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Yo Ho! It's time to set sail for our twenty-first Master Mystery Production! Have you ever wanted to be a pirate? Or just wanted to dress up like one? Now here's your chance as our next show will hit the high seas for a swashbuckling, treasure-seeking fantasy adventure to the age of battling buccaneers. But we need a cast of pirates to make this happen. Ready to hunt for gold? Is the pirate's life for you? Join us for auditions for Mutiny on the Sea Witch, a pirate's treasure mystery!
Friday, August 10 and Saturday, August 11, 2018
from 5 to 7 p.m. at Red Rock Books
(206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.)
Ridgecrest, CA
Mutiny on the Sea Witch is a four-day family-friendly mystery play we're producing in partnership with Ridgecrest Community Theatre Troupe (RCTT). This will be the final Master Mystery Production of our 2018 season, and our first collaboration with RCTT on a show. The play will also be the first MMP show which will have parts written for kids. We need children ages 7 to 10 to play Suzie and her friends in the opening scene, and we'll need anyone over the age of 13 to play the crew of pirates during the bulk of the show. Anyone under 18 requires parent/guardian permission and a parent/guardian present at auditions, rehearsals, and performances. With the exception of Suzie, Cutlass Kate, Moll Flint, and Polly, the rest of the pirates can be played by any gender. The show dates are November 9, 10, 16, and 17, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Town Theater (215 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.).
What starts as a journey into a child's boundless imagination soon transforms into a swashbuckling sea voyage of mystery, mutiny, and buried treasure. Precocious and creative Suzie gathers her friends together for a game of pirates that whisks all of us to the shores of Charleston, South Carolina in the 1700's. Suzie tells a tale of her ancestor, the fearsome female pirate captain Cutlass Kate, the saber-swishing scourge of the Colonies and the Caribbean. But it's not all sword fights and talking parrots in this yarn. When an act of mercy leads to an accusation of cowardice from an unknown source, a mutiny threatens Kate's control of her ship. Just as she was about to undertake the greatest coup of her seafaring career: the hunt for The Loot of a Thousand Ports. As rivals on sea, on land, and on her own ship breathe down her neck, Kate must discover the instigator of the mutiny, secure her captaincy, and find this legendary treasure…or else it's a one-way trip to Davy Jones' locker.
SUZIE — Filled with imagination and a sense of dramatic effect, Suzie is a young girl between the ages of 7 to 10 who loves to tell stories to her friends in the grandest way possible. She is distantly related to Cutlass Kate…or so her father has told her. Suzie is warm, generous, playful, creative, and fiercely independent, and it is through her imagination we hear this tale.
CAPTAIN KATHERINE LANDLESS (CUTLASS KATE) — Captain of the notorious Sea Witch, a pirate ship that was the scourge of the Spanish Main in the 18th century. Also nicknamed "The Mad Maiden," "The Pirate Queen," and "The Siren of the Spanish Main," Cutlass Kate is a formidable pirate who uses trickery and cunning instead of brute force to secure her plunder. Intelligent, cultured, and well-spoken, she is a brave and capable captain who also keeps things private from her crew. She is not very open with her life prior to piracy. She has devoted much of her piratical career to finding the fabled Loot of a Thousand Ports.
FIRST MATE QUICK — First Mate under Captain Kate on the Sea Witch. Ambitious, driven, even career-minded as far as piracy is concerned. Loyal to whoever would provide him or her with the best advantage, Quick has all the hallmarks of a double agent. Quick is sharp-tongued, sharp on discipline, and a fierce devotee of the Code of Conduct. He or she is one of the key movers and shakers of the mutiny. However, Quick doesn't underestimate Kate's prowess. Can be played by either gender.
QUARTERMASTER JOYCE — Quartermaster for the Sea Witch. Materialistic and greedy, Joyce is always keeping his or her eye on the bottom line and believe the measure of someone's worth is in their wealth. Having gotten into piracy merely for the plunder, he or she is unconcerned with the feelings of others and only wants to fatten his or her purse. Also hungry for the Loot of a Thousand Ports, Joyce wants the lion's share and helps motivate the mutiny to ensure the largest take. Can be played by either gender.
COXSWAIN PIERCE — Coxswain for the Sea Witch, the one who pilots the ship. Temperamental, easy to anger, always ready to fight, Pierce is a brilliant navigator but a bad negotiator. At the first possible hint of accusations, Pierce is usually the loudest voice rallying the crew against it. He or she is the rabble-rouser, the one who lights the flame of mutiny in the hearts of the crew when the strange evidence pops up. Can be played by either gender.
ONE-EYED JAQ — Ship cook aboard the Sea Witch. Jaq is just in it for the adventure and thrill of being on the sea. Jaq has blank loyalties; He or she will serve whoever is in charge. Jaq is not much of a fighter nor the sharpest sword in the scabbard and prefers the safety of the galley over the tension on deck. Everyone generally like him or her, mostly because Jaq is the best cook on the Seven Seas. Jaq is particularly friendly with Polly the Parrot, who often keeps him or her company in hopes of getting a snack. Can be played by either gender.
MOLL FLINT — Chief gunner on the Sea Witch. The only one who remains loyal to Kate during the mutiny. She is a tough, hard-as-ship's-biscuits, no-nonsense counterpoint to Kate's more graceful command. She doesn't have the greatest patience or coolest head, but she is fervently loyal to her captain ship. She is a skilled markswoman and swordswoman who has no issues holding her own in a fight. Even so, Moll has reservations when it comes to Kate's dream of The Loot of a Thousand Ports.
POLLY THE PARROT — Captain Kate's talking pet parrot. Given to Kate as a "gift" (bribe) from a South American port who asked not to be attacked and plundered, Polly is her companion on ship, and she is very fond of the bird. Polly enjoys full reign of the ship and is a curious bird who likes to stick her beak into unwanted places. Squawking on the action in her typical parrot fashion, she is a source of comic relief and bright color in the show.
And a whole crew of pirates and Suzie's friends!
Rehearsal schedule will be arranged after auditions to accommodate actor availability. We plan to meet twice a week. If you are interested in auditioning, but cannot make the audition dates, email us at email@example.com or message Master Mystery Productions on Facebook to schedule a private audition.
So please come join us at auditions on August 10 and 11 and embark on a voyage into a world of fantasy, mystery, and adventure with Master Mystery Productions.
Reviews about Master Mystery Productions from past clients, actors, and press.
Visit Master Mystery Productions on Facebook to learn more about the show.
We hope to see you at auditions and later at Mutiny on the Sea Witch!
–Master Mystery Productions


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From Russia With Love ~ Vanilla Extract
This vanilla extract is a knock out! Simple to make, easy to do, and highly recommended for those that love to bake and make simple preserving projects.
We started this project months ago and left this over sized bottle of vodka on the counter for over two months to mature. While, I suspect it could have been bottled ages ago, a little extra time doesn't harm it at all. Many will suggest this is a great gift for Christmas and I'd agree, but don't forget birthdays for those in your life that are born to cook. This stuff is much more delicious and special then that every day vanilla extract you will pick up at the grocery store. This stuff is made with pure ingredients and LOVE!
We started out with a big bottle of vodka and lots of vanilla beans (purchased inexpensively on eBay). Then, we waited a while…a long while…until today…when we decided that it was time to clear the counters and put this stuff into new bottles.
On the left, you will see the beginning stages, on the day the vanilla beans were added and on the right you will notice the change in colour after two months of maturing.
We poured this ginormous bottle (3L) of homemade vanilla extract into 6 x 500mL bottles. We added 1/4 of a cup of Barcardi Dark Rum and two new vanilla beans (split in half) to each bottle to enhance the sweet vanilla flavour. Note: we used a jelly bag to strain some of the loose vanilla particles.
Put up Total:
- 6 x 500mL bottles (reused)
Brooke - in Oregon permalinkApril 3, 2011 9:08 am
Love your beginning and ending photos! Started some in December and I have to say it is AMAZING stuff, super easy to make and WONDERFULLY tasty 🙂

