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Welcome to the forum from SW Ohio.
This is a discussion on Newb from east tennessee within the New Members Introduce Yourself forums, part of the DefensiveCarry.com Forum Office category; Welcome....
Welcome to the forum from SW Ohio.
Live to ride, ride to live. Harley Road King And keep a .45 handy Kimber Custom TLE II
Welcome from Ohio.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Welcome from the Garden State!
The United States Constitution © 1791. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome from NC. East TN is one beautiful place.
Thank you all for the welcome.................
Welcome from a Tennessee boy living in Indiana.....but who is on his way back to Tennessee!
,=====o00o _
l_--- \___l---[]lllllll[]
(o)_)-o- (o)_)--o-)_)
Welcome from Virginia...via Germany.
Magazine <> clip - know the difference
martyr is a fancy name for crappy fighter
You have never lived until you have almost died. For those that have fought for it, life has a special flavor the protected will never know


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Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Ferdinand and Dubois County in Indiana. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Ferdinand, IN today!
Popular Tags for Skydiving Ferdinand:
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Ferris Fine Art Gallery
Adjunct Arts Faculty
Office: RAN 113
Phone: (231) 591-2536
E-mail Address: email@example.com
Carrie Weis is Ferris State University's Gallery Director and Adjunct Professor in Studio Art. In 2003 she earned her Bachelor of Integrative Studies in Studio Arts with a minor in Art History at Ferris State University. In 2007 she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Painting from Kendall College of Art & Design. Carrie specializes in Museum Studies, earning a certification in 2012 from the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation. She is also a Master Picture Framer specializing in archival methods.
Carrie has been the Gallery Director since 1999 and has been a representative for the "cultural voice" of the University. Under her curatorial direction as many as three thousand works of art have been placed in public spaces within the University. She is responsible for the care of the University's private collections, consisting of over forty thousand works. She curates all gallery exhibits on display in the Rankin Fine Art Gallery and provides custom picture framing services for the University.
Carrie assisted Dr. Pilgrim in the development of the Traveling Exhibitions; "Hateful Things" and "Them: Images of Separation" for the Jim Crow Museum. She was responsible for framing all of the objects as well as assisting in the development of labels, signage, and custom designed shipping crates.
In her spare time she is doing one of two things; painting or traveling.


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Athletics Home
Sports in the News
Volleyball Gets an A for Aces In Sweep Over Trade Tech
It took the state No. 4-ranked Pasadena City College women's volleyball team just 47 minutes to post a sweep over winless Los Angeles Trade Tech, 25-6, 25-12, 25-4, Friday night in a South Coast Conference match at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.
The Lancers (16-3, 8-1 in SCC play) served their way through the match as they recorded 17 aces, six by sophomore setter Danielle Stewart. The transfer rifled four consecutive aces to begin the third game. In the first game, she served two aces during a sideout in which PCC opened the match with 12 straight points.
Stewart added 30 assists in the Lancers' sixth straight victory. Outside hitter Markisha Richie led all players with nine kills in just 13 attempts while outside hitter Aliyyah Abdullah contributed eight kills, five aces, and six digs. Middle blocker Kirsten Taylor made eight kills and three aces. Opposite Miranda Doing slammed six kills and libero Jessica Vargas had 10 digs.
LA Trade Tech (0-12, 0-9) brought just six players to the PCC match and was led by Justina Romo with three kills, five digs and an ace.
[Photo--Danielle Stewart in serving motion was LA Trade Tech's worst nightmare Friday in PCC's 3-game sweep, image by Richard Quinton.]
Release Date: 10/29/10
SERVICE ALERT: PCC will be launching an updated version of this website on Tuesday, June 28, and Wednesday, June 29. During that time, you may notice some changes to content, layout, and functionality of the site, and there may be interruptions in service. We appreciate your patience during the launch, and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.


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Just when you thought you'd heard it all.
A judge and a prosecutor both face disciplinary charges after admitting to having sex in the judge's chambers and the women's shower facilities at the courthouse.
The judge has resigned and the prosecutor was fired. A disciplinary hearing has been scheduled and both face the possibility of disbarment.


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What is IMChat?
IMChat.com is an Personal and Enterprise Real-Time Messaging Research Project. Launched originally in 2003. We are researching the best methods for Real-Time Messaging and Social Interactivity.
We believe that what is going on in the messaging world is not a healthy pattern. So many messengers and no compatibility between all of them. We have always been a fan of XMPP / Jabber technology. This is a common format for message communications. Standards based. It just works!
You want a platform that is usable while on your laptop or on the phone. Mobile and Web. You can have both!


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All things Mother Earth Living
by Robyn Griggs Lawrence, Editor at Large
Valentine's Day, massage oil, bay leaf, eucalyptus, diy project, pure oil, pure beeswax, ginger root, citric acid
This Valentine's Day, I'm determined to make—not buy—something for my sweetie. (I'd better get a move on.) I like this soothing herbal muscle rub that I found on the Herb Companion site because it looks fun and easy to make and will smell amazing when I use it on the best part of Pieter's gift—a massage. "Bay leaf and eucalyptus have pain-relieving and antiseptic properties, and ginger root has warming properties," writes Heidi Cardenas, who conconcted this recipe. "Used together, they provide relief from muscle and tendon soreness, stiffness, bruising and joint pain." This will be a gift that keeps on giving.
Herbal Muscle Rub
Mortar and pestleLarge sauce panDouble boilerClean, dry cheeseclothSix 3-ounce sterilized cosmetic jarsSix 3-ounce cosmetic bottles
1 cup fresh bay leaves1 cup fresh eucalyptus leaves1 cup fresh grated ginger root1 pint pure oil (extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, almond oil or sunflower seed oil)1 pound pure beeswax1 ounce liquid citric acid or 100 proof vodka.
1. Mash herbs with mortar and pestle until finely ground. Heat them in oil in the saucepan, stirring over low heat for about an hour. Be careful not to boil or burn the mixture or leave it unattended. After an hour, remove pan from heat and set aside. When slightly cooled but still warm, strain oil and crushed herbs through clean cheesecloth, then discard herbs. Divide herbal oil in half and set one half aside.
2. Melt beeswax in double boiler. Mix half of the herbal oil into the melted beeswax along with half the citric acid. Stir the mixture well. (Whipping the warm ingredients in a food processor or with a hand-held frother instead of stirring produces a light, creamy preparation.) Let cool slightly. Pour beeswax mixture into cosmetic jars and let cool for 30 minutes. Tightly lid all the jars.
3. Mix the other half of the citric acid into the other half of the herbal oil. Pour it into the cosmetic bottles, let cool and lid tightly. Store out of sunlight.
To use: Use the creamy rub on sore muscles and aching joints; use the oil during gentle massage. They both work well to ease hip and leg joint pain, in both people and pets. I suggest adding a few drops of the oil to hot bath water for a soothing steam bath, which also helps sinuses and congestion. You can also make wraps. Soak large gauze strips in hot water, remove them from the water, wring out excess, add some oil and wrap aching ankles or wrists or lay on sore muscles.
FYI: Ginger root is available at most grocers, and fresh bay and eucalyptus leaves will be easier to find locally on the west coast and in the south than in northern areas. For those in the midwest and north, finding fresh bay leaves and eucalyptus leaves may be more challenging. Try health food markets with fresh produce, local florists or online sources.
Sweet bay leaves have antiseptic and pain relieving properties. Photo by H. Zell/Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Pay Now & Save 58% Off the Cover Price
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved | Ogden Publications, Inc., 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, Kansas 66609-1265
Special Interest Websites : Community Chickens • Good Things to Eat • Keeping Backyard Bees


