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Evolution Hoax
Many needs in all living things—such as carrying nourishment and gasses like oxygen to the cells, and eliminating waste products from the body—are met by substances carried by the circulatory system. In human beings, the liquid that performs all these functions is the blood. Every single cell in your body, from a skin cell on your fingertip to the specialized retinal cells in your eyes, depends on what blood provides.
Blood flows through the arteries and veins that interpenetrate the body like a transport network or river delta, visiting every single corner of the body. During its travels through the arteries, that river carries numerous substances that the cells require. We can think of these as cargo packages carried by the river, containing food, water and various chemical substances. The most urgent package to be delivered is oxygen, because if deprived of oxygen, cells will soon die. Thanks to the specially constructed system in your body, however, the packages are delivered to every cell in time and to the correct "addresses."
You seldom feel the flowing of this river during the course of your day-to-day life. However, the human body has been created with such a consummate artistry that though everywhere is interpenetrated by blood vessels, they are invisible from the outside. That is because the 2-mm (0.07-inch) layer of skin that covers your body conceals the capillaries in a masterly fashion.
That epidermal layer is actually so thin that the slightest scratch will cause some blood to leak through it. Were the vessels not covered by a very fine and attractive skin, there is no doubt that even the most attractive people in the world would appear hideously repellent.
Blood performs a great number of vital functions inside the body, such as carrying waste and toxic substances to the liver, supporting the immune system, regulating body temperature rather like an air-conditioning unit, and carrying nutriments to the relevant regions. Communication via hormones within the body is also performed almost entirely by the blood.
Blood's vital and inimitable features
1. Responsibility for transportation
Substances of all kinds that the body requires are carried to the relevant organs by the blood. Nutrients such as glucose, amino acids and minerals—and most importantly, oxygen—are just a few of these. In addition, the blood works like a waste disposal system, collecting unwanted substances from every cell. And each of the 100 trillion or so cells in the body produces waste products as a result of its daily functions. These waste products, including such potentially toxic compounds as carbon dioxide and urea, are removed from the cells by means of the bloodstream. The blood carries the non-gaseous wastes to the kidneys, where they are distilled. The carbon dioxide produced in the cells is carried to the lungs, from where it is expelled from the body.
Blood cells moving in veins
It is unconscious blood cells that do all this. However, these cells can, in a very conscious manner, distinguish between waste and useful substances carried in the blood, and know which are to be deposited where. For example, they never carry toxic gasses to the kidneys, nor metabolic by-products to the lungs. Neither do they send waste products to any organ in need of nutrients— an error that would lead to the death of the entire body. The blood cells perform their functions with no confusion, error, misunderstanding or deficiency, in a most conscious manner, indicating the existence of a Mind and Consciousness that controls, regulates and organizes them. That cannot be the human being in question, because people live their entire lives quite unaware of these processes. Yet the circulation system continues to function, and flawlessly. To claim that the blood cells acquired their ability to distinguish, select and decide by chance, and that they do these things of their own will, would be totally illogical and irrational. It is Allah, the Almighty, Who gave the blood these features and created this flawless system.
2. Troop Carrying
Another of the blood's duties is to carry the cells of the immune system that fight disease. Any foreign bodies like viruses and bacteria that enter the body are neutralized by the antibodies and leucocytes in the blood. In addition, immune system cells patrol the bloodstream and so monitor the entire body. (For more details, see The Miracle of the Immune System by Harun Yahya.)
3. Communications
An immune-system cell patrolling the blood vessels
The blood also constitutes one of the body's main avenues of communication. There is a magnificent communications system among the cells in the human body. They exchange information with one another, just as if each one were truly conscious. The cells send to one another chemical messages in the form of hormones, carried by the blood. (For details, see the chapter on "Splendid Communication within the Body: The Hormonal System.")
4. Wound Healing
One of the blood's most miraculous features is its clotting mechanism. Thanks to this clotting, or coagulation, blood loss from a damaged vessel is reduced to the minimum possible. During the clotting process, dozens of proteins, enzymes and vitamins serve in regimented order. Because of this feature, scientists have shown the clotting mechanism as an example of flawless planning. (For details, see pp. 41-47)
5. The Regulation of Balances Within the Body
One of the vital cargo packages carried by the blood is heat. Arteries filled with blood spread heat through the body, just like the piping that carries hot water throughout a building. But unlike the pipes in a building, the body's heat source is not a single boiler, but all the many cells in the body. Thanks to the blood, heat produced by each cell is distributed equally to all the others.