subset: commoncrawl


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Songwriter John Bucchino to make Broadway debut
John Bucchino, the award-winning songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by the likes of Patti LuPone, Judy Collins, Art Garfunkel and many others, will make his Broadway debut as composer and lyricist for the Harvey Fierstein authored A Catered Affair later this month.
The Philadelphia-born Bucchino, who spent his teenage years in Palm Desert, Calif., and began his career in Los Angeles, spoke with this reporter over sushi and salad just before an orchestra rehearsal at the Walter Kerr Theater on West 48th Street.
He described himself as that "nerdy little kid that everybody picked on." Bucchino confessed his shyness, and he further added he feels he has to 'pretend' to be a big deal in order to give notes to a conductor and an orchestra.
Bucchino learned to play on his grandmother's piano at a year old. He learned music by ear, and added he still follows this technique. Bucchino notd he does not read or write music, and he acknowledged he is unsure whether he would be able to get as many songs out into the world if current technology didn't exist.
"I play the music note for note, rhythm for rhythm, exactly as I want it and email it to a guy in LA, who transfers it into the written product and then sends it back to me," he said. "Then we edit back and forth for dynamics and expression marks until it is done."
Bucchino also discussed how he relates to his music.
"I don't think about it, I feel it. I hope that enables me to connect to my emotions and that it elicits the listeners' emotions as well," he said.
Bucchino admitted his career has not gone at all like he had imagined it would in his early days, but he thinks of himself more as a piano-playing singer and songwriter in the tradition of Billy Joel and Elton John.
"I'm not a great singer, kind of a quirky singer," Bucchino said. "I don't have an extraordinary voice and because the songs I write are more complex than what was being played on the radio when I started and certainly more complex than what's being played on the radio now, nobody was interested."
He waited tables and played in piano bars in Los Angeles, but his first break came in 1984 when he began to accompany lesbian icon Holly Near. This association continued for 22 years until A Catered Affair came calling. Bucchino said their more than two decade association forced him to overcome his shyness because it allowed him to travel the country and gave him a sense of life on the road as a professional touring musician.
"She put me on the road and took out of my comfort zone," he said.
A phone call from Stephen Schwartz in 1989 provided an even bigger moment. A friend had given Schwartz Bucchino's number, and they met at lyricist Dean Pitchford's home in the Hollywood Hills. The three played songs for each other all afternoon, and Schwartz told Bucchino he should write for the theater.
"I didn't know much about his work at that point," Bucchino said. "But I figured if some big fancy theater guy wanted to call me about my work; that was pretty exciting."
Schwartz continued to nudge him in that direction, and the two have remained friends since their initial meeting. Bucchino performed alongside singer Lois Sage at the old 88's cabaret space on West 10th Street. He often used this venue while Near was in New York.
Bucchino recalled the sparse reception he received during his first show.
"There were three people in the audience," he said. "I had no money and I was spending a lot of money and wondering what I was doing there."
Bucchino quickly joked, however, he soon found out why he was on stage. Stephen Sondheim, who had received a cassette with Bucchino's music at a Dramatists Guild event, called and requested a meeting.
"At that point I was thinking, OK, I can't get arrested in LA and two of the biggest musical theater geniuses are saying 'Write for the theater,'" he recalled.
Bucchino moved to New York in 1992, and has remained in the city ever sense. He defined success as "having a bedroom," even though he still lives in a studio. Bucchino also said his initially skeptical attitude about working in the theater industry has changed.
"I had some negative preconceptions about what musical theater was. I thought of it as somehow more presentational and kind of big and glitzy," he explained. "What I do is more inner and emotional."
Fierstein's busy schedule allowed Bucchino to have a lot of time to make the adjustment to writing for characters. He gave Bucchino the book, and they later met to discuss where each song should go.
"Our lists were virtually identical," Bucchino said. "It was a very good sign. Harvey writes with an enormous amount of heart and our writing of this piece has been very heart-centered," he said.
Bucchino has produced many cabaret shows, and has appeared at the LGBT Community Center in lower Manhattan. He is also one of three gay siblings: a lesbian sister and a brother who lost his battle to AIDS in 1992. Bucchino released a critically acclaimed piano-only CD of Richard Rodgers' compositions (recorded on Rodgers' own piano) in late 2003 that demonstrates his versatility as a pianist and musician, in addition to being a songwriter.
Bucchino joked after 22 years working for Near, he's thrilled his Broadway debut will afford a (much) more active social life and gay men may notice him through his own press.
He stressed he is not sure what lays ahead, but Bucchino said he fantasizes about Barbra Streisand recording one of his songs.
"So Jason, if you're reading this, tell your mother..." he said.
A Catered Affair opens at the Walter Kerr Theater on 219 W. 48th St. on April 17.
Also in Entertainment


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Storytelling and the truth is more accurate when the subject is marketing. Curiously, children understand effective storytelling at a very young age. Give them a chance to tell a story, they immediately look at the world as they want it to be. Children quickly become heroes; or in some cases villains! Regardless, their world vision involves them in the middle of the action. They are crafty, they are bold, and most importantly, they find a way! Children solve problems in their stories. Their heroism, creativity, and tenacity is everything to expect from a business titan. Unfortunately, they grow up.
Grade schoolers who eventually become interns, or newly minted team members, or rising managers, routinely accept the moniker of children among new colleagues. As the new person, they start with some sort of story. For example, upon assuming business development roles, the children want to demonstrate their competence through their education, social connections, or personal charisma. Eventually, reality emerges. The successful maintain youthful exuberance and create the reality they see. Their storytelling sounds fantastic, but their confidence and knowledge is just strong enough that success perhaps is possible. Their story has a premise. It has conflict. It has resolution. To a customer, that sequence means they identified a need or want. Their creativity supersizes potential pain; the horrific experience that will happen if the need is not addressed directly. Then, the hero convinces the prospect that he has the solution to slay their monster. Next, he demonstrates superior business acumen and skillfully delivers. The resultant personal brand presents the necessary evidence to communicate a story that builds trust and credibility.
The childlike mindset has birthed a professional who delivers results. Essentially, successful professionals tell stories that are fundamentally true. Furthermore, with additional success, they tell stories revealing how they want to see the world. They no longer report. They forecast. Then, other people get on board! As they become more confident and successful, their story then becomes a vision. The truth that is reported is less relevant, as the vision that they project reflects the team's aspiration. Storytelling becomes the reality that they want. Then, it becomes the reality that the team works to build. Execute the process successfully and the new reality is called progress! Repeatedly deliver this vision's specifications enough and it becomes branding. Find others to join the movement, either colleagues or customers, so that the entire organization benefits from subsequent successes. That is a great story.
But, someone has to tell the stories. Call them lunatics, dreamers, peddlers, entrepreneurs, or mavericks. However, when they accurately tell the story and create the reality for their customers, marketplace, and/ or industry, they will undeniably be called successful! Summon the hero inside, seek the challenge, solve the problem, and celebrate the victory. Storytelling for the successful professional projects a vision for the organization's benefit that manifests through its execution. Who needs to grow up? To the victor goes the spoils. The good guys win!
By Glenn W Hunter
Principal of Hunter And Beyond


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Birders who hope to see hummingbirds often plant nectar-bearing flowers to attract them, but hummers aren't the only birds attracted to flowers. There are many seed-bearing flowers and birds can't get enough of their abundant seeds. Not only are these flowers an attractive addition to your landscape, but this natural food source will be attractive to many hungry birds as well.
Birds Eating Seeds
There are many species of birds that feed on seeds, and without birdseed available, these granivorous birds are perfectly happy to find wild seeds from flowers, grasses, weeds, shrubs, and trees. Adding seed-bearing flowers to a yard can attract birds such as sparrows, towhees, buntings, quail, finches, siskins, doves, and other species. Small, agile birds that can perch on flowers to feed directly from the blooms are often attracted to seed-bearing flowers, while larger ground-feeding birds feed after the seeds have been shed. All types of birds will scratch on the ground or through leaf litter in search of fallen seeds, making these flowers beneficial long after their blooms have faded, and dropped seeds are even favorite foods of winter birds.
Benefits of Adding Seed-Bearing Flowers to Your Landscape
Not only can seed-bearing flowers be an attractive addition to bird-friendly landscaping, but blooms that produce copious seeds can help birders save money on birdseed. Flowers produce large amounts of natural seed, providing nourishment for a great number of birds without birders continually buying more seed to refill empty feeders. Flowers can also attract a greater variety of birds, especially shy species that may be unwilling to come out in the open to visit feeders. Depending on the types of flowers selected, plants can continue producing seeds for years with minimal pruning or maintenance, and uneaten seeds will grow into new blooms to enlarge the buffet. With so many great results from seed-bearing flowers, even a few flowers can be beneficial to backyard birds.
Seed-Bearing Flowers That Attract Birds
There are dozens of flowers that produce seeds to tempt birds. The most popular seed-bearing flowers for backyard birds include:
- Alliums
- Asters
- Black-eyed Susans
- Blanket flowers
- Coneflowers
- Coreopsis
- Cornflowers
- Cosmos
- Daisies
- Dandelions
- Evening primroses
- Goldenrods
- Hibiscus
- Marigolds
- Moss roses
- Poppies
- Sedum
- Sunflowers
- Violets
- Zinnias
From just a single plant or two to deliberately designing an entire bird-friendly flowerbed, these blooms can be amazing to add to the yard and very attractive to hungry birds.
Tips for Attracting Birds With Seed-Bearing Flowers
When choosing which flowers to use to attract seed-eating birds, consider:
- Climate: Choose flowers that can thrive in the local climate, taking into account water and sunlight levels. Also note growing season lengths to be sure the flowers will be able to reach their full potential, including reblooming if possible.
- Soil Type: Flowers will be healthier and produce more blooms if the soil is nourishing. Choose plants that will thrive in your soil type, and use fertilizer, mulch, compost, and soil amendments as needed to keep the soil rich and nutritious for the plants.
- Growth Height: Opt for flowers of different mature heights for a multi-layered, thick garden that will attract many birds. Plant taller flowers in the back of a bed, and use tiered designs to give birds easy access to many different blooms.
- Overall Space: Flowers can grow into wide clumps, and they will produce the best blooms if they have enough space to spread out. Good spacing will also give room for uneaten seeds to bloom into new plants. If there isn't enough space in your yard, consider growing flowers in containers.
- Native Plants: Native flowers are often best because they're well adapted to local conditions and birds will recognize them as a food source more easily. Native plants will be hardier for your climate conditions, are resistant to pests and diseases, and will require less care to stay beautiful.
- Seeding Time: Choosing flowers that go to seed at different times will ensure an ongoing source of available seeds for birds in any season. You can also achieve this effect by planting flowers in groups at different times to prolong the growing and blooming season.
- Include Grasses: Ornamental grasses may not be as showy in the flower bed, but they can provide abundant seeds that birds will devour. Consider adding several bunches of grasses as accents with your flowers for even more seed-bearing options.
To attract the most birds with seed-bearing flowers, allow the blooms to grow with as little interference as possible. Avoid deadheading, since it is the dried heads that birds will pilfer for seeds. Similarly, avoid spraying the flowers with insecticides. Not only are these chemicals toxic to birds, but once birds discover the flowers, they'll happily feed on nearby insects as well for natural pest control.
Flowers can be a great seed source to attract and feed birds on a beautiful budget. By choosing the best seed-bearing flowers, birders can add plants to their yard that are both visually attractive and can tempt hungry birds without the need to fill feeders.


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Copyright 1995.
A serial killer is on the loose in New Mexico. The victims are from all different races, ages and sexes. The only thing in common is that they are left skinned. Further investigation show they were scoured like with a sandblaster. The weirdness of the case gets a request for Mulder since its perfect as an X-file. Soon Mulder and Scully uncover a bizarre religious ritual of the Konochine Indians The Sangre Viento or Blood Wind.
The second of Charles Grant's book is actually an improvement from Goblins. I thought that the characterization of Mulder and Scully was more consistent with their TV characters. The story was also somewhat interesting and I was much more engaged in the plot. Still it was a Ho-Hum story. You do want something more in a novelization than just an average TV episode. The author was just not right for this series.


