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I've always been interested in personal finance. I remember when I made slightly more than minimum wage through high school and college and thought, "how could I ever afford to save for a car"? My mom paid for most of my first nice car when I was 18 and I remember feeling horrible while its value dropped like a rock, wondering how I could afford my next one.
During my first couple years out of college and working, I often browsed the bookshelves at Barnes and Noble, seeing Suze Orman's books all over the place. Because of her presence in bookstores and on TV, she was the first "personal finance mentor" I looked to. As I listened to her, I started feeling like she didn't have as much of a strategy as I was looking for. Her advice seemed to just say, don't buy what you can't afford. Okay, well how am I supposed to afford it? She didn't motivate me or help me figure out which direction I should go in.
Finding Dave Ramsey
As I kept searching for a personal finance mentor, I read magazines, read blogs and looked for podcasts online. Right before I turned off my expensive cable TV subscription, I caught a few episodes of Dave Ramsey's Fox Business television show. I quickly gained interest in him after a show where Dave's guest was Dr. Meg Meeker. Their discussion was about a new book of hers at the time called, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know. I haven't read that book (although I'm sure it's really good), but this helped me gain interest in Dave because of his passion for being a good, Christian person. That book seemed like a very awesome thing to promote and Dave's willingness to focus his show around its topic inspired me. I'm a Christian also, so that helped a lot in my looking up to him as well. Perhaps, Dave just reminded me of my dad, who was a really good role model to me and who isn't here anymore. Now that rapport was established, I looked deeper to find out Dave's TV show was about life and money and that he had a radio show as well, which was actually a much bigger deal. His shows were very personal, where he took calls from people and tried to help them through their struggles. His advice was very compelling. I pretty quickly became a fan and a regular listener.
Finding Dave was a major turning point in my adult life. Up until that point, I didn't have a plan, financially. Once I started listening to his show, I learned about his strategy, which consists of the 7 Baby Steps. It applies to everyone, no matter what their situation is. It is a solid strategy. It's built on such a solid foundation. Much different than what I feel Suze Orman's strategy is, which is, "don't buy what you can't afford". Her strategy is just very "non-strategic", in my opinion.
Dave motivated me to see personal finance in a very strategic way. He motivated and inspired me to think ahead. I started to think, "What is possible? Could I really be wealthy someday?" The answers I started telling myself were, "yes, I think I can". I got motivated to change my future. I was going to go big or go home. So I jumped on board.
Dave's Baby Steps
To start, here are Dave Ramsey's baby steps, as described on Dave's website:
- $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund – An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can't plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It's not a matter of if these events will happen; it's simply a matter of when they will happen.
- Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball – List your debts, excluding the house, in order. The smallest balance should be your number one priority. Don't worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that's the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first.
- 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings – Once you complete the first two baby steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don't start throwing all your "extra" money into investments quite yet. It's time to build your full emergency fund.
- Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement – When you reach this step, you'll have no payments—except the house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it's time to get serious about building wealth.
- College funding for children – By this point, you should have already started Baby Step 4—investing 15% of your income—before saving for college. Whether you are saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start now.
- Pay off home early – Now it's time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments.
- Build wealth and give! – It's time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your excess. It's really the only way to live!
My Walk Through Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps
Baby Step 1 – I started the baby steps immediately after finding Dave Ramsey and listening to his radio show. This was in the early spring of 2010, right around two years ago (Wow, has it only been that long?). I had a bunch of money in the bank from saving throughout 2009 (read more about it here). This means that I was completed with baby step 1 immediately after starting the plan.
Baby Step 2 – This was the big one. Dave's baby step 2 says that I am to get out of debt, as fast as possible. I agreed with him, but was scared to write a check out for all but $1,000 in the bank. I was a bad Dave Ramsey follower throughout baby step 2 because I held on to my savings. I thought and thought about it but decided that I wanted to just save up for my debt and pay it down one debt at a time, in full. I also decided to pay my car off first, which was against Dave's plan of paying them off smallest to largest. I went against it because my car payment was MUCH higher than my student loan payment and I wanted that payment gone first. That was the plan I stuck to.
Here were my debts:
- My car – $13,000
- My student loans – $5,000
- Total – $18,000
*For reference, I had about $10,000 in the bank at the time. That meant I had a net worth of about -$8,000. Not terrible. Much better than a lot of 26 year old's.
That spring, I planned a vacation (I wasn't very serious yet about Dave's plan yet, obviously). A week before the vacation, I had to have emergency dental work done to the tune of $1,800. So I ended up spending about $4,500 that month (about $2,000 more than I earned, which came out of my $10,000 in savings). So I was now further behind. After that whole thing, I got really fired up. I had started paying attention, only to end up getting backtracked. I had made no progress at all. If I was going to make it out of debt and start getting ahead, I needed some big lifestyle changes. So that Memorial Day weekend, I got Gazelle Intense (as Dave Ramsey would call it). I made big lifestyle changes.
I basically just stopped spending money, with the challenge of seeing how much I could cut. I had been using Mint.com to track my finances for a few months at that point, so I knew what my cost of living was. People started noticing that I was now a cheapskate. I stopped buying everything that wasn't essential. I stopped going to stores.
I also kept working really hard at work. Our company was doing well and so was I. As I cut my expenses, I started making more money. This helped a lot. I grew that $10,000 (which was down to $8,000 after the dental work) up to $12,000, which was my car balance in October 2010. When I finally had enough in my account to cover my car balance, I wrote a check and paid it off. The check was right under $12,000. I then owned my car. It was an AWESOME feeling.
I moved right on to my student loan. My plan was to have it gone in four months, by February. Well, my company did well that year and so did I, so my end of the year bonus allowed me to pay the loan off before the end of the year. I was debt free only 9 or 10 months after getting on Dave's plan. It felt great.
Baby Step 3 – I kept my head down and kept focused after becoming debt free. It was the start of 2011 and I set a goal to have a 6 month emergency fund in the bank by May 1st of that year. That gave me 4 months. Pretty crazy goal, huh? Well, after a lot of hard work and persistence, I achieved that goal. I really had motivation and momentum now. I had built my savings back up to over $10,000 in just four months after being debt free (some of which was carried over from my end of the year bonus).
Baby Step 4 – After baby step 3, I decided to do a sub-step, which is an option on Dave's plan, called Baby Step 3b. It's a step in which you pause before starting retirement savings to save up for a down payment on a house. I'm doing that and considering going further than a down payment to save for the entire house. I'm still contemplating if I am going to do that or not. If I choose to, I may put off retirement investing until then, which will be 2-3 more years. If I choose not to, I will move into the baby step 4. I'll be making that decision in the next few months, hopefully.
Baby Step 5 – I don't have kids so at this point, I won't be doing college funding.
Baby Step 6 – I don't have a mortgage, so I won't be working to pay that off early.
Baby Step 7 – Since I'm still working toward buying a house, I won't be focusing on the last baby step until after my house is taken care of. But I do look forward to building wealth and setting a bunch of it aside to become a giver. I hope to be very giving someday. In the meantime, I'm trying to do my best.
The Future Continues to be Exciting
That's my long, but personal story of how I got where I am, in just two years after finding Dave Ramsey. At this point, I'm getting more into blogging and following blogs than listening to Dave, but his help in the beginning will always mean a lot to me. He helped me change my future and that fact continues to be exciting! I don't think it will ever get boring.


