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The Secular Bible: Why Nonbelievers Must Take Religion Seriously
By Jacques Berlinerblau
Cambridge University Press, 232 pages, $19.99.
* * *|
God, it turns out, is not dead, but secularism might be — unless it deigns to take another look at itself, at God and at God's book, and seeks to study and know what it professes not to believe. This, according to Jacques Berlinerblau, is the news of the 21st century, despite the intellectual achievement of a "prepostmodern golden age of science and reason," with such "members of the pantheon" as Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Emil Durkheim, Max Weber, Bertrand Russell, Sigmund Freud and Jean-Paul Sartre.
In "The Secular Bible: Why Nonbelievers Must Take Religion Seriously," Berlinerblau makes the case that secular scholarship of the Bible — the word he uses to designate both the Tanakh and the New Testament — is urgent and necessary if we are to remain free to doubt and disbelieve, free to continue not to "live under the hegemony of the Book." It is worth noting, as Berlinerblau does, that this freedom on which secularists — by which he means "'secular humanists,' 'free thinkers,' 'atheists,' 'agnostics,' 'brights,' 'universists,'" all "members of overlapping secular sectaries," who "define themselves in opposition to religion, albeit religions about which they know very little" — so depend, arrived in the modern world courtesy of religious scholars who, though deeply pious, were also true to the critical method of higher learning. Their worldly rewards for these efforts: "heresy trials, excommunications, and faculty expulsions." This hard-earned freedom, Berlinerblau posits, now hangs on the willingness of secularists to become self-critical, rethink their beliefs, relinquish outmoded ideas that are no longer viable or even true, and, above all, to recognize that secularism itself is in a state of emergency, both intellectual and otherwise.
In the history of modern biblical scholarship, higher criticism's quest for textual origins is credited with giving rise to secularism when it cracked the lockbox of the Book as God's word and revealed a whole assembly of authors working over at least a millennium, hundreds of "writers, editors, jurists, copyists, theologians, censors, party hacks, and so on," editing, superimposing, juxtaposing, omitting, mistranslating and rewriting a text they're said to have thought of as the word of God. But even in the pre-literary, pre-canonized stage, before the Book was assembled, the stories "lived a long, unstable, and constantly fluctuating existence," delivered orally by skilled raconteurs, complete with the natural variations that are likely to occur in oral retellings. Schooled in the instability of oral tradition and, much later, in the haggadic narrative style that allows for, even appreciates, "fanciful retellings of tales," ancient listeners and readers regarded these stories as the repository of their hallowed tradition — an ancient community known as the Dead Sea Sect of Qumran believed that these were stories about themselves — and therefore sacred. They didn't seem to require proof that the word, or every word, was God's own; a much more nuanced idea of sacredness than we generally ascribe to believers seems to have been at work here. Indeed, questions about the Pentateuch's authorship date back to at least the talmudic era, if not to the time of composition of the Pentateuch itself, since they make their way into the texts one way or another, by way of assertion and reassertion, which suggests an anxiety on the issue of authorship. The talmudic rabbis wondered how it was possible for Moses to have written the final eight verses of Deuteronomy, since they recount the story of his death. Answers and explanations vary, as expected in an exegetical literature, with one tradition suggesting that the commandments are indeed the word of God transmitted to us by Moses, and the rest is history. Responding to the question of authorship in the 12th century, Ibn Ezra, wrote: "Let him who understands the secret be silent."
That the Book has many authors, and as a result presents inconsistencies and a multiplicity of meanings rather than one meaning, disturbs only modern readers. Berlinerblau allows that "composition by aggregate" resulted in "countless possibilities of meaning," but he stresses that it also yielded "biblical texts that quite literally have no sense," that yield "countless impossibilities of meaning." He quotes the Rev. Professor John Barton, a contemporary theologian, remarking that "the Israelite literati were not unduly preoccupied by the need — our need — for a book to contain unity, internal coherence, and closure," and that biblical editors had "a weak sense of genre… material which we should regard as too disparate to be juxtaposed in a single book is freely intermingled."
That's one way of understanding the compositional process. One could also think of complex juxtaposition and intermingling as sophisticated editing for an audience capable of finding coherence and meaning in pattern, symbol and repetition, which is very different from the simpler modern idea of a perfect book, as one that stays on message. Studies of oral traditions and ancient cultures indicate that audiences usually knew the tales, and that the pleasure of hearing them again was in the language and style of a particular delivery and in the variations on the original. Writing about the Bible, literary critic Northrop Frye made the point that "we are so possessed by the modern notion that all the qualities we admire in literature come from the individuality of an author that it is hard to realize that this relentless smashing of individuality could produce greater vividness and originality rather than less. But so it seems to be."
After introducing and exploring the question of biblical authorship, Berlinerblau goes on to examine how Scripture is read and why there is almost no consensus about what it says. This is "a book about the Hebrew Bible's composition and its interpreters," Berlinerblau announces in his introduction. It is also, notably, a book that attempts to serve as a call to action for renewed secular scholarship of biblical texts newly necessary in a world largely populated by believers. This isn't a facile stance to take, and Berlinerblau deserves credit for his courage. He has written an important and provocative book, complete with helpful summaries at the end of each chapter, which should appeal to lay readers who aren't usually attracted to books on biblical topics published by academic presses.
The final section of the book looks at how the Bible continues to be misused in the debate on such contemporary issues as intermarriage in Judaism and homosexuality in Christianity. Claims to the contrary notwithstanding, there seems to be no evidence of a ban on intermarriage in general, only warnings against specific Canaanite nations perceived as Israel's enemies, and there is no conclusive censure of same-sex eroticism. Indeed, a close reading of biblical texts reveals no definite position on either issue, but rather a refreshing reticence that refuses to condemn, an ambivalent open-endedness that is underappreciated in modern discourse.
With these two chapters on contemporary issues, and one additional chapter on how the Qur'an and Islam could benefit from critical secular scholarship, Berlinerblau provides a good model for what secular biblical scholarship can achieve. He takes the time to spell out and differentiate between what the Bible actually says and what fundamentalists claim it says, between the Bible's ambivalent positions and the right wing's simplistic conclusions. He understands the powerful political reasoning that motivated self-serving interpretations, criticizes them and properly urges a secular nontheological reading and understanding of the texts.
It is therefore a huge surprise that in making the case for secular counter-exegesis as a way to defend and save secularism, which may indeed need saving, Berlinerblau fails to recognize that his proposal, motivated as it is by political exigency, is also unfortunately another maneuver for power over a book that has a long history of just such self-serving manipulations. Shouldn't this much misused and maligned text, the Book, one of mankind's first books, be read for its aesthetics and for what it tells us about the human, ourselves, our ancestors and our, yes, hallowed origin myths? The biblical texts, with their recognizable symbols and shared references, are, after all, complex documents based on a multitude of stories crystallized into one story, and finally put in writing by editors, redactors and scribes who were working from a variety of sources and over a millennium of time. Thomas Mann's "Joseph and His Brothers," a book that expands the very succinct lyrical biblical tale to, in the most recent translation, a 1,492-page novel, opens with the sentences: "Deep is the well of the past. Should we not call it bottomless?" Requiring that the Book, our story, remain on message, or answer to the latest modern, secular or fundamentalist ideal, would only simplify it toward meaninglessness.
Pearl Abraham is the author of, most recently, "The Seventh Beggar"(Riverhead, 2005).
This story "State of Emergency: The Demise of Secularism" was written by Pearl Abraham.


