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LITERATURE» Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King's new novella questions mankind's ability to trust others.
[02.21.2011 by Bridget Doyle]
MUSIC» The Top 30 Albums of 2010 - Fashionably, fabulously late, our favorite music (and believe me, there was a LOT) of 2010, the year that some have called the best year for music ever. And only some of those fools work here. Plenty of usual suspects, lots of ties and a few surprises that I won't spoil, including our unexpected #1.
[12.24.2010 by The LAS Staff]
MUSIC» Live: Surfer Blood/The Drums at Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL - Remember when Weezer used to put together records that you could sing along to and rock out to? That's what Surfer Blood's show was like!
[11.04.2010 by Cory Tendering]
Music Reviews
»Screaming Females
Castle Talk
Don Giovanni
»Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
The Social Network [Original Soundtrack]
The Null Corporation
Halcyon Digest
»No Age
Everything in Between
Sub Pop
Body Talk Pt. 1/ Body Talk Pt. 2
»The Walkmen
Fat Possum
May 1, 2008Throwing open the garage door on a self-storage unit, one of the greatest comic geniuses in modern history sheds light on his archival library. Once you learn the story of the man, the fact that his legacy sits in a metal locker off the side of a highway, thrown into haphazard piles of crumbling cardboard boxes, won't seem so unusual.
After a few false starts at traditional work, Alan Abel began his career of entertaining people as the self-stylized Professor Paradiddle, a traveling drum teacher-slash-stand up comic who translated a lifelong love of percussion (he played with Glenn Miller's band in the military and was the founder of Ohio State University's jazz forum) into a job speaking at lodges and social clubs. But as much as Abel loved the drums, even his stint as Professor Paradiddle wouldn't last. As the legend goes, while en route to a Paradiddle performance Abel came upon a rural traffic jam, the result of two stubborn farm animals, a cow and a bull in the throws of biological attraction, blocking the road. Having taken more notice of how offended his fellow motorists were than of the animal coitus on the pavement, Abel struck upon an idea that would eventually lead to a decades-long string of public hoaxes. Although they could hardly be considered comedy in any traditional sense his creative schemes have never been short of hilarious, and Abel's deadpan style of pranking, detailed in the new documentary Abel Raises Cain, eclipses anything Stephen Colbert has done to date.
The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, know in the media as SINA, was Abel's first large-scale prank. Initially developed as satirical story for the Saturday Evening Post magazine, Abel realized he'd hit a nerve when the magazine rejected the piece because they considered its position - that "all animals should wear clothing for the sake of decency, namely horses, cows, dogs, cats and other domestic animals that stand higher than 4 inches or are longer than 6 inches" - as serious, in spite of the obvious contradiction in its title. What was initially an off-the-cuff spoof on the moralistic crusaders of conservative America soon ballooned into a national movement, with a number of media appearances by Abel and a few accomplices stoking the fire and individual chapters springing up across America of their own accord, one of which even built a parade float in a Midwestern town.
|Alan Abel holding a copy of the official magazine for the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals (1964).
Although his hoaxes run the gambit of topicality, there don't seem to be any ideological boundaries when it comes to Abel's quarry, at least beyond those who take themselves too seriously. Usually more absurd than racy, Abel's pranks would skirt the edges of indecency and invariably draw in people from all sides. His most recent campaign, which claims that "mothers are getting erotic experiences by breastfeeding," has elicited floods of commentary. In the film, as Abel sits by the telephone playing messages from his voicemail, emphatic denunciations come from what sounds like both backwoods car mechanics and irate liberal arts professors, and that reaction is balanced later in the documentary by the responses to an earlier appeal in the opposite direction: to accept pornography. When Abel urges society to let go of their inhibitions and let down their pants, he takes fire from all sides. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Abel staged a publicity run-up to his legitimate satirical film, Is There Sex After Death?, by promoting a non-existent "Sexual Olympics" in 1971, and event for which he further heightened the tension by recruiting fake protesters to picket outside the event. A few years before Abel had orchestrated a campaign to elect Yetta Bronstein, a fictitious Jewish grandmother from the Bronx, to the Presidency of the United States. Campaigning under the slogan "Vote for Yetta and things will get betta!," the candidacy of Bronstein, who was prevented from attending any rallies by such grandmotherly ailments as swollen ankles, was taken seriously enough to draw a note of well-wishing from Richard Nixon. One of Yetta's major platform positions was a plan for canceling the salaries of US Congressmen and instead "putting them on straight commission.
|An outraged taxpayer challenges Yetta Bronstein's campaign manager (Alan Abel) while supporters Mimi Miller, Jeanne Abel, and Bill Moran look on (1968).
As it plays out in Abel Raises Cain, Alan Abel's story is both inspiring and at times a bit depressing. Anyone who has dared to live a life in persuit of their passions only to be met with hard times when their dreams, even when realized, fail to deliver much financial security can feel both a tinge of recognition and a hint of dread seeing Abel and his wife living out their golden years in a neighbor's basement after losing their own home. There are plenty of spinning newspaper headlines proclaiming "He makes a living as a practical joker," but Abel Raises Cain documents a comic performance artist, once ahead of his time and now too old for the game, just scraping by. To his credit, a lack of funds never discouraged Abel from pulling a fast one on society.
The documentary cuts old newspaper headlines, photographs and television appearances with snippets of Abel's current daily routine, from his faux-exercises (walking gingerly with a pair of five-pound weights) to his hotel room calls to radio stations as a moral activist decrying breast feeding. Both then and now, Abel comes across as a man a bit off-center. Sitting on the hotel bed, running through the mechanics of the "daily reminders" in his planner while wearing only a t-shirt and underpants (briefs unfortunately, not boxers), Abel doesn't seem that different from the average aging father, but when his wife Jeanne - a longtime hoax accomplice who provided the voice of Yetta Bronstein and who has also worked on Abel's two feature films - explains that he still insists on hand-washing his own underwear, there's a hint of his inner weirdo.
But it is that inner weirdo, the personality that could never quite fit into the 9-5 schedule of the mainstream workday, which allows Abel to do what he does. Though the term is often tossed about with an alarming degree of inaccuracy, Alan Abel is truly an "Andy Kaufman-type" comedic genius. In fact, considering that Abel's SINA prank took place in 1959, when Kaufman was only 10 years old, it might be more appropriate to label Kaufman as an Alan Abel-type comedic genius.
|Jenny Abel with her parents, Alan and Jeanne Abel, during the filming of Abel Raises Cain (2003).
Abel Raises Cain highlights Abel's stunts and, along with a treasure trove of archival footage, contains interviews with both his accomplices and those he duped. From his beginnings with SINA to his low-key assault on the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in 2000 -- where he marched through crowds with a miniature bullhorn and a "Ban Breast Feeding" t-shirt, claiming human nursing as an explanation for everything from the crack-cocaine epidemic to Monica Lewinsky's "oral fixation" -- Abel Raises Cain covers four decades of hoaxes and paints a fascinating picture of a fascinating character.
In one section of old film Abel, delivering a lecture as the head of Omar's School For Beggars, sits in a shoddy space with gaping holes in the drywall, a crude black hood hanging awkwardly over his face. His instruction on how to make quick money in the streets of New York falls on the ears of an attentive class, some of whom are also wearing masks. Later, during a sidewalk interview for the nightly news, Abel, in character as Omar, rattles off rapid-fire nonsense from beneath his black hood, implying that "professional panhandling" was legitimized by a 1970s Supreme Court ruling. When Abel appears as Omar on a television talk show, the hood still in place, it is with conviction that he explains how his intensive self-help course (which takes a week and costs $100) is ideal for the "PhDs and space engineers from Coco Beach who came up to New York and can't find work," and the scores of "over-trained college kids" with all manner of graduate degrees who are unwanted in the workplace. No matter how outlandish his schemes were, Abel was able to deliver them in a way that many people found believable, and Omar the master beggar was only one of many colorful characters in his repertoire.
|Alan Abel dressed as "Omar the Beggar," a man who taught people how to panhandle professionally (1975).
The public file on Alan Abel's long tenure as America's greatest prankster is interesting enough on its own, but Abel Raises Cain also capitalizes on the deeply personal angle provided by the narration of Jenny Abel, the satirist's daughter and the director/producer behind the documentary. "I'd say it was normal," Jenny remarks on the inevitable questions about her childhood, though she's quick to point out that her parents made no attempts to conceal her father's antics. Her assessment of her childhood as "normal" is in large part due to the fact that her father's oddities weren't overly odd when taken in the context of the only life she had known, and generally those antics only intersected her life when she saw him on television. Sure, her father had used her as a cry-on-demand prop at a local zoning meeting about the railroad caboose he'd installed as her back yard tree house, but the caboose, like the partially-built Loch Ness Monster replica in the front yard, was just a part of Jenny's everyday life. (The back yard also featured the Public People Pooper, a portable outhouse used in a sidewalk protest against the Helmsley Palace, which once refused Jenny's father the use of their lavatory.) Little Jenny was even drawn into one prank in which Abel expounded on the nutritional qualities of human hair, although once on camera she refused to go along, leaving her father to bite into the prop "hairburger" himself.
Over the years Abel, with the help of friends, family, fellow jokers and out of work actors, pulled dozens of capers that invariably sucked people in. His looney campaigns made headlines in newspapers around the country, from the Los Angeles Times to the Denver Post to the New York Times, the latter of which was prompted to print its first ever obituary retraction when Abel faked his own death in 1980. As the modern age accelerated from newspapers to television newscasts, Abel kept pace with high-profile stunts that programs from "20/20" to "NBC Nightly News" with Tom Brokaw picked up on. There was the attractive and single female winner of a $35-million Powerball lottery who Abel landed on every television program imaginable. There was the elaborate "green card wedding" between the ruthless Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and a young American WASP. There was the Iranian weapons dealer wracked with guilt over the $6-million he made on the Iran-Contra arms scandal who wanted to give the money back to the American people. Perhaps best of all, Abel brought the New York debut of Phil Donahue's popular television show to a grinding halt when actors planted in the studio audience began fainting one-by-one (Donahue eventually finished the show alone, having cleared out the audience).
Needless to say, as charming and hilarious as they are in hindsight, the reaction to Abel's pranks weren't always so pleasant at the time. Most people simply do not like being put on. "You can poke holes in the ozone layer," Abel says while lying in bed next to his wife, a black sleeping mask covering his eyes. "But God forbid you poke holes in somebody's psyche and get them upset. That's a no-no."
It is hard to say if Abel's antics were best served in days passed or if they could be equally successful in the context of the modern media circus. There's a knee-jerk reaction to think that people today aren't as gullible as they once were, but every generation tends to think that the one before it was a bit intellectually primitive only to find out they're as capable of being hoodwinked as anyone. [Insert your own comment on WMDs and the invasion of Iraq here.] While newspaper and television reporters can certainly vet their stories much quicker and more thoroughly in the post-Google age, the media and the public are as susceptible as ever to being baited. And the luring is where Abel excels in his pranks. As one former accomplice points out, it was Abel's ability to read people and understand the often sensitive but sometimes vague emotional undercurrents in society, and exploit them, that made his outlandish hoaxes so successful, and that success could just as easily translate into the 21st century. It took but a matter of hours to learn the name and website address of Eliot Spitzer's call girl, but it took Oprah three months to challenge fraudulent memoirist James Frey, and one wouldn't think that a campaign for animal pants would ever have gone on long enough to involve an airplane. While most hot air is eventually cooled by the filter of a society's collective sense, sometimes things just take off and leave reason in the dust - it is why we have urban legends, the reason no amount of expert assurances could quell the mass fears of a Y2K digital apocalypse, and the reason intelligent leg-pullers like Alan Abel will always get their laughs.
With virtually nothing of its scope to compare to, Alan Abel's body of work as an artist - using the term "artist" is in itself a stretch from tradition - is hard to encapsulate or define. What exactly is a person who takes as much pleasure in misleading a small crowd as he does hoodwinking tens of thousands? A practical joker? A scam artist? An imposter? Towards the end of the film Abel summarizes his gags in much less specific terms, saying simply that "it's an opportunity to perform." SEE ALSO: www.abelraisescain.com
SEE ALSO: www.alanabel.com
Eric J Herboth
Eric J. Herboth is the founder, publisher and Managing Editor of LAS magazine. He is a magazine editor, freelance writer, bike mechanic, commercial pilot, graphic designer, International Scout enthusiast and giver of the benefit of the doubt. He currently lives in rural central Germany with his two best friends, dog Awahni and cat Scout.
See other articles by Eric J Herboth.
If you'd like to help spread the word about LAS, or simply want to outfit yourself with some adhesive coolness, our 4" circle LAS stickers are sure to hit the spot, and here is how to get them:
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LAS has staff and freelance writers spread across North and South America, Europe, and a few in Southeast Asia as well. As such, we have no central mailing adress for unsolicited promotional material. If you are interested in having your project considered for coverage, please contact us before sending any promotional materials - save yourself time and postage!