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Literally across the street from the John Wayne airport in Orange County, California, is the Fairmont Newport Beach hotel. The hotel staff members (as is prevalent at Fairmont properties) are friendly, the suites are spacious, and the hotel is surrounded by a wealth of urban entertainment.
I have a YouTube channel just for luxury hotel video reviews. Please take a look by visiting Travel by Lori!
This hotel, like many I've reviewed recently, is valet-only. Valet parking has its advantages (such as convenience) and disadvantages (such as an extra fee), but at the Fairmont Newport Beach, the advantages win. Hybrid cars park for free and the valets are quick, professional, and very courteous.
The lobby tends to be bustling with activity most of the time and is nicely sectioned. The front desk and concierge desk are in the main lobby area; sitting areas just beyond the main lobby are plentiful and arranged in ways conducive to socializing. A small gift shop down one hallway is a good place to grab a candy bar and coffee is served in the lobby in the morning. The Bambu Lounge serves coffee, drinks and an impressive selection of food late into the night. This is a great place to meet with friends coming from or going to the airport.
The rooms are decorated in greens and blues, with cherry-toned wood furniture in a British (tropical) colonial style. Standard guest rooms here are typical in amenities and size, but 54 suites are available as well. These provide much more room, a better view and are worth the price to upgrade. The couches are a bit too soft, but chances are you won't be spending too much time on the couch. The beds at the Fairmont Newport Beach are comfortable and the showers are large.
At Bambu, Fairmont's innovative chefs have designed a menu that is a nod to Fairmont's pledge to extraordinary customer service. Understanding that many people have specific dietary needs, a Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menu is available so guests with those needs do not have to settle for side dishes and incomplete entrees. This menu features delicious selections "catering to guests with specific diet-dependent conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and gluten-free, as well as unique dietary preferences including macrobiotic, raw and vegan diets." Kudos to Fairmont!
You could spend a month in Newport Beach and not see everything. However, if you'd like to try, staying at this hotel will give you an awesome jumping off point—there is a wealth of entertainment and shopping options available nearby. The hotel can assist in your decision as well as in getting you there. The concierge has a ready list of options, including itineraries and directions for a 2-3 hour trip, a half-day outing or an evening out. The Fairmont Newport Beach also has a complimentary shuttle to take you and your family or colleagues to and from the John Wayne Airport, shopping mecca Fashion Island, and three other popular destinations.
One of those destinations is Balboa Island (unlike Fashion Island, Balboa Island is actually an island). During my visit, I was provided with directions and a guarantee that I would love the charming old-time Coney Island-done-California-style feel. I absolutely did. Another staff member, Rei, told me the Duffy boats were too much fun to miss out on. So, directions and expectations in hand, I went off to explore Balboa Island with my husband.
The fun begins before you even get to the island. Just before the ferry landing, there are adorable shops to explore, little cafes (very reasonably priced) in which to eat, and more chocolate-covered banana stands than I have ever seen. Balboa Island is accessible by car or by foot by riding a bare-bones ferry you can either drive onto (up to three cars) or walk onto. Once on Balboa Island, there are several places to rent a Duffy boat. These boats are small, cute, iPod compatible, and you only need a driver's license and be above 21 years of age to be your very own skipper. My husband even let me navigate until I was afraid I'd run over one of the tiny sailing boats captained by sailing school students. We had a fantastic time looking at the beautiful close-set homes on the island, admiring the yachts and generally enjoying our self-guided tour of the waterway around the island.
For an urban (as opposed to a beach) vacation, especially if you need to be close to the airport, the Fairmont Newport Beach is a great option. Upgrade to the suite and enjoy a wonderful place to unwind after spending your time seeing the sights.
For more information on the Fairmont Newport Beach or to book a stay, please visit their website.
Examiner's Note: Thank you, Rei Strand of the Fairmont Newport Beach! It was a pleasure to meet you.
Please write to me at firstname.lastname@example.com take a look at my hotel and resort video reviews by visiting Travel by Lori.


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Women's Basketball Falls to New Hampshire, 66-44
Dec. 13, 2001
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of New Hampshire broke open a tie game with a 15-6 run to start the second half, en route to a 66-44 victory over the University of Massachusetts in women's basketball action tonight at the William D. Mullins Center.
The two teams entered halftime with the game tied, 25-25. Junior forward Jennifer Butler (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led all scorers with 10 points at the break. She also had 10 rebounds to record her fourth double-double of the season. Senior Caroline Nehls (Randolph, N.J.) had seven points in the opening half for the Minutewomen. New Hampshire was led by Heidi Plencner and Quandra Harrison, who both scored six points.
The Wildcats held the Minutewomen scoreless for the first seven minutes of the second half and opened a 32-25 lead with seven straight points. The Minutewomen would cut the New Hampshire lead to five on two occasions, but could not get any closer.
Plencner finished with a game-high 17 points for New Hampshire. She was 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 4-of-6 on three-pointers. Harrison finished the game with nine points and Maren Matthias added eight.
Butler ended the game with 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Nehls finished with nine points. Junior Amber Sneed (Cincinnati, Ohio) added seven points.
The loss drops Massachusetts to 1-8 on the season, while the victory improves New Hampshire to 4-5.
The Minutewomen return to action on Dec. 29, 2001, when they take on Alabama at the PNC Wildcat Classic in Philadelphia, Pa. The game is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m.
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Kamakshi S
23:05 07th Oct, 2012
Now, Apply For An MTNL Connection From The Comfort Of Your Home
Users in Mumbai and Delhi can ask for a new connection online or via SMS.
Telecom operator MTNL, which offers mobile, landline, and broadband connections in Mumbai and Delhi, will now let users apply for a connection simply by sending an SMS. You can also request for it online, a company official said. Potential customers need to text MTNL to 98685 52121 from any mobile number to initiate the process. MTNL Executive Director AK Bhargava said that the message will be charged as per normal SMS rates. A similar service for Delhi-based users has been made available through MTNL Delhi's website, wherein you have to enter your contact number and hit Submit right on the main page.
Subscribers in Mumbai can SMS BB for broadband or LL for landlines to 98698 89988. For more information, you can also call the toll free number 1800 - 221 500, or use the MTNL Mumbai website to fill out a form at the bottom of the page.
Bhargava confirmed that once a request reaches the company, details are sent out the sales team, which will arrive at your home to complete the formalities and pick up the paperwork. Apart from this new setup, the telecom provider has also launched a toll free number, 1800 - 111 503, for customers who would like to switch to MTNL's services using the mobile number portability service. Whether anyone would actually want to shift, given its sub-standard performance in the mobile arena, is another matter altogether.
What has been your experience regarding MTNL's service and customer support in the mobile and broadband segments? Let us know in the comments.
TAGS: Telecom, Government, Internet, Kamakshi
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Things to see and do - Bucharest
Leaving for Romania
CEC Palace :
Nearby tourist sites
Nearby hotels
Marshal Garden Hotel from99 €Book
Sheraton Bucharest Hotel from99 €Book
Casa Gabriela from34 €Book
CEC Palace
CEC Palace : Michelin's recommendations
In the 19C, French architects left their mark on Bucharest, most notably among them Paul Gottereau, architect to the Romanian Crown, who built this imposing neo-Classical palace nicknamed the "little palace" on account of its similarity to the palace of the same name in Paris. Now housing a bank, admission is restricted, but the impressive dome may be admired equally well from outside.
Useful Information
- Address : Calea Victoriei nr. 13 RO - 030022 Bucuresti030022Bucuresti


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Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs believes that the VA is in the middle of "the biggest healthcare scandal in its history," and he wants President Barack Obama "... to safeguard evidence of possible wrongdoing at local VA facilities so VA employees who may have allowed patients to fall through the cracks will be properly held to account."
Miller said in his recent press statement:
"President Obama must direct Sec. Shinseki to take emergency steps to ensure veterans who may have fallen victim to these schemes get the medical treatment they need. Additionally, President Obama must direct Shinseki to ensure VA officials in Washington are working to safeguard evidence of possible wrongdoing at local VA facilities so VA employees who may have allowed patients to fall through the cracks will be properly held to account."
Further, he believes that "VA is in the middle of the biggest health care scandal in its history. At least 26 VA facilities are under investigation, and by the department's own count at least 23 veterans are dead due to recent delays in VA care."
Ending the 'culture of complacency'
Following the House passage of H.R. 4031, the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act, Chairman Miller also released this statement:
"The House has voted to take an important first step toward ending the culture of complacency that is jeopardizing patient safety within the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. VA's widespread and systemic lack of accountability is exacerbating all of its most pressing problems, including the department's stubborn disability benefits backlog and a mounting toll of preventable deaths – including 23 recent fatalities due to delays in care – at VA medical centers across the country. "
"While the vast majority of the department's more than 300,000 employees and executives are dedicated and hard-working," the statement from Miller said, "VA's well-documented reluctance to ensure its leaders are held accountable for negligence and mismanagement is tarnishing the reputation of the organization and may actually be encouraging more veteran suffering instead of preventing it. With all the problems VA hospitals and regional offices have recently had and new issues continually arising, we need to give the VA Secretary the authority he needs to fix things. That's what my bill would do, and I applaud my colleagues in the House for supporting it."
Miller called upon the Senate to help. "Now the Senate is faced with a stark choice: stand with veterans who rely on VA health care or stand with poorly performing bureaucrats entrenched in a dysfunctional personnel system. For the sake of our veterans, I hope the Senate chooses wisely."


