!) I melted the chocolate over boiled water. Danny had a new black guitar for his birthday so I attempted to make him a black guitar out of the icing. It is very easy to knead, roll and shape. The chocolate cake ready to decorate. The cake covered in melted chocolate. I made a few little fairy cakes for the kids to decorate. Rebecca and Caitlyn had a look of concentration while they decorated theirs. Danny looks happy to adorn his cake with stars. Danny with his cake. Meanwhile, I placed Magic Stars, sugar stars and the black icing guitar onto the melted chocolate. I also sprinkled on the popping candy and chocolate chips. Caitlyn had a little nap on the floor! I must have exhausted her with all the shopping and baking! These are lovely writing icing tubes. I used both Dr Oetker’s and Tesco’s own. They are great fun for the kids to decorate biscuits with too, brilliant for improving fine motor skills. I used the writing icing to write a birthday message to Danny. I also put detail on the guitar. I found the white chocolate writing icing was too runny. I later had to remove it and cover with the dark chocolate icing. I added detail to the guitar, such as icing strings. We had lots of fun shopping at Tesco for our “Creative Baking” task. We also loved making and decorating and (of course) eating our cakes. My favourite part of baking each child’s Birthday cakes is the moment I light the candles and walk into the room to a chorus of “Happy Birthday” from family and friends. The look on their faces as they blow out the candles and make a birthday wish is always priceless. You may also enjoy: 5 ways to keep fit if you have … #CBias, #shop, baking, chocolate cake, Collective Bias, cooking, Creative Baking, home baking, icing, kids, popping candy, Shoppertunity, Social Fabric, sprinkles, Tesco	4,842
You bought tickets months ago and the day is finally approaching. You saved up for the ticket, you bought the cutest outfit, you've been listening to your favorite artists on repeat, but the one thing you didn't prep for is how to flirt at a music festival. Festivals are a perfect place to meet someone: You're usually with friends, or if you're not, it's easy to buddy up to like-minded music fans. In the festival setting, you're feeling a little freer, more fun, and just excited to have a good time. You're likely dancing along to the music and just feeling the ~vibes~ of the festival atmosphere. For those who need a little bit of help (trust me, I'm right there with you!), flirting at a festival can feel a lot more relaxing than at your standard bar setting. You're excited to see music acts you love, there's typically good food vendors, and you're in your cutest festival-approved outfit. Plus, at bigger show-stoppers like Coachella, you may even have a few celebrity sightings. For your convenience, I've put together a list of flirty ways to approach that person you're eyeing at the festival. Pick which one works best for you, and go get your flirt on. Giphy The reason most of you are there is for the music. Find ways to bond with people you're interested in over bands, genres, and albums. Nothing like some good music to bring two people together. "Are you going to the [insert artist here] set? I love their music!" "Just so you know, I'm going to go hard during this set. This has been your warning." Giphy Play into the whole damsel-in-distress trope (even though you're a completely independent woman) by making a move pretending you need help. "I can't see the stage so well. Mind if I sit on your shoulders?" "Where's [insert band name here]'s set?" Giphy It's likely the person you want to approach has some form of social media, so they'll understand your desire to produce some cool content while you're at the festival. You need to make all of your followers jealous that you're at The Place to Be this weekend, duh. "Hey, do you mind taking a picture of me for Instagram real quick?" "I have a bet with my friend that I can get 20 followers at this festival. Wanna help me out?" (Use this one for a follow-for-follow type of situation.) Giphy Everyone's gotta eat, so start up a conversation with someone with the one thing we all have in common: food. "Where did you get that [insert dish here]? I need that in my stomach now." "Do you wanna grab a bite real quick? I need to fuel up." If any of these score you a hookup, or even a relationship, I'll give myself a nice pat on the back for being your own personal matchmaker. Check out the entire Gen Why series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.	2,855
You’re so close to being done. You’ve put in a lot of work already, but it’s not quite finished. There are still a few more things to do and you’re not exactly sure how to do them all. Or you feel like you don’t have time to work on it anymore. Or maybe you think there are more important projects out there for you. So you don’t finish. And it makes you feel like a failure. Your brain keeps reminding you that you didn’t get the job done. It’s stressful, frustrating, and depressing. Not good. If you ever feel like that, check out my video on how to Finish Strong. Starting is great – Finishing Strong makes you into someone awesome. “There are two kinds of people, those who finish what they start and so on.” If this post resonated with you, Please subscribe to my blog and get my free eBook — 5 Steps to Finding Your Passionate Purpose. You can also purchase my book, GO! Comments (0) \| \| Categories: action, finish strong, focus, goals, motivation, personal development, Personal growth, plan, success	1,038
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History has not been kind to leaders. Many we that we might claim to be successful (outside the context of our morals) were autocratic and aggressive: Lenin, Alexander the Great, Mao Tse Tung. And often the rewards of leadership are severe such as in the case of Ghandi, JFK or Lincoln. So if we cannot look to history what does the modern leader look like? For one, they should always themselves and their organization be looking toward the future. First and foremost, the leader needs to realize his role is never permanent. Look at the UK Football Champion ship s an example, managers often last less than a year one a single team. A good leader is always building a succession of talent—really a leader’s job is to prepare the path forward and teach those who will one day lead. But this isn’t just planning for the future. To paraphrase Steve Jobs, surround yourself with smart people and let them tell you what to do. Recognize these people and allow them to move the organization forward while you facilitate their talent. These smart people need the infrastructure provided by the organization and the ability of the leader to bring each expert together to solve problems and get projects done. They should see that current leadership is preparing future roles for them. Posted in The Science of Leadership \| Tagged foward, future, history, leadership November 2022 S M T W T S « Aug Leaders from History (18) The Science of Leadership (36) More… Select Month August 2022 (2) July 2022 (3) May 2022 (2) April 2022 (3) March 2022 (2) February 2022 (1) November 2021 (1) October 2021 (3) September 2021 (2) August 2021 (2) July 2021 (3) June 2021 (1) May 2021 (2) April 2021 (3) March 2021 (2) February 2021 (2) January 2021 (3) December 2020 (2) November 2020 (2) October 2020 (3) September 2020 (2) August 2020 (2) July 2020 (2) June 2020 (2) May 2020 (3) April 2020 (2) March 2020 (2) February 2020 (2) January 2020 (2) December 2019 (2) November 2019 (3) October 2019 (2) September 2019 (2) August 2019 (2) July 2019 (2) June 2019 (2) May 2019 (3) April 2019 (2) March 2019 (2) February 2019 (2) January 2019 (2) December 2018 (2) November 2018 (3) October 2018 (2) September 2018 (2) August 2018 (2) July 2018 (2) June 2018 (3) May 2018 (2) April 2018 (2) March 2018 (2) February 2018 (2) January 2018 (2) December 2017 (3) November 2017 (2) October 2017 (2) September 2017 (2) August 2017 (2) July 2017 (2) June 2017 (2) May 2017 (2) April 2017 (2) March 2017 (3) February 2017 (2) January 2017 (2) December 2016 (2) November 2016 (2) October 2016 (2) September 2016 (3) August 2016 (2) July 2016 (2) June 2016 (2) May 2016 (2) April 2016 (3) March 2016 (2) February 2016 (2) January 2016 (2) December 2015 (2) November 2015 (2) October 2015 (3) September 2015 (2) August 2015 (2) July 2015 (2) June 2015 (2) May 2015 (2) April 2015 (2) March 2015 (2) February 2015 (2) January 2015 (3) December 2014 (2) November 2014 (2) October 2014 (2) September 2014 (2) August 2014 (3) July 2014 (2) June 2014 (2) May 2014 (2) April 2014 (2) March 2014 (2) February 2014 (2) January 2014 (2) December 2013 (2) November 2013 (2) October 2013 (2) September 2013 (2) August 2013 (3) July 2013 (2) June 2013 (2) May 2013 (2) April 2013 (3) March 2013 (3) February 2013 (2) January 2013 (2) December 2012 (2) November 2012 (2) October 2012 (2)	3,505
CHICAGO (AP)Brandon Ingram scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half, including seven straight late in the fourth quarter, and the New Orleans Pelicans pulled out a 115-111 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. ”Zion (Williamson) turned to me before the start of the fourth quarter and said, `Let’s turn it up a notch,”’ Ingram said. Ingram hit a 3-pointer that gave the Pelicans a 109-107 lead. DeMar DeRozan’s dunk tied it, but Ingram countered with a mid-range basket and DeRozan committed a turnover with 17.4 seconds left. ”It was nobody else’s fault,” DeRozan said. ”It was on me.” The Pelicans overcame 3-for-19 shooting from beyond the arc, including an 0-for-5 performance by CJ McCollum. ”We did what we needed to do down the stretch,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said. DeRozan, who scored a season-low nine points Monday, led Chicago with 33. Zach LaVine had 23 but was 3 for 12 on 3s. The Bulls used an 8-0 run, punctuated by LaVine’s layup, to take a 97-93 lead with 5:23 left. But then Ingram scored seven consecutive points to put the Pelicans in front. Chicago’s bench was dormant for 2 1/2 quarters before Goran Dragic sparked a 9-2 spurt that enabled the Bulls to take an 82-79 lead into the fourth. Dragic scored five points and fed Javonte Green for a lob dunk. Dragic, who finished with 14 points, also hit Derrick Jones Jr. for a three-point play less than a minute into the fourth period. Despite going 2 of 14 from 3-point distance and receiving only eight points from Williamson, Ingram and McCollum (0 for 7 from the field), the Pelicans overcame an 11-point deficit to seize a 52-50 halftime lead. Jonas Valanciunas scored seven of New Orleans’ final 17 points of the half. The Pelicans also got 25 points from their bench in the first two quarters. DeRozan and LaVine accounted for 29 of the Bulls’ first-half points. There were 14 lead changes and the teams were tied 19 times. SHOOT FIRST Bulls coach Billy Donovan said he encourages LaVine to catch and shoot more frequently and not worry about distributing to his teammates, especially with opponents keying on DeRozan. ”As great as he’s been offensively, the one thing he has to try to do for our team is to try to take those catch-and-shoot 3s,” Donovan said. TIP-INS Pelicans: F Larry Nance Jr. (left knee) remained out after feeling soreness during the morning shootaround, Green said. Bulls: C Andre Drummond (left shoulder) returned after missing six games due to a strain. ”There’s no minutes restriction. It’s more how he’s feeling,” Donovan said. Drummond entered with 2 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter. Pelicans: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. Bulls: Host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. — More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	2,944
Students are tasked to build a times table in just two steps. They have to learn to use absolute as well as relative addressing to do, and the Lab takes them through using them. We encourage students to work with just a row or a column rather than with the table as a whole because doing so makes it easier to see what is wrong or what does not follow the pattern. We believe students should learn to struggle to solve problems and that persistence, patience, and grit are important for all of us to have. We therefore do not want to tell students how to do something but rather to let them explore and try and keep at it until they get it. Spreadsheets with their openness and feedback provide a great opportunity for doing this in Labs like this. It is one of our favorites. How many of the products in a 12 by 12 times table are odd numbers? This is a question we rarely ask in paper-based math classrooms, yet it is an important and a very interesting question. We ask students to explore it, learning to Show and Hide rows and columns in their spreadsheet at the same time. Here again is an interesting pattern in mathematics, one we do not generally expect. Odds and evens often seem to students to be an unimportant distinction, but it is not. Odd and even numbers appear again and again across all of mathematics and in many of our Labs. It is important not only as a pattern, but it tells us to pay attention to odd number products because they are rarer than even number products. How many of the numbers from 1 to 100 are in the times table? All, Most, Less than half? I think you will find in this exploration of the relationship between the multiplication table products and the whole numbers as fascinating as I have. It is one of my favorite Labs because it gives us a chance to explore the patterns of both the times table and the hundreds table. And at the same time it helps us to see the patterns and to practice the multiplication facts. I built a Lab for you to play with the Syracuse Problem and to learn to use spreadsheets to play with like problems in fun and interesting ways. The Syracuse Problem is a simple one. Pick a number, any whole number. If it is even divide it by 2, if it is odd multiply it by 3 and add 1. If you keep doing this to each number in turn you will get the same sequence no matter what number you first pick. It is wild and totally not intuitive. You will also learn to use formulas to test whether numbers are even or odd, and even more importantly to use if…then rules. And you will learn about convergent number patterns. I read about this problem in a most wonderful book, The Birth of a Theorem by Cedric Villani. I don’t think I have ever read a book that I understood less of and yet enjoyed as much. Villani is a Fields Medalist. For those of you who may not know, the Fields Medal is in essence the Nobel Prize of mathematics. In the book Villani tells the story of the development of the theorem that won him the Medal. I find his description of mathematics invention fascinating, for despite its esoteric nature it is the same as invention in all disciplines. As part of his story he tells about one of John Nash’s great discoveries, yes the John Nash of an Elegant Mind. And he describes a fascinating mathematical pattern that has thus far eluded explanation. I quote from the book because Villani not only describes the problem beautifully, but he helps us all see what mathematics and mathematics invention is like. The Syracuse problem (also known as the Collatz conjecture or the 3n+1 problem) is one of the most famous unsolved enigmas of all time. Paul Erdos himself is on record as saying that mathematics is not yet ready to confront such monsters. Enter the expression “3n+1” in an Internet search engine and follow the thread back to the abominable problem and its result, as simple and insistent as the refrain of a pop song: The number is even. Divide it by 2 and you get 19. The last number is odd. Multiplying by 3 and adding 1 you get 19*3+1=58. This last number is even. Divide it by 2…. And so on. You go on from one number to the next by means of a simple rule: each time you encounter an even number, divide by 2; each time you encounter an odd number, multiply by 3 and add 1. Starting from 38, as in the example above, you get the following sequence: 19, 58, 29, 88, 44, 22, 11, 34, 17, 52, 26, 13, 40, 20, 13, 40, 20, 10, 5, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1… Every single time this calculation has been performed in the course of human history, it has ended up as 4, 2, 1… Does that mean it will always turn out thus, no matter which number is chosen as the point of departure? Since there are infinitely many integers, obviously it’s impossible to try all of them. With all the pocket calculators, desktop calculators, computers, and supercomputers at our disposal today, it has been possible to try billions and billions of them, and every single last one has wound up leading back to the implacably repeating 4, 2, 1 pattern. Mathematics is democratic, of course, and anyone is free to try to show that this sequence embodies a general rule. Everyone believes the rule to be true, but since no one knows how to prove it, it remains a conjecture. Whoever succeeds in confirming or disconfirming this conjecture will be proclaimed a hero. I am certainly not among those who will try. Apart from the fact that it seems to be phenomenally difficult, it isn’t the sort of problem that suits the way my mind works. My brain isn’t used to thinking about such things. The prime numbers are among the most fascinating objects in all of mathematics. While we can generate them, we do not know or understand their pattern. Yet, they have some fascinating patterns that we can easily see like the twin primes. We found on the Web a Conditional Formatting formula by Bob Umlas that colors prime number cells so you can see their pattern. I find playing with prime patterns great fun.	6,324
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I am so grateful for all of the support I’ve received as I’ve been building Project Blissful. The process is truly one that started years ago and one that continues every day I’m alive. As I’ve grown and developed my own personal “Project Blissful,” also known as getting my life on the right track, I’ve chronicled the journey here and on other sites and venues in various niches, depending on the specific growth I was working on at the time. This has brought me here–it led me to create Project Blissful. What’s Project Blissful about anyway? Project Blissful is a movement toward whole-life healing, growth and improvement. It’s more than a movement–it’s a real whole-life project that anyone can join and participate in at anytime. In addition to sharing the lessons I’m learning on my own journey to personal bliss, I’m sharing tips, information and ideas that can just help you make your life generally better. What do you offer for current users? In addition to occasional fitness challenges and regular bliss missions, I offer support for readers who reach out to me–often “off the record,” and I offer freebies such as ebooks, videos, tip sheets and more–all of which are designed to help users move toward creating the lives they desire. To be fair, I focus on the areas that are important in my own life–whether they’re personally relevant to me or they are relevant to my friends and loved ones, they are life lessons that have increased my personal satisfaction with life. And, according to the feedback I’m hearing from my readers, they’re lessons that have helped them too. Not only have I helped improve their perceptions, but I’ve helped some people lose weight, deal with family issues, grow their self-esteem and more. Why do you want to grow the Project? I am so very grateful to have the opportunity to help people while also doing what I love–I can’t ask for a better deal! It makes my whole soul smile every time someone tells me that I have helped or inspired them in some way, or even just that I made them think. It feels like I’m putting a little light into the world, and I love it. I want to take it to a higher level. I need more time to work on this project so that I can help more people. How would you grow the Project? I’d like to offer more consistent content and a gather larger pool of talented experts and life coaches, as well as a membership program that would have two to three levels, always to include a free level and a scholarship program for those who want to participate but can’t afford to pay. I’d also like to offer webinars, more ebooks and freebies and much more, including a life-coaching program that would include one-on-one support with certified life coaches, among other possibilities. I would like to offer these services only virtually at first, but eventually also in person, as the Project grows in strength and size. I need passionate people to join me and to help spread this light and love into the world. So, what’s your mission? I believe that change starts with one person, and Project Blissful aims to change the world that way–one person at a time. It starts with me. It starts with you. And it starts with our perception and our choices. My mission is to help individual people create positive changes in their own lives, and to help each person find his/her own personal path to bliss–whatever it looks like for him/her. How can I help support this mission? While I’d never ask you to pay to be a part of Project Blissful, I do have bills to pay, just like everyone else. But part of my mission here is to make this stuff accessible to anyone who wants or needs to access it–and that means offering a lot of free stuff. I’m not pretending to be some kind of messiah or guru. I’m just someone who is in the process of an overall, so-far successful life change (including a seriously dramatic physical transformation), and I’ve got some insight to share on the subject. Sometimes it feels as though I’m divinely inspired and driven to continue the work, which makes me think I’m on the right track here. In the days that follow, I’ll be adding some options for supporting me in the development of this project, including the expansion of services available to users. In addition to standard support options, I’ll be announcing a sort of rewards program as well as non-monetary support options. I won’t remove the focus from the mission of this site–but I will make the options available to those who might be interested in supporting my mission. Stay tuned, and if you’re interested in getting updates in your email inbox, you can sign up right here (free, of course)! This site is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical or clinical advice, legal advice, or medical or clinical services. If you feel that you have a medical problem, you should seek the advice of your physician or health care practitioner. QueenBeeing.com is a BlissFireMedia, LLC Production Copyright Angela Atkinson, 2010-2021 Please Note: All Amazon links on this site may be monetized and we may be paid commission for anything you purchase through those links.*	5,335
My studio was all dressed up for the reception and open studio event in June, so I took a few pictures. This is where the magic happens. It is a great place to work! Leave a Reply. I'm a woodblock printmaker who is committed to a non-toxic (or less toxic) art practice. I started out as a painter but found my way to printmaking through a love of paper and process. I seem to be falling for papermaking in the same way. I went to Syracuse University, where I studied painting (BFA) and museum studies (MA). I was a Resident Artist at the Howard County Center for the Arts for five years and previously worked at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. This blog is for posting works-in-progress and new works, as well as a few creative projects I've done with my kids.	788
10.06.2011 11:14 I always thought it was Freddie, but I remember reading somewhere that they said it was Roger. Any idea who truly wrote it? 10.06.2011 11:51 Some people speculate that it was written before Queen in Freddie's band Wreckage or Sour Milk Sea. I'm sure other fans here will elaborate with what info they have on this topic. 10.06.2011 12:00 Indeed, apparently Freddie wrote it before Queen even formed. 10.06.2011 12:03 But the song must have been radically re-worked for the the song to be credited to all the band members. 10.06.2011 12:17 I believe the song was much slower in it's original form too. So one of them obviously changed that aspect. 10.06.2011 13:42 Djdownsy wrote: I believe the song was much slower in it's original form too. So one of them obviously changed that aspect. Wasn't that just a rumour? Queen myths are fun though! 10.06.2011 17:46 That's why I said i believe, I wouldn't be 100% sure. I have a book called 'Queen;Complete Works' (Not Official, I don't think, but detailed and concise) which lists more or less any song associated with Queen, solo projects or other bands involving the members, and provides a description about each song. Here is just the opening paragraph; Originally written by Freddie in 1969 during his tenure as the lead singer of Wreakage, 'Stone Cold Crazy' was one of the first songs performed by Queen the following year, and underwent a series of transformations until it became the blistering rocker presented on Sheer Heart Attack. 10.06.2011 19:22 Thanks guys! I guess I was right! I'm sure that they all had some input in the end, but it was written before Queen even formed. Thanks again! 10.06.2011 19:41 I can't imagine SCC in its original form, when Freddie wrote that to Wreckage, sounding like the speed metal Queen version. In my opinion, i think that Brian May may have been the one that worked more on it to become what we know, i remember to think that this song was written by him. 10.06.2011 22:50 The whole thing about it being slower in the beginning was debunked by former Queen bass player Barry Mitchell, who confirmed it was always that speed. 11.06.2011 04:18 But it would be in his interest to say that. Didn't he also claim that John copied his bass parts for most of the first album, when it's far more likely than john wrote his own lines seeing as they seemingly didn't record anytthing with him as any kind of reference? I dont' see that Freddie would have shared the credits to the song if the the other 3 hadn't contributed quite heavily to it - ie, completely re-worked it. 11.06.2011 07:53 Most likely, the bass lines on the first album were written by each song's particular songwriter. I'm more than happy to stand corrected if a more reliable source than Barry (e.g. a recording) ever comes up and confirms if it was a slower version. But between the recollection of somebody who was there (unlike us) vs unfounded internet gossip, I'll always believe the former. 11.06.2011 08:05 Sharing out the writing credit would suggest reworked lyrics and substantial changes to the music, regardless of tempo. The lyrics may have also been set to completely different chord sequences for all we know. Sebastian wrote: Most likely, the bass lines on the first album were written by each song's particular songwriter. I would imagine John's bass lines didn't copy Barry's attempts beyond the root notes and that John jammed with the band to learn the songs - which is fairly standard practise. They're not "composers" who could read and write music and would have the music written out for each part for others to play like a bloody musical or something. I also doubt there is much in the way of home demos from that period either. They were a rock band - whilst each member may have made suggestions to each other about what would suit each song and occasionally would have such a strong opinion on a part that they would actually play it themselves, they would have all contributed to most songs their own parts regardless of the end writing credit - hence why they eventually started sharing the writing credits. But between the recollection of somebody who was there (unlike us) vs unfounded internet gossip, I'll always believe the former. ... unless it's Brian May's recollection :) 11.06.2011 16:42 Depending on the kind of Brian May recollection. Mostly, he's off by dates or stuff like that, not about tempi. If he says SCC was written in 1976, I don't believe him; if he says they never played it live, I don't believe him; if he says it was slower, I believe him unless there's stronger counterevidence (e.g. Roger's memory, which is not perfect but is positively eidetic compared to Brian's). Regarding who wrote what, the recent DOOL documentary includes a bit with Freddie saying he wrote the bits for the others too, and there's also a lot to confirm that was the standard practice for the four of them. While that's obviously got exceptions (e.g. the Bo Rhap solo), most of the time, the person who wrote the song also wrote all parts for all instruments. noorie 22.05.2014 11:58 According to Brian in the Freddie Saved My Life documentary, Freddie had come up with Stone Cold Crazy, but it was much slower. Then Brian quickened the tempo. Check out the documentary at around 16:39. 22.05.2014 15:48 "The whole thing about it being slower in the beginning was debunked by former Queen bass player Barry Mitchell, who confirmed it was always that speed. " noorie 22.05.2014 16:30 So now we have two versions of the truth. Brian May's version, and Barry Mitchell's. Wonder what really happened! noorie wrote: So now we have two versions of the truth. Brian May's version, and Barry Mitchell's. Wonder what really happened! Maybe they are both right. I think that it's obvious that Brian is right because he even play the original riff on his guitar to make the point. If Barry Mitchell is right, then he was introduced to the song after Brian changed the riff and tempo. He may have never heard the original idea by Freddie and so thinks that the song was always the same. 23.05.2014 12:41 Just because Freddie may have played it slowly on acoustic to Brian/Roger doesn't mean that's how it was always performed, for a start. Then there's the issue that you can't 100% believe anything Brian says. 23.05.2014 14:28 But the thread is about who wrote it. Looks like Freddie's simple, slowish guitar part was bastardised and made into something utterly fucking ace :-) 23.05.2014 17:31 The slower version was the one that predated Queen. By the time the band formed and they re-arranged it, it became the version we know now. Maybe SCC was slow when Queen was initially formed with Mike Gross, but evolved to being fast sometime before Barry Mitchell joined the group ??? 24.05.2014 07:41 Well then Mike Gross has a claim.. surely the joint writing credit is for arrangement rather than writing? Or we can just speculate. Which is 98% of this whole website. 25.05.2014 15:05 Well Stone Cold Crazy inspired people after it, although they might be better off in Burger King if they have an IQ of 100+. Hello mother fuckers I am a clone of Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson and also others and here is my bass qualification from Rock School.	7,890