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Yep, it's that time of the week where I spam–er…advertise my recently published articles. So, without any further delay, let's get down to business.
Far Cry 2 Review
The following is an excerpt of my review of Far Cry 2
"Instead of developing the direct sequel to the landmark 2004 shooter Far Cry, Crytek moved on to bigger and better things with their recent PC-exclusive Crysis. To fill the void left in Crytek's wake, Ubisoft took the reins of the Far Cry franchise and the challenge of developing the true sequel. As is common when a new developer takes over an existing franchise, skeptical gamers have wondered how it well it could fare. With an entirely new setting and more down to earth direction, Far Cry 2 has taken the series to new places, while still retaining much of what made the original so great."
Justin McBride – Talk Xbox
The Problem with Xbox Live DLC
Wow, I really seem to be bashing the hell out of the Xbox 360 with my recent editorials. This is an issue I've had problems with for a very long while. Microtransactions have become one of my most hated new trends in gaming today and not for the reasons everyone may think.
Check out the full article here or the N4G listing here.
Thanks everyone for checking out my latest Articles and let me know what you think!


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Whatever, here it is. As you see, I changed the Game Over High Score screen background to dark red:
Code: Select all
#Game Over High Score screen background
%patch $16C0E $0004W #Color
2. When I complete the game + then I start a new game again, the score is reset (like in Keen 4-6). (And this would affect the NEXT score as well on the status screen).
3. I want to use other 8x8 graphics for the Game Over window's border. Is it possible? As I have some free space in the 8x8 graphic bitmap.


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The Cost Of A Meal Across America
The cost of rent differs from one U.S. city to the next, and so does the price for a decent restaurant meal or pint of beer. But do grocery prices differ as well? To find out the cost of a home-cooked meal across America, we looked at grocery costs in six major U.S. cities: New York City, Miami, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, and San Francisco. For these purposes, we looked at what it would cost to prepare a simple meal (a whole roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans) for a family of four with these ingredients: one whole 4-pound chicken, 1 pound of fresh green beans, 3 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, a bulb of garlic, a half-gallon of milk, and butter.
These days, more and more grocery stores offer online shopping options and delivery, so we turned to these sites to do our research (excluding delivery charges). We looked at major supermarkets such as Kroger and Safeway, along with Internet grocers such as FreshDirect (New York) and Grocery Taxi (Miami). Practical realities were taken into consideration — for example, salt and pepper were considered pantry staples and not factored into overall cost, but we did factor in the cost of an entire pound of butter or half-gallon of milk, knowing that a person shopping for a meal cannot buy a single stick of butter or just one cup of milk. When choosing the brands of products, we focused on generic products local to the region.
This wasn't a perfect scientific experiment. A more in-depth study, on the ground in suburbs, cities, and rural areas, is needed to uncover the disparities and complexities across regions. Additionally, supermarket prices are always in flux so these rankings could change depending on the season or if certain items are on sale. Nonetheless, our results revealed details both surprising and unsurprising about what it costs to cook a meal throughout the U.S. But one truth remained consistent regardless of location: It's always cheaper to make dinner at home than to eat out in a restaurant. With costs averaging around $5 per person for this simple dinner, there's an undeniable economic benefit to dusting off those pots and pans.
Check out the Cost of a Meal Across America Slideshow.


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To be in relationship with another
(as I perceive it and believe it)
is to enter and to experience a life of paradox.
Paradox: That which, on the surface, at first glance, makes little sense,
indeed, is nonsense,
yet that which, in the light of second sight and thought,
embraces, embodies deepest truth.
The nonsense?
To be in relationship with another
involves, demands that each of the two –
each firmly holding in hand
that invaluable gift of the inheritance of one's birth:
and that learned, hard-earned attainment of one's sentient growth:
the liberty
to act,
to choose,
to say "aye" or "nay" –
exercises that personally-possessed freedom by freely restricting it,
at times, fully relinquishing it (throwing it away!)
for the sake of the other.
How is it this I know?
In my living and relating
and in my listening and reflecting
on the stories of others in their living and relating,
I, in my observing,
can say without questioning
that one, when in relationship with another,
no longer,
without due regard for the other,
can do, as if alone, what one chooses,
when one chooses,
where one chooses,
how one chooses,
and with whom one chooses
(at least, not without fomenting chaos unbounding!).
If this be so,
then what is the deepest truth?
To be in relationship with another,
this I have discovered
(as each extends to the other uninhabited palms of self-surrender,
bearing unseen, but no less in hand
the oblation of a hungering heart of love's self-sacrifice:
being what, being all truest love lives, loves, knows how to do)
betokens the daily unearthing of this inestimable treasure,
this ineffable wonder:
One with the other,
indeed, one only through the other
(who, o'er the days and years of life together,
no matter how increasingly similar
ever remains an individual,
ever remains one's "other";
thus, who, thinking and feeling, intending and acting differently,
ever challenges one,
ever calls one to reach, to stretch beyond the comfortable confines of self)
becomes more fully one's self than one would be,
than one could be alone.


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This ancient city is mentioned in the Quran, where it's noted, "for the natives of Sheba, there was indeed a sign in their dwelling-place, a garden on their left and a garden on their right.
"We said to them, 'Eat of what your lord has given you and render thanks to Him. Pleasant is your land and forgiving is your lord."
Farmers were watering their farms for five complete days. The dam was the wonder of the city though historians spoke differently about the time when it was built, and about the builder. Some says it was Sheba dhu Yashjub.
ViewZone's Expedition [left] caught this image of the ruins of Old Mareb. The ancient city is now surrounded by a harsh desert and is virtually uninhabited.
It was built with stones to hold rainwater and remained for a long time. But people were proud of their power and became tyrants, so God destroyed them and their dam.
In his book "Green Yemen, The Cradle of Civilizations," Mohammed bin Ali Al-Hawli notes, "the explosion of the Mareb dam left a deep mark on the Yemenis and Arab peninsula, and was considered as a great calamity that changed the political and natural history of "the green".
As a result, tribes migrated to different territories. The Quran adds, "lord, make our journeys longer. They sinned against their souls. So we made their fate by sword, and scattered them throughout the land. Surely, there is a sign in this for every stead fast, thankful man! (Surah 34:19). They dwelt in Mesopotamia and Syria where they established the kingdoms of Hira and Ghassan. Gorhom, the tribe, and settled also in Meccan, where they became custodians of the sacred house until Qusei slo Kilab, Mohammed's grandfather took custody. Aws and Khezrej settled in Yathrib and later supported the prophet after migration.
Now, Mareb has harsh weather, with dust and moving sands, and Yemenis are building a new Mareb on the remains of Selhin Palace, Hejr and Nashib, keeping in mind they are the descendants of those who built a great ancient capital, the lovely Mareb.
Who was Solomon || Solomon and Sheba || Sheba and Her Son || Viewzone's Translations
First Tongue


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Creative reuse, or what some people call "repurposing," is common practice among the 'oily rag' crowd. Seeing a practical and/or beautiful use for something in a second life exhibits a form of thinking that is simultaneously creative, ecological, and fiscally responsible.
Once a dangerous deck…
… now a beautiful, functional fence.
My talented wife spends many hours on a website called Pinterest, where other talented wives post digital images of their ingenuity and then feed off of the ingenuity of others. This feeding frenzy of creativity is called 'pinning' and probably also 're-pinning.' I don't know much about the site, except: 1) it eats free time; 2) there are some amazing photos from re-purposers far more creative and talented than us.
Nonetheless, we do our best to make things for our home that are functional, beautiful, and easy on the planet. One example is the pelmets I made from rusticated weatherboards that we removed while re-cladding. Turning the old, weathered cladding into an attractive interior feature required a lot of scraping and sanding, priming and painting, and then some more painting. This is what they do not show on Pinterest!
I've written about our pelmets before so I'll put this briefly. I inverted the weatherboards so that the scallop was facing down (opposite of its orientation as exterior cladding), and ripped them lengthwise with a circular saw to suit the width for different rooms. The photos show 1 and 1/3 weatherboards screwed together to make a tall pelmet reaching from the top of the door in our 'mud room' to the ceiling.
Once a tagged weatherboard…
… now a pelmet.
Regardless of whether you like pelmets or not, you've got to admit this was a fine reuse of a demolition material on site. Perhaps our best example of such.
But judging from the two overenrolled window blanket workshops we ran last month, the humble but effective window blanket appears to be the most well-known of our eco-thrifty creations.
Yet, as with anything humble but effective, it has it detractors. About a year ago – when I first wrote about window blankets in this column – someone at the Saturday market passed on a comment from someone else that went something like, "How many middle-class, middle aged, women are going to put blankets in their windows at home." Judging from the number of middle-class, middle-aged women who came to our workshops, a fair number.
From my perspective, just because something is eco-thrifty does not mean that it cannot be attractive. From a friend of mine's perspective (an eco-engineer working in the Indian Himalaya at 3,000 – 4,000 metres), "Warm is always beautiful."
Well kids, here's your chance to combine these two perspectives into one great holiday programme at the Sarjeant Gallery! I have the pleasure to be working with art educator Andrea Gardner and artist Sue Cooke to run a free holiday programme for children ages 10 to 14 to make window blankets that are also works of art.
The programme runs 24th-25th July, with other cool "Art Adventures with Recycled Materials" happening the 16th-18thas well as the 23rd (ages 7-12). The programme is inspired by Sue's Paradise Project showing at the gallery, and funded by Horizons Regional Council. Let's call it, "The Fun Plan." Please ring Sietske at the Sarjeant to enroll.