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The Social Science and Humanities building at UC Davis is one of my favorite buildings to photograph. It's close to home and this jumble of geometric masses and spaces does interesting things with light, color, and shadow. The building is unusual. It's been described as "bizarre, perplexing, impractical and brilliant". I had yet to photograph it in my current phase of playing around with Hipstamatic, so last week I went there again, iPhone ready for action.
But the wayfinding system—the signs that tell people where to find the rooms they're looking for—seems deliberately, even defiantly minimalist here, at least on the outside of the building.
Isn't something amiss when the people who use an expensive public building find it necessary to tape makeshift signs on windows and walls throughout the facility to help unlucky visitors find their way? Can this really be how the architect wanted his building to appear?
Tim Messick Photography • Graphics
Copyright © 2015 Tim Messick. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text: 07.23.13 by thebeeruphere Catching up JJ and I headed into Anchorage to catch up on a few new brews at Broken Tooth and Midnight Sun. We said hi to Tyler Jones and tried some new beer and had lunch with Barb Miller. Things are slowly coming together. Advertisements Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading... Related


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Just about ten days ago, Tesla began pushing a new OTA (Over The Air) software update to Model S, Model X, and Model 3 electric cars that included a new software option called "Chill Mode". Designed to tame the throttle response on high-performance electric cars, Chill Mode is a feature that some Tesla owners have been requesting for some time.
But what is Chill Mode? How does it work? And why should every new electric car have a similar function?
Watch the video above to find out more, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and support Transport Evolved via Patreon.
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30 hand-picked films. A new one every day
Privileged teens living on the Upper East Side of New York can hide no secret from the ruthless blogger who is always watching, Gossip Girl.
Okay, so the plot is a bit silly most of the time. But it's nice to look at, plus... Blair and Chuck. <3
I loved the drama, the secrets, the betrayals, the lies and the hysteria. However, no matter how glossy it all was, while it never failed, near the final episodes, it seemed rushed and scorched.
guilty pleasure for soooo long xoxo
Queen Bitch! ❤ #theblairbitchproject
If you want drama search no more. Just thinking about the plots makes me overwhelmed. High-school was really weird.
un clásico, buenísimo, aprendí demasiado


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Complimentary Day Pass / Tour
Interested in coming by for a complimentary work day? Want to tour the space?
Please complete the form below and we will confirm via email. Please note that day passes are available Monday through Friday from 8:30am-5pm and must be scheduled one day in advance.


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Posted by: Tracy Ramsey
Posted date: 01-10-2014
All of us have committed to supporting St. T throughout the year. As 2014 dawns, we want to point an easy way to earn money for our school...almost zero effort.
Just go shopping at Lucky's.
Lucky has a program called SHARES. They will donate up to 3% of your total grocery bill to St Theresa School.
(Some items are not included in the total - sales tax, alcohol discounts, senior discounts etc. See luckysupermarkets.com for the complete list).
This is all you have to do:
1. Ask me for a SHARES card if you don't already have one. We have pre-encoded ones at the school office.
2. Swipe your SHARES card BEFORE you pay at the checkout. (If you forget, it's too late for that transaction, so do this first!) Then you pay like you normally would - cash, check, gift card, credit or debit card, etc. Easy way to remember: keep the SHARES card in front of your credit card in your wallet.
3. SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS. Your receipt is the only way we know you participated. Lucky sends us checks quarterly--but they don't have a list of who used the card. If we don't know you spent X on groceries this month, we won't know how much to credit you for your SHARES purchases.
Here's an easy way to remember: Put an envelope in your car's glove compartment. Put your receipt there as soon as you're done shopping. After the last day of the month, send your LAST receipt (it has the grand total) to me/the Red Counter. Write your name and grade of oldest child on the receipt.
You will get credit toward your $200 Scrip commitment for the SHARES balance you accumulated that month.
That's it. Get the card. Swipe. Save receipt. Give to me. And you've earned money for St T.
You can give SHARES cards to anyone you want - your brothers & sisters, Grandma, your favorite aunt. They all can earn money for St T.
Get a card for them from me. They'll have the same process: Swipe before paying at the checkout, save receipts. Get their last receipt from them at the end of the month. Don't forget to write YOUR name on it, so their balance goes toward your $200 commitment.
It can't get any easier. If you spend $400 a month on groceries at Lucky, that's $4800 a year - $144 of which goes toward your commitment. If the grandparents do the same, that's $288 per year.
AND - if you buy Lucky gift cards ($25 and $100 denominations) through the shopwithscrip.com website, you get a 2% rebate. You can use that as your payment method when you use your SHARES card. Now you've earned 2% on top of Lucky's "up to 3%" donation!
Please visit me at the Red Counter if you have questions.
Tracy Ramsey
Scrip Coordinator
2018-2019 School Directory
Company Match Form
Reimbursement Request Form
Parents Checklist
Scrip Program
Teacher's Favorite Things
Parking Lot Duty
Events Center Duty
Scrip Information Packet
Weekly Scrip Order Form
Monthly Scrip Order Calendar
St. Theresa Parents' Club
4850 Clarewood Drive
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 547-3146


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Since 2005 Thames Valley Tango has introduced over 2500 people to Tango, taught over 3000 group lessons, and organised more than 300 tango dance events.Now, our events are some of the most popular in the UK.
In order to provide you with the best online experience this website uses cookies. By using our website, you agree to that. Our privacy policy is available on the about tab.Copyright (c) 2015 A2Z.Dance. All rights reserved


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Not Exactly a Love Story
"A fifteen-year-old creates an alter ego to woo his dream girl. Compulsively readable." —The New York Times
This quirky, flirty, and smart story will appeal to fans of Frank Portman's King Dork, John Green's An Abundance of Katherines, and Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park. It's not exactly a love story . . . but it's pretty close.
It's 1977. Fifteen-year-old Vinnie is recovering from the worst case of acne his dermatologist's ever seen. His girl moved to California without saying good-bye. And the ink on his parents' divorce papers is barely dry when his mom announces they're moving from Queens to Long Island. The silver lining? Moving next door to Patsy, everyone's dream girl. Not that she'd ever notice him. But when Vinnie calls Patsy one night, it leads to a chain of anonymous midnight conversations, and the two develop a surprisingly strong connection despite the lies it's built on. But as Vinnie gets to know Patsy in real life, it's clear that both identities can't survive. . . .
Product Details
|Random House Children's Books
|Publication date:
|Edition description:
|Sales rank:
|Product dimensions:
|5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.70(d)
|HL660L (what's this?)
|Age Range:
|12 - 17 Years
About the Author
AUDREY COULOUMBIS's first book for children, Getting Near to Baby, won the Newbery Honor in 2000.
What People are Saying About This
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2012:
"Not exactly a perfect story. But it comes pretty close."
Customer Reviews
Average Review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Not Exactly a Love Story By Audrey Couloumbis Random House Children's Books $17.99 Hardcover $10.99 eBook Publisher's Summary: It's 1977. Fifteen-year old Vinnie isn't having a good year. He's recovering from the worst case of galloping acne his dermatologist's ever seen. His girl moved to California without even saying good-bye. And the ink on his parent's divorce papers is barely dry, when his mom announces that they're moving from Queens to Long Island. The silver lining in all this is that they move next door to Patsy—everyone's dream girl. Not that she'd ever notice him. But when Vinnie calls Patsy one night, it leads to a chain of anonymous midnight conversations. Under the cover of darkness, Vinnie becomes Vincenzo, Patsy's mystery caller, and the two share a side of themselves they would never reveal in daylight and develop a surprisingly real connection (despite the lies it's built on). As Vinnie gets to know Patsy in real life though, it becomes clear both identifies can't survive and he'll have to find a way to hang-up the phone and step into the daylight. Fraught with complications and crackling with witty dialogue, and all the angst and electricity that comes with always being just a phone wire away from the one you want, it's not exactly a love story . . . but it's pretty close. My Review: I thought this book was especially charming and cute. Told in the very real voice of 15-year-old, parents recently divorced, just moved to a new neighborhood, Vinnie, Love Story is witty, quick, and fun. Back before cell phones and computers, if a boy liked a girl, he had to steal her number and call her from the safety of his dark bedroom, anonymously. Not really, but it adds to this story. This is Couloumbis' debut novel for young adults, and I must say, it is a grand success. A quick voice, plenty of smashing dialogue, a charming ending, and some surprisingly profound moments--like the one below--make up this pretty pleasing package. "No one tells you how things really are. Everything coming in waves, one rolling in after the other, and in case you're thinking that doesn't sound so bad, keep this in mind: that's how huge rocks, boulders, become sand on the beach." (pg 14, ebook) Rating: I really liked it. It's deep enough to keep older readers interested and challenging and clean enough for your younger YA reader. I'd rate it a PG (content wise). There are a couple of mild fight scenes and some language.
Vinnie is a high school student with a face full of acne and an extremely awkward personality that makes you sympathize with him. To make matters worse, his mom divorces his father and marries his gym teacher, and they decide to move to Long Island. There, he goes right from mourning his old relationship to crushing on Patsy, the gorgeous girl next door, whose room he can see through his window. Then, Vinnie accidentally finds Patsy's number in locker room. He decides to call her at midnight but can't bring himself to say anything. At his third call, Patsy answers acidly, and Vinnie says something rude in response. Vinnie feels badly about his racy comments to Patsy and continues to call her every night at midnight trying to apologize to her. In the process, a strange friendship is born between them. Vinnie's actions border on stalkerish, and yet I couldn't help wanting to support him. He's in an awkward stage of life and is like every other teenager looking for happiness in life. I like the connection that Vinnie and Patsy form during their late-night calls. Talking to each other anonymously allows them to chat freely and without fear of judgment. I'm sure Vinnie and Patsy wouldn't have gotten to know each other so well if they just met each other in the class. They come from such different backgrounds. Still, I don't like how Patsy entertains a mysterious male caller every night. It's also strange that her parents never hear her on the phone. I wonder where Vinnie and Patsy's parents are because not once does any of them interrupts their child talking during such late hours or brings it up during the day. I also would have liked to see Vinnie make some regular friendships at school and do something other than listening in on Patsy's friends' conversations. It would help round out his character and add more to the story than the blooming romance between him and Patsy. Not Exactly a Love Story is a book about a regular guy's quest for the girl next door and, in the process, his exploration of his identity. What I love most about this story is how Vinnie is able work through his emotions about the divorce of his parents and how he understands that he loves both his parents even though they are not together anymore.
I listened to this audiobook while commuting to my job and while working. It was a cute story without any complication. Vinnie is a typical underdog who underestimates his abilities, athletic, smarts, and popularity potential. Patsy is your typical popular girl, who use to be an outcast. I could related to both these characters - despite having nothing in common with Patsy. There were times that I found Vinnie to be fake and unlikeable - I think that had something to do with the personas he was trying to keep up for Patsy, both as himself and as Vincenzo. But overall I really liked how he was written and how he developed throughout the story. I love how Patsy developed throughout the story - she turned into a real person not just a typical, stereotypical blonde popular high school girl. The story as a whole was cute and well written. I found the events believable. The only problem I found was that I didn't even realize that this was written in a specific time period (the 70s). Obviously it wasn't in present time because they weren't using cellphones but actual landline phones. This is nothing against the story exactly, but I was surprised to read that it was based in 1977 when starting this review (I had read the description ages ago). Overall, this was a nice easy read (or I guess listen for me). I actually put aside another book I was reading in order to finish this one - listening to it on my lunch instead of reading the physical book I had brought with me. I would recommend this as a summer read or if you just want something cute with an underdog story. I have a soft spot for the underdogs and despite the fake feeling I had every once and a while with Vinnie, I couldn't help but root for him. I guess I should mention that the voice narration was great. The narrator had a believable voice for Vinnie and he did a great job doing the voices for the rest of the characters too - including the Italian New York accent!
This book is a very cute, light read if you're looking for a high school romance. It's a bit different and quirky in the approach but creates a great connection to the characters. The writing is quick, witty and has moments of depth that I really enjoyed. I love that it asks the question who are you? are you defined by your labels? does society determine the actions you take? Simple questions, but also some great discussion points. I definitely recommend this book. I noticed some people complain about that "stalker-ish" theme throughout because of Vinnie – keep in mind this book is based in the 70's. At least for me, that gave me a different perspective on Vinnie's approach at getting to know Patsy.