Were there no heat distribution system in your body, you would experience grave problems. As the result of any muscular activity you perform—running for instance, or carrying a heavy load—your legs or arms would overheat, and other regions of your body would remain close to room temperature—an imbalance that would inflict serious damage on your metabolism. For that reason, the equal distribution of heat is of the greatest importance.
In the same way, the blood again goes into action along with the sweat glands in order to reduce excessive heat. Blood vessels under the skin dilate, making it easier for heat carried in the blood to be released to the air. When we engage in strenuous physical activity, therefore, your face grows flushed because of blood vessel dilation. Blood also plays an important role in keeping your body temperature from cooling off. When you feel cold, your skin turns paler, because blood vessels under the skin contract according to the chill in the air. The quantity of blood in those regions close to the air is therefore reduced, and heat loss from within the body is reduced to a minimum.
(Harun Yahya, The Human Miracle)


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BySean Gardiner
The NYPD officer accused of plotting to kidnap women then kill and eat them pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Monday.
Gilberto Valle was charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and obtaining information from a criminal database without authorization following his arrest last month.
Valle's attorney, Julia Gatto, made another application for bail, which will be argued Tuesday. Valle's two previous bids for bail were denied, leading Judge Paul Gardephe to tell Gatto that she will have a "hard row to hoe" to prove he should be granted bail.
Valle was arrested Oct. 25 by the FBI after a search of his computer turned up emails and other messages that discussed shocking plans, according to the criminal complaint: to hold women captive, cook them in ovens and cannibalize them.
The six-year NYPD veteran's computer in his Forest Hills, Queens, home included photographs of about 100 women, addresses and other information. He is also accused of using a law-enforcement database to track down at least one of the women, and he had researched ways to drug and disable potential victims, the complaint said.
In his communication with two unnamed co-conspirators, Valle was asked about the size of his oven, to which he replied: "Big enough to fit one of these girls if I folded their legs."
In another message, he wrote, according to the complaint, "I love that she is asleep right now not having the slightest clue of what we have planned."
He also traveled to Maryland in July, the complaint said, to meet with a targeted woman.
The allegations against Valle surfaced when his estranged wife contacted the FBI to say she found "questionable porn" on his computer.

subset: commoncrawl


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FIREFIGHTERS were called to a blaze in a tunnel running beneath The Market Place shopping centre.
Crews initially thought the fire had started in the newly refurbished vaults — but shopping centre bosses insist it was sparked in an unconnected tunnel near a bridge over the River Croal.
Security guards at the Market Place called the fire service when smoke started seeping from one of the centre's underground service tunnels off Knowsley Street at 8.15pm last night.
A burning suitcase containing plastic was found at the other of end of the tunnel near a bridge over the River Croal.
The fire was quickly dealt with and has not caused any damage.
An investigation has now been launched into the cause.
Watch manager Craig Lunt said he did not believe the incident was an arson attempt.
He said: "Someone must have been involved but I don't think it was arson because there is nothing to catch fire down there, it might have been a homeless person trying to keep warm, we don't know."
After recommendation from the fire service, security guards have now padlocked the gates leading to the area.
A Market Place Shopping Centre spokesman said: "Security guards on an external night patrol smelt smoke under the archway by Knowsley Street and alerted Greater Manchester Fire Service.
"A small fire occurred on a bridge over the River Croal near to a disused external tunnel not connected to Market Place.
"We remain vigilant of any such incidents and work alongside our partners to ensure the safety of the community in Bolton both inside and outside of the centre."
Police have been informed about the incident but did not attend.


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Topic: Jaundice and Complications
Hello, I am new to the site but the daughter of a CC patient. First diagnosis was 2004, with liver resection and chemo. 2010 reoccurance, inoperable with cyber knife radiation and chemo of Gym/Cis, non active MRI to current. After my mom and I visited the other day I noticed yellowing of the skin and eyes, not alot but enough that I would notice. I've been reading alot of the post and I understand that everyone is different. I am nervous and have no idea what to expect now. I think I assumed that this would be a process of the cancer spreading etc, not liver function problems. Any words of advice would be much appreciated.


