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Part of the Series
Covering Climate Now
The morning of Wednesday, February 18, 2015, had started just like any other day for Summer Spencer. Back then, she was a sixth grader at South High School in Torrance, a coastal city in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. But at around 9am, Spencer and her classmates were given a 'shelter in place' order by their teacher. It was, the now 17-year-old says, pretty exciting at first. "I just figured I might not have to go to my next class."
Summer's teachers closed the doors, secured the windows, and pulled the drapes shut. It was only when she went home that day and spoke to her dad, an environmental safety expert, that she realized she, her classmates, and thousands of other Torrance residents, had had a near miss with a chemical so deadly the Department of Homeland Security lists it as a substance of interest for terrorists.
"I told [my dad] all we did was shut the windows and he explained it wouldn't have been enough to protect the students," she recalls.
Spencer's dad explained if the chemical had been released, "thousands of Torrance residents would have died".
The threat came from the Torrance Refinery, just three miles away from Summer's school, a 700-acre plot which processes around 155,000 barrels of crude oil every day, and uses hydrofluoric acid (HF) — or "modified hydrofluoric acid" (MHF) as refineries often refer to the substance — to make high octane gasoline. Around 400,000 people live within three miles of the refineries.
On that Wednesday morning, unbeknown to Summer, pent up gases at the refinery, back then owned by Exxon, had triggered an explosion so big that it registered as a 1.7 tremor. A processing unit had burst open, propelling a large piece of equipment into the air, which narrowly avoided hitting a tank that contained more than 50,000-pound of the deadly HF.
"It was a complete surprise. Nobody really knew the danger of the Torrance refinery," Spencer told Drilled.
Although the 48 US oil refineries that use MHF claim it is safer than HF, both substances are deadly to humans. And in fact scientists say the two substances are virtually identical. When released, both substances travel in a vapor cloud that can reach eight feet in height, penetrating buildings and causing catastrophic eye, bone, deep tissue, lung and nervous system damage. Essentially, as Torrance-based scientist Dr. Sally Hayati put it, the substance can liquify your organs.
Hayati was alerted to the chemical following the same explosion that piqued Summer's interest. An engineer with a PhD who formerly had secret clearance for her job at the Aerospace Corporation, Hayati has been investigating the use of HF and MHF in refineries for the past six years. "Now I know what I know, I can't just turn a blind eye," she said.
Hayati discovered that MHF is a proprietary substance — meaning its exact makeup is protected as a trade secret — and is nearly identical to HF. "By molecule count, MHF is 99% the same as HF," Hayati says. "The refineries claim it's safe. It's not. It's a fraud."
Generally, refineries add a chemical called sulfolane to HF to modify it. The sulfolane is supposed to stop MHF from spreading like a vapor if leaked, but according to Hayati it wouldn't. Refineries claim their MHF substance is different from HF, insisting there is enough sulfolane added to make MHF safe to use. However, as Hayati points out, the two chemicals are 99% identical, and, like HF, MHF disperses like a cloud if released, which is what makes it so deadly.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) told Drilled if the concentration of HF in the MHF mixture is 50% or greater, the agency would classify the chemical as HF.
The modified HF used in the Torrance and Wilmington refineries has around six to 10% of sulfolane added to reduce the chemical's volatility, which should prevent the HF from forming a vapor cloud when released. Essentially the sulfolane is intended to ground the HF, keeping it in liquid form, and therefore not a danger to the public. However this amount of sulfolane, Hayati said, is too little a percentage to prevent MHF from exhibiting the same vapor cloud behavior as HF exhibits on release. And there's another wrinkle: Sulfolane can prevent alkylation units, which are integral in the conversion process from crude oil to high quality gasoline, from properly functioning. According to Hayati, in 1997 the additive caused the MHF unit to malfunction, and the Torrance refinery reverted back to using HF.
"The public was told the MHF unit was successful," Hayati says. "That was a lie. Quietly, behind the scenes Mobil cut the safety additive and to cover themselves threw in some useless proprietary 'safety measures'." [In 2016, the refinery was purchased by PBF Energy.]
That information was revealed in the Consent Decree Safety Advisor's 1999 report, made after the city of Torrance sued Mobil following an explosion in 1987 that released around 100 pounds of hydrofluoric acid.
The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board commissioned a report into the 2015 incident — which very nearly resulted in an MHF tanker being hit by an 80,000-pound chunk of flying debris — but did not recommend the refinery switch to a safer alternative. However, the board noted that ExxonMobil "resisted" requests for safety information pertaining to the potential release of HF.
"ExxonMobil continues to refuse to provide the CSB with information detailing safeguards to prevent or mitigate a release of HF," the report reads. The CSB has issued subpoenas for this information, and is pursuing enforcement in US Federal district court." The refinery was later fined $566,600.
In 2019, federal judges ordered ExxonMobil to hand over HF documents, however as of April 2021, that has still yet to happen.
That same year, the CSB wrote to the EPA to say it "strongly encourages" the agency to conduct another study to "determine whether these refineries' existing risk management plans are sufficient to prevent catastrophic releases."
Two oil refineries in LA County use HF: the Wilmington refinery, owned by Valero, and the Torrance refinery. Both have fought proposals to ban HF, primarily due to the cost involved in switching to a safer alternative — sulfuric acid — which independent experts estimate would be in the millions of dollars, although the industry argues it would cost almost $1 billion. Alternative technologies that don't carry the risks of either HF or sulfolane, such as a solid acid catalyst, have been slow to catch on, although in a US-first, Chevron has committed to retrofit its alkylation unit in its Salt Lake City refinery with ionic liquids technology.
Hayati founded TRAA — Torrance Refinery Action Alliance — to argue for a ban of HF and MHF.
South Bay supervisor Janice Hahn is one of the few local officials who has spoken out against the use of HF. "We're talking about a deadly flesh-eating vapor cloud that could affect 1 million people," Hahn said.
In April 2019, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health concluded that MHF should be phased out of the two refineries, as the current healthcare structure is inadequately equipped to respond to the atrocities that would result in the event of a chemical release. However later that year, the South Coast Air Quality Management District killed the push for stronger regulation, instead opting for safeguards that were suggested by the oil refineries themselves, saying "now is not the time" to phase out the deadly acid.
Drilled spoke to the SCAQMD, which confirmed the board had accepted Valero and Torrance's voluntary efforts to install safety enhancements.
The Torrance community is supposed to be alerted to an MHF release by a siren — Wilmington does not have one — that is tested every Wednesday. The SCAQMD added the alarm system was "outside the scope of commitments" in the safety enhancement offers made by the refineries. Numerous Torrance residents that spoke to Drilled did not know what the siren meant, and had never heard it before.
In response to the public being unaware of the meaning of the alarms, the spokesperson for the SCAQMD said it had held numerous public meetings concerning HF.
"The South Coast AQMD Governing Board expressed concerns about viable alternatives," the spokesperson added. "Implementation of the Proffers ensures expeditious safety enhancements instead of requiring a phase out of MHF at this time."
Refineries elsewhere in the US have experienced HF leaks; in 1987, an HF cloud covered Texas City, prompting the evacuation of 3,000 people across 50 city blocks, and sending 800 to hospital. In 2018, 27,000 people in Wisconsin were evacuated following a refinery fire, as there were fears the HF tank would blow up. In 2019, Philadelphia dodged a catastrophe after more than 5,000 pounds of the chemical was released following an explosion. The CSB again released a sobering statement.
"The board remains concerned that the next time there is a major explosion at a refinery that uses HF for alkylation, workers and those living nearby will not be so lucky," CSB's interim executive Kristen Kulinowski said at the time. Philadelphia is now considering a ban on the use of HF in refineries.
In 1986, Dr. Ronald Koopman, a scientist working at government-owned Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, conducted an experiment in the desert. He wanted to show how deadly HF could be, and filmed the results. Video footage shows 8,300 pounds of HF released within just two minutes, with all of the acid forming a dense, ground-hugging cloud. Even two miles downwind of the release site, the HF cloud still contained more than twice the chemicals needed to kill a person. By contrast, the combined amount of HF held at Torrance and Valero refineries is 829,000 pounds.
"There haven't been any fatalities, yet. But it's only a matter of time," Hayati warned. The location of these refineries, in earthquake-prone Los Angeles County, only adds to the risk. The refineries sit atop the San Andreas fault. "It should be criminally insane…it should be absolutely forbidden to have something so inherently dangerous in an earthquake zone," Hayati said.
A spokesperson for the Torrance refinery told Drilled the plant has been using the "HF/MHF catalyst" for more than 50 years without ever having an offsite release. The spokesperson noted that HF is used to make refrigerators and other consumer products. They added that alternative alkylation options "have not yet been proven to be safe…or inherently safer than MHF".
"Therefore," the spokesperson continued, "MHF remains the safe, proven and superior alkylation technology."
* * *
Summer Spencer's experience on that Wednesday morning, back in 2015, remained with her for years.
"In hindsight, I would definitely have been scared. Being so young I didn't comprehend the scale of the danger. I felt other people should know," she said.
When the opportunity came up with the Girl Scouts to complete a project for her gold award, Spencer knew exactly what she was going to do.
She jumped into action, and began researching how to protect her school from an HF release. She came up with a plan to put up plastic sheeting and duct tape in the classrooms — which CDC guidelines suggest. "We actually found that that doesn't protect fully either, you actually have to have full face respirators as well," Spencer added.
Nevertheless, Spencer's project caught the attention of the Torrance school district, which has since asked the teenager to extend her plan for every school in the district.
"They asked me to write an adaptable protocol for all Torrance schools — around 21 in total. They felt it wasn't fair to do it for one school and not the rest of them."
Spencer is now responsible for creating a safety protocol to protect thousands of children, and she is well aware of the pressure.
"I was a little intimidated at first. I never imagined I would be creating an adaptable protocol myself.
Meanwhile, there's very little happening to regulate HF or MHF nationally. An EPA spokesperson told Drilled by email: "EPA is aware of the concerns raised by various stakeholders regarding the dangers of hydrofluoric acid and the recent history of accidents and near-misses involving hydrofluoric acid alkylation units at refineries. EPA will closely review information regarding these incidents when considering potential regulatory changes."
In the meantime, the millions of Americans living in the shadow of a potential vapor bomb will continue to rely on refineries to self-regulate, an ineffectual emergency alarm too quiet for anybody to hear, high schoolers to design safety protocols, and community activists to push for better.
This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
Not everyone can pay for the news. But if you can, we need your support.
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We're committed to keeping all Truthout articles free and available to the public. But in order to do that, we need those who can afford to contribute to our work to do so — especially now, because we have just 3 days left to raise $35,000 in critical funds.
We'll never require you to give, but we can ask you from the bottom of our hearts: Will you donate what you can, so we can continue providing journalism in the service of justice and truth?