Between giving sermons last Sabbath and the First Day of Unleavened Bread, as well as conducting Passover services, doing extra videos, and doing the routine work and postings around here, it has been a full week. To slightly ease the pressure, I recorded an offertory while in Kenya prepared by Evans Ochieng. Yet, it ended up with a problem, and once we realized that, the computer we needed to fix the issues on crashed its hard drive. So, there will be a very short message which will be the recommended offertory for the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. Because that was so short, I decided to have a slightly longer than usual sermon for that day. Perhaps this would be a good place to note that the suggested sermonette for this coming Sabbath is one given by our New Zealand host John Hickey. This was a strong week on the internet for us. In addition to tens of thousands of visits, hundreds watched our Passover service video. We are reaching many. I ended up doing a last minute radio interview yesterday. I discussed the situation in Ukraine and explained that neither the European Union nor the Eurasian Union is the answer: they need the Kingdom of God. I also was a radio guest today. I discussed the situation in Ukraine, how this is causing Europe to look at expanding its military, what Russia is up to, and how some of this ties in with biblical prophecy. I also discussed the results of a new study on the dangers of being a casual marijuana use (details are in the article Marijuana: Should a Christian Get High?). This means we reached probably millions over the radio with the gospel of the kingdom and prophetic truths this week. We are going through some doors that others either cannot or will not go through. The Continuing Church of God is truly leading the final phase of the work. Tithes and Holy Day Offerings are coming in via mail and PayPal. We expect the same will happen next week. The Journal: News of the Churches of God A version of an article I submitted to The Journal: News of the Churches of God was published. The editor (Dixon Cartwright) renamed it Continuing COG moving into Africa. But I would add that we were not ‘moving into Africa’ as we had supporters in Africa within several weeks of our formation. Anyway, here is the full version of the article submitted (Dixon Cartwright edited some of it down for space as it was a last minute addition to this issue): The Continuing Church of God (CCOG), in conjunction with support from the Christian Church of God, Grand Junction, held a conference for Church of God (COG) leaders in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference which included COG leaders from Kenya and Tanzania ran from April 1st through April 2nd 2014, with meetings before and after those dates. The conference was intended to clarify true from false leaders in East Africa and to “teach the teachers” so that they could better teach others. Jesus taught: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) He also taught: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14) East Africa is one of the places where Jesus has a lot of disciples. Unlike places such as Europe and North America, internet access is much more limited in Africa, so to better fulfill Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20, a physical conference for Church of God leaders in East Africa was held, after I made a brief two-day stop in the United Kingdom. I was able to baptize a man from Mozambique in London on a Friday (March 29, 2014) and then conduct Sabbath services for the first time for the Continuing Church of God in the United Kingdom on Saturday. On Sunday morning I flew from the London airport to Nairobi, Kenya. Late Sunday night, CCOG Regional Pastor Evans Ochieng, and his wife Rose (who is a deaconess) met me at the Nairobi airport. We went into Nairobi together. Leadership Conference in Nairobi Monday, Pastor Evans Ochieng and I met on a variety of matters pertaining to the work in Kenya and East Africa. A printer from Nairobi met with us and we discussed our literature needs and negotiated prices for magazines and booklets. Later, church leaders from all around Kenya began to arrive Monday evening, and we met with some of them then. Tuesday, two men came to join us from Tanzania. Although most leaders had some affiliation with the Continuing Church of God, none had met me prior to the conference. Most of the leaders who came were part of the Continuing Church of God, but several were not such as Church of God the Eternal, Christian Church of God (Grand Junction), etc. This was a unique type of conference with people from so many different groups and backgrounds, and also included several open question and answer sessions. The conference took place in the Karibu Hotel in Nairobi Kenya. Karibu is a Kiswahili word meaning “welcome,” and we welcomed leaders from all over Kenya as well as from Tanzania. Nearly all attendees had to travel great distances via buses to attend. Elders, deacons, deaconesses, and local hosts attended the conference. There were a total of 34 leaders in attendance. These leaders represented over 400 congregants, not all of which were part of the Continuing Church of God. In Kenya, in accordance with Jesus’ words for “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you,” many subjects were covered from explaining it is all about love, to church history, to the Godhead, to the date & time for Passover, to marriage & divorce, to baptism, to tithing, to prophecy, and to the final phase of the work. There are many physical needs in Kenya, and we also attempted to address some of them. The conference was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, with after conference meetings lasting until almost midnight and into late Thursday. The conference itself was a major success. Many leaders left Thursday morning to take the long (up to ten hour) bus rides back to their homes. Some stayed later, and I have had meetings all day and into the evening with them. Because of airline issues and mechanical problems, it took me five jet planes, four vehicles, and 50 hours to travel as directly home as the airlines would allow. Laborers for the Harvest I have repeatedly asked brethren in CCOG to follow Jesus’ admonition to: 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (Matthew 9:38) Well, at this conference in Nairobi, I met many current and potential laborers for the harvest. The conference provided additional training to them so that they can assist the work. As far as leaders new to the CCOG, after the conference, one of the attendees who asked for a meeting with myself and Pastor Ochieng, became part of CCOG. This was John Owak. For the past ten years he had been a minister in the United Church of God (UCG). John Owak explained that he had been studying CCOG literature for some time (he had also contacted me in the past), and the conference convinced him he wanted to be part of CCOG. We discussed also differences in the governance, prophetic understandings, and the work between CCOG and UCG. He then asked if we would accept him as a volunteer (unpaid, and he did not ask for a salary) pastor of the CCOG in his geographic area, working under the direction of our Regional Pastor Evans Ochieng, myself, and ultimately Jesus Christ. Pastor Ochieng and I agreed and welcomed him into the CCOG. Leaders once part of GCG, LCG, WCG, COGaIC, COGIT, COGTE, CG7, SDA, and/or VWCG, but now part of CCOG also attended. This was the first time I had been able to meet any of them in person (some had email contacts with me prior). CCOG has over 20 congregations in East Africa. CCOG leaders at the conference showed a tremendous appreciation for the depth of the doctrines, church history, prophetic, and other topics covered. Their discernment of various details related to CCOG and the final phase of the work was impressive. Many in Africa seem to have much more insight into spiritual matters than others elsewhere and my hope and prayer is that those outside of Africa will be like them, search the scriptures to see that what we teach is so (cf. Acts 17:10-11), and have the proper zeal to support the final phase of the work. Many there also noted that a certain boldness in proclamation was needed, that they did not see this in other groups claiming to be COG, but did see it in the Continuing Church of God. Pastor Evans Ochieng commented that proper unity of the COG in Kenya has been restored because of CCOG. He also said that CCOG restored more doctrinal, historical, and prophetic detail than any other group, and since this is the time of the end, all should realize that all things needed to be restored (cf. Matthew 17:11). He said it should be clear to those interested in the truth that CCOG was the group doing this and the group that had the consummate truth (cf. 1 Timothy 3:15), and thus had the Philadelphia mantle (cf. 2 Kings 2:9-14; Revelation 3:7-13). I personally was impressed at how many of the leaders at the conference explained the depth that they had studied CCOG literature and why they concluded that only CCOG could be leading the final phase of the work. Plans for the Work in Africa On this trip, I carried as many Bibles, Bible News Prophecy magazines, and new church history booklets as the standard weight limits allowed into Kenya. So much so, that both suitcases seem to have sustained some damage from the weight on them. I intentionally brought light-weight luggage in order to maximize the amount of literature I could bring with me. The new church history booklet was a hit at the conference. I also brought a new laptop for Pastor Evans Ochieng as well as two CCOG festival banners that can be used at the Feast of Tabernacles. Having a computer should aid in his managing various aspects of the work in Africa, including literature production. Because of the tremendous needs in this region, we also sent many Bibles, songbooks, prophetic, books, magazines, and history booklets to arrive after the conference to Pastor Ochieng and others in Africa. There is tremendous poverty in this part of the world, and many lack their own Bibles or electronic access to scripture. Us sending Bible and other literature can help remedy this. Our members there face great adversities from their extended families and society when they leave the religions of their families to embrace the truth of the Bible and live as a real Christian. Their willingness to suffer persecution and sacrifice for the truth and the work should be an example to all who wish to believe that they are Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) Christians. George Lemi, a CCOG group leader in Tanzania, and our primary translator of literature into Kiswahili, was able to attend the conference in Nairobi, Kenya. We discussed with him and others plans to greatly increase CCOG congregants in Tanzania. We also discussed plans to do so in Uganda and elsewhere. I was able to baptize another man from Tanzania (Paul Makinda) who came to the conference for me to do so. At the conference, I noted that many of the leaders spoke two or three languages (normally English, Kiswahili, and/or their tribal language). Nearly all in Kenya are comfortable with the English language. Most of those in Kenya and Tanzania are also comfortable in Kiswahili. Yet, in those areas, as well as Uganda, many are more comfortable in their native tribal languages. As the bulk of those with the CCOG are comfortable with the Lua language, I proposed to the leaders that we begin to translate the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God into Lua, produce a songbook in the Lua language, our Continuing History of the Church of God booklet into Lua, and ultimately, our Bible News Prophecy magazine into Lua. We currently produce our Bible News Prophecy magazine in the English, Kiswahili, Mandarin Chinese, Tagalog, and Spanish languages. Although our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, was originally just produced in English, prior to the conference we had begun a project to start to produce an edition in Kiswahili. A songbook in the Lua language is now in progress and hopefully something will be ready before the Feast of Tabernacles in 2014. During the conference, I laid out plans for reaching Africa. This included going over how our current internet sites, field ministry, and radio interviews cover this region of the world. I also revealed our plans for an Africa-specific website, which is expected to have our materials online in at least three languages, with other languages probable in the future. I laid out that we should have congregation locations, leaders emails, and even photographs of meeting sites so that it would be easier for interested individuals to attend with CCOG. The leaders from Kenya and Tanzania were supportive of the plans and seemed impressed that the CCOG was truly interested in Africa and its part in the work. A Door That is in the Process of Opening Even Further Although at this time, relatively few people in Kenya and Tanzania have direct access to the internet without going to an internet café (which few can afford), I noticed that nearly all had cellular telephones. Once more modern “smart phones” become popular in Kenya (I had not noticed any while there), we should be able to reach many, many more than we have been able to over the internet. Our plans for the internet and congregations should be ready by the time many of those in East Africa will have additional abilities to access them. This “door” is opened for Philadelphians (Revelation 3:7-8) to proclaim the gospel (cf. Acts 14:28, 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12) of the kingdom (Matthew 24:14) is being opened more for us and we expect to go through it to reach even more. Please pray that God will more fully open this door for us (cf. Colossians 4:3). Many aspects of the final phase of the work are right now going on behind the scenes, and like the situation in Kenya, will be ready when the time is right for others to hear the message of the Kingdom of God, Africa is somewhat functioning as another “proving ground” that the way this work is being led is the way that Jesus Christ wants us to. We in CCOG also expect to lead what the Bible refers to as the “short work” in Romans 9:28 and many steps are being taken related to that as well. Additionally, from a physical perspective, there are tremendous needs in Africa and we are always trying to figure out how to best serve the needs of our brethren, including widows and orphans there. Despite physical poverty, Africa is a significant part of the final phase of the work. It is my hope and prayer that the comments, perceptions, and support there may serve as motivations to those in other parts of the world to better follow their Philadelphian example and support CCOG as we lead the final phase of the work. The work of God through the Continuing Church of God is bearing fruit (cf. Matthew 7:15-20) around the world (Matthew 28:19-20) and Africa is showing that this is so. The conference in Nairobi was a major success, and a step to be able to reach more. There have been some leaders from different COGs who arrived in Kenya after I did who are attempting to draw/keep members in their organizations (see 04/11/14 p.m. post on the News of those once affiliated with the Global Church of God page). It should be noted that I never contacted those in Kenya in the various groups to ask them to support the Continuing Church of God. Instead, ones in various groups, as well as several who were independent, contacted us on their initiative. It is my hope and prayer that many in Africa can serve as examples to others so that they will realize that we in the Continuing Church of God are reaching people and represent “the pillar and ground of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). One USA-based CCOG member who saw The Journal article emailed me and asked about our relationship with the group in Grand Junction. The relationship is basically one of mutual cooperation. Here are some details: Grand Junction has been involved with Kenya for years. They asked us last year if those associated with them could attend the CCOG FOT site in Kenya in 2013. Furthermore, they would like to know who are trustworthy COG leaders in Kenya. As far as the future goes, it is likely that some of their supporters will attend a Continuing Church of God Feast of Tabernacles’ site in Kenya in 2014 and perhaps there will be other forms of cooperation. A CCOG member from the Rocky Mountain USA area asked me recently to provide more information on those that are involved in the Continuing Church of God. So, I asked Jim Cosenza to provide some information on himself. Here is what he sent: My name is James Cosenza. I prefer to be called Jim. I am married to my wife, Kris. We have been married for 46 years and have two children, David and Julie. I was born in Wallingford, Ct. and have lived in Connecticut all my life except from 1968 to 1974 when I lived in Pasadena, Calif. I have a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Connecticut and a degree in Theology from Ambassador College in Pasadena. I briefly worked for the State of Connecticut before attending Ambassador College. I worked for The worldwide Church of God as a marketing and media analysis until a health issue caused me to leave in 1974. We moved back to Connecticut as a result. Upon recover I became a real estate agent and still work as such. I was baptized in Nov. of 1967 by a minister in WCG. I first heard Mr. Armstrong on the radio in April 1967. After studying many of his articles and booklets with the bible I became convinced God was using him and he was God’s servant. I enjoy learning about biblical doctrine and church history. My wife and I enjoy visiting our national parks. As a teen my main interest in life was sports. I played varsity football in high school and played in organized baseball until I was 22. Today I enjoy playing golf. Jim typically gave 3 or 4 sermons per year in church, and hopefully, he will be able to be a speaker at the Feast of Tabernacles in 2014. If you are in the Connecticut area for the upcoming Holy Day and wish to attend, you can email him: jcosenza@kw.com. We are still looking at Pensacola, Florida as the likely USA site for 2014 (see also Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2014). Passover and the First Day of Unleavened Bread Passover and the First Day of Unleavened Bread for 2014 are past. The limited reports we received indicated that they went well where we had groups meet. The Last Day of Unleavened Bread is almost here, and will begin after sunset Sunday, April 20th and run through sunset April 21st. The first ‘blood moon’ of the tetrad (four expected) for 2014 and 2015 came and went on April 15th. As we taught would be the case, Jesus did not return then nor did the Day of the Lord begin. Another blood moon will occur around the Feast of Tabernacles this year and next as well as the Spring Holy Day season in 2015, and Jesus will not occur then either. However, because a few Protestant leaders indicated that this series of blood moons means something that the Bible does not support (see also Blood moon triggers Protestant apocalyptic debates), this will likely turn some off on real biblical prophecy. In India, a ‘third gender’ was recognized by its Supreme Court. And while this ruling seems mainly focused on those whose genitalia has been surgically altered, the homosexual lobby may well try to use this in other areas to promote their agenda. And speaking of promoting their agenda, a US federal judge has ruled that the State of Ohio must recognize homosexual marriages, despite its own laws against them. Both of these items are in the post titled India’s Supreme Court recognizes a ‘third gender;’ Ohio forced to recognize homosexual ‘marriages’. Speaking of judges, one in the USA ruled that killing babies with heartbeats was ‘constitutionally’ protected (see Federal judge overturns ‘heartbeat’ abortion restriction). Many modern leaders are causing people to err, and this will not end up well per Isaiah 9:16. In the USA, a racist leader was arrested for the killing of three people in Jewish buildings. Racial hatred is wrong. The shooting, however, reminded me that various people consider that because of our biblical beliefs, that we in the Continuing Church of God are Jewish, even though I am unaware of us having any Jewish members. Throughout history, various people associated with the Greco-Roman churches have persecuted those in the Church of God and sometimes considered us to be Jews. Racial hatred is wrong, but persecution will come to us, despite our actual ethnicities (see also Former KKK leader arrested for shooting of Jews; what else may happen?). Over in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the separatists there told Jews that they need to register with them or face expulsion and loss of their properties (see Jews in Donetsk told to register or face losing their property and rights to live there! Maybe the Geneva agreement on Ukraine will stop this.). This is outrageous racial/religious hatred reminiscent of preliminary steps taken against Jews in the second world war . On the economic front, the USA accused China of undervaluing its currency, while the International Monetary Fund warned the USA that it needed to make reforms or the IMF would essentially look to replace the USA dollar with a different set of currencies in the world (see US Treasury says that China is intentionally undervaluing its currency; IMF warns USA.). When the USA dollar is no longer the world’s primary reserve currency, the economic ramifications to the USA will be severe. Argentina accused the UK of provoking hostilities in the Falkland Islands because of some of its planned military exercises (see Argentina accuses Britain of provoking ‘hostile actions’ in Falklands’ region). Despite the fact that nearly everyone on the Falklands wishes to remain part of the UK, that situation will not last forever and those in the Falklands will find themselves under other domination in the future (cf. Deuteronomy 28:45-63; Leviticus 26:23-25). The USA issued warnings to Russia as some buildings in eastern Ukraine were seized by pro-Russian supporters; Russia itself says it is not directly involved and that it has concerns about the government in Kiev (see USA again warns Russia about being involved with Ukraine; Russia goes to the UN). Kiev responded with military action against some of those who seized buildings, but that did not turn out as well as Kiev expected (see Kiev and Russian actions unsettle many in eastern Ukraine and some prepare to flee: Will you be ready when it is time for Christians to flee?). A temporary deal was reached in Geneva today that is intended to reduce the tensions and stop bloodshed (see also Jews in Donetsk told to register or face losing their property and rights to live there! Maybe the Geneva agreement on Ukraine will stop this). We will see how long this lasts as there are tensions in the region. Ukraine has the potential to cause Europe severe financial problems as well as to motivate it to develop more of its own military resources. Former German Defense Minister Karl zu Guttenberg had something published today where he indicated that Europe needed to stop being ‘wishy-washy.’ While the motivation for more military action has happened (e.g. European Technology and the Beast of Revelation), more is expected (cf. Revelation 13:4). Here is our suggested format for Sabbath services this week: 2-3 hymns (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, contains the materials from the 1974 Bible Hymnal from the old WCG with new covers, plus ten additional hymns; there is also some Choral Accompaniment online). Sermonette, which for most will be a recorded one. One suggested for this week is from John Hickey in New Zealand: Dante Aligheri’s Inferno, Heaven, and The Real Hope. Two slightly related written articles include: Are The Wicked Tormented Forever or Burned Up? and Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? Other sermonettes are also available at the Bible News Prophecy channel. Announcements (if any; though for many it will be this letter) and one hymn. Sermon which for most will be a recorded one titled: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. There is also a slightly related written article titled: The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil. Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel. Note: If you have a slow internet connection, you can watch these by starting the video, then below it (and towards the right) look for an outline of a gear–if you click on that, it will allow the YouTube video to be played with lower video quality, but at least it will not stop often–you can select a quality as low as 144p. If your internet connection is still too slow (as my home one is) and/or you prefer audio messages to audio-visuals ones, go to the YouTube link for the message, click on SHOW MORE related to the description. You will then see something that says, “Download MP3.” Below that is a link to an MP3 file. Most computers (and even some cellular telephones) will allow MP3 files to be downloaded and played. So, this is an option we have made available (but we are also looking into ways to improve that as well)–and, of course, we have written article options that we list each week. Here is our suggested format for the Last Day of Unleavened Bread (April 21, 2014): 2-3 hymns (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, contains the materials from the 1974 Bible Hymnal from the old WCG with new covers, plus ten additional hymns; there also is some Choral Accompaniment online). Sermonette which for most will be a short recorded one: Offertory: 7ULB from Africa. There is no related article, though you could read Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:19-20; Deuteronomy 16:16-17, and go to the Donations page of the Continuing Church of God. There is a mailing address there, as well as the ability to give offerings online. Sermon which for most will be a recorded one titled: Going on to perfection and building character. There is also a related written article titled: Building Character: Going on to Perfection. Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel related to this holy day. Concluding Comments Notice the following from the Apostle John: 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17) Brethren, during these days of unleavened bread, we tend to feel a bit more separated from the world. Our spiritual separation from the world is something to always keep in mind. We are to be in this world (John 17:11) but not of it (John 17:19). The Days of Unleavened Bread are an additional reminder of this. Continuing Church of God Posted in Letters to the Brethren The Continuing Church of God, which attempts to represent the most faithful remnant of the Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7) portion of the Church of God, bases its beliefs on the Holy Bible. Read CCOG's statement of beliefs for more information.	28,209