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In an interesting follow on from our earlier article on water cooled nVidia GTX295s it seems that Danger Den is way ahead of us.
They already have a working water block for nVidia's Dual GPU monster.
The DD-GTX295 Block will cost you a hefty $189.95 (US) but will keep your new nVidia space heater cool.
In more news from Danger Den our own Chad Sebring is taking a look at Danger Den's latest (and still unannounced) case offering. Check back to see more on that.
Check out the block


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Monday, March 29, 2010
Spring is in the air at The White Oak Inn
Wedding fever struck early this year. We had three elopements and one vow renewal at the inn in March, and for each one the day was bright, sunny and warm, so the couples were able to use the gazebo for their ceremonies.
Our rhubarb is already a few inches high, our chives are greening up and tiny little lemon balm and mint leaves are bravely poking up in the herb garden. We can't wait to start planting the rest of the more tender culinary herbs. I'm dreaming of salads with fresh basil….mmmm.
Innkeeper White Oak Inn
Posted by Innkeeper Yvonne at 8:18 PM No comments:
Labels: Weddings
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
White Oak Inn has a New Web Site Coming
I know I haven't posted in a while. I feel like I just hibernated for the last couple of months. But don't worry, I've been a busy little bee while I've been in hiding. I've been experimenting with some new breakfast and dinner recipes. Would it be boasting to say the fresh tomato pie and chocolate raspberry truffle cheesecake are to die for? We've also been working on a new updated inn website that we hope to roll out in about 2 months time. We had some great new photographs taken by our friend Ken Love, of Ken Love Photography and got a few nice pictures ourselves after the recent snow storms. Attached is a montage of some of Ken's pictures taken in and around the inn. Hope you enjoy them.
White Oak Inn
Posted by Innkeeper Yvonne at 7:39 PM No comments:
Labels: White Oak Inn
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Whether treating a toddler in an emergency or supporting a teen through chemotherapy treatments, we are dedicated to the care of each patient. It's through teamwork at every level of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and with you, the family, that we are able to achieve excellence in pediatric care.
See more about us
With a proven track record of providing world-class care to patients in more than 30 pediatric specialties, we are a model for other pediatric hospitals. Infants, teens and young adults belong in a children's hospital where they can get specialized treatment from caregivers who know the important differences between children and adults.
See our clinical services
Research is a cornerstone of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta mission to enhance the lives of children. In conjunction with Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia Tech and Morehouse, Children's seeks answers to the most challenging childhood medical conditions through teaching and research.
We all want happy, healthy kids. But as a busy parent, helping your kids eat well and stay active can be a challenge.
At Strong4Life, created by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, our doctors, nutritionists and wellness experts create fun, easy ways to help your kids eat, move and live healthier. From picky eaters to passionate gamers, we have a slew of simple tips by experts who understand, because we're parents, too.
As a not-for-profit organization, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta relies on the generous financial and volunteer support of our community. Your donations directly impact the lives of each family served by Children's and support many initiatives such as clinical excellence, research, teaching, wellness and charity care.
The Children's Rehabilitation Services are led by Joshua Vova, M.D., Medical Director. Meet the team.
Inpatient Rehabilitation Program
For professionals: to refer a patient, call 404-785-2274 or complete the online referral form.
Find a Clinical Evaluator
Day Rehabilitation Program
Outpatient Rehabilitation Program
Occupational, physical, speech-language therapy and audiology services (includes clinical feeding evaluations):
Rehabilitation scheduling department: 404-785-7100
Fax (doctor's office will fax order or prescription): 404-785-7113
Complete the online request an appointment form (Solicitud de cita).
Oral pharyngeal motility study (OPMS)
Egleston hospital: 404-785-3255
Scottish Rite hospital and Children's at Webb Bridge: 404-785-2270
Outpatient wound care/whirlpool services
Egleston: 404-785-6778
Scottish Rite: 404-785-2270
Hand & Upper Extremity Therapy
For appointments or more information, please call 404-785-4611.
Fax (doctor's office will fax order or prescription): 404-785-3732
Center for Advanced Technology and Robotic Rehabilitation
For appointments or more information, please call 404-785-4908.
Assistive Technology Center (Located at Children's Medical Office Building)
Main: 404-785-3718
Seating and Mobility: 404-785-3761
Orthotics & Prosthetics Program
For appointments, cancellations or questions regarding the STARband and Cranial Remolding Program.
Main: 404-785-3229
Fax: 404-785-5690
Sports Medicine Program
Main: 404-785-6880
Fax: 404-785-5700
For existing patients to cancel or reschedule therapy appointments or:
For oral pharyngeal motility study (OPMS) and Audiology only
Scottish Rite
For oral pharyngeal motility study (OPMS) only
Children's at Alpharetta Highway
Children's at Cobb
Children's at Fayette
Children's at Forsyth
Children's Medical Office Building (MOB)*
*Located on the Children's at Scottish Rite campus
Children's at Mount Zion
Children's at North Druid Hills
Children's at Sandy Plains
Children's at Satellite Boulevard
Find a Doctor
Preregistration Forms
Billing & Insurance
©2016 Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Profile for Felix Blobyuoa894
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2008 Research Summary
Using Laughter in Speaker Recognition
View Current Project Information
Mary Tai Knox, Nikki Mirghafori1 and Nelson Morgan
Audio communication contains a wealth of information in addition to spoken words. Specifically, laughter provides cues regarding the emotional state of the speaker, topic changes in a conversation, and the speaker's identity. Currently, our goal is to develop an automatic speaker recognition system which relies on features from laughter segments.
Since most speaker recognition datasets do not consistently transcribe laughter, we need to first build an automatic laughter segmenter. Previously, we used neural networks trained with short-term features (including Mel-cepstral coefficients, pitch, and energy) to compute the probability that each frame was laughter. This system had an 8% equal error rate (EER). While the EER was quite promising we found that within a laughter segment, the output probability varied more than desired causing the system to classify sequential frames as both laughter and non-laughter. We are currently working to improve our results such that the audio is more consistently marked with a single start and stop time for each laughter segment.
1International Computer Science Institute


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Joseph Cordray, Faculty, Animal Science
The quality and safety of processed meat products is important to processors and consumers.
Train meat industry personnel in meat processing technology and food safety.
Two hundred and forty-four meat industry personnel participated in one of four processed meat short courses held at the Iowa State University Meat Laboratory: Sausage and Processed Meats, July 26-30, 2004; Basic Sausage, November 9-11, 2004; Cured Meats, January 18-20, 2005; Dry and Semi-Dry, April 12-14, 2005. Topics covered included; basic meat science, nonmeat ingredients, meat emulsions, natural smoke flavors, computer formulations, casings, stuffing and clipping, moisture enhanced meats, injection systems, dry and semi-dry sausage, thermal processing, meat irradiation and microbiology.
Meat industry personnel that attended one or more of the Sausage and Processed Meat Short Courses are responsible for the weekly production of millions of pounds of processed meats. Participation in our short course provides attendees with the knowledge to maintain and enhance the quality and safety of the products they are involved with. It is estimated that since its inception our Processed Meat Short Course Series has influenced the production of 1.4 trillion pounds of product.
121 Adding Value and Enhancing Agricultural Products
Page last updated:
July 9, 2006
Page maintained by Linda Schultz, email@example.com


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Abria Trice
April 2, 2014
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Jada Payne and Abria Trice were named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) All-State Women's Basketball First and Second Team, respectively, it was announced on Wednesday. The all-state first and second teams feature 10 players representing seven different North Carolina universities.
Payne, a redshirt sophomore forward, collected the honors after leading East Carolina to a 22-9 overall record and its first-ever back-to-back postseason appearances as the Pirates earned a spot in the WNIT. She finished the year as the team's leading scorer (18.4 points per game) and rebounder (7.5 rebounds per game), while adding 55 assists, 46 steals and six blocks en route to being named to the Conference USA First Team. Additionally, Payne was awarded the Outstanding Player of the Year award at the annual ECU women's basketball end of the year awards reception.
In addition to her success of the court, Payne was also named to the ECU Athletic Director's Honor Roll for student-athletes who have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Trice is a redshirt junior guard who earned second team accolades after averaging 15.2 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. She was also named to the C-USA All Second Team after adding a team-leading 51 steals to go along with 39 assists and 19 blocks. Trice was honored at the ECU women's basketball end of the year awards reception with the Most Valuable Pirate Award for her efforts on the court.
NCCSIA Women's Basketball All-State First Team
Catrina Green, Sr., Center, Gardner-Webb
Kaylah Keys, Fr., Guard, High Point
Jada Payne, RS So., Forward, East Carolina
Stacia Robertson, RS Jr., Forward, High Point
Maryah Sydnor, Jr., Forward, Appalachian State
* Named to the 2012-13 All-State Team


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My interests lie in beauty, stories and tragedy – these elements are a big part of my work, as are romance, horror, death and fantasy. My inspiration comes from big masters such as Carravaggio, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Dali, but also from contemporary movies, books and music. Films like Perfume and The Fountain, and much fantasy and horor, have an enormous influence on my work, as do books from Stephen King and Philip Pullman and a lot of different music.
I think art should be aesthetic. I totally disagree with the assumption that beauty has nothing to do with art. It's got everything to do with art – beauty is about fasciination, about love, about life and death. It's vital in all these things.
It all started with drawing – it was one of the few things I could really focus on for a long time.
Then I went to painting, and though I absolutely love doing that, I feel that it's not my sole purpose. At least not for the moment.
At some point I started seeing the sketches I made in Daz Studio, a 3D modelling program, as my work itself. I realized I had much more freedom using that program and combining it with photography; I was no longer dependant on my limited skills as a painter in making an image. And that's what it was about for me – not painting as good as possible, but making an image as good as possible.
Furthermore, in my case there's much more coïncedences with working digital than in painting – because you can rotate around the subject, and change the lighting and background, you often "accidentally" come to a good image. And those are often the best works.
At the moment, I've made a complete medium change - I went from digital art to permanent marker art. I use permanent markers to draw storylike collages on pieces of paper. I find I have a lot more freedom in drawing what fascinates me, and suggest a story without actually telling it. I think this really is something I might do for a long time, and hopefully graduate with.