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Well, commercial tweets anyway. Twitter is expanding its paid tweets program and will begin inserting commercial messages in your feed. So you'll be reading along and come across tweets from AMC Theaters, Xbox, American Express, HP, Disney, and others.
Twitter has an interesting explanation as to which tweets you'll be seeing:
A Promoted Tweet will appear in a user's timeline only if the Tweet is likely to be interesting and relevant to that user.
Our platform uses a variety of signals to determine which Promoted Tweets are relevant to users, including what a user chooses to follow, how they interact with a Tweet, what they retweet, and more.
Expect there to be a lot of grumbling about this from people who use Twitter constantly all day long and never pay one red cent for it.

subset: commoncrawl


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Twin Ports Climate Coalition: Northern Minnesota Forests Climate Conversation
June 20, 2017
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Duluth Office
Large Conference Room
525 Lake Avenue South
Suite 400
Duluth, MN 55802
Networking: 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Two Presentations and Conversation: 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Bring your own lunch.
Keeping the Woods in Minnesota's Northwoods: Adaptation Strategies in the Climate Change Era
Forests of the Great Lakes region will likely experience some of the most dramatic changes in response to climate change in the continental U.S. In northeastern Minnesota, forests are vulnerable to declines in signature canopy tree species at the southern edge of their ranges—such as paper birch, quaking aspen, white spruce and balsam fir. How can land managers help northern forests adapt? The Nature Conservancy is working with many partners to test the potential of two complementary strategies that can help the Northwoods transition to an uncertain future while maintaining "classic" Northwoods where possible. The ability of northern forests to continue providing important habitat, jobs, clean water, carbon storage and other services into the future requires reimagining forest management.
Speaker Bio:
Meredith Cornett is the Science Director for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. She oversees monitoring, research and conservation planning within the three-state chapter. Cornett holds a B.A. in Biology from Oberlin College, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Cornett has worked as a Peace Corps forester in Panama and as a forest ecologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In addition to her position with The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Cornett is an adjunct member of the graduate faculty at the University of Minnesota's Forest Resources Department and the Conservation Biology Program in St. Paul.
Adapting to Emerald Ash Borer: Planting Replacement Species in the Understory to Keep Forested Wetlands Forested
Fond du Lac has over 1,300 acres of black ash depressional wetlands, all of which are threatened by the emerald ash borer. With no cure for emerald ash borer available the ecological and hydrological qualities of these sites are threatened. In an attempt to keep forested wetlands forested, five different native tree species, river birch, red maple, silver maple, balsam poplar, and white cedar, were planted in the fall of 2015 in six ash different sites. Plantskydd® was applied in spring and fall as a browse deterrent and weed mats were installed on every other seedling to assess if they'd give seedlings an advantage. Survival, health, stress cause, native plant community, and other forestry attributes, in addition to hydrological and wetland attributes have been assessed. The intention to find alternative tree species to plant in these sites to assume the functions of the black ash we will potentially lose in the near future.
Speaker Bios:
Christian Nelson is a forester and wildland firefighter for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. He establishes timber sales, coordinates forest inventory and terrestrial invasive species control, and assists with fire suppression and prescribed fires. He attended Saint Cloud State University for Wildlife Management and Stevens Point Wisconsin for Forest Management. He has worked in forestry throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin for the National Guard, and the Minnesota and Wisconsin DNR. In addition to the emerald ash borer ash underplanting study he also conducted a study on stem diameter and herbicide treatment with buckthorn, and assessing sugar maple trees grown in gravel nurseries to determine resilience to impacts of earthworms in northern hardwood stands.
Shannon Kesner is a wetland specialist for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Her work focuses on helping to manage the Band's extensive wetland resources through monitoring and assessment, aquatic invasive species control, and implementing projects that maintain or enhance the health of wetland communities. Previously she worked on the Wild Rice LaCore Project in conjunction with the University of Minnesota. Shannon earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and an Associate's degree from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.
NOTE: It's tourist season and all of the adjacent and nearby Canal Park / DECC parking lots are pay lots. Metered parking is available on the street.
Climate Conversations is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program in support of the Twin Ports Climate Coalition, fostering communication and collaboration as we adapt to climate challenges in the Twin Ports region. Sponsors include Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Sea Grant, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 1854 Treaty Authority, City of Duluth, UMD Natural Resources Research Institute, Barr, and Superior Wisconsin


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NBA Conference Finals Preview and Predictions – Will the Spurs Meet the Heat?
Well, that was odd. After 2 rounds that were so unpredictable, so underdog heavy, so intriguing, we got exactly what was supposed to happen in the end. The NBA conference finals in the East and West will feature the top 2 seeds going head-to-head for a right to face the best from the counter conference. The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers will duel it out for the East crown while the Spurs and Thunder settle it out West. Here's the preview to both of the series along with predictions and matchups to watch.
Western Conference Finals: 1 San Antonio Spurs vs. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder
It's been 4 consecutive years either the Spurs or Thunder are in the conference finals and for good reason. The Spurs, after somehow almost blowing their entire postseason to an inferior Dallas team in the first round (4-3 series win), reminded us again why they're the best team in the conference by absolutely running over a nifty Portland team in the semi's (4-1 with the average victory margin of 19 points). They will be battling an OKC team that looked poised to knock them off (after knocking off the Grizzlies and Clippers) and was starting to round into true championship form. Then word came out that PF Serge Ibaka would be out the rest of the post season and so then went the Thunder's chances. Although the Thunder swept the Spurs in the season series this year and beat a similar Spurs team just 2 years ago in the Conference Finals, Ibaka played to vital a role in each to simply be ignored. Ibaka often gave the unique combination of guarding star Tim Duncan while also protecting the point from slashers such as Kawhi Leonard and team captain Tony Parker. Still, having the MVP in Kevin Durant should get them 2 or 3 wins but with home court and the health advantage on their side, the experienced and seasoned Spurs look poised for yet another run to the finals.
Prediction: San Antonio Wins 4-3
Matchup to Watch: Tony Parker (SAS) vs Russell Westbrook (OKC)
Eastern Conference Finals: 1 Indiana Pacers vs. 2 Miami Heat
This series is truly captivating in that in features two teams headed in different directions. The Heat have won 8 of 9 to start off the first 2 rounds while the Pacers have needed a combined 13 games to knock off the inferior Hawks and Wizards, respectively. Although the Pacers ended the Washington series looking far more respectable, it doesn't seem as if they good put together a 7 game stretch at this time in which they can beat the world champion Heat in 4. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade should be rested and ready for the round. The one factor that can tilt the series Indiana's way could be home court, with the Pacers only losing 6 games the entire season in Indianapolis. Also, the deadly 3 point shooting of George Hill, Lance Stephenson, and Paul George could also spell trouble for the Heat (who are notoriously bad 3 point defenders) if all 3 were to get hot at the right time. Nonetheless, Miami still has the best player on the planet in LeBron and I expect them to split the first two in Indy, and then use the home court advantage tilt to win 2 of the next 4 and take care of the Pacers in a tough, but convincing 6 game victory.
Prediction: Miami Wins 4-2
Matchup to watch: Dwyane Wade (MIA) vs. Lance Stephenson (IND)