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Leading darts players will be aiming for a top title in arena shows which include Sheffield and Manchester.
The £700,000 Betway Premier League, televised live on Sky Sports, sees an initial ten-player field competing across four months at 16 arena venues to contest for the title, which was won by Gary Anderson last year and who defend his crown this year.
The tournament visits Sheffield Arena on April 7 and Manchester Arena will host the penultimate league night on May 5.

subset: commoncrawl


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Textularia cf. candeiana 1 morefound at Aumag, Noged Plain Beach, Socotra, Yemen recent Taxon Profile
Apertural view of one specimen of Textularia cf. candeiana
SEM picture taken together with Dr. Rosenfeldt
head of the Mikrobiologische Vereinigung
The classification is based upon: Brook, Warren W.: Distribution of Recent foraminifera from the southern coast of Puerto Rico in Micropaleontology; October 1973; v. 19; no. 4; p. 385-416


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Hey, remember when the funny things on twitter used to be fake sexts and talking about "the void"? Well, this article is a combination of those two things. Enjoy reading it or don't - I've already clicked publish!
i'm laying bare. i spread my legs to reveal an unfathomable darkness, infinite in it's reach. it calls ur name ; )
Barking Gecko
The non-Euclidean geometry of our coupling is corroding my sanity.
little munchkin
can't stop thinking about last night, it keeps playing in my head faster and faster and my body is slowly melting as the speed approaches infinity
City of Glompton
i want 2 feel ur hands wrap around and around and around my waist as you pull urself thru me
i slowly remove layer after layer of clothes until there is nothing left
Twenty Four
"Tell me what you are wearing" I ask, despite already being able to make out what you are wearing through your window with my telescope.
"i just want to cum" said the astronaut.
"so cum" said ground control.
''so cum'' said the voice from the stars.
City of Glompton
laying next 2 u in bed n I hear u saucily calling my name from the living room. don't worry im already there
an endless gaping asshole—i walk inside
death sext
Eugene V. Dabs
me: ayyy gurl
you: *curling around and through yourself like an incorporeal, plasmodic model of a klein bottle*
me: fuckable
Twenty Four
Hey baby, I want to make all your dreams come true! Especially the nightmares. Especially the nightmares!
her: is it in yet?
me: *losing my erection to the heat death of the universe* this never happens
Eugene V. Dabs
bae: u up?
me: ya, wuwu?
bae: just chilling. parents away, come over?
me: it's kinda late.
bae: i'm rapidly expanding and absorbing all light in the universe.
me: omw.
b: ey gurl come over and let me fhtagn u?
g: lulz u no it. im normally not that kind of grl, but i feel an abnormal call drawing me to ur cyclopean body
b: u got me gibbering gurl
g: mmmmm ok headed ur way now via dream state. ill phase into ur dimension in like 15 min
Countless strange aeons/Unfathomable/Innsmouth
the global consciousness: come over
me: i havent transcended
the global consciousness: the ancient ones arent home
I only tolerate movies because they contain movie scenes, which I love.
If HBO ever wants us to watch their channel again they will listen to our demands!
Milk, eggs, augmentation upgrade canister
Sonic is too dang toothy, VR is too dang pricey, and Euro board games are just right
Includes the world's first images of the hardware!
The Comedy Goldmine examines the funniest and most creative threads from the Something Awful Forums. Although the Comedy Goldmine has changed authors many times over the years, its focus on the Something Awful Forums is still the same. Includes hilarious Photoshops, amusing work stories, parodies, and other types of oddball humor.
Copyright ©2018 Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka & Something Awful LLC.


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IObit Malware Fighter 2.5 Key, Crack Latest Version 2015
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115 members7 Comments 3 Likes
Started Jun 11, 2013 0 Replies 0 Likes
Is the national news media blowing a bunch of smoke . . . or is the auto industry about to go on a hiring spree? If you work this industry, please chime in.…Continue
Started Dec 13, 2010 0 Replies 0 Likes
Hi all,Just posted the results of our latest Top Echelon Network Preferred Member poll about companies' attitudes towards hiring. Would love to get your take on the poll and also hear about what…Continue
Tags: TheEconomy, OwnerIssues, CurrentTrends, ClientDevelopment
Started this discussion. Last reply by Steven Marse CPC, CTS, CSP, TSC Oct 19, 2010. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Hi all, Just wondering what the biggest obstacles are on your desk at the moment. It could be anything . . . clients, candidates, the process itself, etc. Wondering what the pulse is out there. …Continue
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 3:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
When it comes to recessions, recruiters have long pointed out that the unemployment rate for the people they place is traditionally lower than the unemployment rate for the people they don't place.
And recent statistics appear to validate that point.
According to those numbers, which were recently published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those with a college degree are enjoying more of a recovery (i.e., landing…Continue
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 2:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
If you've been a recruiter for any length of time, you've heard candidates give excuses for missing an interview—or missing their first day on the job (if they even give you an excuse). And once candidates become employees, they also develop a habit of giving their employer excuses, as well, especially when it comes to missing work.
Job board site CareerBuilder recently released a list of employee excuses for missing work. Of course, this list has been quickly…
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 3:30pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
We recently raised the issue of what kind of future voicemail has in recruiting. Since that's a timely topic in the world of business and within the recruiting industry, we thought it might be a good idea to follow up with a recruiter poll!…
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 1:30pm 12 Comments 0 Likes
Every recruiter everywhere is doing everything they can to drum up new clients—and keep existing ones.
Should that include making client visits? If so, how many client visits should recruiters make?
To be sure, there are many factors involved. Below are a few:
1.The industry and niche in which the recruiter works
2.The business model of the recruiting firm
3. The…Continue


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'New Moon' Breaks 'Harry Potter' Record for Midnight Premiere Ticket Sales
Twilight sequel New Moon has broken the previously impressive midnight box office record of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price, Summit Entertainment officials announced Friday. New Moon took in $26.3 million in midnight showing sales in the U.S. The Twilight sequel is projected to earn a whopping $100 million during the film's opening weekend.
By contrast, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince took in $22.2 million in midnight screenings this part July. New Moon is now the all-time highest grossing film for midnight screenings in the U.S. We're sure it won't be the last record New Moon will make in ticket sales and overall profits.
Summit Entertainment also raked in an additional 1.3 million in ticket sales on Thursday with special screenings of Twilight in advance of the New Moon premiere.
The moral of the story is, make the Twilight fans happy and they'll make your wallets happy too!
>> Previously: Miley Cyrus Bashes 'Twilight' – Won't Be Seeing 'New Moon'
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2 Responses to "'New Moon' Breaks 'Harry Potter' Record for Midnight Premiere Ticket Sales"
orange county limousine service
December 9th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I am so excited about the new Harry Potter movie. It is going to be amazing. The special effects look insane.