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A guide to ground transportation companies in the New York City area providing shuttle services to JFK International, La Guardia , and Newark International. Service from Manhattan, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and others. Some scheduled services available in this area to selected airports. (Not all companies serve all cities or provide all services.)
There are no providers currently listed for this city. Please click the link below to go to the USShuttle.US main website in order to view all providers we currently have on file.
For Limousine, Taxi, Bus or Shared Ride Service WORLD WIDE
Click Here


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Fresno State: Enters his senior season having started the last 17 games at right tackle ... has developed into a top-notch WAC linemen ... has long arms and quick feet. (2007) Had 13 starts at right tackle ... a former defensive tackle, used those skills to get two tackles on the season, one at Hawaii and the other at Oregon. (2006) Moved to offensive tackle early in the season and started the final four games at left tackle when Bobby Lepori was injured ... played well and earned praise of the coaching staff ... gained valuable experience. (2005) Squad member. (2004) Redshirted as a defensive lineman.
High School: A first-team All-CIF selection as a senior ... had 111 tackles, seven tackles for losses, two sacks and one interception ... had 30 carries for 260 yards and four touchdowns as a running back ... caught four passes for 53 yards and one touchdown ... selected honorable mention all-league in his sophomore and junior seasons as a basketball player ... coached by Larry Satterfield.
Personal:Son of Cheryl and Kenny Avon Sr. ... former teammate Chris Stevens plays for Washington... likes to play basketball and listen to music... favorite athlete is Tracy McGrady... admires his parents because they made him who he is today.
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So Christianity is feeling attacked and Christians are learning how to defend their faith in what they believe is a downward spiraling country, or so I am told. Attacked? I ask. How so?
I was told that because their rights are increasingly being taken from them while expanding the rights of other religions, they are under attack.
This country was founded on freedom of religion, (which by the way should include freedom from religion, but that's a whole other post in itself) and at the time, this meant "worship as you choose." Yes, it's no surprise that our forefathers came to this country in search of religious freedom and most of them were Christian. They were looking for a new world because the one they lived in had become corrupt (the ruling class, governments, and the church leaders were in cahoots). They wanted to establish a new world that was free from the tampering of the church by the government, and free from the tampering of the government by the church. This is why our forefathers clearly stated that the two should be separate.
It wasn't until much later that our brave citizens and leaders actually fought for independence and then after that when they actually got together to draw up the Constitution; much later. Worshipping as one chooses was still important.
Yes, it's true that most of the folks who came to this country to establish the new world were Christians (late 1400s) and founded towns and civil states based on those same morals that many Christians strive to uphold (while destroying Native American civilizations, again, another post), but those morals are not inherently Christian morals, they are inclusive of all religions and no religion. Such basic beliefs as "Be nice" or "Treat others with respect" or any other such beliefs are not exclusive to any single religion.
Various leaders along the way chose to ignore the separation of church and state clause during the 1900s because most everyone in the government believed exactly the same way and therefore allowed such everyday Christian examples of doctrine into the courtrooms (like Ten Commandments), on money (1950s), into "The Pledge of Allegiance" ("Under God" was added in 1950s), and into schools (like prayer—addressing Jesus) without ever thinking that it was any sort of impingement upon anybody's beliefs, because it is true that most people were in fact, Christian. Those who believed differently from the masses had learned early on not to speak openly about it because of history (see Crusades, 1099-1295; Reformation, 1500s; Spanish Inquisition, late 1400s to early 1800s; any major war; Irish Catholics vs. Protestants, beginning in 1600s; witch hunts in Europe, 6th century through 1792, South America until 1830s, and then in America in the 1690s, and so on). Those whose idea of God (or a greater power) which didn't fit the Christian definition pretty much nodded their heads in agreement while secretly believing whatever they believed, hiding so as not to be affronted and possibly killed. At the very least in those early days of forming a nation, they risked being ostracized during a time when safety was in numbers and being alone meant certain death.
But as time drew on, leaders with strong Christian faith saw it as a testament to the sovereignty of the nation to unite Americans under God. This was also during a politically scary time, and those well-meaning leaders felt that adding God's name to money and the Pledge, would show other countries that America had the backing of God. Christians see this God as the God who can only be reached through Jesus. Non-Christians for centuries have understood that this definition of God is limiting and in contrast to the "worship as you please" part, but have gone along with it to keep from upsetting the system, while applying their own definition of God.
The term God has been used since man first began speaking of something ineffable. All religions refer to God in an attempt to describe the formless and all-powerful. God is the overarching catch-all for that which cannot truly be articulated. Each religion inserts its own definition when the term is used, just as when the term home is used, each person conjures up his or her personal representation of the same. Now that our society is attempting to take back the governmental places (state/federal run and state/federal funded) from the imposed Bible verses and references to God, it is being seen as an attack on Christianity.
The state and federal government never belonged to Christianity anyway, so how can that be an attack on a faith?
That all-encompassing term God has been defined and redefined throughout the ages and there is no single definition that will sit right with everyone, but most certainly, it does not belong to any singular religion.
Some folks reject an idea of God altogether, but as many will agree, it's not that they don't believe in a power bigger than themselves, it's that they refuse to get into the argument of which religion has the claim of God. The word God has left a bitter taste in many people's mouths, because of religion and the narrow definition or the exclusivity of the rights into heaven according to that religion's doctrine.
Science and religion were pitted against one another early on because science dared to begin trying to understand this power, or God.
Religion saw science as the adversary because the explanation is truly not to be understood cognitively but instead experientially. But theory without experience is also simply cognitive, and many in religion haven't truly experienced that power of God, of the divine, but believe in the eternal reward of the afterlife. They believe their reward, and proof, will come after this lifetime so full of suffering. Those who choose to step out of religion and into a personal spiritual relationship with the ineffable are often ostracized and put down, even today, for their style of worship.
Science has discovered that energy is within and without, above and below. Energy is around always and without fail. Quantum mechanics has yielded explanations for how prayer can work—through energy. And now the Higgs-Boson has been discovered, which can best be described as what happened before the Big Bang.
People, it's the same thing.
God is the energy matrix.
It's what runs within and through all of us, because we are truly all God's children. We are energy. Plants, animals, the planet, the galaxies, and our solar system are all energy. We all have access to this Universal Life Force Energy that is everywhere!
Upon hearing that Christians are feeling attacked and need to learn to defend their religion, it seems apparent they don't understand that not all people believe that Jesus is the only way to God, who provides eternal life in heaven if He is accepted as the only Lord and Savior.
Some people believe the God that was meant in "under God" or "In God We Trust" was the bigger God. This God, who is that energy matrix, cannot truly be described in a way for all people to understand. It's like the analogy of the word home: one cannot truly understand another's description until that place is experienced. Even pictures will not give the feel of it.
No one is trying to kill Christianity. It is not under attack. Non-Christians want you to understand that this country never really was "yours" to claim as your own. The forefathers understood that "God" was a much greater power and force than the human mind could possibly fathom, and they saw how greed had corrupted the churches and government of European countries. They agreed that the only way to thwart that in a new country (as history often repeats itself), was to keep God out of the Constitution and out of government and allow the people to decide for themselves, based on the times and the events going on around what was acceptable and what was not.
Times have changed. Non-Christians simply want Christians to stop assuming that everyone believes as they believe or that only their way is the right way and to be allowed freedom from having to listen to prayers made to a singular deity (Jesus) to get to a larger deity (God—however one defines it).
Nope, no one is attacking you. You feel attacked because you are realizing what you thought belonged to you actually belongs to everyone.
Times have changed and Christians are hearing more about things non-Christian because we are no longer afraid of losing our jobs for admitting our non-Christian status. Of course, here in the south, we still don't volunteer it unless we detect we are in similar company or until we are fairly certain our Christian brothers and sisters truly understand that we are ALL God's children, and that God is in ALL—even those who believe differently from you.
Namaste (translates into something like "The eternal and infinite that lives and dwells in me sees and recognizes the same within you, and I greet you with love and grace.")
Laurie M. Knight, another believer of the right of all people to worship (or not) in whatever fashion they please as long as it doesn't take away the next person's right to do the same, who believes in the inherent connection of everyone to his/her own understanding of the divine, and who believes we are all one anyway so what's the point of always being at odds over whose God is the "right" God.


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I made it into my "Hail Mary" alpine stream (well, the lower access), but had to shovel a little snow to do it. Sadly, once in, I discovered it was over its banks. By a lot.
Without a trout to satisfy Zog the Fly Fishing Caveman, I headed for the backup stream, which was pretty damned close to perfect. On the second cast, I caught the above-pictured brown trout.
Zog happy.
Spent the rest of the day idly throwing the dry and running down my list of new stretches of water to try.
Tried them I did. Caught fish I did.
This, I think, is going to be an interesting year.
More when I get time to write it.
See you on the new water, Tom Chandler.