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Okay, so I wax nostalgic. When I was a child, we had an enormous irrigation reservoir on the farm (where I still live). I would spend hours watching the dragonflies and never tired of it. There were different species, but one was nearly as large as this die cut. They were absolutely stunning. This one, after embossing it with the enclosed embossing folder and giving it your favorite creative treatment, will be just as stunning.
I love this die...I have been wanting it for a long time. I love dragongly's and am so excited to finally have this. I have been using it with copper sheeting and WOW...amazing...
I have the small butterflies, the big butterfly, & I knew the dragonfly would be perfect for the collection! It truly is! Of course, I love so much of what TH creates so I knew this would rank right up there with his other goodies!:)
Beautifully detailed big dragon fly to use on cards, tags or in scrapbook layouts. A very dramatic piece with hours and hours of uses and charm.
I've always been drawn to the Dragonfly, there mystical has great detail feature's on the dragonfly. I'm very pleased that I ordered it.
This is one of the best die cuts that I have ever seen in use on artwork in the Gallery, cannot wait to try it out.
You can't go wrong with Tim Holtz and his products. I love love love this dragonfly!
Used in this image: Dragonfly & Bee Burlap Art
this is so pretty and so many options on how use it fabulous
Beautiful finished product.
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Discussion in 'Politics' started by pspr, Mar 21, 2011.
I'm disgusted.
<img src=http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/09rdgsJ3WD7Sn/610x.jpg>
Democrats love the wars!
Edited for accuracy:
When is the last we had three going at once? Has Odumbo set a new record? Does the Nobel commission ever award anyone a Nobel War Prize?
We believe you Gabby.
Korean War
Vietnam War
and now Dumbo has three going at once.
And they call conservatives war mongering chicken hawks.
It's the Democrat's Utopian view and the cleansing of societies they view unfavorably.
Or was that Hitler?
The democrats seem to be...collecting wars.
Where is Code Pink?
Where is Cindy Sheehan?
Where is John Fucking Kerry?
Considering suicide after Moore tweets Odumbo should return his Nobel Peace Prize.
Alone and drunk cause no one pays her any attention any more.
Taking private lessons on how to catch a football.
Separate names with a comma.


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8 Ways To Make a Recyclable Laptop Bag
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Hippies may be accused of libertinism, drug-abuse and sexual perversion, but what they try to teach the world is that the nature is our treasure. Wearing synthetic clothes, eating artificially made food, driving cars with high levels of toxic gases emission we can hardly call ourselves flower children.
However, while hippies' methods of struggling for nature protection were mostly expressed by boycotting ecology-unfriendly products and promoting biodegradable products, some consumer goods manufacturers take action nowadays and introduce a range of eco-friendly products.
Let's take laptop bags, for instance. It's hard to believe how different recyclable materials for making laptop bags can be:
Though the bag may be a bit inconvenient to use as there's not much space left when a laptop is inside, the bag looks very stylish.
Quite a clumsy one, but seems to be soft and have enough space.
The bag looks as if it was made from durable fabric, besides, it is stain-resistant.
It's impossible to tell a common laptop bag from one of these recycled ones. And if there's no difference, why not go for an eco-friendly one.
Teenagers will like it. As well as hippies.
These bags are handmade and thanks to the handmade nature, they are unique since they all vary a bit in size and shape.
This one even allows to access ports without removing the laptop from the bag.
Sails of decommissioned yachts
Sails is probably the last thing that would come to one's mind when thinking of recyclable materials. Which, however, doesn't make the bag look less trendy.
Tagged: eco, fashion, Laptop Bags


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Written by Mike Banks Valentine (c) 2005 for www.sitepronews.com
I am ranked #1 for that silly phrase at Google. So What?
Here's a secrët. You can be ranked #1 at Google for the phrase "Waterfall Watches" if you put the phrase on your page 4 times and in metatags twice. How do I know that? I did it in 2001 and still rank number one in Google for the phrase in 2005. On another of my sites I rank #1 for the phrase "Screeching Camels" by simply putting it on the page once in a comment about silly SEO guarantees.
I'll wager that many phrases you've targeted for your business are almost as silly and deliver NO traffïc to your pages from the search engines. Don't take that too personally. Simply look at your traffïc statistics to see what phrases are bringing visitors to your web site. If your logs show no delivered traffïc for keywords you thought were golden, you've targeted the wrong phrases.
I'm always fascinated when discussions of search engines focus excessively on ranking of a particular site in one particular search engine without checking corresponding statistics about referred traffïc delivered to the site from the targeted keyword phrase. Referred search visits from engines is not taken into account. Anyone who looks at their rankings without looking at how much traffïc is referred and DELIVERED to your site through the rankings is missing the most important part of the story!
When you chëck your site traffïc statistics for where visitors are coming from and in what numbers, for which keyword searches and from which search engines, you will be astonished to see that things you think are important are sometimes not so important. I've struggled for years to gain top rankings for "Small Business Ecommerce" and have achieved #1 at Google #5 at MSN and #13 at Yahoo (at this writing).
But guess what? No one searches for that phrase in significant enough numbers to deliver any traffïc from it! I'm not saying that this was wasted effort, because in the over 1000 pages at WebSite101 we have enough related phrases that the targeted phrase contributes to the rank of hundreds of related phrases. "Open Source Ecommerce" gets huge traffïc for one single page, ranked at # 29 in Yahoo, #7 at MSN and #1 in Google (as of this writing).
But the really interesting thing is that even on phrases that rank equally well across all three major engines, Google delivers referred traffïc at a rate of 65% compared to MSN at less than 1% and Yahoo about 5% of all referred visitor traffïc. In NO case does Yahoo or MSN refer any clickthroughs at higher than 10% of all referred traffïc.
Referred traffïc being visitors that clicked on your link from search results or links. This applies both in single instances for specific keywords and cumulatively for all referred traffïc.
Hear this very clearly – it has nothing to do with ranking! There are dozens of search phrases that visitors have searched on all three of those engines that deliver traffïc to my site that I can't find my own site for in the top 100 results at ANY search engine. In every case, Google delivers more than twice the traffïc for every keyword combination than does MSN or Yahoo!. In many cases, I rank HIGHER on both Yahoo and MSN for many of those phrases, yet Google delivers far more referred traffïc for those phrases ranked higher at MSN and Yahoo! Does that make any sense?
If your referred traffïc from top rankings at MSN and Yahoo send you no traffïc, why be concerned that you rank well with either of them? This same scenario has played out across dozens of client sites I've reviewed traffïc statistics for. No matter how the site is structured, no matter how many pages they have, no matter what keywords they are targeting.
Search engine referred traffïc from Google is always ALWAYS 2 times higher than the other two and very often as much as 10 times. If we ranked engines, NOT on number of searches performed, but on how much traffïc they refer, then Google would be more than twice as highly ranked in all cases.
If Google disappeared tomorrow, there would be some dramatically reduced visitor numbers for ALL sites across the web. We would, every single one of us, löse over half of our (organic) search engine referred traffïc. Look at your traffïc statistics for natural search engine referred traffïc (not PPC) volume and which keywords are currently working to deliver that traffïc as far more important than your specific # keyword ranking on those search engines.
Avoid the practice of "Keyword Voodoo" to rank for words that no one searches. Google "Keyword Voodoo" and you'll find me ranked 5 times for that phrase on page one of the search engine results page. "Reciprocal Linking Turkey" will give you the same result, showing my article on several web sites. Each of those does me no good at all and brings no more search engine referred traffïc than does my number one ranking for "Invisible Entrepreneurs" used in the title of this article.
Target the wrong keywords and you will become one of those Invisible Entrepreneurs.
About The Author
Mike Banks Valentine practices ethical search optimization through content aggregation and creation for your website Optimizing press releases for keyword density – distributed online for visibility & more effective link building
Contact Mike at: http://www.seoptimism.com/SEO_Contact.htm