Well, good morning one and all. Congratulations on coming here at such an hour of the day when you should either be asleep or in bed or work or something. And Richard, thank you for that extremely misleading introduction. Just to think that an ex-businessman of his quality would go for a blind date with somebody that he’s never even heard of and expose him to you lot. It really amazes me. Anyway, I want to encourage you this morning. End of the week, rains come, here’s some encouragement from the good Lord and I want to do so by lifting your eyes to what just one person can do for the cause of Christ. I’m going to take a very interesting passage out of the Acts of the Apostles and I’m going to read it to you and then talk about it a bit. (Acts 18) After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them and because he was the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together. By trade, they were tent makers. Every Sabbath, he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks. And when Silas and Timothy, his friends, came from Macedonia, Paul got gripped with the Word, and he started testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, in protest, he shook the dust from his clothes and said to him, your blood be on your own head. I’m innocent. From now on, I’m going to the Gentiles. Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man called Titius Justus. A worshiper of God, his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the official of the synagogue became a believer in the Lord….Can you believe that…..together with all his household and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. It must have been absolute carnage going on in the synagogue circles in Corinth. One night, the Lord said to Paul in the vision, don’t be afraid but speak and do not be silent for I am with you. And no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people. He stayed there for a year and six months teaching the Word of God among them. Let’s try and get the picture. Greece, you know, broadly, the picture of Greece comes to a very narrow waist, like a beautiful girl, very narrow waist in the middle, and then it sort of, goes out to the Peloponnese at the bottom. And Corinth was situated on that narrow waist, just five miles across. And, because it was very dangerous going round the bottom, they weren’t very good seafarers, so to avoid going around Cape Maina at the bottom, which was a bit like Cape Horn is to our generation, they would pull into one harbor at Corinth, and they’d pull goods and small boats across those five miles. They got a special sort of pulling machine to put it onto a harbor on the other side. And therefore, as you can see, businesspeople like yourselves, you’ve got the north south trade route in Greece. Now you’ve got an east west trade route. Inevitably, Corinth is gonna become a very wealthy and important place. And it was, and it had an interesting history. As you know, the Romans gobbled up everything within range and in 146 BC, they decided to get a grip of Greece, which they did. And the Roman general who came there, a man called Mummius, he found it full of argumentative philosophers. And so, he locked them all in one room like this and he said, you guys have got to agree within 12 hours, or I will raze the city to the ground. They didn’t. He did. And for a hundred years, it lay desolate. It was rebuilt by Julius Caesar shortly before Paul’s time. And by this passage in Acts 18 that I just read to you, it was a very wealthy city again. And, for a short period, it was the capital of Greece, but it wasn’t an easy place to try and plant a church. I’ve just been planting a church in Raleigh, North Carolina, tremendous thrill to do that over a couple of years, but it’s not easy. You’ve really got to give yourself to it. And this place was a lot more difficult than Raleigh. It was a Roman colony and that means to say that it was, the inhabitants were tough Roman ex-centurions, ex-Sergeant majors, people who had been bumping folks off in the wars that the Romans did for 25 years. And as a reward, they got Roman citizenship and a place like Corinth to live in. Not easy to persuade them about some new faith. It was a Greek city full of intellectuals traveling around giving lectures and all that sort of highfaluting stuff. It was an athletic center, in between the Olympic games, which happened every four years. You had the Isthmian games which happened every two years. And that happened at the Isthmus of Corinth. So, there were lots of athletes in training there and they didn’t especially want to hear about God. They were interested in 200 meters. It was also an oriental city. It was a seaport. And of course, you know what seaports alike and this one was no different, except it was perhaps a bit more special. They had an enormous hill in the middle, the acrocorinth, and on the top of that, they had a temple to Aphrodite the prostitute goddess of love. And they had at least a thousand prostitutes that roamed the streets of Corinth at night. So, this was not a very promising place when Paul came here in the autumn of 50 A.D. We are fortunate in being able to fix the date. How can you plant a Christian faith in such a difficult place? Maybe you are situated in a difficult place, difficult business, and you say, I better keep my head down. How on earth can I make any impact for Jesus Christ in this place? Well, look how it happened here. And I think that will bring us encouragement as we go onto our day’s work today. First of all, I notice it all began with one man. Remember that first verse I read after Paul left Athens, he went to Corinth. Paul arrived alone and reading between the lines, I guess he must have been pretty discouraged. He had been preaching in north Greece, in Philippi, where he had been scourged, thrown into prison, and involved in an earthquake. He then moved on to Thessalonika where he got kicked out, went on to Berea, and the Thessalonians came and stirred them to kick him out as well. And then his last stop had been in Athens where he was met with polite amusement, and yet from this discouraged man, as I guess he was, a mighty work of God emerged. We’ve got a memorial to it in two long letters to the Corinthians, which make up quite a sizable portion of the New Testament. The thing that I learn from this one man going to Corinth is that one person, plus God is always a majority. Would you say that with me? One person plus God is always a majority. That’s not an exaggeration. Think of Abraham. One man who trusted God and from him three great monotheistic religions emerged. Think of Jesus. One man, bumped off before he had reached the age of most of you in this room, bumped off in the most excruciating circumstances, reviled and rejected by the country He’d come to reach. And now, 2000 years later, 34% of humankind professes allegiance to Him; over 2 billion people. One person plus God, a majority. When I was in Latin America some little time ago, I came across the Canchir tribe; a rather vapid clueless tribe that spreads vaguely over three Latin American countries. And they had been very resistant to any attempts to reach them with a Christian gospel. And along came one man who had the sense to realize that these people were pig farmers. So, he became a pig farmer, and he was a better pig farmer than they were. And so, before long, he got people gathering around him and he told them the good news of Jesus Christ and some of them believed. And then it grew, it grew, and it grew. By the time I was there, there were about 25,000 of this big tribe, the Canchir, that had become Christians, through the influence of this man. And he was a tough guy. I remember going in his Land Rover and there, you got machete marks all over it, where he’d been attacked and, you know, he’d survived in the early days, some very tough things, but he had seen fruit. One man plus God had made that majority difference in the Canchir tribe. On another occasion, I was in Australia and came across the trail of another fascinating bloke. He was a pavement artist, and he only wrote one word, and he would write on a pavement in different colors, one word, eternity. Now, you know, that sort a brash, see, you see what you get, sort of Aussies. When they saw “eternity” written on the road in front of them, they said, goodness, me. And when he died, there was an enormous crowd at his funeral, lots of people who had been brought to consider life and eternity through him and had become Christians. You see, that’s just, in each of those cases, there’s just one person with a vision and some guts and some initiative. I’ve seen it in an ambassador in Saudi Arabia. A man went out there, who’d recently become a Christian, a British ambassador there and so he said, all right, let’s have a Carol service. They never had a Carol service in the embassy in Saudi Arabia before, but let’s do it. You can’t, the Saudis can’t do anything to him when it’s on his own property. And so, he did, and he had me to preach at it and is very amusing because all the loudspeakers that were geared towards the community roundabout, somebody forgot to turn them off. So, I not only preached to about 300 people there including your own ambassador and various others, but it went out into the Muslim quarter around. And it’s very lovely, the next night we had a supper party for about 130 people, and many of those came to put their faith in Jesus Christ. Now all of that is done in the embassy in Saudi Arabia, and it still goes on in Rayed, and it’s the initiative and the drive and the vision of one person living within what is just possible, what he could just risk getting away with. And I love that sort of spirit. It’s very, very attractive indeed. I think of a woman in a department store here in the states, a senior buyer who had such an incredible impact on the sales force in that shop. She was dedicated to Jesus Christ. She was fearless and she wasn’t at all sort of prissy or pompous about it; had a very, very big effect. Or I think of a school master in the other Birmingham, Birmingham in England, where I was doing an outreach not long ago. And this guy got 30 of his fellow school masters to a meeting that I was speaking at, they didn’t know me from Adam. They didn’t want to come to the Beachley meeting, but they respected him so much this Christian man, that when he asked them to come, they came, and it was a very profitable early evening. So, there’s the first thing that I see from this wonderful story. It all began with one person and maybe that the good Lord is wanting to start something through you in your neck of the woods. But here’s the second thing it needed Christian fellowship. The Gospel is not a solitary thing. It’s all about community, a community of people like you that Jesus brings into being. And although he was a pioneer, Paul was no solo merchant. He was no prima donna. In verse two, the English says that he found a Jew called Aquila and his wife Priscilla, but actually the original language says he found after searching, he looked for some Christian fellowship and he looked in the natural area of his own workplace, the people who did the same job as him, this guy was a tent maker. And so, he looked amongst the tentmakers, and he found it. He found people of the same nationality. They were Jews like him, same job like him, same faith like him. And so instead of one person, you got a little trio to make some impact in the city of Corinth, only very small trio, but it was a start. And, you know, we can do that. I remember years ago going into the army for national service and the first night in the army is pretty average hell. The some of you I see, have been there and remember it. The non-commissioned officers see it as their business to break you. And there a lot of 30 very miserable men will, in the barrack room and I, bull in boots and I remember that when it was time to go to bed, I thought, shall I or shan’t I go and kneel by my bed. It’s a bit risky because Radio Luxemburg was blaring away above my head. And, anyhow, I got down for a moment. I don’t suppose I prayed much, but at least I raised the flag and there are a few boots hurling through the air and so on. But the next morning, a guy from the bed opposite came up to me and said, hey mate, can you help me? I’ve got wife trouble. Well, I hadn’t even got a wife by that stage, let alone wife trouble. But very soon we had a group of about eight of us taking a public stand for Christ in that barrack room. We found a friendly Sergeant. We started doing a Bible study in his room and before long we were let out and started preaching in the open air. And so, it was great fun, and it is great fun when you go really whole full effort for Jesus Christ, when you sort of sit on the edge of the swimming pool and say, well, the water’s cold. I don’t think I’m really going to do anything about it. It’s no good, but when you’ve got some Christian fellowship with you, you can go in partnership. So, I think what I would encourage you to do is to do what somebody in a business in England did, just put a small notice, only the size of a stamp really, on the firm notice board saying any Christians like to meet at one o’clock in room such and such, and two or three people turned up. And that was the beginning of a little Christian group in that workplace. And, you know, I guess you could do that. Perhaps, you know somebody who’s already a Christian in your firm. Wouldn’t it be great to spend a little bit of lunchtime, if you manage to get a lunchtime, praying for the firm, praying for the difficult people, praying for the boss who may well be a pain, praying for God to use you guys in that business, it’s a lovely thing to do. It needed Christian fellowship, and we all need that because on our own we are not up to much. Here’s the third thing that I see from this lovely story is it resulted in a shared home. We are told that Paul went to actually live with Aquila and Priscilla; pretty decent of them to have him in their home. I guess. I think he was quite a prickly character to have in anybody’s home, especially if they were newly married. Lots of students have shared households and it seems to work quite well. It’s usually an absolute tip when you go into it, but nevertheless, they get along well, and there’s a lot of mutual encouragement. I’ve just been in New Haven before I came here, up in Yale. And it was fascinating to find youth with a mission, who I always consider as the sort of Christian commandos. These people were living in shared household and there was a small baby that sort got passed from one to another and seemed to be equally happy whosever lap it sat on. But you don’t need to have a shared house. You do need to see your house as a place from which the good news can spring out. During the nights that I’ve been in the city here, I have been entertained in home after home in the evening. And one of them stands out. It was not just a lovely evening with delightful people, but the host said, okay, let’s just raise now some questions we’d like to talk to Michael about. And so, it was an evening with a purpose, and it was very useful. Some of the other evenings were just social and they were fine, but you can use it, you can use your home in a more positive way like that. Again, it might be the place where the church standing committee meets for a supper and business. You get much further over supper and business than you do sitting in a church hall, trying to work out policies. It might be a place to entertain the youth leaders every now and again. It might be a place for a home-based Bible study. It could be a place where some agnostics come to supper and where you say to them, now you tell me what you don’t believe, and I’ll tell you what I do believe and why, and we’ll see where it goes. That’s a very worthwhile thing to do. I’ve done many of these agnostics anonymous supper parties like that. More, just a couple or two that you invite in for dinner in the evening. I remember one memorable occasion when we invited a couple of people in and we’d had the first course and the dessert was ice cream and chocolate sauce. And so, as I was dishing out the ice cream, I said to the folks, would you like to hear the most amazing discovery I’ve ever made? And they said, yeah. And I said, are you sure? And they said, yeah. So, I said, it’s the fact that Jesus Christ is alive, have some more chocolate sauce. And this was an amazing evening that emerged from all that. And they became Christians in due course. And I guess they still are today. If they’re still alive. You can actually hit a whole city this way. There’s an amazing organization called Harvest Ministries. And they’re fairly dictatorial. They say to about 50 people, right, you go and in such and such a city and they go into this city and you gotta do two things. You gotta find somewhere to live and you gotta find a job to do. And in the course of a year, you’ve got to get to know 50 people. That’s the job. And so, but the, the first year they get to know 50 people and then, they have them into their home and they get to become friends with them on good easy terms. Year two, the preachers move in, and they do a crusade and all sorts of people come to faith. Where do they go afterwards? Why they go into these 50 homes to be built up and before long, those 50 homes become 50 churches. That’s not a theory. It’s happened. It works. So, your home is really your greatest asset. Give a bit of thought as to how you might use that for the cause of Jesus Christ if you are a follower of His already. And then I notice that here at Corinth, this led to certain speaking opportunities. We read that in the synagogue and in homes and also in the open-air Paul and his friends did some actual speaking about Christ. A lot of people who are Christians today, don’t want to speak about Him. They say, well, let my life speak. And I won’t say anything. Of course, the life is critical. Unless our life is significant, nobody’s gonna hear what we have to say. They just think we’re a bunch of hypocrites. They think that about the church anyway. But if those first Christians had never said anything, they just lived nice lives, we’d never have anything today. If you just live a nice life, people will just think you’re a decent chap. They don’t really know, of course, but that’s what they’ll think. And you want to say, hey, if there’s any difference in my life, it’s because of the difference Jesus Christ has made, and there’s all sorts of ways of doing it. And there’s four ways that I mentioned in this little passage that I’ve read. Verse five, says, they gave witness. And a witness is a very interesting person. He’s not a preacher or anything like that. He’s just somebody who’s seen something and says so. If there was a crash outside here this morning, a couple of cars got wrecked and somebody had been breaking a red light and there was a case brought against that person and you happened to be standing by, you might be pulled in as a witness. You wouldn’t tell a magistrate what he’s got to find in the case, you would simply say, well, sir, I was there. This is what I saw. This is how it appeared to me. And he would then make his own decision. Now that is the word that’s used constantly in the New Testament of every Christian. You cannot be a Christian without being a witness. You may be a silent witness. You may be a bad witness, but you are a witness. If you belong to Jesus Christ, then your life one way or another points to Him. And that simple way of saying I have seen, or I have found is something that’s available to all of us. I have found in a time of great crisis that I don’t know how I’d have coped with it without Jesus Christ. My wife walked out on me, and I found I’d have gone into a spiral of despair unless I’d known Jesus Christ. Just a sentence like that will very often prick somebody’s interest and give you a chance to take it further. It’s very powerful, that personal witness, because, you see people don’t like preachers, we must have done a very bad job, but they love to hear people’s stories. And if you are able to say, hey, I have found, and give your own personal recommendation. That cuts a lot of ice. I don’t know how many people there are in here, but it’d be wonderful, it’d be terrible if you were all preachers. The business of Birmingham would collapse. But if you were all witnesses going out of here, willing and able to say when opportunity makes it appropriate. Yeah. I’ve found Jesus Christ. It’s not just church, it’s a person. He makes a power difference. That’s absolutely wonderful. If you could do that. The tie I am wearing today comes from a rather select club at Oxford University, the top athletes in the university called Vincent’s Club. And, when I was a rector in the city, we did a tremendous amount of work amongst the undergraduates. And you get these enormous great rowers or football players and the best of them got into Vincent’s Club. Well, I happened to be a member myself and so, what we did was two or three times a year, we would have a drinks party there. And the Christians would invite their non-Christian Vincent’s members to come to this thing and I would be the speaker, but I wouldn’t just stand up. I was much older than them. I wouldn’t just stand up and try and talk to them. I’d get the captain of rowing to stand up and say, well, I don’t know much about it, but I know Jesus Christ made a power difference to my life. Michael will tell you about it. And he sits down. And there, you see? See the power of witness. And that gives me street cred to stand up and to get on with it, which I did. And it’s wonderful. It was one patch of carpet. I could show you there today. Where on two successive years, the two successive captains of cricket who are mighty men, I know you don’t play cricket, but nevertheless, it is a great game worldwide. It has far more recognition worldwide than baseball, but don’t tell anyone. And the captain of cricket on this piece of carpet entrusted his life to Christ then and there on two successive occasions like this. So, witness is great. Second word. They held dialogue, verse four, dialogue with the Jews and the Greeks. Not enough of that goes on in the Christian scene, too much preaching, not nearly enough comeback and argy-bargy. What is the truth of this stuff? Can we believe it? Is it credible today? And Paul was doing that. I love debating atheists because they don’t actually have a very strong case although there is an increasing atheistic movement in the United States today, and it’s all over Europe, but the arguments they have are not by any means foolproof. And just recently I did it in the University of Florida, to a man who was a professor and professor of philosophy and of religion. And he was an atheist paid up atheist. And so, we had a tremendous evening and people just piled in afterwards. They wanted to hear more about the Gospel. The next night we had a special meeting for them. Various people came to Christ and others formed an inquiry group to look into it. When I was in Raleigh, North Carolina, we did a similar thing at State University, and they got up their champion and we had a go on the existence of God. And we took the biggest room in the university, and they had a thousand chairs out and I said, that’s not gonna be enough. And so, they put another 250 chairs out. And when the night came, these chairs quickly filled up, from students. Let nobody tell you, students are not interested in issues like that. They are. They filled up. And, then I said, okay, if you’re Christians, get up outta your chair and stand against the wall and give your chair to somebody else. And so that led in another great horde of people. And then, folks started sitting on the floor, right the way up to the podium. And if the fire marshals had come in there would’ve been hell to pay. But they didn’t. And they sent 500 people away and about 1900 crammed into that room and they heard the truth of the Gospel. And the next night we went into the basketball court, and we had over a thousand there to hear the way to Christian faith. You know, there really is a value in holding dialogue. We have not followed cunningly devised fables that’s truth in this stuff. And then the third word that’s used here is they offered teaching, verse 11. He was teaching the Word of God for the whole year. Regular instruction of converts is vital. Yesterday in the Cathedral, we had a call for people to come forward and entrust their lives to Christ and lots of people did. And that was very moving and in Episcopal cathedral, very unusual. But now what’s important is for these people to be properly looked after and cared for. There’s got to be regular instruction. Short courses I’ve been doing in Raleigh, a six-week foundation course on how people could get really their foundations clear as Christians. Courses on marriage much needed when here, I guess that it’s a more than 50% divorce rate in this day and age. And it’s extremely worrying. Short courses on ethical issues, maybe the training of prayer counselors, training in personal evangelism, teaching in Sunday school. There’s that form of opening your mouth, giving witness, holding dialogue, offering teaching. And the last word he mentions here is persuaded. It’s an imperfect in the Greek. He was trying to persuade Jews and Greeks, verse four, trying to convince. There is need for a good apologetic today. There’s nothing apologetic about apologetics. Apologetics is not saying, I’m terribly sorry. It’s the Greek word for giving a good reason for the hope that is within you. I’ve now finished in Raleigh. I’ve just gone back to Oxford University and with Professor Alistair McGrath and John Lennox and various people have been out here. We are training people in apologetics, giving a reason for the hope that is within us. And if you’ve got six weeks that you could spare, we could have you, if you’ve got a year you could spare, we could have you even more. If you had a week on a summer school, you might even enjoy that too. But there do need to be people who, after a challenging talk or a good conversation, can take a friend for a coffee or a beer and sit them down and say, what did you make of that? And then be able to deal one on one with the issues. And it’s much better if you haven’t got a dog collar around your neck. It’s much better if you are just an ordinary person like them. And one speaks from conviction and the other isn’t there yet. It’s a great privilege. These speaking opportunities came for Paul and his friends, and they’ll come for you, as well. And the message that they proclaimed was really very simple. A Paul in these first chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians says he was determined to know nothing amongst them, except Jesus Christ and him crucified. He was saying that the long-awaited Messiah was none other than a crucified carpenter and that this crucified carpenter was the key to all history, to humankind’s past and present and future, Jesus and His cross. He tells us in that same chapter of one Corinthians, how he concentrates on the cross because it challenged the two biggest problems at Corinth. One was all their dilettante intellectualism with all these teachers and the other was their nighttime immorality with all these prostitutes and the cross of Jesus Christ simply cut at the root of both of those. Paul admits that the cross seems foolishness to people who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it’s the very power of God. And it does seem foolishness, doesn’t it? What more ludicrous than to say to sophisticated Greeks or members of Birmingham, for that matter, that God’s wisdom and rescue lay in a despised and executed criminal. What could be more offensive to religious people like the Jews in Corinth, or in Birmingham, then to assert that none of our good deeds can bring us to God, only what the Messiah has achieved in bearing personal responsibility for our wrongdoing, on the cross. And yet those who believed, found this to be the power of God then, and the wisdom of God then, and it still is today. It’s wonderful to see lives being changed. As people come to the cross and say, God, I’ve blown it. Thank goodness for what Jesus done for me. Here I am. I’m at your disposal. That was the life changing message in Corinth. And boy, it still is today. I’ve seen it in every one of the five continents. And I notice also that this encouraging movement at Corinth transformed a variety of types. You’ve got the religious types embodied in Crispus who was the official of the synagogue. To think, now I’ve seen a number of Jewish people come to recognize their Messiah, and when they do, they’re the most enthusiastic followers of Jesus, you could find in a long day’s walk. But this chap Crispus, was the guy that ran the synagogue, and he packed it all in in order to follow Jesus Christ, must have been a very, very gutsy man. Imagine the stir when he and his family became Christians. Well, we’ve actually got a broken lintel stone of the synagogue at Corinth that he ran. “Goge Hebr” is what’s left. [Syna] goge hebr [aion]. The synagogue of the Hebrews, and that was carved into stone. It’s still in Corinth today, a reminder that God can break through even to religious types. And then there was immoral types. Listen to this, Paul writing to the Corinthians, he says, don’t be deceived. Fornicators, idols, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you used to be, but you are washed, you’re sanctified. You’re justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. In other words, a lot of people in the church in Corinth were just scooped up off the waterfront. They’d been people who’d been into all this stuff. They’d been drunk on the sidewalks. They’d been robbing people. Their sexual morality was up the spiral and Jesus had transformed them. Isn’t it wonderful that the Gospel does this? I remember leading a prostitute to Christ one time and taking her around a hospital to bear testimony to Jesus. Wonderful. So, you’d got the immoral types and the religious types, and then you’ve got the business types. In Romans 16:23, we just get a little mention of a man called Erastus. You know, Erastus sends his love at the end of the letter. And we’ve got an interesting inscription in Corinth that says, “Erastus gives gratitude for his treasurer ship of the city and he laid this pavement at his own expense.” Now in the Romans verse, it tells us that Erastus was the treasurer of Corinth. And now you’ve got this inscription that says, I’m very glad to have been treasurer of the city. And I give this to posterity this marble pavement as a mark of my gratitude. I mean, it still happens, doesn’t it? So, the glory of God and in memory of so and so, and so and so, and so and so, and it’s their memory that gets glorified. So, you’ve got the business types. The business community was impacted by this chap and then there’s marginalized people, if I’d read on in Acts 18, there was a bit of a riot in front of the Roman governor, and he couldn’t get interested in these Jewish arguments. And so, they got so frustrated, they turned on this guy Sosthenes who had succeeded Crispus as head of the synagogue, and they scragged him. They beat him up. And poor old Sosthenes had a very painful day with lots of bruises and that in due course led him to Christ. And so, when Paul to the Corinthians, he writes Paul to the church in Corinth and Sosthenes, our brother. Isn’t that delightful? He brings this marginalized Sosthenes into his sharing of the letter to the Corinthians. Clearly the Gospel reached out to all types and it still does today. Don’t just think that it’s only the religious people that are interested. It’s not. Usually, they’re the people that are least interested because they think they’re the cat’s whiskers anyway. It’s the ordinary bloke who doesn’t give a cat’s whistle for God. Those are the people that can respond to your approach. One man, plus God, always a majority. And I noticed, just we’re nearly through, but I noticed a couple of things before I close. One was that all of this required a deep dependence on the Lord. You see, when you read the Acts story, as I’ve read just now, it all looks very impressive. Paul comes in, his mates come, they get a grip of the city, they preach the cross. All sorts of people respond. Woohoo. But behind the scenes, what was Paul thinking? In one Corinthians two verses one to five, he tells us, he says he came to this forbidding city, this vanity fair of the ancient world. He came, he says, in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And we’ll be like that when we get out of our comfort zones and try and do something for the Lord. Along with the gutsy initiative inside there’s fear and trembling. But two things propped him up, not his previous experience, I think, not his eloquence, but the message of the cross. And in that passage, he talks about the power of the Holy Spirit. Once you’ve got Christ inside your life, you’re unstoppable. You’ve got the Spirit of the Creator and the Redeemer of the world living inside you. And that is what props you up when the heart beats a bit faster. And when you think, how on earth am I gonna cope with this situation? Here’s the last thing. This enterprise of Paul’s needed a lot of encouragement, and all new initiatives do. I bet when you started this work amongst men, (a) it was small, (b) you panicked, and (c) it needed a lot of encouragement. It’s always the way. And Paul has encouragement from two sources. First, his friends, when Silas and Timothy arrive from north Greece, Macedonia, Paul got gripped with the Word. The translations that most have he got occupied with