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Pride may go before the fall, but fear goes before pride. Knowing when your fears are wrecking your health and well being (and that of many people around you) is key to finding the healthy solutions that might work best for you for living the life you want, not the life you most fear.
Despite daily reminders that life is filled with setbacks and pain, life is equally full of the good stuff, all the reasons we love it. Fortunately we can have plenty of life phases that include long and wonderful streaks of success and accomplishment. During these times we can feel like we're on top of the world. Almost effortlessly we keep our life balance, play an amazing game, or lead a work project to an amazing finish. All the while neither our past failures or fears about the future throw us off our performance. We're in a zone and we can feel it. For many people (maybe you're one of them) this feeling is a very natural state, you expect it. Studies have indeed shown that believing in advance is a key criterion to achieving just about anything. No one who wins a championship game on the last shot says afterwards, "I didn't think we had a chance." This can actually contribute to one's success and contentment in life too, assuming the positive and the good. Yes, "leaning in" and being both practical and positive about your life aspirations can make a great difference. But the reality also is that streaks end, good often comes with the bad, and luck runs out for you as it moves on to benefit someone else. And so ends, for a time, that top of the world feeling.
So how do you handle the ups and downs in your life? Are you continuously afraid you won't get what you want? When you want it? Or are you more focused on the past - what you woulda, coulda, shoulda done? Or is fearing something that isn't now, hasn't happened, and may never happen your preferred way to handle times when you are just...plain....scared? Fact is, despite many people's exterior calm or confident demeanor, I meet a diverse crowd of very (so called) successful people in my office who bring in their versions of breakdowns, the worries and concerns that bad times will never end, or the good times are soon to expire. And they are losing their joy in life over these basic fears, fears that we all face now and again. But for some this becomes a way of life and it disrupts or destroys major parts of their life: their work, their friendships, their families, and their health.
If you or someone you know is worried or fearful beyond reason, or for an extended period of time, it may be an opportunity to reflect on the following ideas to self-manage their way back to optimum well being and contentment, to get out of this fear-based life and back to themselves again.
So to get back to that "On Top of the World" feeling even when life is stressing us out at every turn and it feels like there's no space at all to take a breather, to find some inner peace, try these easy to do ideas in your daily or weekly schedule and see which ones feel best for you. Start small, but do something. Keep trying...and it will get better for you.
1. Set aside time every day to do your best at something - anything of your choosing. Focus on doing a very small thing at work, home, or while you are out, and intently do that thing with your full attention, concentration, and without self-judgment. This should be no more than a few minutes to start, and never more than 15 minutes. It could be cleaning ONE DRAWER in your kitchen, create one business document or spreadsheet, fold 3-4 shirts while breathing deeply, walk to the end of your street and back, noticing every sound and sight that you can with an appreciative gaze. They key is to pay full and undivided attention (away from your phone if needed) and breath as you go. Now, if you do this right it would be really hard to do this all day long. But if you pick a small activity first, in time this practice could grow to an hour or more daily or weekly. It will become revered time, where you put your past pain and fears about the future in a container, away from you and no longer interrupting your life and relationships. As likely, you'll begin to feel the rush of more personal productivity and emotional freedom.
2. Plan to be unbalanced. That's right, spot a time in your day or week where you KNOW you'll be a bit of a wreck, overly emotional, or even angry. I know this is a bit of anti-positive attitude here but hang with me. After you select your anticipated event or time when you expect to be challenged, think right then of how quickly you will recover or get back to a positive feeling about it. Plan in your mind whether it will take a day, a few hours, 30 minutes.....maybe a minute? Point is - there is NO such thing as achieving some ongoing steady state of personal or emotional balance in life. People keep themselves anxious and judgmental every time they fall out of a comfortable life position. Instead you can now see this as a normal and expected thing, and the ONLY plan and forethought worth having is about how you expect to get back into balance, for a time - until the next thing happens. That's it! Balance can be found but never kept. It's found, lost , found again and lost again. Over and over it goes. Over time you don't need to anticipate any specific bad situation, just know they will always show up, along with the good ones, and in each case you will have an opportunity to see how much better you are at responding, recovering, and moving on with peace inside. So at a minimum you can stop fearing this loss of balance and welcome it, and plan your recovery. THAT's the way to get though life with overall balance, over time...as nothing - and no one - will be able to incite fear in you again as you have the ability to respond to anything...and get yourself back to where you need to be.
3. List your biggest fears and stow them away. Yes, write a list of your worries down on a piece of paper and look at them. Keep it focused on your biggies, probably not one, but not more than seven or ten, either. Once you've done this put them away in a (real or invisible) container. Many religious, spiritual, and secular traditions around the world use worry mandalas, images, icons and figurines to allow people to mentally deposit their worries and fears and then move on with their day and their life. It's a way both acknowledging their existence, treating them with the respect they probably deserve (meaning, they are of real concern to you) but also allowing you to LEAVE them be, for a time, and free yourself to get on with regular living. For you it might be as simple a daily or weekly list, folded and sorted in old shoe box or Tupperware container. Replaced each time by throwing away the old and depositing the new. Any practice that works for you is what will work! Try it! Just doing this simple kind activity can actually help you do better work, and enjoy relationships more as you no longer carry them inside you, letting them leak (or scream) out at random times, inflicting pain or confusion on those around you. This isn't denial. You are accounting for all of them by placing them in a container – you are also creating a situation where they don't get to upstage what you need/want to do (perform your best) for the present moment. You are taking back control of your choice of thoughts and giving space for the thinking you need most in the moments of your life you really want to be pure and undiluted with your worries and fears. This is a practice, and it sounds a bit like a symbolic activity to some, too simplistic. But the very essence of freeing yourself from excessive fears and worries is an act of courage over something most in your control - your thoughts, how you animate them (with fears, emotion, wisdom, anger, etc. etc. etc.) and your choices around how to respond to, manage or simply influence them.
Giving just one of these ideas a try this month might change your outlook for the better, and sooner than you would have dreamed! For the most serious of life's problems counseling is often advisable, but there are many ways you can effectively and easily manage yourself to better health and emotional contentment. Taking the energy out of some of your biggest fears and worries is one easy way to begin doing just that, and it will help you feel, once again, like you're on top of you world.
Living for the love of it,
Dawna J. Grigsby with Alan Daigneault
Visit me at Zest of Life, LLC.


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According to a Feb. 17 report from WomensMMA.com, Adam Hunter, host of the popular "MMA Roasted" podcast, has come under fire for a recent tweet he posted about transgender MMA fighter Fallon Fox.
Hunter, a writer, actor and comedian who has appeared everywhere from season six of "Last Comic Standing" to Showtime's "Comics Unleashed," was criticized by several people on Twitter after posting a tweet that hinted Fox hasn't yet had transgender surgery to fully become a woman.
"Ronda Rousey said that she'd fight Fallon Fox. It'll be the first time someone has had their arm and c*ck ripped off," Hunter tweeted from the official MMA Roasted Twitter handle.
Fox Speaks Out
Even Fox herself was bothered by the tweet, and she openly spoke out against Hunter's brand of comedy.
"No laughing matter... Not at all. http://womensmma.com/editorial/adam-hunter-on-top/ …," Fox tweeted.
The story about Hunter's tweet gained some momentum after Sydnie Jones posted a lengthy editorial on it in a Feb. 17 article for WomensMMA.com.
In the article, Jones argues that Hunter's material is full of offensive jokes and contentious subject matter.
Is she right? Absolutely.
Hunter makes no apologies for his shocking brand of humor, which includes jokes about women he finds attractive and athletes who fail drug tests.
What she fails to mention is that Hunter is an equal opportunity jokester. Sure he might have crossed the line with his tweet about Fox, but he pokes fun at people of all different races and genders.
He is a comedian and his jokes do not come from a hateful place.
A great comedian can take a tough social issue and break it down into something that people can laugh about.
Whether its race, sexuality, gender or religion, good jokes can cut into issues that other forms of conversation can't.
Hunter definitely treads the line of appropriateness, but he shouldn't be labeled a bigot, sexiest or racist over jokes that are clearly meant to be taken with a grain of salt. He takes serious subject matter and turns it into light-hearted material for people to laugh at.
MMA Roasted
Since his Twitter handle is MMA Roasted, it seems pretty obvious that fight fans should know his posts are a "roast" of all things MMA.
A roast is a way to honor a person by subjecting them to good-natured ridicule.
During a roast, an individual is subjected to comedic insults, verbal jabs and funny stories as a mock counter to a toast.
The implication is that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and it is seen by some as a great honor to be roasted.
Obviously, Hunter's intention was to "roast" Fox, not seriously insult her with something she would view as transphobic.
Hunter receives praise from athletes across the globe, even after he roasts them. Recently, he made a series of jokes about UFC fighter Will Campuzano having an erection at the UFC 167 weigh-ins, and the fighter responded by thanking him very much for the shoutout.
He knew Hunter's roast was coming from a place of love, not hate.
However, it's clear Fox didn't take to Hunter's jokes as kindly as Campuzano.
With that said, perhaps Hunter can reach out to her to let her know he didn't mean anything hateful by his tweet and that he's an equal opportunity jokester.
At the end of the day, possibly this situation could be used as a way for Fox to learn more about what it means to be a comedian who roasts people for a living, and Hunter can take it as an opportunity to learn more about the transgender lifestyle.
Did Adam Hunter cross the line with his controversial tweet about Fallon Fox? Let us know in the comments or tweet the author, @EricHolden.