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PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- One of your greatest assets is your ability to effectively communicate with others regarding difficult subjects. You'll be good at disseminating information and retaining it.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- It's good to be optimistic about a joint endeavor that you're considering, but keep your expectations reasonable and realistic. Don't get carried away by pie-in-the-sky prognostications.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You could badly need some information from others today, so it pays to be a good listener at all times. This is especially so when in the presence of someone who gets around.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- When your intentions are in proportion to your abilities, success is likely to follow.� Don't place demands on yourself that you're not experienced enough to fulfill.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You'll have what it takes to be a good organizer. You'll not only know what to do and how to do it effectively, but you'll be smart enough to know which person should handle each task.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Small details could take on unusual significance, particularly when it comes to domestic matters. Be sure that each person involved in a project pays appropriate attention to every tiny part.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Keep in mind that friends warmly welcome company when a person's visit is brief. Remember this rule and follow it when putting in a personal appearance or even talking on the telephone.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- A small but significantly profitable development could open up, in conjunction with an ongoing matter. However, first you must recognize it and then be clever enough to carry it off.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Be sure to devote some time to a recreational activity that you thoroughly enjoy. Getting away from everyday happenings will refresh your outlook and make you more industrious.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If you're hoping to gather some information about a matter that's none of your business but that you're curious about, it'll pay to ask indirect questions. Subtlety will pay off.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Quality, not quantity, is what you should look for in your companions. Being with a comfortable, compatible pal will be more enjoyable than hanging out with a large group.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- If you need to make a choice between profit and accomplishment, you'd be smart to choose the latter. Self-esteem has greater value than gold.


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David Bowie museum exhibit in London
Updated 5:31 pm, Friday, January 18, 2013
New exhibition
London: David Bowie fans have more than a new album to anticipate. "David Bowie Is," an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum March 23-July 28, will include Ziggy Stardust bodysuits, album art, lyrics and diaries; hotel packages with a pair of tickets (worth $128) start at $257.
Washington, D.C.: The 17-month-old Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall will lose its inscription "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness," a controversial paraphrase of the civil rights leader's remarks, in February or March. Wavy lines will replace it on the stone sculpture. www.nps.gov/mlkm.
- Why You Should Never Sleep Through Takeoff or LandingSLivingTime
- Snow White Home Is For SaleTaLTIME
- Martha Stewart Says Pumpkin Spice Is for 'Basic Bitches Only'TaLTIME
- What Happens When Your Cruise Gets Stuck in a HurricaneSLivingTime
- Flight Attendants Reveal All The Places You Don't Want to Touch On A PlaneSLivingTime
Nepal: Help disadvantaged rural Nepali women learn to be trekking guides on a Meaningful Trip, which raises funds for training and a children's school. All-women and mixed-gender tours for novice and advanced hikers include five- and 10-day treks, starting at $1,895. www.meaningfultrip.com.
Travel resource
South Africa: Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa, which promotes ethical business and environmental practices, lists 64 certified operators, from Soweto Hotel & Conference Centre (pictured) to the newly added De Zeekoe Guest Farm in Oudtshoorn and Kwalata Game Ranch in Gauteng. www.fairtourismsa.org.za.
Bolivia: Honoring ethnic diversity, the country's 2009 Constitution renamed the former republic the "Plurinational State of Bolivia" as of Jan. 22, 2010; the date is now a public holiday. Another sign of diversity: 37 official languages, of which Spanish, Aymara and Quechua are the most widely spoken. www.bolivia-usa.org.


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Shop By Category
Home::Soccer::Goalkeeping::Goalkeeper Gloves
Goalkeeper Gloves
We proudly carry the complete selections of Select, Sells, Aviata, Diadora, Brine, adidas and Reusch goalkeeper gloves. With a variety of specific styles that include wet weather gloves, hard ground or turf gloves, kids goalie gloves, women's fit, and finger saver goalkeeper gloves, you can equip yourself with the best gloves for your specific needs. The grip and padding in our glove designs protect the keeper's hands while maximizing grip during games, scrimmages and drills.