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In today's On the News segment: Fossil fuels aren't just threatening our environment, they pose a major risk to our economy as well; 47 million hungry Americans will see cuts to their SNAP benefits; Syria has completed a major milestone in their work to destroy chemical weapons; and more.
Thom Hartmann here – on the news…
You need to know this. Starting today, 47 million hungry Americans will see cuts to their SNAP benefits. Five billion dollars is being slashed from the program, leaving the poor to survive on even less. Families who are already struggling to make ends meet will see their food stamp benefits drop by an average of $36 dollars per household. That may not sound like a lot, but it's a huge difference to a family trying to feed themselves on an average of $278 dollars a month. According to the Congressional Budget Office, 87 percent of SNAP recipients live in households with children, seniors, and people with disabilities. And, at least 900,000 veterans relied on food stamps as of 2011. These people are not takers like many Republicans claim, these are our children, our parents, our neighbors in need, and those who devoted their lives to protecting this country. Many of them even work hard at regular jobs, but they just can't survive on the slave labor wages that are paid by so many corporations. Senate Democrats managed to fend off more extreme food stamp cuts proposed by House Republicans, but $5 billion dollars is still too much to take away from needy families who can't afford to eat. In the history of our nation, we have come together after tragedies. We have stood up for those who can speak for themselves. And, we have decided that people don't go hungry in the streets in the richest nation on Earth. It is simply un-American to break those promises now, and our lawmakers must know that we wont stand for it.
In screwed news… Fossil fuels aren't just threatening our environment – they pose a major risk to our economy as well. According to former Vice President Al Gore, and his longtime business partner David Blood, companies and wealthy individuals must stop investing in oil and gas. They say it's not just a moral issue, it's a financial one. The so-called carbon bubble has been inflated because investments in toxic fuel sources are far larger than possible returns. But, the fossil fuel industry has denied this fact like they deny climate change. As oil and gas becomes more expensive, and more difficult to extract, the carbon bubble could burst, and create an world-wide financial crisis. Vice President Gore, and many other experts, are calling on companies to divest from fossil fuels before it's too late. Even Bill McKibben of 350.org said, "The carbon bubble that looms over our world needs to be deflated soon. As with our fiscal crisis, failure to do so will cause enormous pain – pain, in fact, almost beyond imagining."
In the best of the rest of the news…
This week, the Nuclear Information and Resource Service delivered a petition to the U.S. Senate – and it was signed by more than 42,000 people. The environmental group collected signatures in opposition to a little-known bill called S.B. 1240 – which activists have nicknamed the "Mobile Chernobyl" bill. The measure was introduced earlier this year, and it calls for the development of so-called "consolidated interim storage" facilities to house our nation's stockpile of spent nuclear fuel. And, it would allow the transportation of this nuclear waster via our national highway system. The idea was first purposed back in the 1990's, but federal studies determined that the high number of ground shipments made a dangerous accident inevitable. It's unclear why 20 years later, with more road traffic, a crumbling infrastructure, and even more nuclear waste, this would suddenly be a good idea. Finding a new place to store nuclear waste doesn't make it any less dangerous to our environment, or our communities. No nukes!
Syria has completed a major milestone in their work to destroy chemical weapons. That nation has completely dismantled their equipment for producing poison gas. Although there is still a lot of work to be done to destroy the 1,000 tons of chemicals and weapons, Syria met the first critical deadline one day ahead of schedule. The announcement was made by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, who said their team was satisfied about the progress. The next stage of the process requires Syria to submit a plan for the total destruction of its chemical weapons stockpile, which must be approved by next month. It appears that they are on track to meet that goal as well. The OPCW made this milestone possible, and the international community owes them enormous thanks.
According to RadCast.org, quite a bit of our country is seeing higher than average radiation levels. Radiation levels in cities near the East Coast, like Durham, North Carolina and Charleston, West Virginia, are experiencing spikes over 50 counts per minute. Areas in the South West, like Borger. Texas and Chandler, Arizona are hitting levels in the mid-60s. And, some central states are seeing even higher levels even. Spikes in Spearfish, South Dakota are hitting 65 counts per minute, Craig, Montana is reaching 66, and Frederic, Wisconsin is averaging 60 counts per minute – with spikes at 98. RadCast.org reminds as that the alert level is 100 counts per minute, and they're following levels closely to keep us informed.
And finally… Representative Marsh Blackburn is really worried about footwear freedom. At Wednesday's House Committee hearing on Obamacare, the Tennessee Republican claimed that the healthcare law is taking away peoples' choices. She said, "What's the next thing going to be? You can't buy that Solo cup? You can't buy an inexpensive blouse? You can't buy a pair of shoes that costs less than another pair?" Even though her point was ridiculous, she proclaimed that she plans to fight back. She said, "I am not going to sit here and let them get by with this." Perhaps instead of pointing out the obvious – that no one is coming after our shoes or our Solo cups – we should all be relieved that Marsha Blackburn is on the job, protecting our right to buy cheap footwear!
And that's the way it is today – Friday, November 1, 2013. I'm Thom Hartmann – on the news.
Not everyone can pay for the news. But if you can, we need your support.
Truthout is widely read among people with lower incomes and among young people who are mired in debt. Our site is read at public libraries, among people without internet access of their own. People print out our articles and send them to family members in prison — we receive letters from behind bars regularly thanking us for our coverage. Our stories are emailed and shared around communities, sparking grassroots mobilization.
We're committed to keeping all Truthout articles free and available to the public. But in order to do that, we need those who can afford to contribute to our work to do so — especially now, because we have just 3 days left to raise $35,000 in critical funds.
We'll never require you to give, but we can ask you from the bottom of our hearts: Will you donate what you can, so we can continue providing journalism in the service of justice and truth?

subset: commoncrawl


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We are a member organization of the Scandinavian Cultural Centre in Winnipeg and of the Icelandic National League of North America. We are located at the Scandinavian Cultural Centre 764 Erin Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3G 2W4
It is the mission of the Icelandic Canadian Fron to promote and to preserve a healthy, vibrant Icelandic culture and heritage within Canadian society.
In the Icelandic Canadian Fron, our vision is to:
- Develop and to further the aims and objectives of the Icelandic National League.
- Promote the development of good Canadian Citizenship.
- Preserve and to promote the linguistic, literary and cultural heritage of Canadians of Icelandic descent.
- Provide opportunities for the social interaction among the members of the Organization.
- Foster a working relationship with Scandinavians and other ethnic organizations.
- Contribute financially to worthwhile cultural activities.
- Serve as an effective medium through which the Canadian Icelandic community may publicly express its position on relevant issues.
- Serve as a member organization of the Scandinavian Cultural Centre.
- Live our values.
In the Icelandic Canadian Fron, we value:
- The diversity and the uniqueness of all members of the Canadian community.
- A shared common purpose that inspires and strengthens our commitment, responsibility and accountability to each other and to our community.
- Our ties to Iceland and to our Icelandic heritage.
- Our ties to the Scandinavian community in Winnipeg and our commitment to the Scandinavian Centre.
- Vision, innovation, enthusiasm and involvement.


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Mexico's government has accepted all the demands of student protesters at the National Polytechnic Institute, or IPN, a public university in the capital, in a bid to prevent the movement from spreading to other higher education institutions.
On Sept. 22, students at the IPN's Superior School of Engineering and Architecture halted activities to protest new internal regulations that they said lowered the institution's academic and professional level.
The movement quickly grew and seemed on the verge of expanding to all of the country's public universities.
Mexico's government secretary, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, received a list of 10 demands four days ago from the students and on Friday said in an address to thousands of students outside his ministry's headquarters that all of them had been officially accepted.
The government's rapid response reflects its fear of new student demonstrations two years after the rise of the "Yo soy 132" student movement, when started in May 2012, shortly before Enrique Peña Nieto's victory in that year's presidential election returned the once-hegemonic Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, to power.
The protest movement began on May 11 of that year when Peña Nieto visited the Universidad Iberoamericana and was jeered by students, who accused him of being a candidate "manufactured" by the powerful Televisa network.
The list of demands accepted Friday by Peña Nieto's government included the scrapping of the controversial new regulations that were approved in September and which opponents say emphasizes technical as opposed to scientific knowledge.
Osorio Chong also announced that the federal government had accepted the resignation of Yoloxochitl Bustamante, the now-former director of the IPN, thus fulfilling another of the protesters' main demands.
He said the students will face no "academic, administrative or legal reprisals" and expressed the government's commitment to maintaining the excellence of public higher education and increasing the federal budget for public universities, without providing precise figures.


