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Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask, "So, what's your USP?"
No, but I bet you're wondering, "What the heck is a USP?" USP is a marketing term that stands for unique selling proposition. Some experts use the term unique value proposition.
"It's a promise of value that your customers can't get from your competitors," says Judith Guido, of Guido and Associates, Moorpark, Calif. According to Guido, about 95 percent of lawn care and landscape businesses don't have a USP. "They look the same, have the same business development, pricing and products," she says.
And that's not good, because if all turf businesses in the same region are selling the same services at the same prices there's no differentiation or competitive advantage, and price becomes the ultimate decision driver. Guido instructs companies to look at other industries to see how they leverage their USPs. Southwest Airlines and Starbucks are two examples that she cites.
Southwest Airlines has created a unique brand for itself by using only one type of plane that provides for a lower pricing structure, as well as using its employee base as a differentiator. Southwest does team hiring and selects individuals with upbeat and dynamic personalities who have a sense of humor. The company recognizes that air travel can be stressful, and has built its brand on creating a terrific customer experience that is fun, happy, convenient and safe. And its employees inject humor into its customer service to make it lightheartedly different from any other airline. This is just one of the qualities that make it unique compared to carriers such as U.S. Airways and American Airlines. Not surprisingly, Southwest outpaces its competitors in both profitability and loyalty.
Starbucks stands out in the coffee industry. Its baristas take more time to make your coffee drink than McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts. At Starbucks, you can order hundreds of different ways to have your coffee made where McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts stick with the basics, and that makes Starbucks different from its competitors. Starbucks also creates a place that feels like a cross between your home and your office. Moms get together over a cup of coffee; business people can meet potential clients there; and many writers have worked on their novels at Starbucks. Additionally, Starbucks describes its server as "baristas" cementing Starbucks as a cool place to hang out. Its prices are also higher than its competitors for the above service, but it provides a higher level of service, a more pleasing atmosphere and a fair amount of trendiness, too.
So what makes your landscape or lawn care business different from your competition?
Creating a USP takes a lot of hard work. It requires more than just sitting down with your salespeople and writing catchy slogans. It means that everyone on your team, and in every aspect of your business, from the accountant to the crewmember, including your stakeholders, can accurately state your company's USP. Thus, when you decide to develop your USP, you need to do some research about your company by asking your entire team, stakeholders and clients if they know why your company exists. If everyone's answers aren't the same, then you need to devote time to developing your company's USP.
To develop a USP, you first need to gather intelligence - getting out of your comfort zone and asking questions about your company's purpose from the perspectives of your employees, your stakeholders, other professionals, the media, your community and your competitors. Essentially, you're asking people who know your business and its reputation how they define your business's purpose and mission. Once you've gathered all of that information, it's time to boil it down and do a competitive analysis.
At this point, you need to be objective and you need to prove to your stakeholders and team that your company is different from everyone else's. If you can come up with concrete answers to the following questions it will show you, and the rest of the world, how your company is different from the crowd:
1. What do you do differently from your competitors?
2. Do you offer unique products or services that your competition doesn't?
3. Do you work on Saturdays and Sundays where your competition only works Monday through Fridays?
4. What unique service(s) or product(s) do you sell?
5. How do you sell your products and services differently from your competitors?
6. Are you tapping into social networking and developing relationships with your clients, both actual and potential?
7. How can you partner with someone to service your customers faster, cheaper, better, with smarter equipment, trademarks or an exclusivity agreement?
Once you answer those questions, you're on your way to developing an effective USP.
Gary Roux, who owns Entrevant (http://www.entrevant.com) and manages the LinkedIn group "Quickbooks for Landscape Contractors", talks about two green industry businessmen who have successful USPs. Greg Whitstock made his company, Aquascape, a national leader in water features. And Phil Catron and his firm, NaturaLawn, promise to deliver an organic-based lawn care to his clients' properties.
Roux explains how Whitstock of AquaScape, Inc. stands out in his niche: "Greg is a national (business). He supplies components to make pond building easier. I would recommend visiting his website, his Facebook page, et al. He does a bunch of stuff that really makes him unique. Workshops, training, build-a-pond days, etc. His components and kits make backyard pond building a snap. Very cool group. I knew them when they were just starting out; they are now about $50 million, I think."
A great way to learn about how companies develop their USPs is by reading their case studies. "Two great examples of strategic differentiation that most people reading this will identify with are U.S. Lawns and Brickman," Roux says. "What do they do? If you said, 'landscape maintenance' you haven't gone deep enough. How about 'commercial landscape maintenance?' Better. But digging deeper, you will see that the focus is on specific types of projects, specific property sizes and specific distances from the branch."
According to Tony Bass, a small business consultant, green business owners should be working on their businesses instead of in them, which means that you step away from the daily tasks of helping your crews get jobs done and take more of a top down role as a business owner where you hire foremen and crew leaders to make sure that jobs get done. And you work on taking the company to its next level and envision where you want your company to be in five, 10 and 15 years.
Bass stated that an effective USP will help prospective customers or clients know what to expect from your firm if they decide to hire you. Bass also advised that companies ask the following questions to the entire team. "Why should someone do business with our company? Take those (the team's) thoughts into consideration. Interview your top three to five clients. And combine those answers," Bass says.
The second question Bass tells his clients to ask their team and their clients is, "What makes our company special and unique?" Both questions are similar, but yield different results. From these replies, you again combine the answers to see how you're different from competitors.
"You've got to provide top-quality service and customer service. What's the biggest problems, aggravation, etc. that you solve for your customers? That (information) comes from the interviews with the clients. Even the smallest things can make a difference," Bass says.
It's great to learn about USP and how it can benefit your business in theory. But the rubber meets the road when you set out to create your company's USP.
Gary Roux shares his advice on learning more about applying USP to your business.
"It depends on the size of the firm. If they don't want to spend thousands on a consultant, there are a lot of books that can be found at Amazon. I listen to audible or recorded books instead of the radio while driving. Writing a business plan will help identify the USP. It's important that the USP match what the operating structure of the company is able to produce, i.e. don't have a 'low price leader' USP if you have high operating costs."
Roux recommends "Street Smarts" by Norm Brodsky, which goes beyond USP.
"There are lots of good resources on branding and positioning," Roux continues. "I recommend doing an internet search and going off of the reviews. The resources someone chooses will have a lot to do with the direction that you want to go. For example, in my case, I differentiate by customer service and communication. I read everything I can on Zappos, Disney and Nordstrom."
Roux also says that the same advice can be applied when looking for reputable consultants to help you with your USP research and creation.
"Seek out the ones that have your idea of a great USP and use them," Roux says.
Bass notes some other ways that your business can stand out from your competition:
"Being unique today is that initial meeting online, where the owner is present, but not ... moving them (the potential customers) from shopping online (to making contact with you)."
Bass also notes that potential customers, who are looking online, want to see proof of your value through client testimonials and reviews. And this information should be on your homepage where it's the first thing your potential clients see when they click onto your site.
"If you have a USP, (the next step is to) build an introduction of your company with 200 to 250 words in an online video by the owner who introduces the company," Bass advises.
You can also broadcast your USP through pictures where satisfied clients are enjoying your handiwork that your company did on their properties. Potential clients can visualize themselves easier when they see real people enjoying their landscapes and lawns. And it's a visual word-of-mouth, if you will, when potential clients see their friends, family and neighbors in landscape pictures where you did the work.
Finally, your USP should be reviewed periodically to verify that your company is living up to its promise. "I think a USP is not something to change, but to verify that you're on track and are getting feedback from your team," Roux states. "It's really the largest part of (your company's culture), and you want that to be stable."
Bass, Guido and Roux all emphasize that slogans such as "great customer service" and "licensed and insured" are not good USPs because everyone uses them. You're not standing out from the crowd with those phrases.
"Because every reasonably successful company does that," Roux says. "Nothing unique about doing a good job in this industry. If you don't (deliver great customer service), you'll be out of business. You have to be exceptional at something, or you will be in the pack and compete solely on price. And while that can be a strategy, the entire structure of the company has to support that strategy. There is a reason that Toyota has a separate dealership for the Lexus product."
So, what is your USP?
A member of the Garden Writers Association, Komancheck writes about the green industry from her home near Ephrata, Pa. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.com or check out her blog at http://wendykomancheckswriting.wordpress.com.