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How I Met My Husband:
I was a big zinester in my twenties. It was a great excuse to continue writing after I graduated from college and left the structure of creative writing behind. Cul-de-sac was a zine I started with a friend about growing up in the suburbs. It was filled with hilarious tales of childhood woe. The zine did quite well, landing in the top one hundred zines list two years in a row in Zine World magazine (Zine World zine?). One of the places cul-de-sac was sold was a store called Quimby's in Wicker Park, Chicago. One day I received an email at the cul-de-sac email address. It was from a guy living in my neighborhood in Chicago, inviting local zinesters to a zine release party at his loft. The guy, Matt, said he thought cul-de-sac was funny, and he referenced one of my articles (the one about my obsession with the banjo player from Deliverance). I was intrigued, so I wrote him back. Through a series of daily emails, Matt and I got to know each other during the few weeks leading up to the party.
Matt and I never said where these emails were leading (although I did give him a survey, asking him questions about what celebrity he most looked like and if he did, indeed, have hair). The fact that both of our zines spoke explicitly about our romantic exploits (pre-dating each other) made it unclear what either of us wanted. Still, I was way excited about meeting Matt in person. He told me the famous people he thought he looked like were Damon Albarn (of Blur and Gorillaz) and David Duchovny (of The X-Files). Plus, not only was he a local, charming zinester, but he had a REAL JOB not easy to find in a hipster boy.
The night of the party February 12, 2000 (I remember the date because it was my Grandma Bess's birthday) I was insanely nervous. The party was huge lots of people, artwork, and zine readings. It took me many minutes to get up the nerve to find Matt. Eventually I introduced myself to who I thought was Matt, but was actually his friend Chris. Matt was sitting next to Chris. So cute!
We spent some time together at the party, although he spent much of the evening playing host and wrangling his drunk friends (btw, for all of those reading, I don't drink. At all. I'm not just saying that). At the end of the night, I asked if he would be my valentine (V-Day being only two days away). He said yes, confirmed by an adorable email (I believe he said I was a "sweet tater") and we've been together ever since.
I hope this romantic tale inspires you to get your own writing out there. You never know who may be reading it.
Copyright 2011 Julie Halpern


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The SMART Automation Austria is Austria's only industrial automation technology trade fair and focuses on factory and process automation.
The goods and services on show include everything from components to complete systems and integrated automation solutions, and cover an entire range of product areas in industrial automation.
The SMART Automation Austria is the commercial platform for the Austrian automation industry and takes place on an annual basis, alternating between Vienna and Linz. It attracts around 270 exhibitors from 14 countries; many of whom are market leaders and technological pioneers.
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The opening evening event of the North Eastern Public Humanities Consortium featured a one-woman dance and multi-media performance by Jennifer Harrison Newman. An acclaimed dancer, Newman presented "The Geneva Project". Newman describes the project as "an inter-disciplinary dance work exploring history, blood memory, and the traces of an ancestral past." It is based on her the discovery of a family photograph in the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information (FSA-OWI) collection from the Library of Congress. The dance was commissioned for the launch of Photogrammar, a web-based interactive research system for mapping, searching, and visualizing 170,000 photographs from 1935 to 1945 created by the FSA-OWI.
The Geneva Project was created in part through The Field's Emerging Artist Residency program, supported by the Lambent Foundation Fund of the Tides Foundation, Mabou Mines Resident Artist Program and the National Performance Network Creation Fund. Photogrammar is supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant and Yale University.


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Our Soul Team Board
The Soul Team Board is lead by a general chairman who works closely with an assistant general chairman, convention secretary, ceremonies coordinator, computer coordinator, legal advisor and seven category chairmen--business, education, program, publicity, registration/housing, services and social/special events. PLUS, there are vice-chairmen and lots of other committed people who all work together! It truly takes a village to put on a fun and successful national square dance convention.
70th Organizational Chart Dec 2018 only GC reports cropped
Meet the Team
Glinda and Dan Torvik
General Chairman
Top Spinners Square Dance Club in Eads, TN
Mary and Mike Landry
Assistant General Chairman
Ozone Squares Square Dance Club in Covington, LA
Linda and Eric Dutton
Computer Coordinator
Belles and Buoys Square Dance Club in Gulfport, MS


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So you're hangin' in the neighborhood barbershop waiting for a chair to open so you can get a trim. There are five, maybe six barbers working, a whole bunch of customers sitting around, talking, reading comics, the paper, old magazines. School's starting soon, so there are a bunch of kids there. Gonna get cleaned up for that first day of school.
There's a couple of cops inside, dressed in civvies, just kind of looking around. This is, after all, this barbershop is in a black neighborhood. Or a Latino one. So you gotta figure someone's dealing crack and someone else is fencing hot TVs. And surely everyone is armed to to teeth and itchin' for a fight. Just sayin'.
In Berry v. Leslie, Judge Rosenbaum of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals tells what happened next.
Shortly after the arrival of the plain-clothes officers, a "whole bunch" of police cars pulled into the shopping plaza and completely blocked off the parking lot, preventing all ingress and egress. Officers then "rushed into" Strictly Skillz "like [a] SWAT team." Based on the plaintiffs' collective recollection, it appears that somewhere between eight and ten officers, including narcotics agents, descended upon the barbershop, along with a DBPR inspector. Some of the officers donned masks and bulletproof vests and had their guns drawn. The officers immediately ordered all of the customers to exit the shop and announced that the shop was "closed down indefinitely."Because, you know, one or another of the barbers might not have been licensed. That's why the DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) inspector was there. They have a duty to enforce the law that says barbers have to be licensed. They get to check every two years. They did their check (one guy walked in, asked to see the licenses, saw them, and complemented the owner of Strictly Skillz on keeping the place up properly) two days earlier and all was well at Stricktly Skillz, but hey, you never know. This is Orange County Florida, after all. And the ghetto.
And so the DBPR folk teamed up with the OCSO (that's Orange County Sheriff's Office) and their neat masks and vests and guns. They came in with the plastic handcuffs and lots of shouting and threatening. Because hey, unlicensed barbers. And the ghetto.
* * * * *Did you know that there are some 12,000 bayonets out there that the military has made available to local police departments? At a Senate hearing last month on the military's devolution of MRAPs and anti-tank missiles and grenade launchers and the like to your friendly neighborhood constabulary, Rand Paul asked Alan Estevez, the Pentagon's principal deputy undersecretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics, why those 12,000 bayonets have been made available. Of what possible use could they be?
From the Christian Science Monitor.
"I cannot answer what use bayonets would be," Estevez said.
"I can answer it for you," Senator Paul said. "None."
Even in Florida, where the locals have 45 MRAPs to protect their officers from IEDs on suburban byways but the National Guard has none because why the fuck would they need any, they were apparently able to send a narcotics officer and kevlar protected and masked police to determine whether the barbers had licenses without using a single MRAP. And without any bayonets, I should add.
[And, by the way, think of the danger from having your hair cut by someone without state certification and approval. My god. The result might not be altogether satisfying. But Florida (like every other state, I should add) has insured that nobody ever gets a haircut they don't like. Praise God! But I digress.]
Anyway, and back to the story I started this with, Brian Berry, who owns Strictly Skillz, sued the officers who conducted the raid. Who said, as cops are wont,
Hey, asshole. You can't sue us. We're the fucking police. We got immunity.
To which the judge said,
Actually, no. You don't.
See, here's how it works. Police need a warrant and probable cause to conduct a search. These folks had neither a warrant nor probable cause. They had, they said, an exception to that rule. Because the Fourth Amendment, which says the government can't conduct searches without probable cause and really shouldn't without a warrant, doesn't actually mean that anymore. 'Cause if it did, that would be the end of the Republic. (You know, unlicensed barbers releasing unregulated hair gel on unsuspecting customers.)
There are, the Supreme Court has said, exceptions to the Fourth Amendment's requirements. One is for what are known as "administrative searches." Judge Rosenbaum explained (citations omitted).
One of those limited exceptions involves administrative inspections of "closely regulated" industries. Because an owner or operator of commercial property "has a reduced expectation of privacy" in this context, the standard for what may be reasonable under the Fourth Amendment is correspondingly broader.
To fall within this exception, a warrantless inspection must satisfy three criteria: (1) "a 'substantial' government interest [must] inform[] the regulatory scheme pursuant to which the inspection is made"; (2) the inspection "must be necessary to further [the] regulatory scheme"; and (3) "the statute's inspection program, in terms of the certainty and regularity of its application, [must] provid[e] a constitutionally adequate substitute for a warrant. The regulatory "statute must [also] be sufficiently comprehensive and defined" such that it "limits the discretion of inspecting officers." "'Where a statute authorizes the inspection but makes no rules governing the procedures that inspectors must follow, the Fourth Amendment and its various restrictive rules apply.'"
But even when the criteria set forth above are met, to satisfy the Fourth Amendment, an administrative inspection must be "appropriately limited" in both scope and execution and may not serve as a backdoor for undertaking a warrantless search unsupported by probable cause. Above all, such inspections may never circumvent the Fourth Amendment's requirement for reasonableness. In this regard, "an administrative screening search must be as limited in its intrusiveness as is consistent with satisfaction of the administrative need that justifies it."
If you're inclined to think sending a SWAT team to find out if a barber has a license is overly intrusive . . . . Well, so do Judge Rosenbaum and the other two panel members. Then again, they've got history to look at.
We first held nineteen years ago that conducting a run-of-the-mill administrative inspection as though it is a criminal raid, when no indication exists that safety will be threatened by the inspection, violates clearly established Fourth Amendment rights. See Swint v. City of Wadley, 51 F.3d 988 (11th Cir. 1995). We reaffirmed that principle in 2007 when we held that other deputies of the very same Orange County Sheriff's Office who participated in a similar warrantless criminal raid under the guise of executing an administrative inspection were not entitled to qualified immunity. See Bruce v. Beary, 498 F.3d 1232 (11th Cir. 2007). Today, we repeat that same message once again. We hope that the third time will be the charm.
I'd hope so, too.
But I wouldn't believe it for a minute.
h/t Hilary S (who also provided the title of this post)
Radley Balko wrote about the same story in his blog at the Washington Post.