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Yesterday was my 25th birthday. I woke up at about 1:30 to go to the bathroom (a regular occurence being 7 1/2 months pregnant). Ty was pretty out of it, but he was with it enough to wish me happy birthday, then we both fell back asleep. Zoe & I went to Shari's for a yummy french toast breakfast. She loved the hashbrowns & loves to feed herself. I'm sure the waitress appreciated the mess we made on the floor. I went out to dinner with my family that night and had a good time.
It's doesn't feel much different being 25. Maybe once I hit 30 it will start to feel different. All in all, it was a great birthday!


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I'm 24 years old — a.k.a no longer a baby
"You know we're almost out of our mid-20s right?"
Lauren always was really good at pep talks. It was Saturday, and I officially had the birthday blues. The parties were over, the gifts were unwrapped and I had already eaten the pumpkin cupcakes Madeline had got me.
It was back to cold, harsh reality. No more celebrating the fact that I was getting older — I was just older.
Lauren and I tried to lighten the mood and plan out my quarter-life crisis (heads up, I'm probably dying my hair pink and joining a reggae band), but the weight of the conversation stayed with me the whole day.
I'm 24, and that number is only going to get higher. But for me, it's never been the age I worry about, but how I might change with it.
There's a lot of adult stuff on my daily agenda, and I'm somehow surviving despite being the sole caretaker of myself, a cat and a fish who's bowl I can't stop breaking. I work a full-time job and a part-time job. I play second base in an adult softball league — which is something I vividly remember making fun of my dad for doing.
But even though I'm more grown up than I've ever been, a lot of people still see me as a kid. And I kind of hope that never changes.
Kids find joy literally everywhere. They do things before thinking and well before they're ready. They make decisions based on how much fun they're going to have. They love without restraint and live without limitations.
So my goal for growing another year older is to stay young. For every bill I pay, I want an irresponsible decision to follow it. Because growing up doesn't mean you have to stop having fun.


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Companies cannot afford operational failures. They want systems that perform while constantly seeking to reduce their costs.
FINAL MANAGER ® is a management system that helps prevent breakdowns, optimize utilization and reduce IT infrastructure costs.
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Acerca de
My name is Alhasan Diab I'm 24 from Syria. I'm Dentist and Web designer. I have been practicing Web designing for almost 2 years, but before that I've been working on Photoshop for 5 years. I have moderate experience in front-end web development (HTML, CSS , JAVASCRIPT). Although experience is very essential, I believe creativity, imaginations, uniquely new concepts are also fundamental in the graphic design field. Therefore, welcome to my account, and I hope I could fulfill your desires.
Miembro desde: 09 de octubre de 2017


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The PNP Critical Incident Management Action Flowcharts and Checklists Handbook was created as a comprehensive guide for commanders and police personnel at the lower levels of command in handling various crisis situations.
Designed to provide the necessary steps in the management of crisis incidents, it encompasses various scenarios including disasters, civil disturbance, kidnapping, hostage-taking, major road incidents, and destabilization, among others.
Resource persons in their respective fields of expertise were consulted and have shared their invaluable insights in the subject. These checklists and action flowcharts are an amalgam of principles, applications, and even personal experiences by those involved in the process. Though each incident calls for a different approach, the prevailing notions are specified
in this compilation.
|Source Institution
|Philippine National Police
|Source URL
|Page Count
|Place of Publication
|Quezon City
|Original Publication Date


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It has been a very unusual Spring and although I say this with hesitation...Pidge has begun her heat cycle. There is calm in our kennel after two missed pregnancies. We will breed Pidge with Myles this cycle. The result should be silver and charcoal puppies the first part of August. This will be the first pairing of these two beauties.
Pidge is pictured above resting in the grass during a very warm Sunday yesterday. She is a dog that loves the outdoors and it is difficult to get her to come inside on any given day. She loves all weather and does not seem to be bothered by much. Her and Myles have great temperaments and we expect special pups from this union.
Myles is one of the happiest dogs we own. He is always in a great mood and ready to please. We completed the first dog run yesterday and he is in heaven! Our Labs get pleanty of exercise but when girls are in season we must take great care with all Labs. The country air sometimes attracts unwanted visitors.
Stay tuned for more progress in the coming weeks.
Remembering our fallen today and thankful for the freedom they have sacrificed for us all.


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Click to watch my interview on Oregon Art Beat:
Oregon Art Beat, Ceramicist Babette Harvey, Oregon Public Broadcasting
I use slabs to create most of my work but in making the larger sculptures I also use clay coils. The sequence of creating each piece is this: I build the sculpture or wall piece and let it set up until leather hard (stiff). I draw the imagery and designs onto the surface of the clay and then carve the drawings in low relief. After the carving is complete I let the piece dry fully. When dry it is kiln fired to the first stage called bisque, meaning the piece is now hard but still slightly porous. The bisqued pieces are stained with black underglaze which pulls up the detail of my drawing and carving. After staining the pieces are kiln fired again to the clay body's mature firing temperature of 2100^. After the mature firing I apply china paint to the sculptures and fire again at a very low temperature just enough to fuse the china paints into the clay body. China paints are now permanent.
Oregon is my home where mountains and ocean are within an hour drive from my house. It's not by coincidence that I live in a place surrounded by nature. The underlying narrative throughout my work is an exploration of the natural world, humanity, and environmental issues. Each sculpture reflects these subjects by combining nature imagery with human centered objects. Animals on books with planets on their head or women dancing on bears are a way of keeping optimism & humor alive while addressing issues that I deeply care about.
China paints are colorful over-glazes which are traditionally painted on the glazed surface of porcelain ceramic ware. I use the china paints a little differently. I paint on the unglazed but fully fired surface of my clay body, meaning that I fire my work to the the clay body's mature temperature before I put the china paints on. The china paints are also kiln fired at a very low temperature to fuse them into the surface of the clay body. I do this because I am looking for a matt or satin finished surface that looks similar to water color. China paints are semi transparent and take on the look of whatever surface they are painted on. My clay body being similar to porcelain has a slight sheen to it when fully fired and the china paints contain just enough silica to fuse onto the surface of the clay in the last low temperature firing. I also enjoy using china paints because their transparent nature allows the detail of the black staining, done at the bisque stage to show through their beautiful colors.