preaching. That’s not really what it means. I guess Paul’s own Bible study and prayer got pretty flat. He was on his own, fairly miserable. And then his mates came, hey, Paul, we’ll be up at seven. Let’s get reading the scriptures together. Let’s pray to the good Lord. Let’s sock it to this city. And Paul, his tail begins to wag, and he gets gripped with it all over again. And friends do that to us. God has put you in a marvelous fellowship of men, and I know it’s broken down into small groups and those are the people to whom you can really spill the beans. Really tell how you feel. I mean, women do this, don’t they, they witter-witter-witter and they talk about their feelings. And we don’t talk about our feelings. We’re men, we’re macho. We keep it in, but it’s well worth sharing it with a close group that you can trust because otherwise the stuff goes bad inside us. I remember in this church that I had the privilege of leading in Oxford, we had a lay leadership team of five lay leaders, and we would meet early in the morning like this from time to time. And every one of us has wept amongst his mates on one occasion or another. I think we make the mistake of not getting the value, the full spiritual value of friends, because we don’t tell them what’s going on. Well, anyway, that’s what happened to Paul, and I do commend it. You’ve got groups of friends. Make use of them. And then the other thing was very remarkable. Let me read it to you again. One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, do not be afraid but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you. And no one will a hand on you to harm you for, there are many people in this city who are going to be mine. The Lord loves to encourage people with that other side of the brain. We are probably mainly left brainers here, people with linear thoughts, people who see what the market is, see what the product is, see how one can be taken to the other. Come on, let’s go, with all the initiative for which America is famous and that’s great, but there is another half of our brain, and the artists pick it up. The musicians pick it up, and God made both halves of the brain. And He can not only speak through our reason. He can also speak through mental pictures that come sometimes in the daytime; you have a picture of something. Sometimes at night you have a dream that may come two or three times, and lots of Christians who have these sort of seeings, but they don’t don’t know what to do with them. They’ve never been taught that they’re valuable. I think we need to work for an atmosphere in a group like this, or in a church where people feel unembarrassed to say, do you know, I had a strange dream the other night. It was such and such. I can remember it vividly but having a what it means and somebody else in the group says, huh, well, I think I guessed what it, what it might mean. Try this for size and low and behold, you can sometimes get guidance from God in that way. Of course, it’s risky. And sometimes people have dreams like this because they’ve had too much blue cheese before going to bed, but when God is in it, there’s usually unanimity in the little group about whether it comes from God or not. And it’s always fits with Scripture. Take the words here I am with you, fear not. Those are massive scriptural words, right? From one end of the Bible to the other. So here was a vision that seemed authentic and there are four great words in it that would help us, I think, as we go out into today the last day of the week, thank goodness. One, fear not, for am with you. We may well fear what we have to face today, but He is with us, and He is not going to forsake us. Secondly, speak and do not be silent. That may be a long-range program for you. God wants you to thaw those frozen lips. When the time comes, thirdly, nobody is going to harm you. Oh, they will. They’ll rough you up. They’ll try and beat you down in business. But in the long run, if your life is in the hand of Christ, you are invulnerable until the moment that He whispers in your ear, It’s time to come home. Amen. And finally, there will be fruit. I have much people in this city, much people in Corinth, in Birmingham, who are currently still strangers to God, but who will come through your faithfulness to know him? Well, it was a long haul in Corinth. It involved tussles with the civic authorities and with the religious establishment. And usually new initiatives do face both of those problems. Christian work is never easy, but the words of that vision came true. He is with you as you launch out for Him. Nobody can ultimately harm you. You are in God’s hand and He’s with you. He has many, many people in this city and you’ll find them as you live in warm fellowship, taking initiative, getting involved with non-Christian neighbors. And as you bear witness with joy, press on, be encouraged, hold forth the word of life, shine like a light in society, and God will use you mightily. And remember, that one person plus God is always a majority. Thank you very much. Add grace and understanding to your day with words from Richard E. Simmons III in your inbox. Sign-up for weekly email with the latest blog post, podcast, and quote. Bringing Truth. The Bible The Bible Leadership Leadership Fill out the form to receive wisdom in your inbox from Richard E. Simmons III. I am interested in We’re offering you a free sneak peek of the first chapter of The Power of a Humble Life, from author Richard E. Simmons III. Enter your email below to receive access!	40,791
The 16 German federal states have agreed to scrap both masks and mass testing in primary and secondary schools in the coming months, signalling a return to normality for millions of children. Masks and mass testing to be phased out in German schools At a meeting of state education ministers on Friday in Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein, it was decided that children will no longer be required to wear masks in classrooms after April 2, according to a report in Bild. The ministers also agreed to gradually phase out the regular testing of children, regardless of whether they have symptoms of coronavirus or not, in May. “None of us can say what will happen in autumn” Announcing the decision, the state education minister for Hesse, Alexander Lorz, said that it was time to let children return to a normal teaching environment. However, he warned that the situation might worsen once again after the summer holidays, as the country heads into the colder months, saying, “None of us can say what will happen in the autumn.” Some states are already pressing ahead with plans to loosen restrictions in schools, with Lower Saxony having announced back in February that it would begin to phase out the requirement to wear a mask in classrooms. Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies By clicking subscribe, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy. For more information, please visit this page. Author Abi studied History & German at the University of Manchester. She has since worked as a writer, editor and content marketeer, but still has a soft spot for museums, castles...	1,717
Most historians would agree that The legend of Santa Claus was inspired by the life of a real man, St. Nicholas. Let’s take a look at the life of St. Nicholas, and the events that led from St. Nicholas’s life to the make believe world and life of Santa Claus: •St. Nicholas is born. •He was ordained Bishop at a very young age. •He spent his life helping the poor and underprivileged. •He loved children and often went out at night disguised in a hooded cloak, to leave necessary gifts of money, clothing or food at the windows of unfortunate families. •He is known for helping many, using his wealth for others not for himself. •St. Nicholas died on the 6th December. •There was an elaborate Basilica built over his tomb, and dedicated to the saint. •The Saxons brought the custom of giving human characteristics to the weather elements. They would dress up in pointed cap and cloak or cape, and draped with Ivy, to represent the Season. •The Vikings brought with them their beliefs of deities and their main god Odin, who in the guise of his December character came to earth dressed in a hooded cloak, to sit and listen to his people and see if they are contented or not. He carried a bag of goods he distributed to the needy or worthy. He had long white hair and a long white beard. •The custom of giving fruit and cookies to children on December 6th to celebrate the saint came around. 987AD •Nicholas became Patron Saint of Russia •His deeds were famous at this point, and many groups had adopted him as their saint, including: Sailors; Children; Spinsters; Pawnbrokers. •As patron saint of sailors, his effigy was the figurehead of many ships, and thus he spread across the seas to Britain, (and later to the New World). •Italian Merchants steal the bones of St. Nicholas and take them to Italy. This was unofficially approved by the Church, as at this time the Universal Church has split into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. The Roman Church felt that the bones of this most popular of saints should be in their safe keeping. •Life of St. Nicholas was written by a Norman monk named Jean. •Nuns in Belgium and France started a tradition of giving gifts to the children of the poor, and those in their care, on the Saints Feast Day, the 6th of December. •The characteristics of Odin, and his white beard were superimposed over the saint, turning him from a short dark beareded man, to a white bearded man. At this same time the Germanic countries included the idea that he came down from the mountains dressed in furs and skins welcoming winter. And in Scandanavia they believed this same character would herd the reindeer down to lower pastures, as a sign winter was coming. Thus formulating the first ideas of the popular Santa icon we know today. •More than 700 churches in Britain were dedicated to St. Nicholas and all over Europe, street parades were held led by a man dressed in Bishops robes and Mitred hat, riding a horse, on the feast of St. Nicholas, in the late middle ages. •In Britain, the parishes would hire someone to dress in long hooded guise, and go to each home leaving a small gift and taking back any important news of the needy to the priests. •A fleet of ships, led by the ‘GOEDE VROWE’ (Goodwife), which had a figurehead of St. Nicholas, left Holland for the New World (America). They purchased some land and called it ‘NEW AMSTERDAM’ (now New York), and erected a statue in the square to St. Nicholas. (an interesting side note, New York was purchased for $24.) •Christmas was banned in England. The traditional mumming plays were visited by Father Christmas, who issued a taunting challenge to the government. “In comes I, Old Father Christmas, Be I welcome or be I not, I hope that Christmas will ne’er be forgot” And, from the 17th – 19th century it was the country mummers plays which kept Father Christmas alive in Britain. •New Amsterdam was won by the British, who named it New York. They tore down the St. Nicholas statue, but later accepted his festival. •St. Nicholas first made the news in the New York Gazette which referred to him as otherwise known as St. A. Claus. •American writer, Washington Irving, described St. Nicholas in his ‘History of New York’. •The New York Historical Society held the first official St. Nicholas celebration, and along with this came the production of the first portrait of St. Nicholas in the USA, and a full description of his characteristics. •A man and poet, Reverend Clement Moore, who knew much of European folklore made up a poem about Santa where he gathered together all the elements of European lore and more, and added them to the descriptions the Historical Society set. This became the framework of the Santa we know now. •His poem was called ‘A visit from St. Nicholas ‘ or ‘The night before Christmas’. •Thomas Nast did a political cartoon of Santa entitled ‘Santa in Camp’, for Harpers Weekly Journal. •Thomas Nast continued to draw Santa Claus every year. During this same time Britain was importing illustrations and cards depicting Santa Claus from Germany. However, he was unlike the Santa of America. He was tall and athletic and stern, not jolly, short or fat. 1860s •The English custom of a visit from Father Christmas was revived. He once again left gifts for children in their stockings. The image of Santa in Europe was varied. 1870s •Santa Claus began to appear in Department stores in the USA and Canada as a marketing tool. •Louis Prang of Boston published the first American Christmas Card. Showing Santa Claus much with a softer, gentler look that was more the saintly old gent than the jolly old elf. 1890s •Father Christmas began to appear in English Stores. •Norman Rockwell created a blend of saintly and jolly, with his Santa for the Saturday Evening Post. •Coca Cola began their major promotion using Santa to promote their drink. Their artist, Haddon Sundblom created the image of Santa we think of today. •Department Stores added train rides, sleigh rides, trip to the moon and elaborate animated scenes to their Santa to give him more life. mid-1950s 1980s •Most of the old traditions of Santa the gift bringer gave way to the American version of the jolly old man.	6,595
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So, whenever you need emergency repair services or vehicle maintenance, you can be confident in the skills of our mechanics. Get in touch with Quality Mobile Service the next time your vehicle needs servicing. You won’t find a more reliable and affordable company that offers emergency road service Beltway 8. More than 1. 2 million vehicles are on the roads in Houston. The city is home to six professional sports team.s Houston holds the world’s largest livestock show in the world. To learn more about Houston, visit here. Log in Comments feed Auto repair shouldn’t be a hassle, and that’s why we started our mobile mechanic service! When your car needs work or maintenance, Proficient Auto will send an ASE certified technician to repair your vehicle ON LOCATION, providing a superior level of customer service, parts, and repair for an affordable price without sacrificing quality.	6,623
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. published 27 May 2016 (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) Shutter Island deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) at Netflix (opens in new tab) If this is a first viewing: From the first ominous notes of the film score, Shutter Island invites you into its own nightmare. Grab your trench and a pack of smokes and become the silent partner, investigate the nooks and crannies, entrench yourself in the story. Gather goosebumps as bold as the film’s colors against the dulls and blacks of film noir, just as harrowing as in Schindler’s List, but maybe more chilling, because the audience has no way of understanding why certain colors must stand out. Move to Paragraph (1). If this is a later viewing: Maybe more satisfying the second time around, watch the puzzle pieces fall together from the first moments of the film. It’s like re-watching The Usual Suspects. There’s certainly more to think about, although unlike Suspects, Shutter Island may not be quite as re-watchable after the second time. Look to the side characters, they’re more compelling than Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels, who steals the spotlight the first time around. Pay close attention to Mark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule and Ted Levine as the Warden. They don’t disappoint. Move to Paragraph (1) (1) Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are U.S. Marshalls who have been commissioned to Shutter Island, an island that houses a mental asylum for the criminally insane. The two men have been sent to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando, a female prisoner who has recently escaped. When the two men, who have never worked together before, reach the island, men are already combing the bluffs for evidence of the missing woman. Things get weird almost immediately when the two men confront the heads of the facility -- Dr. Crawley (Ben Kingsley) and Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow) -- who inform them that Rachel Solando had “evaporated, straight through the walls” of her concrete cell. Furthermore, the doctors won’t allow the two Marshalls anywhere near the patient’s medical records. As the evening weather forces the investigation to a halt, Daniels begins to wonder what the doctors are hiding. Move to Paragraph (2). (2)What never seemed like a tight-knit story begins to unravel further. We find that Teddy dreams nightly about his dead wife, Dolores (Michelle Williams), while also being haunted by his experiences in World War II at the concentration camp Dachau. As doors open up into Teddy’s mind, they also open up to the island itself, as rumors are brought to the surface, as people reappear and disappear, as stories change to suit the moment, and the audience is asked again and again to dive into the murk with no idea when he or she will be able to breathe again. On Shutter Island, nothing is as it seems. If first-time viewer move to paragraph (4). If a repeat viewer move to paragraph (3). (3) On Shutter Island, nothing is as it seems, especially upon second viewing. When the two Marshalls reach the island, Teddy has a brief conversation with Deputy Warden McPherson. Teddy looks around, noticing odd glances from the other on-site police and says, “You boys seem a little on edge, Mr. McPherson.” In a perfectly delivered line McPherson answers, “Right now we all are.” From this moment, innocuous lines become warning signs, double entendres, and satisfying aha! moments for the repeat viewer. Questions that almost seem to be plot holes become satisfying conclusions. The what’s up with Mark Ruffalo’s acting, why are the colors so vivid in memories of a fire and a concentration camp. Questions about the world now seem obvious. It’s so satisfying to hold these keys that it’s easy to see why Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle kept at it for so long. Move to Paragraph (5), unless you want to hear a rendition of how the music and imagery in this movie already made you feel. (4) The first scene opens with music that will be prevalent throughout the film. It is conspicuous, offensive, it is music that is easy to hate but that can’t be kept out of your head. The music is like the imagery, is like the unexpectedly hazy dialogue and the dark rooms with corners too scary to hide in, where monsters, crazies, and ultimately answers lurk. Embrace the chaos and find the charm -- c’mon, it’ll be like selling your soul to learn to play the guitar. The charm of this movie, if it can be called charm, is that it capably takes over all of the senses. Goosebumps, pounding hearts, and maybe even covered ears are all part of the package, ladies and gentlemen, and sweet dreams are far away in the haze of the future. In return, you’ll receive not only a thrill, but an education in old-school filmmaking techniques and a glimpse at acting within acting. Move to Paragraph (5). (5) Let me tell you a story: Once upon a time, the cast of Shutter Island had to brave continual bad weather and the setbacks that accompanied this weather. Satellites were consulted; plans were changed daily, and yet invariably plans would be spoiled. According to an interview with filmfolio.com, there was one day where DiCaprio was filming with Jackie Earle Haley, and he had to deliver the line, “You’ve got to let it go.” Scorsese talks about how you can see how strained DiCaprio is in that scene, how the whole conversation with Haley’s character comes across as perfectly acted when really it is perfectly realistic. Results come at a price. Move to Paragraph (6). (6) Let me tell you another story: One of the main criticisms of this film I’ve heard is that it is too long. Plus the pacing is slow, which can make this film seem interminable if an audience isn’t prepared. I haven’t read the Dennis Lehane novel Shutter Island is based on, but from hearsay, writer Laeta Kalogridis adhered to it faithfully. Because she had to. The problem with adapting a complicated book is that if you go too far right you may end up dead at the base of a cliff. But if you go too far left, cut out too much, you’ll end up with a confusing film that may actually drive its audience crazy. Against all odds (including bad weather!) Shutter Island ends up balancing…almost evenly. Perhaps it’s better off that way. After all, what would the world of Shutter Island be like if it weren’t a little off balance? If a repeat viewer, move to paragraph (7). (7) A good ending always keeps the reader guessing, but, in case you were wondering, those rats are real. No special features. I’ve heard the blu-ray disc has a couple of interviews, but the regular disc lacks everything but the standard awful-looking big budget previews. Shutter Island deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) at Netflix (opens in new tab) Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. 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Texas Tech Red Raiders QB Shough Shines In First Start Since Season Opener - LLODO - Education and technology Skip to secondary menu Skip to primary sidebar LLODO - Education and technology Find your international education - university and college study education programs, student Exam, and course information. Texas Tech Red Raiders QB Shough Shines In First Start Since Season Opener 11/14/2022 by admin Leave a Comment Texas Tech may be 5-5, but the Red Raiders are undefeated this season when senior quarterback Tyler Shough gets the start. Shough made his second start of the year against Kansas on Saturday and looked like the field general who had won the job coming into the fall. Had he not suffered a shoulder injury in Tech’s first game of 2022, Shough’s only other start this season, the Raiders’ record might look a little different than it does currently. The Red Raiders started hot behind Shough’s veteran leadership, scoring 17 points in the first quarter. That’s their highest scoring first quarter all season, an area which has plagued Tech. Head coach Joey McGuire has acknowledged their sluggish starts and now, it looks like Shough may be the remedy for those problems. It’s been a quarterback carousel all season, but Shough should be the starter until the final curtain call. The senior completed 20 of his 33 pass attempts against the Jayhawks for 246 yards and a touchdown, adding 76 rush yards and a score with his legs as well. Shough wasn’t the only Red Raider motoring the Tech offense forward, though. Texas Tech’s run game was firing on all cylinders on Saturday, as the Raiders combined for 264 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. If ball carriers like SaRodorick Thompson, Cam’Ron Valdez, and Tahj Brooks hadn’t taken the majority of Kansas’ defensive focus, Shough wouldn’t have had nearly the performance that he did. Kansas did some damage of their own via the rushing attack too, though, as Jayhawks running back Devon Neal got dangerously close to 200 yards on the night (190 rush yds). Tech’s defense may have given up some big plays, but they held fast when it counted, stopping two Kansas drives in the red zone, both of which resulted in missed field goals. If the Jayhawks turn those two scoreless possessions into touchdowns, this would have been a dramatically different ball game. Really, this is the only way that this Texas Tech formula works. The defense is good enough to make some key stops, but points will be scored. That’s not an issue if the Raider offense puts up over 40 of their own points, though. That hasn’t happened much this year. In fact, this is only the third time Tech has surpassed the 40-point mark, and only the second instance against an FBS program. With only a couple of weeks left, and then a potential bowl game, Tech should focus on getting out to fast starts in each of their remaining contests. They came into the Kansas game averaging only six points per first quarter, but if they can bump that up to 10+ points, this Red Raider team may have something to show in the season’s home stretch.	3,174
Read - Allows Project Member to only see Submittal Packages that they are listed as the Reviewing Company (To), Project Manager (From), or Submitting Company of the package within the section or subfolder that they are assigned the read permission It is important to note that assigning a Project Member as the Submitting Company to a Submittal Item will not grant access to the package with Read Permissions This assignment is to allow it to print on the Submittal Item print that is available. Write - Allows the Project Member to create new submittal folder and Submittal Packages Delete - Allows the Project Member to delete Submittal Items, Packages, and Folders Read All - Allows Project Member to ALL Submittal Packages in the section or subfolder, regardless if they are listed in the package. When the read all permission is used with the Read Permission, it removes the requirement of being listed as the Reviewing Company (To), Project Manager (From), or Submitting Company of the package in order to see the package. Did you find it helpful? Yes No Sorry we couldn't be helpful. Help us improve this article with your feedback. We use cookies to try and give you a better experience in Freshdesk Support Desk. You can learn more about what kind of cookies we use, why, and how from our Privacy Policy. If you hate cookies, or are just on a diet, you can disable them altogether too. Just note that the Freshdesk Support Desk service is pretty big on some cookies (we love the choco-chip ones), and some portions of Freshdesk Support Desk may not work properly if you disable cookies. We’ll also assume you agree to the way we use cookies and are ok with it as described in our Privacy Policy, unless you choose to disable them altogether through your browser.	1,838
The store was brown with a sagging wooden floor, bottles of Heinz, dusty cans of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, candy. My uncle’s house was down the road from the store. His house was historic and told stories with its low bannisters and cellar kitchen, windows on pulleys. Tall grass hills surrounded the house and went along the road that led to the store. I may have planned my escape. But as I stood at the end of the driveway, change in my pocket, a pull of independence called me off the property and my legs were moving for me. The effect was sudden. I stayed along the side of the road. I don’t think I told anyone I was leaving but I could hear them. The adults were at the picnic table in the backyard under the big tree. My sisters and cousin were in the barn. I stared at the long grassy hills as I walked, the change in my pocket making noise, feeling the pull to return to the house but pushing against it by ignoring the noise and moving forward. When I got to the store, I walked across the front porch and wandered the shelves first. I loved stores. In stores, I used my own money, bought my own candy, gum. But in this store, there really wasn’t too much to examine, so I headed to the candy selection. With change, wanting to buy as much as I possibly could, I needed to use math in my head to figure out exactly what I could get. I bought Bazooka for two pennies each with the leftover money. I was disappointed they didn’t have Double-Bubble. I waited to pay, with the owner somewhere else, and that was when I became aware of the jeans and white T-shirt nearby, looking at the magazines by the door. I could see his blue banana bike outside, parked with the kickstand. I paid and carried the candy in a little brown bag and went to the front porch. The boy was on his bike outside. He turned around and looked at me. I knew to get on. He did the pedaling and I stuck out my feet. There was some balance issues but we settled in. I held onto his white T-shirt arms, and I wondered if he chopped wood. His hair was brown and the back of his neck was tan. When he stopped the bike in front of our house, I got off. We didn’t say a word. He pedaled away. For the afternoon, I considered him my boyfriend. Sharing is Groovy Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to print (Opens in new window) Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Follow Circa '77 by Email! I only post once a month, like rent. Fun stories and thoughts for a smile.	2,749