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As much as Nigerians love Nollywood and their movies, parents are becoming steadily wary of the prominence being given to immorality through X-rated films lately. In this report, RUTH CHOJI examines the place of regulating and censorship agencies in sanitising the industry.
Having become the second largest film industry in the world, most viewers are of the opinion that Nollywood movies would have risen beyond a certain level of immorality and barbarism that could be considered averagely above board. They are daily descending into immorality that is polluting the mind of young audience who are the majority viewers.
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Nigeria, nay Africa in general, value the issue of morality because it is embedded in their socio-cultural lives and this includes norms, values, taboos and beliefs. Juliet Chinasa, an actress who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday on immorality in Nigerian movies, stated that, "the world has changed and people are more interested in explicit content.
They want to see beautiful women with beautiful bodies. Ours is still better because we don't make love in movies or parade our nakedness. We just wear skimpy dresses and kiss once in a while. This does not mean we are immoral. After all, these things actually happen in secret, even the children know most of the things they see. It is up to parents to control what their children watch, ours is to entertain."
Another aspiring actor who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday is Anita Daniel and she said, "yes I want to be a star but I won't expose my body to make it in Nollywood. Those who do it are desperadoes. It is against our beliefs and culture. In fact, my father will kill me if he sees me parading naked in films. He doesn't even like Nigerian movies because of what he sees on TV. I won't give him reason to ban me from acting."
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Evangelist Peter Ali, who has produced two Christian movies stated that, "immorality in movies was what pushed me to the industry. I don't like what I see in our secular films and I feel this is one way I can propagate the word of God. The youths need to know that you can watch a movie and enjoy it without learning bad things. The power of television has brought a lot of changes, some for good and some for bad and it is worse in the lives of the teenagers.
I don't like it when I see our movie actors act Nud£ or half naked, smoke w£ed and also portray some funny behaviours; children watch and pick these habits. A director does not have to use such things to make his film sell. So, when you talk of censorship, it must start with self; that is the director himself must know what is right and wrong, what the society expects from him and what he will like to see his children watch and learn.
There must be a desire to do the right thing without debasing or lowering the taste of the films. Movies to me are supposed to be channels of promoting societal values and norms. Most of these directors allow such things because they want to sell their movies. But it is not all about the money. If you notice, you will see that young people now believe in getting rich quick or die trying because that is what they see on TV. Another problem is that the actors themselves love wearing such clothes. On most sets, the producer and director don't have a say over what the actors wear because theycdon't have money to buy the kind of clothes they would want them to wear and so, they overlook such things.
What I believe is that films are meant to educate, socialise and play a theRap£utic role in the lives of the audience. Unfortunately, that is not the norm today as most of our movies are based on S£x, violence, fetishism, occultism, voodoo, prostitution, sibling rivalry, evils of polygamy, devilish spiritualism and rituals or juju, black magic, sorcery, ritual murder, witchcraft, obscenity, kidnapping and money worship. It is wrong and the producers must stop it. They have the final say because if they don't produce movies, the actor won't become an actor. They should be the first censors before the actual censors board can come to play."
Also speaking on the issue, a lecturer of mass communication, Abdullahi Garba also stated, "I am also worried over the content of our local movies.


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Mobile Payment Service Domain is getting more and more attention day by day. Giants like Apple, Google are trying their heart out to grab the available market base. Electronic fund transfer companies like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and lots of startups are trying for partnerships with these technological giants.
Those who have exited this lucrative market are MSN Wallet, Yahoo! Wallet, AOL Wallet, Wallet365 etc. The next name making the exit was Softcard. Google bought it and integrated it with Google wallet in Feb'15 which has now been replaced by Android Wallet. At the helm of all this turmoil is the mobile based $650Billion payment. Day by day more and more customers are opting for this mode of payment.
Here is an analysis by FS Labs for why Softcard ran out of steam just in 18 months after its launch!!
About Softcard
- Inception: Started as Isis Wallet, with a backing of AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon, it was an attempt to compete mobile payment firms – PayPal & Google Wallet. Trio of the mobile carriers blocked Google's attempt to enter into mobile payment service by using NFC and started Isis Wallet with an aim to control Secure Pin technology.
- Product on offering: An Isis App would enable customer's Smartphone to be their banker in all regular Sears & Roebucks. Customers obedience in carrying Smartphone everywhere would be utilized for more swift payments at regular goods & service at point of sales location equipped with NFC. It enabled a contactless communication through a simple waving of Smartphone over NFC compatible devices for send information. Customers Wallet was always secure in their pocket.
- How innovative it was ? Bills would be paid without taking out actual card or time consuming card swapping and then waiting for payment to happen- this was the intend. Credit card numbers would never be shared with the merchants , thereby reducing risk of frauds. Merely by saving the credentials on App would make customer ready for mobile based payment. Few voted for it as very innovative but it lacked the loyal customer base like that of apple or android.
- Was this product a problem solver ? Few would argue if Isis Wallet solved any real life problem. All it did was solving a non-existent problem. At the time of launch of Isis Wallet, customers were quite happy in paying though cards. By contrast unawareness of how to use Isis Wallet platform on mobile lead customers to make payment through Isis wallet a time consuming option.
- Growth of Isis Wallet: Initial backing of Isis wallet by Telco's was the basis that it would compete against likes of Visa & MasterCard. Major mobile manufacturers supported it and ensured including Isis platform in all mobiles at manufacturing stage. In fact Google was blocked by Telco's for providing Isis Wallet an unparallel growth.
- Reach in customer base : For attracting customers and educating them about NFC technology , one million complimentary Jamba Juices were given away to Softcard users. Despite these efforts, the adoption rate of Softcard was not good enough to sustain the business. It always remained last proffered option among the mobile payment service providers.
Why it failed ?
As Hsuan-hua Chang puts it "After all, a vision has to be either supported by a market demand or inspiring enough to create a new market entirely. Isis Wallet never did that."
- Limited reach and Deviating the initially decided path – Initiated by the trio of Telco's as a payment method that would compete against Visa and MasterCard, Isis Wallet lost the battle as soon as it lost its conviction to compete. Softcard was initially limited to a handful of Android devices from the three carriers and required a distinct app specific to each one of those carriers. The moment that ISIS decided to just become a mobile wallet (with no value proposition) that would incorporate payment methods such as Visa, MC and Amex, was the turning point which made it stand last in the list of many payment gateways.
- Controversial Name & Re-branding – Remember Isis ? Oh well , it's the great Islamic state active in wars against all in middle east. Faring badly in grabbing customer base and already tight in revenue making, Isis Wallet was struck with lightening when Islamic state of Iraq & Syria rose. Isis Wallet re-branded itself and got a new name " Softcard". Already leaking heavy money in day to day operations, re-branding took a toll as it involved a lot of marketing activity.
- Poor marketing tactics – Softcard never disclosed actual data about its reach or number of customers using its app for mobile based payment. It never published any data about its acceptance to pubic. Actually data related to " who is using it" acts as a opinion maker for crowd. It gives an simple information to customer about what is the trend. People always go by trend. Softcard failed to market its product properly. The confusing mess of device, carrier, credit card, and retail support did nothing to help Softcard.
- Not a solution to problem & No education to customer: Softcard never solved any existing problem rather it was altogether a new domain with lack of consumer education and insufficient incentive. It was tedious as compared to basic card based payments. Apple has recently launched Apple Pay and first step for making it wide spread has been giving proper education to customers regarding the usage of product.
- Lack of Pure tech DNA – Populated with carrier personnel ( Less tech or product oriented and more of service provider DNA) Isis Wallet never had courage to develop a cutting edge, brand new, revolutionary product. It never had a pure tech talent needed for such a product. Organization was dependent on its partners and vendors for any kind of engineering and development. All of this led to a real soft card with no wow factor.
- Controlling the ecosystem: Why Android is a success ? Because Google never tried to force it on the customers. This OS along with a loads of imperfection is still the top choice among costumers. Google has always supported an open approach to this OS and a whole ecosystem has got developed around Android.
- Isis wallet and Trio of Telco's aimed at controlling secure element, branding and device requirements, but had based the business case on everyone else in the ecosystem blindly embracing this closed model that everyone else was expected to contribute to. No wonder, Isis never made any friends, except the consultants, PR companies and lawyers.
- Better future with Google :The carriers desperately want something that can compete with Apple Pay. With broader availability across most new Android devices and support from all four major carriers, the combined Softcard-Google Wallet service has a better chance to tackle Apple Pay. (There's still some question about credit card support for Google Wallet, but we'll pretend that banks will warm up to the idea.) From a marketing standpoint, all the entities here are in a much stronger position.
Softcard Sold. Old Rivals Google and Apple have squared again in fiercest forthcoming battle.
That's all from FS Labs. Stay tuned for more..
Your suggestions for improvement are welcome. We would love to read your comments and mails. Adios.


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David Cameron took champagne off the menu at the Tories' annual fundraising Black and White Ball in the City.
He reckoned it would look bad in an age of cuts – although these are landing mainly on the poor and vulnerable.
Instead, those at the £15,000-a-table shindig – barons, financiers and the rest – had to make do with sea bass, while bidding up to £35,000 for a concert box.
Does anyone still believe Cameron's mantra that "we're all in it together"?
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the reality – the richest households have pulled even further ahead, with the top ten per cent now owning almost half of the country's £11.1 trillion total private wealth.
In comparison, the least wealthy 50 per cent of households had only 8.7 per cent of total UK household wealth in 2012-14.
Since the previous survey two years earlier, the top tenth of households had seen a 21 per cent increase in their wealth, including property and shares.
The truth behind David Cameron and George Osborne's boasts of an upturn is that the economy is paying people too little for hard work, and too much just for sitting on wealth.
Those who are already rich are moving even further ahead of the typical family who would be stretched to find the bus fare to a fundraising ball.