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Debbie Wilder has lived in her Colorado Springs home with her husband and two sons for twenty years. She keeps busy working 30+ hours per week and directing the women's ministry at her church. With her husband working long hours and commuting daily to Denver, and one of her sons being a full-time college student and living at home (her other son is married and lives out of state), most of the daily work of managing a home, and taking care of a family, falls to Debbie. An avid decorator and entertainer, Debbie found that her home needed some special organizational attention, but she lacked the time and direction to get started. When Debbie read about the Jumpstart 2010 contest sponsored by Cari Pemberton, The Clutter Cutters, Linda Reinberger, Organize, Consolidate, Declutter, LLC, and Diane Snead, Type A Professional Organizers, LLC, she leapt at the opportunity to jumpstart her home organizing projects.
Debbie submitted the winning 'Jumpstart' essay, explaining to Cari and her professional organizer colleagues that the biggest hurdles in her home were her basement, laundry room, and recreation room. When asked why she selected these three areas, Debbie responded that these were the spots that were causing her to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. She also wanted the main floor of her home to be more organized so she could feel more comfortable entertaining guests.
Debbie also desperately wanted the downstairs of her home to be a comfortable place where her sons and their friends could hang out, while also providing her with an area to do crafts, and efficiently store the seasonal home décor items she'd accumulated over the years. However, Debbie felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items she'd accumulated, and needed the direction and guidance on where to begin.
Enter Cari, Kathryn, and Diane. The team of Professional Organizers, Certified Family Manager coaches, and Efficiency Experts, arrived on the scene prepared to help Debbie transform her home into the space she long-desired. Debbie's prize included a family manager coaching assessment, as well as organizational services in the three biggest problem areas of her home (an estimated retail value of $400!).
The Family Manager Assessment took place on February 4, and Cari, Kathryn, and Diane helped declutter three of Debbie's rooms during the work session on February 12. During the work session, the three women provided Debbie with some hands-on assistance, as well as a jumpstart to her overall organizing plans.
When asked how the home organization project would help Debbie be more productive, she responded, "It is motivating me to keep going (working on purging, organizing, etc.) because I now can see what it looks like at the end." Debbie's ultimate home organization goal is "to be able to find anything at a moment's notice" and for "everything to have a home and a place."
The home organization project revealed to Debbie how much she loves having things organized and clutter-free. According to Debbie, "It was such a blessing to have these ladies come in and work hard to help me get on the right track. I also learned how to keep my mail and paperwork as part of the one-touch system, as well as putting like items in the same container."
Prior to the Jumpstart 2010 contest, Debbie longed to finish something she started in the area of organizing her home. She's now trying to do a little bit each day towards accomplishing that goal. She is encouraged by small accomplishments like being able to see the floor area in her kitchen, bedroom and laundry room, and is having fun working at her computer desk and kitchen table now that things are cleared off and she is utilizing the new filing system that was implemented.
Debbie says she still has a lot to learn and do, but her family manager assessment and declutter session truly gave her the "jumpstart" that she needed towards accomplishing her 2010 goal. Check out the before and after photos of Debbie's 'jumpstart to home organization' in the slide show below.
Do you need the services of a Professional Organizer, Certified Family Manager Coach, or Efficiency Expert? Contact Linda Reinberger or Kathryn Lane of OCD, LLC at 719-460-0347; Diane Snead of Type A Professional Organizers at (719) 229-9892, or Cari Pemberton, Certified Family Manager Coach, The Clutter Cutters at (719) 338-9677. You can also read Cari's BlogSpot for some great organizational tips.
Check out Cari's upcoming workshops:
- "Secret Storage Space" - March 1, 10:30 a.m. at the Rockrimmon Library
- "Getting Ready for Tax Time" - March 15, 10:30 a.m. at the Rockrimmon Library
- "Downsizing and Staging" - March 20, 3:00 p.m. at Sundridge Retirement Living, 5820 Flintridge Drive.
- "The Busy Mom's Guide to a Happy, Organized Home" book study (via webinar) – The next seven Tuesdays from 7-8:00 p.m. (Mountain time). $39, book sold separately.
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I welcome your comments and opinions. Please leave them in the comments section above.


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Adrian Lowe Google+
Adrian Lowe is Domain's Melbourne news editor. For three years prior, Adrian worked as Night News Editor and AM homepage producer on The Age's busy newsdesk. Prior to that, Adrian was a breaking news reporter, social media reporter and was court reporter for three years. He has also worked as a TV columnist.
Father charged with $1.5m theft gets bail
Adrian Lowe THE older half of a Sydney father-and-son duo accused of a multimillion-dollar burglary at a Melbourne storage facility has been released on bail with a $350,000 surety.
Police 'surprised' at detail of raid leak
Adrian Lowe SENIOR Victoria Police officers were ''dumbfounded'' and ''surprised'' at the amount of detail their federal counterparts fed to a News Limited newspaper in a deal struck to delay publication of a...
Editor's bargain with police
Adrian Lowe One of Rupert Murdoch's most senior editors in Australia asked a top federal policeman how many people could be killed if his newspaper published details about an impending anti-terrorism raid in...
Judge orders stay to second trial of terrorist cell
Adrian Lowe FOUR radical Muslims convicted of terrorism offences have been spared an imminent second trial for more serious offences, after a Supreme Court judge ruled that the proceedings would be an abuse of...
Williams daughter 'menaced witness'
Adrian Lowe Police claim Roberta Williams' teenage daughter used her family notoriety to threaten a man allegedly kidnapped by her boyfriend.
For lonely teenager Assange, a computer was his only friend
Adrian Lowe An early court case in Melbourne - details of which have been released for the first time - reveals the beginnings of Julian Assange's fascination with the power of computers.
Guilty plea over young boy's death
Adrian Lowe THE wife of a man who has admitted killing a three-year-old boy earlier this year lied to the boy's mother about her husband's involvement in the crime.
Boy 'still alive' when put on roadside
Adrian Lowe Court Reporter THE wife of a man who has admitted killing a three-year-old boy this year lied to the child's mother about her husband's involvement in the crime.
Police media boss retrieves his scalp
Adrian Lowe IT TOOK 17 months to publicly bring down Stephen Linnell but less than two minutes for all the work that Office of Police Integrity investigators spent on their only scalp to be discarded.
After 15 years, police lay murder charge over Elisabeth Membrey's disappearance
Adrian Lowe and Andrea Petrie Victorian homicide detectives charge a 43-year-old man over the murder of Elisabeth Membrey, who disappeared from her Ringwood flat 15 years ago.
Woman's state defied belief, nurses tell court
Adrian Lowe At 72, Kateryna Pyrczak was living independently and alone in her St Albans home.
Detective 'shocked' that car was in Moran's garage
Adrian Lowe Homicide detective tells a court that he was shocked to discover a car used in the murder of Des "Tuppence" Moran was allegedly being driven by their mother and former sister-in-law, Judy...
Mother vows to fight for law change over death of unborn child
Adrian Lowe Every second Sunday, Nancy Asani visits the grave of the daughter she never saw alive.
'Despicable' glassing ends in jail
Adrian Lowe A Melbourne County Court judge has put licensees on notice that they must take responsibility for violent incidents in their venues.
Cruise company shipped me out, claims passenger
Karen Kissane and Adrian Lowe Woman who had to leave a cruise ship in Melbourne after her elderly mother fractured her skull says she felt she was escorted off the ship and dumped ''like a common criminal''.
MySpace sex predator tricked teens
Adrian Lowe A young man who deceived two teenage girls into having sex with him via the social networking site MySpace has been jailed for at least a year.
Patient charged over stabbing deaths
Mex Cooper and Adrian Lowe A man has been charged over fatal stabbings at secure psychiatric hospital.
Doctor's incestuous relationship produced son
Adrian Lowe An inner-city Melbourne doctor is expected to soon learn his professional fate for having a four-year incestuous relationship with his daughter, which produced a son.
'She can't swim': dead girl's brother
Adrian Lowe THE brother of a girl allegedly thrown by her father from the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne asked if they could turn around and pick her up because she could not swim, a court has heard.
Bridge death: brother asked father to pick up girl 'thrown from bridge'
Adrian Lowe The eight-year-old brother of a girl allegedly thrown by her father from the West Gate Bridge in January this year asked if they could turn around and pick her up because she could not swim, a court...