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Find more items from "Amerock Corporation" at USKnobs.com.
We're expanding our product offering to include many new and interesting products at great prices.
New products available now in these sections: - Abrasives - Adhesives, Caulks, and Fillers - Appliance Garages - Batteries - Bits, Blades, and Cutters - Builder's Hardware - Bumpers, Glides, Levelers and Table Hardware - Cabinet Pull-Out Systems - Casters - Chemicals and Lubricants - Closet and Garage Organizers - Decorative Wood and Moldings - Drawer Slides - Finish, Coating, and Painting Supplies - Gloves - Grommets - Janitorial and Cleaning Supplies - Kitchen Accessories - Lighting - Staples, Brads and Pins - Tapes - Temperature Indicators - Trash Pull-Outs - Tools
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EDMUND W. LITTLEFIELD 550 CALIFORNIA STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94104 February 8, 1999 Mr. Chuck Robinson 128 Grant Street Santa FE, NM 87501 Dear Mr. Robinson: Enclosed are a couple of pictures of the Marcona Exporter, excerpts of some description of the ship which I found in the files, copies of pages from the 1967 and 1972 Annual Reports, and a copy of a Marcona brochure. I haven't looked at the archives yet, but I'm not too hopeful of finding anything there, so I thought I'd send you what I have so far. If I find anything more I'll send it on. If I can be of any further assistance please let me know. I can be reached a (415) 774-2421. Sincerely, Bonnie Predny Secretary to E. W. Littlefield Enc.
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H & K Sculptures are world renowned for their tasteful creativity and superior craftsmanship. From the mind of metal artist Guenter Scholz, these handmade pieces are crafted in Germany by welding recycled steel and copper to successfully portray a variety of lifestyles, professions, humor, transportation, and more. H & K Metal Sculptures offer more than just whimsy to your home or office environment, they add a personal touch which few decorative items provide. H & K Wine Bottle Holders were introduced in the United States in 2000 and have expanded greatly from the two original designs initially available to the public. With a plethora of unparalleled personality and stylish grace, these artistic renditions of culture are continually being improved upon by taking suggestions from the faithful connoisseurs who purchase them as unique gifts for family, friends, loved ones, and business associates. H & K Wine Caddies are also a fashionable way to show appreciation to your favorite doctor, dentist, attorney, teacher, politician, clergyman, firefighter, and more.Cat Wine Bottle Holder H & K Metal Sculptures make terrific custom corporate gifts which are capable of being personalized to your needs. Whether you need truly unique Business Card Holders, desk accessories, Wine Bottle Holders, or Metal Sculptures, H & K has the best items that make the perfect gift. See what over ten years of experience and the vision of a great metal sculptor portraying his view of the world through art. H&K metal sculptures make the perfect gift for anyone on your holiday list or for any occasion. No matter what trade or hobbies your recipients are into, H&K has a personalized recycled gift that fits their interests and your budget. The wine lover, animal lover, and art lover will find beauty in the visually appealing and economically friendly handmade gifts birthed in Germany and proudly crafted in the U.S. Each piece offers a light reflection on culture and is done in the style of a visionary in the world of metal sculpture, Guenter Scholz.
View Other selections from H And K Sculptures
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Items may be exchanged for other items, or for store credit, within a six- month period. Any items sent back to us must reach us in saleable condition. Customer pays return shipping fees.
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We will issue refunds to your credit card if an item(s) reaches you damaged and you do not want a replacement, or if an item has been misrepresented on our website. Misrepresentation must be agreed to by both parties. Refunds for misrepresented items will include shipping fees, and will be issued once the item(s) comes back to us in saleable condition.
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You will be given a tracking number when an item is shipped. If the package becomes lost or does not reach you, we will work with you in filing the proper UPS or USPS claim. Refund based on outcome of insurance claim; we are not liable after package has been successfully turned over to the carrier.
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The time is right for Drupal products
- Compare a Drupal blogging distribution or service to Wordpress (Drupal Gardens does much more than blogging, but it might be the best comparison here).
- Compare Drupal Commons to Jive or Telligent.
- Compare Open Atrium to Basecamp.
- Compare OpenPublish to online magazine portals.
Though I would agree, in terms of user experience none of Drupal products are near their competitors (which you note as one of the primary fields of competition). If we want this to change for Drupal 7 products we need to do a serious job in attracting and employing user experience designers.
Above Drupal products made by large companies & almost the core drupal coders I guess. For freelancer/small company, we have limited budget to each project.
WP is purpose-built for blogging and we can see some other products. most of them made by ONE man.
Much improve in Drupal 7, Clients would like the backend now. BUT
D7 with Views and some modules, can D7 running well in share hosting
?? right, it depends.
but for a WP project, I never think of this problem. It is a simple
question but always lack you start a project with Drupal. Not all of
us building large site and get a server to run it.
Some of us are little people, maybe that the reason why comparing apples and oranges.
for your point, I think D5 is right for products, no need wait to D7 or whatever. Just invest money to get them done.
I love both Drupal & WP.
A very interesting point Jam. I have this discussion all the time with clients, and even use a modified version of a classic decision tree to show what they should use (Drupal/Wordpress/Static HTML)
I am sure many people have seen it, but it goes along the lines of "Are you a blog and only a blog => Use Wordpress. Do you want just brochureware => Use static HTML. Do you want a website that you can control easily => Use Drupal" Its simple and seems to work. Especially when I am able to show a sample site (Which I am using D7 for now, to help test it with a variety of users)
Wordpress is great for what it does (Blogging) but Drupal as you say is a complete platform. Now the UX is being heavily worked on, and things like CCK are making it into core, I think Drupal 7 will be a good solid platform many people will choose - especially with so many government and for profit companies starting to use Drupal for their large scale corporate websites. However I have to wonder if more Drupal based products were launched if people would stop comparing Wordpress to Drupal itself? I doubt it as Drupal is primarily known as a CMS and not a Framework - but it might help a bit. Is a new marketing strategy required for D7 or D8 when it comes along?
David Thorne | Managing Director at Contemporary Fusion Computer Services Ltd
A couple of other posters have commented that Drupal needs to work out if it wishes to be seen as a framework or a CMS. I am not going to try and say it can't be both, but I think it can only be "known" as one. Maybe rebranding it as something like a Content Managment Framework (Similar to what ModX have done) could be an answer. I am no marketing expert, but I do think Drupal needs to find its place and become well known for that. No product is perfect, I don't believe it's possible. However if Drupal tries to be too many things I don't think it will work out well for the project, which would be a real shame.
With regards to building platforms within Drupal - this is something I am currently experimenting with on the D7 alphas. Drupal is a great base for a lot of products, especially with some many features available out the box (Most of CCK being added to core has also greatly reduced the additional requirements when setting up a Drupal site) Drupal Gardens is a great start - lets get more ideas like it out there and hopefully break down some of the negative images Drupal can generate in the least tech savvy people (Like the idea you NEED a developer to work with Drupal etc)
David Thorne,
Managing Director | Contemporary Fusion Computer Services Ltd
You are right, it's the best time to build distro/products. I expect a future of Drupal distro like Linux, you go and pick your favorite distro and involve in it's community or group.
WordPress is a CMS, beside being a blogging platform. you should know this allready.
Like the previous poster says, calling WordPress a blogging platform is a misrepresentation of the platform. Even though custom post types arrived officially pretty recently using WordPress as a fully fledged flexible CMS has been possible for quite some time with plugins and extending WordPress is really easy.
WordPress also has alot of utility functions built in for a wide range of things that aren't used that much when doing your regular WordPress site but when doing more serious development the stuff is there. You can build fully fledged products on the WordPress platform and it's already been done.
I'd say that WordPress is a framework in the same sense that Drupal is a framework. I can't vouch for if WordPress covers as much ground with all its functions as Drupal does but alot of it's there. Nothing is stopping you from developing your own products on the WordPress platform and leveraging WordPress functionality for them.
The problem for Drupal is that Drupal is pretty awful as a CMS out of the box. I know that you guys think it's unfair that you get judged for this but as long as you keep calling Drupal a CMS that's what people are going to look at.
Personally I'm not convinced that Drupal has more to offer as a framework than many of the other "real" frameworks out there (I'm thinking Zend, Symfony etc.) and there's at least one CMS that's been built with a framework at its core (SilverStripe) if you want both.
You really need to sell what Drupal is and why we should use it.
Is it a real CMS?
Then you can't have a user experience that sucks and you need good
Is it a framework?
Then everything needs to be well structured with a well thought out
API, is this the case now?