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Economic Development Commission
The Economic Development Commission was created by an ordinance adopted by the Enfield Town Council at a Regular Meeting held on November 6, 1996, pursuant to Chapter III, Section 6 of the Enfield Town Charter and CT General Statute Section 7-136. The purpose of the Economic Development Commission shall be for the promotion and development of the economic resources of the Town of Enfield. The commission is comprised of nine (9) members who shall reside or conduct business in Enfield. The members are appointed by the Town Manager. In addition, the Town Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission shall each appoint one (1) liaison to serve as an ex-officio member. Term of office is five (5) years. Meetings are held at least on a quarterly basis.
Enfield Beautification Committee
The Beautification Committee was originally established by Resolution #3577, adopted at a Regular Meeting of the Town Council on November 13, 1978. The purpose of the committee was to protect or improve the physical appearance of the community. The original members of the committee were appointed by the Town Council to indefinite terms of office and the resolution further stated that future members would be appointed on a self-appointing basis from the membership. With the creation of the Keep America Beautiful Committee (Keep Enfield Beautiful Committee) in 1990, several members of the Beautification Committee were absorbed into this committee. Eventually, the Beautification was dissolved and the Keep Enfield Beautiful Committee (KEB) took on the responsibility of the beautification of Enfield. KEB's main focus was the Adopt-A-Spot program. This committee became dormant during 1997 and requested that the Town Council find another group to take on the Adopt-A-Spot Program. By the adoption of Resolution #3341, on January 20, 1998, the Enfield Beautification Committee was re-established and the Keep Enfield Beautiful Committee was dissolved. The newly established Beautification Committee will consist of five (5) resident electors of the Town, appointed by the Town Council, who have the interest and expertise to serve on this committee. They will serve as advisors to the Town Council and any other Board, Agency, or Commission desiring their assistance in planning for the orderly growth and beautification of the community. In addition, the committee shall also be comprised of a liaison from each of the following: one (1) from the Town Manager's Office; one (1) from the Public Works Department; one (1) from the Town Council. Term of office would be for three (3) years. By the adoption of Resolution No. 4896 on November 13, 2000, the number of resident electors of the Town was changed to nine (9). Also changed, the committee now has two (2) Town Council Liaisons and one (1) Town Liaison.
The committee meets the second Tuesday of each month, except January, July and August at 7:00 pm.
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Enfield High School Building Committee
The Enfield High School Building Committee works with the Town and School Staff, architects and selected contractors to prepare the design plans for the expansion and renovation of Enfield High School.
The Building Committee also works with the selected contractors to complete the project, be expected to attend weekly/monthly meetings throughout the project time frame, and make important decisions related to the overall progress of the project.
The Building Committee will consist of eleven (11) regular members and two (2) alternates to serve at the pleasure of the Town Council. The Building Committee shall designate its Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. The Building Committee shall act as a "school building committee" for the project pursuant to CT Gen. Statute 10-291 and the applicable regulations of the State Department of Education. There shall be four (4) non-voting liaisons to the Building Committee as follows: two (2) members of the Town Council and two (2) members of the Board of Education.
Enfield Housing Partnership
This committee was created to develop ways to increase the supply and availability of affordable housing in the Town of Enfield. This committee is comprised of the Mayor, representatives of the Planning & Zoning Commission, Conservation Commission, Human Relations Commission, Housing Authority, Loan Review Committee, Development/Redevelopment Agency, Fair Rent Commission, Board of Education and representatives of the local business community, public interest groups, as well as Town staff. Appointments are made by the Mayor. Term of office is indefinite.
This committee is currently inactive.
Enfield Revitalization Strategy Committee
This committee was established by the Town Council as the Thompsonville Revitalization Strategy Committee to develop a strategy to create a sense of identity of place for Thompsonville. The ERSC works closely with Town staff to develop action plans and strategies to recommend to the Town Council for the implementation of various goals and objectives. There are 21 persons appointed by the Mayor with consent of the Council. The committee is also staffed by the Community Development Office, two town council liaisons---one from each party, one planning and zoning commission member, one economic development commission member and one beautification committee member. The committee meets the fourth Thursday of the month.
Ethics Commission
The Ethics Commission was established in accordance with the provisions of Section 7-148h of the CT General Statutes. The commission is empowered to investigate allegations of unethical conduct, corrupting influence, illegal activities or other behavior that would reflect adversely against the Town of Enfield, levied against any municipal official, officer or employee. The term of office of each commissioner is two (2) years. The Ethics Commission meets on the fourth Monday of alternating months.
Fair Rent Commission
The Fair Rent Commission was established in May of 1970 (Article VII, Town Code). The Fair Rent Commission shall have all the authority, powers, responsibilities and duties vested in such commissions under the provision #274 of the State of Connecticut Public Acts of 1969, as it may from time to time be amended. The commission is comprised of seven (7) members. It receives and hears complaints and conducts studies in order to control and eliminate excessive rental charges. The commission designates investigators to research complaints. The commission consists of two (2) tenants, two (2) landlords and three (3) individuals who are neither landlord nor tenants (i.e., homeowners). The appointments to this commission are made by the Town Manager for a term of two (2) years. Three (3) persons shall be appointed by the Town Manager as Complaint Investigators. The commission meets as needed.
Hazardville Water Advisory Committee
The Hazardville Water Advisory Council was established by Resolution #230 adopted by the Town Council at a regular meeting held on October 21, 1991. This resolution was drafted in accordance with Senate Bill 809 (also covered by Section 16-262a of the CT General Statutes), which allows the formation of the Water Advisory Council in conjunction with other municipalities which receive water service from the same company. Resolution #230 specified that the makeup of the committee would consist of three (3) voting members from Enfield and one (1) voting member from Somers. Each community would have one (1) non-voting alternate member. Members to be appointed by the represented town's chief elected body. Additionally, the Hazardville Water Company shall appoint an officer of the company to serve as a voting member of the Advisory Council and honor reasonable requests for documentation. Terms of office are for two (2) years. The Advisory Council meets on alternate months on the last Tuesday of the month.
Historic District Commission
The Historic District Commission was established by ordinance adopted by the Enfield Town Council on July 17, 1972 and revised on June 6, 1983 (Section 4B-3 through 4B-14 of the Town Code). The powers and duties of the commission are as provided for in the CT General Statutes. In its deliberations, the commission shall not consider interior arrangement or use and shall take no action except for the purpose of preventing the erection, reconstruction, restoration, alteration or razing of buildings in the historic district obviously incongruous with the historic aspects of the district. The commission is comprised of five (5) regular members, not less than three (3) of these shall be residents within the historic district. In addition, the ordinance provides for the appointment of three (3) alternate members. The term of office is for five (5) years. Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Housing Authority
The Housing Authority of the Town of Enfield was established in accordance with Section 8-40 of the CT General Statutes. The Housing Authority is comprised of five (5) members, one (1) of which shall be a tenant who lives in the housing owned or managed by the authority. The Executive Director of the Housing Authority is also a member, as well as two (2) liaisons of the Town Council. No commissioner of a housing authority may hold any public office in the municipality for which the authority was created. The authority is responsible for overseeing the operation and management of low and moderate-income properties owned by the authority. Term of office for members of the authority is five (5) years. Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month.
Housing Code Appeals Board
The Housing Code Appeals Board was created by ordinance (Section 5A-7 of the Enfield Town Code) in accordance with the provisions of the CT General Statutes as they relate to the taking of appeals from municipal administrative bodies. This board is comprised of five (5) regular members and two (2) alternate members who are appointed by the Town Manager with approval of the Town Council. Each member shall serve until his successor is appointed and has qualified, and any vacancy shall be filled in like manner for the unexpired term. The Board consists of a fire chief or fire marshal from one of the Town's fire districts; a licensed architect or a licensed civil engineer; a building, plumbing or electrical contractor; a licensed physician or a registered nurse; a professional psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. The two (2) alternates may be chosen from any of the above categories of persons and shall serve for five (5) years. The purpose of this board is to hear the appeal of a property owner who has been issued a notice by the Housing Code Enforcement Officer that the property in question is unfit for habitation and, therefore, is condemned, or that the property does not comply with the minimum standards or requirements to which all housing must comply. This board meets as needed.
Human Services Advisory Commission
The Human Services Advisory Commission was established by Resolution #2520 adopted by the Town Council on April 15, 1996. The purpose of this ad hoc committee is to review and monitor non-profit human service agencies and programs which are supported financially by the Town, or provided directly by the Town and advise the council of strategies for improved service. The commission is comprised of seven (7) members appointed by the Mayor, subject to the approval of the Town Council. Two (2) members of the commission shall be members of the Town Council, not from the same political party. The original appointment was for one year expiring July 1, 1997. The term of office was extended to June 1, 1998 by Resolution #3052, at a regular meeting of the Town Council held June 2, 1997. At their regular meeting of July 6, 1998, by Resolution #3536, the Enfield Town Council authorized the Human Services Advisory Commission to remain intact, and to meet as warranted in order to advise the Town Council and staff on human service needs and authorized the commission to continue to function in this manner until determined otherwise by the Town Council.