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OverviewRespond to this Ad
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Posted in: Phoenix Web Design & Tech
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text:
WAYNE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE: TFX), a leading global provider of medical devices for critical care, urology and surgery, is committed to connecting clinicians with technology in a way that improves clinical practice and advances patient outcomes. Teleflex will present its innovative intraosseous vascular access system and products for rescue airway, atomization and intubation needs at the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EuSEM) in Vienna, Austria on October 2-5, 2016.
"FOAM Rises: Is it clean air or rotten gas?"
The main objective of EuSEM is to help and support European countries to implement the specialty of Emergency Medicine. Born as a society of individuals in 1994 from a multidisciplinary group of experts in Emergency Medicine, since 2005, EuSEM has also incorporated national society members. There are currently 33 European national societies of Emergency Medicine.
During the event, Teleflex will showcase its Arrow® EZ-IO® Intraosseous Vascular Access System and other products for rescue airway, atomization and intubation needs, and support an industry workshop on Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) entitled "FOAM Rises: Is it clean air or rotten gas?"
The Arrow® EZ-IO® Intraosseous Vascular Access System from Teleflex is an innovative and complete solution for rapid vascular access – whether the emergency responder is facing difficult vascular access challenges or the need for fast intraosseous access for critical situations and life-threatening emergencies. This system is designed to provide the medical professional vascular access to the central circulation system within seconds1, delivering medications, intravenous fluids and blood products to adult and pediatric patients alike.
During EuSEM, Teleflex will also focus on the new LMA® Protector™ Laryngeal Mask Airway. The LMA® Protector™ Airway represents a new chapter in Teleflex's search for the optimum subglottic airway. With a fully silicone construction, Cuff Pilot™ Technology, dual gastric channels and the ability to intubate, the LMA® Protector™ Airway is the most advanced second generation airway from Teleflex.
When IV drug delivery is problematic, the LMA® MAD Nasal™ Device2 from Teleflex can come to the rescue delivering safe, painless and rapidly effective treatment. No needle. No trauma. No risk of needle stick injury. In addition, Teleflex will introduce a range of laryngoscopes featuring the TruLite Secure™ Single-Use Laryngoscope blade and handle, complementing our existing Anaesthesia portfolio to offer complete airway solutions.
The Teleflex Clinical & Medical Affairs team will also be supporting a lecture held by Dr. Roger Harris, a senior staff specialist in the intensive care unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital and the Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAN). He is dual qualified in Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care and will present a lecture entitled "FOAM Rises: Is it clean air or rotten gas?" discussing the latest Free Open Access Medical Educational models and trends. The lecture will be held on Monday, October 3, 12:55 – 13:55 in the Forum/Room D. The Teleflex Clinical & Medical Affairs team is dedicated to ensuring the safe and appropriate use of Teleflex products and using innovative educational programs to advance clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.
About Teleflex Incorporated
Teleflex is a global provider of medical technologies designed to improve the health and quality of people's lives. We apply purpose driven innovation – a relentless pursuit of identifying unmet clinical needs – to benefit patients and healthcare providers. Our portfolio is diverse, with solutions in the fields of vascular and interventional access, surgical, anesthesia, cardiac care, urology, emergency medicine and respiratory care. Teleflex employees worldwide are united in the understanding that what we do every day makes a difference. For more information, please visit teleflex.com.
Teleflex is the home of Arrow®, Deknatel®, Hudson RCI®, LMA®, Pilling®, Rusch® and Weck® – trusted brands united by a common sense of purpose.
Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on our management's current beliefs and expectations, but are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results or company actions to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by these statements. These risks and uncertainties are identified and described in more detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Teleflex, the Teleflex logo, Arrow, Deknatel, EZ-IO, Hudson RCI, LMA, LMA Protector, MAD Nasal, Pilling, Rüsch, and Weck are trademarks or registered trademarks of Teleflex Incorporated or its affiliates, in the U.S. and/or other countries. © 2016 Teleflex Incorporated. All rights reserved.
1Von Hoff DD , Kuhn JG, Burris HA, Miller LJ. Does intraosseous equal intravenous? A pharmacokinetic study. Amer J Emerg Med 2008;26:31-8
2For use with drugs approved for intranasal delivery
Teleflex Incorporated
Jake Elguicze
Treasurer and Vice President, Investor Relations
Martina Teichmann-Zindler
Director Marketing Communications International
+49 (0)7151-406-538
(c)2016 Business Wire, Inc. – All rights reserved.


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Honda has released a teaser image of the upcoming fourth generation Honda Odyssey, a 7-seater low-rider MPV based on the Honda Accord platform.
The teaser image only shows the side profile but it reveals the new Odyssey keeps faithful to the third generation's low-rider look, which despite being lower than your conventional tall MPV, still offers a large interior room thanks to the low floor.
The rear end gets slim and shapely lights while the front you can see hints of the new large grille with silver borders (reminds me of the Mk5 Golf R32 somewhat) that extends all the way to the lower bumper air intake, very much like the Honda FCX Clarity.
The third gen Odyssey only came with an inline-4 2.4 litre engine, so if the new Odyssey carries over this single engine line-up you can expect it to get the same power boost up to 180 PS as the new Honda Accord. Could the VCM 3.5 litre V6 be added this time?
What we do know is that the new Odyssey will get a new multi-view camera system which displays views from a total of 4 wide-angle CCD cameras on a navigation screen to reduce blindspots and help with parallel or garage parking. The CCD cameras are installed on the front and rear of the vehicle as well as on the wing mirrors.
Images from the 4 cameras are synthesized and additional information is added such as a projection line which shows the vehicle's projected trajectory path calculated based on steering angle information. You can use this trajectory path to help align the car to reverse into a parking lot and position the Odyssey with higher accuracy. Also added is a refernce line which provides a reference for distance between the vehicle and other objects.
Look after the jump for more views from the new camera system.


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Farewell to Le Colisee
In a season in which we already said good-bye to Jean Beliveau, we now face the prospect of bid adieu to the "House that Jean Built". The Colisee in Quebec will host its last hockey match on May 31, the Championship game of the 2015 Memorial Cup Tournament. It is the rink where hockey legend Read Article


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10 Stress Relieving Tips For Holiday Travel
The holidays are all about spending time with loved ones, but that probably means that you're going to have to a bit of traveling to see them. Traveling during the holidays can be frustrating and stressful, especially when the whole family is in tow. Lines are long, roads are crowded and patience is easily worn thin.
Many people forget that stress can have a negative impact on one's health, so it's important to keep your holiday stress to a minimum. If you have to travel this holiday season, here are 10 tips to relieve your holiday travel stress.
1. Plan Early And Leave Early
The earlier you start making plans, the less stressed out you'll be once it's time to leave. Book your flight or figure out the route as early as possible. On the day you plan to travel, leave early in order to give yourself enough time to make it to your destination without being late. During the holidays, everyone is trying to travel, so parking lots and roads are packed, security lines at the airport are backed up and cabs are virtually impossible to catch. Starting your journey early can help you avoid some of those headaches.
2. Prepare For The Unexpected
When you travel, something unexpected is bound to happen. Your flight may be delayed, your luggage may be lost, or you might even get lost on your way to Grandma's. It's tough to prepare for what may or may not happen, but by constantly checking the weather and traffic conditions, airline departure times and delays, etc., you'll decrease your chances of being surprised.
3. Prepare The Kids
If you don't handle the unexpected well, then your children probably won't either. Prepare your kids for the trip by telling them where you're going, how long it will take to get there, and let them know what might happen in case of bad weather, traffic and airline delays.
If your kids are starting to feel a little stressed out about the trip, give them some control to help ease their anxiety. Let them pack a suitcase or pick out clothes and toys to bring. Designate them as the person who counts luggage or keeps track of time during the trip.
4. Pack Early
Before you leave early, make sure you pack early as well. Many people are guilty of packing at the last minute, thinking there will always be time or that it won't take that long. But, that's never the case. There's nothing more harrying than flinging clothes into a suitcase at the last minute, so pack as much as you can when you can.
5. Pack Smart
Aside from packing early, be sure you pack for any occasion that may come up, be it an unexpected change in the weather or a special night out. Make a list of everything you'll need and check each item off of your list as you pack it. This goes in hand with preparing for the unexpected (tip # 2).
6. Bring Plenty Of Entertainment For The Kids
"Are we there yet?" You can expect to hear that phrase at least twice during a long car or plane ride and when you hear it, it's a pretty good indication that your child is bored. Kids have short attention spans and a low tolerance for long trips, so be sure to pack plenty of entertainment for them. Books, handheld video games, card games, coloring and activity books, videos and music can provide hours of fun for kids stuck on a long trip. You may also want to pack a few surprise toys or gifts to keep your child stimulated and occupied along the way.
7. Bring Stress Relievers
You should also pack some entertainment, or other stress relievers, for the adults as well. Practice stress relieving techniques such as deep breathing, visualization and muscle relaxation so that during a stressful moment you can calm yourself peacefully. In the worst case scenario, be prepared to make a road stop or stay over if the holiday travel stress is becoming too much to handle.
8. Eat Well Before Traveling
Sometimes when you're excited over a trip, you may not feel hungry or worry about eating. But it's best to eat a proper, nutritious meal before setting off for your destination. This will ensure that your blood sugar levels, which affect your mood, are stable and balanced.
9. Take Care Of Your Health
There would be nothing worse than having to cancel or postpone you trip just because you came down with a cold or the flu. Take your vitamins and don't skip or forget to take medications, either. Eat right and sleep well in the weeks leading up to your trip. Take the proper precautions against getting sick such as washing your hands often and getting a flu shot before traveling.
10. Have The Right Attitude
Stress can make you feel depressed and fatigued, and can lead to weight gain, sleep problems, digestive problems and more. But stress starts in the mind, so keeping the right attitude about traveling during the holidays, as much as you may hate it, will help you and your family in the long-run. Accepting the trip for what it is and the surprises it may offer will keep the stress at bay.