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ISSA 2017 Conference Program now online
Every year ISSA hosts an international conference on an important theme around Early Childhood. This year's focus is "Local Responses, Global Advances. Towards Competent Early Childhood Systems". The ISSA 2017 Conference will take place in Ghent, Belgium between 4 - 6 October.
You can now find the more detailed conference program on the special conference website. The program includes important information about sessions and events that are held before and during these days. On October 3rd, three interesting pre-conference events are hosted. And during the conference, field visits to 6 child care facilities of the City and 6 schools are organized.
For the first time ISSA has joint forces with a municipality as well as an ISSA member organization to co-host the conference. The City of Ghent has long been at the vanguard of early childhood development services and in conjunction with VBJK, and conference partners Artevelde University College and Ghent University, we welcome everyone concerned with the care and education of young children.
Register if you want to attend the ISSA 2017 conference.


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Girls' Bedroom Furniture like Unique and Different
The basic requirements, it is said, is just four things, food, clothing, shelter, and certainly a girls' bedroom furniture. With innovation of the culture food has taken the back seat as the manufacture is quite enough to feed the people of the world and there cannot be completed any new wrapping of the traditional food style in order that it looks new. The people at the present want changes that are in parallel with the shifting times. We can alter the looks of the dress to fit the time and flavor of the person who will finally use it. The use of the appropriate girls' bedroom furniture can do it for you.
Shopping for girls' bedroom furniture can turn into a way to share something unique with your little girl. She is possibly all excited on being out of a crib and also into her own big girl bed. You need to know that she is no longer an infant; now she has been big just like other girls. Furniture can be a big purchase, thus do not rush out and purchase the first thing that you see, even though it is on sale. Whilst we all love to save some money anyhow we can, oftentimes the cheapest girls' bedroom furniture is not always the finest. The most essential thing at what time you are going to purchase is to have a plan of what you want before you visit the stores.
Girls' Bedroom Furniture Infinity Ideas
You can discover the many alternatives of girls' bedroom furniture that are infinite and you can barely see where to start. What will your little girl need or want in her bedroom? Most girls' bedroom furniture has beds, dressers and children bookcases and frequently a nightstand. You can visit a store which sells beds for children and opt for individual pieces which match.
However, you might find that you save some money when you purchase a complete set of girls' bedroom furniture. Sets usually comprise beds, chest of drawers, dresser, and also nightstand. Children bookcases are very important for a kid to store and put all their little books and collectibles on show. Your kid can be more apt to read when their books are readily reachable. When girls' bedroom furniture takes in kids' bookcases, then it can frequently eliminate the requirement for a toy box. Ensure that whatever style of children bookcases you think about are handy for your kid to reach.


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A bronze krater is on loan from Shelby White to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston (and its presence in Houston has been confirmed by the curatorial staff).
Should the museum disclose the collecting history?
I would suggest that the answer is yes. Why?
What do you think? Take the poll now.
Should the museum disclose the collecting history?
I would suggest that the answer is yes. Why?
- In February 2006 the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) released "New Guidelines on Loans of Antiquities and Ancient Art" (also cited as a report on "Incoming Loans of Archaeological Material and Ancient Art"). As part of the process of considering a loan of archaeological material "museums should (emphasis mine) inquire into their provenance history, seeking to obtain all relevant information from the lender, and an appropriate warranty of their legal ownership of the work" (II.C). (See "Loans of Archaeological Material").
- Loans to public institutions should be transparent. (See "Loan Exhibitions and Transparency")
- Long-term loans "with incomplete relevant provenance histories should be evaluated under criteria comparable to those for acquisitions" (AAMD "New Guidelines on Loans of Antiquities and Ancient Art"). (The curatorial staff tell me that the krater has been in Houston for four years.)
- Shelby White had to return ten of her antiquities to Italy in January 2008. (The list has not yet been released and that indicates an unwillingness to release key information.)
- On Shelby White's death, Romano-British bronzes ("The Icklingham Bronzes") in her collection will apparently be bequeathed to the British Museum.
- Research by Christopher Chippindale and myself (and published in the American Journal of Archaeology) suggested that 93% of the antiquities in the Shelby White & Leon Levy exhibition "Glories of the Past" had no stated find-spot.
What do you think? Take the poll now.


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It's got something much better planned.
Not so long ago, Nissan nearly gave the word to have Infiniti canned. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn instructed his managers to either kill it or make it relevant. And despite the fierce competition from the familiar German premium automakers, Infiniti managed to find the right man to get it back on track. Former Audi executive Johan De Nysschen, a South African native, was hired back in 2012 after a successful 19-year career with the Germans.
Not only is he a marketing and sales genius, he's also a car guy. Here's possibly the best example of his thinking: Infiniti and Nissan execs were keen on building a genuine Mercedes S-Class competitor. De Nysschen comes in and flat-out says that's a horrible idea. It's already tough for BMW and Audi to compete with the S-Class, so how the hell can Infiniti do it when it can already barely compete with BMW and Audi as a whole? It's simple logic, really. De Nysschen is taking to full advantage the tools that he's got, and he has plenty. Instead of that large S-Class fighter flagship, Infiniti will launch a production version of the Q50 Eau Rouge Concept.
You know, the sedan that's powered by the GT-R's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6. It'll produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 568 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. It will be, for lack of a better word, epic. So, an S-Class fighter or a Q50 with that GT-R engine as the new Infiniti flagship? It's a no-brainer.


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Click here to open the Ministry Application Formx
HisKids Ministry Volunteer Application Your response will guide us in finding the best spot for you within our ministry team.Name*Email* Cell Phone* Mailing Address [street, town, zip]*Preferred method of contact.*Phone Email Facebook Are you under 18?*YesNoParent NameParent Email Parent Cell Number The most important aspect of our ministry is sharing the Gospel with our children. Describe your own walk with Jesus.Do you currently attend Highpoint?How long have you been a member of Highpoint Fellowship?*Less than 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years More than 5 years I am not a member but have been attending for at least 1 year. If you have been a member for less than 1 year, please list prior church and location where you regularly attended.Do you serve in other ministries at HPF? If so, please list below:We have many opportunities within our ministry. What roles interest you? Check all that apply.*Lead Teacher for a class or group Assistant Teacher for a class or group Children's Worship Lead/Host Check In and Welcome Table Other Which service time would you prefer to volunteer?*9:30 AM 11:00 AM Special Events Only Age group you prefer working with? Check all that apply.*Toddlers Preschool [ages 3-5] Younger Elementary [K - 1st Grade] Middle Elementary [2nd - 3rd Grade] Older Elementary [4th - 5th Grade] Grade *provide additional information below How often are you able to serve in Children's Ministry? Check all that apply.*Every week Every other week Once a month My schedule varies. We will need to individually discuss options. Though NOT required, what is your prior experience in working with children? What unique gifts or talents do you have and/or would be willing to share?References: [provide at least 1 family member and 1 co-worker/friend with contact info]Signature* Please add your signature wit your mouse, finger or pointer Submit


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The MSP-DCCUST21 ultra short throw wall mount enables fast and easy installation, of the Dell Interactive Projector S560T and the Dell Interactive Projector S560P. It is the ideal way to mount your projector on a wall.
From drivers and manuals to diagnostic tools and replacement parts, Dell Product Support has you covered.
Add the products you would like to compare, and quickly determine which is best for your needs.