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Goalkeeper Gloves


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About this mind... In truth there is nothing really wrong with it. It is intrinsically pure. Within itself it's already peaceful. That the mind is not peaceful these days is because it follows moods. The real mind doesn't have anything to it, it is simply (an aspect of) Nature. It becomes peaceful or agitated because moods deceive it. The untrained mind is stupid. Sense impressions come and trick it into happiness, suffering, gladness and sorrow, but the mind's true nature is none of those things. That gladness or sadness is not the mind, but only a mood coming to deceive us. The untrained mind gets lost and follows these things, it forgets itself. Then we think that it is we who are upset or at ease or whatever.
But really this mind of ours is already unmoving and peaceful... really peaceful! Just like a leaf which is still as long as no wind blows. If a wind comes up the leaf flutters. The fluttering is due to the wind — the "fluttering" is due to those sense impressions; the mind follows them. If it doesn't follow them, it doesn't "flutter." If we know fully the true nature of sense impressions we will be unmoved.
Our practice is simply to see the Original Mind. So we must train the mind to know those sense impressions, and not get lost in them. To make it peaceful. Just this is the aim of all this difficult practice we put ourselves through.
Traditionally the Eightfold Path is taught with eight steps such as Right Understanding, Right Speech, Right Concentration, and so forth. But the true Eightfold Path is within us-two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, a tongue, and a body. These eight doors are our entire Path and the mind is the one that walks on the Path. Know these doors, examine them, and all the dhammas will be revealed.
The heart of the path is so simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are. That is all I do in my own practice.
Do not try to become anything. Do no make yourself into anything. Do not be a meditator. Do not become enlightened. When you sit, let it be. When you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing.
Of course, there are dozens of meditation techniques to develop samadhi and many kinds of vipassana. But it all comes back to this-just let it all be. Step over here where it is cool, out of the battle.
Why not give it a try? Do you dare? - Achaan Chah
bodom wrote:Of course, there are dozens of meditation techniques to develop samadhi and many kinds of vipassana. But it all comes back to this-just let it all be. Step over here where it is cool, out of the battle.
Why not give it a try? Do you dare? - Achaan Chah
From that time on, Ajahn Sumedho began to emphasize the same
principle: "Stop meditating." Particularly at the beginning of the retreat,
he would talk repeatedly about being enlightened, rather than becoming
enlightened. "It is not about doing something now to become enlightened in the future.This is totally wrong. This kind of thinking is bound
up with self and time. Be awake now; be enlightened to the present moment."
bodom wrote:But the true Eightfold Path is within us-two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, a tongue, and a body. These eight doors are our entire Path and the mind is the one that walks on the Path. Know these doors, examine them, and all the dhammas will be revealed.
The heart of the path is so simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are. That is all I do in my own practice.
Do not try to become anything. Do no make yourself into anything. Do not be a meditator. Do not become enlightened. When you sit, let it be. When you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing.
The Buddha's teaching can only enable us to get an initial understanding of the Dhamma, but the Dhamma is not yet within our hearts. Why not? Because we haven't yet practiced, we haven't yet taught ourselves. The Dhamma arises at the practice. If you know it, you know it through the practice. If you doubt it, you doubt it at the practice. Teachings from the Masters may be true, but simply listening to Dhamma is not yet enough to enable us to realize it. The teaching simply points out the way to realize. To realize the Dhamma we must take that teaching and bring it into our hearts. That part which is for the body we apply to the body, that part which is for the speech we apply to the speech, and that part which is for the mind we apply to the mind. This means that after hearing the teaching we must further teach ourselves to know that Dhamma, to be that Dhamma.
Before we can give up defilements we must change our perspective. We must begin to practice rightly and practice well. Previously we didn't practice rightly or well, and yet we thought we were right and good just the same. When we really look into the matter we upright ourselves, just like turning over one's hand. This means that the ''one who knows,'' or wisdom, arises in the mind, so that it is able to see things anew. A new kind of awareness arises.
Therefore cultivators must practice to develop this knowing, which we call Buddho, the one who knows, in their minds. Originally the one who knows is not there, our knowledge is not clear, true or complete. This knowledge is therefore too weak to train the mind. But then the mind changes, or inverts, as a result of this awareness, called wisdom or insight, which exceeds our previous awareness. That previous ''one who knows'' did not yet know fully and so was unable to bring us to our objective.