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(CNN) -- With Cristiano Ronaldo misfiring in front of goal it was left to Real Madrid defender Pepe to grab the winner as Los Blancos took closer order in the La Liga title race Sunday.
Portugal's Pepe rose unmarked to head home Luka Modric's free kick early in the second half to give his side a 1-0 win at Espanyol.
"He is having a very good season," coach Carlo Ancelotti said of the veteran defender after his team kept a third consecutive clean sheet.
"At first he was hesitant about staying and I told him that he was important for us. It is no coincidence that the team has done better defensively in recent matches. The defenders have improved a lot."
With Barcelona and Atletico Madrid drawing 0-0 Saturday, the victory drew Real to within three points of the leading duo in a three-way title race.
Ronaldo may be hot favorite to be crowned as the world's best player at the Ballon d'Or awards in Zurich Monday, but for once his famed finishing deserted him in this vital match for his side.
Espanyol might have taken an early lead when Cristian Stuani headed wide, but the visitors took command and Ronaldo wasted his first chance after being set up by Karim Benzema.
France forward Benzema headed just wide from a Gareth Bale cross just before halftime and it was Pepe who finally found the net soon after the break.
A second appeared inevitable when Ronaldo broke clear but he was left ruefully shaking his head as Espanyol goalkeeper Kiko Casilla made another superb save.
Another opportunity to get on the score sheet also went begging with the goal at his mercy after Casilla had saved from Benzema.
But in the end Carlo Ancelotti's men easily held out for the victory while Ronaldo will now be hoping he can get the better of Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich in the battle to be crowned as top player on the planet.
"He's a born winner and, despite the win, he doesn't feel like he did everything that he could because he didn't score," teammate Sergio Ramos said of the 2008 world player of the year.
"He knows that it was a very important win for the team. If I had my way, I would give it to him. There are a lot of people who think so around the world. The statistics are there to see, and he has broken almost every record out there. Maybe this year he deserves it more than others."
Earlier Sunday, reigning Serie A champions Juventus claimed a club record 11th successive win to maintain an eight-point lead over Roma at the top.
Fernando Llorente scored twice for Juve in the 4-1 win at Cagliari, who had taken the lead through Mauricio Pinilla after 21 minutes.
Claudio Marchisio and Stephan Lichsteiner grabbed the other goals for the visitors. Manchester United manager David Moyes was among the crowd at the match, increasing speculation over his intentions in the latest transfer window.
Roma beat Genoa 4-0 and third placed Napoli, a further two points adrift, won 3-0 at Verona.


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Overall results in pdf format
For Results select class results or course splits
Winsplits Online.
Officials' comments
Out of Control (or Naughty Numbers in old speak) results.
Many thanks for coming to our inaugural Abingdon Urban Race on such a beautiful sunny Bank Holiday Monday. We hope you enjoyed your run round the area.
Big thanks to Martin Ricketts for producing the map, to Fiona Bunn for planning, to Luke McNeill for organising, and to John Orton (NWO) for controlling.
If you have any queries with these results, please contact Alun
We look forward to seeing you again soon. TVOC's next events are:
- Saturday 16th September - Saturday Series at Cutteslowe Park, Oxford
- Saturday 21st October - Saturday Series at Waddesden Manor, Aylesbury
- Saturday 18th November - Saturday Series at Kings Wood, High Wycombe
- Saturday 2nd December - Southern Night Championships at Penn Wood, between High Wycombe and Amersham
- Sunday 3rd December - Level C event and SCOL5, also at Penn Wood.
More details on our website.
return to TVOC Home Page
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Tuesday 15th January 2019, 8pm start.
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The brilliant Palmeiras and Brazil forward tells the Guardian about the phone call from Pep Guardiola that convinced him to join Manchester City and that his mum is never pleased with him unless he helps out defensively too
No one wants to be told off by their mother and Gabriel Jesus is no different. The Brazilian wonderkid, who signed for Manchester City in the summer for 27m and will join the Premier League leaders in January, has the potential to become one of the best forwards in the world but what makes him stand out even more is his desire to also help out defensively.
It is not a trait he shares with too many forwards but then they may not get a rollocking from their mother if they do not help out at the back. Gabriel Jesus does. Yes, its true that my mother has a go at me when I dont track back, he says in his first interview with non-Brazilian media since signing for City. We are very, very close and she demands a lot from me, which is great. She only praises me if I have done something worthy of praise. I am really happy to have a mum like that, who really cares. She always tells me the truth and her sincerity helps me a lot.
Mrs Vera Lcia is a constant and hugely positive presence in Gabriel Jesuss life and that is no surprise considering his upbringing. The players father died when Gabriel Jesus was young and his mother raised him and his three brothers on her own. She was a cleaner back then and there was not a lot of money around. A football player grows up faster than other people, he says. I grew up very quickly because of the difficulties and responsibilities that I have always had.
Gabriel Jesus is a very mature 19-year-old. We meet at Academia de futebol, Palmeirass training centre and he is polite and humble. He does not wear sunglasses or headphones and does not play with his mobile during the interview. He starts by apologising for being late. I had to do the ice bath, he explains.
It has been a tumultuous 18 months for the man from Jardim Peri, a humble neighbourhood on the outskirts of So Paulo (it is a comunidade, a kind of favela, only a little bit more peaceful). In March 2015 he made his debut for Palmeiras after scoring 37 goals in 22 games in the Paulista Under-17 competition and at the end of the season he was named the best newcomer of the Brasileiro.
And that was just the beginning. This summer he won Olympic gold with Brazil and then made his debut for the senior team, scoring two goals in a 3-0 away win against Ecuador. And he is still a teenager. The former Brazil and Real Madrid striker Ronaldo, for one, is a fan: When I see Gabriel I think about my own past. He has a fantastic journey ahead, Ronaldo told TV Globo recently.
It is not that long ago Gabriel Jesus was playing for the amateur team Pequeninos do Meio Ambiente on the pitches of the military prison camp Romo Gomes. He moved on to Anhanguera but, unlike many prodigious talents these days, he did not join a top side Palmeiras until the age of 15 so his career was very much shaped by street football.
His childhood neighbourhood is always on his mind and on his skin. On his forearm there is a tattoo showing a boy with a ball in his hand looking at a favela in front of him, dreaming of a better future in football. The tattoo is almost identical to the one that his friend Neymar has.
I have always enjoyed working hard and thats why I try to give my best tactically as well as going forward. From an early age, in my vrzea days [a special type of Brazilian street football], I tried to take in all the instructions of all the coaches I had. I am the same today. After all, it is very important to enter the pitch knowing what I have to do to help the team.
He no longer lives in Jardim Peri but goes back to visit friends. When doing so in December he was stopped by the police while driving his expensive car. A dark-skinned boy cannot drive a nice car in the neighbourhood where he grew up without being stopped by the police. Everyone knows how hard it is to be black in our communities, he wrote on Instagram.
He stayed in Jardim Peri until last year. He could have left for So Paulo as early as 2010 but the club did not offer him accommodation, meaning that he would have had to travel for four hours to get to and from training, and that would have had a negative impact on his school work.
Not that Gabriel Jesus paid too much attention to anything apart from football. My whole life has always been football and that only, he says. Since I was six years old Ive only really thought about football. I used to watch it on TV, play video games and so on. I just love football. Some people joke that I am too into it but football just sums up my life.
His discipline is surprising for such a young age, and this is probably one of the things that has impressed Pep Guardiola, the manager who was desperate to bring him to City. Gabriel Jesus was a hot prospect even before the Olympics and City were able to beat off competition from Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain partly because of a phone call from their new manager.
It was a complicated decision, but in the end my desire to learn won, Gabriel Jesus says. The presence of Guardiola as a manager at City and the fact that it is a great club were very important factors in my final decision. Guardiolas phone call was a huge part of me deciding to go there. It made me realise that Id love to work with him. I dont know him personally yet but he already made me feel very safe about his project there.


