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Earlier this week, when the family of Eldest Son's Ohio Heart Throb, (whom we know as Regina, as well as Eldest Son's Wife) was coming for supper, I took a look at my garage and the pavilion and decided I needed some assistance.
So, I called for Hortencia, my beloved neighbor, and also our renter, to see if she wanted to clean for me for a few hours. With Friend Karen's great help in communication (Hortencia speaks almost no English and I speak almost no Spanish) we got the arrangements all worked out. Hortencia came and got an early start, and was making great progress. I saw her out there, slaving away, so I went out for a little while to try to talk to her a little. The heat was oppressive, and she was sweating profusely as she worked. She returned my greeting, but she seemed unusually sad.
"I talked to Lupe!" I venture, hopefully.
She understood, "Si," she says proudly, and smiles broadly.
"She was doing so much better than the last time I talked to her." I add, a little more boldly. "It makes me so glad." (I smile and hug myself to show that I am so very pleased.)
She pauses, and turns her head away. I am startled to see that she is crying. She purses her lips and tries to keep the tears from falling. "Baby is sick." she says, and begins to sweep furiously.
I knew that Lupe's baby was sick, but she has been taking her to the best doctor, and it appeared to me that things were doing okay — But I thought maybe I was missing something.
"Hortencia, are you okay?" She either didn't understand or chose not to respond. She resolutely turned her back and began to sweep. And I needed to get into the house, so I came back into the cool of my air conditioned home while she swept in the heat. And of course, I've been pondering muchly.
Hortencia is about my age. Her husband and I are actually almost twins. When I consider how diverse our lives are beyond the point of being moms and grandmoms and women of about the same age, it feels like I've been plunged into a stifling room as hot as the outdoors where she was working that morning. I know that she has had very random work. Both of their wage earning children have left and it is just her and her husband in the trailer. Money is tight.
I asked her, then, if she could stay a little longer and work inside. I hoped that she could cool off, and that I could justify paying her a little more. She and her funny little husband have lived in the trailer in our side yard for close to fifteen years. They don't pay a lot of rent, and we have always mowed the yard, provided the fuel oil, paid for trash pick up and supplied their trailer with water from our farm's deep, sweet well. When the oil prices went up, we asked if they could begin paying for their own fuel oil. We can get it cheaper than they can, so we always have it put on our bill, and the plan was that they would pay us.
There is something that I need to say about our tenants. They have been the best renters we have ever had, and they take care of the place and they have been conscientious about not having raucous and unmanageable parties. Hortencia's husband has even stopped drinking and become a sober and hard working man because they are concerned that we might throw them out if he starts to get drunk. I understand from the stories of their children that he is a most unpleasant drunk, so we have been grateful that, for whatever reason, he has decided to stay away from the alcohol that has been the ruin of so many of our Hispanic friends. And they always pay their rent. And usually, on time.
That being said, they have not paid for their fuel oil. And the communication issue is, of course, a problem, but when the total was over $800.00, Certain Man was not quite so mindful of their good points.
"Hon, you've got to do something," he would intone at regular intervals. "At $400.00 a month rent, you are paying them to live in our trailer. I understand that it is hard for you, but you are too soft hearted. You need to make them pay. How do you ever expect to get ahead if you don't make them pay for their fuel oil?" I had heard his arguments over and over again, and I honestly did agree with him, but when I knew the dynamics of their lives, and thought about all the trouble that owned them, I couldn't bear to be too hard on them. Then I thought that maybe now and then Hortencia could do some cleaning for me, and I would just deduct it from the fuel oil bill. That worked once. And then, she needed some of the money for something or other, and asked through friend Karen if I could give her "half" and take the other out of the oil. And so, that is how we have done it now for three times – but the trouble is that when it comes time to pay, and I see how hard she has worked, I feel so sorry for her, that I usually pay her what I would plan to give her for the work she does, and then I credit her an equal amount on her fuel bill.
Okay. Right about now, I can hear the outcry. I know that it isn't my job to make up for all the things that aren't right in our economy. And I know that the immigration business is a sordid and complicated affair. And I know that there are people out there right now that are askance with the thought that I am such a push over. I know just as assuredly that there are those of you out there who understand exactly how I feel.
I've been given so much. I have the freedom to come and go as I please. Yes, there is the terrible problem of illegal immigration, but there is also the thing that we didn't choose to be born where we were, and we didn't choose to have the lines fall to us in such pleasant places. I will own that Certain Man and I have made decisions over the years that have brought us much blessing, but for every decision that we have made, there were a thousand other decisions made for us that are also blessing us far beyond what we deserve.
And when I look at my neighbor, and I think of all that she has borne in her life, and especially when I consider what she has to look forward to in the future, I am overwhelmed by sadness. I think about her concern for her far away girlie, Lupe, and the grandbaby in a land where babies die so often that the first birthdays are celebrated elaborately just because the baby is still alive. I think about her son, so full of promise and character, now back in Mexico with a pregnant girlfriend, and so little future. And I think of her two other daughters that are stateside – neither in situations that would comfort a mama's heart. I think about her longing to return to the land of her birth, Mexico. She works so hard, and she settles for so little because she feels she has no right to ask for more. I sometimes think that her mind may not be as quick as some, but the poverty that she was born into and the abuse she has suffered over the years certainly has contributed to her limitations. And whether she can think as quickly as some or not, she still has deep, deep feelings and her capacity for love is immense.
I wish so much that I could just sit down and have a heart to heart talk with her. I have so many things that I would like to know about her, and I long to look into her heart. And I understand that the time grows short. Just this week, I was told that she and her husband are saving up to buy a pickup to return to Mexico. They have considered returning for years, and always something comes up to make them stay. This time, I have a feeling in my bones about it, and I expect that one day, maybe without warning, they will pack up and go.
And when I stand before my Heavenly Father some day to give account of the deeds done in the flesh, I pray that this is one situation that will have been acceptable in His eyes. I don't really care if it makes me money. I don't care if people understand. I don't care if we are thought pushovers or bad business operators — in this particular matter, that is.
But I do want my Heavenly Father to say that I treated the alien in the land with kindness and respect. That I went out of my way to help where I could. And that I practiced the Golden Rule, and "did unto others as I would have them do unto me" regardless or ethnic origin, social standing or mental capacity.
And I believe it is safe to trust Him. Even when it comes to $800.00 worth of fuel oil for which we may never be paid.


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After last month's rather serious read (Medea!) we are doing something lighthearted and different! It's Flower Arranging for Fun, which is a little bit of a coffee table book, but I hope will provide a fun Springtime read. Here is the link to where you can check out the book online: https://archive.org/details/flowerarrangingf00dunl
Happy reading!

subset: commoncrawl


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Many's the conversation I'd love to have overheard but didn't so I'm forced to undertake some guesswork instead. To fill in some essential blanks as it were.
Example One:
On driving by a house with a pair of gigantic stone Irish wolfhounds aloft pillars either side of a 10 foot gate (digital keypad on the right) at the foot of a driveway leading to a…standard 1950's bungalow. Child of Prague in the porch window optional.
Picture the scene:
A newly retired couple – let's call them Mary and Tom – are strolling through the garden centre of a Sunday…
Mary: What about one of those windmills like the Cassidys have?
Tom doesn't hear her because he got distracted by the joinery in the garden sheds ten feet back without her realising. He can't help himself. He feels The Dark Stare and looks up to squint at whatever she's pointing at.
Tom: Whatever you think yourself. I'm easy.
M: Sigh
T: What about this fountain-y yoke?
M: Mmmm. It's OK. Would it not be hard to keep clean? *strolling on* Wait, what about these? *points to set of stone wolfhounds before going over to caress them*
T: They're a bit big, are they not?
M: *reads label* There's 30 per cent off them. Sure they match the gable wall.
Example Two:
Leaning back on the dentist's chair trying to respond to his considered questions while his fingers are shoved into my wide-open gob.
Picture the scene:
Young Sean at 17 filling in his CAO form…
Dad looking over his shoulder: What's that you have down as your first choice?
Sean: Sociology in Cork
Dad: That's hardly a career. What did Mammy say?
S: She said to choose whatever would make me happy
D: Mammy? *footsteps towards kitchen*
One hour later..
Mammy: But you've always been good at science. Would you not just pick one to keep him happy? What about medicine?
S: But I'm queasy, Ma. Remember that time I fainted in biology when they showed the video of that beatle trying to roll a ball of earth backwards up a hill.
M: That was because you were dehydrated from playing tennis at lunch beforehand.
S: Was it? *scratches head*
M: OK, well, what about dentistry?
S: Yeah, right, so I can what – fool around with the laughing gas?
M: There you go! Dentistry it is.
Example three:
On hearing a teenager in Northern Ireland was reported to the police by her flatmates for procuring abortion pills on-line.
Picture the scene…
Two flatmates – let's call them Hannah and James – suspect their other flatmate has induced an abortion with pills bought over the net. The contents of a black bag lead them to believe she has followed through with her intent. Despite having only recently moved in with them, she discloses she is pregnant and hopes to raise enough money to enable her to travel to the UK for an abortion. She doesn't, so orders the pills instead.
Hannah: *looks blank*
James: *looks blank*
H: What do you think we should do?
J: *shrugs* Check if she's OK? whether she needs any help or support? Or we could just mind our own business.
Five minutes silence later…
H: What would Jesus do?
J: Mmmmm *contemplates question* Does it matter that my God is different to your God?
H: Not if we're thinking the same thing
In unison: Call the PSNI?
*high five*