The sinkhole at Mammoth does not only contain fossils of mammoths. Other large animals did occasionally slide down the slippery slopes and become trapped inside, but the excavations conducted so far have indicated that such events were comparatively rare. Many of the other mammals and scavengers that resided in the area, having in general paws and claws, were more likely to be able to scramble their way out of the hole if they did end up inside it than the mammoths with their flat, poorly gripping feet. One notable exception is a truly rare find indeed, the bones of one Arcdotus Simus, the giant short-faced bear. He wasn’t lightly termed a giant; this fifteen-hundred pound beast stood twelve feet on his hind legs, while his height at the shoulder when he was on all fours matched that of a human. This brutish fellow makes the modern-day black and grizzly bears (shown below on the left) look perfectly cuddly by comparison. Indeed, it puts one in mind of other Ice Age creatures, like the saber-toothed cat, which was similarly a bigger and far nastier version of the modern-day mountain lion. What an amazing continent this must have been, in the days of the Ice Age! It’s difficult to imagine creatures of such size and ferocity living alongside humans – perhaps because they don’t anymore. It’s even hypothesized that it was not climate or habitat change, but man himself that directly caused the extinction of the oversized animals that were once plentiful upon the North American continent. Is it a coincidence that many of these species – which could have had few natural predators – went into decline with the arrival of human hunters? There have in human history been numerous cultures that derived a majority of their sustenance from a single species like the mammoth, which could provide not only food, but clothing and shelter as well. Witness, for example, the mammoth bone houses built by ancient tribes of the Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic: Imagine how eerie it feels to the modern person, accustomed to walls of wood or stone, to sit in the barely penetrable darkness surrounded by hundreds of bones of long-dead creatures, the sounds from outside the hut muffled by the skins covering the enclosure. To the ancients who lived in such places, one must have been continually reminded of what a gift the mammoth was to the humans who hunted it, of how tremendously its death could improve the lives of those who sought it. But one can imagine, too, how too much dependence on a single species could ultimately lead to the failure of a culture or a people. Many animal species have been hunted to their ultimate demise; however, probably countless more have become extinct indirectly, owing to loss of habitat, to man’s “conquest” of the environment. And it is not the only so-called lesser animals that are vulnerable to losing their livelihood in this manner. The Plains Indians provide a classic example of a similar disaster befalling humans. For ultimately it was not the war against the Indians that defeated the Indians; it was the vanishing of the buffalo, the reduction of their range, the wholesale slaughter of herds for their furs. Without the buffalo, the people of the Plains had no means of making a living on the land for which they fought. In his lack of regard for animal, man once again destroyed man. There was a final exhibit at the Mammoth Site concerning recent newsworthy finds, particularly in Russia, of carcasses of mammoths found frozen and nearly intact, so well-preserved by the frost, in fact, that the meat was still good. This represents a fascinating development in the study of archaeology, for it is my prediction that as global warming continues and previously glacialized areas are exposed, we will discover more and more bodies of Ice Age creatures that have been cryogenically preserved down through the ages. Indeed, areas like Russia, much of which is, and historically has been, wilderness, are likely rife with such remnants long ago buried in snow and in ice. There have been no visitors to disturb them, no people to poach the tusks, no dogs to drag away the bones. But in spite of the immeasurable boon to science, I fear it will be but a small comfort, as the ice around the earth melts away, if we uncover the remains of long-lost creatures that flourished during the last Ice Age and are able to study them. For much as we may admire the creatures who came before, their bones and flesh can only serve as a grim reminder of the extremes of which our planet is capable, and of what can happen to species that are ill-prepared to adapt to drastic shifts in the weather. If you would like to see more photos from my cross-country travels, please follow my new Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/lorilschafer/. For updates on my forthcoming memoir The Long Road Home, which I am drafting during this road trip, please follow my blog or subscribe to my newsletter. This entry was posted in Travel and tagged archaeology, books, giant short-faced bear, global warming, Ice Age, landscapes, mammoth bone houses, Mammoth Site, mammoths, memoir, Plains Indians, reading, road, road trip, roadtrip, South Dakota, The Long Road Home, travel, United States of America (Country) on September 14, 2014 by lorilschafer. 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Did you recently saw someone in a dream? Maybe somebody you know? Or somebody you never met in your life? It may have been a fantastic experience or perhaps the worst one! Whatever it was, it has a hidden meaning that you need to know. Dream about people is really common since that’s what we see every day. But what really weird about such a dream is its sense of reality. Seeing someone in a dream and any further action(talking to them, going with them, etc.) seems too real. It’s like you are really meeting that person. Even the talk, reaction, emotions, touch, everything feels real. Sometimes, it can get harder to believe what you are seeing, but what you are seeing maybe something you want in real life! Like, I remember going on a date with my crush in the dream. And well, even though it was just a dream, it didn’t feel like one when I was in there. So, what does dreaming about somebody mean? Well, it can mean a lot of things, but all those things are related to “YOU.” Why? Because there can be hundreds of people in your dream that may change, but you always remain there. Therefore, the dream revolves around you, and YOUR feelings, emotions, personality, relationship, and stuff. It can be any of them, but before I go in-depth, I would recommend you take a note of your dream. It would help you fully interpret later on. If you just saw a dream and woke up in disbelief, then, you need to note it somewhere right now. Otherwise, you will forget 90% of it till morning. The detail of the dream is as important as the story. You can record your voice or video if you don’t like writing. While you can record anything and everything, here are a few questions you must answer. Who was the person? Do you know them? What was their name? Did they introduce themselves, saying a name in dream? Did that person is someone you recently saw/met in waking life? What was their reaction(Angry, calm, loving, etc.) in dream? What were they wearing? Was there only a single person or group? Were they talking/interacting with you? Did you go somewhere with the person? Once you are done answering them, it will be much easier to interpret your dream. But before I move one, I should give the general meaning of such a dream. Why? Because most people don’t remember most of the dream. Believe it or not, but a vast majority don’t remember the events of the dream except the fact that they saw somebody. For them, a general interpretation should be there. Generally, someone in a dream portrays your feelings, qualities, personality, and emotions in waking life. Their presence may point to your feelings or relationship with them. Now, let’s talk about what does someone in dream means. – Seeing your Crush Seeing someone dead in dream What does it mean when you dream about someone? Is it true that when you dream about someone they dream about you? What does it mean when you dream about someone you love? If you saw a person you recently met or somebody you are very close to, like, your lover, best friend, parents, etc. then it points to YOUR area of attachment. Now, the attachment differs from person to person, and as I said, the interpretation revolves around YOU. So, for instance, if you saw your lover, then it points to your love aspect, i.e., how loving and caring you are. Further, if you saw fighting with them, it signifies your anger, irritation, and rage. Maybe you are turning to a short-tempered person or one that gets annoyed easily. Your fight with them doesn’t signify having a real fight; instead, it says you lack the calm and happy aspect you had. Apart from that, it can also mean that there is something in you that your partner doesn’t like at all. Maybe a habit or something that they want you to get rid of, but you don’t/can’t. It can be your addiction or maybe your laziness or perhaps your joblessness, etc. It can also be something you don’t know about. Perhaps they never told you about that, but really what you to change. Your dream is a signal to really look into what your partner wants. – Seeing your Crush If in your dream, you saw your crush and there was nobody but you two, then the interpretation depends on what happened next. If you were shy to approach them, then it shows your introvert or shy nature. It’s saying that your nature will stop your progress, not only in a relationship but in other areas as well. Whereas, if you approached them without any fear, then it shows your good confidence level. If instead, the crush approached you, then there is something you love of yourself, which you think everybody else loves too. Maybe your intelligence, smartness, cuteness, way of talking, etc. Upon approach, if your crush said YES(i.e., she loves/likes you too), then it signifies your confidence, respect, and acceptance. Before you get thrilled with this dream, well, it wasn’t literal. Don’t think she will say YES in waking life as well, sorry, but it doesn’t mean that. If instead, she rejected you, then it shows your insecurities, lack of confidence, and your sense of rejection. It may say that you are feeling too low, which you shouldn’t. This list can go long, so let me continue other people in the interpretation of Family & Acquaintance. If dream is a stage, then all the people there are actors. With that being said, these people portray something. Earlier, we talked about attachment and what it can mean. Now, we will look at another meaning, i.e., Emotions. There are people in everybody’s life that trigger an emotion. You feel different when they are close. The same rule applies in the dream; instead, here, it’s not about the feelings for others but yourself. You may dream about someone you know or may not, but here, the only thing that matters is your feelings when they are around. If you see a person and feel a sense of love, then it can mean two things. If the person is known, then it represents your love for yourself, but if the person is a complete stranger, it means there are some things you love about yourself but don’t know about them. Similarly, if you come across a person you hate or feel irritated around, then it shows your hatred. Maybe it’s a sign that you are feeling irritated or a sense of hate in your waking life. Maybe something happened that is causing it, but your dream is a sign that these feelings are just not right for you. Sometimes, the dreams show reverse emotions, i.e., it shows people according to the emotions in your waking life. So, if you are stressed or feeling down in your waking life, then it shows people that are the reason for your stress. OR you might see people that have earlier caused you similar emotions. The point here is that you must let go of these negative emotions. Just take it as motivation that if those people didn’t last, how on earth will these emotions will. So, take a deep breath, let go of any negative emotions. Similarly, if you are happy in your waking life, then you may see the ones that are reasons for that. OR you may see the ones that made you the happiest person. That can be your ex at some point in life. So, you may see your ex, and become confused about whether it shows the love aspect, happiness, or the hurt that was caused when they left. Of course, it can be confusing, but remember your emotion in waking life. The third possibility is to see the person causing the emotion at a particular moment. Here, the emotions are different than love, hate, and irritation. These are care, nurture, good times, etc. Such a dream only has the people highly valuable in your life, like your parents, family, best friends, etc. If you were recently missing your good times, then your dream may take you to that moment. You go to the exact place, with exact surroundings, just like reincarnation. It feels incredible, but weird too. Similarly, you may dream of sleeping in your mom’s lap as a kid, and others. Such a dream is just a sign of missing. In every dream you see someone, it’s related to YOU. But one common thing in all is that you are YOU. You see from your own eyes what all is happening. But sometimes the dream can be weird. Weird enough to see yourself in the dream. Now, there can be many versions of it, but the meaning is the same for all, i.e., Self Introspection. If you see yourself, i.e., your body in your dream, it says that you understand yourself better, more than ever, things you never knew are now being revealed—your likes, dislikes, life path, important questions, etc. Maybe you are connecting to the almighty subconscious mind. Or you understand your soul, well, it depends on the dream. If you saw yourself from somebody else’s body, it shows empathy. It shows how you see everyone’s vision, which might be a sign that you are becoming a good leader. But if instead of a body, you saw yourself from a soul(can be anyone), then it signifies that you are listening to your soul. It shows you are doing what you should and is a sign that you must keep doing it. On the other hand, it’s also a sign that you must listen to your soul(if you aren’t). Maybe you are stuck in some decision or really thinking of doing something, but are procrastinating. Finally, if you saw yourself dead from your soul, then don’t take it literally. It doesn’t symbolize your death; instead, it represents your transformation to a new person. This is the continuation of “Your Attachment towards them.” Earlier, we talked about other people, but let’s talk about seeing your Family & Acquaintance and what they mean. Let’s start with your father. If you were recently missing your father and saw them in the dream, then it simply means you are missing them. The same goes for your Mother, brother, and sister, but only if you saw them. If anything else happened, then its meaning changes a bit. If you saw your father in a dream and he was giving some life lessons (or motivation), then it can point to two things. Either you are feeling low, or your life is leading in the wrong direction. Maybe you are doing something you shouldn’t or don’t want to do, or are going through a lot. Your father is your strongest hero that points at your strength. It might be saying that you are losing strength amid a hard time, which you shouldn’t. If you saw your mother, then it shows the empathy, love, and caring aspect of you. If your mother was happy and loving, then it means you are a loving person or are being one. But if your mom was angry or sad, then its just a representation of your emotions in the waking life. If she was angry, it represents that your anger may part you from the dearest people in your life, so you must control it. And if she was sad, it means you are going through something terrible, or you are indulged in something you shouldn’t. Particularly something that you never thought you would. Whereas seeing brother or sister is a sign of your closeness to people, i.e., you may love being with others. If, however, you aren’t close to your brother/sister, then it shows you are going away from someone. Maybe you are going away from yourself, i.e., you are becoming a person that you never was or never thought you would ever be. Seeing your acquaintances has a similar meaning as everything revolves around you. Seeing them approaching you either shows how lonely you are or how popular you are, nothing in between. It can also show that you expect other people to talk to you. If, however, you approached them, then it shows your down to earth nature, and that you didn’t underestimate anyone. If the person brought a stranger with them and you all began talking, then it means you have something working gossiping. Or you think you have something that everybody will be talking about. Maybe your new car, or beautiful partner, etc. However, if you become invisible or felt ignored in that conversation, then it indicates that you feel worthless or ignored in real life. Maybe you are thinking too much about what others may think, instead of just doing it. Or you are doing through a difficult patch in life, can be anything. It can also be that you are depressed, thinking about one thing. If the acquaintance was far, but the stranger approached you, then it symbolises your emotions that you don’t understand. More like mood swings or something that cause a sudden change in your emotions. If amid the conversation you wanted to run off(escape the group), then it means you are indulging too much in something. Maybe you are working too much, so your dream is telling you to rest a bit. Finally, if you dreamed of some older person, like your Grandpa or Grandma, it means you are becoming wiser or have a desire to be wiser. Seeing someone dead in dream Seeing someone dead in a dream which is alive in the waking life is the fearest dream of all. Not only is it horrifying but also unbelievable enough to make you numb, especially if it was someone close to you. You may even wake up screaming in the middle of the night. But before you outburst in tears, let me tell you, that it doesn’t point to the actual death of that person. There are, of course, some dreams that kind of give you a sneak peek about the future(rare ones), but that doesn’t mean your dreams will always be real. Instead, what it really means is change and growth. Since death is a sign of end and beginning, it can point to some new beginning or an end in your life(i.e., something will change). Maybe your relationship ends, or you quit the job, or maybe you begin learning something, etc. In simple words, it says that some change is gonna happen, either it will be the end of something or beginning. However, if you saw a demised person, then it can have different meanings. If you look closely, we only dream of dead peoples close to us. Never have I seen anyone dreaming of their dead neighbor or acquaintance, etc., because we don’t share a strong bond with them. So, the most straightforward meaning is what we call the visitation dream. It is believed that dead people often visit their nearer people via dreams, so seeing one can mean that you actually spent time with them. If they told you something, like some advice, then implement it, because they are far from the mundane world and know what’s right for you. Especially if they were parents, follow what they said. If they didn’t say anything just came in there, then it can point that you were missing them, so they decided to appear. Some theories even say that dead people often reveal their secrets in the dream, but that’s only(mostly) if the person was murdered, suicided, or had a sudden death. They can give you some precious insight or some perspective. If you ever had such a dream, don’t take it as a joke. I remember my mom having a dream about her father saying – “Never worry or feel alone, I’m always here for you.” After that and some other similar incident, I believe that theory. What does it mean when you dream about someone? Generally, someone in a dream portrays your feelings, qualities, personality, and emotions in waking life. Their presence may point to your feelings or relationship with them. But there are a lot of other meanings too that I have listed have, just take a look at them. Is it true that when you dream about someone they dream about you? It can be possible, but not certainly true. Usually, dreaming about someone signifies something about you, maybe your emotion, personality, feelings, etc. That, however, doesn’t mean the other person will also dream about you. If something like that happens, then it means you are missing that person or some memory associated with them. What does it mean when you dream about someone you love? It can either mean you are missing your lover, OR it points to the love aspect of you i.e. how and caring you are. In this article, I talked about what does it means to dream about someone. People often dream about someone, and it can be confusing, but my article will help you understand its meaning. If you want to share your dream, do comment below. Hey there, I’m Olivia, and I’ve been studying dreams and their interpretations for the last 15 years. It first began as a question to interpret my dream, but the more I read, the more I realized that dreams are way more than just random pictures. Read more about Olivia here.	16,982
I got my rejection on Monday. It was polite and said it’s not what their looking for at the moment. Fair enough. Their other novels are similar but mine didn’t make the cut. For those who’ve never done this, it usually takes months before you hear back from a publisher. I forwarded the instant response to a writer friend of mine who gave me a reason that made sense, although it took me a few days to realise her analysis may be right. I initially thought it was because I don’t live in North America. This publisher has a focus on promotion, as other authors I know released through them are encouraged to constantly be on social media. Or at least respond on socials in a timely manner. There’s a major time difference between the US and Australia, so I thought that may be the problem. But I did something foolish with the summary I submitted. Again, for those who’ve never done this, you must submit a summary that includes the main thread of the story, including the ending. I had one from a previous submission and deleted the detailed ending. I thought, as they are going to read the manuscript anyway, they’ll have a nice surprise at the way it finishes up. I can already hear experienced authors groan. After my friend read both my submission and the rejection, she said ‘perhaps your ending that isn’t happy enough for an American publisher.’ My shortened summary made my story sound like it had an unexpected horror ending to a tale that obviously isn’t horror. Yes, really stupid of me. The novel itself has a hopeful ending. Now, I can’t be sure this is why I was quickly rejected, but from now on, I’ll make sure my summarised plot tells the whole story. Related CategoriesOccasional Blog Tagsauthor, novel, submission, submissions, writing, writing life 3 Replies to “I got a rejection email within a day.” 24 Aug 2020 at 2:46 am Maybe it was the synopsis, maybe not. I get rejected for not being in the US too. I’m not in the UK either, and a lot of the UK agencies do say they prefer to work closely with their authors(so there you go, rejected by location and the ms or the query letter doesn’t even need to be read). Not all agents ask for a full synopsis though, and since I too, feel the synopsis ruin the story, I usually query the agents who don’t ask for it. There are a lot of big literary agencies in Australia, and they’ll give Australians priority. 24 Aug 2020 at 12:06 pm Thanks Jina. I’m currently waiting back to hear from a few others regarding the same manuscript. And I understand that for a publisher, it’s easier if their authors are in the same country for promotional and personal appearance purposes. 1 Sep 2020 at 12:47 pm Oh no Kev. It was a quick response. At least it wasn’t a waste but as they say in sales, one step closer. Good luck mate.	2,906
Home articles Campaigns & Elections Robert Kuttner on the State of the Democratic Party and Progressive Politics Robert Kuttner on the State of the Democratic Party and Progressive Politics A long-time student of the Democratic Party talks about the left's current strengths and weaknesses. by David Callahan February 23, 2021 I got my first real job after college when I was hired in 1989 to work at The American Prospect, which had just launched. It was a dark time for progressives. Republicans had cruised to victory in a third straight presidential election. The Democratic Party was deeply demoralized and there were no strong social movements on the left. Fast-forward to the present, and it is night and day. Never before in my lifetime has there been so much progressive energy, whether you’re looking at the world of activism or think tanks or media. Even worker organizing is enjoying a Renaissance, as a new labor movement scores some big victories, like passing a ballot initiative in Florida last November raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. As for the Democratic Party, while it is far from dominant today and struggles to win elections in many places, I cannot recall a time when the party felt more like the vehicle of a true political movement. There’s so much going on these days in the progressive world that it can be hard to get your arms around it and see the big picture. So I was excited when Robert Kuttner recently published a lengthy and insightful article on Democratic politics and the progressive movement in The American Prospect. Bob is co-founder of that magazine and was one of my bosses when I took a job there, along with his co-founder Paul Starr. Bob has been a keen student of the Democratic party for a very long time, publishing a book on this subject way back in 1987, one of his many, many books. For this recent article, he interviewed more than 60 people. I recently talked with Bob about what he learned in this deep dive and how what is happening now in progressive politics fits into a bigger story he’s been writing about for decades. You can listen to the podcast—the latest for my new show, Inside Change—or read the transcript below. This transcript has been edited for clarity and length. David: Hi, Bob. Thanks for coming on the show. Robert: Happy to be with you. David: I want to talk to you about what’s happening today in the Democratic Party and progressive politics. But before we get into that, I thought we could turn back the clock a few decades to the late 1980s, right before Michael Dukakis got shellacked by George Bush in the 1988 election. You published a book called “The Life of the Party,” which was a pretty stinging critique of the Democratic Party back then. What did you argue at that time? Robert: What had been happening to the Democratic Party was that it was moving away from the vision of Roosevelt and trying to modernize itself by becoming a little bit more like Reagan, because that seemed to be fashionable. At the same time, it was becoming more donor-dependent. And the combination of those two things completely muddled the party’s message. And so the party was caught between two stools. There’s an old saying, I think attributed to Harry Truman, that if you give a voter a choice between a Republican and a Republican, they’ll pick the Republican every time. Democrats were trying to run as Republicans light, and then you had the DLC, the Democratic Leadership Council and Bill Clinton proposing that new Democrats who were more moderate on economics, more moderate on social issues, more moderate on race, could somehow seize the political center. Five years later, after I wrote that book, it worked well for Clinton personally, with his triangulation. But it didn’t work well for the institutional Democratic Party, which just got clobbered in 1994 in Clinton’s first midterm. One of the catastrophic mistakes that he made—and maybe it wasn’t a mistake, maybe it was deliberate but it turned out to be bad for the party—was to embrace NAFTA. The whole view of free markets that went with NAFTA, and the whole embrace of Wall Street that went with NAFTA. He had to do that with the support of Republicans in the House, and the opposition of two-thirds of the Democratic caucus. So the whole Clinton strategy of triangulation split the party and mixed the message. I guess my concern is that the Democrats have been mixing the message for 30 or 40 years, and it hasn’t worked. The consequence of all of this was Trump. Where economic frustrations led Democrats of a different era to turn to Roosevelt, now, because the Democrats are so inconstant as tribunes of the ordinary person, a lot of frustrated white Democrats turned to Trump. What’s tricky here is that you can’t attribute all of the Democrats’ problems to being less than clarion on the pocketbook frustrations of ordinary people because race complicates the picture. It always does. Roosevelt finessed that, of course, by getting into bed with Dixiecrats so that he could pass a progressive economic program, as long as it excluded Black people. Once you let Black people in, the economic populous message gets complicated by the racial justice message, which Johnson was able to pull off for a little while, but then we had all this backpedaling. Not just on the part of Democrats, but on the part of the country, on race, beginning in the ’80s. As soon as Republicans discovered the formula of replacing the Dixiecrats as the party of white racism, they became the majority party in the South. And I think Democrats are still wrestling with that. David: Democrats in the ’90s were often criticized for abandoning the white working class with their embrace of free trade and neoliberalism, but as I read the story, it seemed like the white working class abandoned the Democrats when they embraced racial justice in the ’60s and ’70s. So I guess I wonder in that story, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Robert: Let’s put it this way, if you were not going to deliver on pocketbook issues for white working-class people, racial justice is a much, much harder sell. Even if you do deliver on pocketbook issues, racial justice, it’s a hard sell, but it’s even harder if you’ve gotten into bed with Wall Street. David: The 1990 years was a pretty grim time for progressive populists like yourself, with the centrist wing of the party dominant. It seems like one pivot point where the narrative begins to change, and we start to see this building up of new grassroots energy in the Democratic Party, was with Howard Dean setting out to create a 50-state strategy when he became chair of the DNC. What was he trying to do? And what did he accomplish? Robert: I think it’s important to point out that the new chair of the National Democratic Party, Jamie Harrison, describes himself as an acolyte of Howard Dean. Dean and Harrison are very close. And he views Dean as a kind of a mentor. Dean’s strategy was to look to so-called red states or purple states that the National Democratic Party had written off. One of the things I like to point out is that when I worked in the Senate in the 1970s, you could take a car trip from Washington State through the Dakotas, through Montana, down through Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, into Tennessee, into West Virginia and not encounter a Republican senator. Even more to the point, all the Democratic senators in those states were progressive. And even more to the point, they were all labor Democrats. So, that tells you that the story that you often hear—that we are hopelessly the minority party because of the original gerrymander, rural states getting two senators—that’s not necessarily so. If you deliver for folks in rural states, the way Democrats did in that era, you can pick them up. So Dean’s notion was, let’s not give up on those states. Let’s do it with grassroots organizing, let’s put the party on the same side as grassroots organizing. That was the heyday of the original generation of the netroots, not just as celebrity bloggers, but as progressive activists. Howard Dean was their candidate when he ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2004. And then, when he lost that, he was their candidate for chair of the DNC. There was this coming together of the progressive grassroots and Dean as the party chair. In 2008, Obama piggybacks on Dean’s