When the Buddha really looked into the matter he saw that practice is not a concern of the body, it is a concern of the mind. Attakilamathānuyogo (self-mortification) - the Buddha had tried it and found that it was limited to the body. In fact, all Buddhas are enlightened in mind. Whether in regard to the body or to the mind, just throw them all together as transient, imperfect and ownerless - aniccam, dukkham and anattā. They are simply conditions of nature. They arise depending on supporting factors, exist for a while and then cease. When there are appropriate conditions they arise again; having arisen they exist for a while, then cease once more. These things are not a ''self,'' a ''being,'' an ''us'' or a ''them.'' There's nobody there, simply feelings. Happiness has no intrinsic self, suffering has no intrinsic self. No self can be found, there are simply elements of nature which arise, exist and cease. They go through this constant cycle of change.
All beings, including humans, tend to see the arising as themselves, the existence as themselves, and the cessation as themselves. Thus they cling to everything. They don't want things to be the way they are, they don't want them to be otherwise. For instance, having arisen they don't want things to cease; having experienced happiness, they don't want suffering. If suffering does arise they want it to go away as quickly as possible, but even better if it doesn't arise at all. This is because they see this body and mind as themselves, or belonging to themselves, and so they demand those things to follow their wishes.
This sort of thinking is like building a dam or a dike without making an outlet to let the water through. The result is that the dam bursts. And so it is with this kind of thinking. The Buddha saw that thinking in this way is the cause of suffering. Seeing this cause, the Buddha gave it up. This is the Noble Truth of the cause of suffering. The truths of suffering, its cause, its cessation and the way leading to that cessation... people are stuck right here. If people are to overcome their doubts it's right at this point. Seeing that these things are simply rūpa and nāma, or corporeality and mentality, it becomes obvious that they are not a being, a person, an ''us,'' or a ''them.'' They simply follow the laws of nature.
Our practice is to know things in this way. We don't have the power to really control these things, we aren't really their owners. Trying to control them causes suffering, because they aren't really ours to control. Neither body nor mind are self or others. If we know this as it really is then we see clearly. We see the truth, we are at one with it. It's like seeing a lump of red hot iron which has been heated in a furnace. It's hot all over. Whether we touch it on top, the bottom or the sides it's hot. No matter where we touch it, it's hot. This is how you should see things.
Mostly when we start to practice we want to attain, to achieve, to know and to see, but we don't yet know what it is we're going to achieve or know. There was once a disciple of mine whose practice was plagued with confusion and doubts. But he kept practicing, and I kept instructing him, till he began to find some peace. But when he eventually became a bit calm he got caught up in his doubts again, saying, ''What do I do next?'' There! The confusion arises again. He says he wants peace but when he gets it, he doesn't want it, he asks what he should do next!
So in this practice we must do everything with detachment. How are we to detach? We detach by seeing things clearly. Know the characteristics of the body and mind as they are. We meditate in order to find peace, but in doing so we see that which is not peaceful. This is because movement is the nature of the mind.
Aloka wrote:Hi Bodom,
Would it be possible to give links or references to the source of your quotes, please?
With kind wishes,
christopher::: wrote: So basically anything that relates to his life would be on topic here, with the online talks providing a central anchor for our discussion.
"With even a little intuitive wisdom, we will then be able to see clearly through the ways of the world. We will come to understand that everything in the world is a teacher. Trees and vines, for example, can all reveal the true nature of reality. With wisdom there is no need to question anyone, no need to study. We can learn from nature enough to be enlightened, as in the story of King Mahajanaka, because everything follows the way of truth. It does not diverge from truth.
Associated with wisdom are self-composure and restraint which, in turn, can lead to further insight into the ways of nature. In this way, we will come to know the ultimate truth of everything being ''anicca-dukkha-anattā''. Take trees, for example; all trees upon the earth are equal, are One, when seen through the reality of ''anicca-dukkha-anattā''. First, they come into being, then grow and mature, constantly changing, until they finally die as every tree must.
In the same way, people and animals are born, grow and change during their life-times until they eventually die. The multitudinous changes which occur during this transition from birth to death show the Way of Dhamma. That is to say, all things are impermanent, having decay and dissolution as their natural condition.
If we have awareness and understanding, if we study with wisdom and mindfulness, we will see Dhamma as reality. Thus, we sill see people as constantly being born, changing and finally passing away. Everyone is subject to the cycle of birth and death, and because of this, everyone in the universe is as One being. Thus, seeing one person clearly and distinctly is the same as seeing every person in the world.