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[Download the NAMI metabolic syndrome fact sheet.]
Metabolic syndrome is a complex medical condition that involves multiple related diseases including obesity, elevated blood sugars, high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia,hypertriglyceridemia). People with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for developing many serious medical complications including type 2 diabetes, heart attack (myocardial infarction), stroke (cerebrovascular disease), and if not addressed, even early death. Unfortunately, people living with mental illness are at increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome. Due to the severity of this condition, early detection and intervention are critically important.
People with mental illness are more likely than other individuals to develop this complex medical condition. Scientific research has shown that certain people are at an even greater risk of having metabolic syndrome:
As metabolic syndrome and diabetes are a complex combination of medical illnesses, there are multiple precautions that can be taken to prevent these severe conditions. In general, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of the best preventative measures against developing metabolic syndrome. A healthy lifestyle includes the following:
Choosing appropriate medications with ones physicians can be critical in preventing metabolic syndrome and diabetes. For example, a person with schizophrenia who is gaining a lot of weight with a particular SGA (including olanzapine [Zyprexa], clozapine [Clozaril] and quetiapine [Seroquel]) may be better treated with another similar medication that does not have the same risk of weight gain, metabolic syndrome and diabetes (e.g., certain first generation antipsychotics such as haloperidol [Haldol] or perphenazine [Trilafon]). Given the complexities of these decisions—specifically, weighing the risks of metabolic syndrome against the benefits of continuing a medication that appears to be working well—all medication management issues should be discussed with ones family, psychiatrist and other treating physicians. Some people who are taking SGAs may also find that medications used in the treatment of diabetes (e.g., metformin) may be helpful in preventing metabolic syndrome. This is a possible treatment option that can be discussed with ones psychiatrist and other physicians.
Treating metabolic syndrome and diabetes involves many of the same strategies used for preventing these conditions. This includes regular doctor appointments, eating a healthy diet, exercising and avoiding smoking, alcohol and other drugs.
In addition to these life-style modifications and regular medical follow up, there are medications that are helpful in treating metabolic syndrome and diabetes. These include medications to treat high blood pressure (antihypertensives), medications to treat high cholesterol (including statins such as simvastatin [Zocor] and atorvastatin [Lipitor]) and medications to treat diabetes (including insulin as well as other medications such as metformin). Most primary care physicians are well trained in diagnosing and managing metabolic syndrome and diabetes. However, some people with severe metabolic syndrome and diabetes may also seek a consultation or referral to an endocrinologist—a doctor who has specialized training in treating these conditions.It is very troubling to know that many people living with mental illness and metabolic syndrome or diabetes are not getting good preventive medical care. Scientific studies have shown that a significant portion of people with schizophrenia are not even getting the basic screening tests for these conditions to try and prevent them. It is important to facilitate communication between ones psychiatrists and other doctors. This can help to make sure that everyone receives appropriate medical and psychiatric care to prevent—and if necessary to treat—these serious conditions.
To learn more about becoming your own medical self-advocate by exploring the Medical Self Advocacy section of the NAMI Hearts & Minds website.
Additionally, speaking with ones doctors, local clubhouse, NAMI Chapter or community mental health program may help to find other forms of support. Many communities have walking groups, nutritional and fitness groups or other peer support programs that can be helpful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Below are some tools that might be helpful for some people. The use of websites like these should be done with the support and collaboration of ones doctors:Reviewed by Ken Duckworth, M.D., and Jacob L. Freedman, M.D., April 2013
Inspire others with your message of hope. Show others they are not alone.
Share your storyBecome an advocate. Register on NAMI.org to keep up with NAMI news and events.
Join NAMI Today


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Dear People Who Are Not Interested in the World Series,
Look, if you don't want to be interested, that's fine with me. I have a bit of an unfortunate hipster thing going on (minus the fedora and Adele obsession, thankfully) so I like it when I'm going against the trends and all that.
But I think you're missing out. Seriously. And there seem to be an awful lot of you, which is what worries me. Why would you not be interested in a Cards/Rangers matchup? I could list all the reasons it is going to be awesome and amazing and loads of fun, but I make too many lists on this blog, so I will spare you.
I just don't understand. If this has to do with the cities and prejudices against them, then graduate pre-school and talk to me then. Sorry, did that sound terrible? I'm just a wee bit frustrated. The players are not from the city. The management is not from the city. Sometimes the owners aren't even from the city. All stadiums pretty much look the same, especially on TV, so what is this all about?
The Rangers are a really, really fun team to watch. Everyone I've met who's actually just watched them play baseball agrees with that. I have less experience with the Cardinals, but as far as I know they're pretty darn fun as well. Teams and cities seem to come with so much baggage and that people would skip a World Series on that account makes me sad. Say it's just a team you think is dull. The Series can still be fun! It's like the Academy Awards. Sure, there are lame years, but it's still the biggest award show in the film industry. Why not give it a peek and see how it goes? And I don't even think that this is a lame year at all.
So could y'all throw the prejudices out the window and enjoy these last seven or so games of baseball? March is a long way off.
On a more pleasant note… Happy World Series Wednesday! I am curling up with my bite-sized chapters of the Economics of Life, which are perfectly suited to the ad breaks and some trail mix and getting seriously stoked for this.
Diamond Girl