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I plan on getting back into the blogging mode a little more, just been a very rough year personally with the passing of my mother back in June.
I do have a little good news today in regards to writing, as my new character Rayden Valkyrie makes her debut in "All the Lands, Nowhere a Home" in the anthology Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword from editor James. R. Tuck, who you might know as the author of the popular Deacon Chalk novels.
This is really hard-hitting sword and sorcery, and I highly recommend all the authors in both volumes (the other is Thunder on the Battlefield: Sorcery).
It is an appropriate day for the release, too, as Thursay is the Day of Thunder named for the Norse god Thor!
I really hope you enjoy these anthologies and Rayden. She's going to be doing a whole lot more in the future!
Here's the links for the Sword volume, which has my short story:
Kindle version: http://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Battlefield-Sword-ebook/dp/B00EE0YL8Y
Nook version: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thunder-on-the-battlefield-james-r-tuck/1116359898?ean=2940148400639
and here's the links for the second volume, Sorcery:
Kindle version: http://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Battlefield-Sorcery-ebook/dp/B00EE15GY6
Nook verison: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thunder-on-the-battlefield-james-r-tuck/1116359900?ean=2940148400660


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August 14, 2007
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Many times I've walked through Budapest being struck by something I wanted to share. Here, I do just that. What follows are glimpses along life's path that had touched my heart. Enjoy! Budapest Daily Photos recently moved to its own home. The photos here may be enlarged by clicking on them unlike BudapestResources.com website, its previous home.
The Invitation
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.


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Originally posted on itsourairport.org By Nate Jackson
Sifredo Flores, a Fueler at Sea-Tac airport, pulls up his sunglasses and starts telling the on-duty manager of Alaska Airlines why he and 25 other community members came out to talk.
"I'm a fueler. I work hard, but ASIG doesn't have any respect for us," he said. "We have to work whether it is rain or snow, sick or well and the equipment we use doesn't always work."
Flores drives a truck that takes the fuel out to the Alaska airplanes. He's is one of many fuelers who work for ASIG, the fueling contractor.
On a typical refueling he and other fuelers at our airport are hauling out over 10,000 lbs of high grade airplane fuel--in trucks that have shoddy brakes. Workers report that many of the trucks have emergency brakes that give out, defrosters that refuse to deice the windshields and other problems that make the act of hauling highly flammable fuel even more dangerous.
Flores continued.
"We do the work,' he said. "We do it and the fuel gets soaked into our uniforms. We have to take our clothes home and wash them in our own family washing machines. It's not right."


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Arbor Day Expo & Farmers Market September 22 - 23, 2017
The National Conservation Commission, the co-coordinating agency for National Arbor Day (celebrated on September 22nd annually), a day for planting trees, is continuing its efforts to promote a more sustainable standard of living under the theme "TREES: The Circle of Life". Arbor Day 2017 is significant on this year's environmental calendar as we will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Arbor Day in Barbados on September 22, 2017.
The activities will commence with a Church Service on Sunday September 17, 2017. The Official Arbor Ceremony, tree planting ceremony and opening of the Expo will take place at the Commission's headquarters at Codrington, St. Michael on Friday September 22, 2017. The ceremony will commence at 9:00am and the Minister of Environment and Drainage is expected to deliver the feature address and officially open the expo. Additionally, approximately one hundred students accompanied by faculty will be invited to attend and participate in the ceremony. Two students from each school will assist the Minister during the tree planting ceremony thereafter. The wider school population is invited to visit the expo and tour the facility on September 22, 2017 from 11:00am. – 2:00pm. Some of the items on display, food, snacks & drinks will be offered for sale so parents are asked to support the exhibitors by allowing their children/wards to purchase product etc. The expo will continue on Saturday September 23, 2017 and will include a Farmer's Market and play park. As such, the event will commence at 8:00am. and close at 5:00pm (Opened to the general public).
Forests and trees help to mitigate climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and storing carbon. They can also help to reduce the vulnerability of people to climate change by providing food and other ecosystem services during critical periods of climate driven food shortages etc. Trees are a source of livelihood for many as they generate revenue from the bounty obtained thereof.
The focus of the Expo therefore is to promote the importance of trees and their impact on the environment, through a practical/interactive demonstration. The expo will showcase various products and services consumed and utilized on a daily basis, which are derived from trees. However, emphasis will be placed on increasing awareness about environmental issues and highlighting environmentally-friendly products, services and ideas.
Additionally, in order to create a more family oriented atmosphere, the Commission will be infusing other elements such as a plant sale, farmer's market & a kid's zone
Workshops & Demonstrations
Workshops and various demonstrations will also be an integral component of the expo. A number of workshops will be scheduled during the day, focusing on pertinent areas as it relates to greening including plant care, plant propagation, and recycling, composting and alternative energy solutions. The Expo will also provide visitors with the opportunity to garner information that will assist them in adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.
All-day Plant Sale
A plant sale will run for the duration of the Expo, offering up to 20% discounts on selected plants. As customary, the Commission will also be donating a limited number of trees to the public and a limited supply of the Pride of Barbados plant will be on sale. Other items available at our Garden Centre will include, play equipment, park furniture (seating), paving stones and garden accessories such as plant pots, fertilizers etc.
Benefit to the Public
The Expo will provide an educational, motivational experience suitable for the entire family. It is intended to raise the environmental consciousness of the populace and assist in the cultivation of a more environmentally conscious and friendly Barbados. … And it's Free!
Don't Hesitate… It's Going to Be Great!!!!!!
Consequent to the foregoing, businesses, government departments, community councils, non-governmental organisations and entrepreneurs are being encouraged to join in the celebration by planting a tree and capitalise on this excellent opportunity to showcase their green products and services and/or technologies at this year's Environmental Arbor Day Expo & Farmer's Market.
Interested persons may contact our PR/Marketing Department at 425-1200/1202 or 1212. Potential exhibitors may also visit the NCC website at http://www.nccbarbados.gov.bb/ to download the registration form which should be submitted to the NCC's headquarters at Codrington, St. Michael on or before June 30, 2017.
P. Ricardo Marshall (S.P.O)


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[ ih-nish-ee-uh-tiv, ih-nish-uh- ]
/ ɪˈnɪʃ i ə tɪv, ɪˈnɪʃ ə- /
an introductory act or step; leading action: to take the initiative in making friends.
readiness and ability in initiating action; enterprise: to lack initiative.
one's personal, responsible decision: to act on one's own initiative.
- a procedure by which a specified number of voters may propose a statute, constitutional amendment, or ordinance, and compel a popular vote on its adoption.Compare referendum(def 1).
- the general right or ability to present a new bill or measure, as in a legislature.
of or relating to formal admission or acceptance into a club or other group; signifying an initiation: The secret society's initiative events are best left undescribed.
serving to set in motion or initiate; introductory; beginning: Initiative steps were taken to stop manufacture of the drug.
Nearby words
- initially,
- initiate,
- initiating agent,
- initiation,
- initiation factor,
- initiator,
- initiatory,
- initis,
- inject,
- inject.
Origin of initiative
SYNONYMS FOR initiative
2. leadership, forcefulness, dynamism.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
/ (ɪˈnɪʃɪətɪv, -ˈnɪʃətɪv) /
the first step or action of a matter; commencing movehe took the initiative; a peace initiative
the right or power to begin or initiate somethinghe has the initiative
the ability or attitude required to begin or initiate something
- the right or power to introduce legislation, etc, in a legislative body
- the procedure by which citizens originate legislation, as in many American states and Switzerland
on one's own initiative without being prompted
of or concerning initiation or serving to initiate; initiatory
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
1793, "that which begins," also "power of initiating," from French initiative (1560s), from Latin initiatus (see initiation). First attested in English in writings of William Godwin. Phrase take the initiative recorded by 1844.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
see on one's own account (initiative); take the initiative.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.