In the same way, everything is Dhamma. Not only the things we see with our physical eye, but also the things we see in our minds. A thought arises, then changes and passes away. It is ''nāma dhamma'', simply a mental impression that arises and passes away. This is the real nature of the mind. Altogether, this is the noble truth of Dhamma. If one doesn't look and observe in this way, one doesn't really see! If one does see, one will have the wisdom to listen to the Dhamma as proclaimed by the Buddha.
Where is the Buddha?
The Buddha is in the Dhamma.
Where is the Dhamma?
The Dhamma is in the Buddha.
Right here, now!
Where is the Sangha?
The Sangha is in the Dhamma.
The Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha exist in our minds, but we have to see it clearly. Some people just pick this up casually saying, ''Oh! The Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha exist in my mind''. Yet their own practice is not suitable or appropriate. It is thus not befitting that the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha should be found in their minds, namely, because the ''mind'' must first be that mind which knows the Dhamma.
Bringing everything back to this point of Dhamma, we will come to know that, in the world, truth does exist, and thus it is possible for us to practice to realize it. For instance, ''nāma dhamma'', feelings, thoughts, imagination, etc., are all uncertain. When anger arises, it grows and changes and finally disappears. Happiness, too, arises, grows and changes and finally disappears. They are empty. They are not any ''thing''. This is always the way of all things, both mentally and materially. Internally, there are this body and mind. Externally, there are trees, vines and all manner of things which display this universal law of uncertainty.
Whether a tree, a mountain or an animal, it's all Dhamma, everything is Dhamma. Where is this Dhamma? Speaking simply, that which is not Dhamma doesn't exist. Dhamma is nature. This is called the ''Sacca Dhamma'', the True Dhamma. If one sees nature, one sees Dhamma; if one sees Dhamma, one sees nature. Seeing nature, one know the Dhamma.
And so, what is the use of a lot of study when the ultimate reality of life, in its every moment, in its every act, is just an endless cycle of births and deaths? If we are mindful and clearly aware when in all postures (sitting, standing, walking, lying), then self-knowledge is ready to be born; that is, knowing the truth of Dhamma already in existence right here and now.
At present, the Buddha, the real Buddha, is still living, for He is the Dhamma itself, the ''Sacca Dhamma''. And ''Sacca Dhamma'', that which enables one to become Buddha, still exists. It hasn't fled anywhere! It gives rise to two Buddhas: one in body and the other in mind.
''The real Dhamma'', the Buddha told Ananda, ''can only be realized through practice''. Whoever sees the Buddha, sees the Dhamma. And how is this? Previously, no Buddha existed; it was only when Siddhattha Gotama realized the Dhamma that he became the Buddha. If we explain it in this way, then He is the same as us. If we realize the Dhamma, then we will likewise be the Buddha. This is called the Buddha in mind or ''Nāma Dhamma''.
We must be mindful of everything we do, for we become the inheritors of our own good or evil actions. In doing good, we reap good. In doing evil, we reap evil. All you have to do is look into your everyday lives to know that this is so. Siddhattha Gotama was enlightened to the realization of this truth, and this gave rise to the appearance of a Buddha in the world. Likewise, if each and every person practices to attain to this truth, then they, too, will change to be Buddha."
~Ajahn Chah
Dhamma Nature
christopher::: wrote:Excerpt from another excellent dhamma talk by Ajahn Chah, both insightful and challenging, imo..."With even a little intuitive wisdom, we will then be able to see clearly through the ways of the world. We will come to understand that everything in the world is a teacher. Trees and vines, for example, can all reveal the true nature of reality. With wisdom there is no need to question anyone, no need to study. We can learn from nature enough to be enlightened, as in the story of King Mahajanaka, because everything follows the way of truth. It does not diverge from truth.
mikenz66 wrote:I agree,
I've been reading "The Island" by Ajahns Passano and Amaro, and they throw in a few long passages from Ajahn Chah from which it is clear that he had plenty of book knowledge of the Pali terminology. He just didn't always express it that way...
christopher::: wrote:On the other hand, if we observe the Natural world carefully i think one can get a glimpse of what Ajahn Chah was talking about.