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Dream Club 2011 - Mike Kingsley
I joined the Rush Soccer Club my U11 year, playing with my best friend on the same team. We had a lot to learn. We practiced two times a week and played two games every Saturday. One of the two practices was with Lee Riley, who was teaching us the technical and tactical aspects of the game. I never really enjoyed his practices but as I grew older I realized that we were being challenged day in and day out. It was tough for me to realize the importance of what I was learning. At that age all I wanted to do was hang out with my best friend.
When I reflect back on my U11 year, I wasn't the greatest player but that's the year that I learned one of life's greatest lessons: hard work. It's stuck with me ever since, especially because I've always been one of the smallest players on the field. Hard work isn't just showing up to practice and putting in a decent effort on game day or scoring a couple goals. It's giving your best effort with every opportunity at hand. Sometimes you have to make a 40-yard sprint to get back on defense to mark a player or make run after run down the sideline or maybe just double team a player. I remember marking a player that never received a pass or I never was played the ball. I had to dig deep inside myself to find the motivation to keep making those defensive and offensive runs. When playing soccer you have to work hard because you never know when you're going to get that ball and make something happen.
Soccer is a wonderful teacher. Each game is a learning experience. I've learned the most from my losses. During my U12 season, we lost to a team that ended up playing in the championship game. That's when we learned to never give up, no matter what the score is. The next day in our consolation game versus the Boise Capitals we were down 4-1 in the first half. It was another reminder of how awful we felt after our loss the day before. Our coach reminded us that it's never too late to get back in the game. One of my favorite teammates, Mesa Selimovic, reminded us of a professional team that was down 4-1 in the first half and came back in the second half with a tie of 4-4 and then won in a penalty-kick shootout. We came out the second half burning with the desire to dominate the Capitals. It was the greatest come-back I've ever been a part of in all my years of playing club soccer. We tied the game 4-4 and for some odd reason the referee refused to give a penalty-kick shootout. I don't think it would have mattered. We had decided to overcome our loss and make the win.
I've learned that in every game there's a lesson to be learned. From my U11 season to my final U18 season, I've won three State Cups, Surf Cup, Performance Cup a few times and played in many out-of-state championship games. In all of those tournaments, there's been something to take away from them. During our Surf Cup championship, I learned the value of passion and love of the sport. We expressed those feelings throughout the tournament and proved to everyone that "Podunk, Idaho" doesn't just grow potatoes. I could go on for days about every individual lesson I've learned from my successes and defeats over the past eight years with Rush. I understand the importance of hard work, teamwork, unity, team spirit, passion, self-control, wisdom, situational awareness and leadership. These values are an important role in my personal performance and my team's success.
For the most part I've played with the same team throughout the years with Rush. We lost a few players along the way and gained a few players. My Rush soccer team is like a second family to me. I'm attending college and playing soccer now but I miss and love my Rush teammates and the coaches that helped me become the player I am today. We've been through so much together, we weren't always on the winning side but it was the joy that everyone brought to the table that kept us together.
To all of you soon-to-be soccer studs that are reading this, you should be proud to be a part of Rush. At times things won't go according to planned but if you stick it out you will be rewarded with life-time relationships. Appreciate your coaches and parents; they will be your biggest fans. They will witness your success and comfort you when you believe you have failed or been defeated. I will never forget my coaches starting from my U11 season and ending with my U18 season. Sincerely, thank you Bill Reimers, Jerry Chouinard, Carlos Correa, Lee Riley, Steve Brent, Matt Billings and Shaun Dunn. If it wasn't for the skills that you all taught me, I wouldn't be here writing this paper today. I probably wouldn't be playing soccer at the collegiate level or have earned the NWAACC All-Region award. I came away from Rush with a second family and some of the best memories. Most importantly, thank you for teaching me follow-through. It's playing a big part in my higher education.


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messenger tote supreme
by CLARE V.
While working in French television, Clare Vivier began making bags as a result of her busy travel schedule. She discovered a gap in the market for laptop cases that were functional yet stylish, inspiring her to create her own bag. The concept quickly parlayed into her now eponymous line of handbags and clutches that are as stylish as they are utilitarian. She attributes her sense of chic simplicity to her strong connection with France. Clare's design principle is timeless but her aesthetic is bold, always taking into consideration the elegant tension between modern detail and classic shapes.
Back To Product View All From This DesignerMen's Size Chart
Product Details
Tote bag crafted from glossy croc embossed leather with a single main zip compartment and removable coin purse. Leather handles and detachable leather shoulder strap.
• brass hardware
• dimensions: 17"W x 12"L
• shoulder straps drop 19"
• coin purse: 5.5" L x 4" W
• made in USA


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Continuing Education Examination Preparation Courses are here to help you prepare for the examinations you need to get where you want to be.
Our Test Preparation series has small class sizes, one on one instructor interaction and local availability.
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Collegiate Peaks - 466Join this group
Chapter Contacts
Chapter President:
Mr. Keith Krebs
blog BY John Ross ON June 20 - 0 COMMENTS
100 Best: Arkansas River Posted in 100 Best Trout Streams, Colorado TU, Upper Colorado River, Arkansas River, Collegiate Peaks - 466, Colorado River Headwaters - 547, Colorado - 9CO
Location: Central Colorado
Type of stream: Freestone
Angling methods: Fly, Spinning, Bait
Species: Brown, rainbow
Access: Moderate to difficult
Season: Year-round
Supporting Services: Salida, Canon City
Short take: Big rich water in a long skinny park
Handicapped Access: Yes
Closest TU Chapter:... [ READ MORE... ]
blog BY tpalka ON April 22 - 2 COMMENTS
Stream Explorers session #1, Collegiate Peaks Anglers Posted in Collegiate Peaks - 466, Stream Explorers
Quick report on the first Stream Explorers session, run by Collegiate Peaks Anglers of Colorado:
We had a great opening Stream Explorers session last Friday (April 18, 2014! Ten students showed up (slightly fewer than the 15 who signed up), and so we had plenty volunteers to work with everyone. We... [ READ MORE... ]
blog BY tpalka ON April 17 - 0 COMMENTS
Pre- Caddis Festival Online Auction Posted in Collegiate Peaks - 466
Unable to attend the Caddis Festival this year but want to bid on some really great deals? Want to get a head start on some Caddis Festival auction items? This year we have selected a few of the Caddis Festival auction items for a special pre-Caddis Festival online auction. A brief list of these... [ READ MORE... ]
blog BY tpalka ON November 1 - 0 COMMENTS
To learn more about us... Posted in Collegiate Peaks - 466
Please see our web site: http://www.collegiatepeaksanglerstu.org/
or see our page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegiatePeaksAnglersTU


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It is with this thought that Delta State University, spearheaded by political science professor Gary Jennings, has organized DSUVotes, a campaign aimed at attracting young voters to the polls for the Nov. 6 general election.
On Thursday, Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Judson Thigpen and Dr. Wayne Blansett, vice president of DSU student affairs, were asked to speak to the student body to explain how the presidential election will affect the Delta area economically.
"A lot of times I don't believe that voters, especially younger ones, understand the trickle down effect that whoever is voted into an office can have," said Thigpen. "One of problems is that finding the honest issues and views of a candidate is becoming more and more difficult because of the biased opinions everywhere you turn. That is why I encourage every voter, regardless of party affiliations, to research each candidate and make the best choice for you.
"In the end it doesn't matter who you vote for because you're going to have to be able to work with whoever takes office," Thigpen added.
Blansett agreed and offered the last governor's race and the effect it will have on the members that will represent Mississippi universities on the Board of Trustees of the State Institutes of Higher Learning as an example.
"The way the IHL board is set up, a two-term governor will have the unique opportunity to appoint eight of the 12 sitting members of the board during his time in office," said Blansett. "When you think about it, that fact alone can give that elected official a lot of influence on the future decisions made concerning the state's public institutions."
Blansett said that historically, the percentage of those 18-35-year-olds that actually vote has been dismal.
"A recent poll published by U.S. News and World Report shows that of the voting age population between 18-30-years-old, only 13 percent of this age group is voting," said Blansett. "You talk about apathy. That figure is apathy personified.
"I want to be sure to bring that figure close to home," he continued. "So I took the latest figure of a campus election, which gives our student body practice of voting. In that last student election, we had only 27 percent of the student body vote."
Jennings added that the figures showing American voters over the last two election years show a similar pattern. His figures showed that the percentage of voting Americans dropped approximately 20 percent between last two elections.
Blansett went on to say that it is not only a right, but also a duty to vote.
"We are here today to encourage you to participate in the democratic process," Blansett continued. "The democratic process is one of the special privileges that you have as an American. If you cannot take the time to cast a vote then you should not be allowed to argue or criticize decisions of policies that a candidate makes."
The DSUvotes campaign will continue to run through the Nov. 6 election and incumbent U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, will be the next guest speaker when he appears at the Jacobs Conference Center inside Ewing Hall on the DSU campus on Oct. 25.