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Son Shares Heartwarming Pictures Of His Dad Holding A 3 Weeks Old Baby Goat, And It's Priceless
Recently, people on Reddit let out a collective 'aww' when this guy – John Beck – uploaded a picture of his dad holding a 3-week-old baby goat. John told Bored Panda that the baby goat is named Pongo and was taken from a rescue shelter called Animal Rescue Inc. in Pennsylvania. The cute photos speak for themselves, so scroll down to see just the most sincere smile on the man's face after getting to hold this cute creature!
"My name is John Beck and I took these photos of my dad Martin Beck holding Pongo. He's super excited about this! Pongo the goat is from a rescue shelter called Animal Rescue Inc. located at the Mason Dixon line in south-central Pennsylvania," John told Bored Panda. The Animal Advocates of South Central Pennsylvania is a non-profit organization based that are advocating for a vegan lifestyle and animal rights in general.
John told Bored Panda: "Pongo is a rescue. Unfortunately, he's not mine, I wish I could take him but city ordinances say no goats. He was actually visiting at a fundraiser event [that] my dad and I were at for Animal Advocates of South Central Pennsylvania. They do a lot of outreach in the community to raise awareness. That's why my dad was so ecstatic. It was a surprise Pongo was there. Animal Rescue Inc. showed up to help promote the event. It worked! The event raised $3,500! He's [Pongo] definitely up for adoption though! You should get him! All of the goats he lives with at the sanctuary are up for adoption and were all incredibly sweet goats. I got to meet them a couple of weeks ago prior to Pongo's visit." Animal Rescue is a charity organization caring for abused and abandoned animals. "ARI is home to several hundred animals between our different locations. We have many adoptable animals as well as animals with varied medical or behavioral needs. No animal is euthanized due to medical expense or the inconvenience of care," the organization writes on its website. In case you're interested in donating or volunteering, follow this link.
When asked about baby Pongo, John told us: "He's very vocal when he gets excited. People who didn't know there was a goat at first thought it was a kid screaming. He loves exploring and going for walks. He also loves chin rubs and head scratches between his tiny horns. He also loves eating dandelions. Pongo is the best! Pongo is a lover and loves being held. In fact, he kept falling asleep in people's arms. He's a very relaxed baby goat. There was a couple of dogs at the event passing through. He didn't seem phased by them at all. The dogs were curious though. Pongo is probably pretty used to animals being from a sanctuary. He was from a group of 30-50 goats that were rescued from being slaughtered. The farmer was dying and so he turned them over to the sanctuary back in early April of this year. Pongo is [now] only a month old. "
John's post on Reddit really did "blow up," but it's not hard to see why. People always want to see happy faces and cute animals and the combination of two is often the recipe for going viral. The photo almost instantly received more than 82,000 upvotes and numerous comments, many of which were referring to the man's resemblance to George Raymond Richard Martin, an American writer, best known for his series of epic fantasy novels, A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the HBO series, Game of Thrones.


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We will see! It was tilled last Friday and yesterday was the day I finally got around to planting. Lovely Ardell, a woman in the congregation, came over to help me and give me some pointers. (I really was quite clueless!) It's not too pretty and it's filled a little too full, but I look forward to learning along the way.
Through the summer and fall, here's hoping it yields yummy snap peas and carrots and lettuce and zucchini and tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers and butternut squash and melons! (I told you there was a lot in there! We will see how well they all become friends.)
Here is a before and after:


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Chuck Williams has more than 30 years of experience covering Columbus news and sports.
A recovering sports editor, Williams spent nearly three decades working for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer where he did most of the jobs in the newsroom. Chuck was the sports editor who coordinated the newspaper's award-winning coverage of the 1996 Olympics. He wrote a sports column during that time.
In 1997, Chuck moved to the news side where he became a metro editor and later a business editor. In 2001, Chuck moved back to his first love — reporting. He has covered state governments on both sides of the Chattahoochee River.
He has questioned government at all levels and been honored by the Georgia Associated Press and Georgia Press Association many times for his work. His reporting helped exposed financial crimes inside the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department. The director of the city department was convicted of a felony.
His 2015 work on gender integration of U.S Army Ranger School was honored by McClatchy , which owns the Ledger-Enquirer, as some of newspaper chain's best work that year. For that work, Chuck received the McClatchy President's Award.
The story of the first three women to graduate from the most difficult school in the U.S. Army was nominated by the Ledger-Enquirer for a Pulitzer Prize.
Formally a "newspaper guy," now Chuck is focusing on a different kind of news, as of November of 2018. He "left the relative comfort of a 35-year career to pursue a broadcasting career at WRBL News 3." He calls it the best journalistic move he has have ever made.
Broadcast work is difficult and the learning curve has been steep at times, but breaking news and telling stories in a new, more visual way, has been incredibly rewarding.
"I get to work with a dedicated and smart team of news professionals committed to telling the story of Columbus, southwest Georgia and east Alabama.
This is my home and like the idea that I am now, Chuck Williams, WRBL News 3, on your side."


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A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
Sibling Bullying Can Lead to Depression, Anxiety in Victims
Study says it may be as damaging as abuse from peers
Monday, June 17, 2013
Researchers found that among 3,600 kids in a U.S. survey, those who were pushed around by a sibling -- physically or verbally -- had higher scores on a measure of depression and anxiety symptoms.
"Historically, sibling aggression has been dismissed as normal," said lead researcher Corinna Jenkins Tucker, an associate professor of family studies at the University of New Hampshire. "It's been seen as benign, or even good for kids because it teaches them something about dealing with the world."
In general, parents and other adults tend to be more tolerant when siblings smack or taunt each other -- even if they would never condone it among peers.
But Tucker said her findings suggest that parents should not turn a blind eye to their kids' fights and teasing.
The study, reported online June 17 in the journal Pediatrics, has a number of limitations, Tucker acknowledged. One is that the children and parents were interviewed at one point in time, so it's not clear that the sibling aggression actually led to the poorer mental health.
"We can't say it's the cause," Tucker said. "But we can say there's a link."
An expert not involved in the study agreed that the one-time interview is an issue. "If you're feeling bad on the day you're interviewed, you may remember more instances of aggression," said William Copeland, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, who studies bullying and kids' mental health.
On top of that, it's tough to disentangle the effects of sibling bullying from other parts of a child's life. "We don't know, for example, how parents in the study responded to the aggression," Copeland said. "I'd like to know more about the family dynamics."
Still, he said, the findings shed some light on an issue that has gotten little attention compared with schoolyard bullying. "I think this shows us we need to address aggression no matter where it happens," Copeland said.
The findings are based on telephone interviews with nearly 3,600 children and their parents. Tucker's team used standard questionnaires to gauge the kids' levels of anger, depression and anxiety, and asked them about episodes of bullying -- from siblings and peers -- in the past year.
Overall, one-third of kids said they'd been the target of one type of sibling bullying: physical; verbal abuse, such as name-calling; or having their things stolen or purposely ruined.
In general, those kids had more mental health symptoms than those who reported no sibling bullying. And that was true, Tucker said, even when the researchers compensated for things such as bullying at school, parents' education levels and kids' exposure to family violence in general.
The findings leave a lot of unanswered questions, such as how severe and lasting any mental health symptoms might be. "Is this a short-term thing, or do these problems last?" Copeland asked.
It's also not clear whether it makes a difference if the bullying comes from a sibling who is much older or around the same age -- or whether it's between sisters, brothers or sisters and brothers, Tucker said.
But she and Copeland both said it's safe to assume that parents' reactions to their kids' aggression matters. "Let your kids know this is something you won't tolerate," Copeland said. Even if the bullying doesn't stop, he noted, kids may get a lot of comfort knowing they can turn to their parents for help.
"If there's no real escape for kids," he said, "that could make it a lot worse."
Health News Copyright (c) 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
- More Health News on:
- Bullying
- Child Mental Health
- Family Issues


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This post is probably irrelevant to most readers, but I'm putting it online in the hope it saves someone hours of hair-pulling...
I've been holding off upgrading to Java 7 as every time I tried, I'd run into annoying issues preventing me from working. In particular, I was running into the issues discussed here. I thought I'd try again today with Java 7u1, but unfortunately immediately had the same issue. As in the previous link, my situation is that I need to use Cisco AnyConnect VPN client to connect to VPNs, and when I was attempting to pull down a remote file, I was getting the following exception:
ERROR:java.net.SocketException: Permission denied: connect
java.net.SocketException: Permission denied: connect
at java.net.DualStackPlainSocketImpl.connect0(Native Method)
at java.net.DualStackPlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(DualStackPlainSocketImpl.java:69)
at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.doConnect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:316)
at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:177)
at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:164)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:154)
at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(SocksSocketImpl.java:390)
at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:578)
at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:527)
at java.net.Socket.(Socket.java:424)
at java.net.Socket.(Socket.java:279)
After spending many hours working through suggestions made on Google, I finally discovered the fix. It turns out that by disabling IPv6 in the VPN properties in Windows, the issue goes away. Here is the screenshot of how my properties dialog looks in Windows after making the change:


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- iLaw Website
- Documentation Center
Case name
Siraphop : Defying NCPO order
Defying NCPO order 41/2014
Name of persons / Name of Media
Case status
คำอธิบายสถานะคดี ภาษาอังกฤษ
Judgment / End of trial
Status of Accused
Others(Even thought the court suspend Siraphop's prison sentence but Siraphop is still in detain as his Lese Majeste case bail petition was dismissed by the Bangkok Military Court )
Offense / order
Declarations / Orders of Junta, Defying NCPO order 41/2014
Siraphop is a writer who uses the pseudonym 'Rungsila'. He has written articles and poems on political issues and published them on websites and his personal Facebook account. On 1 June 2014, Siraphop's name appeared in the summon order No. 44 of the NCPO. Some individuals whose name has appeared on this order were prosecuted for violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code.
Even though Siraphop's name appeared on the NCPO summon order, he did not report himself according to the order. On 25 June 2014, while Siraphop was driving on the street near Muang District, Kalasin province Siraphop was forcibly stopped by plain-clothed armed men.
Siraphop was held under martial law in a military camp in Khonkhean Province for a night, later on he was transferred to be detained at the Crime Suppression Division until Martial Law detention was dued. He was then charged for defying the NCPO summon order. On 2 June 2014 the Bangkok Military Court released
Siraphop on bail. However, Siraphop was held upon his release by the Technology Crime Suppression Division so that lese majeste charges can be pressed. Since then, Siraphop had never been released on bail.
Witnesses examination of this case began in November 2014 and concluded in August 2016. 5 witnesses had been brought before the court. 4 were witnesses for the prosecution and 1 was the defendant himself.
Even though there were only 5 witnesses in this case, the system of proceedings in the military court contributed to a delay. The Military Court did not examine witnesses continuously, as it typically took a month or two before the court scheduled for the next hearing. There were also cases where witnesses for the prosecution did not come to the court on the date and caused another month of delay.
On 25 August 2016, the Military Court was set to examine the second witness for the defendant. The defendant however told the court that he no longer needed this witness to testify in his defense, the court then ordered to cancel the proceeding and scheduled to render a verdict on 25 November 2016. Prior to the date when the defendant submitted his closing statement to the court, the court asked the defendant to alter the part of his statement with regard to the acceptance of sovereign power of the junta who seized power by coup d'etat.
On 25 November 2016, the Bangkok Military Court found Siraphop guilty for defying the NCPO summon order on the grounds that Siraphop was aware of the order but intended not to comply. As for Siraphop's argument that his act was the act of civil disobedience, the court observed that the NCPO had already successfully seized administrative power since 22 May 2014. Thus, its' announcements and orders was thus considered to be the law. Even though Siraphop claimed his action as the act of civil disobedience, however it is still a violation of law.
Siraphop was sentenced to a year in prison and fined in the sum of 18,000 Baht. Since his testimony was beneficial to the court proceedings, the penalty was reduced to an 8-months prison sentence and a fine in the sum of 12,000 Baht. Since Siraphop had never been sentenced to prison previously, the court then suspended his sentence for 2 years.
The offense of this case occurred while Martial Law was enforced, the defendant then had no right to appeal in the Military Court and the case was closed. As for Siraphop, even though the court ordered to suspend his sentence, he is still in detention for his Lese Majeste case as his bail petition was dismissed.
Basic information
Background of accused
Siraphop is a 52-year-old Red Shirt activist who concentrates on doing online political campaigns by using "Rung Sira" as his pseudonym. Before his arrest, he made a living as a contractor in Songkhla province.
Form of restriction on freedom
Charge filed, Threats by police / military, Summons
Type of media
Bangkok Military Court
Black case
คำอธิบายคดีดำ ภาษาอังกฤษCourt: ศาลทหารกรุงเทพ Bangkok Mlitary Court No: 40 ก./2557 Date: 2014-08-15
Details of offence according to charge
After the seizing of power by the National Council Peace and Order (NCPO), Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, the NCPO chief, issued the order No. 44/2557 on 1 June 2014, summoning a group of individuals, including Siraphop, to report to the army. He however didn't go to report to the NCPO.
Siraphop's arrest warrant was issued on 8 June 2014. On 25 June 2014, military officers arrested him for defying the NCPO's order.
Circumstance of arrest
Siraphop was restrained by military officers during his travel from Kalasin to Udonthani. Plainclothes military officers drove Toyota Fortuner to crosscut Siraphop's van while entering Kalasin's downtown. There were at least five fully-armed plainclothes military officers getting out of the car.
Moreover, there was a group of officers from another car parking behind the van. The van was besieged and the military officers told every passenger to lie down on the rain-wet road.
Siraphop and the van's driver were arrested and detained at the government office in Kalasin for the first night, and then kept into custody at Sriharaj Dechochai military camp in Khonkaen for the second night.
After that, he was transferred to Bangkok for a further detention until seeing out its 7-day term.
Progress of case
1 July 2014
Siraphop was reportedly charged with violating the NCPO's announcement No. 41/2557 at the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and was detained there after acknowledging the accusation.
2 July 2014
Siraphop was taken to the Military Court to request for further detention; however, he was granted bail and released from the Bangkok Remand Prison.
Despite being bailed out, he was arrested again and brought to the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) office for interrogation for violating Article 112 of Criminal Code and Computer-related Crime Act.
The authority detained Siraphop at the Thung Song Hong police station for one night before bring him to the court the request for detention order in the next day.
The second arrest by the TCSD officers was due to a report filed to the police on 30 June 2014, alleging that the messages on his Facebook and his poem on Prachathai's web board posted by him are considered offensive.
3 July 2014
Siraphop was taken to Criminal Court in order to request for detention order. His lawyer as well as his relatives submitted the request for temporary release. However, the documents were incompleted, he was then taken to detain at the Bangkok Remand Prison.
9 September 2014
In the Courtr oom No.3 of the Bangkok Military Court, the military prosecutor has accused Siraphop of defing the NCPO order.
At 11.00 am, the judge took the bench and the indictment was read out to Siraphop. He denied the accusation and decided to defend the lawsuit. The court scheduled to examine witnesses on 11 November 2014.
12 September 2014
At the Bangkok Military Court, the military prosecutor submitted the 7th phase of Siraphop's detention warrant, claiming that he just received the case report on 8 September 2014 so he was not yet thoroughly examine it. Siraphop's lawyer opposed against the detention warrant, citing the Military Court didn't have any jurisdiction over this case and any authority to detain his client.
Around 10.30 AM, the court began a proceeding to consider whether to extend Siraphop detention or not. The court informed the defendant and his lawyer that the offensive messages which posted on the internet still appeared so far so the offence shall remain valid. Hence, the case was deemed to be under the jurisdiction of the Military Court.
Furthermore, comparing with the Supreme Court judgment on the offence of defamation committed by means of publication, in case that the defamatory messages are still in existence, it would be regarded as a continuing offence.
Even though there is only one continuing offence which is under the Military Court's jurisdiction, other offences shall be assumed related and are under its jurisdiction as well.
The defence lawyer opposed that the alledged crimes were committed before the NCPO's order No. 37/2557 was issued, therefore the case was excluded from the jurisdiction of the military court. The defence lawyer requested the court to consider this issue in a written form on its order if the Military Court was determined to prevail over this case.
The Court further informed that the Criminal Court has already decided to put this case under the Military Court's jurisdiction. If the Military Court rejected the case, it would probably be tossed back and forth between two courts.
Also, the court viewed that during the detention phase, it has no authority to render any decision on the jurisdictional area as it is a consideration of the questions of law. Those who opposed the decision were asked to raise the jurisdictional issue again after the case was accepted by the Court.
And if there is a petition regarding the subject lodged to the Court afterwards, it would certainly consider about the jurisdiction first. The military prosecutor also disagreed with the defendant's request as the case was recognized to be under the Military Court's jurisdiction.
The court granted the 7th-phase detention warrant.
Siraphop's lawyer filed an appeal against the court's decision as soon as the detention order was issued, by citing that the previously made opposition was regarding the jurisdiction issue but the order appeared irrelevant to his complaint. The appeal claimed that the order released by the court was illegitimate. The Court decided to accept his petition.
For the report of the proceedings, it specifies on 8 September 2014 that after an investigation officer has acknowledged that the case was under the jurisdiction of the Bangkok Military Court, he thus requested the Criminal Court to remove the pending detention order against Siraphop.
After the Criminal Court approved the matter, the remand request was immediately filed to the Military Court, while on 12 September 2014, the military prosecutor indicated that the detention order was within the Military Court jurisdiction.
As the lawyer's appeal has insufficient factual information along with the reason that it was during a detention phase, the Court then did not settle any decision on the issue.
In the same day, the defendant submitted bail requests by using 300,000 baht and 40,000 baht in cash as gages for temporary release for the offence under Article112 of Criminal Code and violating the NCPO's declaration respectively.
The Court rejected both of his bail requests. In case of violating Article 112, the court gave the reason that his accusation had an effect on peace, and public moral. Moreover, a person who commits such act shall receive high degree of punishment. If the suspect was granted a temporary release, the court was concerned that he might flee.
For the charge of defying the NCPO's order, the court explained that the defendant was being accused with lèse majesté in which bails are denied so the court didn't have any reason to temporarily release him.
Th defendant's lawyer also asked the court for duplicating the trial report, but the court didn't allowed. The lawyer can only take note because the lawyer has already acknowledge everything in the trial.
11 November 2014
The examination of witness for the prosecution
The Bangkok Military Court began the proceeding at 8.30 AM. However, the procedure had to be postponed to the afternoon due to the coordination mistake between the Department of Corrections and the Court, causing delay in taking Siraphop to the court. Siraphop said that the same mistakes had been repeatedly occurred 3-4 times.
Around 1.30 PM, the military prosecutor stated to the Court that Lt. Col. Burin Thongphrapai had urgent business and could not attend the witness examination. The defendant didn't have any objection so the witness examination was scheduled on 22 January 2015.
The defendant submitted a request regarding the jurisdiction of the court to the Constitutional Court to consider that whether the announcement of the NCPO No. 37/2557 goes against Section 4 of the Interim Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) or not.
However, the Court countered that the defendant lawyer's request was not only allegedly referred to the third party, the NCPO, but also violated the jurisdiction of the court. Despite the insistence of the lawyer that they will not amend the request, the Court still urged the lawyer to revise the request within seven days, or else the request would be considered as the court see.
Additional Information
For more details on Siraphop's Section 112 case please visit:


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Where will you be at noon on Saturday?
I hope to be 12 miles into a 26.2 mile swim for The Hope Chest for Women. Some crazy friends and I will be attempting this swim on beautiful Lake Fontana.
You can go on the adventure with us!!!!! Just click on the link below Saturday morning and you can take the adventure with us. Follow every twist, turn and stop for food and water.
We are 82% of the way to reaching our fundraising goal. Please go to our Fundly site and consider supporting a charity that supports the women of Western North Carolina.
Please share and like our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ThatDamSwim
Jim Cottam
Mutual of Omaha


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We are back at the DCFM around the capitol square starting Saturday, June 19th. We are planning one more drop for those of you who like this protocol for Saturday, June 12th.
Thank you to all of you who helped us through this past year. We've been so blessed to be able to figure out new ways to continue to provide nutritious meat for your families.
We hosted a customer appreciation hog roast this past Memorial Day weekend. Everyone was really happy to get back out and socialize again. The weather was gorgeous. Thank you to all who attended and helped make the weekend possible.