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Museum Collections
Luce Center
Log cabin bottle w/cork
Object Number:
Glass, cork
Overall: 8 3/8 x 4 x 2 3/4 in. ( 21.3 x 10.2 x 7 cm )
in relief: on roof: "E.G. BOOZ'S / OLD CABIN / WHISKEY" and "(1840)" in relief: on sides: "E.G. BOOZ'S / OLD CABIN / WHISKEY." and "120 WALNUT ST / PHILADELPHIA"
Deep amber lead glass log cabin bottle blown in a multi-part mold (McKearin GVII-4) with down-tooled lip, inscriptions "E.G. BOOZ'S OLD CABIN WHISKEY" and "(1840)" on gabled roof with beveled points, "E.G. BOOZ'S OLD CABIN WHISKEY" and "120 WALNUT ST PHILADELPHIA" on sides, and base with large circular depression.
Gallery Label:
"E.G. Booz's Old Cabin Whiskey" was made for one Edmund G. Booz by the Whitney Glass Works of Glassboro, New Jersey around 1860. It is thought that the 1840 date refers to the age of the whiskey in the bottle. At his death, Booz had 25 cases of Cabin Whiskey in stock, valued at six dollars a case or fifty cents per bottle. That the Booz bottle was continued after his death is suggested by an example with a stopper inscribed with an 1875 date. This famous bottle has been widely reproduced.
Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. J. Insley Blair
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.


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LadyFest Miami is a DIY (do-it-yourself) festival organized and run by volunteers made by and for women: trans folks, LGB people, straight women, kinksters, people of color, immigrants, genderqueer, queer, and their allies.
The goal of the grassroots organization is to unite, engage, and empower our local community, build a sustainable community and celebrate diversity by creating a space for education, transformative dialogue, art, and cultural expression. LadyFest is open and inviting to everyone, of all ages and backgrounds.
To kick off the first event and showcase a taste of what LadyFest Miami had to offer, they held a VIP reception at O Cinema in Wynwood on Wednesday, March 26. We were honored to be among those they invited.
Continue reading Out and About: #LadyFestMiami VIP Reception


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Preserve® 100% Recycled Plastic Mini Food Storage Container
Taking your snacks on the go has never been easier! This adorable Preserve® mini food container is the perfect vessel to take to work, school, picnics and for daily errands with the kids. Made in the USA from 100% BPA free, recycled #5 plastic, the mini will surely stand up to every day "abuse". The lid screws on tightly to preserve food and can nest on another mini for easy storage.
- Capacity: 8 oz
- Colors: Aqua, Green, Red
- Material: 100% Recycled #5 Plastic
- Features: 100% Recyclable
- Care Instructions: Dishwasher Safe
- Customization: Pad Printing; FDA-Compliant Ink
Vector artwork required. Ships: 4-5 weeks from time of approved artwork. Minimum order quantity: 160
* Setup fee applies


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The National Flood Insurance Program regulations require that all new construction and substantial improvements in flood-prone areas be constructed with materials resistant to flood damage (Section 60.3(a)(ii)). While spray foam insulation is an exceptional air barrier, not all types of spray foam insulation will protect your home from water damage.
Open cell spray foam should not be installed anywhere that is susceptible to flooding because it is very permeable–it acts like a sponge when in contact with water. On the other hand, closed cell spray foam is able to withstand high levels of water vapor and floodwaters. FEMA recognizes closed cell spray foam as an example of flood-resistant material, as it is capable of withstanding at least 72 hours of prolonged contact with floodwaters. This means, that for spray foam applications in homes below the Base Flood Elevation, closed cell spray foam is the only option. In an area such as the Gulf South, it is crucial for homeowners to make sure open-cell spray foam is not installed under subfloors, crawlspaces, raised slab foundations, or their home's general exterior.
In compliance with best installation practices, Diversified Energy proposes and installs only the proper polyurethane spray foam material at the correct thickness under the most optimal conditions, resulting in a continuous air, moisture, and insulation barrier that preserves your home and provides all the benefits one should come to expect when having one's home foam-sprayed.


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Move over Homeland and In Treatment—there's a new Israeli television import in town. Coming to your television screen in the near future is Boom!, which the Hollywood Reporter describes as "a quiz show in which contestants struggle against the clock to defuse replica bombs by answering trivia questions." So like Cash Cab, but with bombs?
It's a somewhat off-putting—and hugely unsubtle—concept, but it's also very much a show that lays bare the machinery of a competition show. It's so spare and unadorned that it's almost the ultimate game show. Still, it's possible American audiences like their quiz shows more glammed up, with sequined women holding shiny briefcases, or with celebrities, or pop song lyrics. Or they might just really like Jeopardy. Boom!, with its use of bomb imagery and casual reliance on the threat of imminent violence seems somehow… different.
And that may be what ultimately makes it a success in the United States. Just before Homeland premiered its head scratch-inducing Season 2 (remember? things were so different then), Sarah Breger examined the success of recent Israeli television transplants in the U.S. market for Jewcy.
Sharon Shaif, who co-edited the book Global Television Formats: Understanding Television Across Borders and is currently writing a book on Israeli reality television, told me that traditionally, the rule of thumb when scouring for potential crossover hits is to find programs that are "culturally neutral" and adhere to established formulas. For Israel, though, the lesson has been almost the opposite. The Israeli shows that have succeeded in the United States have been steeped in Israeli cultural concerns, from war and terrorism to the specter of the Holocaust.
Still, Breger noted that dramas imported from Israel were generally better received by American audiences than comedies. After all, the first Israeli sitcom premiered in 1983, when programs like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and All in the Family had already been on the air for years, and the genre remained very much under the influence of American comedy. Which, naturally, when mirrored back a decade later, might not seem as revelatory as, say, Homeland's nuanced, unemotional depictions of terrorists.
What this all means is that there's a chance Boom! is so out of the box, and so unconventional, that American audiences totally eat it up. Boom.
Stephanie Butnick is deputy editor of Tablet Magazine and a host of the Unorthodox podcast.


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Show Alert: Body Language XVI featuring Dunks + Tyler Lewis
Sweat it out this Friday night at one of Vancouver's best parties, Body Language. Hosted at the new and improved The Beaumont Studios, the venue now boasts an area "doubled in total size, tripled in radness, and quadrupled the available dance floor space."
Featuring local gems Dunks from the Funk Hunters and Tyler Lewis, the night also features support from Neighbour, Woodhead and Howl Sound. Visuals by Lighthead.
Tickets are $15 presale with more available at the door and in store at Puff, Beatstreet, Highlife, and Vinyl.
49.282729 -123.120738


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TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hudbay Minerals Inc. ("Hudbay" or the "company") (TSX, NYSE: HBM) is pleased to announce the appointment of Andre Lauzon as its Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective January 4, 2022. He replaces Cashel Meagher, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, who has provided notice that he will be leaving the company to pursue other interests. Mr. Lauzon, who is currently the Vice President of Hudbay's Arizona Business Unit, has been working closely with Mr. Meagher over the past several years on key growth projects in Manitoba and Arizona and his appointment ensures a seamless transition in accordance with the company's succession plan as Hudbay continues to pursue its growth objectives.
"Andre's appointment demonstrates the deep operational and technical bench strength at Hudbay. His promotion reflects both his readiness and his valued expertise and comes at an opportune time as our operations are embarking on a period of significant production and cash flow growth with the recent completion of our major brownfield investment programs. We look forward to having Andre play a key role in delivering our next stage of growth with our leading organic pipeline," said Peter Kukielski, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are grateful for Cashel's contributions in various roles at Hudbay over the past 13 years, including his leadership in building our South America business, and we wish him well in his future endeavours. I look forward to continuing to work with our talented, effective and innovative operating and technical teams under Andre's leadership."
Mr. Lauzon joined Hudbay in 2016 and has held strategic and operational leadership roles in Manitoba, where he served as Vice President of the Manitoba Business Unit until 2018, and in his current role where he oversees the company's U.S. business. Mr. Lauzon has over 25 years of mining industry experience in technical, operational and executive management roles at global mining companies, including Vale Inco where he provided technical expertise to the company's global base metal mines and managerial oversight for various milling and mining operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Geology and a Master of Science specialization in Geostatistics from Laurentian University.
Hudbay also announces the promotion of Candace Brûlé to Vice President of Investor Relations where Ms. Brûlé will continue to lead the company's investor and media communication activities. Ms. Brûlé joined Hudbay in 2010 in a corporate development role and has been executing the company's investor relations program since 2014 and the company's media relations activities since 2019. Ms. Brûlé has nearly 15 years of experience in capital markets, corporate development and investor relations in the mining sector. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Mathematics (Honours) degree from the University of Waterloo.
About Hudbay
Hudbay (TSX, NYSE: HBM) is a diversified mining company primarily producing copper concentrate (containing copper, gold and silver), zinc metal and silver/gold doré. Directly and through its subsidiaries, Hudbay owns three polymetallic mines, four ore concentrators and a zinc production facility in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan (Canada) and Cusco (Peru), and copper projects in Arizona and Nevada (United States). The company's growth strategy is focused on the exploration, development, operation and optimization of properties it already controls, as well as other mineral assets it may acquire that fit its strategic criteria. Hudbay's vision is to be a responsible, top-tier operator of long-life, low-cost mines in the Americas. Hudbay's mission is to create sustainable value through the acquisition, development and operation of high-quality, long-life deposits with exploration potential in jurisdictions that support responsible mining, and to see the regions and communities in which the company operates benefit from its presence. The company is governed by the Canada Business Corporations Act and its shares are listed under the symbol "HBM" on the Toronto Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange and Bolsa de Valores de Lima. Further information about Hudbay can be found on www.hudbay.com.
For further information, please contact:
Candace BrûléVice President, Investor Relations(416) email@example.com
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Sr. Yannick:
Because, i, armando segovia, loves "LA" France, el próximo toro (o sea YO) es para usted.
Chingue a su madre el que se raje, —NO SUGAR ADDED. This corrida is clean. TimeStamp: 19h25 in post Franco Era Time.
So, motherfucker, including the "poppie" holiday, that gives us 96 HOURS to play around the RUEDO, motherfucker.
So, get your faggety "light costume" in order, you have, as i made it clear before: after midnight; bring Pablo Gleason and Raphaël Moran, let them two bitches be "las sevillanas".
Sergio from morena–francia can play the role of the banderillero, and the Amigos de México "en Francia" can be the improvisados (bunch of Harley-Davidson riders— para no tener que identificarlos como: putos).
It's weekend edition, and Lorne Michaels is on holiday, so it is just you and me (motherfucker).
… continued on p.23