strategy. He also piggybacks on the net root strategy of grassroots fundraising and organizing. And then tragically, he unceremoniously dumps Dean as party chair and doesn’t quite know what to do with OFA, Obama for America. And there’s about a two- or three-month period where the political insiders who were advising Obama are not sure what to do. Then finally, they say, “well, we can’t have an independent organization that you don’t control acting in your name. So let’s just bring it inside.” And they kill it. So all of this incredible grassroots energy that begins with a Dean campaign and continues with the netroots, that gets extinguished. And by 2016, the DNC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the White House, and all this organizing energy has gone down the drain. The turnout in ’16 is dismal, and that’s one of the reasons why Hillary loses. Usually, when a Democrat takes office, the last thing in the world they want is a party that they don’t totally control. The party just becomes an adjunct of the White House. This time, partly because Jamie Harrison was James Clyburn’s top staffer and Clyburn more than anybody else was responsible for getting Biden the nomination based on the South Carolina strategy, and partly because they trust Harrison, they’re going to give Harrison a fair amount of leeway to really pursue a 50-state build-up of the grassroots parties again. So I’m hopeful that we’re going to have more of a grassroots strategy than we usually do when a new Democratic president takes office. David: Let’s walk through some of the different pieces of the infrastructure on the left. Let’s start with the strength of social movements and grassroots organizing. You’ve been a student of progressive politics for a lot longer than I have, going back to the 1960s and ’70s. Have you ever seen the kind of grassroots energy that we see today on the left? Robert: I have, but what I have not seen is the unity. So you had a ton of grassroots energy in the ’60s. The problem was that some of that grassroots energy was devoted to civil rights, some of it was devoted to anti-war. The grassroots were completely schizophrenic on the subject of Lyndon Johnson. I remember an SDS pin that I wore to the 1964 convention, and it said, “Part of the Way with LBJ.” And that was a lovely pun because it meant he’s only going to get us part of the way. And it also meant that we’re only with him on some things. We’re with him on the war on poverty, we’re not with him on the Vietnam war. You had a lot of grassroots energy, but it was fractured. And then, of course, it all falls apart in ’68. What you have now is a ton of grassroots energy, but people who were not all that enthusiastic about Biden being the nominee nonetheless campaigned very enthusiastically for him because the top priority was to get rid of Trump. And then Biden pleasantly surprised a lot of progressives by appointing a mostly progressive team to run the country. You’ve got to go pretty far left to find people who are sniping at Biden. You’re getting loving pressure on Biden to appoint progressives, but you’re not getting ad hominem attacks that “Biden is personally a sellout and we hate him.” This is very unusual for Democrats, who are famous for eating their own. I think because the stakes are so high, that unity just might hold. Now, with that said, you’ve got a plethora of different kinds of groups with different kinds of goals. You’ve got the risk of the more radical groups becoming the face of the party—“defund the police,” that kind of stuff. But for the moment, everybody’s behaving themselves. Look at Bernie—he’s Mr. Loyalist. He could not have behaved himself better in the campaign. He’s head of the Senate Budget Committee. So why would he not want to be close to the administration? And so I’m holding my breath, but right now, this unity is not splintering yet. And that just might go on for a while. David: I think it’s striking the degree to which social movements have turned their attention to the electoral sphere. For so long, the complaint on the left was that our social movements didn’t do that; Occupy Wall Street is the most striking example. Whereas the activists on the right have long done a brilliant job of really focusing on politics and winning elections. You think of the Christian right, the gun rights people, the Tea Party, the Trumpers—they’ve all been super-serious about winning elections and changing policy. It seems like we’re finally catching up on that. Robert: I think that’s right. Let me draw another distinction. I think when Democrats do focus on elections, they tend to focus on this election, this month, or the last three months before the election. Very short-term. Now, I think what you’re finding is organizing for the long term, which then has payoffs in election years. The not-so-good news is that you have a zillion groups all competing for funding and all competing for branding. So you have five people with a million-dollar organization with no mass membership run by professionals out of Washington, and you multiply that times 10,000, and you have fragmentation on the progressive side. On the conservative side, you got a handful of big groups with budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars, maybe underwritten by the Koch brothers or underwritten by one of the other foundations. If you do a chart of the infrastructure on the Republican side, it’s simpler, it’s more elegant, it’s more coherent, it’s cleaner. I think one of the other problems is their groups tend to have real memberships. The NRA has real members. A lot of the groups on the progressive side, even groups with big budgets, they are professionally staffed. They don’t have chapters, they don’t have members, they’re acting in the name of some good cause. The Sierra Club is one of the very few that has chapters and has members and votes for officers and will pay dues. But even the Sierra club gets a ton of foundation money. So this is a problem. This is the people’s party relying on billionaires and relying on foundation grants instead of relying on dues-paying members. The exception, of course, is the labor movement, which does have dues-paying members. But the labor movement has been clobbered, and rebuilding the labor movement is a big part of rebuilding the Democratic Party. David: Let’s talk about the Democratic Party establishment and its machinery. You write about the growing tensions between the grassroots left, which is on the ground, in these places where they know, where they’ve grown up, fighting electoral battles. Then you have these Democratic campaign committees that parachute in and throw their weight behind what [are] often seen as weak candidates who go on to lose—give me some examples of how that plays out. Robert: Well, it drives the grassroots people crazy. Schumer, I think, is particularly resented because, I forget who’s the nominal head of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, but Schumer runs it. So Schumer staff will look at a given state and find somebody, typically who’s a veteran, typically who’s centrist, who can raise a ton of business money, or who can self-finance, and they will intervene in the primary. They will support that person in the primary, they’ll signal other donors that that person is the candidate to support. In Texas, they picked somebody who was a woman, a vet, a former Republican, over two progressive populist candidates—one African-American, one Hispanic, who were really exciting candidates. The officially anointed candidate, who barely won the primary, lost by 11 points and ran five points behind Biden. That story is replicated in state after state. The DCCC on the House side, same story. It’s one thing to back a centrist in a centrist district. It’s another thing to back a centrist in a progressive district. They should not be interfering with the ability of local people to have their primary, pick their candidate. The role of the DCCC is to back the candidate in the general, it’s not to pick favorites in the primary. There’s a huge amount of resentment. David: Let’s talk about the money. The donor class, to me, is a classic good news/bad news part of the story. It’s great that Democrats suddenly are swimming in cash like never before. The amounts of money raised in that Georgia Senate runoff were just out of sight. Democrats spent $8 billion in the last election cycle, which blew me away. On the other hand, what’s not so great is the way this money is often deployed and who’s making the decisions. What are the criticisms that you heard when you went out there of the Democratic donor class? Robert: It’s two big things. First of all, billionaires tend to be very self-confident and they tend to be very impulsive. Mike Bloomberg dumps a hundred million bucks into Florida in just a scattershot way and it makes no difference whatsoever. And a month after the election, there’s nothing to show for it. That’s the extreme case. Tom Steyer has rather sensibly put a lot of money into long-term organizing. But you never know what billionaire you’re going to get and what he’s going to do. And it’s all up to the whims of very wealthy people. The other problem is that Democratic billionaires as a class tend to be left-wing on everything but economic populism. David: What are the alternatives in terms of raising the kind of money necessary to compete? We don’t have those mass-membership organizations that can provide dues. How do you see a way out of this reliance on the donor class? Robert: You’ve got Act Blue. They finally created a platform where you can raise a lot of small money. Now, I don’t want the billionaires to go away, we need their money. But I want them to be more strategic and I don’t want them to work the party’s message when it comes to populist economics. David: I do think that there are some bright spots with this donor class—like the Susan Sandler fund, which was recently created to put a lot of money into state-based organizations focused on lasting change through grassroots organizing. A lot of the new progressive organizations on the ground are raising money like never before. So to me, that’s some good news. And as you say, the small donors have stepped up in a way we’ve never seen before. That allows somebody like Bernie Sanders to be competitive in a way that would have never been the case 20 years ago. Robert: On the whole, my mood is fairly good. I think the developments in the past year or so are very, very encouraging. If you look at an Arizona or a Georgia where it all comes together, that’s super-encouraging. If you can do it in those states, you can do it in other states.	19,111
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Electric cars don’t require multi-speed transmissions because of the so-called “engine” in an electric car, an electric motor. While internal combustion engines require multiple gears with different ratios for power output, electric motors produce a consistent amount of torque at any given RPM within a specific range. How does the transmission work on an electric car? Electric vehicles don’t feature a multi-speed gearbox like conventional petrol or diesel vehicles. Instead, they have just one gear. … The gears allow you to keep the power between a set amount so that you can gradually speed up and slow down while still having enough torque to do so. Do Tesla cars have a transmission? Teslas use electric motors that have two moving parts, and single-speed “transmissions” that have no gears. The company says its drivetrain has about 17 moving parts compared with about 200 in a conventional internal combustion drivetrain. The Tesla system is virtually maintenance-free. What type of transmission is used in electric vehicles? Single speed Transmission and Multi-speed Transmission are two types of transmission mostly used in electric vehicles. The key factors affecting on the transmission are fuel efficiency, motor efficiency, speed- torque variation, power, cost, weight etc. IMPORTANT: Your question: What is the importance of solar energy Class 9? Are all electric cars automatic transmission? Electric cars are almost always automatic, meaning they don’t have a clutch for changing gears, or even a gearbox. Instead, a typical electric car is a single-speed vehicle with two pedals – one for accelerating, the other for braking. Why do electric cars have no transmission? Electric cars don’t require multi-speed transmissions because of the so-called “engine” in an electric car, an electric motor. While internal combustion engines require multiple gears with different ratios for power output, electric motors produce a consistent amount of torque at any given RPM within a specific range. Can electric cars have a manual transmission? Do electric cars have gears? … Because electric vehicles don’t have a clutch or a gearbox with different speeds like a conventional diesel or petrol vehicle, they get away with only a single gear (drive) and a reverse. The main reason why electric cars don’t have a manual gearbox is simply that they don’t need one. Unlike gasoline cars, Tesla cars require no traditional oil changes, fuel filters, spark plug replacements or emission checks. As electric cars, even brake pad replacements are rare because regenerative braking returns energy to the battery, significantly reducing wear on brakes. No. Tesla cars are electric, meaning they do not rely on gasoline as their main source of fuel. … They only need to charge their cars like any other electric device until the battery panels are fully charged. Since Tesla cars are purely electric, they cannot run on gas. What is the cheapest Tesla? Now the cheapest Tesla is the standard range Model 3, which starts at $43,990. IMPORTANT: What are the advantages of concentrated solar power? Do electric trucks have a transmission? Rather than the typical 18-speed transmissions, electric trucks tend to use two-speed transmissions, with some using three or four. … In short: simply that the transmissions have been designed for maximum efficiency and smooth shifting. Can you push an electric car if it breaks down? If you need to push the car to safety, there’s no power steering. … However, if you need to push the car to safety, there’s no power steering. Why don’t electric cars have solar panels? Electric cars do not have solar panels because when solar panels are on cars, they are only converting 15%-20% of the energy from the sun. The solar panels would only give about 3 miles of energy in one hour of charging. This is very inefficient and currently doesn’t make sense to use on electric cars yet. Are electric cars free charge? Although many public charging companies still offer free charge points (90% of Pod Point units offer free charging and owners of Tesla models registered before September 2018 get free unlimited use of its Supercharger network), not all public charge points are free these days. Are electric cars cheaper to run? How much it costs to charge & run an electric car. … Good news – electric vehicles are likely to cost you less over the course of ownership. Electricity costs much less than petrol or diesel and electric cars require less maintenance than an internal combustion engine (ICE). Are electric cars cheaper to insure? Electric cars tend to cost more to insure than a comparable petrol or diesel. That’s because they have large batteries that are expensive to replace if the car is damaged. IMPORTANT: How often should I oil my electric motor? From the author The electric power industry is actively transforming under the influence of global trends. Climate and environmental issues, digitalization of production and business processes come to the fore. More and more industry companies are looking towards green generation, including exploring the possibility of using hydrogen. Join, it will be interesting! ATTENTION TO RIGHT HOLDERS! All materials are posted on the site strictly for informational and educational purposes! If you believe that the posting of any material infringes your copyright, be sure to contact us through the contact form and your material will be removed!	5,557
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“He’s too sound asleep, Mr. Stubb; go thou down, and wake him, and tell him. I must see to the deck here. Thou know’st what to say.” Next morning the not-yet-subsided sea rolled in long slow billows of mighty bulk, and striving in the Pequod’s gurgling track, pushed her on like giants’ palms outspread. The strong, unstaggering breeze abounded so, that sky and air seemed vast outbellying sails; the whole world boomed before the wind. Muffled in the full morning light, the invisible sun was only known by the spread intensity of his place; where his bayonet rays moved on in stacks. Emblazonings, as of crowned Babylonian kings and queens, reigned over everything. The sea was as a crucible of molten gold, that bubblingly leaps with light and heat. Long maintaining an enchanted silence, Ahab stood apart; and every time the tetering ship loweringly pitched down her bowsprit, he turned to eye the bright sun’s rays produced ahead; and when she profoundly settled by the stern, he turned behind, and saw the sun’s rearward place, and how the same yellow rays were blending with his undeviating wake. “Ha, ha, my ship! thou mightest well be taken now for the sea-chariot of the sun. Ho, ho! all ye nations before my prow, I bring the sun to ye! Yoke on the further billows; hallo! a tandem, I drive the sea!” But suddenly reined back by some counter thought, he hurried towards the helm, huskily demanding how the ship was heading. “East-sou-east, sir,” said the frightened steersman. “Thou liest!” smiting him with his clenched fist. “Heading East at this hour in the morning, and the sun astern?” Upon this every soul was confounded; for the phenomenon just then observed by Ahab had unaccountably escaped every one else; but its very blinding palpableness must have been the cause. Previous Podcast Episode 02: Creek and Deep For the Mass Next Podcast Episode 04: Stroke, Bold and Clash of the 80 Join our digital mailing list and get notified when we release new music, tour dates, and live streaming events.	2,081
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Email Address: Now That I'm Catholic Exploring the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of the Church Christ founded Lord, to Whom Shall We Go? An article by Charles Johnston This summer has been a rocky one for the Church in the United States. First there was the revelations about, now former, cardinal McCarrick. Then there was reports that many in the Church knew about inappropriate behavior and relationships that the cardinal archbishop was engaged in, and yet he was allowed to remain in the college of cardinals, keep his episcopal see, and remain in the priesthood. Just when we thought the worst had come to light, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office released the report from a grand jury that had been empaneled to investigate the Catholic Dioceses in the state, and their alleged cover up of clergy sex abuse. To say the report was shocking would be the understatement of the year. In this report, there were allegations that up to 300 priests had victimized thousands of innocent children over the course of the last 70 years. The failure of the bishops in Pennsylvania to shepherd their flock and protect them from the wolves of the world is sickening. There’s lots of evidence that they knew some of these priests were predators, or at very least they had been accused of being predators, and yet they took no action. This was a failure that they will have to make an accounting for on the day of their judgment. But as shocking as all the other facets of this scandal are, some of the specific reports of sex abuse bordered on satanic. There is no doubt in my mind that this entire episode was orchestrated by the prince of darkness himself. But I’ll get back to him later. So what is a convert to Catholicism to make of all this salacious news? What am I to think of the Church that I have placed my love and trust in? Do I feel betrayed by the organization that I believed to be a Holy and Divine institution? I have been asked, sometimes sincerely, and sometimes rhetorically, how I could join a Church that had priests who regularly abuse children (see my detailed response here Priest scandal). I know these questions aren’t even remotely accurate, and I usually ignore hyperbole like this, but since it seems to be a somewhat common opinion of the Church, I feel bound to respond to these accusations. I was a Protestant when the last big sex scandal broke, and even then I knew that the Church was being treated unfairly by the media, but it wasn’t until the release of the John Jay study that I knew how right my instinct had been. The fact that Catholic priests are less likely than the general male population to be sexual offenders, or that children are almost 100 times more likely to be victimized by a public school employee, doesn’t get any media attention. But those are facts, and not just anti-catholic opinions. I also have to remind people, and sometimes myself, that the Church is Holy, not because of her members, but in spite of them. (Four marks of the Church; Holy) The Church is Holy because she is the bride and Body of Christ. She is the extension of Christ into this world. The Church is not a human institution that happens to have a Divine character, The Church is a Divine Institution that has human members. And I’ve got news for you; We are all sinners! Every single member of this pilgrim Church on earth are sinners in need of a savior. We have all fallen short and require Christ’s atoning sacrifice on Calvary to put us back into a right relationship with God. Think of the most holy person you have ever know… they were also a sinner. Saints Peter, Paul, John, Thomas the apostle, Augustine, Catherine of Sienna, Thomas Aquinas, Vincent de Paul, John Bosco, Edith Stein, John Paul II. What do all these famous holy men and women of the Church have in common? They were all sinners, but through the ministry of the Church, and by the sacrifice of Christ, they were given the grace to become Holy. So even though there has been much failings in the hierarchy of the Church in America, there has also been some success. Since the Dallas protocols have been implemented, the Catholic Church has become one of the safest institutions for children in the nation. This is evidenced by the fact that the majority of these new cases in Pennsylvania were from decades ago, long before the Church began addressing the issue. This can give us hope that we can turn this ship around, completely stop the victimization of children, and stem the bleeding that these scandals cause our faithful. I mentioned the devil earlier, and I’d like to address his role in all of this. I’m not for a moment trying to excuse any disgusting or criminal behavior by priests, what they done was of their own free will, but you better believe that the devil had his hand in it too. The devil has his sights set on our priests, and he will use any occasion he can to make them fall. He knows, and has been proven correct I’m sad to say, that these types of scandals causes people to lose faith and hope. He knows that if he strikes the shepherd the sheep will scatter (Zechariah 13:7). This is why we can’t let that happen this time. Don’t let these scandals shake your faith. Don’t let this make you mistrust the 97 percent of priests that have done nothing wrong, and are even more deeply disturbed by all these reports than the laity. These servants of God need our love, our support, and most importantly they need our prayers. We don’t measure the teachings of a philosophy, organization, or religion, by those that practice them in the worst possible ways. If we used such a yard stick to measure Christianity, it would fail the test. Jesus hand picked 12 men to be His apostles, and yet one committed a treasonous act, the likes of which have never been seen before or since; he handed over the Son of God to be brutally murdered by the corrupt religious authorities and the State. Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was to betray him. If Judas could be picked by Christ, and yet be a “devil,” it shouldn’t surprise us when some devils exist inside the Church today. Some evils may seem incomprehensible here in our finite capacity to understand, but I believe we will be shown the reason for everything when we reach the glories of heaven. So what to make of all this? So where do I go from here? I came into the Church (through RCIA) with my eyes wide open, that we belong to this Divinely chartered institution, but that is made up of sinful members. I knew this because I am one of those sinful members. The Church is a hospital for sinners, a place where we can receive the medicine and therapy for our spiritual lives, in the form of confession and Eucharist. This doesn’t mean I’m not upset by all that’s in the news, it has truly shaken me and sickened me to my core. But the Church is still the bride of Christ, and His visible Body here on earth. Jesus is King, and the King established His Kingdom in the Church, it contains the fullness of the truth, so where else could I go? To whom else could I go? Even if the entire world were to fall around me, I have nowhere else to go. Having received Christ in the Eucharist, my heart would never allow me to leave Him. I will remain with Him, and I think Saint Peter says it better than I ever could, Jesus said to the Twelve, “Will you also go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Edit: A priest friend of mine, Father Joshua Waltz, used this article in his homily on the scandals. He done a great job, and added his own experience too. It’s well worth a listen. (Just to clarify his comments, I still live in Arizona) Related This entry was posted in All Posts/Archive, Catholic Life. Tagged catholic, catholicchurch, Catholicism, Christ, christian, christianity, church, God, Jesus. Previous Post Previous post: The Assumption of the Virgin Mary Next Post Next post: Saint Teresa of Calcutta 6 comments on “Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?” August 18, 2018 at 3:36 pm I have never lost faith in my Catholic religion! Because I know it’s made of humans ,and humanity is flawed ! God is not ! Evil has and always will try to destroy the Catholic Church ! I don’t worry about , I would worry more about a religion that wasn’t attacked, because evil is only out to destroy Christ’s Church! Praying for Priests and Pope Francis everyday August 18, 2018 at 3:44 pm Amen Jackie. The Church will never be overcome and destroyed by the gates of Hell, but the devil is very successful at peeling individuals away from the Church. He uses any scandal he can to plants seeds of doubt and distrust among the faithful, that’s why I wrote this, to encourage anyone doubting to stick with Christ and His Church. August 19, 2018 at 1:04 pm I read every word Charles , and I agree completely, you speak so clearly and understandable to travelers ! I thank you and love your page I look forward to your messages ! God bless and keep you and our holy priest s and nuns and clergy . August 19, 2018 at 3:18 pm Thank you very much. Most of the time it’s takes me a long time to write and edit a post, but this one I done from start to finish in about 30 minutes. It was really from the heart, because there’s so many people that I’ve talked to who are saying they’re leaving and it breaks my heart. Mk Carroll says: August 20, 2018 at 7:19 pm I said when I listened to Father John L ( I can’t spell his last name) from Saints Simon and Jude in Phoenix homily , “Where would I go?” How could I go? How could I abandon the Eucharist. There is nowhere else for me then the Catholic Church and tho I’m disgusted and heartbroken over what has came to light. I could and would never leave. I thought your piece was beautiful Charlie.	11,275
Shareitt allows users to exchange items they don't need or are no longer using, no matter the type of item, its size or worth. Each item uploaded to the marketplace gets its own unique value in Shareitt points and becomes available to tens of thousands of users who can request the item in exchange for points. Points earned then allow users to receive items they want from other users, and so on. Currency: Out, Points: In Shareitt commerce is not based on money. Shareitt points are accumulated by users in different ways and may then be "spent" in our dynamic marketplace, which has tens of thousands of items in different categories. The best way to earn Shareitt points is to upload as many items as possible and exchange them – for points - with other users. The items on the Shareitt platform are uploaded to the marketplace by users, in a quick, simple process. The more detailed the item description, the more attractive it is for other users. High-quality pictures, detailed descriptions, diverse categories, and great points value - generate thousands of exchanges every day. Together, we are creating an extensive social catalog being used by tens of thousands of users.	1,240