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Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
To contact the Presidents Conference: click here
In-Depth Issues:
Hamas Leader Mashaal: "PA Provides Protection for Forces of Jihad" (NewsFirstClass-Hebrew)
Israel Campus Beat
- April 23, 2006
Point Counter-Point:
How Should Israel Treat the PA after the Passover Attack?
France Denies Visa to Hamas Minister - Herb Keinon (Jerusalem Post)
Thousands Pray for American Teen Wounded in Tel Aviv Bombing - Talya Halkin (Jerusalem Post)
Israel Marks Holocaust Remembrance Day Starting Monday Evening - Etgar Lefkovits (Jerusalem Post)
Key Links
Media Contacts
Back Issues
Fair Use
News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
U.S. officials and Israeli intelligence sources believe Imad Mugniyeh, the Lebanese commander of Hizballah's overseas operations, has taken charge of plotting Iran's retaliation against Western targets should the U.S. strike Iranian nuclear sites. This comes after a meeting in Syria earlier this year between Mugniyeh and Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Jane's Intelligence Review cited "reports in recent weeks" of Mugniyeh's presence alongside Ahmadinejad.
Mugniyeh lives in Iran and has evaded capture for more than 20 years, despite a $5m American bounty on his head. Mugniyeh first attracted attention when he was involved in the kidnapping, torture, and mutilation of William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut, in 1984. Mugniyeh has also been linked to the demolition of the American embassy and marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 and is wanted in Argentina for his role in recruiting the bombers of the Israeli embassy and Jewish center in Buenos Aires in the early 1990s.
Elite Iranian army officers who arrived in south Lebanon this month have taken command of thousands of rockets aimed at cities across Israel. They are believed to have been given control of the missiles by Hizballah to deter possible Israeli attacks against Iran's nuclear facilities. (Sunday Times-UK)
Under U.S. pressure, regional and international banks are balking at transferring funds from donors to the Hamas-led PA, Western diplomats and Palestinian officials said on Saturday. U.S. Treasury Department spokeswoman Molly Millerwise said: "If an organization or individual is facilitating direct fundraising for Hamas, they open themselves up to action by the United States."
Hamas officials say the U.S. pressured the Amman-based Arab Bank to freeze the PA's main treasury account. A Palestinian official said the Arab Bank recently turned away a transfer of $50 million from Qatar. Under U.S. law, any foreign bank that refuses to cooperate with the United States in cutting off funding to Hamas could have its U.S. assets frozen and its access to U.S. financial markets denied. (Reuters)
"The Arab League has not been able to transfer even one penny due to the warnings to the banks," Nabil Amr, a top aide to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said Saturday. (AP/Washington Post)
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden said the international isolation of the Hamas-led Palestinian government proves there's a "war by crusaders and Zionists against Islam,'' according to an audiotape broadcast on al-Jazeera. (AFP/Bloomberg)
See also Transcript: Bin Laden Accuses the West (Al-Jazeera-Qatar)
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III said Friday that constitutional issues surrounding the charges against two former pro-Israeli lobbyists for violating the 1917 Espionage Act represent "a very, very, hard problem" and that he would continue to study the defendants' motion to have them dismissed. During an unusual second day of argument on the dismissal motion, Ellis's toughest questions went to government lawyers. He particularly took issue with Kevin DiGregory, the lead prosecutor, for comparing the lobbyists' actions to stealing classified information. "They didn't steal," Ellis said, noting that a now-convicted former Defense Department official, Lawrence A. Franklin, gave it to them.
Ellis reset the trial date to early August and granted a defense motion that may set the stage for the calling of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns as witnesses. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell said "others" gave his client information similar to what he received from Franklin without accusations of wrongdoing. (Washington Post)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the cabinet Sunday that Islamic Jihad on Friday launched a Grad, also known as a Katyusha, rocket from the Gaza Strip at Israel. Grad rockets have a range of 15-30 kilometers and carry warheads weighing 20 kilograms, considerably larger than that of Kassam rockets. A Grad rocket had previously been launched on March 28. Mofaz said Palestinians had fired 15 Kassams last week, compared to 35 the previous week. (Ha'aretz)
See also Palestinian Gunman Fires at IDF Troops Near Gaza Border - Amos Harel
An Palestinian gunman was killed Monday after he opened fire on IDF soldiers along the Gaza-Israel border. The incident came amid a steep increase in the number of alerts for attacks planned by Fatah cells. Military sources said Sunday that Fatah-linked alerts now exceed alerts linked to Islamic Jihad. (Ha'aretz)
Jamal Abu Samhadana, appointed Thursday as director-general of the Palestinian Interior and National Security Ministry, "is a criminal, a murderer hired by Hamas, who should be jailed by Israel at the first opportunity," said former Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Avi Dichter. "The Samhadana family is a known criminal family from Rafah," Dichter said. "With the breakout of the intifada on September 2000, they took advantage of the situation to smuggle weapons from Sinai to Rafah and sell them in the Gaza Strip to the highest bidder. Then they also began carrying out terror attacks, while establishing the organization called the Popular Resistance Committees." (Ynet News)
See also New Hamas Security Chief: "Jews Are Our Enemy" - Jane Flanagan
Jamal Abu Samhadana, appointed chief of the Palestinian security services, revealed to the Telegraph his ambitions for the paramilitary force under his control. "This will be the nucleus of the future Palestinian army," he said. "The resistance must continue." "We have only one enemy. They are Jews. We have no other enemy. I will continue to carry the rifle and pull the trigger whenever required." In recent months, he has directed the continuing barrage of Kassam rockets fired from Gaza into Israel.
Fatah still controls the 60,000-strong Palestinian security forces, which Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas tried to reinforce recently by appointing loyalist Rashid Abu Shabak as security supremo. Hamas responded by appointing Samhadana. (Telegraph-UK)
See also Hamas: Samhadana Appointment Stands - Ali Waked
Hamas on Saturday turned down a demand by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to cancel the appointment of Jamal Abu Samhadana as general supervisor of the Interior Ministry. (Ynet News)
Supporters of Fatah and Hamas exchanged gunfire and hurled firebombs at each other on Saturday in Gaza after Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal accused PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah of being a traitor. Dozens of Palestinians were wounded in the clashes. (Ha'aretz)
See also Fatah, Hamas Clashes Continue - Ali Waked
Fatah gunmen attempted to force their way into the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza City on Sunday, a move that led to exchanges of fire with Hamas members in which several Palestinians were hurt. Fatah protests continued at other locations across the West Bank and Gaza. (Ynet News)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):
It is not just the Palestinian leadership that bears responsibility for Monday's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, but the electorate that put that leadership in place. The main difference between the Hamas government and Arafat's is that Hamas is more honest about its terrorist ambitions. Ultimately, Palestinians need to confront the consequences of their electoral choices, at least if there's any hope of altering their destructive ambitions toward their neighbors. That means imposing, as the Bush Administration has done, a diplomatic and economic embargo, and encouraging other countries to join ranks. (Wall Street Journal)
Jamal Abu Samhadana, appointed as inspector general in Hamas' Interior Ministry, is very popular in Gaza, in part because of the terror attacks he has carried out and which many Palestinians think led Israel to withdraw from the Strip. The Hamas government has barely any chance of succeeding in restraining the militias and the gangs running around the streets of Gaza. Every important clan, every neighborhood, every political group has a kind of private army. Palestinian Interior Minister Said Siyam and Abu Samhadana do not plan to dismantle the existing militias, but only to bring them into a joint framework. Everyone will want jobs and salaries, and there isn't enough money for that. (Ha'aretz)
Can we even imagine life here under the shadow of the Iranian bomb, when any minor operation in Gaza or Lebanon, and possibly in Chechnya and the Muslim suburbs of Paris or London, leads to an implied, not-quite-conventional threat? There is only one regime in the world still using apocalyptic terminology to discuss the extermination of another people and making remarks unheard around here since the German dictator's departure. And to this regime of all others, the world is willing to give access to doomsday weapons.
If there's one lesson from the death camps that must resonate today more than ever in Washington and also in Jerusalem, it's this: Do not take this chance, at any price. For Ahmadinejad and some leading ayatollahs, the "final solution" is clear. And therefore, on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, it might be a good idea to treat this - as well as our friends around the world that are letting it happen again - a little more seriously. (Ynet News)
Will Hamas Moderate? - Joel Himelfarb (Washington Times)
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Well it's that time of the year. Bindii plants are strategically emerging all over our back lawn. If not located out and and destroyed, they will soon enough deploy their heinous prickly burs.
For our dog Juno, this makes any excursion into the back garden a total nightmare.
30 seconds of doing frolicking dog stuff followed by 30 minutes of Kelly or me brushing, pulling and yanking the accumulated pile of Bindii's from his fur.
Now, for some reason I always thought they were called Bindii after the (usually red or brown) pigment dots placed in the centre of peoples foreheads in Hindu 1 ceremonies. Bindi means point or drop, and in in the Hindu context it represents the 6th chakra holding the seat of wisdom. Although they kinda look like little Bindi drops there is nothing wise about these devils.
It turns out the word Bindii (pronounced bindi-eye) probably originates from the word bindayaa used by the indigenous Gamilaraay peoples of New South Wales to describe them2.
Today in Australia, Bindii seems to describe many varieties of bur or thorn producing herbaceous plants common throughout the world including devils eyelashes, devils thorn, tackweed, sandbur, bullhead, and even one (puncture vine) that is used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to treat low libido and erectile dysfunction.3
They tend to first emerge during the winter months, flowering from spring onwards. They produce fruits that then dry out into a variety of highly advanced weaponised prickles.
Some of them, the goat head Bindii for example, are nasty enough to be able to puncture a bicycle tire. Most of them are going to cause you a lot of grief if you are unfortunate enough to step on them.
I have not been able to identify the specific variety of Bindii that we are plagued with. But I did find a photo online (see above) that is pretty close.
Once dried they form small round discs that radiate into a swirl of finely hooked prickles. Making them fiendishly difficult to remove from Juno's fur.
In fact the process of extracting a single prickle can be exasperating as it entangles its way deeper into Junos fur. Juno is not the most patient of dogs and him sitting still whilst we work our way annoyingly down his coat is less than unlikely.
And just when you think you have the last one you find those little tiny ones that get in between the pads of his paws. Juno has a thing about me touching his paws. A big angry snarly thing. So this never goes well.
Bindii eradication tips.
Here are a few tips that I have found in my readings that may prevent the occurrence (ideally) or remove existing infestations of bindii
- 2 teaspoons of iron sulphate disolved in 4.5 litres of water. Spray directly on bindii plants.
- Aerate and water your lawn. Bindii also spreads more readily in compacted and under watered soil.
- Use a blanket. It is suggested that if the prickles are already prevalent, one solution is to drag an old blanket over the area to pick up as many as possible. Good luck with this.
- Cut grass with mower on highest setting possible. Some gardeners advise that bindi infestations are a result of grass being cut too low to the ground.
- Commercial Herbicides. There are many herbicides available that can kill bindii. Consult your local garden centre.
- Also found in Buddhism and Jainism religions. ↩
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamilaraay_language ↩
- https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/puncture-vine/ ↩