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Photo: Bruce Bennett
Alex Ovechkin scored two goals as the Capitals beat the New York Rangers 4-3 (OT) at Madison Square Gardens on Saturday evening. Ovechkin and Justin Williams had put the Caps 2-0 up but the Rangers fought back in the third period to lead 3-2. Nicklas Backstrom equalised with 5.7 seconds remaining and Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal 1:25 into overtime to take him to 499 NHL career goals.
1st 19:45 Alex Ovechkin
1st 19:45 Alex Ovechkin
2nd 03:56 Justin Williams (Asst: Nate Schmidt)
2nd 03:56 Justin Williams (Asst: Nate Schmidt)
3rd 19:54 Nicklas Backstrom (Asst: Justin Williams, Matt Niskanen)
3rd 19:45 Nicklas Backstrom (Asst: Justin Williams, Matt Niskanen)
OT 01;25 Alex Ovechkin (Asst: Nate Schmidt)
OT 01:25 Alex Ovechkin (Asst: Nate Schmidt)
OT 01;25 Alex Ovechkin (Asst: Nate Schmidt)
Follow Hana's Tumblr: WelshHockeyFan
Russian Machine Never Breaks is not associated with the Washington Capitals; Monumental Sports, the NHL, or its properties. Not even a little bit.
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Hose To Sell Your House Without A Realtor In Wales
Why do individuals make use of offer residence rapidly business?
Looking to hose to sell your house without a realtor in Wales? Well, there are several aspects that enter into play when it concerns needing to sell your residence quickly. Some of these include:
If you have actually inherited a home you may be uncertain what finish with it, as well as might be considering selling the building.
It can likewise be a complex scenario if there are a variety of individuals included. If you would such as a straightforward, rapid sale, after that a fast home offering business will certainly be a wonderful choice.
We have taken care of several homes with probate, as consumers have desired a quick house sell resolution and also did wish to wait to offer it on the competitive market. We are experts in taking care of probate.
Going through a separation is a challenging and stressful procedure for both parties, no doubt regarding it.
Using a quick house sale service can minimize the moment it requires to market your residential or commercial property, compared to marketing it on the competitive market.
Rapid residence marketing solutions like WeBuyAnyHome, can give a cash money deal as well as can get your home within 7 days, which can minimize the pain and the tension of experiencing separation proceedings.
Financial Struggles
If you are struggling with financial obligations and also failing to keep up with a financial commitment that is likewise resulting in more debts … then you may want to consider a sell residence fast remedy to damage free of your financial obligations.
WeBuyAnyHome can help by offering a fast sale option for your residential property allowing you to continue with your life without the worry of debt.
Prevent Reposession
If you are incapable to stay up to date with your routine mortgage settlements or you are going through a foreclosure process of your residential or commercial property, then selling with an estate representative will not provide a fast enough solution
Thus, having a backdoor leave to offer your home quickly as well as right away may aid you stop the foreclosure procedure.
Whether motivated by work, way of life or various other individual variables, an increasing number of individuals are selecting to relocate from or around the UK.
"These steps are time sensitive, and also typically hinged upon a home sale. Proprietors in this position require a rapid and versatile residential property sale, which the open market simply can't offer. Quick home buying services have helped several homeowners market their residential property so they can go on to exciting brand-new things, as well as is a terrific alternative if you're limited on schedule as well as just intend to get it done with".
Several customers use a quick residence marketing service when they are seeking to scale down (usually as a part of retirement plans).
Fas residence marketing services like WeBuyAnyHome, offers an ensured and tension complimentary sale for those who do not want to experience the unpredictability as well as hold-ups connected with the competitive market, which is very easy to understand.
Environmental Reasons
For many years, areas can alter dramatically, as well as regretfully not constantly for the better. Factors such as increased criminal activity price, or a depleting high street can also alter exactly how you feel about your home, it can even influence the value of it.
We find that most of our clients are homeowners that are eager to move away rapidly from an area that has degraded.
What are the benefits, of a fast residence sale service?
There are many benefits to using our solution, one of the most noticeable being Speed.
As the biggest quick home sale firm in the UK, we have acquired thousands of homes from London to Glasgow, we've seen practically anything and also whatever there is to see, when it concerns property sales, so currently recognize just how to manage even one of the most complicated properties.
This suggests we can customize our service to our customers' picked duration, safe in the understanding that we can complete as quickly as you need us to, as well as do not have to worry about scrambling around to locate solutions.
This is particularly helpful, given that the average time required to offer a building on the competitive market is 6 to 9 months!
No Costs
Unlike typical estate representatives as well as online listing solutions, we don't bill a penny for our quick home sale service. We don't have any covert charges or payment, and also we even spend for your legal charges.
It's also worth adding up the cash you save money on expenses and home loan payments that you would have to pay if your residential property was to remain on the marketplace with an estate agent for months at a time.
You just would not be paying those if you use us, as we finish the purchase so rapidly.
Actual Assurances
Unlike estate representatives, on the internet listing services as well as public auctions, we 100% assurance a sale on your home.
We can acquire your residential or commercial property directly with our own funds, and do not depend on any kind of 3rd parties to do so.
This indicates we aren't inhibited or decreased by home loan lenders as well as are completely chain free.
Which guarantee is not just for the sale happening, but it happening the day of your deciding on.
Included additionals
As the UK's largest fast house sale firm, we are proud to go that bit extra for our customers.
That's why we provide a cash loan for those that require it, and also, once we've acquired your residential or commercial property, we can also permit you to stay there for free, whilst you organise your forward strategies.
What points should you look out for, with other "sell residence fast" companies that are available?
You might have taken care of other firms that guarantee to acquire your home quickly (or may be speaking with them right now).
Well, there are some points you must know, prior to you proceed as well as pull the trigger …
Some of these consist of:
Inauthentic cash money purchasers
Regrettably, not all fast sale home business are responsible, straightforward as well as dependable.
Some companies aren't real cash customers, but are actually cloaked estate agents who will consistently delay your home sale till they have organized money or have actually sourced a purchaser. These sorts of business can not ensure a sale or a conclusion date.
In the case of firms such as WeBuyAnyHome, they are a genuine cash money customer who can purchase your residential or commercial property directly, within your selected timespan.
False promises
Various other fast residence sale firms might offer you full market value at the starting whilst likewise guaranteeing a fast sale.
Unfortunately, these offers are dishonest; they are just provided to win your service, as well as will undoubtedly be reduced in the nick of time, sometimes days prior to completion when you might really feel backed right into a corner to approve it. That is completely underhanded.
WeBuyAnyHome, on the other hand, is constantly clear, and also make it clear from the start that we can not use full market value for your residential property.
You obtain "incorporated"
Some fast building sale business might compel you to put limitations on the title of your residential property in order to approve their deal (meaning you are locked into using them whatever) even if you are dissatisfied with the price decline they unavoidably strike you with. We never ever ask you to do this, as well as you never should.
When it comes to WeBuyAnyHome, they have an extremely straightforward agreement that mentions our obligations to you, as well as also that if our offer ought to decrease by also a penny after your formal RICS survey, then you are completely cost-free to walk away.
What's even more, they use the most effective price guarantee, as well as assure to defeat the price of any type of authentic quick residence sale company.
What security do home owners get when selling with WeBuyAnyHome compared to other sell home fast firms?
"The NAPB is THE only formal Association for residential or commercial property acquiring firms. To become a member, as well as we are a starting member, a money purchaser must adhere to a strict Code Of Practise– making up rules around trading criteria, running practices, and transparency. Members need to likewise subscribe to The Residential Or Commercial Property Ombudsman System".
You must treat quick sale residential property firms who are not part of the National Organization of Home Buyers with severe care, as it implies they might not operate at the standards needed for such a fundamental part of your life.
The Building Ombudsman System is a regulatory body that regulates all companies operating in property. In order to be a member as we are, a business must abide by a variety of rules comparable to those of the NAPB. The Property Ombudsman Scheme additionally uses a complaint and remedy plan, meaning that you as the customer can seek settlement must anything go wrong.
You need to treat business that are not part of TPOS with severe caution, as they are actively picking not to follow governing criteria, and you would not have the capacity to use TPOS to deal with problems and also to seek compensation.
We ensure to make you a deal inside 24 hr.
Cash could be in your account…
within simply seven days.
Relocating residence is frequently ranked as the most stressful point you can do in your life, and this stress and anxiety is only heightened when you are frantically typing right into Google "exactly how to offer your home promptly?" since you simply need to do away with it and proceed.
There are many reasons you may be aiming to market your residence promptly and most of these factors will certainly currently be triggering you discomfort as well as distress before you even start handling the concerns that originate from selling your residence.
However, whatever the reason, we can help! Simply complete our online enquiry form and we will call you with a deal within 24 hr. If you enjoy with the deal and also wants to continue, after that we might have the cash in your hands in as little as one week. We're sure you didn't realise that you might sell your home that quick!
Call us and we can aid you to accomplish a quick house sale today, with no hassle and NO covert costs.
If you require to sell your home fast for any of the reasons over we can aid. We provide a quick house sale remedy as well as total on a building sale in just 7 days. Get in touch with us today as well as we can aid you offer your home rapidly.