At the Law Offices of Mann Elias, our Los Angeles battery attorneys know that that the victims of assault and battery are often extremely physically and emotionally traumatized. Being physically attacked by another person is different than being in a car accident. While both cause traumatic injury, being attacked by another person can also cause feelings of insecurity, extreme anger, nightmares, helplessness, and other symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). “Assault” and “Battery” are technically two different things. Assault is the intentional act of causing fear of harm, such as when a person makes a fist and threatens to hit you. Battery is the actual physical contact, the “hit” itself. Although separate in the eyes of the law, the common case involves both assault and battery. Assault and battery is not an accident, it is an intention act and a crime. After an assault and battery, the first thing you want to do is go to the police. Although you may not be happy with the way the criminal justice system deals with the assailant, it is imperative that you make a record of the attack and allow the police to investigate and hopefully put the assailant behind bars. Furthermore, if you have medical bills or lost earnings from an assault and battery, you can recover some money from the California Victims of Crime Fund, but you must go to the police first. Even before the police have finished their investigation, your lawyer should start an investigation as well. Your Los Angeles personal injury lawyer will want to find out the exact facts of the case, such as whether the defendant has any assets, whether the defendant acted alone, and whether the defendant has any insurance. Normally, insurance does not cover intentional acts like assault and battery. However, sometimes if a negligent situation gets out of hand and turns into an attack or fight, the defendant’s insurance may be available to pay for the victim’s injuries. It takes an attorney experienced in this legal specialty to make the determination of whether or not a case is worth pursuing against a defendant. There is no reason to waste the victim’s time by filing a lawsuit if the defendant will never have money to pay. At the Law Offices of Mann & Elias, we have found the most common assault and battery case comes from clients being beaten up by security guards at bars, restaurants, or sporting events. These cases also fall under the title of premises liability and negligent security. Security guards are often poorly trained thugs who use force to solve every problem. Unless they have a California Guard Card, they may even be violent felons themselves. Even with a California Guard Card, there is no guarantee that security guards have received sufficient training for the specific venue where they work. If you have been beaten up by a security guard, you should have a lawyer review the facts. Obviously, if you are drunk and threatening customers or staff, they have a right to use some force to remove you. But all force must be reasonable. Security guards are not allowed to beat you unconscious just because they have a badge. Attorney Scott Mann of the Law Offices of Mann & Elias has successfully handled many assault and battery as well as negligent security cases. If you or someone you know has been attacked, call our Los Angeles assault lawyer for a free evaluation at 323-857-9500 or fill out this free evaluation form. February 25 20 A car accident is a sudden and violent event. It can leave you injured and confused. After you collect yourself, you should file a formal police report. The latter is an official document and having one can help you if you need to file a lawsuit later. After an auto accident, one of the first […] February 13 20 When it comes to dealing with crimes that involve assault, it can get confusing. There are various types of cases that deal with assault. Below we’ll discuss the difference between aggravated assault and simple assault so you can get a better understanding of the two. Assault is defined as any crime that involves a physical […] January 30 20 When patients rely on expert care from doctors, they never expect anything to go wrong. However, there are numerous incidents where something goes horribly wrong and patients are left with the loss of a limb. Considered some of the most severe examples of medical malpractice, it is imperative victims be compensated for damages. But to […] January 22 20 Protect Yourself from Uninsured Motorists Obtaining insurance for your vehicle is a responsible step towards protecting yourself and financial security in the event of an accident. However, even though it is mandatory to carry vehicle coverage in 49 states, millions of Americans drive uninsured vehicles every year. The lack of insurance coverage on another driver can result in disastrous financial […] Our attorneys are here to help, contact us today by filling out the form or call 323.857.9500 to set up a free initial consultation today and we will contact you shortly.	5,336
Iceberg Alley, which runs from the Arctic to the island of Newfoundland’s south, is an incredible place to see icebergs, even from the window of your house. If you live in Iceberg Alley there will never be enough icebergs to see. In spring, when the sea ice melts around them their look becomes even more special and beautiful. On Canadian coast less amounts of ice can be seen, where turists are transported through all the city to reach to Newfoundlands to see them. Iceberg Alley is home to 400-800 of these giant blocks of ice, some of which are really ancient.Though their speed is typically not that fast, that can be determined according to their size shape and also to the wind and waves. Although they are gigantic, these icebergs are only the little part of their real size. Only 10% of iceberg is visible on the water. As Atlas Obscura mentions in this place can be identified all 6 types of icebergs. Tabular ones are taller and not that wide. Blocky’s have sharp angels and steep sides, Which makes them look just like a short pyramid. And there are lots of other and different shaped and sized icebergs. It is not possible to sail safely around them because they are unanticipated. Have the needed distance equal to the their length or 2 times its height , which one is bigger, when inspecting icebergs from the ocean.In this area, there are dangers associated with falling ice, powerful waves, and underwater challenges. Icebergs begin to melt as they move more south, and meet there growing warm water.The 1 that made Titanic sink off the coast of Newfoundland shows that they can be really unpredictable at this times. Even though we can now find medium sized and big icebergs with special machines, little ones frequently stay unnoted, being the most severe threat to smaller boats. On the other part, no satellite could have missed the 1 below.In 2017, this enormous iceberg totally ruined a small Newfoundland village as it parked in front of it.Even a stamp was put to show that that iceberg is still there. gigantic icebergs interesting facts lovely Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Cute little corgi is incredibly excited to see her life’s first snow Snow can be a magical experience for kids of all ages Meet this funny and giant bunny who is sure that he’s a dog People enjoy having pets at home. Cats are preferred Giant dog falls in love with each and every cat he meets This family decided to get a cat for their Samoyed Adorable mom cat with her five kittens with a very rare condition find a loving foster home Grandma playing a guitar performs the famous song “You Are My Sunshine” for her sleepy dog and backup vocalist little cat All is well with the world when a sweet little girl You may also like Young street pup who thought one of her pups is stolen from her was crying from pain A black pit bull stray gave birth on the street, helpless Grandma playing a guitar performs the famous song “You Are My Sunshine” for her sleepy dog and backup vocalist little cat All is well with the world when a sweet little girl Adorable mom cat with her five kittens with a very rare condition find a loving foster home These two kids see a man in a wheelchair trying to clear the snow and ask their dad to help Never underestimate children’s choices and emotions Wonderful 20-year-old canine still adores snuggling her stuffed and soft banana When it comes to having a good time, your age has nothing The singer began singing the famous song “You raise me up”, but when 200 kids joined him it turned into a magic An essay I wrote recently focused on a lovely rendition This 23-year-old lady amazed the universe by giving birth to quintuplets who are born every 500 years Everyone who heard about this young mother’ A man comes to a little boy crying in the street: “Take me away from them,” the boy asks… Lewis Baker was a single man who put in endless hours © World of Animals 2022. All rights reserved. The use of documents and their transmission in any form, including in electronic media, is possible only with an active link to our site, with indexing by search engines. The publishers are not responsible for the content of the advertising materials.	4,509
Reviewed Here Richard Hughes Gibson is associate professor of English at Wheaton College and the author of three books, including Paper Electronic Literature: An Archeology of Born-Digital Materials. Related Topics What is happiness? Every era has entertained this question. Yet as Ritchie Robertson, Taylor Professor of German Language and Literature at Oxford University, argues here, the riddle of happiness took center stage among European intellectuals in the long eighteenth century. As “enlighteners” (Robertson’s preferred sobriquet) began to question the traditional theological account of the world and humankind’s place in it, the pursuit of happiness on this side of the grave took on a new urgency. Happiness is thus a theme that comes up again and again in the era’s major documents, eliciting a range of definitions and suggestions. The entry on bonheur in the great French Encyclopédie, for example, explains that it is “a state or situation which we would like to see continue forever unchanged.” In the Critique of Practical Reason, Immanuel Kant defines Glückseligkeit as “the state of a rational being in the world the whole of whose existence everything goes according to his wish and will.” In The Life of Johnson, the sage (responding to Boswell’s misquotation of David Hume’s views) remarks that happiness “consists in the multiplicity of agreeable consciousness.” (He continues, debatably, “A peasant has not capacity for having equal happiness with a philosopher.”) All of the major figures—including Voltaire, Montesquieu, Hume, Diderot, Rousseau, Baron d’Holbach, Adam Smith—had something significant to say about happiness. In France alone, no less than fifty substantial treatises were written on the subject across the period. Rightly, Robertson argues that happiness was so central to the Enlightenment that we can’t properly define the era without making reference to happiness, as the author does in proposing that the Enlightenment was a “coherent intellectual movement” whose participants shared “a commitment to understanding, and hence to advancing, the causes and conditions of human betterment in this world,” this-worldly “betterment” being treated throughout the book as a rough synonym for “happiness.” Admittedly, the importance of happiness to the Enlightenment project isn’t a fresh discovery. In 2016, the historian Caroline Winterer published a book with a subtitle strikingly similar to that of Robertson’s work: American Enlightenments: Pursuing Happiness in the Age of Reason. Numerous books and articles in several languages have been written on the role of happiness in the thought of particular Enlightenment-era figures. And this has been going on for decades. Robert Mauzi’s much-cited The Idea of Happiness in French Literature and Thought in the Eighteenth Century, for instance, was first published in France in 1960. Yet as Mauzi and Winterer’s titles indicate, previous examinations of the Enlightenment’s notions of happiness have, at their grandest, been national studies. Robertson’s achievement, then, is not the advancement of a novel thesis; it’s the scope of his argument on behalf of Enlightened happiness. Across eight hundred pages, he covers a wide topical range, touching on aesthetics, government, historiography, science, anthropology, sex, and travel, among many other subjects. Geographically, he takes readers across Europe and—with Enlightened travelers—beyond. His purpose in all this is to show patterns of thought and feeling and to relate the various proposals made by enlighteners for human betterment. In this way, he seeks to renew our sense of the Enlightenment as a vast international network of intellectuals who, while disagreeing about much, made common cause in seeking to improve the human condition. Robertson’s decision to make happiness the center of gravity of his history—rather than, say, reason, science, or politics—has two major benefits. The first is that he is able to demonstrate how the Enlightenment played out not only in the speculations and proposals of Voltaire and other prominent Enlightenment writers but also in the local, hands-on efforts of government officials, medical doctors, agriculturalists, and schoolmasters. As Robertson notes, earlier histories of the Enlightenment, including classics like Ernst Cassirer’s The Philosophy of the Enlightenment (1932), generally neglected such ground-level efforts, portraying the Enlightenment chiefly (if not exclusively) as an intellectual revolution. Robertson’s history makes a convincing case that our understanding of the movement must also take into account the “Practical Enlightenment” embodied in tax, land, and curricular reforms and in the establishment of numerous schools and hospitals in the period under “Enlightened” rules. Moreover, this down-to-earth vision of the Enlightenment more convincingly accounts for a project like Encyclopédie, which lavishes attention on the “mechanical” arts, explaining in elaborate technical detail, for example, how to found cannon, assemble musical instruments, and run a print shop. The enlighteners, Robertson emphasizes, wanted to be useful. The second benefit of Robertson’s focus on happiness relates to feeling. In his preface, he takes issue with the familiar characterization of the Enlightenment as the “Age of Reason,” which, as he correctly observes, obscures its relation to—if not puts it at odds with—the “Age of Sensibility” that historians and literary critics also locate in the eighteenth century. Robertson’s argument is that there is in fact no tension here. The feelings, sympathy, sensibility: These were mainstays of the major Enlightenment figures’ writings, particularly their understandings of what holds society together: “Enlighteners argued that fellow feeling, mutual sympathy, was at the heart of human nature and of people’s existence in society. Society was not an aggregation of isolated individuals, but a body of people interconnected by the exchange of emotions.” Robertson goes still further, arguing that the Enlightenment didn’t just have a lot to say about feelings—it actually changed them. He describes the Enlightenment as a “sea change in sensibility, in which people became more attuned to other people’s feelings and more concerned for what we would call humane or humanitarian values.” To support this claim, he ventures beyond the familiar canon of philosophical writings to examine the best-selling novels of the period—the rise of sentimental fiction itself being a headline of this history—such as Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa and Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther. Such works far outsold those we normally think of as the core books of the Enlightenment, and even occasionally show up in them, as in Adam Smith’s endorsement of Richardson’s fiction in The Theory of Moral Sentiments. A happy “enlightened” life, on Robertson’s telling, didn’t consist of solitary philosophizing. It was a sociable life, one in which cultured people mingled their thoughts and feelings with those of others; in promoting deep feeling and sympathy, literature proved no idle entertainment. The trouble with happiness, though, is that it’s difficult to measure in the abstract. Some doughty enlighteners tried to prove otherwise, crafting mathematical formulas to compute personal and public happiness. Adam Smith’s teacher Francis Hutcheson, for one, created an equation in which the “Moment of Good” is determined by variously combining, multiplying, and dividing B (Benevolence), A (Ability), S (Self-love), and I (Interest). Unsurprisingly, Hutcheson’s happiness calculator failed to catch on, as did François-Jean de Chastellux’s formula for measuring the preconditions of public happiness. (Chastellux didn’t think personal happiness could be computed.) Lacking such a reliable formula, people did then just as we do now: glance over at neighbors’ lots to see how theirs compared. Notably, Montesquieu, who wrote publicly of virtue and duty as the roads to happiness, confided to his notebook that “if we only wanted to be happy, that would soon be done. But we want to be happier than others, and this is almost always difficult because we believe others to be happier than they are.” Enlighteners couldn’t help but take such “neighborly glances” at other periods in order to gauge the relative happiness of their own. We are prone now to think of the enlighteners as confident believers in Progress, yet Robertson shows how backward glances at the past, particularly at the heyday of the Roman Empire, and sidelong glances at the great empires of Asia, led several thinkers to ask whether they might be living after peak happiness had been achieved. And, of course, their encounters with the world immediately before them—one in which the majority of the population was still engaged in agriculture—made plain that the possibility of the higher-minded sorts of intellectual and ethical happiness they experienced (or at least imagined experiencing) was limited to a minute portion of society. (Johnson’s judgment of the relative happiness of peasants and philosophers was widely shared.) Others worried that the considerable material gains of the recent past had done little to improve Europeans’ moral well-being. “History, properly speaking,” Pierre Bayle wrote, “is nothing but a list of crimes and misfortunes of the human race.” Unsurprisingly, these conditions led quite a few enlighteners to believe that the future would have to be better—happier—than their own times. Robertson states straightforwardly at the front and back ends of the book that one of his goals is to redeem the Enlightenment from the “defamation” it has suffered from numerous sources of late. His emphasis on happiness plays an important part in that ambition, as he seeks to show readers that the enlighteners were, for all of their flaws, genuinely out for good, and that some of their core values—free inquiry, toleration, sympathy—remain good. I believe that Robertson is successful in this; the book gave me new respect for many of the enlighteners, even while strengthening my reservations about some of their central claims. Yet as I concluded the book, I was haunted by the enlighteners’ hopes that happier times would be brought about by economic, educational, medical, technological, and political advances. Given that we’ve achieved so much of what the enlighteners were dreaming, I wondered, why aren’t we happier? Reprinted from The Hedgehog Review 23.3 (Fall 2021). This essay may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission. Please contact The Hedgehog Review for further details.	10,979
Historically, grassroots movements have been conceived and built from conversations that begin over kitchen tables, in community centers and church basements. As more of our work moves online, PeoplesHub believes we can create conditions for the same kinds of generative exchanges to occur, and take advantage of the opportunity to be in dialogue with people living in very different contexts than our own. Join from wherever you are! Our skilled trainers, organizers, and practitioners offer spaces for online popular education training. These offerings address topics relevant to current movements and are meant to help you gain analysis and tools that you can apply to within your own community. PeoplesHub offers several different kinds of online spaces where we can gather for learning and strategizing on different topics and skills: ‍ Spaces for study, exchange and skill-building These popular education workshops generally range from 1-2 hours and are open to individuals and groups. Workshops are offered by our staff and guest trainers to support learning in our current focus areas and other skills for effective organizing. Forums for storytelling and dialogue These bring together dozens of participants for panel-style conversations that highlight the work of practitioners and organizers with a depth of knowledge on the topics we explore. Participants have the opportunity to listen, reflect with others and bring their experiences into the discussion. Clinics Spaces for practice, support and strategizing Community Care & Strategy Clinics are facilitated spaces that provide peer support to dig into key questions and challenges that are emerging in people’s work on specific themes. These spaces help participants apply the skills and knowledge they’ve gained from our other programs to their specific context and community.	1,879
Like many young girls, I was thrown into ballet class when I was very young. Growing up with dancing I found it to be one of the many cohesive extracurricular activities as I made friends, moved in ways I didn’t think I could, and relieved stress. . When I was 8 years old, my teacher, owner of the studio, asked me to be his assistant teacher for ballet, tap dance and even gymnastics lessons for the 3 year olds. Then at 15, when I got my work papers from school, I started teaching my own classes. Taking up and teaching dance (ballet, tap and contemporary dance) was an established routine in my schedule since childhood. After getting my undergraduate degree in dance, I went to graduate school to study arts administration, letting dance become a hobby and taking classes in my spare time. I quit teaching and took regular dance lessons so that I could focus on my graduate studies while training to be a yoga teacher. A few years later, I found myself almost wanting the feeling of routine of standing by the bar. I had always known that barre lessons were one thing, but I didn’t think it could compare to a ballet lesson. After joining Equinox I decided to try a barre class as I had always been curious to see if the class would look like a ballet class and in my mind I needed to get my subscription to worth it by packing a variety of courses into my schedule. Read on to learn more about why I love the bar, and for tips for anyone who wants to try it out. My love for the barre is more of an appreciation for it than an unconscious devotion to some type of training. I like being able to work to increase my flexibility, core stability, and overall strength in a class. Using the actual bar is really great too. We put our legs on it and use it as something solid to hold onto during part of our glute work. The experience of a barre class really mixes elements of ballet with a glute workout. If you’ve never done ballet in your life, you can still do the barre. Here are some tips from me to you: Be sure not to put all of your weight on the bar when holding it. He must be a support but not carry you. Remember to engage your heart to help maintain a high spine, unless you are asked to round the spine. Warm up before the start of the class. Although most instructors will walk you through a warm-up sequence, it will be very helpful to do additional stretches like a low-lunge twist, a forward bend, and an arm stretch to the chest to make sure you don’t have any unexpected. muscle cramps. What is the difference between barre and ballet? The biggest difference is that a barre class is a workout designed using elements of ballet, yoga, and Pilates. It focuses on working each muscle group until exhaustion with small, controlled movements. Ballet is a form of dance that was created during the Italian Renaissance as entertainment for the royal courts. He then solidified his technique during the 15th and 16th centuries in France. So while you may recognize a second position and a reading during barre, know that it won’t be like a full ballet class. Best of all, you won’t have to go individually across the room to practice the combination you just learned in front of each other – in other words, not across the room. ground ! What should I wear to do the barre? Comfort is the key! Make sure everything you wear is stretchy and that you feel held back. Personally, I don’t like to wear anything loose when taking the barbell so that my feet or weights accidentally get caught in a fabric. As for shoes, you don’t need shoes for the barre, so feel free to walk barefoot or wear socks. Tip: If you want to wear socks, take a pair of bar socks or sticky socks as they have some texture on the bottom so they won’t slip on the carpet or floor. What equipment do I need for the bar? If you are going to a bar studio, all you need is your water bottle. If you want to have your own supplies at home, grab a pair of one to three pound weights, a small exercise ball, mat, and a ballet bar. Don’t have room for a ballet barre? Instead, use the high back of a chair. Usually I take barre classes at a myriad of Equinox locations, but I also turn to online platforms like Equinox, Peloton, and ObÃ© Fitness for classes I can take at home. If you’re not yet ready to commit to a gym or online platform membership, try some of these home barre classes available on YouTube. 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As I correctly predicted yesterday, the White House Press Secretary was beseiged today by a question that may end up rocking the administration later this week: Q Scott, two quick questions. Remembering Miss Rosa Parks. Then in 1955 it was like Mahatma Ghandi in South Africa, same thing happened to him. And during her time, there was very little or not many immigrants in the U.S., but today we have millions of immigrants from all over the globe. What message do you think President will have today as far as civil rights moments — MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President just spoke about her passing a short time ago in his remarks to the spouses of our military officers from all the branches of our military. And the President talked about what a remarkable women she was, and how courageous she was. She is someone who changed America for the better. She is an inspiration to generations, and we mourn her passing. Q Second question is on the — now again, most of Indian-American community thankful to the President for initiating — or did initiate the Diwali Festival of Lights at the White House. Now it will be next Wednesday, November 1st, when millions across India and America will — Indians will be celebrating the festival around the globe, including at the White House here. What they are saying in the Indian American community, really, just like President initiates prayers with other groups here in the White House, like Muslims and Jews, and all that, that they are requesting him, please, to the President, this time, that if he can take a few moments and be there at part of the White House Festival of Lights on Wednesday, November 1st. MR. McCLELLAN: On Wednesday, November 1st? Well, we’ll update you on the President’s schedule later this week. How much do you want to bet that Goyal was the one who asked that question? I wonder if he reads us? Keep it locked onto SM for minute by minute news and analysis of this growing scandal. I am considering launching my own “Special Counsel website” focusing on just this issue. The truth is that I don’t care one way or the other whether Bush celebrates Diwali. I just like raging against the machine. I’m good at it. This entry was posted in Holidays, Politics, Religion by Abhi. Bookmark the permalink. About Abhi Abhi lives in Los Angeles and works to put things into space. View all posts by Abhi → 16 thoughts on “Scott McClellan feels the heat” Saheli on October 26, 2005 at 1:27 am said: I actually REALLY HATE how White House Press conference transcripts don’t show who’s asking the question when it’s clearly often important, and even often part of the conversation–McLellan is very obviously sometimes addressing specific people, but you have no idea who they are. It’s a pain to try and find video and also know who people are, and since they all have badges (or they wouldn’t be there) it doesn’t seem like it would be THAT hard for someone–either in the press office or from the pool–to label the transcript. I think this helps the press get away with softball questions longer. It’s only when the Daily Show decides to highlight this or that absurdity does the press gaggle get any real person-specific scrutiny. Wonkette does a decent job, considering, but it should all just be there in the transcript. /end of inside baseball media criticism rant. razib_the_atheist on October 26, 2005 at 1:35 am said: razib_the_atheist on October 26, 2005 at 1:36 am said: FYI, so ppl don’t think that was a gratuitous link for free republic, they be talkin’ about diwali. didn’t read more than a few comments. seemz mostly unawarz. All Mixed Up on October 26, 2005 at 1:40 am said: hahaha… okay so i started reading the post… about 1/2 through the 2nd question i’m like… who in the White House Press corps would ask such a weird question [only b/c i feel like ppl would be asking things about the 2000th soldier who died today in Iraq or something]… and my guess was Goyal… i keep reading and apparently i’m not a moron b/c Abhi did too! DesiDudeInAustin on October 26, 2005 at 3:39 am said: Once again Goyal uncle, rises to the task and wrests with the real issues and dilemmas plaguing Indians and Indian-Americans. Will the Prez play with the little patakhas? Or will he light the sparklers instead? Will the First Lady sing Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare? Or merely clap in tune to it, her head swaying side to side in unison with other married, saree-clad, White House women? Or what if the President decides not to attend the White House Diwali Dhamaka Party (special guests Falguni Pathak and PennMasala)? Can we call it Diwaligate already? Or perhaps Patakhagate? Is Deepavaligate too formal? Festivaloflightsgate is a bit too long…na? DesiDancer on October 26, 2005 at 9:37 am said: incidentally, Diwali is on TUESDAY November 1st. masale.wallah on October 26, 2005 at 10:25 am said: How hard is to spell ‘Gandhi” And why can’t most people get it right? Ang on October 26, 2005 at 10:37 am said: krishna on October 26, 2005 at 11:32 am said: just a quick comment about your commentary. when rosa parks first refused to get up, there were tons of immigrants in this country. the year is 1955, remember? you have tens of thousands of children who fought in wwII that are first generation italian-americans, irish-americans, polish-americans and many others, which means that their parents just recently moved to the u.s. i know i’m nitpicking, but to forget that the giant working class that basically built this country in the early 1900’s were all immigrants, while the old established white gentry of the 1800’s made their pockets fatter (much like they still do) would be a shame. while our struggle is different, the asian-american experience in this country can benefit greatly from close study of the immigrant experience in the early 1900’s. razib_the_atheist on October 26, 2005 at 1:11 pm said: krishna, strictly speaking your facts are correct, but let’s be clear here, in 1924 the USA put a stop to most immigration, and what was left was skewed toward northwest europeans. between 1924 and 1965 there was the ‘great pause,’ and the period after world war ii was when ‘ethnic’ GIs, whose parents as you note correctly might have been immigrants (or the children of immigrants, the irish catholic waves stretched between 1850 and 1900 for example) became ‘white’ and like the ‘rest of us.’ this was the era when catholic priests were lionized in movies and jews became part of the religious establishment. this was, in short, a question of becoming american, and moving past the immigrant experience and life (ethnic parish churches, yiddish culture clubs, etc.). also, i am not one who thinks it prudent to neglect the founding population of this country, who were here before 1776, and shaped region cultures which immigrants slotted themselves into (i.e., john kerry is a half-jewish roman catholic boston brahmin, g.w. bush might be mostly yankee puritan by ancestry, but he expresses the sensibilities of the southern scotch-irish). they still formed the majority, and they still led this country and fought in its wars and helped define its culture (you might be curious for example that in some ways secular jews allied with the WASP elite against roman catholic religious philosophy and public policy, but with the roman catholics against the WASPs when it came to the klan, again, a question of tactics and not idealized strategy). to some extent i believe the cultural elite does emphasize the 1900ish great wave because of the influential russian jewish origin intelligensia which can trace its genesis to this period. this graph shows absolute numbers of immigrants, note that population was far smaller initially for this nation so the earlier waves needed to be weighted accordingly. ng on October 26, 2005 at 2:54 pm said: Then in 1955 it was like Mahatma Ghandi in South Africa, same thing happened to him Gandhi died in 1948 – or is the sentence referring to something else? Salil Maniktahla on October 26, 2005 at 6:25 pm said: Well, “Masale wallah” clearly don’t know yer brain enough to know you know better. A heartfelt “duh” on your behalf. Now, a tiny bird (ok, it was Mona) tells me that there will be an SM gathering in North Beach on Sunday? Details, please. Your favorite DC transplant needs brown surround sound. Abhi on October 27, 2005 at 1:26 am said: incidentally, Diwali is on TUESDAY November 1st. Hey DesiDancer, looks like Goyal heard you. From today: Go ahead, Goyal. Q First, quick correction — the Festival of Lights in the White House will be on Tuesday, not Wednesday. Now, my question is — MR. McCLELLAN: Let’s go to quick question because we’ve got the President’s remarks coming up so I can get to a few others. Q — quick question is that the President spoke on Iraq now the 2,000 died and all. I’m sure that no President wants to see that any one of its citizens will be or should be killed anywhere on this earth, including in Iraq. And this President doing his best to free — Q — quick question. Q Question. Q The question is that, who are those people who are killing in Iraq? Where they are coming from, those terrorists that — they are killing Americans and Iraqis? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I actually just talked about that in response to Carl’s question at the beginning of my question period. So I think I’d refer you back to that. The President talked about it at length yesterday, and talked about the nature of the enemy that we’re facing there. And in terms of the sacrifice that is being made, there is tremendous sacrifice that is being made to lay the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren. We mourn the loss of every one of our men and women in uniform who have lost their life in Afghanistan and in Iraq as they carry out the global war on terrorism. Our men and women in uniform are doing an outstanding job, and they understand the importance of the mission that they’re working to complete. And we will be forever grateful, particularly for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedoms and lay the foundation of peace for generations to come. Sarah, go ahead. The Desi Nole on October 27, 2005 at 12:10 pm said: Well Scott does have the toughest job in the White House. I mean, everyone goes screws up and its upto the press secretary to convince the journalists that “it was” for a good case. O'Ya Bula Bula Bi on October 27, 2005 at 1:18 pm said: Now while Goyal will always be Goyal, my quick question to y’all is – are there any decent and articulate reporters out there representing the Indian media at the White House? I hope he is not all we have to show for. On a side note: I am not sure if anyone here watches BBC World, but it was doing an India exclusive report this whole last week. And in the BBC Hard Talk segment (which I think is absolutely amazing) this guy Stephen Sackur (real hard ass interviewer) interviewed a bunch of ppl including Varun Gandhi. And I tell you that this Gandhi lad has got potential. There were times in the interview where the questions were so pressing, and at times personal, that most people would have lost it, but not this chap! Seeker on October 28, 2005 at 3:20 am said: Who hired this goyal guy? He’s a nut. The administration must pay him to be around. I would love to hear some peer opinions on him. To continue on the side note, OYBBB, thanks for turning me onto hardtalk. I just saw the interview – I’m gonna hunt for other interviews by Stephen Sackur. They really ask pointed questions across the pond, no couching crap in crapola! For some reason I had not come across this news of Menaka’s son joining BJP at all. At 25, I thought he handled himself quite well. Politics is indeed in his genes.	11,835
One of the Atom Survival challenges in the game is to catch all of the diseases in the game, such as Sludge Lung and The Whoopsies. Each of these diseases are had by being exposed to certain things in the game. Let’s explore Sludge Lung and The Whoopsies, two of the most difficult diseases to achieve. Let’s explore. Just above I said it is one of the “most difficult disease to achieve”. Oh, it’s not that hard to actually get Sludge Lung, but it is difficult to get Sludge Lung to count against the challenge objective. This is one of the most frustrating things about the challenge system in Fallout 76. You can do all of the right things and still not see the challenge marked as complete. Sludge Lung is one of these problematic achievements. The easiest way to get Sludge Lung is to enter Belching Betty mine without a mask on. In fact, without a mask, you’re likely to get it instantly upon entering. That’s not the problem, however. Simply getting Sludge Lung doesn’t make it count toward the Survival challenge like it should. This is plainly a bug in Fallout 76. This bug has existed for going on at least 2 years now. You would think that Bethesda could fix a bug like this in 2 years. Yet, here we are and it’s still not fixed. In fact, there are other long unfixed bugs still present today that were in the game on day one of its release. Bethesda really has no desire to fix these long standing bugs. Instead, they prefer building and releasing expensive add-ons, like the now-defunct Survival World type, Vault 94 and even Nuclear Winter only to see these removed from the game months after introduction. These were expensive-to-build add-ons from a development perspective. We’re talking several months of design and coding only to be summarily dumped from the game without even so much as a farewell. No, Bethesda can’t fix even the most simplest of bugs, like Sludge Lung counting towards a challenge, but they can spend months building an add-on that no one really wanted and which was proven out because it wasn’t played. How to get Sludge Lung to count? We now arrive at the heart of this article. Sludge Lung doesn’t count towards the challenge achievement after a player’s character contracts it. We know this. To get this disease to count towards the Survival challenge isn’t hard, but it also isn’t intuitive. The easiest method is to immediately head over to Flatwoods after contracting Sludge Lung. There are three sleeping bags lying on the ground near or in Flatwoods. You may now even see where I’m going with this, so bear with me. There are two at the ghoul infested tent just across the field of Brahmin (near the Red Rocket) in Flatwoods proper. There is one more at located at the Overseer’s camp right across from The Wayward (just outside Flatwoods). Lying on any of these sleeping bags on the ground may confer the Swamp Itch disease upon the player’s character. Why is this important? It’s important because the only way to get Sludge Lung to count is to immediately take on a new disease. However, there’s a catch. As soon as the player character gets a disease, an invisible cooldown timer begins so that you can’t receive another new disease until that cooldown timer expires. However, server hopping immediately causes that timer to expire upon login to a new server. This means that once you obtain Sludge Lung, you’ll need to server hop and then fast travel to Flatwoods to attempt to get Swamp Itch from a sleeping bag on the ground. However, Swamp Itch isn’t the only way, but it’s the fastest way. You can certainly try to find a diseased animal, creature or similar and get close enough to them to get their disease. However, you’ll need to be able to do this quickly as Sludge Lung heals and disappears quick… hence, the sleeping bag is the key to speed. Once you have Sludge Lung, server hopped and are standing in front of a sleeping bag on the ground, hop into it. Make sure it’s not a sleeping bag in your camp. Camp sleeping bags on the ground in your camp may be considered “safe” by the game. Instead, use a world bag not located in your camp. These non-camp bags are always considered “unsafe”. You may or may not get Swamp Itch on your first attempt. Sleeping in a ground mattress or sleeping bag doesn’t confer a high chance, just a chance to get a disease. However, if you do get Swamp Itch, it will happen almost instantly after lying down. No need to wait a while. If you don’t get it after lying down, stand back up and try again. Just keep trying over and over until you get it. Once you get Swamp Itch, it will force the game to iterate through all of the current diseases your character presently has and update the challenge area. At that point, the game will notice you have Sludge Lung and mark that disease complete under the challenge. Why the game doesn’t do this iteration when you obtain Sludge Lung by itself, I’ve no idea. My guess is bad coding. There’s plenty of bad code in Fallout 76 and this area is no exception. As I said, it doesn’t matter what other disease you obtain, you just need to get it before Sludge Lung wears off. For example, drinking Dirty Water can confer Dysentery upon the player’s character and that will also count. However, I’ve found that the chances of getting Dysentery from water is a whole lot less than getting Swamp Itch from a sleeping bag on the ground. Whatever disease you attempt to get while having Sludge Lung, you’ll need to do it quick before Sludge Lung wears off. If Sludge Lung wears off before you can get a new disease, you’ll need to enter Belching Betty again, get Sludge Lung and start this process over again. Once you get Swamp Itch in addition to Sludge Lung, the game will update that you have Sludge Lung and that challenge is marked as complete. I could write a separate article on this disease and how to get it. However, I’ll just do it here. However, let me say that by far, The Whoopsies disease is the absolute most difficult disease to get in the game, but not for the same reason as Sludge Lung. There is only one enemy in the game that confers this disease upon the player and it’s exceedingly difficult to make this occur. What enemy? Mirelurk Hatchlings. These creatures are only spawned from a Mirelurk Queen, one of the more difficult standard enemies in the game. While you can attempt to get The Whoopsies from any Diseased Mirelurk Hatchlings, the easiest location to do this is at Quarry X3 in the Cranberry Bog. This location has a half-round metal building located near the pond where a Mirelurk Queen spawns. You’ll use this building to help craft the situation needed. The challenge is not to kill the queen while allowing hatchlings to continue to spawn. However, hatchlings don’t spawn often (about every 3-5 minutes) and when they do, the vast majority are not diseased. Only about one out of 10 spawned are diseased. Even then, a diseased hatchling might not confer the disease upon you even after attacking you repeatedly. Unlike diseased Ghouls, diseased Radstags, diseased Snallygasters and diseased Deathclaws which confer a disease instantly upon even getting close, hatchlings don’t confer a disease even after attacking multiple times. The problem, even above their slowness in spawning, is that the hatchlings die on their own after attacking about 5-7 times. Corrected. As of January 2022, Bethesda seems to have fixed the hatchling dying problem. I was able to allow a diseased hatchling to repeatedly attack my character for up to 10 minutes or longer. This finally allowed my character to obtain The Whoopsies and close out this challenge. However there is still a need for the …. The trick is to lure the queen next to the building and wait for the “pop” sound from the queen, indicating new hatchlings have spawned. You might need to venture out and let the hatchlings see you, but I’ve found they enter the building on their own. The queen can’t attack you easily inside the building, but the hatchlings can enter and begin attacking. You’ll want to kill all of the non-diseased hatchlings allowing only the diseased hatchlings to attack. You might get lucky and receive The Whoopsies quickly or you could be waiting for hours in that building standing around letting them attack you. You’ll want to carry a bunch of stimpaks or food to replenish your HP. Make sure to remove any Perk cards that add disease resistance and also change to armor that doesn’t offer disease resistance. Using Radaway also helps because it reduces disease resistance by 50% for a period of time. However, none of this guarantees that any diseased hatchling will give you The Whoopsies quickly. Further, if you do manage to get The Whoopsies and you find that it doesn’t count under the challenge, you’ll need to follow the same instructions as above by server hopping, then attempting to get another disease, like Swamp Itch, from a mattress to force the game to count The Whoopsies as part of the challenge. However, when my character got The Whoopsies, it counted instantly. No problems with this challenge, unlike Sludge Lung above. As I said, The Whoopsies is the absolute most difficult disease to obtain in the game, bar none. It is likely to be the only disease you don’t have… unless you accidentally received it from a hatchling during a random Mirelurk Queen encounter. The likelihood of that happening is extremely low during the course of random play. Share Randosity: Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to print (Opens in new window) Top Posts How to pair your PS4 controller wirelessly Where are the Vault-Tec Cross Promotional Bobbleheads in Fallout 4? Is it safe to drink soda left in a hot car? How to get the Living Starship in No Man's Sky Fallout 76: A Guide to a Bloodied Build Randocity Archives Select Month December 2022 November 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 April 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 July 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008	12,454
We have partnered with Assistance League of the Eastside, with all of our proceeds going towards their cause! They serve the "the immediate, unmet needs of children and adults challenged by hardship or violence." To learn more about the cause, click down below. Our team consists of ten Juniors at Skyline High School in Sammamish, Washington, with two missions. We want to spread our love of code through our community and get kids more job-ready and equipped to face the tech-savvy world of today. We also want to give back to the community by using all of our proceeds to help those in need. While a new organization, we hope to expand with the help of people like you and impact more lives nationwide. Srihari Krishnaswamy Co-founder Co-founder I enjoy watching our students develop valuable problem solving skills, and I am excited to be able to continue spreading programming knowledge to kids across the nation. I've made mobile applications in React.js and Dart, and look to get our students ahead of the pack in learning complex programming skills! I have extensive experience teaching kids with a job as a math instructor in Mathnasium and as a volunteer intern teaching kindergartners Hindi at Gurukul. Not to mention hours and hours of coding. It's incredibly exciting to not only teach something that I love in code to kids, but also do it for a good cause in donating to charity! I love passing down what I have learnt to students as they work together to solve different problems. I have experience of 4 years in robotics and app development. Through my various projects, I have learnt a lot that I wish to give to students while supporting a great cause.	1,736
Green cash and loans to fight climate change is a huge opportunity for African financial institutions Sign in Share this post Green cash and loans to fight climate change is a huge opportunity for African financial institutions Green cash and loans to fight climate change is a huge opportunity for African financial institutions Africa's financial sector has a massive opportunity to mobilise funding to accelerate the continent's transition to clean energy and fight climate change, according to a report. Nov 23, 2021 Share this post Green cash and loans to fight climate change is a huge opportunity for African financial institutions Africa's financial sector has a massive opportunity to mobilise funding to accelerate the continent's transition to clean energy and fight climate change, according to a report. Commercial banks in Africa are increasingly creating specialised lending facilities to bolster private investment in climate-related infrastructure projects and sustainable businesses and this is a big opportunity for the sector, according to a report. According to European Investment Bank (EID) 2021 report, close to 70 percent of banks in Africa see green finance as an attractive lending opportunity. However, there is a big gap between recognising the opportunity and actually benefitting, according to the report. "Nearly 55 per cent actively look at climate change when making strategic plans. And more than 40 per cent of African banks employ staff to focus on renewable energy. However, only around 10 per cent have tailored their products to serve green finance," reads the study in part. However, EID says this market has yet to achieve its full potential, as it remains small relative to equivalent markets in other regions. Analysis by the United Kingdom’s Overseas Development Institute and the EIB shows that the number and value of issuances in Africa’s green bond market have been increasing almost every year. It comes as the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Climate Investment Funds have released a scoping report highlighting the impact of combining green banks and national climate funds to accelerate green financing. The AfDB is upbeat that entities such as “Green Investment Banks” and National Climate Change Funds (NCCFs) can increase the capacity of African countries to access and mobilise climate finance in support of implementing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and related national climate and development goals. NDCs are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and typify each country's effort to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Green Banks will pull finances to support low-carbon, climate-resilient development by raising and blending capital to finance local climate infrastructure while also driving an increase in private investment. According to the Coalition for Green Capital, green banks can attract more private capital at affordable rates through credit enhancements. "Financing structures, such as loan loss reserves or loan guarantees, help de-risk investments for private investors, enabling more capital to flow to clean energy projects," it says on its website. Globally, Sopra Banking Software estimate 2021 could see more than 1 trillion US dollars raised for sustainable financing, with the value of green bonds traded hitting 2.36 trillion US dollars by 2023. African financial institutions are well situated to add green financing to their portfolios and funnel these funds into local climate-conscious projects. They could also lose business if they don't. EID 2021 report warns that Africa and its financial sectors are highly exposed to risks associated with climate change, hence they must play a key role in financing climate adaptation and mitigation. The African Climate Policy Centre has calculated that an increase in global temperatures of 1 °C would lead to a 2 per cent contraction of Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP). An increase of 4 °C would lead to as much as a 12 per cent contraction of Africa’s GDP and potentially poke holes into the balance sheets of commercial banks. The EIB Banking in Africa survey, 2021 reveals that African banks are increasingly aware of the need to address risks posed by climate change, and are beginning to take advantage of opportunities in green finance. It further shows that other financial institutions, including micro-finance, private capital and insurers, are also filling market gaps in green finance. Policymakers are supporting these developments through regulatory intervention, technical support and financing, with initiatives at domestic, regional and international levels. But still, Africa’s green finance sectors remain underdeveloped relative to those in other regions, and more can be done to ensure that the continent’s financial sectors address climate risks and make the most of the opportunities of climate finance. "This has become particularly urgent in the context of the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19. International organisations can play an important role by working with financial institutions to finance the climate transition, and by helping to address gaps in knowledge and capacity to provide sustainable finance products," says the EID report. Share this post Green cash and loans to fight climate change is a huge opportunity for African financial institutions	5,555
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If you own land in Dallas and that land is vacant or if you have not started any construction on it and you would like a good value for it so that you can make other important investments and secure your future, then this is the right article that you reading as it has some important information that you should be knowing before you sell out your land. Check out https://www.compasslandcapital.com/ to know more about genuine options where you can trade your land in case of some urgent requirement of cash. Know before you sell your land Selling your land and Dallas can be a heartbreaking decision as many people work very hard on property in Dallas as it is very expensive and valuable to have. But many people also sell out their properties as they buy them from an investment point of you and would like to sell them out whenever they feel that they will be getting a good return out of it. There is some basic information that everyone should be aware of before they sell out their land. You are some tips that you must know before you send your land in Dallas One of the most important tips that anyone can give you relating to finding a good deal to sell out your land is to approach multiple dealers before you make final decisions. Different dealers will give different reasons why they have coated up particular read for your land and it will also help you understand what is the value of your property in the market after being evaluated on multiple market parameters that can influence the price. To be able to reach a good deal that can fetch you the best price in the market, you should start with planning important aspects of the deal such as when you would like to sell your market and if there are any changes that you would like to make to your property that can praise its rating and make it more competitive among all the options that are available at the same time. Deals that are planned often are found to be more effective rather than spontaneous ones. These two tips will be able to help you gain the best price for your property and make a large difference when it comes to finding a good match for your land. Check out https://www.compasslandcapital.com/ to know more. Previous: The most ideal way to sell the home rapidly is through cash purchasers Next: Benefits of Selling House Online busines health Legal Real estate Log in Comments feed Saif Fuentes lived in Europe, who was naturally born in America. At the age of 30, Saif runs a small restaurant business. He learned European cuisines with the combination of American-style recipes, which were served in his restaurant. Currently, many tourists are dining in with his best-served menu.	2,822
suissenow is a Swiss boutique advisory firm, supporting the activities of foreign investors, multinational companies, entrepreneurs and start-ups in Switzerland. We are located in the Canton of Schwyz, close to Zurich. We offer our services in English, German and Hungarian. Further languages are available upon request. Our company is a proud member of Treuhand Suisse, the Swiss Fiduciary Association. What we do Switzerland has a lot to offer to foreign investors and entrepreneurs. Our goal is to support our clients in benefiting from the advantages of the Swiss business environment. As a one-stop shop, we provide a number of services ranging from market entry advisory to company formation and administration, from obtaining permits and licenses to tax planning. Our story started more than 20 years ago, when the predecessor of our company, Glen Coe Corporate Finance was founded. With an initial focus on mergers & acquisition advisory, we successfully supported a number of entrepreneurs in reaching their strategic objectives. Over 10 years ago, we extended our range of activities with Swiss market entry advisory and related services. Since then, we have successfully supported a number of foreign companies, start-ups and investors in entering the Swiss market. We are a customer-oriented organisation with a focus on tailor-made solutions. What we offer Swiss market entry Either through greenfield company formations or the acquisition of established Swiss companies, we help our clients to enter the Swiss market through making the right decisions. We develop market entry strategies, analyse the market and legal environment of the respective industry and identify potential strategic partners or acquisition targets. We provide tailored company formation services in Switzerland. We give advice regarding legal form, capital requirements, registered seat, the board of directors and opening of bank accounts. Our focus is on setting up Swiss holding companies, start-ups and subsidiaries of international groups. Corporate administration As a one-stop shop, we provide all relevant corporate administration services. Seat and offices at an attractive location, full financial administration from payment transactions to bookkeeping and the preparation of all necessary tax returns and financial statements are all covered. We also delegate members into the board of directors and provide management services. As a non-EU country, Switzerland requires permits or registrations for many business activities, such as staff lease, the employment of foreign employees in Switzerland, as well as financial and healthcare services. We support our clients in understanding the legal requirements and obtaining all necessary permits and licenses. We advise our clients with regard to the compliance with the applicable laws and regulations. We deliver current information about the changes in legislation. On behalf of our clients, we also maintain relationships with all relevant authorities, and comply with all registration and administrative requirements. Relocation to Switzerland We support private persons in obtaining residence permits, buying or renting real estate properties or opening a bank account in Switzerland. We also advise foreign companies regarding the relocation of their activities or headquarters to Switzerland. We provide advice to companies and private persons regarding to all aspects of Swiss taxation, and support our clients in making the right decisions. On behalf of our clients, we prepare and file all applicable tax returns and submit tax refunds. We also support our clients in obtaining advance tax rulings. Mergers & acquisitions We identify attractive acquisition targets in Switzerland for potential foreign investors and provide them the full range of transaction services, such as business valuation, deal structuring and due diligence. In addition, we also support foreign entrepreneurs and start-ups in finding suitable investors or raising capital for their businesses. Why Decades of experience Our team has decades of experience in the field of mergers and acquisitions, developing business strategies, providing market entry solutions with a special focus on Swiss permits and licenses. We have gained experience in a number of industries such as the financial, pharmaceutical, digital, healthcare and entertainment sector, as well as machinery. We understand and cover the needs of multinational companies, entrepreneurs and start-ups as well. Over the course of more than 20 years, we have developed an international network of solution providers, entrepreneurs, investors and decision makers. Our network allows our clients to access new business opportunities and also helps them to have the latest information about market trends and developments. As a member of Treuhand Suisse, the Swiss Fidiucary Association, we continuously strive for excellence and high quality of our services. In order to have an up-to-date knowledge of the regulatory environment, we regularly participate on professional trainings and education.	5,241

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