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Nutrition experts continually remind us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that we should start each day with a healthy breakfast. In my world a healthy breakfast has always been bacon and eggs with hash browns and a side of biscuits and gravy or maybe a good loaded western omelet with a couple pancakes on the side.
Hello new world. Pictured is this morning's breakfast and if I follow the Dr.'s prescribed menu this will be my breakfast for the foreseeable future. I am already about ten days into this routine. Oh yes, if I remove that little glass pitcher to the extreme right, this is also my lunch and dinner menu. The little pitcher contains a delicacy served only for breakfast; it is called Miralax.
The process works like this. I attach that syringe looking thing with the numbers to the flexible tube that now protrudes from my belly; I'll do you a favor and not share a picture of that. After the apparatus is assembled I simply pour all that stuff down the tube. It seems to be working, I have gained about 3 pounds. It is the first time I have been happy about gaining weight since high school.
I am not totally dependent on the feeding tube, I can still eat small portions of selected items via the old fashioned put it in the mouth chew it and swallow it method. I just can't eat or drink nearly enough to maintain the level of nutrition and hydration necessary to get me through what lies ahead.
Speaking of what lies ahead. I had anticipated being a few days into the radiation/chemo process by now, however we encountered a few typical delays. The planning, coordination and all those things are complete and treatment will begin Monday.
The first chemo is scheduled for 8:00 am; they are planning 4 to 4 1/2 hours for the first one; Radiation will follow at 2:10 pm. If everything goes well I just might have time to come home and pour a bottle or two of Ensure down the tube between the treatments. The finalized plan is for 25 radiation treatments and, I believe, 5 weeks of chemo.
I am more than ready to finally proceed into battle against this cancer deal. I am optimistic that the battle will be successful, however I am apprehensive and a little nervous as I face the unknown. The side effects of chemo and radiation can be very vicious or they can be reasonably mild, I have personally witnessed both extremes. I am hoping for mild, expecting somewhere in the middle and trying to prepare for the vicious stuff.
I still don't have any real detail on the proposed surgery. It will be performed at the Stephenson Cancer Center in OKC, I will see the surgeon next week for an initial consultation. I have done a little research and will limit my uneducated comment to it appears to be a pretty major deal. I think that is what my oncologist eluded to without scaring me with the details.
I am adapting reasonably well to the sudden changes in my lifestyle, my attitude is good and I believe that really is light at the end of the tunnel; not the proverbial "oncoming train".
Please mention me and the family as you say your prayers and consider a donation to the cancer research organization of your choice.
Thanks for reading what I write and we'll talk again in a few days.
Good Night and God Bless.


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I'm on the road again, heading to Colorado with Sage, my almost two-year-old Border Collie, and my friend Annie. After driving though Yosemite and Nevada, we reached Utah, where we spent a few days enjoying red rock country. Annie and I are both early birds who like to hike and take pictures, so we traveled well together.
August 3 – Drive to Tonopah
I picked Annie up from an East Bay BART station around 7:30 am and we essentially spent the whole day driving to Tonopah Nevada, stopping along the way to take pictures, eat a picnic lunch, and play fetch with Sage. The car temp reached 99oF (37oC) so we were grateful for air conditioning.
August 4 – Drive to Escalante, Utah
We drove most of the day, with a few scenic stops along the way. In Rachel, a town of 50, they are anxiously awaiting the arrival of thousands of visitors seeking to get into Area 51, a gathering promoted as a hoax which they hope will not materialize.
It started to rain a bit after we drove through Red Canyon, and on the way from Bryce to Escalante we saw many lightning bolts. My tire air pressure warning came on shortly before we reached Escalante. I was worried after experiencing a flat tire in Iceland, but it turned out to be low pressure in one tire.
We checked into our tiny cabin with bunk beds – the only place available by the time Annie and I set dates for our trip. Fortunately, we didn't see the grumpy women who checked us in after that evening; everyone else we encountered was friendly, especially the young women at the café with more energy than a Border Collie. She gave us great sightseeing tips. We went across the street and ate dinner at an outside patio; the rain and wind stayed away.
August 5 – Devils Garden
We ate breakfast at the tiny café adjacent to our cabins, then headed down Hole-in-the-Rock road within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This dirt road was in good shape considering the recent rains. It was 13 miles to Devils Garden. We had a whole hour to explore this awesome collection of sculpted rocks before anyone else arrived, and Annie earned the nickname "Panorama Queen". On our way back, we considered a detour to Cedar Wash Arch, but the road wasn't passable.
Back on Highway 12, an incredible scenic road, we headed north to the Escalante Trailhead, stopping at numerous overlooks to ooh and ahh. We hiked/scrambled up to see petroglyphs, but skipped hiking to a rock bridge since it would have involved multiple crossings of a very muddy river, still dropping from the flood that came through yesterday.
As we were leaving, a young backpacker, April, emerged from the trail. We gave her a ride back to town. She had spent two nights out, including a whole day watching the river rise and fall. We ate a late lunch at the café, where I enjoyed a tasty beer: Kiitos Brewing Amber Ale. (I later tried one called Juicy IPA which I enjoyed in spite of the fact that I don't tike IPAs). We rested a bit at our cabinette, then drove to Escalante Petrified Forest State Park for a very refreshing swim in the reservoir. Sage chased balls and sticks into the lake and stopped when her belly touched the water. I carried her in a couple times just to confirm she could swim. She immediately headed to shore, grabbing her ball along the way.
August 6 – Hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls.
It's a good thing we got an early start on this scenic hike along the Escalante River; it was 90oF (33oC) by the time we returned to the trailhead shortly after noon. The official brochure says this hike is six miles, but according to our phones it was over seven. The trail was red sand and rock with nice views of red cliffs. The falls were beautiful. The chilly water felt great on my feet and Sage found several willing stick throwers. Along the way we saw a variety of lizards, including one chased by a snake – it got away. Between the heat and all her running back and forth, Sage was exhausted by the time we were done; I have never seen her this tired. The iced beverages that awaited us in the car helped revive us.
Next we drove to Torrey, along the way the temperature dropped twenty-five degrees, the skies darkened, and rain started. We checked into our hotel early, using a remote entry system. It was very basic, but clean and spacious compared to the cabin. We ate a late lunch at local burger joint and retired to our room early. I spent most of my leisure time downloading and organizing photos.
August 7 – Capitol Reef
We got an early start so we could take a short tour of Capitol Reef National Park on our way to Colorado. Even under overcast skies it was beautiful. I could easily spend days exploring this colorful landscape, filled with red-hued striated mountains. On our way out we stopped at the Gifford Farmhouse for fresh pies, filled with fruit from nearby orchards; they were still warm.
After a few more scenic stops, we spent the rest of the day driving, mostly on I-70. Our conversations covered many topics. The skies remained cloudy with periods of rain. The speed limit dropped from 80 to 75 when we crossed the state line. Goodbye Utah, Hello Colorado.