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Stephanie Zihms is currently working as a postdoc in Carbonate Geomechanics in the Institute of Petroleum Engineering at Heriot-Watt University. Her research tries to understand why rocks deform the way they do and what controls this deformation – grain size, grain shape, pore size or pore shape? Or is it the mineralogy or how the rocks formed in the first place? By deforming different rocks under different conditions in the lab she is trying to find some answers. This research and the findings are relevant for a range of subsurface processes like hydrocarbon extraction, geothermal energy production or Carbon Capture & Storage applications. Basically anytime a liquid or gas is put into the subsurface or extracted from the subsurface the conditions change and the rocks will response to this change – by understanding what controls this response within the rocks (grains , pores) we can predict the behaviour in the subsurface. Want to know more? Catch Stephanie on the 24th of July in Edinburgh!
SS: Stephanie, how did you get to your current position?
SZ: I guess you can say that it took me a little while to realise that academia was it for me. After my undergraduate (Earth Sciences) I worked in the geotechnical industry for 2 years. During these 2 years some of my friends did PhD research and that's when I also got into interested in doing more research. I started my PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering in 2009 at University of Strathclyde. After completing my PhD in 2013 I worked for the British Geological Survey as an Experimental Fluid Processes Geoscientist in the Transport Property Research Lab. However I did starting to miss some of the freedoms that come with academia and I left that position after 15 months. I didn't see any long-term research posts that I liked so I did a 4 month postdoc in Mechanical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University. It was during that postdoc that I found and applied for my current post. I am now 1 year into as 3 year postdoc position at Heriot-Watt University.
SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science?
SZ: I think I stumbled into science – in school I did enjoy physics and when I had the right teacher even maths but I also did music and history. I went to school in Germany where we can do a range of subjects for A-Levels or GSCEs rather than picking from a selection narrowing the choices afterwards. My mum suggested the Earth Science degree and I liked the amount of fieldwork that was included in the degree. While growing up my parents encouraged me and my sister to ask questions and if we didn't know the answer we would find out together – pre-google that was not always easy but we normally managed. We had a vast selection of encyclopaedia or lexica, specialist subject books – some specifically written for children. My parents still have our collection of 'Was ist was' books – a German book series that covers one topic per book written for children – I loved collecting those and we would get them for birthdays or Christmas. My dad also has a great collection of books on dog breeds and snakes – and sometimes I would just pick a book and look through it. On top of being encouraged to ask questions and find answers my parents also always encouraged us to pursue what we enjoyed without any pressure. There was never "You need to become this" or "You can't do that" – which I think was just as important.
SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?
SZ: I get really excited when I find something or see something that no one else has ever seen before – and then sharing this discovery with other people. For example – we recently tested some rocks in the lab and then sent them to a colleague for x-ray scanning. This allows us to see what had happened inside the rock during testing. We were able to show the fractures that had formed as well as some trace fossils that were present in the rock and have not been imaged like this before. Sharing those images with other researchers and at outreach events is exciting.
SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place?
SZ: I love outreach and I have done a lot of different formats – like Bright Club or show-and-tell events. What I like about Soapbox Science is the promotion of female scientists and science to a random audience that might not attend an event – so with Soapbox Science the event comes to the people. It's just as scary as it is exciting since you don't know who will listen, stop or ask questions on that day.
SS: Sum up in one word your expectations for the day – excitement? Fear? Thrill? Anticipation?
SZ: Surprises
SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be?
I would love to see people realise that science or academia is not life for everyone some people see it as a job they love and enjoy but have other interests outside science – hobbies, families, and friends. And that pursuing a balance in life should be encouraged and supported whatever that balance looks like for people.
SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female PhD student considering pursuing a career in academia?
SZ: Build yourself some support networks – family and friends, other researchers, people interested in outreach, twitter connections – because sharing issues, successes, decisions with others helps a lot and will make the experience even better.


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Arrawdha General Hospital Pediatric Department seeks to improve the health of children in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia and beyond through excellence in the care of patients and families through highly qualified professionals and state of the art technology.
- To achieve the highest possible patient care on scientific basis administrates with care and empathy
- To combine the highest standards of current techniques and technology
- To prevent diseases through the use of immunization and family education
- To ensure optimal care of a child in combination with knowledge, experience and understanding both for the sick child and anxious parents
- Pediatric staffs are always on hand to answer questions regarding your child's health enabling you to give your child the comfort and support he needs during his hospital stay.
The Pediatric Department composes of:
- General Pediatric Ward ; Consists of 11 beds
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU); Consists of two (2) well equipped beds with monitors and mechanical ventilators
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); Composed of 10 beds with 6 ventilators and 2 Nasal CPAP
- Newborn Nursery; Containing 20 beds for the care of well newly born babies
- OPD Pediatric Clinics covering 24 hours
Scope of Service
- All common medical condition especially asthma and other respiratory diseases
- Hereditary anemia's and other blood related diseases
- Diabetes
- Common childhood diseases
- All acute and chronic diseases of childhood
- Regular growth and development check – ups (OPD Clinic)
- Strong Immunization Program ( OPD Clinic )
- Dealing with all newborn babies that needs continuous monitoring
- Dealing with preterm baby from 25 weeks and ELBW from 600 grams
- All newborn babies that needs Mechanical Ventilation and Respiratory Support
- Newborn with Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia that needs exchange transfusion and intensive Phototherapy
- Cases of neonatal Infection including Sepsis, Meningitis
- Cases that needs Total Parenteral Nutrition
- All procedures: UVC, UAC, Intubation, Ventilation, Chest Tube Insertion, Lumbar Puncture, Pleural Tap… etc.
Designed to care for all well newborns; Contains 20 baby cots, 4 radiant warmers, 1 resuscitator
Care provided Includes:
- Routine Newborn Admission procedures
- Care of all activities of daily living
- Initiating Feeding
- Encouragement of breast feeding and assisting mothers in doing so
- Baby bathing, Baby bath demonstration especially to first time mothers
- Vital Signs observation
- Cord Care
- Eye Care
- Immunization before discharge (BCG, HEP. B)
Pediatric Department Staff consist of:
2 Consultants, 6 Specialist, 4 Residents, 27 Staff Nurses


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Adult You Tube Includes A Plethora Of Categories
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The videos will help you to explore a wide range of whims by which you can obtain both mental and physical satisfaction. Spend your leisure time from now on with the company of these videos.


text: A look back at the year in Hiwassee Dam sports Tue, 06/12/2018 - 1:42pm From conference championships to individual achievements, Hiwassee Dam enjoyed a successful varsity sports season during the 2017-18 campaign. Volleyball Despite ...PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today! Read more about A look back at the year in Hiwassee Dam sports


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Know Online Business Strategy
Know Online Business Strategy
For anyone who is starting in online marketing or plain anyone who has been in online marketing for a span, material is needed to retain a superior online business strategy. Hidden a proper online business strategy, you will treasure trove yourself astray proper direction and focus. Following a strategy enables you to value your time and skills on the things that purely matter. Know Online Business Strategy
Ergo here are the top 4 factors that I felt were critical for my online success.
Recess: In what niche are you most struck? Known are consequently manifold goods to support online, I would build up proof one that you allied. Again, I would flash at the competition in this area and make firm that sensible isn ' t terribly grand. Arbitration something you such will act for child's play for you to note down about and ante up first-rate news on. This will besides make your marketing online easier, over your are not strife unaffected whereas a chore. Know Online Business Strategy
Business Plan: Having a plan that you can pursue is indispensable for you to succeed. If you don ' t have a plan, plan to fail. You have to have some sort of direction that you are going. You need to outline a business plan and map out the steps to get there. You will not have the kind of success you desire if you simply start working and hope that you get the result that you are looking for. After coming up with a plan, make sure to follow it day in and day out. Following a plan will also alleviate any worry about which direction you should go next.
Consistent: Staying consistent with your online business strategy is a necessity! Many people are highly motivated to start and end up giving up because the results they were after didn ' t happen overnight. Do a little bit everyday and soon you will see the results quicker than you imagined. Realize that it will take some time for you to make money online but it will come!
Focus: Being focused on your ultimate outcome is a key ingredient in your success. Do not allow distractions or people take away what you are focusing on. It is so easy to get sidetracked these days with everything going on around us ( friends, family, etc ). Set some short and long – term goals for your business and look at them everyday. This will help you not only stay focused but keep you motivated in achieving great results. Know Online Business Strategy