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SW100 swing operator
The Besam SW100 can be mounted on either side of the door for pull or push action and is suitable for single- or double-doors
Low energy
The Besam SW100 is an electromechanical operator and has been developed to comply with North American and European standards and requirements for low-energy power operated doors.
Silent and smart
The Besam SW100 is designed for silent applications with high intelligent functions. Safe, reliable and quiet operation make it the ideal choice for doors in healthcare, residential, office and public service environments where both low-noise and ease of access are important. It includes smart functions such as "Push-and-go", which opens the door automatically when manually pushed from the closed position, and"Power Assist", providing motorized assistance when the door is pulled opened by hand. The mart control unit offers added-value features like double-door controls and monitored battery back-up for convenience. Other added-value features are smart lock functions for security, monitored sensors and low-energy consumption.
Technical specifications
Power supply 100-240 V AC, +10/-15%, 50/60Hz
Power consumption max. 75 W
Auxiliary voltage 24 V DC, max. 400 mA
Max recommended Inertia J
For PUSH = 45 kgm²
For PULL = 16 kgm²
J =Door weight x (Door width)²/3


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About Grig Hotel
Grig Hotel is situated on one of the main central avenues of Yerevan city. By its interior and service the hotel corresponds to international standards. Here one can feel a warm and cozy atmosphere. At your disposal there are well designed and fully furnished single, double as well as Luxe rooms the windows of which open to a beautiful view of biblical mountain Ararat. In the rooms there is a TV, refrigerator, internet connection, air conditioning. The room rate includes breakfast (buffet). The hospitable staff will make your stay pleasant and comfortable.
For making a booking, we accept two types of payments:payment for the first's night's stay (advance payment) and full payment.:
In case of advance payment, your credit card will be charged for only the first night's stay.
In case offull payment, your credit card will be charged for the total stay of your booking.
The deadline for full payment is 3 days /72 hours/ prior to arrival date. In case if you fail to pay the full cost of your stay 3 days prior to your arrival date, the system will automatically cancel the booking, and the payment for the first night's stay will be refunded to you.
In case if it is mentioned"non-refundable" next to the hotel room's name, other booking and cancellation policies shall be applied /see the remark/.
In case if you have made an advance payment for a booking and fail pay the full cost of your stay 3 days /72 hours/ prior to the date of arrival, the system will automatically cancel the booking, and we will refund the money you have paid for the first night stay.
If you make a full payment for a booking and cancel it 3 days /72 hours/ before the date of arrival, no fee will be charged, and we will refundthe whole money you have paid for the booking.
If cancelled later or in case of no-show, the first night fee will be charged as a penalty.
3 days /72 hours/ shall be counted from the hotel's check-in time.


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Okay, the Pluto Station has passed under the bridge and moved on down the River, though as I said earlier, it may linger because the three Stations (Pluto, Chariklo, Saturn) are only a few Degrees apart. I used to Experience Pluto Stations as though I was "swimming through Jello," but lately, while there's a good deal of momentary Confusion, it's been Feeling fairly ordinary. Anyone finding Differently?
So to the extent that Pluto has moved on, we're left in the Thick of Chariklo-Saturn-South Node, or Confidence-Attention-Karma. Or, The Most Important Thing is to Stay in the Present Moment, or to Distinguish between the Present Moment and our Regressions. One downside I'd not be Surprised to see is that our Karma will shake up our Confidence, and we'd be swimming in Self-Doubt instead of Jello, or worse, in Self-Recrimination. Whenever the South Node is lit up – or asteroid Karma, or our Karma for any reason, astrological or otherwise, most of what we Experience will be Illusion.
We could easily be imagining the worst Outcome possible, then when something appears to move in that direction, we jump to the conclusion that it already, indeed, has. For instance, if we're thinking about how a friend might Abandon us, or thinking about Abandoning them, and they make a comment that might be interpreted as Criticism, even if it wasn't meant that way, we could Receive their comment as the very Abandonment we'd been Expecting, and React accordingly, leaving our former friend wondering what happened.
That's a good example, as it Illustrates how we grasp our Karma rather than the other way 'round. Of course the critical element is the Depth of our Karmic Trance – that's what Karma is after all, a Trance, one that Separates us from the Present Moment.
Pluto of course is all about Trance – we usually express it as a Transformation, or Formation of a New Trance. The key to Karma is Awareness that we've Left the Present Moment. Back in the 1980s we would ask ourselves, "What color is the wallpaper?" because if it was not the same as the wallpaper in the room where we were Abused, just that had the potential to jolt us out of our Unconscious Surrender to our Regression.
So with Pluto Involved (it's still Involved even as its Influence lessens), our odds of Transforming our Karmic Trance into Awareness are actually greater.
The Karmic Trance can be very all-consuming Emotionally. If we Hear someone Criticizing us or otherwise Shaking our Confidence, it may not matter what their Intentions are, it may Light a Fire in us that's not easily extinguishable.
Everyone has some degree of Karmic Abandonment, and everyone has some degree of Karmic "Suffocation" – the Feeling that someone is watching us too closely, waiting for us to slip up, eager to label us Wrong, or itching Limit our Freedom. The Libertarians carry their Suffocation to Extremes, and are proud of it. Often, for each of us, either Abandonment or Suffocation dominates, but we can be Strong in both. By Distinguishing when we're Feeling Abandoned and when we're feeling Suffocated, we up the odds that we'll be able to recognize that it's Our Abandonment and Our Suffocation.
When we Own these two Emotions, we can more easily Differentiate situations where we're Being Abandoned or Suffocated, from situations where we're Feeling Abandoned or Suffocated. If we can do that, we up the odds that we can retract our Projections – rather than Feel Criticized and clam up, we might ask what the other person meant when they said that. Of course, just because we're Feeling Abandoned or Suffocated, doesn't mean we aren't also Being Abandoned or Suffocated – "Just because I'm Paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me," as we used to say.
But Recognizing these Feelings will help you decipher whether the Emotion and the Experience match in Intensity. When they don't, we're either Tranced into our Karma, (when the Emotion is much more Intense than the Experience) and need to Wake Up, or we're looking into the open jaws of a Held Emotion – that is, Tranced into Avoiding our Karma (when the Emotion is much less Intense than the Experience). While Avoiding Karma may feel like Success, it's not. It means that our Karma is hiding in the Unconscious, where it's pulling our puppet-strings.
One of the hardest things about Held Emotions is that they're undercover. Since we'd rather Die than Feel them, we're highly Skilled at Avoiding them. The Ego's job is to keep us Alive, and if the Ego thinks we'll Die, it's going to Excel at Avoiding that situation. So if we can Detect a clue to a Held Emotion by Arbitraging our Experiences and our Emotions instead of just Freaking Out, then thinking in terms of Abandonment and Suffocation will have done you a solid.
In a way it's like your Study of Anxiety – where you're Learning to distinguish between your fast-moving Emotions (a la Goofy) and your drudging thoughts about them (aka Anxiety).
And don't forget Poor-Sweetheart. Poor-Sweethearting a Real Emotion or a fake one can Feel like Avoidance, but it's not. Once you Empathize with what you're really Experiencing or Feeling, you've already Changed the Trance. When you then Successfully Change the Subject, you Step Out of your Karmic Trance, and every time you Step Out you build your Antikarmic Muscles. Pretty soon you have a whole new set of Patterns.


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Always happy to be distracted from packing up B4J HQ for the move, a Figleaves e-mailer was as good an excuse as any to have a cup of tea and a browse through their swimwear.
Am I the only person to have missed Midnight Grace? I've never seen it before, but Figleaves' own range of swimwear looks great – fun and colourful and up to a G cup in a good range of styles. I especially love the Cherie Floral (above left), and their bright selection of spots and stripes and squares is perfect for a sunny seaside getaway.
Sensible hat on, it is only March and a girl moving to Amsterdam should be investing in snoods rather than swimwear. But Cherie is so pretty… if I promise to jump in to a canal as soon as I get there, can I justify it?


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The United States is divided in half when it comes to gay rights, and it's bewildering to know that there are people still in shock when President Obama uttered the words: "I think same-sex couples should be able to get married." It's the 21st century, yes?
This gay rights infographic is created by the Guardian in the UK, and it breaks down each American state by region to illustrate the flexibility of gay rights. It shows which state deals with same-sex marriage, hospital visitation rights, adoption, employment and housing. The graph also shows how protected each state is with its hate crimes in schools and work environments.
Majority of the northeastern states are catching on to Canada's long-endorsed law of allowing same-sex marriage. On the other hand, all the southwestern states do not recognize marriage between same sex couples.
The Guardian Creates a Gay Rights Chart to Show an American Perspective
Kevin Young — May 12, 2012 — Lifestyle
References: guardian & chartporn.org


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Email is a common attack vector for cybercriminals. Email attacks, including phishing — that trick the recipient into providing sensitive information, opening an attachment, or clicking a link— prey on the one vulnerability that technology can't control but the right email security features can: people.
ASCII member and "president geek" of Tekie Geeks Mike Bloomfield says businesses can put email security policies in place, but there are always instances where employees won't follow them. "They need solutions that do it for them," says Bloomfield.
ASCII member Wayne Hunter of AvTek Solutions adds that the right email security features aren't optional. Malware attacks that cause a data breach are a common reason that small businesses close their doors within 6 months. "If a business doesn't deploy an email security solution, all they're asking for is trouble," Hunter says.
As a managed services provider (MSP), it's important to realize, however, that not all email security solutions are equally user-friendly. Make sure the solutions you include in your portfolio have these five email security features.
Top Email Security Features
- Encryption
Encryption allows a user to transmit sensitive information to a recipient, but make it unreadable to other people who may intercept the email. Look for a solution that doesn't require the user to install plug-ins or apps and, stresses Bloomfield, that makes encrypting a message simple for the user — such as simply typing brackets around the subject line to encrypt the email.
Hunter adds, that some email security solutions also enable the user to set policies that prohibit unauthorized actions. For example, if a user sends data such as social security or credit card numbers, the solutions will automatically encrypt the email or block the email and send a notification to an administrator.
- Filtering
Email filtering stops junk mail and holds email that violates specific policies in quarantine. Often, however, there are exceptions to the rules that filter emails and some necessary information won't get through. MSPs need to find a solution for their clients that enables them to easily white list addresses and to pull easy-to-understand reports on account activity.
- Email backup
Hunter says a feature his clients appreciate is email backup. The email security solution he provides to his clients keeps a 30-day rolling backup of emails, so if email servers are down, users can log into a web browser and keep doing business, rather than wait until servers are back up and email is restored.
- Archiving
Email archiving keeps a copy of each email, inbound or outgoing, and enables the user to search stored mail. It's a valuable tool if a user needs to quickly find a specific email or find a lost or deleted file. For clients in certain industries, archiving is necessary for regulatory or legal reasons.
- Easy to manage
As you evaluate email security solutions, remember to look beyond benefits to your clients and consider whether they will be easy for your MSP to administer. They should be easy to manage, so you can provide your clients with the highest degree of service.
Just One Part of a Total Solution
Hunter points out to offer real value to your clients, email security must be used in conjunction with a total security suite, including antivirus, antispam and antimalware. "You have to combine all solutions for true security," he says.
Bloomfield says if your clients are on managed services, it's important to include, at a minimum, email security for incoming and outgoing email as a part of the services you provide. "It's a necessity. Every managed services provider needs to offer it. If you aren't, your clients are going to go somewhere else to get it," he comments.
Hunter also reminds MSPs to follow email security best practices to protect their own businesses. "Hackers are targeting MSPs because they manage their clients' systems, and it's a potential way to get into their clients' networks. Make sure your backyard is as secure as you're trying to make your customers'," he concludes.
About The ASCII Group, Inc.
The ASCII Group is the premier community of North American MSPs, VARs and solution providers. The group has over 1,300 members located throughout the U.S. and Canada, and membership encompasses everyone from credentialed MSPs serving the SMB community to multi-location solution providers with a national reach. Founded in 1984, ASCII provides services to members including leveraged purchasing programs, education and training, marketing assistance, extensive peer interaction and more. ASCII works with a vibrant ecosystem of major technology vendors that complement the ASCII community and support the mission of helping MSPs and VARs to grow their businesses. For more information, please visit www.ascii.com.