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Naturally, when Margaret (The Plant Philosophy) and I decided to meet and hang out this month, I immediately suggested a Harry Potter recipe collab, in the spirit of Halloween! We decided to put our own spin on a couple of potions from the books: Polyjuice (on Margaret's blog) and Felix Felicis (below). It was too much fun!
If you're behind in potions class, don't worry, I'll catch you up to speed. Felix Felicis, also known as liquid luck, is a golden concoction that enables the drinker to be successful in everything they pursue.
"Then, slowly but surely, an exhilarating sense of infinite opportunity stole through [Harry]; he felt as though he could have done anything, anything at all…" – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Now, this Felix Felicis juice recipe won't guarantee you magical luck, but it will certainly make you feel refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead in your day. The flavor starts off fresh with bright citrus notes, ending with an invigorating kick of ginger.
makes 1.75 cups
- 2 cups fresh pineapple, lightly packed
- 2 – 3 inches fresh ginger (use more or less, to your taste)
- 2 medium oranges
- 2 pinches fresh rosemary or thyme
- 1 pinch turmeric
- Run everything but the turmeric through the juicer at least twice to get all the juice out of the fruit. Save the pulp to use it in Margaret's polyjuice potion!
- Stir in the turmeric.
- Adjust to your taste.
- Pour into your favorite glass (or potion bottle) and enjoy sipping the stimulating flavors of liquid luck! Let it fill you with radiant confidence.
Notes: This juice also tastes amazing when mixed with a sparkling probiotic drink or even kombucha! I would go with a mango or ginger kombucha, to preserve the golden color. Experiment to your taste for the perfect bubbly pick me up!
Don't forget to head over to The Plant Philosophy to try the Polyjuice Potion! We were so thrilled to come up with a creation that resembles Polyjuice Potion and also tastes amazing.
Working with Margaret on this was such a joy. I'm so in love with how the recipes turned out, and I hope you enjoy them and share them with your friends. We have even more Harry Potter treats we plan to share next week, so stay tuned!
Please let me know what you might like to see us do a collab on in the future!


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Published: September 28, 2017
I picked this book up from Kindle Unlimited and it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be but I think I will still continue the series eventually. This is a best friend's big brother romance and I thought it would be a lot like others I have read in the trope but it generally wasn't. I found the girl to be whiny and the guy to just be eh. But that could just be me. The writing wasn't bad at all.
Anyway, in this novel we meet Kaylee who has just turned 18. She is working hard to be the perfect girl and because of that her parents decide to leave her in California when they move back to New Jersey to take care of her grandmother. They just drop it on her like a bomb as well. They won't tell her what is going on with her grandmother and they have already asked if she could move in with her best friend and her brother, Brendon. The only problem is that she has always had a crust on Brendon and now that she is legal she can't just think of him as her BFF's older brother. But with her (at times) crippling depression she doesn't think that anyone will want her because she is broken.
Brendon has always loved Kay. She has been around for everything and he has watched her grow into a young woman. But as a tattoo artist he thinks he isn't good enough for her until she starts to hit on him. At first subtly and then out right. He wants the world for her and he doesn't think that an average tattoo artist bad boy can give her that. But he will damn well try.
This novel was fairly predictable which was kinda unfortunate. I did think it was interesting that the book dealt with severe depression and even some soft core BDSM. Other than those two items that book was just an "eh". Like I said, I think that writing was well done but the storyline could have been better. I will probably read other books by her again.
—"Just 'cause something has sex, doesn't make it erotica." Walker shakes his head. "Fucking plebeians, huh?" -Walker to Dean—


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Whether you're watching CNBC, Twitter or another news outlet, you're hearing a great deal of talk about the odds increasing that the Fed will drop rates soon. Everyone's cheering it on..........yet no one's talking about recession possibilities. Don't say 'recession' on live tv! Keep that notion out of your head! At least I believe that's what Trump is thinking as he warms up for his 2020 campaign. He wants the market "up, up, up". A strong stock market with plenty of green and profits in your pocket. If it fails after 2020, so be it. At least he'll have his re-election and be further away from any prosecutorial attacks for four more years. If he loses, blame it all on the Democrats!
In the meantime our yield curve continues to invert, or decay if you see it that way; implying a rough road ahead for the U.S. as China and European countries slowing low and behold, the U.S. having a "global market", the U.S. looks to be slowing as well. Shocker!
Now the US housing market is slowing and everybody should be aware of this. Then there's the Washington Post declaring "Wall Street Predicts Economy Slowing Dramatically." The story says investment bank Goldman Sachs is predicting a second-half of 2019 slowdown due to the fading effects of federal tax cuts and rising federal interest rates.
So what do traders do? Of course they now believe Powell will "bail us out" once again and lower rates, rather than raise. Save us from the big slowdown! The big question now is, how low can he go? Now where near as low as they did after the financial crisis but will it be enough? They're now betting on a rate cut in September but at least one Pragmatist stands by his guns and hopes for a hike - bring it now. I wish he were right but this is a market under Trump. All normal bets are off.
Consider this: The U.S. is on average two years ahead of Europe in terms of economic rebound and growth. If we cut rates, they follow. If we hike, they will eventually follow suit........once the nasty Brexit turmoil is behind them, but it won't be this year. The U.S. should be leading. We should hike further and let equities suffer their correction. That would be a buying opportunity for all.
The 2020 election should have nothing to do with price discovery. Keep it separate and apart. Now we must consider, will Trump let us?


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February 2002
Selling Preventive MaintenanceRead more
Tools of the Trade
Manufacturers' newly introduced tools, equipment, parts and services that help shop owners run their business more profitably and allow technicians to diagnose and fix vehicles quicker and more accurately.
Short, easily digested items about companies' new brochures, programs and promotions that shop owners and technicians should know about.
Compensation: Are you Getting Paid Fairly for What you Do?
Being the best shop owner on the planet doesn't amount to a hill of beans if you're not getting paid fairly for the work you do. Here are a few pointers to ensure that your business survives and thrives in the years ahead.
Trade Secrets
When you fix one problem and another pops up, some customers will inevitably blame you. How you handle these situations can determine if they come back.
Editor's Report
Attention to the public's demand for "snappy service' helps keep independent service facilities at the head of the customer satisfaction class.
Business Sense: Grow Your Business By Adding Locations
Most shop owners grow their business by increasing sales. But an increasing number of savvy business owners are growing their business by adding locations. Here's how and why they're doing it.
Driveability Corner
The OBD II system will soon replace the standard tailpipe test as a means of identifying polluting vehicles. In this and his next column, mark explains just what the program involves.
Foreign Service
Keeping your torque wrench calibrated may be the simplest way to avoid broken fasteners. This month, Dan tells us about a company that does the job quickly and efficiently.
Trouble Shooter
When an oxygen sensor hangs lean, don't automatically assume it's the sensor's fault. It could very well be due to problems elsewhere in the feedback system.
A new "half-price" Hummer from GM, a complete drive-by-wire vehicle comes to life, ASA reports carmakers will share diagnostic data with independent repair shops, plus other news of interest to shop owners and technicians.
Shop Managemnet


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Average ROI in Corporate America Has Collapsed By 80% Over Last 40 Years
Featured in Zero Hedge
Daniel Drew, 2/8/2016
Breaking the zero bound has become a rite of passage in the post-2008 world. As Mark Jeftovic noted, "Once a financial market hits the zero bound in interest rates, it's like crossing the event horizon of a black hole - there is no going back." Indeed, the number of government bonds trading at negative yields increases every day.
In the new bizarro world where you pay banks for the privilege of giving them your money, one has to wonder what will be the next thing to break the zero bound. When one of the largest corporations in America has over $100 billion in revenue but can't even make $1 billion in profits, it's easy to imagine a few possibilities.
American corporations have been playing a musical chairs game where the loser gets taken out back and shot. During the last 40 years, the life expectancy of firms in the Fortune 500 has declined from 75 years to less than 15 years. In what Forbes called "the most important business study ever," Deloitte released The Shift Index, which compiles the ROI of 20,000 US firms from 1965-2009. The chart shows an 80% collapse in the average ROI of American businesses.
With negative interest rates around the corner, how long will it be until the Fed props up the zombie economy and pushes average profit margins below the zero bound?


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Mon, May 15, 2017
Carol and I are in the Lake Louise campground that opened a couple days ago. And no wonder for the later opening, there's snow everywhere!
The campground sits along the Bow River and I couldn't resist this shot. Had to wait half the day for the clouds to clear and expose the summit of Mount Temple.
Here's a similar shot but the snow is dirty and down right ugly.


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Had an appointment in London this morning, so by 12noon I'd already walk 7.24km which I think is pretty good going. I also got to use my new umbrella that I got for Christmas.
I'm off to watch my sister and niece in pantomime this evening so just a quick synopsis of my Janathon Day 22 contributions! I used my new weights for the second time.
Using the 1kg weights – I did Bicep Curl, Tricep Lift, Front Elevation and Side Elevation. I did 20 reps of each and repeated the whole routine 3 times – by the third time round I could really feel it, especially with the side elevations.
What weight combinations do you like to do? I'm still very new to using weights so any recommendations gratefully received! 🙂 xxx