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Well, it looks like the Solar Decathlon officially has a new home and it's not exactly a big shocker that the 2013 edition will not be held in or around Washington, D.C.
You are here
SEIA is the solar energy industry's go-to source for the latest coverage on solar power, including U.S. and international policy, research and polls, business and financing trends, and more. Our staff strives to support the media covering solar energy issues and guide our members on effective media outreach with clear statements, background materials, news and multimedia resources.
SEIA is committed to informing policymakers, the media, and the American public about the benefits of solar energy for today's communities, our economy, and our country.
Learn more from our statements and industry news below.
Four Market Niches In The Solar Boom
After a summer hearing about the death of Solyndra, you couldn't be blamed for not knowing that the solar industry is exploding in this country. And it's not just selling panels--an entire industry is springing up around people getting energy from the sun.
Energy Tax Breaks Proposed, Despite Waning Support for Subsidies
Assisted by technological innovation and years of subsidies, the cost of wind and solar power has fallen sharply — so much so that the two industries say that they can sometimes deliver cleaner electricity at prices competitive with power made from fossil fuels.
SEIA Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address
Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association released the following statement today in response to President Obama's State of the Union Address to Congress.
IKEA to Activate Solar Energy System
The world's leading home furnishings retailer will activate 4,186 solar panels Tuesday morning atop its 344,000-square-foot Butler County location.


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Photo says it all, right? My sister and I went the Giants v. Brewers game yesterday and rooted for the BrewCrew all out. I also went to their batting practice and held up my sign and while Ryan did not come over and ask to marry me (unfortunate), Jeremy Jeffress did throw me a ball and laughed at me when I missed it. And. Memo to the pitching coach: it isn't polite to stare. You may have learned that in kindergarten.
The game was pretty dismal other than Braun's performance. Needless to say, I held the sign high after his incredible, incredible catch (memo to Ryan: it's isn't cool to look pleased with yourself. You should act like you that all the time. But you do have a beautiful smile) and hit the two run blast.
I basically left the game thinking, Why do they hit like mad the only game I root against them? and There are better ways to die than suffocating on a BART train.
It's actually interesting, in a weird way, to root against "your" team in person, to see everything from another perspective. You should try it some time. But not in a pennant race, if possible. That makes things a little bit more sticky.
In any case, I'll be back out the weekend of July 22nd, 2011 to cheer for my Brewers, unless someone wants to fly me out to Milwaukee the weekend of May 27th.
Next stop, The Coliseum to show some Texas pride. Which may or may not be popular. I will have a sign again, I think.
Diamond Girl
p.s. FYI, it's "I Love U" with a "U" because there wasn't room for a "you". I wasn't trying to be the hip teenage girl that I am.


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WOW, such a beautiful penis, and scrotal region. I would love to walk in on a boy like him masturbating, then finish him off (our little secret).
Anyone know where to find the vid of his ass getting licked?
he's just all kinds of wonderful
There are a lot of his vids on xnxx.com. He sure is a shooter.
James is certainly becoming ne of my favourites. I am starting to get a bit of a collection of his movies
He's quite he grower
God. He turns me on so bad. Those rimming shots are hot, too. I'm totally jealous of that girl.
that hole looks rather tongue-worthy...(his, I mean)
^good shoot!
Damn he is so hot from his curly hair, to that average-toned bod, and that big fat uc cock. But mostly I think hes hot for his cocky fucker attitude :P
If he's in a straight porn I'll watch just for him, not the brady's XXX is a good one he's in... great cum shots in that movie by him too.
he does a lot of parody porn- Scrubs, the Office and Batman, etc....always hot...he also does porn where he beats and strangles the women- kink.com- not all that great.
Yep! He has an amazing pair of nads.
Read my blog HERE *NSFW*
God, I recently developed a crush on him.
I've jerked off to James Deen more times than I can count. He's got a beautiful cock.
Nice hole shot.
i've heard of dicks reaching the bellybutton, but never saw a nutsack that could almost reach that far... wow...
Have you rimming video of James?
Yup flashgordon, download Obscene Behavior 2!
Great ass and feet worship of that stud!
Ok but i don't wanna see girl's ass... but girlz who lick jame's ass....
These are all on his xpeeps account..check out the one with the Z inserted in his penis..baffling to me
This isn't James.....
^ LOL...not by a long shot.
I wonder if he waxes his ass....for his legs to be that hairy and his crack not makes me suspicious.....
^No doubt that he does! A lot of straight porn stars do, I don't know why, I like it all natural baby
I think I remember Deen saying in some interview that he has an extremely hairy asscrack. So he does indeed shave. Jon West Fan, thank you for the pics - they're great.
I found it and this is my work :
wish he didn't shave it- bet it's beautiful!
i think james is really hot and how rough and condescending he is sometimes is a major turn on for me
Very hot FEET service .... and ass rimming video
I love this guy, he's in the movie Teachers by Digital Playground which is one of my all-time favourites in straight porn. He has a great scene with two girls, something about his guy-next-door demeanour makes him so so hot, he has that cockiness too as well as a fantastic cock and tight hole. Would love nothing more than him to do some gay porn too.
i love his blue eyes.....
I would BEG James to do me like this:
I'd love to be his little bitch...
...and look at those hot legs and ass of his.
This is the only thing you guys need in your LIFE!
wow- THANKS!!!!!
Im bi and I love this guy. I have seen him in a few porno.
James Deen fans hit me up! Send me a private message
Great Post!!!!
love him in pornstarpunishment...
Not to brag or anything, but I have met and partied with James Deen plenty of times at the Kink.com Armory in San Francisco. Let me know if you are in the area and I can get you on the secret guest list to watch him in action LIVE.
BTW, he is one of the nicest and funniest guys I have met!
is he exclusively str8...or has he 'experiemented' with any guys at the club?
In a recent Brazzers scene (straight porn), there was a story line about how male porn star James Deen's ex-wife is now in a relationship with a woman, and has moved in with her, taking their young son.
James Deen enters his ex-wife's house, upset that his son is playing with Cinderella dolls, and encounters his ex-wife's new girlfriend.
"Are you trying to turn my son into a fairy.....a cocksucker?" He yells. "It's bad enough that you turned my wife gay.....now you're trying to turn my son into a f*ggot too?"
It's in the full movie for this scene (you may have to be a member to view) --
Do you think that James Deen is homophobic, or the scene writers/directors at Brazzers are maybe homophobic?


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"The end of year stats are surprisingly good for us," said Bingham.
"These are the numbers we report to the FBI and you can see all the major categories are down expect for one and it's up just slightly.
"I will point out that our burglaries and auto burglaries are down significantly.
"We finally got one person who was doing a major portion of the auto burglaries locked up and he continues to stay locked up this time and that's what's helping us out," said Bingham.
In 2012, the Cleveland Police Department received 21,606 calls for service and officers made a total of 1,757 arrests last year with 81 of those being felony arrests.
Of the six categories for crimes, Cleveland saw decreases in all but one in 2012 compared to the previous year.
The increase occurred in robberies with four more in 2012 than the 16 in 2011.
Other category figures were: Aggravated Assault, 12 in 2012 which was down from 17 in 2011; Burglary, 127 in 2012, which was down from 169 in 2011; Auto Burglary, 125 in 2012, down from 191 in 2011; and Rape, two in 2012, down from five in 2011.
There were no murders in 2012 compared to three the previous years.
Bingham reported that in 2012, the municipal court collected $446,968.60 of the assessed fines, which totaled $496,073.81.
Of the amount collected, the state received $237,695.45 and $232,230.88 was deposited in the city general fund.
The fourth quarter report for October through December showed 4,983 service calls, which was an from the same time in 2011.
There were 4,325 service calls in the 2011 fourth quarter.
In other police matters, the board approved advertisements for two positions at the department, one for a dispatcher and one for a maintenance person.
"We've been without a maintenance person for about two months and a dispatcher for about a month and a half," said Bingham.
Board members discussed that although the city is under a hiring freeze, open positions that were budget for would be filled, including the one for a city clerk.
In addition, city employees are being reminded that Cleveland is a smoke-free zone, which means smoking in city buildings, as well as city vehicles, is prohibited.