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When using Done by Deer silicone mini mugs as molds it is very easy to remove the frozen ice cream. They are easy to clean and of course dishwasher safe.
Whether you're planning a fun staycation activity or just looking for a weekend activity with your kids making ice cream is great fun. Remember to make them the day before wanting to enjoy the homemade ice cream lollies.
We actually have two different recipes for you. One is easy and requires 5-6 ingredients, and the other one is even easier and requires only a minimum of two ingredients.
The easy one with most ingredients
2 cups of greek style yogurt
½ cup of whipping cream
3 tbs. honey
3 tbs. fruitjuice or puree of your choice, e.g. strawberry
1 teasp. vanilla powder
Slices of fruit (for decoration) like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mango, banana, or kiwi.
5 Wooden sticks suitable for food
5 silicone mini mugs
How to make it:
– Mix yoghurt, whipping cream, honey, fruit juice/puree and vanilla powder
– Put slices of fruit inside the silicone mugs, so they stick to the sides
– Fill the mugs with the yoghurt mixture
– Put a stick halfway down each mug
– Freeze overnight
The even easier one
– Choose how many fruits you like
– Add yogurt with the flavor of your choice
– Blend it all together
– Add some sliced fruit into the mug as a decoration if you would like
– Put it all in the silicone mugs – remember the wooden stick.
– Put it in the freezer and be patient for a few hours.
The practical Done by Deer silicone tableware is temperature safe from -40°C to 230°C - suitable for both making ice cream and baking.


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How to Balance Employee Privacy & Employer Security
In today's world where technology is part of most businesses, the line between employee privacy and and employer security can be easily blurred. Many companies that deal with sensitive data and confidential matters may increase security measures to protect trade secrets and internal strategies. In doing this, employees may feel like they have no privacy at work. Other companies may view employee privacy as tantamount, and employer security may suffer as a result. In finding a balance, it's important to conduct research and make it known what your expectations as a manager are.
Research what privacy laws are applicable to your company. As an employer you could run into liability issues and potential lawsuits if you overstep your boundaries in regard to employee privacy. There are various federal, state and local privacy regulations that businesses must adhere to, according to The Employers Law Group. To avoid facing possible legal issues, hire an employment lawyer with experience on workplace privacy issues to help you draft a security policy that takes into consideration employee privacy.
Devise a security plan for your business. Include any employee privacy concerns you find through your legal research. Structure your security and privacy plan to cover all situations where the two may come into conflict, such as through use of company email, telephones, cell phones and other company equipment. Setting up a firm strategy that addresses both company security and employee privacy will lay the groundwork for where your organization stands on the issues in case a problem arises.
Inform your employees about company security rules and what will and will not be monitored on a daily or weekly basis. Notifying employees of surveillance will allow them the chance to stop such things as personal emails before being reprimanded for sending them the first time.
While it may not be necessary to be fully transparent with employees, for example by telling them when security cameras may record throughout the day, telling them security cameras will be installed or that all emails will be monitored gives your employees some transparency. This communication serves as a preliminary warning in case action needs to be taken following security breaches and provides "a fair balance of employer and employee needs," according to Internet security firm McAfee.
Post this security notice in a public area such as the lunch room and make sure that all employees receive a copy of the policy. The policy should explicitly state what activities are forbidden and permitted and how the organization will monitor employees.
Implement your policy into your corporate atmosphere. Depending on the nature of your company, this may include email monitoring software or surveillance cameras set up in confidential research and development areas.
Writer Bio
Crystal Vogt has been an editor and freelance writer since 2005 and has had her work mentioned on MediaBistro, Yahoo! Finance and MSN Money, among other outlets. She received her M.S. in journalism from Boston University and holds a B.A. in English from UC Santa Barbara.


text: Celebrity Source: Heidi and Seal Have Not Split – Yet The couple have been fighting, but thus far have no plans to divorce By Kristen Mascia Published on January 21, 2012 01:25 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Seal and Heidi Klum are not headed for divorce court just yet, a source close to them tells PEOPLE. Contrary to reports that surfaced Saturday, "They've been fighting a lot lately, but they have no plans to announce a split right now," the source says. "They're not divorcing." But they have been weathering a rough patch. According to the insider, in recent months, distance has tested the famously lovey-dovey pair. PHOTOS: The Klum-Samuels Family Photo Album On tour to promote his new album, Soul 2, Seal recently flew solo to New York to appear on Late Show with David Letterman, then to London for more commitments. Back together at their Brentwood, Calif., home on Saturday, "they seem to be doing a lot better," the source adds. "They're both wearing their wedding bands." But there's more time apart on the horizon. While Seal is due to appear this week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Tavis Smiley – all of which tape in and around Los Angeles – Klum is expected to travel to Germany soon to work on the seventh season of Germany's Next Top Model, which premieres Feb. 23. PHOTOS: Heidi & Seal's Sexy, Silly Romance • With reporting by KEVIN O'DONNELL and PERNILLA CEDENHEIM


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The InfraMat Pro Pillow by Healthy Line is a heat therapy healing pillow made using some of the highest-quality tourmaline stones available. The professionals at Healthy Line put the tourmaline stones through a process that enhances and brings out their healing properties. When ground, crushed, and molded into stone tiles, the negative ion content contained naturally within the mineral increases by 15 percent. This special process enriches the negative ion content of each tourmaline stone to more than 1,500. Tourmaline helps detoxify and cleanse your body, increase blood circulation, and stimulate fat loss. Modern health care professionals praise tourmaline's profound ability to provide relief from and prevent illness, including its ability to reduce the symptoms of psychiatric symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. Healthy Line's InfraMat Pro Pillow uses tourmaline's unique composition to give your mind, body, and spirit the healing it needs. Unlike other heating pads on the market, Healthy Line's products seep through two to three inches below the skin, giving you a deep penetrating heat therapy that mends the body from the inside out.
Product features include:
• Adjustable LED display controller for you to set the temperature of the mat to your liking; find your optimal comfort level by using a few simple buttons!
• Heat from Far-Infrared (FIR) rays penetrates deep below the skin and boosts the immune system, relieves stress and pain, and stimulates blood circulation. Infrared rays, unlike ultraviolet rays, are completely harmless to the skin and can even help treat the symptoms of certain skin disorders. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has studied the radiant far-infrared heating system and confirmed its ability to improve health and stimulate feelings of wellness.
• High-level output of negative ions (1,500 on tourmaline mats), which help strengthen your body's autonomic nervous system, build up the immune system, speed up your metabolism, and protect against environmental stressors. The negative ions in Healthy Line's heat therapy pads are completely harmless and occur naturally in such places as mountain springs and waterfalls. Negative ion therapy causes biochemical reactions within our bodies that physically reprogram them to become much stronger and healthier.
• High-quality tourmaline stones used for maximum efficacy in promoting physical health, mental health, and beautification. Tourmaline is typically mined locally in small villages in China, and studies have found that residents of those villages tend to be healthier and have longer life spans than residents elsewhere. It has been considered a precious mineral for centuries and is used and studied today by health care experts to alleviate pain and ailments and improve overall health.
• Lightweight and portable for travel and storage purposes; it measures 16.5 x 5.1 x 3.5 inches and weighs only two pounds Made with materials of the highest quality and optimized for your safety and well-being, InfraMat Pro Pillow by Healthy Line can improve your health dramatically. So do your body a favor and get one (and maybe even an extra one) now!
Made by USA company Healthy Line™
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Less than a year ago, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced that "civic service may be the most important thing we ever do" as he launched his "NYC Service" initiative to promote volunteerism and "channel New Yorkers' good intentions to tackle our greatest challenges, particularly those caused by the economic downturn."
Today, he violated that commitment by authorizing a devastating budget cut to NYC's community boards, whose almost 3,000 members constitute the city's largest cadre of civic volunteers.
In an email to the city's 59 boards, mayoral budget official Randolph R. Panetta announced that budget director Mark Page had ordered each community board's budget cut by $15,542 — a droplet in the huge bucket that is the city's $4.9 billion Fiscal Year 2011 budget shortfall, but a cut so severe at the local level that many boards will have to reduce staffs that already number only two or three employees.
To New York's neighborhoods, this would make it harder for community boards to hold public hearings on zoning variances, special permits, or applications to the State to site a group home. It would hurt service delivery coordination at the local level, making it even harder for Police, Sanitation, and other agencies to work together on neighborhood problems. It would make it more difficult for community residents and civics to get help when repeated calls to 311 don't deliver.
Worse, it would demoralize almost three thousand civic volunteers and send a message to all New Yorkers that Mike Bloomberg's April, 2009 commitment was an empty one.
The announcement specifically blames these "PEG" cuts on an expected reduction in State aid to NYC. Perhaps the mayor anticipates that when you learn of the threat to your community board, you'll call or write your Albany representatives to urge them to restore State aid. We hope he's right. But don't let the mayor off the hook: Ultimately, he's the one who decided these cuts should be made.