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EDITOR'S NOTE, Nov. 30, 2016: We at the Red Cross have learned of Heather's recent passing. Our deepest condolences and hearts are with her family, friends, coworkers and the many others to whom she meant so much. To help honor her legacy, this story of the bond between Heather and her coworkers will remain on this regional blog.
Please direct any questions to firstname.lastname@example.com.
By Cassylee Mead
Edited by Nancy Waddell
"I thought she had the flu," said Bryan Smith, Heather Postyeni's fiancé. They were approaching two years together when he took Heather to the doctor. It was May of 2016 when Heather was told she had leukemia, cancer that attacks blood and bone marrow.
Heather Postyeni was a registered nurse for Providence Medical Group working with a tight- knit group of nurses serving throughout Snohomish County, Wash. "It was shocking because she is very young," said her coworker Jamie Holloway. When Jamie found out Heather had to use 30 units of blood in the last two to three months, she realized that they had to do something. First, she reached out to her colleagues and suggested the idea of honoring Heather by helping the community through a blood drive. Then, Jamie called the Red Cross to make an appointment for donating the blood.
The Red Cross must collect enough blood each and every day to help accident victims, cancer patients, surgical candidates, children with blood disorders and others in need of blood like Heather. The need for blood is constant; in the U.S. someone is in need of blood every two seconds.
The blood drive held on August 4 at Providence Mill Creek featured many smiling volunteers and people willing to save a life. Heather attended as well, talking to all those donating and to all her adoring supporters.
"If it's not available and I need it, I am in trouble," said Heather at the blood drive.
The Red Cross issued an emergency appeal this summer to eligible blood and platelet donors for this very reason. Red Cross blood products were being distributed to hospitals faster than donations were coming in.
"I knew Heather was in for a tough fight," said coworker Melanie Mathiason, adding, "but with her energy and spirit she can kick this." Melanie worked with Heather and volunteered at the blood drive. She says that Heather has the most positive outlook and she is loved by all. Kristen Martinez, the donor, who previously worked with Heather said, "She's the sweetest person ever." Kristen was excited to help save lives and to support Heather.
The blood drive collected 30 units of blood. Each unit of blood can save up to three lives, meaning that as many as 90 lives were helped in honor of Heather. Heather remains hopeful, and just finished her last round of chemotherapy. She is thankful for all of her supporters, and her coworkers who made this blood drive possible.
To find a blood drive near you visit: http://www.redcross.org/give-blood
Find more information on hosting a blood drive by calling: 1-800-RED CROSS


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Noughties music fans can dance along to popstar sisters The Cheeky Girls when they appear at this Chelmsford club.
The pair will be performing at Popworld, the city's newest club, on Saturday, December 8.
The Cheeky Girls shot to fame when they appeared on the TV show Popstars: The Rivals - the show which launched the careers of Girls Aloud and Will Young.
The twins are expected to perform hits like the Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum), Take Your Shoes Off and It's A Cheeky Holiday.
Tickets to get into the city's most colourful club on the night will cost £5, but VIP booths are also available for guaranteed entry.
VIP offers start from £60 including a bottle of spirit and mixers.
After The Cheeky Girls' appearance, there will be a series of PAs by other 90s and noughties pop legends, including S Club.
"We are planning to have quite a big PA once a month at Popworld Chelmsford," Phil said. "It's good because there are lots of Popworlds around the country now we have created a circuit for these kind of PAs. They all have fun with it."
Popworld opened on November 9 in the former Liquorist building in Springfield Road.
Acts you're likely to hear on the dancefloor include The Spice Girls, Take That, S Club 7, Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, The Backstreet Boys, Kylie Minogue, The Sugababes, Girls Aloud, Blue and Busted.
The big talking point of Popworld is the flashing, colour-changing dancefloor and luckily Chelmsford has the biggest one out of all 32 Popworlds around the country.


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text: Ice Hole Set-up when using your fish finder and 2 rods The optimal set-up we've found for setting up your holes is as follows… Drill 3 holes in a pyramid shape. The top/center hole is for your fish finder. The two holes to either side are for fishing. This setup […] Ice Hole Setup