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Rachel but no Ryan
All kinds of internet activity yesterday over a weak report that Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling might be recreating The Notebook. Click here for a refresher. How long were Allie and Noah apart before she saw him in her wedding dress in the newspaper? It was 7 years, right? Has it been 7 years since Rachel and Ryan broke up in real life? OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG It's like the best kind of blurred lines. Full Story
Rachel & Ryan together again?
Everybody wants this. Which is why everybody was so eager to talk about this story today, even though the source is about as sketch as it gets. The report originated from OK! Magazine and it's an easy one to fabricate because Ryan Gosling hasn't been seen with Eva Mendes in a while which OF COURSE means he must be back together with Rachel McAdams. Full Story
Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, and Suri
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/ Getty
More information from that deposition is being leaked. In case you missed it, Tom Cruise is suing IN TOUCH for saying he abandoned Suri. Click here for my initial post about it last week. During the deposition, in addition to blaming Scientology for his alleged estrangement from his daughter, the magazine's lawyers suggested that Tom was so disconnected from Suri that he went to Cameron Diaz's birthday party instead of being with his child. Full Story
Will Smith cheats on Jada?
With who? Supposedly with Margot Robbie. She's the actress in The Wolf Of Wall Street who, for a while, was rumoured to be dating Leonardo DiCaprio which turned out to be bullsh-t because, well, Leo is strictly models. According to STAR Magazine – so immediately you know it's not true – Will and Margot are hooking up. Full Story
George Clooney is single, OK?
George Clooney said hello to Katie Holmes at a premiere. So then everyone said they might be hooking up. Then he went to dinner with an attractive lawyer. And we speculated that she might be the Next. But US Weekly claims he and Monika Jakisic are having sleepovers. Basically, we all want George to have a very busy dick. Full Story
George Clooney is not dating the lawyer?
George Clooney stepped out for dinner in London the other night with a woman who has since been identified as Amal Alamuddin, a lawyer who's supposedly on Julian Assange's legal team. Everyone assumed, since she's attractive, and since he's George Clooney, that they're now dating. Full Story
Taylor Swift & Alexander Skarsgard
Wenn, FameFlynet
An all alert from Gossip Cop just came into my mailbox. Headline: Taylor Swift NOT Dating Alexander Skarsgard, Despite Reports It was inevitable. They're working on The Giver together. He's hot and her reputation is "boy crazy" so it was only a matter of time before people tried to make it happen. Full Story
Celebrity or Tabloid?
On the one hand, IN TOUCH Weekly is pretty unreliable. On the other hand, well, celebrities aren't exactly honest all the time. IN TOUCH reported yesterday that Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes are secretly dating. Jamie denied it on Entertainment Tonight: "[The rumors] are 100 percent not true. Full Story
JLO trying to break up with Slum Bear?
Radar reports that JLO has been wanting to get rid of her Slum Lover Casper Smart but feels awkward about it because he's so close to her kids. GossipCop has already sh-t on the story saying it's not true. Obviously. Because: 1.Radar's reporting is often suspect 2. Full Story
Leo's next ex
Leonardo DiCaprio spent the summer with model Toni Garrn, now 21. Garrn, being of the social media generation, was surrounded by people who kept posting pictures of her at his place/on holiday with him etc. Click here for a refresher. Apparently they've now broken up? This is the assumption because another model from Brazil, Kat Torres, is confirming that she and Leo are together now, although that could just be his arrangement. Full Story
Bradley, Suki, Vince, no Jen
Jason Merritt/ Kevin Winter/ Getty
There was some bullsh-t story in some tabloid last week, probably STAR Magazine, about how Bradley Cooper tapped out on Suki Waterhouse by not answering her messages. Well, he took her to the Guys Choice Awards on Saturday so... I mean if it's one place you want to be single... Here they are, Coop and Suki, hanging out backstage with Amy Adams, clearly still together. Full Story
G goes to a party and makes up with Kate Moss
I was about to call it a day because my screener for Behind The Candelabra just arrived and the entire schedule has now been rearranged to accommodate. Nothing takes precedence over marble bathtubs and plastic surgery. EXCEPT, well, Gwyneth Paltrow just showed up at a party in London. And you know I like to get my G off quickly. Full Story
Annie and her old dog
Not going to lie. This entire article is really an excuse for me to be able to post a video of my dog. Just a heads up if that's not interesting to you. Celebitchy posted a story today about a new STAR Magazine article on Anne Hathaway and her dog. Full Story
Russell Crowe says this is not happening
M. Tagala/ Splash
Russell Crowe, 48, keeps tweeting at his Les Miserables co-star Samantha Barks not Banks, 22. And they work out together. So an Australian magazine ran with the story that they're together now. But he tweeted at her that they're not. @SamanthaBarks Full Story


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boyfriend blazer
by STEVEN ALAN
Having spent the past 20 years creating a mini fashion world grounded in classic American roots - fashioned with a twist - Steven Alan has quietly emerged an uncommon fashion pioneer. Upon opening his first retail store in 1994, Steven sold pieces from an eclectic group of emerging designers, becoming known for his keen eye. In 1999, Steven launched his first men's collection, including his now signature Reverse Seam Shirt, followed by a women's collection soon after. The collections build upon the same curatorial point of view using authentic fabrics and precise tailoring along with thoughtful details- resulting in easily wearable, refined casual looks.
Back To Product View All From This DesignerWomen's Size Chart
Product Details
Relaxed, straight fitting one button blazer with a slightly longer length and notched lapel collar. Featured in lightweight worsted wool with twill construction for a modern feel and fit.
• welt pockets at sides
• one button cuffs
• single vent at back hem
• fully lined
• 100% virgin wool
• made in USA


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Aromatherapy Candles
Our scented Aromatherapy Candles offer the perfect way to fragrance your home. With pure essential oils and natural organic waxes, our range of aromatherapy candles help you create calming spaces to relax and unwind, rejuvenate your mind and body or create a warm, welcoming fragrances when entertaining guests. Choose from stylish Aromapot or Votive Candles in glass vases or Travel Candles in safe and reusable plastic vases with handy screw caps.
There are 3 products listed in 'Aromatherapy Candles'.


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Master of Arts in Community Leadership
• Non-Profit Organizations |
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Comprehensive Track
The Comprehensive Track is designed for people who would like to manage and lead organizations. Students will learn to manage organization budgets, collaborate with community members, work effectively with nonprofit boards, advocate with governmental decision-makers, and understand the role of language in shaping community efforts.
International Track New! Arts and Cultural Leadership We would like to thank American Express Philanthropy for its generous support of this program. Why Westminsters' Community Leadership degree?
The new International Track prepares you for leadership in organizations addressing international issues or for community-level work in other countries. As the only graduate-level program of its kind in Northern Utah, students have the ability to meet leaders in the international community within the Salt Lake and surrounding areas. With the opportunity to complete the capstone project in another country, the international track offers students a unique perspective on global leadership.
The only program of its kind in Northern Utah, the Arts and Cultural Leadership track places an emphasis on community outreach and integration of the community into arts and cultural organizations. We place a solid foundation in management, fundraising, and policy/advocacy while providing multiple opportunities to meet leaders in arts and cultural organizations in the Salt Lake City area throughout the program. Each student will also complete a capstone project to develop expertise in a focused area of arts and cultural leadership.
Click Here to sign up for our MACL on-campus events.