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Senior Kama Griffitts scored in double-digits for the fifth time in seven games, but Arizona (1-6) fell to undefeated BYU (6-0), 64-56 in Provo, Utah on Saturday afternoon.
Griffitts was 4-of-7 from the three-point line for a team-high 14 points, building on her team-leading season average of 46.8 percent.
Junior Candice Warthen added 12 points and five assists, while freshman Breanna Workman scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds.
Arizona committed a season-low 11 team turnovers and eight players contributed at least two points.
"BYU is probably the best team we have played this season and we were right there at the end," Arizona head coach Niya Butts said. "This is not a time for us to stop moving. This hurts and we have to continue to get better, but I think we are making strides forward."
UA and BYU tied six times and had seven lead changes. In the second half, the Cougars' 12-2 run gave them the final edge.
"This game didn't turn out the way we wanted it, but I can see us coming together a little bit more," Butts said. "We are making some plays offensively and we are making some defensively too. The players are beginning to understand what their roles are."
The Wildcats continue their road swing in Birmingham, Ala., where they will take on the University of Alabama-Birmingham on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. MT.
For complete results and continued coverage of Arizona women's basketball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com, or follow on Twitter @ArizonaWBBall.


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Hostage (1988)Starring Carol Burnett and Carrie Hamilton, Leon Russom and Annette Bening in one of her first onscreen roles. A young woman (Hamilton), who is about to be parolled, escapes from prison after being threatened with mayham by her father during a visit. She takes a wealthy widow (Burnett) hostage.
Back to the Other Carol Burnett Feature Films Library
back to Uncle Earl's Classic TV Channel


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Jacoby Ellsbury Claims Second World Series
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BOSTON – Former Oregon State outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury won his second World Series title with the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night as the club defeated St. Louis, 6-1, at Fenway Park. The 'Sox won the series, four games to two.
Ellsbury, who played at Oregon State from 2003-05 and led the Beavers to the first of three College World Series appearances, played a pivotal role for Boston. He batted leadoff, and in 16 games in the postseason, hit .344 (22-for-64) with four doubles, one triple, six runs batted in and six stolen bases. In the six-game World Series, he was 6-for-24 (.250) with four runs, a double and an RBI.
He played 134 games during the regular season, batting .298 with a Major-League best 52 stolen bases in just 56 attempts. He also collected 31 doubles, eight triples, nine home runs and 53 RBI.
"I mean, this is what it's all about," Ellsbury told MLB.com after the game. "You want to be on the big stage, you want to help the team. We treated this like a Game 7. You never know when your opportunity is going to come again, and we're so happy we closed out tonight.
"It's so rewarding this year. I feel very fortunate to raise the banner with this group of guys. It's been so much fun."
Ellsbury celebrated the win, but as MLB.com pointed out, he'll have a lot on his mind soon as the Madras, Ore., native is a free agent.
"Ells is a really, really good player," pitcher Clay Buchholz said. "That's probably an understatement, too. The dynamics of him doing what he can do on the field, there's not many players like that. I'd love for him to come back. I can give up rockets up the middle and he'll catch them."
For more information on the Oregon State baseball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/Beaver_Baseball or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateBaseball.