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ST. GEORGE, Utah — Skinny men of stature gain some great-fitting new options for getting dressed, as TallSlim Tees expands its lineup. Responding to a tremendous reception for its original TallSlim Tees t-shirts in five hues and two sizes, the company has added several new styles and tripled the number of available colors.
In addition to classic t-shirts in both short- and long-sleeved formats, TallSlim Tees customers can now choose between crew and v-neck options, along with polo and athletic shirts, tank tops, hoodies, and more. With every item tailored to fit tall men with slim builds, the new additions to the lineup can be seen in the TallSlim Tees photo gallery online.
"We're excited to announce that we've greatly expanded our catalog, adding many new styles, colors, and sizes in response to demand from our fans," TallSlim Tees founder Dan Deceuster said, "We were never satisfied with the compromises tall, slim men were traditionally forced to make when it came to apparel. Our mission to provide a better answer has resounded with a great many men, and we'd like to thank everyone who has supported us so far. With these new additions to our catalog, we're going to make it even easier for slim guys of considerable height to look great wherever they go."
With the waistlines of many people steadily growing, some men have traditionally faced a problem of an entirely different kind. While apparel makers have in recent decades sought to accommodate men who were especially tall or massive, men over six feet tall with slim builds had generally been left behind. That meant most were faced with choosing shirts of sufficient length that were cut far too full for their physiques, or else picking out something that fit properly through the chest and shoulders but which came up short below.
TallSlim Tees was founded to resolve this problem once and for all. With an initial lineup of t-shirts offered in five colors and two styles, the company met with success from the start. Buzz grew quickly, as men who had never before enjoyed access to properly fitted casual shirts, simply because of their dimensions, spread the word.
Thanks to that momentum, TallSlim Tees has now expanded its catalog significantly. In addition to the classic short- and long-sleeved tees that kicked things off, TallSlim Tees customers can now choose from an array of other styles, including tank tops, hoodies, and more. With ten new colors and new sizes adding further to the variety, tall, slim men have more options than ever before. Visitors to the TallSlim Tees website will find detailed sizing information, pictures of all the company's products, and a convenient, secure, online store.
About TallSlim Tees:
With a full range of t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, and other apparel, all fitted to make tall, slim guys look great, TallSlim Tees does away with the compromises and trade-offs that used to be the norm.
Source: http://finance.nrn.com/nrn/news/read/32538081


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Lil Wayne's 'Tha Carter V' on the Way, YMCMB Executive Teases New Music
Lil Wayne released 'I Am Not a Human Being II' and 'Dedication 5' within months of each other to mixed reviews, but he's still working on new material. It looks like more music from him may be coming soon according to YMCMB Senior Vice President of Promotion Mel Smith.
Assuming this is true, this means Lil Wayne's retirement is coming soon as well. The Young Money leader said in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel back in June that he was planning on
retiring after 'Carter V' drops.
This can also mean we might see some of Lil Wayne's best material in years. This is not only because this is his last hurrah; Lil Wayne tweeted in August that he promises to work harder "even if it kills me" after seeing he wasn't nominated for any BET or MTV Video Music Awards.


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Particular Education
Alex 'Loughlin needs to hold in shape to have the ability to star as Chief Steve McGarrett within the top CBS TV series re-make Hawaii Five-. Here we check out his health workout and routines that enable him to look like he does within the photo you possibly can see alongside. This social health insurance model that France makes use of has made France the World's greatest health care supplier. This social health insurance coverage model is only a easy arrangement that may be copied by any other nation. The truth that it has been successful in France doesn't imply it must be profitable abroad. Plenty of success will depend on the management of the fund, the integrity of the residents and the political help the government receives from its people.
constipation often makes us so bloated and in addition a glut. to scale back bloating and likewise add to the intestinal health, consume meals that include fiber. flaxseed, carrots, oranges, in addition to numerous barley in foods that include soluble fiber simple. nevertheless, dark inexperienced leafy greens, spinach, kale, nuts and sesame seeds counted in soluble fiber which is not easy.
Due to all this, despite spending (by far) the most cash on healthcare, our system ranks a pathetic thirty seventh on this planet, behind such medically-enlightened luminaries comparable to Colombia, Morocco, and Luxemborg. Whereas some could doubt the methods behind this explicit metric, enough comparable research using different methods have come to similar conclusions to certify that sure, we suck.
Receive the most recent coupons, special offers, articles, product opinions and the newest health & wellness advice for seniors. New subscribers will receive 10% off of your first order! Breads will be re-supplemented with trace minerals iodine, magnesium, potassium and MSM. Hi Elizabeth. Thanks in your input and … Read More ...


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Just My Two Cents: Approaches to Recovery
- Time: 11:22 AM
What approach do you think works best for people in recovery? I felt compelled to write a brief not...
What approach do you think works best for people in recovery?
I felt compelled to write a brief note around a couple treatment and recovery models (or approaches) associated with the disease of addiction and one of the unfortunate consequential characteristics of active addiction: homelessness.
My interest in this subject matter is directly related to the work we do here at Mariners Inn, my years of experience as a social worker working in the field of addiction, and the admirably necessary work done by programs providing services where homelessness is the primary or "presenting problem" (as we say in the field).
Programs that serve the homeless, where homelessness is the presenting problem, practice what is known as the Housing First model. Simply put, this model concludes that housing is the immediate and primary problem to solve, while the type of supportive services necessary to help individuals or families remain housed come later. Treatment and Recovery programs that serve people with a desire to arrest the disease of addiction as a primary focus practice the Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) model.
It is important to note that some of the guiding principles of the Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) support the process of healing by acknowledging that:
- There are many pathways to recovery
- Recovery is supported by peers and allies
- Recovery involves (re)joining and (re)building a life in the community
- Recovery is a reality.
ROSC identifies specific elements that are paramount to the implementation of the principles that promote long-term recovery. Some of those elements conclude that services must be:
- Integrated
- Person-centered
- Strength-based, and
- have a Commitment to peer recovery support services
Adversely, the Housing First model:
- does not require residents to achieve certain milestones (e.g., abstinence from substances, treatment attendance, clinical stability) to acquire or maintain housing
- Advocates harm reduction; limiting the risks and harms associated with unsafe drug and alcohol use by promoting infrequent use versus abstinence
A number of my colleagues in the field and I fully support and believe that peer recovery support services, including recovery housing as a transition to independent living, are essential to the successful community reintegration needed by recovering people seeking long-term sobriety. One of my esteemed colleagues wrote; "Personally, I believe that you have to separate the two approaches of housing first and "recovery first". Recovery goals must be clearly identified and services have to be available to help those who are striving to recover. To allow people to continue to use drugs in a facility that advocates being drug free is a contradiction to recovery."
What do you think?
- David Sampson, CEO, MSW, LMSW


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- Galleries & Museums
- artsPlace
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- Barrier Lake
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- Distillery & Brewery Tours
- Café's
- Camping
- Canmore Nordic Centre
- Canoeing & Paddleboarding
- Casual Dining
- Caving
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- Dog Sledding
- Downtown Canmore
- Elevation Place
- Fat Biking
- Fine Dining
- Golfing
- Health & Wellness
- Heli-Tour
- Hiking
- Horseback Riding
- Kananaskis Wildlife Drive
- Mountain Biking
- Policeman's Creek Boardwalk
- Quarry Lake
- Scenic Float Tours
- Shopping
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- Skiing and Snowboarding
- Snowshoeing
- Spa
- The Legacy Trail
- Three Sisters Mountain
- Cultural & Traditional Activities
- Upper & Lower Kananaskis Lake
- White Water Rafting
- World Flavours
Things to Do \ Mountain Biking
As Canada's Mountain Sports Destination, Canmore is a hub of adventure for cycling enthusiasts worldwide. From scenic paths perfect for road biking to adrenaline-pumping downhill tracks for mountain bikers - Canmore has it all. Below is a list of major cycling attractions and information.
With a network of more than 100 kilometres of trails, the Canmore Nordic Centre offers some of the best mountain biking in the Canadian Rockies....
The Horseshoe Loop and G8 Loop are an intermediate cross-country ride; they are rooty in sections, with a few steep climbs. Both trails are...
Gear Up Sports is a complete outdoor rental shop. We not only rent skis and snowboards, but a complete line of gear to play in the mountains. Other...
A scenic, and mostly-downhill ride on the west-side of Mount Rundle. Cross mountain streams, navigate gravel and dirt trails, and experience some...
The 80 kilometre High Rockies Trail, which connects Goat Creek at the Banff Park boundary to Elk Pass on the Alberta B.C. boundary, is the...
Highline Trail
A difficult and challenging ride, and a local favourite. Nestled in the slopes of Mt. Lawrence Grassi, Highline Trail travels from Quarry Lake Park...
Equipment Rentals and Guided Tours. Kananaskis Outfitters is your complete outdoor rental shop and tour guide.
Our rental gear includes mountain...
Legacy Trail
The Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail is a scenic 22 km paved trail that connects Canmore and Banff. The trail begins across from the Travel Alberta...
Montane Traverse
Beginning at the Cougar Creek Parking lot, this trail rises up above SilverTip Golf Course and continues to Harvie Heights. Enjoy incredible views of...
A great family bike ride exploring beautiful Kananaskis and Mount Shark. Follow thawed cross-country ski trails through grassy hills and gravel...
Established in the mid-90's Rebound is one of the premier bike shops anywhere, known world-wide for quality staff, bikes,...
Based in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, Ridgeline's professionally certified ACMG guides are thrilled to provide you with awesome mountain guided...
Caters to mountain lifestyles and adventures with a vast selection of bike, camping, hockey, ski/snowboard equipment, clothing and footwear. We carry...
Create new memories by touring or taking a lesson at the world class Canmore Nordic Centre with one of Trail Sports certified instructors. In winter...
Watridge Lake Trail
This 3.7 km trail follows an old exploration road to a junction where visitors wishing to see the lake, must turn and continue 200 m to the lake...