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Thanksgiving and the Purpose of History
From The Hijacking of American Education
By Ruth Nourse
"The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth," Jennie Brownscombe, 1914. Click to enlarge.
History as Truth
If it is possible in a courtroom to judge a defendant guilty or innocent, or in a laboratory to discover the relationship between physical properties and phenomena, it must be possible to know the truth about history.
The word "history," according to Webster, is related to the Greek historia, "a learning by inquiry." The word "skeptic" also comes from the Greek skeptesthai, meaning to examine or consider. A true skeptic is a "considerer" who will not pass judgment before the evidence has been thoughtfully examined.
In a world of sunshine and rain and natural beauty beyond measure, who is so cynical as to refuse to examine available evidence of the work of a Creator God in the history of man? For the open minded scholar the possibility of God's presence in history is not unthinkable.
Page Smith points out in his book, History and Historians, that the Jews discovered history. For them chronology was transcended by the relation of a people with their God. The meaning, purpose and direction of history was found in God's will and their Messianic expectation.
According to the Old Testament view, man is able to effect his own destiny in partnership with God. The New Testament demonstrates and affirms the validity of this view. According to the gospels, Messianic hopes of the Hebrew Scriptures were fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth; the Abrahamic covenant, according to Paul's writings, was made universal through faith in Him.
Eusebius, the first important Christian historian, saw history as the unfolding of God's purpose in the world. The verifiable experience of millions alive today supports this view – a view held since ancient times and, until our century, as the prevalent view of western historians.
Those who have seen God's plan unfold in their own lives, find no reason to doubt Columbus' claim that expeditions to undiscovered lands were undertaken as a divine mission. Samuel Eliot writes of Columbus: "His frequent communion with forces unseen was a vital element in his achievement."
Intelligent purpose gives meaning to history and links believers of all generations in the on-going expansion of God's kingdom on earth. Understanding this, we can readily accept what early colonists wrote of divine purpose in the settlement of America. In America, a new, and specifically Christian, start was made.
The Founding of America
Generations of English and European peoples were motivated in pursuit of sound government by a Bible based concept of justice. Before the settlement of New England, however, achievement along this line had been both remarkable and disappointing. Success and failure had been their mixed experience. The tyranny of the institutional church had proved as hard to bear as tyranny of kings.
Jamestown, the first colony in the new world, was almost exclusively profit motivated. Thoughtful consideration finds in the Jamestown experience inadequate impetus to explain the settlement of the continent much less the nation that grew here from such small beginnings. That first colony's inability to cope with famine, sickness, hostile Indians, and chronic infighting among promoters and colonial leaders held no lamp of hope to bring throngs of would-be settlers willing to take the attendant risks.
Schemes to enlist Jamestown emigrants included suppression of facts about what colonists actually suffered in Virginia. Disillusionment provided no emotional stimulus for survival, and the colony struggled for years on the brink of disaster. The Jamestown episode fails to explain the resilience and success of colonial America.
The experience of the Mayflower Pilgrims, who landed at Plymouth in 1620, more adequately accounts for the survival and productivity of early American colonies and for the continual flow of immigrants to these shores. Doubters need only read the first line of the Mayflower Compact to confirm the faith of the Pilgrims.
It was a broad faith demonstrated by 102 hardy souls who knelt with William Bradford to ask journeying mercies before their little ship set sail and, again – as they viewed their new homeland – to thank God for delivering them from the "vast and furious ocean." Prayer was not their only demonstration of faith. Hardships that broke the spirit of the colonists at Jamestown drew the Pilgrims closer together and caused them to pray more fervently.
Why must we doubt the testimony of the colonists themselves, who believed that God prepared the way before them and sustained them in the new land? Can the sequence of events that accompanied their coming be explained in a better way? Could such a series of enabling circumstances be expected to burst by chance into the stream of history?
Hostile Indians had been removed from Plymouth by a mysterious plague four years before the Mayflower landed. Apart from this "preparation" for their coming, the sea-wary strangers would have landed among unfriendly Native Americans. Nearly half the Pilgrims died the first winter, yet the faith of the survivors was not diminished.
The turning point at Plymouth came when Samoset, an amiable Algonquin chieftain, brought Squanto to the colony. Stolen away from those very forests by English tradesmen before the plague, Squanto gained a knowledge of the English language and lifestyle by the time he found a way back to his childhood home. Finding none of his own people alive, he spent six months with the Algonquins, seeming not to know which way to turn.
Squanto found new purpose in life as he taught the English settlers how to plant crops, harvest fish and otherwise survive in a perilous environment. Without this native guidance, Plymouth might well have suffered losses like those at Jamestown, where the mortality rate the second year was nine out of ten. The Mayflower Pilgrims recognized God's providence in all this; but the story is seldom told as originally written in William Bradford's account Of Plimouth Plantation.
Providential reward of faith was claimed in the same way by Puritans who arrived on New England shores ten years later. In 1630, John Winthrop was sent as governor with colonists to reinforce the Massachusetts Bay Colony's languishing settlement at Salem. Shocked by the appearance of gaunt and ragged survivors who met him at the shore, Winthrop may have considered returning to England had he not remembered the clear purpose with which his band of Puritans had set sail.
They were people of faith, and their purpose would be achieved in spite of distressing circumstances. The governor outlined his plan for overcoming adversity in a bold and noble sermon entitled "A Model of Christian Charity."
"For this end we must knit together in this work as one man … We must hold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience, and liberality. We must delight in each other, make one another's condition our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our Commission and Community in this work, as members of the same body. So shall we keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace …
"We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when He shall make us a praise and glory, that men of succeeding plantations shall say, 'The Lord make it like that of New England.' For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a Hill …"
The Puritan Hope
Pilgrim and Puritan colonists, in the characteristic manner of Christian believers, held to the Hebraic view of history. Experience of other early settlers in America, their compacts, the founding documents of the several Colonies, and of the United States, demonstrate that the character and the faith of her first leaders was like that of the Pilgrims and Puritans.
Such was the faith perpetuated by America's early literature and the textbooks of her schools. The first book printed by Harvard Press was The Whole Booke of Psalmes "Faithfully translated into English metre." That the faith of the early colonists reigned well into the 19th century is a fact born out by the universal popularity of Longfellow's writings and McGuffey's readers.
It seems evident that devotion and sincerity diminished in proportion to an increase of hypocrisy in life and formalism in worship. Departure from living faith contributed to the instability of the times. Society seemed to depend on enforcement, rather than demonstration, of Christian virtue. Objectivity was forgotten in a subjective purpose to throw off uncomfortable restraints.
Once freedom to do good had been enough, now freedom was granted to do almost anything one wished to attempt. With several generations of results to observe, we may consider more objectively what have been the consequences of rejecting the Bible as the measure of truth. Note that the emphasis here is on the Bible as the basis for faith. Confusion over religious dogma, tradition, ritual has divided Christians for centuries and has undoubtedly discouraged many honest inquirers.
Wisdom in our day is to distinguish between truth and religious verbage in the present as well as in history. Differences over dogma, tradition, and the conduct of people who wear Christian labels confuse the real issue, which is: The Bible either tells the truth about the origin and nature of man, and actual events of history, or it does not. Those who say they have experienced God's intervention in their lives, just as people did in Bible times, are either telling the truth or they are not.
Probably no other human experience has ever been so commonly reported, and at the same time so flippantly discounted. True historians, according to the etymology of the word, will learn by inquiry what has actually happened, rather than distort the record to accomplish some preconceived purpose.
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God's Law and Society (DVD)
Download the Free Study Guide!
God's Law and Society powerfully presents a comprehensive worldview based upon the ethical system found in the Law of God.
Speakers include: R.J. Rushdoony, George Grant, Howard Phillips, R.C. Sproul Jr., Ken Gentry, Gary DeMar, Jay Grimstead, Steven Schlissel, Andrew Sandlin, Eric Holmberg, and more!
Sixteen Christian leaders and scholars answer some of the most common questions and misconceptions related to this volatile issue:
1. Are we under Law or under Grace?
2. Does the Old Testament Law apply today?
3. Can we legislate morality?
4. What are the biblical foundations of government?
5. Was America founded as a Christian nation?
6. What about the separation of Church and State?
7. Is neutrality a myth?
8. What about non-Christians and the Law of God?
9. Would there be "freedom" in a Christian republic?
10. What would a "Christian America" look like?
Perfect for group instruction as well as personal Bible study.
Ten parts, over four hours of instruction!
Running Time: 240 minutes
Watch over 60 on-line video interviews from God's Law and Society.
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)
Click here for more information
In the Days of These Kings (Book)
Perfect-bound Paperback — 740 pages
The Book of Daniel in Preterist Perspective
"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2:44).
The overarching message of Daniel is that Jesus the Messiah is even now ruling over the nations. He is the King of kings. Daniel tells us that Messiah's kingdom will advance in the whole world from "generation to generation" (Daniel 4:4,34). Christ's dominion is "given to the people of the saints of the most High" (Daniel 7:22). Our purpose then is to see "all people, nations, and languages … serve and obey him" (Daniel 7:14,27).
This comprehensive work offers a fascinating look at the book of Daniel in preterist perspective. Great attention is paid to the writings of ancient and modern historians and scholars to connect the dots and demonstrate the continuity of Daniel's prophecy with all of Scripture.
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)
Click here for more information
Why Creeds and Confessions? (Book)
High Quality Paperback — 219 pages
Foundations in Biblical Orthodoxy
Driving down a country road sometime, you might see a church with a sign proudly proclaiming: "No book but the Bible — No creed but Christ." The problem with this statement is that the word creed (from the Latin: credo) simply means "belief." All Christians have beliefs, regardless of whether they are written.
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Eric Budd. Democratization, development, and the patrimonial state in the age of globalization. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2004. 163 pp.
First published in Kasarinlan: Philippine Journal of Third World Studies 20, 2 (2005): 189-196.
The tendency of most scholars is to assume that there is a relationship between democracy and economic development, i.e., that one is determinant of the other, regardless of whether the relationship is positive or not. In Democratization, Development, and the Patrimonial State in the Age of Globalization, Eric Budd takes a different approach by introducing patrimonialism as determinant of both democracy and economic development. His analysis reveals that high levels of patrimonialism severely impede the attainment of democracy and economic development in Third World states.
By privileging patrimonialism, Budd hopes to make a novel contribution to the political development literature. In this work, he likewise proposes a resolution to the debate between advocates of neoliberalism and the developmental state. Indeed, he should be commended for attempting to reconcile the concerns of past and present scholars of political development. Still, entrenched as he is in the tradition of mainstream scholars of political development, Budd fails to question the assumptions of the mainstream political development tradition while clearly embracing its prescriptions. Budd shares the shortcomings of mainstream political development writers: an uncritical attitude towards capitalism, a disdain for mass participation, acceptance of limited/elitist democracy, a depiction of society which is devoid of cleavages and class divisions, and a naive agency-centered understanding of political change (Cammack 1997).
Budd adopts a Weberian understanding of patrimonialism. A patrimonial state is one in which "practically everything depends explicitly upon personal considerations" (1). Patrimonial states are characterized by the exchange of resources from political officials to their cronies, particularistic in lieu of universalistic policies, the subordination of the rule of law to the "rule of man," and the tendency of political officials to blur the boundaries between public and the private realms (2).
To be sure, the proper label for most patrimonial Third World states is "neopatrimonial" to indicate the fact that the patrimonial features coincide with the existence of bureaucracies. Unlike Weber, however, Budd rejects the dichotomy between the patrimonial and the rational-legal state. All states exhibit some features of patrimonialism, albeit at varying degrees. By insisting that patrimonialism must be viewed as a spectrum, he asserts that the level of patrimonialism of states can be measured, compared, and correlated to degrees of democratization and development.
Budd tests the hypotheses that patrimonialism poses a barrier to economic growth, and patrimonialism poses a barrier to democracy. To test these hypotheses, he pursues a statistical analysis of how patrimonialism separately correlates to economic growth and democracy. He then supports his findings with comparative case studies of a selected number of Third World countries.
Budd devised a procedure for measuring the level of patrimonialism of Third World states. Utilizing various sources, mostly written from 1990 onwards, he developed a ranking system which sought to measure the following features of patrimonialism: (a) the extent to which state policies were oriented towards particularistic considerations; (b) the degree to which the political system is dominated by a small elite or by political dynasties, and the degree to which electoral contests are decided by the personal characteristics of candidates as opposed to issues and ideologies; (c) the extent to which political decisions are based upon personal connections and considerations; and, (d) the degree to which public and private spheres overlap.
Budd selected 30 countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Each of the 30 countries was given a score based on the aforementioned patrimonial characteristics. Among the countries that scored highly in terms of patrimonialism were Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and a number of African countries. South Korea and Taiwan were moderately patrimonial while Chile was the least patrimonial country in the list followed by Singapore.
He then conducted a statistical analysis of how the level of patrimonialism of the 30 selected states correlated to their levels of democracy and economic development. He relied on Freedom House's Freedom in the World: 1994-1995 to provide him with the rankings for degrees of democratization of the 30 selected states. The statistical results for democratization and patrimonialism show that Chile exhibits low patrimonialism while possessing a relatively more democratic polity. The African countries of Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Zaire and Zimbabwe exhibit very high patrimonialism while possessing more authoritarian systems. Budd argues that the results of the statistical analysis generally support the hypothesis that an inverse relationship exists between a nation's level of patrimonialism and degree of democratization.
The patrimonial scores for the Philippines and Brazil however seem atypical for relatively democratic states. Despite having highly patrimonial states, the Philippines and Brazil were moderately democratic. Singapore is another interesting example. Despite its low patrimonial score, it possesses a very authoritarian political system. Budd however insists that "despite these caveats, as a general rule it does seem to hold true that there is an inverse relationship between a nation's level of patrimonialism and its degree of democratization" (11).
As for the economic development rankings of the 30 states, Budd opted to utilize data from the World Bank, e.g. the World Development Report 1992: Development and the Environment and World Tables 1995. The World Bank data was used to produce rankings based on growth rates. The rankings show that the Philippines scored poorly in terms of economic growth. Chile, the least patrimonial country in the sample received high scores. Still, it was Singapore which managed to register consistent high scores in terms of economic growth. Budd concludes that the findings again support the hypothesis that patrimonialism impedes economic development.
While the results of the statistical analysis indeed show a correlation between levels of patrimonialism and levels of democratization, one wonders whether the correlation only reflects the possibility that the chosen measures of patrimonialism and democratization share a common core indicator. As already mentioned, patrimonialism is characterized by personalism, particularism, the overlapping of the public and private realms, and the subordination of the rule of law to personal considerations. On the other hand, democracy, as defined by Freedom House, is measured in terms of political rights and civil liberties. The Freedom House's Civil Liberties Checklist explicitly contains questions that pertain to "rule of law," e.g., Is there an independent judiciary? Does the rule of law prevail in civil and criminal matters? Is the population treated equally under the law? (Freedom House 2000) If the measures of patrimonialism and democratization do in fact share a common indicator, a statistical correlation then is to be expected. The implication however is that the correlation is not attributable to social fact but to the formulation of the measures.
With regard to Budd's measure of economic development, it is quite revealing yet rather unfortunate that he chose to measure economic development in terms of economic growth. It is unfortunate because he might have chosen a measure of development that acknowledged the importance of equity. It nonetheless reveals Budd's attitude towards capitalism. Having said this, it is still commendable that Budd chose to conduct comparative case studies.
To complement the statistical findings, Budd opted to conduct comparative case studies of the developmental and democratization experiences of moderately patrimonial Taiwan and the highly patrimonial Philippines. The analysis was then expanded to include Chile which exhibits low patrimonialism and Peru which ranks somewhere in between moderately patrimonial to highly patrimonial. To enrich the discussions on democratization and development, Budd decided to include Ecuador and Indonesia in his analysis.
Budd devoted the middle chapters of his book to the case studies. In these chapters, he examines the ability of patrimonial states to adopt and implement a coherent development program, to create an environment conducive to entrepreneurship, to establish and maintain democratic institutions, and to "institutionalize uncertainty" in their electoral systems.
In Chapter 2, Budd argues that for a state to formulate and implement a coherent development program, three requisites must be satisfied: vision—so that the state can plan for future challenges and respond to changes in the domestic and international political economies, autonomy—which allows the state to adopt and implement its development plan without intervention from powerful individuals in society, thereby ensuring that the state's program promotes the national interest rather than particularistic interests; and an effective bureaucracy—so that the state has the capacity to implement its programs (24).
His case studies show that a patrimonial state cannot be a developmental state. The requisites of coherent economic planning are severely lacking in highly patrimonial states. In times of crisis, a strong bureaucracy can find the justification to insulate itself from vested interests and to exercise enough political will to pursue a coherent develop plan. Among the three requisites, having an efficient bureaucracy is most crucial. In the absence of one in the Philippines, crises only weaken an already feeble state.
Budd reports that the Taiwanese developmental state exhibited these three features. Indonesia possessed vision and a relatively strong bureaucracy. The Indonesian state however lacked autonomy and was easily overwhelmed by vested interests. The Philippines lacked all three. Quite interestingly, Budd agrees that lack of vision in the Philippines is attributable to the actions and predispositions of the Philippine political elite (28). He reports "only on rare occasions have Filipino policy-makers risen above particularistic interests in an attempt to develop a coherent plan for the nation's development" (29). The Chilean state meanwhile followed a fairly coherent development plan. He argues that apart from having a clear vision for development and an efficient bureaucracy, in Chile, one also "finds 'embedded autonomy,' in which the state enjoys a degree of autonomy, while still being connected to society" (41). In Peru one finds a weak state, the absence of a coherent development plan and the persistence of patrimonialism.
In Chapter 3, Budd tested the proposition that patrimonial states will be unable to create an environment to entrepreneurship. The proposition is premised on the claims that entrepreneurship is indispensable to economic development, and that creating the proper environment for economic activity can be a function of states. It is at this point where Budd states his position on the issue of state intervention in the workings of the market. While he embraces the "magic of the market," he also acknowledges that entrepreneurship must first take root before the market can work its magic. He asserts that "entrepreneurship does not take place in a vacuum" (71). Entrepreneurship must be fostered. It is the role of the state to create the environment that is conducive to entrepreneurship. In a patrimonial state like the Philippines, the highly personalistic, arbitrary, and particularistic character of decision-making in lieu of rule of law and political institutions deprives the country of the predictability and the certainty that entrepreneurship requires. In the patrimonial states, the economic elites engage in rent capitalism and speculative activities at the expense of productive economic activity such as manufacturing. For Budd, the failure of the Philippines to industrialize is attributable to "the lack of interest in manufacturing on the part of the Filipino economic elite" (59).
In Chapter 4, Budd focuses on patrimonialism's impact on institutionalization and democratization. Democratization entails the replacement of authoritarian practices with democratic institutions. For him, institutionalization involves the establishment of a working party system, the maintenance of an effective judicial system, and inevitably constitutional reform. As in the earlier chapters, Budd argues that the personalistic and particularistic character of politics in patrimonial states considerably hinders the possibility of institutionalization. The same is echoed in Chapter 5 where Budd addresses the relationship between patrimonialism and the maintenance of "electoral uncertainty," i.e., the observance of genuine and free elections. Again, pervasive particularism and personalism hinder Third World states from institutionalizing "electoral uncertainty." In the Philippines, elections still do not signify the institutionalization of "electoral uncertainty." The elites, especially in the rural areas, have managed to maintain their hold on power through clientelism and electoral fraud (113).
In positing the need to create an environment conducive to entrepreneurship, Budd clearly states his preference for capitalism. To be sure, he implicitly distinguishes between "productive" capitalism (e.g., manufacturing) and "unproductive" capitalism (e.g., rent capitalism and speculative activities). While capitalism clearly creates winners and losers, Budd is silent with regard to the usual, if not inevitable, disruptive effects of capitalism (including "productive" capitalism) on Third World societies. It is rather unfortunate that he tends to portray Third World societies as if they were devoid of social cleavages and divisions. He rarely mentions in his discussion of economic development the interests of laborers, of marginalized groups, of peasants, et al.
It is at this point that the concept of patrimonialism becomes suspect. The
concepts of particularism and patrimonialism, as used, appear to be inseparable. Patrimonialism is equated with the promotion of particularistic interests at the expense of the national interest or collective good. Here lies the difficulty of the concept: How does one define or arrive at the national interest? Can Third World states promote the interests of marginalized groups at the expense of the majority and still advance the national interest without being guilty of particularism? Should Third World states in advancing the national interest promote the interests of the majority population at the expense of marginalized groups? Are states guilty of particularism when they protect local businessmen but not guilty of the same when they, in the spirit of creating an environment conducive to entrepreneurship, extend special privileges to multinational corporations?
In advocating the value of entrepreneurship, Budd stresses the crucial role of a state insulated from societal pressures, of a ruling elite possessing "vision," and an effective bureaucracy. Clearly, he acknowledges that a limit should be imposed on mass participation. For Cammack, this signals a preference for elitist democracy (1997, 19). As can be gleaned in the discussion, Budd ascribes very little importance to non-elites. The unfortunate implication of this claim is that the non-elites are given no important role in development or in politics for that matter. It is in fact intriguing why in the concluding chapter of his book he suddenly speaks of "marginalized societal groups" when in the rest of the book they did not exist. His elite-centered approach to development and democracy also reflects an agency-centered approach to politics. Arguably, structural forces also played a role in the economic successes of Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, and in the failures of the Philippines and Indonesia. The Cold War, the presence or absence of a belligerent neighbor, and domestic security problems, among other factors surely have affected the ability of Third World states to achieve economic growth and democracy.
In conclusion, while Budd's work may be considered a novel contribution to the political development literature, his effort nonetheless reflects the basic shortcomings of the mainstream political development literature. He has adopted an unquestioning acceptance of capitalism. He tends to portray societies as devoid of social cleavages and divisions. As a consequence, he subscribes to an inadequate elite-centered/agency-centered view of change. In privileging patrimonialism, he draws attention away from capitalism thereby shielding it from criticism. Still, a close examination of particularism as a feature of patrimonialism reveals that patrimonialism, as a concept is not without its problems.—Alejandro Ciencia Jr., Assistant Professor, College of Social Sciences, University of the Philippines-Baguio.
Cammack, Paul. 1997. Capitalism and democracy in the Third World: The doctrine for political development. London: Leicester University Press.
Freedom House. 2000. Survey methodology. http://www.freedomhouse.org/ research/freeworld/2000/methodology.htm
Click this link to download the review in PDF.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Kasarinlan Review: Democratization, Development, and the Patrimonial State in the Age of Globalization
Eric Budd. Democratization, development, and the patrimonial state in the age of globalization. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2004. 163 pp.
Posted by UP Third World Studies Center at 11:00 AM