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I find the idea of looking up the death certificate of an internet stranger to prove a point on a discussion forum to require no rebuttal other than to simply draw attention to the statement.
I find the idea of looking up the death certificate of an internet stranger to prove a point on a discussion forum to require no rebuttal other than to simply draw attention to the statement.
Americans need to keep their guns so they can protect themselves from gun violence just like Nancy Lanza did. And like Chris Kyle did. And like Gabby Giffords did. And like Tom Clements did. And like Michael Piemonte. And Joseph Wilcox.
I don't know you and I have NO reason to trust you. NONE.BP, do you have an approximate date of death please, say within 3 or 4 days either way, and a place of death in Greece. That way we can clear it up, and I will humbly apologise to you.
IF you are a stalker of some sort of his, then you are the LAST person I will be disclosing personal info about to. It's just that simple. You didn't know him by your own estimation. He was a major part of your life for years and yet he never NOTICED YOU?
Are you kidding me?
And you want his death certificate? Really? Don't you think international courts will be involved in that endeavor?
In NZ anyone can order anyone's death certificate. BP has already told us everything he knows of his life.
All the same, I actually wouldn't need to get the certificate itself. It would be in the indexes.
Although I guess it does sound a bit morbid when I think about it.
Last edited by justaguy; November 21st, 2012 at 05:59 PM.
Who said I was trying to stop it? I was stating that I have a problem with it. Stopping it is unrealistic and my points are that I understood why people would be skeptical. You're taking the defensive with me more than you actually have to, I wasn't even the one who claimed you were Andreus. And what are you even on about when it comes to revenge? When I get irritated or constantly conflict with people on here I put them on ignore.
That's nice.I have my own skepticisms about you as well, champ.
Kahil doesn't make it mean that Andreus was more real or fake I just remember a lot of the drama that surrounded him.@Tombastep:
Does the memory of Kahil change things?
I'm asking because i don't know.
I'm bored today, big day tomorrow, and read this entire thread. Sad, very sad. I have no idea who you all are talking about but it is very strange for someone who has not been around in a long while. I have met many fascinating people in my life but no one that would cause me so much angst. Bp professes to have known this fellow and I am at a loss as to why anyone would doubt what knowledge he felt comfortable sharing. All the talk of the aliases is what is truly sad. What purpose does it serve to pretend to be someone else? I wouldn't want to meet said individuals.
And say you find it in the index. Then presumably a "sorry bro", and everything's hunky dory. You of course will maintain your anonymity, since that's not to be questioned.
Actually, no. I do question it. I demand to see your birth certificate.
What nations did he die in, have you considered that? I don't believe it is New Zealand.
What nations do not allow biohazards to be shipped in and out of its ports and which do? Answer those questions, and if you find he is alive, I will reduce what chances he has at a happy life to nill for the rest of his existence.
But you can't and you wont.
Ok guys. I have taken your points on board. T'was a suggestion, but your points are fair enough.
I will leave it there.
Handsome southern gentleman? That might be the biggest compliment I have ever received Chatting with Dreu helped get both of us through several rough spots.
Oddly enough, Kahil and I are friends on several social networking sites.
^What happened to Kahil?
(By the way, you and he must think the debate in this thread absolutely insane.)
He just chose to stop participating here ((or was banned permanently). I've been around too long to remember.
The internet is what it is. There will always be mistrust, people using fake personas, and people being accused as fakes.
^^ A very good note on which to close this thread, IMHO!
I have NO doubts that Dreu, Mitri, and Kahil (previously known as "Curious George"), were, and are, quite Real! I also contend that BP and MP actually exist, too! And, NO!, none of them post like the others! And, Enchanted being Dreu? Not even a shadow thereof!
I would 'banter' with Adreus, and Kahil, in thread posts. But, then Dreu and I would move to PMs. And he was a more 'gentle' guy in Private. We had a lot of interesting discussions. We chatted about many things beyond the realms of JUB. His loss left a small hole in my heart, even though I was never fortunate enough to have met him IRL. He was very kind to this Old Guy!
I also chatted with Mitri a bit. I was not aware of his 'challenges'. After Dreu's passing, I forwarded Mitri one of Dreu's PMs, talking about what he thought of his younger brother. Mitri replied that he had no idea how Dreu really felt about him. I thought it was the least I could do.
Yep, Folks! I'm fairly sure all these guys are/were Real! Well ... at least as 'Real' as any of us are.
All the more reasons to ... no matter what ...
Keep smilin'!!
WISDOM is the Knowledge you've gained ... After you could have used it! _Me
As far as I'm concerned, I've been bitten by a JUB fake previously, hence my nastiness in this thread, which isn't really my nature, and which I apologise for.
^We all make errors in judgment, justaguy. <gives justaguy a bearhug>
But rest assured--Andreus was as real as you and I. I mourn his loss.
As it turns out, I do have four pictures that Drue posted. Although he has tats and piercings, he looks very young.
The embedded info says they're from 2004. There is also some other info embedded in them, so I won't be putting them up on this or any other site.
I remember all this drama (I had a profile back then)
I never knew if he was real or fake. I remember he got shot overseas and recovered, then got diagnosed with HIV.
I also remember that his brother joined and posted before he died.
He first was dating this guy (just googled for his old blog) http://www.beautifulmag.com/beautifu...ful_blogg.html
the guy was banned from JUB and they broke up. Then he was dating this guy http://midnightprism.blogspot.com when he died
It was like a soap opera
So Enchanted quite happily put up with all the shit and drama and accusations and sniping directly at him associated with his other threads, but after starting THIS one and all its mudslinging he decided to self-delete?
The mind boggles.
Members: [insert appropriate/relevant wise saying or deep thought here]
Thank you.
I hope you get this message.Comments welcome.
Kahil still has web sites available for those who are interested, and lives in LA with a partner who is ill.
Andreus wasn't a god by any means, just a really highly torqued impassioned poster.
It is fair to miss him, whether he was authentic or not, whether he was Dmitri or not, whether he lives or not. We enjoyed his postings, his antics, and his presence.
Celebrating life doesn't have to be based on truth or reality. It was great, whether it was as contrived as a movie plot or authentic.
Thanks for the memories, Andreus Thanos.
^ Very well put, Hard-up1!
WISDOM is the Knowledge you've gained ... After you could have used it! _Me
Wow,I discoverd something very interesting about this case.
Still,maybe it's to early to open my mouth,as I'm not completly sure.Maybe it's only coincidence.
Americans need to keep their guns so they can protect themselves from gun violence just like Nancy Lanza did. And like Chris Kyle did. And like Gabby Giffords did. And like Tom Clements did. And like Michael Piemonte. And Joseph Wilcox.
I don't want to lose good friends because of my views, but I'm actually quite passionate about this.
I've only always been on JUB to make connections with real gay and bisexual people. When Andreus was going through his problems, I actually thought about him quite a bit. I don't believe that to be fair, if it wasn't true. Sure there's stuff like sloppyseconds around, but he's obvious and is not connecting with other jubbers, or impacting on their lives.
There really is heaps of stuff to make me sceptical, even in this thread.
For example, he was supposed to be conscious of his body, not thinking it was good enough, and yet he apparently enjoyed walking around nude in front of others. Doesn't make sense.
Mitri has a mental disability, and yet after Andreus' death, he travels from Greece to the United States to live (let alone whether immigration would even let him in). And then do you guys remember when Andreus was in hospital, how we were all so concerned we rallied around organising a card from JUB to send to the hospital? Mitri came on and told us not to do it because his parents didn't know Andreus was gay. And yet in this thread, his father apparently blamed Andreus for making Mitri gay. Which is it? The father knew or the father didn't know? And also with Mitri's disability, although in broken English, his posts were always very intelligent, and in the same short, one paragraph sentence, posting style as Andreus
There is much more I can say, but these are the sorts of things that have made me sceptical. I also think it fair that its ok to express such scepticism. I much prefer to find to truth, if there is doubt. Kahil having websites doesn't cut it.
Last edited by justaguy; November 25th, 2012 at 10:58 AM.
Before I decide to reveal something,I have to talk with some people on here that knew him better.
And,don't pm me.I know who I have to talk with.
"Believing" or not believing anything about Andreus should certainly not be the basis of anyone's JUB friendship. Reasonable men agree to disagree.
There seem to be a Lot of 'coincidences'. And, though I'd be interested in hearing more about them, I'm still thinking they are all simply that ... Coincidences! Then again ... what do ANY of "Us" REALLY Know for Sure sure?
Another thing I'd like to hear about is how You became interested in all of this in the First place.
Keep smilin'!!
WISDOM is the Knowledge you've gained ... After you could have used it! _Me
There is NO reason you should loose "good friends" because of your views! Because, if that should happen, then they weren't "friends" to begin with, let alone "good" ones!
Good Friends encourage each other to freely express themselves!
Granted, I'm not as skeptical when perhaps I should be. However, that's just not My nature. No one has to Earn my Trust. Everyone has that until they do something to lose it. And, even then, it takes quite a bit to accomplish that. And, given the nature of the internet, I'll also grant I may be being too naive/optimistic!
I guess ... all the more reasons to ... no matter what ...
Keep smilin'!!
WISDOM is the Knowledge you've gained ... After you could have used it! _Me
None of this is real.
It is the Matrix and we are all pod people being controlled by the JUB Machines.
Porn. Argue. Whine. Troll. Porn. Argue. Whine. Troll. It's the perfect way to sustain their energy. People who are no longer with us, either in death or just disappearance, took the red pill and got out.
What if we don't believe in pod?
What if Pod is dead?
There is no pod.
It is the only way I can get my mind to understand the goings on of the interwebs. If this really is humanity I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
Sorry to burst your bubble folks, but I'm not leaving again. I am the perfect source of energy for the pods.
But you're almost in quadruple digits!
Better STFU for a while again then
Odd that you're one of the current JUBbers I've met in the flesh. So you know I'm real (on some level). Maybe The rest of JUB s my own creation. If so, any suggestions or pointers?
The truth is, we can all argue that we are real in some way. If Andreus was the creation of a JUBber and not "real" in the flesh, he WAS real to the person who created him and the people who were touched by him, whether that be negatively or positively.
I know that there are people here that are real. You, for instance, among a handful of others I have seen in person. But every once in a while I still catch myself wondering if I made up certain people in my mind.
That does not make the incarnation any less real to us that experienced it.
I don't think it's good to feel duped by the people that "get" us. Or weary of making connections to others in the future. If you really wanted to make real and true connections you would go to a public bar, club, sports event, something that brings real people in the flesh to gather together and share a common hobby or whatnot.
You cannot get pissed off at anyone for not being real on the Internet. This isn't the local watering hole. It's a place where people come to be hidden, to be not themselves. That's a lesson I had to learn the hard way.
It's like a furry convention, or sci-fi, or cosplay. We all dress up in the outfit we want before joining in. And it's not always clear how much the costume reflects the wearer. And sometimes people decide they love the costume, and it puts the wearer in a bind. Do they keep the costume on, or do they start revealing who's wearing it?
The bars *I* have been to, those people might be "in the flesh", but VERY FEW of them are any more 'real' then the cyber manifestations here. Often times those people also put on the face of whom they wish they were, hiding the baggage and insecurities and self doubts that make up who they really are on a day to day basis.
Anyone can be civil for a couple hours/short term.
Back stabbers and parasites are all over, in cyber space, and in real life.
Edit: ^ I was going to mention that even in real life we put on faces and personalities to attract people. But we tend to be harder on ourselves for believing someone was real when we are taken for a ride on the Internet rather than that too good to be true dude at the bar. I think it's that internal "I should have known better" thing.
It is how we react to actors as well. People cry and scream and stomp their feet when they find out Keanu Reeves is not Neo, Anthony Hopkins does not eat human livers with fava beans and chianti. Etc, etc.
My advice is simple. Lower your expectations. Decide if you are OK with the incarnation of the "person" on the other end, real or not and go with it. And then don't get mad when they turn out to be nothing like what you expected or what they said they were.
Last edited by stacy; November 25th, 2012 at 01:34 PM.
I actually think for a lot of people it's the opposite. JUB is a place some gay guys come to to first explore the real them. It's a place where people can come to to connect to the gay world, and then hopefully discover it's not as scary as they originally thought (as far as some of the forums go anyway - other forums are just where they can look at some dirty pics). It's far better to have real gay and bisexual jubbers, and their real lives, however mundane they are. I know most of the people I know on here are real because their lives are just as mundane as mine. If they are godlike in appearance, mannerisms and personality, they have gone to Iraq as a bodyguard, been shot, become a prostitute, stop taking antivirals during ramadan, drop your brother downs some stairs giving him a head injury, and disappear without telling anyone (as an example), thats when you have to start wondering about realness.
Last edited by justaguy; November 25th, 2012 at 01:58 PM.
^If we take out all forums here at JUB other than Coming Out & Relationships I would agree with you. But if HT is the barometer for how real gay men behave in life, I weep for humanity.
It used to be one of my many crusades to "fix" JUB by insisting people stop hating on one another and scaring the fuck out of the lurkers who are using the site as their first exposure to the gay world. I was hung by my thumbnails and tarred and feathered for hoping I could make that difference.
Meeting other gay men behind the scenes, that is one thing. Interacting the way many people do, even in this thread alone, should not be an example of how gay people behave outside of the internet. All of the men in my life are gay. None of them treat each other with the disdain and indecency people here treat each other with.
That's why I have learned to accept JUB as a heightened version of whatever reality the members have chosen to create for themselves. This is not the place to learn about how to behave. I know there are worse forums than this. But if people are relying on this site to teach them how to behave, I have a major sad.
Last edited by stacy; November 25th, 2012 at 02:03 PM.
^I think that, online, we develop schemas on people--we have an idea of their personality, based on what they say, and build it into a schema of their personality, when in fact, we have projected our own internal ideas of their personality into that schema.
When we meet them offline--or, alternately, when we discuss indepth ideas with them online--oftentimes that scheme does not match reality, and disappointment--or pleasant surprise--can seep in.
Put another way, offline personalities don't always match online personalities.