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Join The Fan Club
As a member of the CDB Volunteers Fan Club you will receive:
- Exclusive Tee Shirt
- 2 Meet & Greet opportunities per calendar year to a CDB show
- Membership card
- Autographed Photo of Charlie & Autographed Band Photo
- Exclusive access to Fan Club page on website
- Special discounts at CDB web store
- Invitation to Private Event(s) for Members
Already a member?
First time visiting the new fan club page?
You will need to reset your password. Click here.
Questions about your member benefits?
Email us at email@example.com and we'll help!
Still having trouble logging in?
Email us at email@example.com and we'll help!


text:
Seattle vs. Denver Boys & Girls Club competition a 'Win/Win' for Youth
Boys & Girls Clubs youth are celebrating a Denver victory – OFF the field – as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver triumphed over our King County groups in the first ever 'Boys & Girls Clubs Bowl,' an online fundraising challenge inspired by their cities' appearances in the Super Bowl.
In the final minutes of the competition, Denver pulled into the lead by raising $28,584 to Seattle's $24,066. The terms of the competition are that the staff and kids of the losing organization are to wear the colors of the opposing team for a day.
"Although we lost the official challenge, all King County and Denver-area Boys & Girls Clubs kids are the winners," says Calvin Lyons, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County President & CEO. Kathy Luna, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver agrees, "What an incredible way to raise more than $53,000 for Club kids in just over a week."
Last week Club kids at Boys & Girls Clubs of King County's Wallingford Branch made good on the challenge. Club Director Meghan Sweet saw this as an opportunity to promote good sportsmanship. "We focus on building character in our members and that means learning that every good game is followed by a genuine handshake. Being a good sport, even in the face of defeat, is an important lesson we can teach at the Club."
While wearing Broncos orange, the Wallingford Club kids created a congratulations banner they sent to the Denver organization. "I'm glad both of the Clubs got the funding," says 12-year old Wallingford Club member Van Kirby. "I hope we get to do it again next year."
Although the challenge officially ended last week, the community can continue to donate to the campaign at http://www.gofundme.com/BGCBowlSeattle
Boys & Girls Clubs of King County exists to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. With 12 Clubs, 2 Teen Centers and 26 child care and early learning sites, the organization is one of the largest of its kind in the nation, serving more than 15,000 members annually. Program areas offered to youth include character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, computer training and sports/fitness/recreation opportunities. For more information, visit www.positiveplace.org.


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Self Advocacy training
For people with intellectual disability
What do we do at SAS?
· We provide individual support to help people self advocate.
· We run individual or group training on the topics you want to learn about.
· We support you to become self advocates by running training sessions.
...here are some examples:
What Is Self Advocacy a) Finding My Feet
b) What Is Self Advocacy
- Communication
- Anger Management
- Rights & Responsibility
- Basic Computer
- What Is A Workers Committee
- Be Aware Not Scared
- Disability Awareness
- Budgeting
- Disability Service Standards
- Different Relationships
- How To Run A Meeting
- Healthy Eating
- Assertiveness
- Looking After Yourself
- Speaking For Ourselves
- Travel Training
- Individual Training Plan – (tailoring for individual and groups needs are also available)
Over the years Julie has had the experience of holding every position at SAS including the Executive Officer position. This has been extraordinary achievement considering Julie has an intellectual disability, and a mother of three children, working hard to support her family.
So, give us a call on 9622 3005 and book in your training!
Lic: DS/R61/1283


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Here's another frame of one of the signature birds of the Okavango, at least in my humble opinion. I tried a version without the stems on the left, but decided they gave it some context. Shot from a makoro near Little Vumbura camp. Even posted at 1400 px as shown here, the bird will appear larger than lifesize. I didn't want to make him any larger.
D500, Sigma 150-600C @ 600mm, ISO 1000, 1/2500s @ f/7.1 manual. HH


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Download the MIDI File Pack here
DMS EDM Arpeggiator Chords Vol 4 features 50 smooth MIDI loops designed for your arpeggiator! Many synths have built in arps and great chord progression can do wonders when fed through these magical devices. You'll also find arpgeggiators in DAW software such as Ableton Live and Logic X and these can be used to great effect in your tracks to provide added rhythm and groove. Of course these chords can be used as-is without an arp – they make awesome breakdowns and background chords for House, Progressive, Trance and any other genre that requires smooth melodic synth pads.
These deep, emotional chord progressions were written to slide directly into your own EDM or multi-media productions with absolute ease, and of course as they're in MIDI format you're totally free to choose any sound you wish from your own library of synths and samples.
Why MIDI? This pack is provided in MIDI file format giving you the opportunity to choose any sound you wish completely free from the restraints of tempo and key – simply assign your favourite synth pad sounds to play these awesome chord progressions and edit to perfection using your sequences piano roll editor for maximum flexibility and creative license.
Royalty-Free: All of the content in this download is 100% royalty-free. Once purchased, you can use these sounds in your own commercial music releases with no restrictions.


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Posted by v.
We bought a property on the southside of Indy a few years ago near Garfield Park. Our street is a relatively short street. There's the 2100 block which is north of the park and the 2600 and 2700 blocks which are adjacent to and south of the park. We live in the 2700 block.
The county released tax data yesterday, and the data are very interesting. This information is based on assessed value which is supposed to reflect market value. The amount is before any exemptions. In our case, our assessed value is about 4% more than what we paid for our house in 2005.
I don't have all the data crunched, but I've come across some interesting info. Two of the higher assessed properties on all blocks are right across the street from our house. Our neighbor to the north is assessed about $10k less than us, and our neighbor to the south is about $30k less (her house is a small two bedroom). The median value is somewhere in the low $90s. I'm missing some houses from the data so that number might change. I think I have about 2/3 of the data. Based on the data I've seen, we bought below the median, but our assessed value is at or right above the median.
Another thing that jumps out at me – Those properties that have been remodeled are about $20k above the median. For example, three bedroom houses like ours are mostly clustered around the median or lower if they haven't had any remodeling. Three bedrooms with remodeling (adding a shed dormer, enclosing a porch, etc) are all clustered in the $110k area. The one across the street from us was listed for $120k two summers ago.


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Shiny Shiny Shenzhen
For those of you who don't know anything about the city of Shenzhen, here's a brief and super simplified introduction:
In the year 1979, the leader of China at the time, 邓小平 / Deng Xiaoping, decided that China should be opened to the world (and by that I mean open to capitalist investment). But he didn't want to open all of China at once, so he decided to select a sort of "testing ground" where these principles could be experimented with before allowing businesses to enter the rest of the country. He called these testing grounds "Special Economic Zones" (SEZ) and chose Shenzhen to be the first. Since then China has opened several other SEZs where the government allows more flexible free market principles and less governmental restrictions in order to make doing business in China attractive to foreign investors.
Has it worked? Yes, and insanely well. In 1980 Shenzhen was basically just this rural area which happened to be right next to Hong Kong—but now it is a city representing China's present dreams and ambitious hopes for the future.
I wasn't sure that I would like Shenzhen at first. The city is massively daunting. I am used to living in Boston, where I can walk halfway about the city in about thirty minutes, and if I don't feel like walking I can hop on the subway for just a few stops and be fine. But in Shenzhen, a few subway stops might take twenty minutes, so forget walking. In some ways each area of the city is quite isolated from the next. But as I've been learning recently this is also what makes it cool. I'm not just living in one city—I'm living in twenty or thirty cities, all lined up side by side.
I like that each subway stop in Shenzhen is a new adventure. You never know what kind of restaurants you'll find, or what crazy architecture you'll see, or what beautiful parks will appear in the middle of the madness. I like the air of excitement that everyone carries, like everyone here is dreaming about the future and working hard to get there. And I enjoy the city's newness, the way basically nothing is any older than 1980. This newness is so temporary, too—buildings are being demolished and built up again all the time. There's something cool in that transience. Daunting, again, but cool.
Here are some pictures of the cool stuff I've seen here so far.