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Michael Iacona
1951 - 2018
Memorial Service
Obituary of Michael Iacona
Michael Iacona, age 67, of Troy died Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at FirstHealth Hospice & Palliative Care, West End.
Mr. Iacona was born April 29, 1951 at Southern Pines, NC the son of the late Gasper Iacona and Mary Louise Bowman. He served in the Navy during Vietnam war. He later was employed as a Shipping Supervisor in the manufacturing industry. Mr. Iacona was a strong willed, loving husband who enjoyed being on the river. He loved to hunt and fish.
Mr. Iacona is survived by his wife: Rhonda, of Troy; one daughter: Michelle (Larry) Hoffman of Boston; sisters: Lynn (Tommy) Dawkins of Mt. Gilead, NC, Mary Ann (Jeff) Nichols of Ellerbe, NC and Cindy Iacona of Southern Pines, NC; brothers: Val (Jeanette) Iacona of Troy, NC and Gene Iacona of Mt. Gilead, NC. He was predeceased by his parents and grandmother, Lucy Bowman.
A Memorial service honoring Michael will be held on Sunday, July 1, 2018 at 2:00 PM at Family Worship Ministries, 401 Troy Candor Rd., Troy, NC, with the Rev. Harold Pope presiding.
On-line condolences may be made at www.pughfuneralhome.com.
Pugh-Troy Funeral Home is serving the Iacona family.