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Twitter is a service that fits somewhere between email, instant messengering and micro blogging. If your a musician or record label you can use Twitter as a promotion tool. Twitter has RSS feeds and badges so each of your posts can instantly be placed across the internet at several locations at once. Twitter is also a type of social network and you can follow friends or companies your interested in. You do so in a public time line made up of a everyone you are following. It's a fun and addictive experience. Let's take a closer look.
I created a Twitter profile for my music studio. I use this profile to promote whatever is going on in the studio, new releases and even important wire to the ear blog posts I made. Posts are limited to 140 characters of text which I think is brilliant because you are really forced into stating simple moments and facts. I input entries vie my Twitter page online but you can also post Twitter entries by using software on your Mac or PC, IM clients or mobile devices like cell phones, etc…You can see my Twitter page here:
But you do not have to go to my Twitter site to see the updates. Take a look at all the locations those posts travel to:
On this blog Wire to the Ear look on the far right column:
"Things to Come Records Studio Updates".
At the Things to Come Records homepage in two locations…
First on the homepage under the "In The Studio" section:
And at the bottom of the studio page:
On my MySpace page on the left hand column there is a grey badge titled "What am I doing?":
At the official website for The Horrorist on the bottom of the studio page:
On my Facebook profile on a turqiouse box in the left hand column titled "Twitter":
As you can see your Twitter posts can take on any look. You can use the official Twitter badges or style your own using CSS. You can also choose how many recent updates should be listed.
The video above is a really great way to grasp everything Twitter is about. Highly recommended.


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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sik) says a decision by Moody's to upgrade Ohio's credit rating, marks the first time in nearly five years that all three major rating agencies have deemed the state "stable."
Kasich announced the Moody's upgrade from negative to stable on Friday. Standard & Poor's similarly improved the state's credit outlook in July.
The state has held Fitch's second-highest AA+ credit rating since at least April 2010.
Kasich said it is the first time since February 2007 that Ohio has had three stable ratings.
The Republican governor said it a statement that he's pleased that "efforts to make Ohio's economy stronger are getting noticed."


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Today we have a great tutorial by Dilnaz Heckman. I know we crafters are always looking for a great way to extend our supplies or create some inexpensive embellishments. Dilnaz shows us a great way to create some glitter embellishments without the mess of traditional glitter.
• • • • •
Here's something I discovered quite by accident. I love glitter embellishments but dislike working with powdered glitter. It is just so messy and gets everywhere. Buying glitter stickers and embellishments can be so expensive. So here's an easy way to create fabulous glitter embellishments cheap!
All you need:
- glitter glue
- cardstock
- any kind of shape punch
Step 1: Simply squeeze glitter glue in random squigglies on a piece of cardstock. Mix colors if you like.
Step 2: Fold the cardstock and squish the glue to form random patterns. Let dry.
Step 3: Once completely dry, punch out shapes like flowers, stars, butterflies, even circles and use as you like. Simple!
• • • • •
Thank you Dilnaz for your tutorial! I love finding new ways to use up product that I already have.
If you have a great idea for a How To'sday tutorial, be sure to send your photos and directions to email@example.com.
Check in tomorrow for Mid Week Mojo, Topaz #3, brought to us by an amazing guest sketcher. You will not want to miss it!


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This article, entitled "The Disadvantage of White Bread," comes from Taryn Vanderford, MomsEveryday correspondent from Lincoln, NE.
Is white bread a staple at your dinner table? If so, it may be leading excess pounds for the whole family.
According to a new study, when white bread is a diet staple, you may be more likely to become overweight or obese than if you choose whole grain bread.
Participants in the study who ate white and whole grain breads were not at an increased risk for weight gain, but those who only reached for white bread and had two or more portions per day were 40% more likely to become overweight or obese than those who ate less than one portion of white bread per week.
Whole grain bread is considered healthier than white because of its complex carbohydrates, protein, additional nutrients and fiber.


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ALEXANDRI, Va. — In a letter penned Thursday by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores to Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, the association stated that while it shares the goal of reducing prescription drug costs, authorizing the reimportation of prescription medications — as sought in S.319, the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2011 — raises concerns about patient health and safety.