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The citizens of Southern California are waking up to the fact that this new, post-recession economy has shed tens of thousands of jobs, many of which will likely be gone from our community forever. According to statistics compiled by the state, unemployment in the greater Los Angeles area is now approaching 13%. Thousands of people trained for and counted on these lost jobs for their livelihoods.
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Los Angeles receives enough rainfall in a normal year to supply at least half its needs... if it was harvested, and managed well. But the rain that falls here, instead of soaking into the land, rushes off because we covered the city with concrete, roads, houses and parking lots. Therefore we spend billions of dollars to bring water in from distant regions and distribute it throughout the city, and we spend hundreds of millions more getting rid of the rainfall that lands here in order to prevent flooding.
Another fire -- the Sheep Fire -- is burning on the outskirts of Los Angeles. This will bring another outpouring of emotion from people in our city.
This explosion of caring is not an accident, and it's not something to be shrugged off or taken for granted.
It's something I've been observing for thirty-eight years in disaster relief. To not act is more damaging to an individual confronted with a crisis than to act. When you see something that disturbs you, the adrenaline is a physiological reminder to pay attention, to respond, not to shut down. Adrenaline at first serves as a wake-up call, and then as an energy source to power our response, but if that energy goes undeployed, then it becomes emotionally corrosive, like an acid.
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