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Obama's Higher Standard?
The kerfuffle last week over two opposition research documents sent out by Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) campaign provides a fascinating window into the challenges before the Illinois senator as he seeks his party's presidential nod.
On their surface, the documents, which highlight Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) ties to the Indian American community and former President Bill Clinton's connections with a company owned by longtime financial backer Ron Burkle, are the sort of information-trafficking that each and every campaign engages in on a daily basis as they seek to highlight their opponents' flip-flops, misstatements, broken promises etc. (The Obama documents were posted online by the New York Times.)
So what's so newsy about these particular Obama campaign memos? That depends on how you look at it.
Obama promised from the start to run a different sort of campaign, one based more on his telling voters about his own positive vision for the country rather than peddling negative details about his opponents.
In a video captured by the Politico's Ben Smith, Obama said the following about his philosophy when it comes to attacking his opponents: "What I think you will be able to measure though during the course of the campaign is how well I stick to my guns in not making ad hominem attacks toward other candidates, acknowledging where they've done good work, if I disagree with them, disagree with them on the basis of issues, and not suggesting they've got untoward motives."
That, according to Obama's advisers, is exactly what these documents attempt to do. They make the argument that Clinton has financial ties to Indian-American groups that support the outsourcing of American jobs -- a legitimate issue in the campaign.
But when the documents were "released" late last week, outsourcing was not being discussed by the Democratic candidates. In fact, the major news story was the release of Clinton's personal financial disclosure forms. The Obama camp, seeing the large number of "personal and political financial ties" between Clinton and Indian Americans, labeled her "(D-Punjab)."
That's a tough shot, one the Clinton team argued was a violation of Obama's pledge not to make any ad hominem attacks against his rivals.
Our take? At the start of Obama's campaign we wondered whether he hadn't put himself in a rather tight box by pronouncing his plans to run a different sort of campaign. Obviously, there is some wiggle room in his above statement -- he can always resort to the defense that his campaign was simply drawing contrasts on issues. But the perception is that these sort of tactics are beneath a candidate promising to change the dialogue in Washington and nationwide.
Obama's strongest attribute in this race is that he is widely perceived as a change agent -- a fresh face who can finally break down the partisan barriers that have turned Washington into a city widely despised by the rest of the country. Anything that tarnishes that reputation endangers Obama's unique appeal to a wide cross-section of voters, both in the Democratic primary and in the general election (if he gets there). The more he looks like every other politician, the more damage he does to his reputation as a positive force for change.
The fact is that the "every campaign does it" argument probably isn't good enough for Obama. Whether it is perception or reality, Obama is regarded as having set a higher standard for himself.
Do you agree? Are the Obama memos a violation of his stated policy on opposition research and negative attacks? Or do the documents amount to nothing more than "politics as usual"? Sound off in the comments section below.
UPDATE, 3:45 p.m. ET: Obama addressed the controversy directly today at an editorial board meeting with the Des Moines Register, describing the two documents circulated by his campaign as a "screw up on the part of our research team." He added that neither he nor his "senior staff" had seen the documents before they were sent out. He went on to describe the memos as "stupid" and "caustic."
Chris Cillizza
June 18, 2007; 12:38 PM ET
Categories: Eye on 2008
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Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, United Arab Emirates-based columnist, prominent commentator on Arab affairs and founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation will speak at the BA on Wednesday, 30 November at 1 pm at the BA Small Theatre.
Mr. Al-Qassemi's talk will discuss the political undertones of iconic artworks of the 20th century in the Arab world.
From the Baathist regimes of Syria and Iraq to Egypt's pan-Arabism under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, paintings and sculptures in addition to film and performance have been employed by various governments as a tool of soft power to propagate their policies to the public not only in their respective states but throughout the region and beyond. Despite this government patronage of the arts, many artists have chosen to challenge their authorities through their art practices. This talk is an attempt to shed light on an often neglected dimension in the modern history of the Arab world.
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi is also an MIT Media Labs Director's Fellow, an independent initiative established to contribute to the intellectual development of the art scene in the Arab region.


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contact adhesive for thick veneer12/7
We are currently cutting our own bookmatched veneers for applying to finished end panels of kitchen and bath cabinets. Thickness is in the 1/8-3/16" range with butted edges, slightly broken with sanding. We have been using contact adhesive to apply these to the prefinished 3/4" plywood ends, but I've started thinking, maybe this might not work best, long term. Anyone else had experience doing this or have advice?
3/16" solid wood acts like wood, not veneer. Rules I've seen say that you need to get to 3/32" or less for it to act like veneer. So expect lots of wood movement from the thick panels, and I would say glue failure or seam gaps at the least with furnaces running this winter. Maybe you are in Florida and it won't be so bad, but I think failures even there.
Contact glue is never good for veneers, despite what some may say/do. It is a non- rigid glueline and will allow creep. People use it out of ignorance or desperation, not because they looked at the spectrum of glues and selected it as the best product for the job.
As for the shop made veneers, at some point they will want to act like solids. And then move. However, I have laid them on panels (MDF, plywood) on both sides for balance construction, and had no problems, in over 30 years. We use Unibond 800 or another type of plastic resin glue and a vacuum bag for most of this.
Just sticking them on (prefinished?!?) end panels (one side) with contact is not good long term. Your instincts are good.
I 2nd everything DS said.


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Several big German newspapers' online editorials published articles on their respective webpages about the Comic Salon. All the reports are in German, so you English folks won't be able to read them, but they also added some pictures. Don't expect too much variety, as all three (FAZ, SZ and Spiegel) basically use the same pictures.
Article One: FAZ basically talks about the fight German comic artists have gone through to finally gain a little more acceptance over here. Furthermore it's criticizing the exhibition of Chinese manhua for not actually informing the visitor about the present comic industry situation in China. I have to agree. The exhibition was very nice too look at, but information was scarce. They also mention Yao Fei La (be careful it's in French!), artist of 80° , answering the question: "What's the difference between Japanese and Chinese comics?" with the sentence that Chinese manhua are more subtle, as it's not about "A loves B, who loves C, but C loves A", but simply "A loves B." I wonder if he meant simpler and not subtle?
Article Two: The article on süddeutsche.de first focuses on the growth of the Comic Salon since its first time 24 years ago in 1984. Apparently someone took a video of it and it was shown at this year's Comic Salon. He then writes more about the manhua exhibition, also complaining about it being generic, art and story-wise. He then briefly talks about the panel discussion of the history of Chinese comics by sinologist Andreas Seifert. Seifert concludes that manhua is not a medium of the masses, but instead a medium of the westerly oriented Chinese youth. Christoph Haas then goes on to talk about the different comic artist and the winners of the Max and Moritz Price, it's all "western" comic folks though, so who cares?
Stefan Pannor is writing the third article for Spiegel Online. He's comparing the Comic Salon to the little village of the smurfs(sp?), which I might relate to, if he hadn't said that it was missing women. What…?! There were so many females attending the convention on Saturday, maybe he didn't leave the comic book area and didn't go to the manhua/manga booths? The rest of the text is mainly about the situation in Germany, which most of the authors give a positive future.
Onto the manga-sites: For more pictures, especially lots of cosplay pictures check out pummeldex. They have a few pictures of Benjamin and Eiki Eiki too. Also, they fetched Eiki Eiki for an interview and will post the interview on their website. Depending on the length I might translate it.
I have mentioned splashcomics' coverage before, but hey, maybe somebody missed it! They have many pictures available and videos of most, if not all, discussions that took place, so if you know German, hit it!
I mentioned the Max and Moritz Price in my prior post about the Comic Salon. I think it's no surprise that Jiro Taniguchi's Harukana Machi E managed to win the Max & Moritz Price for the manga category, after it was already voted Comic of the Year a few weeks back. It was able to win versus Lady Snowblood by Kazuo Koike & Kazuo Kamimura, What a Wonderful World by Inio Asano. I personally would've loved to see What a Wonderful World to win, alas the average age of the jury probably was too hight to be able to relate more to What a Wonderful World than to Harukana Machi E. I just love Asano's works and am so happy to see Solanin be released by VIZ.
Some interesting anecdotes I read on Xiao Pan's blog. Benjamin's Remember was sold out on Saturday evening, neither Xiao Pan, nor Tokyopop did have any copies left at that time. Tokyopop clearly underestimated Germany's will to spend 14€ on an art-book by an -for Germans- unknown artist. Guess the good result could be caused by splendid advertisement? Or the fact that Benjamin was present and also attracted Comic lovers and not only manga lovers?