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LETTER: Holt community lost a true angel
Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 6:36 p.m.
Dear Editor: May 2 will mark a one-year anniversary of the loss of someone very dear. Billie Ruth Lankford was one of the many angels among us. She served as an example by living her life as a true Christian every day.
Many lives were touched by her, not only at Holt United Methodist Church but throughout the entire Holt community. Many remember her as the sweet lady in the office at Holt Elementary School. She was always there to help with any problem no matter how small or large. Having taken care of children through four generations, she decided it was time to retire.
We lost her to cancer after a long, hard fight. Through it all, she always kept a smile and offered kind, encouraging words to everyone. Her presence may have left us, but her memory and inspiration will be with me and others for the rest of our lives.
I thank God for having her in my life. We were truly all touched by an angel.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Although Hydrox cookies are widely regarded as a knock-off of Oreo cookies, Hydrox cookies debuted in 1908 and Oreos were in fact the knock-off (as they took the design of the Hydrox cookies and debuted in 1912).
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British 'Alpha Course':
Empty Boasts?
Cause For Concern?
Tom Jones
From: "tom jones"
To: "Positive Atheism" <email@example.com>
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2001 8:54 PM
What do you know about this Alpha Course thing that is sweeping England and is moving to the USA. Have they really converted tens of thousands of atheists, or is this just PR and have there been any critical atheist responses written about it
From: "Positive Atheism" <email@example.com>
To: "tom jones"
Subject: Re:
Date: Friday, July 06, 2001 9:19 PM
I know nothing, and neither did the Dutch reader, Martin Horton, who initially alerted us of the situation. I dropped everything and posted this the moment I got it specifically in the hope of finding out more.
It appears to be an intensive method of inducement, an aggressive recruiting approach, perhaps involving physical isolation into a controled environment, a compound, much like what the so-called cults and the Billy Graham "youth camps" use. Brainwashing? I will not go that far without finding out what recruiting methods the program uses.
If they're hailing it as a technique, though, I find it hard to see it as involving the natural processes of a reasoned discussion -- otherwise, regular evangelism would not be any more or less effective at "making disciples." It is precisely because they're lauding this method for its success that I smell a rat. If there is something to my suspicions, here, we will see opposition from both the more reasoned and the more fundamentalistic wings of Christianity.
But I think we do well to find out what the program is, so we can be watchful -- in case it is what they're saying it is.
We also do well to see what their "recidivism" rates are (if that's what they'd call it), just in case this is merely another manifestation of what addiction "treatment" does -- boldly proclaiming its "successes" but, when examined, showing no substantial successes worthy of note -- much less the gloat.
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Five years of service to
people with no reason to believe
From: "tom jones"
To: "Positive Atheism" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2001 9:32 PM
Subject: Re:
It has arrived in my town a while back (I live in the Bible Belt) and the local paper greeted it with headlines proclaiming it's glories and the huge number of atheists it had converted. (To give you a sense of perspective about the area I live in, when Billy Graham came to town a while back the front page of the same paper was dominated by articles about him for four weeks two weeks prior to his visit one week during and one week after.)
I did a web search on this organization and found links to it directly and to other similar Christian sites. I did not get a chance to read them in detail. I did read that they credited part of their success to a warm and friendly atmosphere (they provide free meals, have beautiful flower arrangements, etc.). This sounds like the principle of reciprocity to me and it has been used to good effect by the Scientologists and Hari Krishnas as well.
I also wonder how many were actual atheists and how many were merely apathetic theists or more specifically apathetic Christians (i.e.,"yeah, this stuff is all real, but who cares?").
I would be very interested in hearing any atheist responses to this group.
P.S. What did you mean by "in case it is what they say it is"?
From: "Positive Atheism" <email@example.com>
To: "tom jones"
Subject: Re: Re:
Date: Friday, July 06, 2001 11:10 PM
when Billy Graham came to town a while back the front page of the same paper was dominated by articles about him for four weeks two weeks prior to his visit one week during and one week after
This is not far from what happened in Portland, Oregon -- the most atheistic city in the most atheistic state. This is not natural news coverage of what happens to be drawing interest, but is clearly propaganda launched by influential people in the press who are abusing their roles of responsibility to promote their religion for free.
This sounds like the principle of reciprocity to me and it has been used to good effect by the Scientologists and Hari Krishnas as well.
Where I grew up, Pacific Beach in San Diego, the Hare Krsna temple is the place to go to get a free meal and to cool off from a hot summer day. We'd ride our bikes out there as kids, even when it was near Balboa Park (seven or eight miles, including a long, steep hill). We loved it! It was a better entertainment value than much of what was going on at the time. Only one of us ever joined (and I'll bet he's still there -- that stuff was right up his alley), and only two others ever even considered what they were saying (I was one).
This was when George Harrison was singing "My Sweet Lord," when the film "Concert for Bangladesh" was in the theaters. This was when the religious "cult" craze had just replaced the Yippie! form of anti-war political activism as The Big Scary Monster which grieved the parents of mid-teens, which itself had just replaced LSD as The Big Bogey Man.
what did you mean by "in case it is what they say it is"?
I mean to say, if this course is converting as many atheists as they claim, and if the recidivism rates are low, then this is cause for genuine concern.
Otherwise, if it is what I suspect it might be, a boastful sham, our only concern is the dignity issue over establishing and supporting a program that would want to target atheists as being in need of this sort of re-education.
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Five years of service to
people with no reason to believe
From: tom jones
To: "Positive Atheism" <email@example.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2001 12:29 AM
Subject: Re: Re:
I found a site from the UK that has an atheist's account of the Alpha Course
What he says about the Alpha Course seems to match what I learned about them from their own sites. It all seems pretty trite, and seems to back up my guess that their audience was mostly apathetic theists. I would still be interested in an examination of their claim of "tens of thousands of converts" let me know if you find one.
From: "Positive Atheism" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
To: "tom jones"
Subject: Re: Re:
Date: Saturday, July 07, 2001 3:35 AM
Here's the course itself:
I was right: the Alpha Course does involve the temporary physical isolation of their marks into a controlled environment -- which they call "The Weekend." They also describe extremely persuasive indoctrination at the hands of people who have been specially trained to deal with various forms of resistance to the technique. The group is also "Charismatic," which means that it uses the mass-hypnosis methods for invoking the "sudden personality change" described in the 1978 book Snapping by Flo Conway and Jim Siegelman and also discussed by Marjoe Gortner during his lectures on the subject, wherein he'd bring a skeptic from the audience onto the stage, insist again and again that it's not real, and have skeptic falling over, "slain in the spirit," within moments -- demonstrating that it's just a trick.
I was "slain in the spirit" once -- and I actually fell over, despite my efforts to remain standing. I swear I felt an electric shock when the preacher touched my forehead. Perhaps the kindly woman holding me and preparing to help brace my fall was the cathode and the preacher's ring was the anode?
You're right about these "atheists" in their stats probably being nominal Christians. From the course description, I would wager that an "atheist," to them, is somebody who does not worship The One True God (meaning their specific and perhaps unique concept of the Christian godhead, as opposed to the "another Jesus" denounced by Saint Paul in II Corinthians 11:4). Many Charismatic sects consider such Christians as Roman Catholics and even non-Charismatic Protestants to be non-Christians -- that is, atheists. In fact, this thinking abounds throughout Christianity and is even dogmatized in the Roman Catholic Church: Wicked Christians are, according to this logic, atheists, because they show by their behavior that they cannot possibly believe in "God" -- otherwise they would not be acting wickedly, because Christians, by definition, act righteously. So, according to this thinking, whatever God these "atheists" think they believe in, it cannot be The One True God; thus, since they don't believe in the "real" God, they must be atheists. This is classic case of Circular Reasoning.
I don't know which makes me more nervous -- take your pick: (1) a group which openly and publicly targets atheists (or any cultural group) as being in need of re-education; (2) a group that is so utterly fundamentalistic, and is thus so entirely exclusivistic, that the slightest variation in dogma renders an otherwise devout Christian worthy of being described as an unbeliever ("We will determine whether your private expression of faith is valid!").
Discussing faith-based drug and alcohol "treatment," Ellis remarks:
The kind of the Belief System you adopt does have some importance to long-term sobriety, however. This is because we often start out gung ho with a new Belief System, but the fire dims as time passes. Farfetched Belief-Systems with little general problem-solving, happiness-producing capacities frequently lose their hold on us. This often happens with cults, even powerful and dangerous ones. In time we see their limitations, learn that their leaders are only human, and realize that we do better when we put ourselves ahead of the cult leader.
We lose faith in faith-inspired Belief Systems unless we continue to surround ourselves with other true believers. This is why you have to attend most kinds of churches pretty well forever. The same thing is true of some kinds of recovery meetings. If you don't attend, your faith may fade. People who adopt a faith-based Belief System and improve often think it should work for others also if those others will just "work a good program." They may feel threatened and attacked if some people don't like that approach and prefer something different.
This is why the Charismatic "experience" is so heavily emphasized in such religions: even though the experience itself is just a trick of the mind, at least it feels like an experience. Still, the Charismatic must practice the trance-inducing experience, invoking it at regular intervals, or the faith loses its realism and thus its power over the individual. What's left is to return to the previous way of thinking, which inevitably contains more reason-based elements when it comes to views about religion.
Remember: Faith usually involves only religious tenets. Most of us, no matter how religious we are, usually live almost all our lives as if the world were entirely physical. Very few Charismatics, for example, will depend entirely upon prayer and ceremonial oil for their health care (James 5:14-5). They'll pray, to be sure, because this is the religiously correct thing to do. And with very few exceptions, they will pray on the way to the hospital. Hardly anybody will stop off at a chapel or a shrine, chant a prayer and anoint the dying person with oil, and then casually continue their journey to the Emergency Room. If anything, they will do this ceremonial stuff only after they have arrived and the medical team has started working (or, in America, while they're signing the numerous contracts which ensure the hospital, usually a tax-exempt religious "charity," that you'll pay your bill -- and in case you don't, that plenty of "persons to contact in case of emergency" are listed to help them track you down [I always write down "The Authorities" in this space]).
I am familiar with almost every trick Alpha Course mentioned in their course description, and these methods do not stick for very long. Most of these methods soon wear off on most people. Alpha Course is not much different from what they do in the Billy Graham "youth camps." I am not convinced that Alpha Course is any better at it than Graham. Or are they another arm of the Billy Graham Crusades? (I love that name! Campus Crusades for Christ, too! It's so appropriate of the conqueror mentality involved: We must amass our young soldiers across land and sea so they can slaughter those godless heathen and their children, because we must redeem this land for Christ!)
Even if they were as effective as they claim, this would only mean that they've definitely got something up their sleeves, because regular Christianity is not nearly this successful. In this case, they face serious scrutiny from both fundamentalistic purists and Liberals.
What does concern me is that a group is going around portraying atheists as a group of people who need to be re-educated. This is 198-proof bigotry, and would never be tolerated had they portrayed any other group as needing re-education.
The leader of Teen Challenge was rightly denounced for bragging that some of his clients had become "Completed Jews." Within the confines of Christian circles, this might be considered a valid expression of their point of view. But this language is bigotry when it extends even to Christian public relations statements. Amongst themselves, they may think what they want. I have no response except that I want no part of this style of thinking. Once they start talking to us this way, though, they have committed an act of indignity by suggesting that regular Jews are somehow "incomplete."
I think the situation is not much different when the Alpha Course gloats about all the "atheists" they've converted, or states, publicly, that the target for their recruiting campaigns consists of "atheists." Even if it turns out that what they actually mean is "Christians -- or anyone -- who do not believe like us," they are using a word that in almost every other context means people without religion or people who reject religion. They are saying that they are targeting a specific and easily identified people group -- a people group that suffers more than its fair share of indignity.
What is it about atheists that they have waged a campaign targeting us to be persuaded to change our religious views? What make it even acceptable that they would talk like this? and why should we remain silent when they do?
The main reason I don't think they will get very far is that their exclusivism and bigotry is so utterly transparent that I think most people will be able to see through it -- in spite of the vicious indoctrination techniques designed to identify and counter any hint of doubt, in spite of the brutal method of isolating people into a sequestered environment where a single viewpoint is emphasized and there is no second opinion. I think, with George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), that the human mind will, in most cases, overcome even this:
Fatally powerful as religious systems have been, human nature is stronger and wider, and though dogmas may hamper they cannot absolutely repress its growth.
Regular religion -- what I consider healthy expressions of religion (yeah, I know) -- does not need to go to these extremes either to set people straight or to keep them in line. Healthy religion do not need to target a specific group and let them know exactly what's up. The religions that will always attract their share of followers (though not necessarily in messiah-comples droves) are those who trust their religion to do its own work. (Is your religion attractive on its own merits?) Good religion describes a God who is sufficiently powerful and influential and attractive, good religion would never think of sequestering their prospective converts. They wouldn't need to do this and they wouldn't want to do this. They would trust their God to "call" whomever He will. And their congregations will always be pure in that they will have very few people who were coerced or tricked into joining.
Religion that deserves the respect and devotion of its adherents is that which trusts its devotees to obey the tenets of the religion (rather than lo bby to make specifically religions infractions illegal for us all). Religion that earns the respect of the community is that religion which trusts nonmembers to make their own decisions about their own lives -- particularly when it comes to something as private and as personal as faith (or lack thereof).
Hare Krsna? Yup! Billy Graham? Uh huh! These guys appear to have learned from the Krsnas, who definitely learned more than a little from Graham. But this group is so much like Graham's operation that I cannot help but wonder how much of their stock is in his portfolio.
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Five years of service to
people with no reason to believe
From: tom jones
To: "Positive Atheism" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2001 1:41 PM
Subject: Re: Re:
Did you get my last email? here is the link to that page again.
From: "Positive Atheism" <email@example.com>
To: "tom jones"
Subject: Re: Re:
Date: Saturday, July 07, 2001 5:49 PM
Okay, here it is (double-negative and all):
I was told that the course was designed for people searching for Jesus with open minds, and not for people who did not believe that Christianity was untrue.
Did they mean people who did believe Christianity was untrue? i.e., atheists, etc.? I doubt it! They just spent more time looking out the schoolroom window than burying their noses in the English books!
If they gloat that they've converted so many "atheists," then they cannot turn around and say this is only for people "searching for Jesus with open minds" and still be considered truthful. Someone "searching for Jesus" is not rightly considered an atheist!
The Alpha Course guy:
so I will leave off re-inventing the wheel for the time being
This is another of my favorite ways that hucksters and the like use to dismiss someone's criticism.
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Five years of service to
people with no reason to believe
Material by Cliff Walker (including unsigned editorial commentary) is copyright ©1995-2006 by Cliff Walker. Each submission is copyrighted by its writer, who retains control of the work except that by submitting it to Positive Atheism, permission has been granted to use the material or an edited version: (1) on the Positive Atheism web site; (2) in Positive Atheism Magazine; (3) in subsequent works controlled by Cliff Walker or Positive Atheism Magazine (including published or posted compilations). Excerpts not exceeding 500 words are allowed provided the proper copyright notice is affixed. Other use requires permission; Positive Atheism will work to protect the rights of all who submit their writings to us.