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The broad 'devolution' agenda is having a growing impact on the work of UNISON in the North West and on our members and communities across the region. The agenda involves changes in the scale at which decisions are made about the delivery of public services and the pursuit of economic development. It increases the importance of 'city-regions' and 'combined authorities' as levels of governance and policy-making.
This page is intended to be a reference resource with access to UNISON documents on the broad issue of devolution.
Statements and Agreements
UNISON North West Position Statement on Devo Manc, May 2015
Greater Manchester Protocol for Joint Working on Workforce Matters, December 2015
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership: Workforce Engagement Forum Terms of Reference, August 2016
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership: Principles of Engagement
Employment Charters
North West TUC: A City Region Employment Charter, March 2018
UNISON Care Charters: information provided to GMCA as part of Good Employer Charter consultation, January 2018
Responses to Public Consultations on Devolution Plans and Powers
Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Locality Plan, 'Taking Charge', December 2015. UNISON North West response to the Public Consultation, February 2016
Public consultation on the creation of a Combined Authority in Lancashire, UNISON North West response, February 2016
Public Consultation on the devolved powers in Greater Manchester. UNISON North West response, May 2016.
Second public consultation on the devolved powers in Greater Manchester. UNISON North West response, August 2016
Public consultation on devolved powers in Liverpool City Region. UNISON North West response, August 2016
Responses to Public Consultations on Environmental Issues
UNISON North West response to Greater Manchester Combined Authority public consultation on Climate Change, December 2015
UNISON North West response to the public consultation on the Greater Manchester Low Emissions Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan', April 2016
Responses to Public Consultations on Skills
UNISON North West response to Liverpool City Region public consultation on its draft Skills Strategy. January 2018
Making the best of devolution
UNISON is engaged in campaign work with civil society groups in promoting our agenda of social justice, quality public services and quality employment.
In Greater Manchester, UNISON is involved in the People's Plan, an independent public engagement programme. The People's Plan is holding a series of events and is gathering the views of the people of the city-region through an online survey. Details are available on the People's Plan website.
UNISON is also involved in Citizens Greater Manchester. Citizens organises communities to act together for power, social justice and the common good.
Sources of further information
For Greater Manchester, the GMCA's website is the main source for information about upcoming meetings and developments at city-region level.
In Liverpool City Region, the combined authority's website has some useful information but is aimed primarily at a business audience. More detailed documents that go before CA meetings are hosted on Knowsley Council's website.


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Miranda Suri writes speculative fiction, and has recently put her life of archaeological globe-trotting on hold to raise her rambunctious two-year old. In the tiny sliver of time when she's not writing or mothering, she can be found indulging one of her hobbies, which include knitting, practicing Pilates, and gardening.
Her writing has appeared in anthologies and magazines, including Abyss & Apex, Mothership Zeta, Flash Fiction Online, Penumbra, Electric Spec, Every Day Fiction, Fictionvale, and Pseudopod.
Contact her via email at: mirandasuri at gmail dot com.
Follow her on Twitter: MirandaSuri.
Miranda holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania and has published a number of articles (under her maiden name, Miranda Stockett) on her archaeological research in Honduras. One focuses on sex and gender in ancient Mesoamerica, another looks at spatial patterns and social practice, another at ritual and identity in prehistoric Honduras, and another examines the role of social memory in the construction of power strategies. Her latest publication considers how we theorize, analyze, and interact with human remains. She's also co-edited a book on Feminist Anthropology.


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the Sowell life's Friday five...
1) {Stroll Around The Block} Last Sunday we broke out of the house and strapped our girl in her stroller for a stroll around the block. I've been wanting to get out and walk some, but I'm still not released from the Dr, so I knew I'd better take it kinda easy. Well, the three of us when on a walk around our neighborhood and had a blast. She slept through most of it, but it was good to get some fresh air. Of course, we haven't been back out in it because mommy and baby ended up sneezing like crazy due to all the pollen. So we are going to let that calm down before getting back out there. However, it is good to know she enjoyed her stroll.
2) {Selfie With Mommy} Seriously, she loves to look at herself on the iPhone. So, we snapped another #mommyandmeselfie this week!
3) {Favorite Picture of the Week}
4) {Favorite Video of the Week} Daddy/Daughter time...
5) {Keeping It Real} We don't let her sleep with us in the bed, but on occasion we have put her in the bed with us early in the morning while we all kinda wake up. At least one of us is always awake, and she's usually kicking her legs like crazy. Well, last Saturday morning the Mr had to run to work and while he was in the shower, we both fell asleep. He snapped this after he got out of the shower.
Now, who's ready to link up with the Friday Five?!! I appreciate y'all spreading the word more than you'll ever know!! Please stop by and visit with the other bloggers who link up. It's a great way to find new bloggers to follow! And who doesn't love comments, right? =) Enjoy your weekend, y'all!


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Microsoft Dynamics AX Team Mounting New SAP Attack
December 9 2013
Microsoft may not be in a position to displace SAP from businesses using it for core financials, but the Dynamics AX team is gearing up for a new campaign to sell SAP customers on the value of bringing AX into their ERP mix, especially across multiple geographies and business units.
Joining MSDynamicsWorld.com gives you free, unlimited access to news, analysis, white papers, case studies, product brochures, and more. You can also receive periodic email newsletters with the latest relevant articles and content updates.
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Dynamics AX positioning
I have not used SAP but have been involved with Dynamics AX for many years. Dynamics AX 2012 is a very configurable solution and now being developed for Enterprise level organisations, who typically have enterprise level requirements. More configuration typically requires a larger budget, but I would imagine under an SAP level budget. As SAP is more complex one would then logically think it cost more to implement and has more risk in its implementation. If it helps, at a headline level, we have a page about the top 10 reasons to choose Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. You can find it at; www.renown.com.au/MicrosoftDynamics/Dynamics_AX/Why_Choose_Microsoft_Dynamics_AX.aspx You can also find a list and description of the available Dynamics AX 2012 modules as well. Hope it's of interest.


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Today's prompt is the Angel Oracle Card "Cupid", encouraging me to spontaneously celebrate love in all its glorious aspects. That's easier said that done when the energiser bunny husband has the entire day/week planned down to the hour! Where is the spontaneity in that?
The additional meanings go on to encourage surrounding myself with romantic beauty such as roses and candles. I have to laugh as I type this. Autocorrect substituted roses with roasts! Hubby would be more than delighted to oblige with roasts, but not roses. He doesn't have a thing against roses per se, just flowers in general. They are fine growing in the ground, but buying me flowers, unprompted? Such a thing has not occurred in many a long year.
Both kids have tackled him on this and his answer has always been –
"Your mother would think I'd been up to no good so why worry her." I have to admire his consistency. He has stuck to that excuse for as long as the kids have been alive.
As the old saying goes, "If you want a job doing properly, do it yourself!" So I'd did. I bought myself a big bunch of red roses and some scented candles. The checkout assistant enquired if they were for someone special. I don't think she was expecting my response.
"Yes, as a matter of fact they are for a very special person. Me!"
I paid my money and left her with a shocked look on her face. I must admit, I smirked all the way back to my car.
The pretty rosebuds are now luxuriating in a crystal rose bowl next to my new candles. The room smells heavenly. I'm hoping that this might kick start hubby into some spontaneous flower purchasing. If not, I'm tempted to order a bouquet from our local florist and have them delivered with a mysterious note attached!
Have a blessed weekend everyone x


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Origin: Northern White Cedar / Arbor Vitae / Tree of Life
- primary vaccinosis remedy
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Silicea (Silica)
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Assists in the removal of associated vaccine side effects without removing any vaccine benefits. 1 oz liquid.
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So you want to be a writer, eh? What are your qualifications? Creative introvert with an active imagination and a flair for the dramatic who lives mostly in her head? Perfect. Wait, what's that? You struggle with self-esteem? Stand by for crushing rejection. Don't worry. You'll get used to it. Plagued by jealous feelings? You should probably steer clear of social media. Hold on — you'll need a platform, and thousands of followers. Have trouble making friends? There's a hashtag for that.
You published a book! Great job. Try not to obsess over your reviews and sales ranks, and don't go overboard with self-promotion — no one likes to hear about your book over and over. Make sure you attend plenty of author fairs and book signings — even though the only people who will buy your book are friends and relatives. It's okay, JK Rowling lived in her car. Surely it can't be that difficult to strike it rich in the publishing industry. You'll be able to quit your job any day now and focus on your writing.
Oh yeah, writing. That thing you love to do because it keeps you sane. What are you working on these days? I hope your next book is good. No pressure. We loved the first one, so don't disappoint your fans, okay? Writer's block? That's just an excuse for laziness. Didn't you say you were a creative thinker? So go, think creatively! Come up with amazing plots and dynamic characters. There's no room for self doubt here. No, ma'am. Lock yourself in your writing space, if you have a space with a door and a lock, or maybe just put some cardboard around you while you sit at the kitchen table and pretend you don't have a family depending on you for survival. Bonus points if there's a pet on your lap and/or keyboard.
Most importantly, remember: this is your hobby. You do it because it brings you joy. And when something brings you down (the pile of query rejections, yet another pass on your workshop proposals, other authors finding success where you failed) find something to bring you up. I highly recommend a praise journal, where you save positive and encouraging things other people have said about your work (emails, critiques, reviews, text messages from friends and family). Spread the joy by telling another author what you love about their work.
And visit authors when they are out trying to hock their wares. It will make them smile.