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The Scriptures present us with not only a broad and narrow sense of worship, but also a vertical and horizontal focus. Our vertical focus in worship is on God and our horizontal focus is on others.
Vertical Focus of Worship
The vertical focus of worship is that it should bring glory to God alone (Soli Deo Gloria). Paul admonishes us, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). So, just as all of life should be to the glory of God alone, so should all of our worship. Robert Rayburn writes, "It is fundamental that we recognize that all true Christian worship must be theocentric, the primary motion and focus of worship are Godward."
The essence of God-centered worship is the acknowledgement that we no longer see ourselves as the center of our world and recognize that only God rules and reigns there. In worship, we lift our voices to heaven and proclaim: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever" (Rev 5:13b). God alone is the one whom we are to please and honor in worship.
So what is God-honoring worship?
It's worship that honors the Triune God for who he is and for what he does in creation and redemption. It is worshiping and honoring God the Father as Creator (Ex 15:1-18, Ps 104), God the Son as Redeemer (Heb 7:24-25, 10:1-18, Eph 1:15-23, 3:14-21), and God the Spirit as Restorer of all things lost in fallen humanity and creation (Rom 8:16, Eph 1:13-14).
God-centered worship honors God as our Triune Creator, Redeemer, and Restorer for his love, his justice, his goodness and wisdom. We worship God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We worship God the Son as our Prophet, Priest, King, and Friend because of his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, anticipating his coming return to make all things new. And the only way we can worship God the Father and God the Son in this way is by the grace and power of God the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit exalts Christ in our minds, hearts, and lives. We worship God as our Father only because the Holy Spirit awakens us and persuades us that we are his children (Rom 8:16-17). And in those times of worship when our words and understanding fail, the Holy Spirit utters to God our unspoken groanings (Rom 8:26).
Preview New Course: Worship
Horizontal Focus of Worship
Although worship is primarily vertical and God-centered, there is also a biblical, horizontal focus in worship on God's magnificent display of grace to us through our redemption in Christ. We please God as we praise and honor him for creating and redeeming us. So there is a horizontal focus to worship that emphasizes ourselves and our fellow worshippers.
Some believe that any human or horizontal focus in worship detracts from its God-centeredness and is therefore unbiblical and inappropriate. They teach that we should be so focused on God in worship, so obsessed with him alone, that we never even think of ourselves or our fellow worshippers. This idea sounds right, and there is truth in it, but it's not biblical.
Besides the primary purpose of glorifying God, biblical worship also considers the good of God's people and requires aspects in worship that also promote their instruction (1 Cor 14:3-6), mutual edification (1 Cor 14:12; 26-28), conviction of sin (1 Cor 14:24-25), love (1 Cor 14:1), encouragement (1 Cor 14:3), thanksgiving (1 Cor 14:16), and even their witness to unbelievers (1 Cor 14:16, 23).
People sometimes criticize contemporary worship songs for being too focused on self, on "I" and "me". They consider such songs narcissistic, the worship of self rather than of God. Although some contemporary worship songs do not honor God because of their preoccupation with the worshiper, this doesn't mean that using a lot of person pronouns in worship is always wrong.
For example, in the 50 verses of Psalm 18 there are at least 73 forms of the Hebrew first person singular pronoun. It begins:
I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God is the rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
And I am saved from my enemies (Ps 18:1-3).
But this Psalm is God-centered, for it recognizes God as the source of all our strength, deliverance, and refuge. The Psalmist speaks of himself to acknowledge his weakness and his intense need for the Lord. God, as our Covenant Lord, is not only a receiver but also a giver, who takes great pleasure in pouring out his blessings on his people for the sake of his name. In worship, God calls us to give to him honor and to receive from him grace. This is why the worship we offer up to God is also a means of grace flowing down to us. We glorify God as we find our ultimate joy in him as the supreme object of our worship.
In worship, God also means for us to be his instruments through whom he channels his blessings to others. In Colossians 3:16, Paul writes, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." In this passage, we see both the vertical focus of giving thanks to God, yet we see the horizontal focus of encouraging others.
This horizontal focus of biblical worship even includes unbelievers who may be present in public worship. The Apostle Paul teaches we should have a concern for unbelievers who attend our worship services (1 Cor 14:23-25). Some teach that being sensitive to what unbelievers may think of worship is unbiblical. But it is clear from Paul's teaching that we are to honor God by making our worship accessible and intelligible to unbelievers. However, in doing so, we must always maintain our primary, vertical focus on God.
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Cecelia Quest 3
The good news (besides Threadbare's second interminable Very Special Chapter about racism) is that it does look like this book's climax is actually going to be about Cecelia and Threadbare confronting one another as enemies rather than pulling a bait and switch where Cecelia and the stormtroopers show up just after Threadbare has left. The people of Outsmouth say they have nowhere else to go and don't know how to live except by fishing, so they formally swear allegiance to Threadbare, Lord of Outsmouth, and get ready for a fight. Now Cecelia's inbound with two hundred trash level stormtroopers and a couple of mid-level knights and casters. At the beginning of the chapter, she meets with Zuula's daughter, and the dialogue dances around the fact that they both know Zuula but have opposite opinions on her without actually getting either of them to realize this:
"Well, nothing can make or break you like family. I should know that. I owe everything I am to my father, as well. Well, that and surviving the barn fire that was my mother. Fucking green bitch." Mastoya barked laughter. "Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the rotten tree."
"I'm sorry. The only half-orc woman I ever knew was a good mother"
"Would have been nice to have that kind of mom," Mastoya said. "Ah well. The past is past. All right, Dame Ragandor, you'll have your shot."
This is another bomb under the table moment, where instead of making the reader wonder what's going on right now, the book is making us wonder about what will happen next. Narrative law demands that eventually Mastoya will confront her family (unfortunately, I do not find it likely that this will result in her killing Zuula permanently), and here the narrative alludes to the question of which side Cecelia would take in such a confrontation.
After getting the small talk out of the way, they get to the point of the meeting: There's an old one cult in Outsmouth, which means the whole town has to be completely torched. Cecelia is not a fan, but is convinced that there isn't any other practical way to quash the cult and prevent them from ushering in the end of the world. Also, Cecelia still hates Anise Lay'di specifically for "wearing her mother's face" even though, again, Cecelia never knew her mother, so why is this violation so personally compelling for her? Anise also gets on her soapbox about how daemon cults are okay but old ones are doubleplus ungood. I'll leave out the second part, because it's the first I'm interested in:
"Yes. Daemons just want to show people the folly of virtue and torment the weak until they either get stronger or perish so that they stop sucking down resources," Anise said, matter-of-factly.
This is a pretty stock villainous philosophy, but it is a philosophy beyond "mwahaha, mine is an evil laugh," so normally I'd approve of this sort of thing. For this story specifically, though, isn't this basically just Zuula's philosophy? Like, sure, there's some minor differences – Zuula is explicitly indifferent, rather than opposed to, traditional virtues, and she advocates immediate murder of the weak rather than torment that may eventually result in murder of the weak – but its fundamental principles are identical. Is this intentional? Is Threadbare actually going somewhere with this? Or is this story so lacking in self-awareness that it can give a protagonist and an antagonist explicitly stated near-identical philosophies in the same book without even noticing? If it is intentional, they'd better wrap that up by the end of this book, because after Outsmouth, I doubt I'm ever reading Right To Arm Bears, even if the title is kinda funny.
In any case, it all ends up with Cecelia leading the aforementioned couple hundred stormtroopers towards the town, where they get ambushed by Threadbare's advance guard. Cecelia loses at least one scout, although I'm not sure how much this has blinded her, and her casualties are otherwise minimal. Mostly, it allows Darth Villainous' side to gather some information: There's an animator and a necromancer working for the other side, the one going by Annie Mata and the other called Dreadbear.
"We advance," she decided, bringing Reason around to stomp forward again. "Necromancer or no, animator or no, our goal remains the same."
"And this Dreadbear who's leading them now?"
Cecelia passed the dead cart, with the scout now on it, staring at her with accusing, unmoving eyes. She looked away.
These were the first who had died in her service. They wouldn't be the last, and she hated it. "He's a traitor too. He dies with the rest of them…"
It feels weird to say this coming right off of Outsmouth, when Threadbare had another mid-plot slump in which it destroyed itself trying to moralize about racism while actually being pretty racist, but we're again seeing more of the bomb under the table, and Threadbare feels like it's finally outgrowing its obsession with the reveal to instead focus on actually building tension.
Cecelia Quest 4
I don't usually bother with subtitles, but I note this one because it's called "the Fall of Outsmouth," but we're only 76% of the way through this book, and I doubt we'll be more than 80% through by the end of this chapter. Sure, shave off the final 5% of the length for backmatter and sneak peeks of the sequel and other stuff that isn't actually the story, but that still leaves us with 15% of a book to get through. Is that all gonna be denouement? The battle for Outsmouth feels like it pretty much has to be our climax, is this one chapter really going to be the whole thing? Is Threadbare just going to spin its wheels for another three chapters after that?
Going into the fight, though, the book is doing a good job of keeping us appraised of the relative strength of both sides. Back in Cecelia 3 it gave us a rough estimate of the town's total population: Several hundred, of which we can expect most will be combatants, because they're all in life-threatening danger and the mechanics of this setting are such that practically everyone is at least capable of fighting as a trash mook, plus, of course, Threadbare and his party (which the fishman has maybe joined? It wasn't clear). We also got a vague overview of Cecelia's own strength: About 200 trash stormtroopers, a handful of her own knight party members including the ex-necromancer, Anise Lay'di, whatever the Hell she's capable of, and the aforementioned smattering of mid-level scouts and casters. We even get some pretty precise details on her remaining scouting capabilities:
Cecelia gnawed her lip. "Something isn't adding up here. They're acting too… sane. We need more intelligence." She took a deep breath, released it. It was time to put more men into danger. "We have three scouts left, yes?"
"Yeah," Renick confirmed. "A seven, a six with some oddball support jobs, and a four."
So that one scout they lost earlier was actually a fairly hefty loss, representing a fourth of Cecelia's total recon capability.
So far, Sew You Want To Be A Hero has followed a remarkably similar trajectory to Stuff and Nonsense: A strong start a really bad middle bit in which Threadbare has a Very Special Chapter about racism and completely undermines both its own anti-racist theme and the overall quality of the book with horribly botched execution, and now it looks like we might be finishing up with a pretty good beat. The aimlessness of the first book has even been taken care of. Threadbare gets periodically distracted by side quests because he's got Compulsive Hero Syndrome, but the conclusion of one side quest doesn't leave him aimlessly wandering until the next presents itself like Celia got up to in Stuff and Nonsense. He has an overarching goal and whenever he's finished saving one of his friends from trouble, he orients himself back to pursuing that goal. If only the story could've dropped its obliviously racist critiques of racism.
While scouting out the town, Cecelia learns that several townsfolk, especially children, are being escorted out into the wilderness by animated toys. She comes to the wrong conclusion:
"They're not animi. They're golems. Those families are being escorted by golems. Little golems that think and learn and love their children, and will fight to the death for them." Celia swallowed, hard. "I wondered where he'd gone, after father told me grandfather escaped his prison. Now I know. Oh gods—" she said, putting two and two together and getting five-hundred-and-ninety-seven. "—he's even calling himself Dreadbear, to hide his real identity. He's hiding here somewhere, talking to them through magic mouth on that poor little teddy. It all makes sense now!"
I assume that Cecelia is unaware that Threadbare is sapient. On the one hand, he was mute when she had him. On the other hand, he is very clearly capable of independent problem solving. But it has been like five years. So Cecelia thinks she's about to have a confrontation with her grandfather, who is actually legit dead, unlike every other fucking character in this series. Scouts also report that cultist children in heavy robes are being fed into a dolmen to an elder god, and they assume that they're sacrifices to summon him (this is almost certainly just evacuating the fish children to the old one's underwater domain, where their parents cannot follow).
When the battle is joined with an attack of eldritch horrors on the right, we almost immediately get more weird Bowdlerization:
"Rally Troops!" Renick shouted. "Let's send these eldritch fuckers back where they came from!" She heard the right flank roar with approval, as their moxie got a decent buff.
Oh yeah, I can do that too. She risked an unshielded glance at the walls, found them near, and snapped her arbelest arm back up as arrows clattered off Reason's helm. "Rally Troops! The gate's right there, let's go knock that fumper down!"
Clearly the goal here is to establish "fumper" as a specific tic of Cecelia's, but particularly in the context of trying to rally troops, it sounds lame as Hell. Mechanically, the exact words of the rallying speech probably do not matter because this is LitRPG and if you pay your sanity points you get your buff, but it still reads lame to the non-NPC, regular human being audience.
Cecelia crashes through the gate in her steampunk Iron Man armor and the defenders dump some oil on her:
Her mentors had briefed her on this. Fire, sticky fire like Geek's fire from alchemists or oil or tar from sieges, could roast a steam knight alive in their suit.
Cecelia is about to straight-up massacre a town, which is, in turn, doing its level best to murder her. Granted, Threadbare's evacuating it and Cecelia has already decided she's not going to bother hunting down the fleeing townsfolk to focus on securing the summoning dolmen to prevent the ritual, but still, tonally speaking this is a weird time to introduce a pun.
Which is why, like most problems she'd come to, Cecelia had given a lot of thought and experimentation to finding a good solution. And in this case, the solution involved the outer layers of quilted cloth she'd sewn around Reason's helm and front. "Clean and Press!" Cecelia shouted, and sighed in relief as the first few flaming arrows clattered off of her, seconds too late.
On the other hand, this is a clever use of an otherwise trash power that I really like. Would've been better if the quilts on the armor had been set up in advance, but the Clean and Press power has been around since I think chapter 1 of Stuff and Nonsense (definitely no later than chapter 3), so at least part of this was set up properly.
After the stormtroopers surge in to take the fight to the defenders on the wall, Cecelia gets a report from an imp sent by her assassin/knight buddy identifying Dreadbear's location:
Cecelia cleared her throat. "Tell Kayin to take out the dragon if she can. Leave Dreadbear to me." Gods, if Dreadbear was what she thought it was, she wasn't sure she could kill it. She really, really hoped she could take him alive. Get him away from Grandfather, to a safe place where she could break the little golem away from the rebel lies the old man had been teaching it.
So apparently Cecelia does know that Threadbare is independent. Why, then, did she earlier assume that Threadbare's speech was a result of a magic mouth Caradon used to speak through him? Does she not know that it's possible to add mouths to golems that they can use for themselves? Shouldn't it be obvious that Threadbare has in fact done that, seeing as how he's their necromancer and he needs to talk to activate his spells?
Soon afterwards:
Finally, the arrows against her slackened, and she stood, to see the shattered gates before her, and most of her army fighting inside the town. No good place for her there, so she waited, observing, for the bodies to move so she could squeeze in without trampling her own people.
And then the level-up flashed across her field of view, and she sighed. She'd hit level five steam knight, finally. "Status, help," she said, and settled in to read and best think how to synergize her new tricks into her tactics.
Is this really the time? This does not seem like the right time to be checking out all your new steam knight tricks. People are dying for you right now.
Kayin, the assassin/knight, gets ganked by Threadbare's party, but don't worry, there's necromancers on both sides so death is completely meaningless for all named characters:
"Speak with Dead." He chanted, and Kayin's voice echoed through their minds.
"Hey Cecelia. Got the dragon, fucked up the escape. Bad assassin, no cookie."
"Where!" Cecelia said, shaking, feeling the tears burst from her eyes. "Show us where!"
"Southwest, by the church. They've got a rallying point there."
"ON ME!" Cecelia bellowed, and surged ahead, breaking Steam Knight protocol. Her friend was dead, and by the gods she'd make her killers pay.
Cecelia seems super broken up about this despite the fact that her friend is clearly not for-real dead, what with how she's still talking to her and everything. Like, there's no time limit on these soul gems. You can keep Kayin around forever. Also, why is surging ahead against steam knight protocol? You're a giant tank and your only ranged weapon is a big arbalest. That's not exactly a chain-gun or a tank cannon. It'll do a lot of damage, sure, but it's still hard to hit more than one target with it. Having a super-effective sniper weapon does not a good artillery class make. Given the armor's durability and heavy melee damage, you are definitely best off at the front where you can hack enemies up with your big-ass sword and absorb attacks with your nigh-invincible armor.
And this is kind of reinforced when Cecelia charges into the church and totally wrecks Madeleine's puppet form in melee. The departed souls of the defenders retreat into soulstones down in the lake, where it looks like Threadbare is holed up along with Dark Threadbare, Pulsivar, and Zuula (Garon and Madeleine having lost their golem bodies in the church). There, Threadbare has used his dungeon core to create a dungeon that looks like Cecelia's old house. So apparently this whole "fall of Outsmouth" thing was just the warm-up.