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At left: "Moses Breaking the Tablets" by Gustave Doré (d. 1883). Click image to enlarge.
The Torah — the first five books of the Hebrew Bible — was traditionally held to be the work of Moses, as dictated by God. But starting with some rabbinic voices in the 11th and 12th centuries, doubts were raised. Among the details that challenged the notion that Mosaic authorship:
- The Edomite kings listed in Genesis 36 did not live until after Moses was dead
- Moses is referred to in the 3rd person in several passages
- There are places named that Moses could not have known (he never entered the Promised Land)
- The Hebrew of the text includes terms that were developed long after Moses' death
- Moses' death is included in Deuteronomy.
- Camels are listed in Abraham's retinue, but camels were domesticated around 1000, long after Abraham (1550 BCE) and even Moses (1250 BCE)
- The text mentions Philistines in the time between Abraham and Moses, but the Philistines did not enter the coastal areas of Canaan until around 1200 BCE (after Moses).
- The text says, "At that time the Canaanites were in the land" (Gen 12:6), which implies the author writes in a time when they were no longer there — but they were clearly there when Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan after Moses' death.
- Statements such as "before any king ruled over the Israelites" (Gen 36:31) imply a time in the writer's mind when kings had ruled over the Israelites — but none ever did in Moses' lifetime.
- In Deuteronomy 34, the writer says, "There never arose another prophet in Israel like Moses." It didn't seem to make sense that Moses' — or even God, in Moses' time — would write such words.
Other details were noticed as well. Certain parts of the Torah use words for places and things that are different from other parts. For instance, some stories (Exodus 3, 17, and 31; Deuteronomy everywhere but once) used "Horeb" as the name for the mountain where Moses receives the Law, while other parts of the story (Exodus 16, 19, 31, 34; Leviticus and Numbers throughout; and Deuteronomy 33) use the name "Sinai". Some stories throughout use the name "Amorites" for the original dwellers of Canaan, while others use the word "Canaanites". Moses' father-in-law is named as Jethro in most stories, but in others he is named Reuel.


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Looking at the castle, K. felt at times as if he was watching a person who was sitting there quietly, staring straight ahead, not so much lost in thought and hence cut off from everything as free and unconcerned; as if the person had been alone, with no one watching him; he must be aware that he was being watched, but it did not affect his calm in the least and in fact – there was no telling whether this was cause or effect – the watcher's gaze found no purchase and kept sliding away. This impression was reinforced today by the early dusk, the longer K. looked, the less he could make out, the deeper everything sank into semi-darkness. (89)
… Amalia turned up her mouth as if mildly annoyed, gave K. a wordless nod, clearly in dismissal, and lay back down. From a reclining position, she surveyed him as if surprised that he was still there. It was a cold, clear gaze, inflexible as ever, not quite aimed at what she was looking at but passing – this bothered him – slightly, almost imperceptibly, but without any doubt to one side, it was apparently not weakness, not awkwardness, not dishonesty that caused this but a constant yearning, more powerful than any other emotion, to be alone, a yearning that perhaps she herself became aware of only in this way. (150)
Amalia smiled, and that smile, although sad, lit up the darkly furrowed face, made the silence voluble, made the remoteness familiar, was the divulgence of a secret, the surrender of a hitherto protected possession, which though it might be taken back could never be so entirely. (151)
The man's silent presence is itself an invitation to penetrate his wretched life, to look around in it as if one were the owner, and to suffer with him from his futile demands. That invitation, in the silence of night, is an enchantment. One accepts it and has actually ceased, then, to be an official. It's a situation in which it quickly becomes impossible to turn down a request. To be precise, one is in despair, to be even more precise, one's extremely happy. In despair, because the defenceless way one sits there, waiting for the party's request and knowing that, once voiced, it must be granted, even if, so far as one's own vision goes, at least, it literally rips the official organization apart – that is probably the worst thing one comes up against, doing this job. (238-239)
– Franz Kafka, The Castle
Some times people speak of the gold of silence and riots on empty streets.
But people also write each other badly rhymed love songs inspired by the 90s hair-gel plagued boybands ala Backstreet Boys about 'fire' and 'desire' and 'heartache' and 'mistake'.
But people also furiously type and edit and retype and reread and reedit Facebook statuses and Twitter nuggets to curate potentially 'likability' soliciting blue thumbs-up emoticons and template yellow stars.
But people also spend hours on end finding the right adjectives and verbs and academically invent complex, convulted, unusable, multi-syllabic nouns to characterize phenomena they want to reference in shorthand with a string of letters.
But people also search through their archive of life experience and emotive consolations to convey a condolence or shared anguish or empathy or encouragement to communicate to.
And yet, I cannot phantom any thing more intimate than sharing a physical proximity and radiating bodily warmth in an affectual silence that tells two people that you can have no words and still be one.


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Many contact users either grow complacent or don't care about proper care for their lenses. This can lead to a host of issues from wasting money to causing eye issues. Here's some helpful info on how to avoid these issues with your contact lenses:
Why can't water be used for rinsing contact lenses?
Tap water contains chlorine, minerals and metal particles, which can damage both the lenses and the eye. Among other things, water contains organisms which can lead to serious infections of the eye through microbial contamination. Talk to your eye doctor about what you can use to clean your lenses.
The Right Cleaning Solutions for You.
Here are a few characteristics you need to look for when choosing a solution:
- Lubricate contact lenses and dry, irritated eyes.
- Enhanced lens movement for comfortable lens wear
- Formulated for sensitive eyes as it does not contain thimerosal or chlorhexidine, preservatives to which some people are sensitive
- Suitable for all types of contact lenses including silicone acrylate rigid gas permeable lenses.
- Antimicrobial properties
- Preservative and enzyme free.
You should Adhere To 3 Important Things on contact Lens Care:
Cleaning and Disinfection
Cleaning and disinfection are important steps to kill micro-organisms responsible for eye infections.
Contact lenses must be stored in approved saline solutions.
Use as needed to alleviate symptoms of lens dryness. This is not an actual lens care step but can be used for extra comfort.
Will Medicated eye Drops Affect My Contact Lens?
The lens case itself must also be cleaned and replaced regularly. After inserting lenses, rinse out lens case with saline solution, leave open to dry.
Will Medicated eye Drops Affect My contact Lens?
Medicated eye drops often have preservatives, which can penetrate the lens structure. Lenses should always be removed before inserting drops, unless they are designed for contact lenses. Certain medications transform the tear film both qualitatively and quantitatively. This can lead to temporary or even permanent incompatibility of the lenses.
Antihistamines, high blood pressure medications, laxatives, hormone preparations (pills), sedatives, sleeping pills, acne and rheumatism preparations, and pregnancy can alter the tear film structure.
- Have a special contact lens case with a fitted mirror. One can buy cases that are hand tooled, have decorations of the US flag, dogs, cats, or paisley motifs.
- Contact lens blotters which are made from lint free material and keep lenses safe and fingers clean.
- A functional contact lens care kit that has compartments to hold the contact lenses, cleaning solutions, and extra pair of spectacles.
- Ultrasonic contact lens cleaners that keep the lens clean and dust free.
Accessorizing is not exclusively a cosmetic activity. Using the right accessories can make a difference in whether or not your contact lenses stay clean and functional.
Questions? Contact us.


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Never one to let a good grudge die out, or pad his bank account when given an opportunity, Sir Alex Ferguson was back in the headlines this week with yet another autobiography hitting the shelves.
Coming only two years after his last effort, a lengthy and somewhat rambling tome, one might wonder what Fergie could possibly have to say in this new edition.
As usual there's talk of players the club missed out on, a bit of light cast on what went on behind the scenes with the squad at Old Trafford and the settling of scores.
But one section that definitely did feel amiss, is his claim that the club had only four world class players during his time at Old Trafford. The players he named were Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although I don't find fault with any of those four choices, I feel Ferguson has grossly overlooked the credentials of several men that helped him win so much silverware and accrue so much fame and fortune.
While the definition of a world class player can vary, it's generally agreed by most football observers that it takes a sustained period of excellence while be considered to be the best in your position to reach this level.
So, with that said I wouldn't attach the definition of world class to Wayne Rooney for example, who has had runs where he has looked brilliant, but has also suffered from prolonged periods of drops in form. He's been a great player, but for a variety of reasons hasn't quite hit the level of being a world class player.
Likewise someone like Patrice Evra couldn't be considered world class. He was a great left back, who was United through and through while contributing significantly to the club's success, but Patrice had a few gaps in his game that kept him from being among the absolute best at his position.
There are a few players that I was on the fence about, like the terrific Bryan Robson who was coming into the latter stages of his career when Fergie was in his Old Trafford pomp, and David Beckham, who was for a time one of the best midfielders in Europe. They were both brilliant and a case could be made for them to be called world class.
But the players I feel Ferguson really overlooked are:
Peter Schmeichel
The Great Dane, Peter Schmeichel is arguably the greatest keeper the Premier League has seen and was certainly the best at his position during the 1990's. Besides his brilliant play and a stockpile of trophies for United, he also helped Denmark to a shock win in the 1992 European Nations Championship. How Fergie overlooked him is puzzling.
Roy Keane
Roy Keane was a force of nature that seemed to epitomize United's will to win under Ferguson. The all action midfielder is mainly remembered now for his fierce tackling and combustible personality, but Reds who watched him each week recall him as a complete midfielder who could do whatever was required, be it make a key pass, score a big goal or yes, put in a crunching tackle. Whenever his contemporaries, including his on pitch enemies like Patrick Vieira, are drawing up lists of the top Premier League XI's of all time, Keane is usually the first name on the teamsheet for most of them. Fergie very obviously ignored Keane because of the continuing bitterness between the two.
Jaap Stam
The big Dutch defender Jaap Stam was the bedrock upon which United's famous treble side of 1999 was built. A powerful and yet intelligent defender who Ferguson later admitted to selling too soon. That sale came as a result of a massive bust up between the two after comments were made in Stam's book that his transfer from PSV hadn't been completely above board. This feud may also be the reason he isn't on the list of Fergie's world class players.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
The most natural finisher that played under Ferguson at Old Trafford, Ruud van Nistelrooy scored 95 goals in 150 appearances for United, including a remarkable 38 goals in 47 matches in the UEFA Champions League. Despite being one of the deadliest strikers in Europe in the first decade of the 21st century, the fact that he fell out with Fergie in his final season with the club seems to play heavily into why he's not been mentioned as a world class player by the boss.
Rio Ferdinand
A divisive character thanks to his contract squabbles, a notorious missed drugs test and his shameless self promotion, Rio Ferdinand was one of the finest defenders in the world for nearly a decade. He helped form the backbone of Ferguson's third great side with his classy play in the United rearguard. The above mentioned reasons that some Reds aren't in the Ferdinand fan club may also provide a clue to why Fergie snubbed him.