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Five Things the Spurs Can Teach Us About Teamwork!
I was really rather amazed this year by the San Antonio Spurs. In spite of having the best record in the NBA they were rarely mention by sportscaster and prognosticators alike. They were the forgotten powerhouse. To most, they were to old, to boring, and to…well not the HEAT to win. Now, as much as I would love to make this a blog, blasting the HEAT and Lebron James, I just can't. In spite of my disdain for them, did I mention I'm a lifelong Pacers fan, you can't ignore that they've made it to four consecutive NBA Finals, and won two of them. That's impressive, plain and simple. But, compare it to the Spurs, who since 1999 have won five titles, that's a 33% title winning percentage over a 15 year period…Now that is amazing!
So, what can we learn from this 'blue-collar' team, that have been in the playoffs 24 of the last 25 years, captured 20 division titles, won 50+ games for 16 seasons straight, and had the same head coach for nearly 20 years? Well, here are five things:
- 'Superstars' can't do it alone: Often we fall prey to the idea that if we just get this amazing guy on our leadership team, or on staff, or as a volunteer, that will make all the difference. And, for sure there is almost always an immediate impact. But, if you're looking for sustained, long-term impact, it can't be about just one guy. In 1997 the Spurs looked completely lost. Even though they had one of the best big men of all time in David 'The Admiral' Robinson, a perennial MVP candidate, they were consistently getting bumped out of the playoffs in the first or second round. It wasn't until they drafted a young guy named Tim Duncan, that the Spurs began to take shape. David Robinson now had a teammate who could shoulder the burden alongside of him. In fact, Robinson made it his mission to mentor this young guy and help him become a top tier player in the league. Robinson even lessened his role intentionally so that Duncan could begin to flourish. Just two short years later, 1999, they were the NBA Champions for the first time.
- Old doesn't mean finished: I honestly wish I had a dollar for every time that I heard the Spurs were 'too old' this year! The three main guys on the Spurs, Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, are past 'their prime'. But, just like David Robinson before them, these guys had been mentoring the younger, fresher legs on the team. Taking a few less shots, allowing them to experience what it was like to carry more of the load. Just because you may be past your prime, doesn't mean your ineffective. Might your role be changing, would you be more effective as a mentor than a major player, maybe. The bottom line is stop thinking you're too old to be useful on a team.
- Teamwork beats star power every time: It was said that the Spurs offense was old, outdated, and boring. Their main offensive philosophy; pass the ball to the open man, in spite of who it is. Their belief was that the open man has a better chance at making a shot or a play than one of their big three in a double team. So, on any given possession you would witness 3,4, sometimes even 5 passes before a shot was taken. It was a completely unselfish ideal that every guy on the team had to embrace for it to be effective. In a league where isolation and one-on-one play is the course of the day, this type of offense seemed almost foreign. But to me, it was beautiful! You see when you play as a team, it's not about your individual stat line as much as it is how the team did. Sure Lebron averaged a bazillion points and rebounds in the series, but the Spurs hoisted the trophy!
- Longterm success demands stable, consistent leadership: Greg Popovich may be the most boring interview in the history of sports! But, what makes him boring to a reporter makes him invaluable as a coach. He knows exactly what he wants to do, teaches it ad nauseum to his players, and demands that they run it with ruthless efficiency on the court. His players buy in to it because he's proven it works. Sure, he makes tweaks here and there, takes input from his players, and makes in game corrections. But, his players know and trust him because he's always headed in the same direction. As a leader sometimes you feel like you need to be perfect, but what is actually more important, is for you to be consistent. If as a leader of a team you are all over the place emotionally, or with 'new ideas' or vision every couple of weeks, you will quickly fatigue your team and they will quit trying, not because they don't care, because they just don't know where your going!
- Talk less, do more: There's an old expression that goes something like this, "Those that talk about it rarely do it; those that do it rarely talk about it." Basically, all of the hype, the fashion, the bling was all one-sided during the NBA Finals this year. The HEAT were the talk of the town, 'Can they three-peat', 'Did you see what Lebron/D-Wade was wearing', 'Just how many tattoos does Chris Anderson have'. While people actually poked fun at the Spurs for their lack of fashion sense. The Spurs simply went about their business, no one talked about winning their fifth championship, or that if they won again that Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili would have won four championships together. They simply played their boring brand of basketball and won.
So, congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs, and thanks for the lessons in teamwork!


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The second of four books in the Nash Brothers series now has a cover! See it below, and read the synopsis. The ARC review will be up here soon! The book will be released on April 11.
In a split-second, a car crash killed almost everything between them. Ten years later, can one accidental ride fix tattered spirits, uncertain futures, and broken hearts?
Lily Grantham has always done what she's been told. The daughter of a senator, she grew up as the good girl of Fawn Hill, and carried that torch right on through to adulthood. Her only wild streak? Bowen Nash. She loved that boy since the day they laid eyes on each other, and it nearly ended them both. A decade later, and Lily still can't move on. Even if Bowen has made it clear he doesn't love her anymore.
Bowen Nash never wanted the life he's trapped in. Destined for baseball fame and the love of his high-school sweetheart, that existence vanished in the flip of an old pickup. Now, he's stuck in the town that produced his worst nightmare. Pretending to hate Lily Grantham guts him day in and day out. But to protect her from the ultimate secret, it's necessary to break his own heart each time they pass on the street.
They've been fighting fate for as long as it's been chasing them. And now, time is up.
What do you think of the cover? Let me know in the comments!


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Charley/MINI stroller - Car Seat Adapter Set
Safe & Flexible
Delivery within 2-5 days | Try at home for 30 days
Charley/MINI stroller - Car Seat Adapter Set
Item code: ECH13086
Product Information
With this handy car seat adapter, you can easily attach your group 0+ car seat to your Easywalker Charley's frame. The Easywalker Charley car seat adapters can be used in combination with most commonly used car seats (see our compatibility list for details).
Compatible with
Easywalker Charley/MINI stroller.
Please note that the Charley car seat adapter set is not compatible with the Harvey² strollers.
Wipe clean.
"The accessories are such a great way to customize your stroller to fit exactly the needs of my family."
Excellent 9.2 out of 10


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Financial Inclusion of low income earners- A Fintech success story
Bernie Akporiaye launched MaTontine in 2015. His objective was to provide a digital financial services platform so as to unlock access to financial services for the financially excluded in Africa. MaTontine goes back to a system used all over Africa called Tontines in Francophone Africa and sometimes called saving circles in other parts of Africa. Read more about this success story.
Making Digital Financial Services relevant in the lives of users – Assessment of money management tools and practices in Côte d'Ivoire.
Although the digital finance market is growing in Côte d'Ivoire, the activity rate of subscribers remains low. Clients do not use digital financial services because the current offering does not meet their financial management practices and needs. This study focuses on the identity of the low activity rate of financial users and it specifically proposes […]
From launch to lift-off: Lessons from the Beninese market
DFS providers in Benin entered the market quickly and focused primarily on scale—i.e. reaching high volumes of low-value transactions and therefore some fundamental building blocks were not cemented. This blog gives recommendations to the current providers in the market as well as for those who are considering (or planning) to launch their deployment so that they can experience high customer registration and usage
Insights from agent network accelerator surveys and opportunities for MM4P's countries
This presentation from The Helix Institute of Digital Finance highlights important opportunities for improving agent networks on which successful digital financial services are still dependent on.
Is the non-exclusive agent network model paying off in Senegal?
The Helix Institute's Agent Network Accelerator (ANA) Senegal country report, indicates that high levels of non-exclusivity (66%) among Senegalese agents offering competing products brings a great diversity of actors in a booming market. This blog looks at some of the advantages and challenges of the non-exclusive agent network model in this market.
Agent Network Accelerator Survey: Senegal Country Report 2015
Based on over 1,200 digital financial services (DFS) agent interviews conducted between November and December 2015, the ANA Senegal report, funded by UNCDF MM4P Programme, highlights findings on the DFS agent landscape in Senegal covering agent profitability, transaction volumes, liquidity management and other important strategic considerations.
The demand for e-float in northern Uganda: Is agricultural activity at play?
It's a common belief that agents in rural regions need more cash than e-float to meet the demand of their customers, while in urban areas cash-in and cash-out transactions balance themselves out. Could the demand for E-float in Northern Uganda be influenced by agricultural activities? This blog explores more


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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
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Kevin attempted to record a podcast alone which led to some self realizations. Erica's monkey expectations. Kevin reviews Noragami and Erica gives her thoughts on Time of Eve. We finish it off the amazing Wonder Woman.


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Urban picnic with Collishop
september 19, 2019
Hi everybody, Last week I went to a fun event of Collishop about green dinning, less waste & fermentation. It took place in the beautiful orangery of Alix – Table & Jardin d'Amis. The location was on point & the decoration was just 'WAUW'. You can find all the used tableware & decoration on Collision.be! … More Urban picnic with Collishop