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I really am a danger to myself.
After getting home from chairing an NA meeting, I was pretty much buggered, but with a healthy eating plan being a part of my life and trying to shift my post rehab weight (not like Nicole Richie thanks), I endeavored to make some veggies and tuna to munch on whilst I got down to doing some writing. Having put some butternut and other veg on the stove, I retreated to my room to write. After spending an hour playing Mob Wars on Facebook, I realized a smell of burnt butternut was seeping into my room from my kitchen. I dashed to the stove and found the veggies in a state of charcoaling at the bottom of the pot. Scraping out what wasn't burnt to eat for dinner, I remembered my mother's clever advice for burnt pot cleaning – add some Handy Andy in hot water in the pot and boil it on a low setting for a little while. So I made my cleaning fluid concoction and put the burnt pot on the stove to boil slowly and went back to my room to do attempt some writing again.
After playing another hour of Mob Wars, once again, I was alerted by a burning smell as before. But this burning smell was worse than vegetables. It was burnt Handy Andy. The pot was even more black, but this time, it stank. If you have ever burnt soap, you will know what this smells like but unless you are either a soap maker or as stupid as I am, you will not have experienced this pungent aroma. Like bad soap. Evil soap. Disgusting soap. The fumes were so strong I had to open all the doors in my house leading outside to try and get rid of the smell, hoping the toxic vapour would not kill me or make me high. It took a while, and a lot of toilet spray before I could breathe again without wanting to bring up my burnt dinner.
The pot is still sitting on my stove, I am hoping that if I ignore it, it will clean itself and put itself away in the cupboard without bothering anyone like a good pot.
So this evening, my new housemate came to visit. After many cups of coffee, cigarettes and talk about our messed up parents, I went to my computer to show him my prized and illegal copy of the Muse live at Wembley DVD. Now I love Muse. I love Matthew Bellamy and want to marry him. But then I found out he married some Italian wench called Gaia POLLONY, and it made me quite upset. Pollony?!!! Bitch. She ruined the song Starlight for me. She told English Cosmo it belongs to her and Matt. Seriously, she can have it. I had dreams of him dedicating it to me from a packed stage in London. Not any more, thanks to that ungrateful skank.
So I was busy gushing over how talented he is and monitoring his incredible piano playing talent (Matthew Bellamy, not house mate, I don't know if he can play piano) with my back to my bedroom wall.
"Oh look a cockroach" my new housemate alerted me.
Turning around I observed what is the one thing in the world that terrifies me though most – a roach. Ever since a bad experience in Durban with a nonexistent pendant on a necklace and a three inch cockroach, I have not been a fan. At all.
And this particular roach was about the length of my index finger and FAT. And whirring its feelers. On my wall.
In a panic, I lurched backwards, away from the wall but could not get far as my desk was in the way. Treading on my poor new housemate's foot, I fled the room, taking a few speakers with me who's cables were caught around my other foot.
Anyway, I doomed the roach, stood on it and doomed it again. And then stood on it again. Apologising profusely to my new roomie, I felt about as big as that roach. Well, maybe smaller. He said it was fine, but I don't think his foot agreed.
I have to go to bed now, gym in the morning.
Ah I love the gym. And detest it at the same time. It amazes me how some ladies can pull off full make up and a workout without breaking a sweat. Thing is, the men at the gym are hardly "modest". The ones that are modest are modest for a reason. If I was to think of anywhere worse to pick a man up than a gym, it would have to be Cmax prison. But the gym is pretty bad.
A while ago, what must have been an ex rugby star who got thrown out of the sport for steroids was next to me on a treadmill. Literally this guy put the damn machine on so fast he couldn't keep up with it. Seeing a man with a 100kg frame running at 15km/hr is quite something. And not something that lasts. After about ten seconds and almost coming off the back, he stopped the machine, did a kind of "yeah"-self affirmation-type-effort and hopped off.
Later I was on a rowing machine and he got onto the one next to me. I was beginning to get a complex – was he going on the same machines as me to make himself look better? Maybe it was in my head, but when he started pulling the rowing cord so hard that he could have powered New York with for a month from the machine (but only for about ten seconds), I began to wonder. And then… the girlfriend turned up.
Not particularly pretty, but one of the 'in girls' slaving to status came up. I wondered if it was his sister but no, definately his girlfriend. Now if this guy had been a gentle and nice person, I could have seen reason behind the couple. But this guy was far from it and a complete egotist. Who had been thrown out of rugby for steroids, remember?
Then I realized the mutual benefit of the Christina Storm/James small relationship – the rugby man, model woman relationship strategy. She wants money and fame status, he wants prettier-lady-than-his-neighbour-status. Well they definitely had that. And not much else, maybe two brain cells between them. I see them at the gym often, him pushing weights far too heavy for him which he drops on occasion and she doing alluring stretches in front of the mirror. I wish them the best; it seems a mutually beneficial relationship. Maybe with their two brain cells added together they have a fighting chance of finding the car in the parking lot after their workout. I have names for them – steroid banned rugby man and pretty but brainless cling on.
There are other names for the regulars I see there: anorexic alcoholic woman, extremely hairy KGB man, ultra muscly coloured lady, fitness junkie grandma, insane Indian groaning man and crazy naked stretching woman (don't ask – if you have been inside a gym changing room, you know what I am talking about)¸amongst others.
The changing rooms in the gym scare me. My first month at the gym I would leave the ladies room feeling rather violated and like crying. I don't know if it is just me, but I pretty much shower in a towel. I don't have a great figure but I think if I did, I would not take part in the naked acrobatics that those women seem to love. When I was in high school, I had the art of getting my gym kit on under my school uniform before removing uniform technique down to a tee. But these ladies must have gone to a French school or something.
The things I have seen in that locker room… cannot be unseen. Really, I have come close to vomiting. Not from bad hygiene, just from attention seeking displays of ladies private parts that I really, really, really, really could do without seeing. Actually one incident was bad hygiene. A rather large lady in the steam room was not using a towel and had her, erm, nether regions spread across the tiles. When she got up, she made the most massive squelching sound from her private parts suctioning on the tiles that I nearly vomited on the spot. Apart from that, the general naked bitchiness is just a little too much to handle, but I am a little more used to it by now.
When it comes to the machines, I am the bitch, I always look at what everyone else is doing on their screens and if I am going at a harder rate than them, I feel like a better person. Fuck the lot of them