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The Word For the Week
Matthew 10:24-39
Last fall, my wife and I got a phone call from the children's home where our goddaughter lives. An alumna of their program, a good friend of the goddaughter's, had died. Would we come to the memorial service?
We would have anyway, but it didn't hurt that the goddaughter was singing at the service.
And not just singing, but singing. We didn't know until the kid opened up her mouth that she was going to do an a cappella rendition of "His Eye Is On the Sparrow." Wow! It wasn't technically perfect, but she sang it loud and clear. More important, she sang it with heart. There was no mistaking the message: His eye is on the sparrow, and so is mine.
I don't know how the kid made remembering a dead friend an act of defiance, but she did. Mrs. Pastor and I were dabbing away tears by the time she was done.
Remembering that story helps me put together the disparate parts of this morning's lesson. It's a collection of sayings stitched together to make a point, which is not unusual in the gospels. The first half of the reading is reassurance of God's love and protection; the second half an assurance that disciples are going to need that love and protection.
About that second half: it isn't so much that Jesus wants to run around blowing up families (quite a message for Father's Day). Instead, as one of my commentaries explains, disciples will inevitably have to make decisions about their priorities. To follow to Jesus' radical path leads inescapably to conflict, even within one's own family.
It's important to step back for a moment and remind ourselves that these words were not written for us. They were written for a group of people committed to beliefs that walked that fine line between "radical" and "insane." It was crazy--and contentious--enough to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. But on top of that, they added the completely insane idea that that reflected God's preference for the poor and dispossessed!
Early Christians, in other words, challenged the conventional wisdom in both religion and social priority. These folks were a menace to the status quo.
We can try to live out their faith, but I doubt we'll ever be pulled into the kind of conflict they must have experienced. Still, there are people who come close.
Norman Kansfield, for one:
SCHENECTADY, N.Y., June 17 - In the first trial of a minister in 100 years, the general assembly of the Reformed Church in America found Friday night that the Rev. Dr. Norman J. Kansfield, a leading Protestant theologian, had violated church law by officiating at the marriage of his daughter, Ann, to her partner, Jennifer Aull, a year ago.
The delegates also voted to suspend Dr. Kansfield, 65, from the ministry until he changes his views to fall in line with church doctrine, and to strip him of his standing as a professor of theology in the church.
Dr. Kansfield said the decision was "going to be very hard to deal with.
"My life," he said, "has been the ministry." But he was encouraged that at least one-third of the delegates - those who did not vote against him - were willing to consider a "far more open stance on the inclusion of gay people."
Dr. Kansfield's "family" here is not his own biological family, but the extended family of his church. One might fairly charge that he "loved his daughter more than Christ," but I don't believe so. Kansfield in fact acknowledged Christ before the world in testifying to his love and grace in uniting his daughter and her partner in a sacred bond.
You don't even have to claim that these two women face special challenges in the world, though of course they do. Any two lovers entering into matrimony face an uphill battle these days. Newlyweds are automatically qualified for sparrow status--especially, I think, when they get to their first arguments about who's going to balance the checkbook and who's going to make dinner after a long day at work.
My goddaughter would hate hearing this--she doesn't believe in same-sex marriage--but her example of fidelity, and Dr. Kansfield's, help to bolster my resolve when things get contentious. What she's too young to understand yet is how love for a friend or a family member is often a springboard for more abstract concern.
So it's her example, among others, that strengthens me when read about someone like Albert Mohler attacking the United Church of Christ again.
See, a few conservative churches in New Jersey have put up a resolution for the denomination's national gathering in July. It's a stalking horse; while on its face, there's nothing objectionable about it, if it is accepted, it will trap the denomination in the same kind of fundamentalist crap that overtook Mohler's Southern Baptist Convention twenty-five years ago. He says:
The resolution proceeds to remind the denomination that the UCC Constitution states that the body "claims as its own the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers." Accordingly, the resolution "provides an opportunity for General Synod to unashamedly, unabashedly proclaim that the UCC is a Christian denomination where Jesus is Lord."
Believe it or not, the resolution has attracted significant opposition, and some observers do not expect it to pass. Consider this reaction from a New Jersey pastor: "Religiously speaking, it sounds like apple pie," commented Rev. Raymond Kostulias of the First Congregational Church of Park Ridge. Nevertheless, he's not a supporter of the statement. He described the resolution as having "a judgmental quality to it that implies very strongly that those who do not agree with us are condemned or damned or hopeless -- and that's exactly the thing that UCC is against."
Well, Rev. Kostulias, that's what the Apostles and the early chuch called the defining line between orthodoxy and heresy -- between genuine faith and a false gospel. A denomination that cannot stand together in affirming the Lordship and deity of Jesus Christ is a denomination that has set itself against Scripture and the faith of the Christian Church.
But as Chuck Currie explains,
Mohler's interpretation of the resolution is misleading. He bears false witness to the United Church of Christ. Why would we actually oppose such a resolution?
The UCC respects freedom of individual conscience, and there are no "tests of faith" mandatory on our 1.4 million members, but we do honor the historic testimonies of our spiritual ancestors as they explored the Bible and applied its insights.
The resolution as worded would create a "test of faith" and in doing so would violate our church polity. In short, the resolution is an attempt (which I hope will fail) that seeks to make the UCC adopt a fundamentalist view of scripture that is common in Mohler's denomination. Click here to learn more.
The United Church of Christ is a denomination quite obviously committed to the Christian faith. We are not, however, a doctrinal church. Our members are not required to sign pledges that align us with one theological school or another. We trust our members to be faithful disciples and feel forcing dogma on them does nothing to further that discipleship. We put our faith in God before we put it in human tests of faith.
To which I can only add two things. First, that we also put our love in people before we put it in human tests of faith. Principles are no match in our church for the face of God in the face of a brother or sister.
Second, and more important, is this: in our very "Basis of Union," the agreement that brought the UCC into being, we declared that
denominations exist not for themselves but as parts of [the greater Church], within which each denomination is to live and labor and, if need be, die
It was originally meant as a commitment to the ecumenism that drove the formation of the UCC, but it is a reminder as well that the work we do is not our own, but Christ's.
And the last time I checked, Christ's eye was definitely on the sparrow, not theologically "sound" doctrine that happened to exclude whole categories of people from the grace and love of God in Christ Jesus.
So it's the sparrows I'm willing to take up my cross for, for whom I would lose my life and would be glad to lose my denomination's. I owe it to my goddaughter, and the memory of her friend.
Screw orthodoxy.


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05 September 2015
Match picture album courtesy of Josh Vosper, Chorley FC and Ian McRoy here
Alfreton Town made it back-to-back Vanarama National League North wins when they travelled to Chorley on Saturday, two goals in two minutes deep into the second half turning the game on its head. Superb finishes by John Johnston and debutant striker Jordan Robertson means that eight different Reds' players, plus an opponent, have now scored from their tally of ten goals, with defender Tom Allan leading the way on two. Robertson had been drafted straight into the starting line-up, with Sam Jones back in midfield after a short illness, with Joe lronside and Jamie Jackson reverting to the bench. There was an injury scare after just 60 seconds with Ryan Wilson needing lengthy treatment, but the midfielder shook it off to complete the 90 minutes. Chorley certainly had the better of the first half, although early chances were squandered by Jake Cottrell and Lewis Guy. Johnston's 16th minute angled drive, which was held by home keeper Sam Ashton, was Alfreton's first attempt at breaking through, then eight minutes later Johnston cut in from the right to fire over. Andy Teague headed over from Josh Hine's long throw in the 29th minute, then Matt Duke saved Dale Whitham's downward header, but Chorley took a 36th minute lead through Andy Bond with a low drive from 12 yards following a cross from Marcus Carver, despite there being a strong suspicion that Stefan Galinski had been impeded. Three minutes later Allan had Alfreton's best chance of the first half when his towering header whistled inches wide from Galinski's free-kick, then Wilson shot over from 25 yards and Johnston fired tamely at Ashton after being sent down the right from Duke's clearance.
Alfreton emerged from the break a different team, eager to go forward at every opportunity, Johnston twice going close before Robertson thumped the ball against the crossbar from the edge of the area on 52 minutes. Cliff Moyo was enjoying by far his best game in an Alfreton shirt, combining promising advances down the right flank with a couple of shots, one of which on 63 minutes required a stretching tip over by Ashton. Duke needed to parry Darren Stephenson's 71st minute drive, with Hine somehow missing from close range, and that was probably the turning point of the game as Alfreton were level within a further four minutes. It was a clinical through-ball by Jones that found Johnston on the left, and one touch by the latter took him around Ashton to curl the ball into an unguarded net from a diminishing angle. As Reds' fans were still celebrating the equaliser Robertson brilliantly controlled Niall Heaton's left flank cross to turn and fire low past Ashton from 16 yards with 13 minutes remaining. There were still a few anxious moments to survive as Alfreton tried to see out the game, notably a clear chance that was blazed over by Teague and a critical stretching save by Duke from a last minute Bond free-kick. At the end of the game Alfreton players lined up behind the goal to shake hands with their travelling fans, a scene only witnessed previously after an FATrophy triumph at Cambridge in 2011.
Alfreton Town Team:
Matt DukeTom AllanStefan GalinskiTodd Jordan (c)Niall HeatonCliff MoyoRyan WilsonJoe LeesleySam JonesJohn Johnston (Jamie Jackson, 82 mins)Jordan Robertson (Joe Ironside, 82 mins)Substitutes not used:Jason PalingNick Draper (GK)Sam Berry
Chorley Team:
Sam AshtonMark RossAdam DoddAndy TeagueKeiran CharnockJake CottrellJosh HineDale Whitham (Paul Jarvis,82 mins)Marcus Carver (James Dean, 69 mins)Andy BondLewis Guy (Darren Stephenson, 61 mins)Substitutes not used:Sam SheridanAdam Roscoe
GoalsChorley - Andy Bond (36)Alfreton Town - John Johnston (75), Jordan Robertson (77)
BookingsAlfreton Town - Cliff Moyo, Joe Leesley, Niall Heaton, Sam Jones, Stefan Galinski
Attendance: 1143
Man of the Match: Cliff Moyo
Referee: Graeme Fyvie of Sunderland
Match Reports
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