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Uploaded 14/11/2013
To celebrate the publication of this final volume of his diaries, Tony Benn, in conversation with author, columnist and commentator Owen Jones, reflects on both the public and personal events of the last five years.
Covering the fall of New Labour, tireless campaigning against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and passionate commitment to encouraging public debate and demonstrations, A Blaze of Autumn Sunshine also provides a highly personal insight into the challenges of old age, failing health and widowhood. Finally, we share in Tony Benn's hopes for the future based on his experiences, insight and his natural optimism.
Tony Benn is the longest serving MP in the history of the Labour Party. He left Parliament in 2001, after more than half a century in the House of Commons, famously saying that leaving would give him more time to devote to politics. He is the author of many books including nine volumes of diaries and the childhood memoir Dare to be a Daniel.
This event was organised in partnership with Newham Bookshop.
'Our ignorance of history causes us to slander our own times.'
Gustave Flaubert
'If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution.'
Emma Goldman
'It is looking at things for a long time that ripens you and gives you a deeper understanding.'
Vincent Van Gogh


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The Network Extracted Ontology (NeXO) is a gene ontology inferred directly from large-scale molecular networks. NeXO uses a principled computational approach which integrates evidence from hundreds of thousands of individual gene and protein interactions to construct a complete hierarchy of cellular components and processes.
Official Web Site of the University of California, San Diego.