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Ask LaFleur: What's going next to QT on Woodruff Road?
Question: What is being built between QT & Prado Way on Woodruff Road?
Answer: You might be seeing a trend in these development stories.
The site next to the QuikTrip at 1460 Woodruff Road is going to be a car wash. It is the third new car wash development I've been asked to write about in the past six months.
The last two are both being built by locally-owned Spinx, a QT competitor.
The story of the site next to QT is a bit different. QT actually owns the land, but the popular convenience store chain isn't diving back into the car wash business itself.
The company signed a ground lease with AAA Car Wash to build on that site, according to Dan Covel, division real estate manager for QT.
QT, which has built dozens of stores in the Upstate over the past decade, is no longer in the car wash business.
Ask LaFleur:Why no traffic cameras at Gateway project?
Ask LaFleur:What's being built at Reid School Road and Wade Hampton?
Covel said QuikTrip tested out owning car washes in the mid to late 1990s, with a handful of locations.
According to a story from Convenience Store News, the company officially exited the car wash business in 2009, selling its three remaining car washes to Zip's Car Wash.
With the ground lease, QT has agreed to let AAA Car Wash lease the site for 10 years, Covel said.
The two businesses will not be connected outside of the lease agreement.
Ask LaFleur:What happened to Bailey's on Laurens Road?
Ask LaFleur:Greenville home slated for demolition. What's next for Augusta Road property?
Do you have a question you want answered? Send it to email@example.com, contact Elizabeth on her Facebook page at facebook.com/ElizabethSLaFleur or send questions via mail to Elizabeth LaFleur, 32 E. Broad St., Greenville, SC 29601. Answers will appear in the Tuesday and Friday print editions of The Greenville News.


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Location: CIA parking lot
3 segments from Potsdamer Platz
The history of the division of Germany and the Cold War is also a story of the intelligence services on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The Central Intelligence Agency, as the leading service in the West, owns itself three Wall segments, that were erected as a memorial on its parking lot as part of its 50th anniversary in 1997.
The three segments are still deliberately barring the way from the parking lot to the main entrance. So not only the Wall itself, but also its function are preserved for future generations.
Tyler Drumheller (1952 – 2015), CIA officer and served i.a. as chief of the European division, said in an interview*: When the Wall came down I said: It's over. The war is over. We won.
Click to enlarge:
Photo above and background:
© Central Intelligence Agency. U.S. Government Work
* TV documentary Wo ist die Mauer by Hanna Leissner, 2009.


text: We had purchased different tickets that were arriving at two different airports around 7am on the morning of December 30th.With no data and with some direct messages through Instagram, we agreed to meet at a random red cafe in front of our airbnb in the neighborhood of Fatih.Justine arrived to the cafe an hour before I did. I had some trouble getting a shuttle to my room but eventually made it. When I arrived Justine was no where in sight. After waiting at the cafe for about twenty minutes, I decided to walk up and down the street in hopes that I would run into her.No luck, so I figured I'd charge my phone and wait. Long and behold she popped her head through the plastic cover and within fifteen minutes we were off to explore. First to the mesmerizing Sultan Ahmed Camii, or as tourist call it, the Blue Mosque. It was built around 1609 by Sultan Ahmed I and faces the famous Hagia Sophia. It's grand in color, size, and appearance. As I was taking in the culture shock, I was also trying to take in the beauty of this blue wonder. Our stay in the city was a short one so we decided to visit the "musts" like the important mosques, the famous Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, and landmarks on the first day.I've been blessed to be able to travel to quite a few places and find that I adapt quite easily to every city. Here in Istanbul I had a mix of emotions, overwhelmed, intimidated, excited. I was thrilled, it's rare that I feel uneasy in a new city.The religion, language, customs, and attitudes are opposite of mine, which is why I was a bit unsure of how to act. I had to remind myself that this giant metropolis has visitors from all over the world and although some practices may not be accepted the Turkish people are used to people of all backgrounds visiting their city.Thankfully, Justine had a friend that she met in New York who had just moved back to Istanbul. She was kind enough to show us around some neighborhoods and take us up to the Galata Tower. It was raining later that afternoon but the rain and mix of city lights made the city look magical.Up in the tower the 360 degree view of the city was spectacular, rain and all. The stone tower is 219 feet tall and was constructed in 1348 during the expansion of the Genoese colony.Throughout history the tower was used for different purposes. Now on the upper floor one can eat at the restaurant or even have some fun at the night club. It's come a long way from its fire spotting days.After a full day of sightseeing we decided to end our night at a cafe drinking Turkish coffee and eating some sweet baklava. The coffee was a bit strong but the baklava oh so good. I would fly back to Istanbul just to eat some.There were hundreds of flavors to try with different fruit and nuts but we stuck with the classic pistachio.With a nice full tummy we were ready to head back to our room and knock out. We had to save our energy for the following night.The following morning we were up bright and early to take in our last full day.We wanted to end our last day of 2017 with a breakfast made for queens. Justine had come across a beautiful photo on Instagram where a woman was looking out a window and eating a scrumptious breakfast from a rooftop. After a few minutes of Instagram stalking we found the hotel that serves this breakfast, we were there by foot within twenty minutes.This breakfast was absolutely divine and the best breakfast I've ever had. We knew we had ordered a meal for two but were not expecting what was brought out to us. Eggs, sausages, pastries, salmon, olives, raw honey, different sauces, the works. The colors were so beautiful we were in awe. On top of the food being delicious, the view we had was breathtaking. Right out of the window we could oversee rooftops and the ocean, not to mention there were only two other couples in the whole restaurant. It was a perfect morning.We were in no rush to eat our breakfast, we took our sweet time and enjoyed every bite of food and sip of Turkish tea.After our lovely breakfast we grabbed some goodies at the spice market and sampled on different kinds of Turkish delights.Our final stop was in the colorful neighborhood of Balat. This was my favorite part of our trip, walking amongst locals and the beautifully skittle colored homes.Getting here was a bit of a mission, we had gotten off on the wrong stop and wandered off in the wrong direction but eventually got to the heart of the neighborhood.Clothes were hanging off the balconies, children running down the streets, old women poking their head out the windows, it was perfect. As the sun was about to set we decided to have our final Turkish tea at this adorable cafe with a giant Turkish flag painted in the front. The owner, actually every Turkish person we met, was so kind and hospitable. He ended up giving us the tea and some crackers for free. He was more than happy to gift it to us and requested that if he ever visits the US we treat him with the same hospitality. The two days of exploring were short but sweet. I had the best travel partner and an amazing New Years Eve. The last place I would have thought of celebrating in was Istanbul but we went with the flow and had a fun night despite the nerves I had because of last years terrorist attack. We welcomed in the New Year in Taksim Square and danced the night away, or morning I should say. Not long after Justine and I had to head back to pack up our belongings and get ready for our flightsWe spent just under 48 hours in the city and got a great feel for it. I would love to return one day to visit the different neighborhoods and the outskirts of Istanbul. I know that the media and peoples perception of the city can be negative but all I'll be sharing with people are the beautiful and positive experiences that I had in those 45 hours.


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"The primary purpose of many small farms is to provide an opportunity for open spaces, fresh air, scenic landscape, privacy, peacefulness, or other unique qualities of rural life. Others are looking for a good place to raise a family … Others farm because they want to live close to nature; many are stewards of the land by choice, because stewardship gives purpose and meaning to their lives. For them, farming is an expression of spirituality."
– John Ikerd
I wanted to read a memoir about women farming, as I often feel intimidated about participating in male-dominated farming in Australia. But in many ways it's probably just the usual intimidation felt by city-dwellers feeling our way in completely new territory – it has certainly improved over time as we've made connections with local contractors, neighbours, shopkeepers and felt more part of the local community.
I came across this light memoir by Catherine Friend, about a female couple who run a 50 acre farm in Minnesota, USA (same size as ours!). They run about 50 sheep, as well as a menagerie of other animals, and sell their meat and wool commercially. Lambing season for them involves about 100 little white bundles sproinging around the place, which is my idea of heaven, including many bottle-fed lambs from ewes dropping twins, triplets, and quadruplets.With Bill Bryson-esque humour, Catherine is searching for reasons to keep farming after tiring of the highs and lows, the challenges and the mess, as she enters middle-age. She takes a good hard look at sheep and all the joys and frustrations of their breed. She delves into the 10,000 year history of shepherding, some of the linguistic heritage shepherding has given us, the environmental benefits of raising pastured meat and fibre (even though we are often told otherwise), mentions some of the stupid farming mistakes she has made (making me feel better and highlighting some of the many challenges facing new farmers), as her farm ebbs and flows over the course of a few years.
She is initially bemused by the world of 'fibre freaks', but through the course of the book becomes more and more enamoured with all things wool and starts to move a predominantly meat-raising operation to a focus on high quality wool, something that I often dream of doing. This quote was an interesting one to think about: "Without spinning, there is no civilization, no technology, no history, no agriculture, no animal husbandry, no permanent settlements, and the whole of human history just did not happen. Without what I'm doing now, making yarn, there is no life as we know it. Cultures lacking in textile production capability don't generally advance beyond hunting and gathering" (Abby Franquemont). Like much of the book it's fairly shallow, and ignores the huge breadth of human history that does involve hunting and gathering, as well as assuming that moving from hunter-gatherer societies to agrarian societies was a good thing, but I like the importance it gives spinning nevertheless.
I just love the fact that given how far we have come technologically-speaking, there is no better fibre for warmth, breathability, insulation, water-repulsion, mould and mildew-repulsion, body odour-repulsion, durability, wrinkle-resistance, fire retardance, minimal environmental impact, and beauty, than a product that comes straight off a sheep's back. In fact, the only downside I can see with wool is that it's so natural and delicious that bugs like to eat it in my wardrobe! (oh, and that historic large-scale sheep grazing has destroyed many of Australia's most delicate ecosystems).
This book starts out in a more critical mood, but ends up an excited ode to sheep, farms, wool, knitting, lambs, all other farm animals, the farming lifestyle, and rural living itself. If you like any of these things and want to feel affirmed or sometimes wonder why you're farming in the first place, you'll enjoy this book!