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Tammy is riding for all the Isabel's out there !
Thank you for visiting my Team ASPCA fundraising page! I created this page to celebrate the rock star pet in my life, Isabel. But not all animals are as fortunate to have a loving home. I will be riding in the TD Five Boro Tour on May 1st and will dedicate my miles to fundraise for the ASPCA !
It was National Pit Bull Awareness Month, October 2014, 3 months after a very difficult recovery from spinal surgery and, unbeknownst to me, 2 months before I'd be facing a very painful loss, that I came to meet a beautiful chocolate brown timid pit bull. She was laying in her cage quiet and curled up , the room filled with other dogs barking frantically in adjoining crates. In my heart I knew Isabel was the one! I had to wait a very long week for them to prepare her to be released, walking away knowing she had to stay in that ACC, as loving as the workers seemed, tugged at my heart but I had no choice but to wait. I was so happy when the day came to bring my beautiful girl home, on that day I got to save a life ! What I didn't know and wouldn't come to know until months later, is that she would be the one to save me!
There are so many abandoned and abused homeless dogs out there that need our help. If only I could take them all in ! This is my way of giving back to my Isabel and to all those babies out there who do not have a choice or a voice of their own.
Your donation will help the ASPCA provide life-saving programs and services to millions of animals nationwide. The ASPCA is very important to me and to Isabel. We appreciate your help as we fight to give abused and homeless animals a second chance at life. Please join me in celebrating the rock star pet in my life by making a donation (no amount is too small) and help us make a positive impact in the lives of animals! Isabel and I thank you ! With love from our home to yours <3
#TDFiveBoroBikeTour #ASPCA #SaveALife
About the ASPCA: Fighting for animals is a 24/7 job, but your commitment makes it possible for our life-saving programs to create happy endings for those innocent lives touched by cruelty. Every single day of the year, we are rescuing animals from neglect and suffering. With your support, we are able to rescue animals from dog fighting, cockfighting, and puppy mills, work to end animal homelessness and farm animal cruelty, and provide medical care for countless pets in need. Please help us save even more animals and donate to this Team ASPCA campaign today.
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Last year, I was challenged by a friend to think of one word that I wanted to define my 2014. I wrote a post about it, and set out to become a more thoughtful person – thinking about others around me and their needs. Caring for them, reaching out, being there. Reflecting on 2014, I think I did a fairly good job of that – especially in light of all that happened this past year in the life of our family. I certainly have room for growth, and want to always be striving to be more thoughtful of others.
A couple weeks ago, a different friend said she had selected her word for 2015, and I thought "wow I need to do that, too." I pondered for only a moment, and a word popped into my head. I pushed it aside, thinking how I often rush to conclusions too swiftly. Then, I realized that it might be precisely that reason why God popped this word into my mind. I stopped what I was doing, and sat down and just said a simple prayer: "God show me if this is what you would have me to focus my year on." Nothing fancy. God knows me. Inside and out. I can talk to him like I'd talk to a friend. (It's pretty cool how that works.) Again, I thought this was the right word. Then, I said: "well, ok so if this is the word, what does it mean and where can I find it?" So I looked it up on dictionary.com, and then I searched for the word on my YouVersion Bible app.
Last year, my word was more about me reaching out to others. This year, it's about me slowing down in the midst of hustle and bustle and reaching out to God. Getting His guidance in my life. I know that not everyone who reads my blog has the same type of faith that I do. I fully realize and appreciate that many readers are of a different religion, or no religion at all. Which is your upbringing/personal choice. I hope that you won't stop reading here simply because this is a faith-based post. Keep reading – find out why I selected this word. And remember that you can select a word for your year whether or not it has ANYTHING to do with faith at all. Setting personal goals for yourself is ALWAYS a good thing – no matter your reasoning or source of purpose.
So what's my word? It's deliberate.
This isn't a word found a whole lot in the Bible. And most of the time it's used, it's in a negative light. In fact, dictionary.com gives the example deliberate lie in their definition – just as it's used in the Bible many times. But the verse that stuck out to me is in Acts 2.
"Listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:
I saw God before me for all time.
Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side.
I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
I've pitched my tent in the land of hope.
I know you'll never dump me in Hades;
I'll never even smell the stench of death.
You've got my feet on the life-path,
with your face shining sun-joy all around."
-Acts 2:22-28 The Message
The Bible often talks of how we are to follow in our Father's footsteps and strive to be more like Him. So this passage has great meaning to me – God had a very deliberate and well-thought-out plan on how He would save ME from my sin and my failing. He has set my feet on this path, and He's got my life planned as well.
So what does all this have to do with me and my word this year? Well, it's simple. I've been striving to think of others, but I now need to turn my focus to being deliberate. To carefully weigh and consider, to study, to be intentional in my actions – both in my family life, my work life, and also in my spiritual life. It's time for this girl who rushes to conclusions and hops on bandwagons to sit back and learn from my husband – who takes thoughtful consideration of all sides before making a decision. It's time to be deliberate. It's time to put options on the scales and see how they balance out. It's time to slow down, pray more, and make wise choices. And in this year of
being (I'm human – I know I will fail multiple times over) attempting to be deliberate, I will strive to continue to be thoughtful of others, now encompassing my own needs in that thoughtfulness as well.
As a mom it's so easy to get caught up in the needs of my children, and in all the things I want for them. It's time to step back and make thoughtful, deliberate, intentional choices in our activities, in our spending, and in our day to day lives. I need to think: Will this cost money? Where will that money come from? Is it a necessity? Will it provide benefit to the kids? Will it provide benefit to me? Will it provide benefit to Cody? Is this something that will build us up and bring us together? And maybe most importantly – how will this activity affect my personal energy and thus my attitude toward my family?
This year as you begin to think and plan and organize, what word do you want to focus on? How will you allow that word (spiritual or not) to influence your daily life? And, if you'd like a printable similar to these, please contact me! I'd love to create a poster for you that you can print out and post where it will remind you daily where your focus should be. Email me anytime at email@example.com. As you can see from the samples below, you can have it say pretty much anything – definition, a prayer, a Bible verse, etc. You select the wording and layout.
Here are two others that I've made for friends:


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This past week saw the launch of Kony 2012 by non-profit organization Invisible Children. The campaign was hard to miss and even with my hectic work and grad school schedule I could not avoid seeing mentions of the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and news sites.
So what is Kony 2012?
Kony 2012 is a campaign to increase awareness of Ugandan LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony in order for him to be arrested during 2012. The campaign's video has become the fastest spreading viral video ever. As of yesterday evening (March 10th) the youtube video had received over 67,000,000 views.
Why am I talking about it on a business ideas blog?
Well I will start by saying I'm not political in the slightest and as a green card holder I can't even vote! But I wanted to talk about Kony 2012, as it illustrates the game changing power of social media marketing. In this post I will talk about the characteristics of what makes this viral video successful.
It's shareable
Kony 2012 is informative and shocking in a way that makes the viewer want to share it with others. It's a video you could send to your friends, colleagues and family.
It has the Hollywood touch
The Kony 2012 video is inspiring, heartbreaking and uplifting, like any good movie. It's also beautifully filmed with constant screen changes, different settings and music. The use of the narrator Jason Russell's son Gavin humanizes the cause further. Typically viral videos need to be short (about 2 minutes) to capture attention, but Kony 2012's emotional roller coaster style filming makes its 29 minutes watchable. From a viral video perspective Kony 2012 is probably the exception when it comes to video length not the rule.
It shows how individuals can make a difference
The video has several calls to action and viewers are asked to share the video. The Kony 2012 website lets you copy the link or click for a link to embed. Viewers are also instructed to write to the 20 designated culture makers (film, music and sports stars etc.) and 12 policy makers. What is cool about it is that when you click on the individuals you are not given old school mailing and telephone details, but formatted tweets, which can be sent with a click of a button.
Other calls to action include donating to the campaign and buying or downloading a campaign kit. One purpose of the kit is to blanket every street on April 20, 2012. The posters and bracelets are geo tagged and each unique tag number can be entered online to show the campaign's reach. At the time of writing this blog posts the kits are currently sold out, though can still be downloaded.
It's time sensitive
The video will expire on December 31, 2012 demonstrating the organization's goal of getting Kony arrested before the end of the year. The expiration date adds a sense of urgency to the campaign.
Kony 2012 viral video
Here is the video everyone is talking about:
I would encourage you to watch and share the video if you haven't already seen it, to learn what Kony 2012 is all about.