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On Roger Sessions' LinkedIn group, Simpler IT, the discussion "What do I mean by Simplifying" talks about finding simple solutions to problems. Roger's premise is that every problem has its own inherent complexity:
Let's say P is some problem that we need to solve. For example, P could be the earthquake in Tom's example or P could be the need of a bank to process credit cards or P could be my car that needs its oil changed. P may range in complexity from low (my car needs its oil changed) to high (a devastating earthquake has occurred.)
For a given P, the complexity of P is a constant. There is no strategy that will change the complexity of P.
Roger goes on to say that for any given problem, there will be a set of solutions to that problem. He further states "…if P is non-trivial, then the cardinality of the solution set of P is very very large". Each solution can be characterized by how well it solves the problem at hand and how complex the solution is. These attributes can be graphed, as in the image to the right, yielding quadrants that range from the most effective and least complex (best) to least effective and most complex (worst). Thus, simplifying means:
The best possible s in the solution set is the one that lives in the upper left corner of the graph, as high on the Y axis as possible and as low on the X axis as possible.
When I talk about simplifying, I am talking about finding that one specific s out of all the possible solutions in the solution set.
Simplification, as a strategy, makes a great deal of sense in my opinion. There is, however, another aspect to be considered. While the complexity of a given problem P is constant, P represents the problem space of a system at a given time, not the entire lifecycle. The lifecycle of a system will consist of a set of problem spaces over time, from first release to decommissioning. An architect must take this lifecycle into consideration or risk introducing an ill-considered constraint on the future direction of the product. This is complicated by the fact that there will be uncertainty in how the problem space evolves over time, with the uncertainty being the greatest at the point furthest from the present (as represented by the image below).
Some information regarding the transition from one problem space to the next will be available. Product roadmaps and deferred issues provide some insight into what will be needed next. That being said, emergent circumstances (everything from unforeseen changes in business direction to unexpected increases in traffic) will conspire to prevent the trajectory of the set of problem spaces from being completely predictable.
Excessive complexity will certainly constrain the options for evolving a system. However, flexibility can come with a certain amount of complexity as well. The simplest solution may also complicate the evolution of a system.


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Wilson goes from Texas bullpen to reliable starter
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — C.J. Wilson is coming off a complete game, has pitched at least six innings every start and is among the best in the American League with a 1.51 ERA.
Given his long-desired chance to be in the rotation again, five years after failing in that role as a rookie when coming off Tommy John surgery. Wilson then became a top reliever.
Now he has become the most reliable starter for the Texas Rangers.
"I'm just really filling out the job description, that's it," Wilson said. "There's no magic formula to like transitioning from one thing to the other or anything like that. It's not mystical in any sense."
The crafty and insightful left-hander is scheduled to make his seventh start of the season Thursday in the finale of a three-game series against AL West foe Oakland.
"He had eight pitches last year, but he could only use a couple out of the bullpen," manager Ron Washington said. "Now he gets a chance to use his pitches more. As a closer, it was more aggressiveness. Now he can show everything. ... As a starter, he can really really use his brains now."
Wilson had the AL's best ERA until Wednesday night, when Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes (5-0) pitched seven shutout innings against Detroit to lower his to 1.38.
With returning 17-game winner Scott Feldman and prized free-agent acquisition Rich Harden heading up the rotation, the Rangers went into spring training providing Wilson a chance to be a starter. But returning to the bullpen, where he has been a closer and more the primary setup guy, was still considered an option.
Wilson was too good as a starter in the spring to be left out of the rotation, plus the Rangers had already added veteran reliever Darren Oliver as a left-handed setup guy.
In his first regular-season start since 2005, Wilson (3-1) threw seven scoreless innings against Toronto on April 8. A bout with food poisoning delayed his next start, but then he tossed a six-inning complete game in a rain-shortened 5-1 loss to the New York Yankees, who scored two unearned runs.
Wilson then had 6 2-3 shutout innings at Boston and has allowed only four earned runs over 22 innings his past three starts. That included his first career nine-inning complete game victory Friday, 4-1 over Kansas City and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.
"I don't really feel like I'm pitching as great as everybody tells me I'm pitching," Wilson said. "There's still a lot for me to improve on, and also there is a longevity factor. It's like so what, six games. ... My job is to go out there and pitch well every single time, all season."
Fatigue and durability certainly haven't been an issue yet for the former reliever who was used to pitching in short spurts near or at the end of games, including 50 saves the past three seasons. He has averaged 107 pitches per game over 41 2-3 innings as a starter this year.
"It's just an A plus B equal C kind of thing. It's just linear," Wilson said. "I feel better. It's easier on my arm."
Wilson altered his entire offseason program preparing for the different demands of starting and the endurance needed to go deep into games.
Now that the season is under way, and he knows he is scheduled to start every fifth game — instead of pitching irregularly depending on game situations — the 29-year-old pitcher works harder in the weight room and runs farther between starts.
"The win, the quality start and the innings pitched are the big things because the knocks on me were that I wasn't going to be able to last seven innings, eight innings, whatever," he said. "For me, that's the satisfaction I get, is me knowing I could do it and having people saying I couldn't and telling them I could and then showing that I can."
Wilson, a fifth-round draft pick in 2001, was primarily a starter in the minor leagues and missed all of the 2004 season recovering from the ligament transplant surgery.
After being called up by the Rangers for the first time in 2005, when he had four stints with the team, Wilson was 0-5 with a 12.05 ERA in six starts. But in 18 appearances out of the bullpen his rookie season, he had a 2.73 ERA over 26 1-3 innings and Texas continued to utilize him as a reliever after that.
Now the only time Wilson is in the bullpen is to warm up before games.
"He's done a real good job of just staying focused for four days when he's not pitching," teammate Ian Kinsler said. "In the bullpen, it seemed like he had too much time on his hands. This year, it seems like he's really focused on that one start, going out there and staying in the game as long as he can."


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Letter from Castle Dracula
The newsbullettin of The Transylvanian Society of Dracula
April 2002
The Ministry of Tourism has recently announced that it gathered 3.3 million US$ which is 69% of the stocks offered for sale. The works for the Dracula-park near mediaeval Sighisoara, Transylvania, Romania, will start in cca 6 weeks. Right now, archaeological research scans the area targeted for the first constructions. (It is already known that a Romanian castrum and two Dacian-Roman settlements are at the foot of the Breite tableland site of the park, along two cemeteries, of 100 and 200 graves, post-Roman, to one side of the tableland away from the area covered by the park).
Two new voices joined the contesters of the utility of a Dracula-park in Romania: Prof. Corneliu Bucur, reputed folklorist, director of the ethnographic museum of Sibiu, who said the tourism policy of Romania should not be governed by the Dracula park, but by the Romanian landscape and culture; the second voice belongs to His High Holiness Bartolomeu Anania, archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj: The Dracula park has no cultural motivation. Our mythology and folklore do not know of vampires, we have other supernatural categories. Dracula is an import and I see no reason to adopt him and turn him into a national heraldry. Not everything should come to money, and I hope this Dracula park project will never take wings (from Romania Libera, April 4).
The architect of the Park, Dan Covali, believes that much of the opposition to the project, coming from the direction of the British press, has to do with last years announcements about a Scottish Dracula-land, under elaboration.
This is the title under which the daily "Ziua" of April 4 reminds the Romanians of the existence of Ottomar Rodolphe Vlad Dracula Prinz Kretzulesco, 62, living in the village of Schenkendorf (Brandenburg).
Calling himself a descendant of Vlad Tepes-Dracula via the Kretzulesco princely family, ORVDPK created a "principality" around the village, with its own passports, license-plates, flag, anthem. The Brandenbourg authorities called it "an amusing event" and did not object to the idea.
Ottomar Berbig had a second-hand book-shop in Berlin. One day, an 80-year old princess Kretzulesco stepped inside to look for rare books, and ever since the two because inseparable. On her deathbed, the princess rewarded Ottomar Berbigs various services with a title: Ottomar - Prince Kretzulesco.
The "Kretzulesco Foundation" in Bucuresti was invited by the TSD to comment on Ottomars title, obtained in obscure ways: TSD received a strong denial (plus a long stream of curses) that Ottomar owns such a title.
Then TSD asked Dr. Constantin Rezachevici, chief researcher with the Institute of History "Nicolae Iorga", to run a check of the alleged affiliation between the Kretzulesco and the Dracula families - with the Institute of Genealogy of the Romanian Academy (of which Dr. Rezachevici is a member): negative. There was no connections between the two families.
In the meantime, the village of Schenkendorf enjoys prosperity as a result of the presence of a "Dracula Schloss" and of its owners ideas: "Everything we can imagine does exist" (Plato).
The TRANSYLVANIAN SOCIETY of DRACULA
The GHOST CLUB I.S.S.G.A.
England U.S.A.
(May 10-12, 2002, Sinaia, Romania)
Friday, May 10
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Silviu Angelescu (Romania)
8.00-10.00 - hotel "Caraiman", Sinaia: accreditation
10.00 - Conference room, 3-rd floor, hotel "Caraiman"
Opening of the Colloquium
Nicolae Paduraru, TSD president, Romania
10.30 - "The Triumph of the Beyond: Vampires and Magic in Comics from Dracula to Harry Potter"
11:30 - "The Challenge of the Virtual Worlds"
12.30 - 14.30 - lunch
14.30 - "Vampires from Outer Space: an Exploration of Common Ground shared by Vampires and Extraterrestrials concerning Death and Immortality"
16.00 - "The Effects of Sociopolitical Culture on the Literary Vampire, 1950 - Present"
17-17.30 - coffee break
17.30 - "Ghosts in the British Theatre"
18.30 - "The Ghost in the Romanian Literature"
Saturday, May 11
Moderator: Prof. Elizabeth Miller (Canada)
9.00 - "Bridges to Beyond: the Works of Mircea Eliade and Ioan Petru Culianu"
10.00 - "The Postfeminist Vampire: a Heroine for the XXI-st Century Woman"
11.00-11.30 - coffee break
11.30 -12.30 - "Relationship patterns between the Soul and Beyond"
12.30 - 14.00 - lunch
14.00-16.00 - visit the royal palace of Peles in Sinaia (optional)
16.00 - "Extrasensorial Powers at Work" (with demonstrations)
17.00 - "Returning from the Beyond in the English Renaissance: Transformations of Ghost Belief in the Late Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century Britain, some Conclusions and Hypotheses"
18.00-18.30 - coffee break
18.30 - "Music from Beyond the Grave"
19.30 - "Intimations of Immortality: Vlad Tepes, Vampires and Count Dracula"
Sunday, May 12
Moderator: Prof. Sabina Ispas (Romania)
9.00 - "A Gate to Beyond: Spiritism with B.P.Hasdeu"
9.45 - "The Energies Around Us"
10.30-11 - coffee break
11.00-12.00 - "Britains first Ghost Hunters: Shamanism in Ancient British cultures"
12.00 - 13.30 - lunch
13.30-15.30 - visit "George Enescu" Memorial House and Museum in Sinaia (optional)
15.30 - "Electronic Voice Phenomenon and Transcommunications"
16.30 - "The Curse has not passed away: the fear of women and desire in Dracula by Bram Stoker"
17.30 - 18.00 - coffee break
18.00 - "An Alter-ego of Moody: a Romanian Little Girl"
Extra-colloquium events
The Royal Palace of Peles
The Memorial House "George Enescu" (the most renowned Romanian composer)
Sponsors of the Colloquium
April 30, 2002
CESNUR Home Page - DRACULA Library


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"Dr. Robins was just incredible. He's been great to work with!"
"Hands down the most caring, involved and competent doctor I've ever had--I was referred by my best friend and it has turned out to be the best referral I've received."
"Dr. Robins is an amazing doctor! He took great care of us and his staff was kind. I would highly recommend him."
"Me, my sister, and my best friend gave birth to healthy babies under the care of Dr. Robins."
"Dr. Robins is awesome."


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A blog post I picked from my archive……..we all need to have a good laugh. It does a body good:)
"A cheerful heart has a continuous feast." Proverbs 15:15
When is the last time you laughed out loud, tears streaming down your face? Laughed so hard you snorted? Got the hiccups? Your stomach ached from the muscles you used for a good belly laugh?
Laughter feels good.
Nikki, the family calico cat, has a special fondness towards me. Some might call it stalking. She follows me around the house like my shadow. She makes me a little paranoid when she follows me into the bathroom…and sits and stares at me. Eh, hem….I can do this myself, kitty cat. This morning I was making the bed when she came flying out from underneath it. I didn't know she was there so I nearly had a heart attack. She made me laugh out loud because she was covered with dust bunnies. Okay, I admit to all my blog readers that cleaning under the bed is not at the top of my list. Not this week. Um… okay. Not ever. Nikki looked hilarious with a big ol' dust bunny right on top of her head, between her ears. She did not appear too humiliated by the whole thing.
I laughed so hard this evening! My son's dog, Lonnie is a terrier mix. He can stand and walk around on his hind legs. Lonnie loved the smell of the pot roast that I was serving for dinner. Boy, did he want some! He walked around on his hind legs trying to get at the plate. He was so focused on the plate that he backed right up into the garbage bag I had setting on the floor, ready to go out. The expression on his face was priceless.
This is the same dog that I blogged about last week that would not eat his yummy, dog food, nutritional bits. Go figure.
Tonight, while preparing dinner, I was singing and goofing around in the kitchen. My son said, "Mom, you are very 'bubbly' today. I like it when you are in a good mood. It makes the whole day better." His words struck me. How often do I forget, in my day to day busyness, to smile and laugh, and joke?
My son reminded me that
Laughter is the best medicine and….
It makes the whole day better.


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I recently had the pleasure of delivering a Chairman address at the Financial Information Management Association (FIMA) 2018 event in Boston. FIMA does an excellent job of creating an intimate setting for C-level professionals to explore all-things data management in fintech.
The response to my presentation was such that I decided to turn it into a blog. My address was part of the "Metadata and Data Quality" track, hence data cataloging was at the core of my presentation.
Advancing Metadata and Data Quality for Increased Efficiencies
I've been doing data management for large companies and financial institutions for most of my career, and it's been really interesting to see how waves of technical innovation are adopted and successful or not so successful in different institutions. For this reason, we have to explore these waves for success and failure by asking; What are the drivers? What are the business drivers behind data and metadata? Is this internal or externally-based? Forrester Research sheds some light on these questions.
One of our customers, a bank I don't have permission to name publicly, has no branch locations; a very different kind of business model than traditional banking and investment management companies. Similarly, we're seeing this in the insurance industry as well. This Forrester chart shows there's a lot of initiatives going on that are trying to do this transformation, and of course, the top drivers are about the customer experience.
However, the ones below customers experience, namely multichannel integration, innovation in products and services, flexibility, agility, are actually very dependent on data and metadata and knowing as much as possible about your data assets. Here, the data drivers are now around data diversity and complexity. You've got IoT, you've got online, you've got semi-structured, unstructured data, and the complexity of bringing that all together to get a holistic picture.
Businesses have to have audit trails and data teams have to be able to manage and understand your data assets to achieve increased speed and scale. These data drivers mandate what we Podium refers to as "a catalog-centric" or a "catalog-first strategy." And the reason we talk about it being first is that we believe it's absolutely critical for delivering automation and scale.
We also believe in cataloging continuously, that this is not a one-time or intermittent effort. This has to be built into the processes and something, a little more radical is catalog everything. I'll talk a little bit about that.
A Catalog-First Strategy
Let's further explore this idea of catalog first. One of the things we have found is that increasingly there are technologies out there that can scan your universe and analyze your data and create what we call a "smart data catalog."
The Smart Catalog needs to be able to handle data that's not from a perfect data warehouse source, but the raw data you're getting off of a telemetric system, or a web form, or third party, and deal with complex formats, dirty data, etc. We believe that the catalog - from the start - should deliver value through automated data profiling and identifying things like sensitive data. This type of technology allows businesses to build a rich and robust catalog of data, no matter where it lives. Furthermore, you use the data and the metadata that you derive from that, to start building out your data strategy because if you're going to catalog a lot of data, you're not going to be engineering and perfecting it all, but you will need to know where it is and what it is.
So for example, you have three or four sources of the same kind of transaction information, you'll want to pick the best source. But we believe an automated catalog would help you use that as a decision support tool; "Which one of these should we use, and which ones should we make business ready?"
And we use "business ready" as a very deliberate term, which is not the same as data quality or master data. Those are extreme poles. In my view, quality is fit-for-purpose. It does require some cleansing and conforming of data, so you can, for example, use it for marketing analytics where it doesn't have to be 100% correct for you to get a good insight. On the other hand, if you're doing regulatory reporting or client-facing reports, it has to be perfect. Here, the degree of effort and engineering you put in to identify the data structure and prepare it, differs. And to enable agility, you want to support multiple kinds of business readiness. A data scientist can use it in a sandbox quickly and the sensitive data is always protected.
And lastly, provisioning. Data should be like an Amazon shopping experience. We should be able to refresh, browse and search it, publish it out to other systems, interact with the data and the metadata and the catalog through APIs, and all the while respecting access controls.
In Summary
Our view of this catalog-for-strategy does require some new technologies, like data scanners and analyzers, and profiling tools. Some of them already reside in the Podium platform but I think as a general principle, it's a good best practice.
Catalog continuously and build metadata maintenance into your automated software processes. Therefore, while you're building a catalog and bringing in source data, you're also bringing in metadata.
What sources should we migrate?
Where is there GDPR and PII data?
What duplicated and related data should we rationalize?
What is the profile, content, and quality of every field?
Beware of the hyping up on data lakes and putting everything on one cluster. The future platforms that we're seeing are that the data is going to reside in the best-fit place for it. And data may have a life timeline where it should be on a new platform for a few years, or for a few months, or maybe just a day. It may be out in the cloud. Here is where location-agnostic cataloging will help you adapt to future technologies.


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Zippy Crossbody Bag
This Zippy Crossbody Bag is sure to be a favorite. The bag is so functional with loads of pockets. Join Lynn as she guides you through this class and shares loads of bagmaking tips and will teach you to never be afraid of zippers again! Your bag will be completed in class!