The bill seeks to authorize the reimportation of prescription medications and permits the implementation of a track-and-trace system for prescription drugs. The letter expressed pharmacy's commitment to improving patient health and lowering costs in a manner that protects patient health and safety, maintains a safe and secure drug distribution system and supply chain, and fosters communication between patients and pharmacists.
In addition to expressing concerns about patient health and safety, NACDS also highlighted issues surrounding the development of prescription drug track-and-trace system. "It is important to consider the complexities, technical and feasibility issues, and formidable costs for all drug supply chain stakeholders if such [track-and-trace] systems were mandated. These systems have not undergone pilot programs to test their reliability, scalability and address implementation and operational concerns," the letter read.
While expressing concerns with the legislation, NACDS emphasized common ground: the shared goal of improving patient health and reducing costs.
NACDS encouraged Congress to enact legislation that would advance pharmacist-provided medication therapy management services and increase generic utilization. "Instead of pursuing importation as a way to reduce drug expenditures, we urge the consideration of policies to support cost-saving alternatives, such as greater adoption of medication therapy management and increased generic utilization," the letter read.
Two such bills that seek to encourage greater adoption of pharmacist-provided MTM services are S. 274 and H.R. 891, which would expand MTM services to more Medicare beneficiaries.


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(UPDATED COVERAGE, June 1) Despite dozens of pending wrongful death and injury lawsuits and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Jensen Farms plans to grow cantaloupes again.
Jensen Farms bankruptcy attorney Jim Markus, of Markus Williams Young & Zimmermann LLC, Denver, said the owners of Jensen Farms, Holly, Colo., hope to farm again, though they have not planted crops this year. Owner Eric Jensen was not available for comment and the Jensen Farms phone line has been disconnected.
Resolving the Chapter 11 bankruptcy is expected to clear the way for more than 50 claims against Jensen Farms and the 2011 listeria outbreak linked to the its cantaloupes.
That will be the first step in a process to establish a trust fund for the victims that Frontera Produce and PrimusLabs may elect to contribute to, said attorney Bill Marler of the Seattle law firm Marler Clark LLP.
In papers filed May 25, Jensen Farms estimates it has 50 to 99 creditors. The document showed estimated assets between $1 million and $10 million, and estimated liabilities between $10 million and $50 million dollars.
More than 30 deaths have been attributed to the outbreak, which the Food and Drug Administration said was likely spread by inadequate food safety procedures at the Jensen Farms packing facility.
Edinburg, Texas-based Frontera Produce, marketer of the cantaloupes, is named as a defendant in some of the lawsuits, as is Primuslabs.
"Settlement discussions are ongoing so details are not available, except to say that we are exploring various resolution options," Will Steele, president and chief executive officer of the company, said in a statement.
Bob Stovicek, president of PrimusLabs.com, Santa Maria, could not be reached for comment about the claims settlement process.
Markus said the Chapter 11 filing should free up millions of dollars in insurance and other funds to pay victims of the outbreak.
Travelers Insurance is putting up $2.5 million for the claims resolution process, he said. Pepper Equipment, maker of washing equipment used at Jensen Farms, and BioFood Safety Inc., a third-party food safety auditor subcontracted by Primus Labs, are contributing a total of about $2 million.
Marler said lawyers for the plaintiffs have also been talking with Primus and Frontera to join in this process with Pepper Equipment, BioFood Safety and Jensen.
Markus said the bankruptcy filing has been done with the support of the attorneys for the plaintiffs. There are more than 50 known claims against Jensen Farms, he said.
Court records show the current partners of Jensen Farms as ESJ Inc., of Holly and Biologik, also of Holly. Eric Jensen is president of ESJ Inc.
Marler said there are 45 claims by victims of the outbreak against Jensen, with 39 claims represented by Marler Clark and six represented by other lawyers.
"The unfortunate thing — less so for the victims but more so for the rest of the chain of distribution — is the fact that Jensen Farms had such low insurance limits," Marler said.
With $2 million and modest assets otherwise, the commercial liability and the personal injury liability drove them towards the bankruptcy filing.
Marler said it may take upwards of $75 million or more to satisfy existing claims from victims of the outbreak.
He said $50 million was spent to resolve 100 claims tied to the 2006 E. Coli outbreak in spinach that saw only five deaths.
Marler said in the best case scenario, all the claims might be resolved by October. The worst case scenario is that the only money put in the trust fund is the $4.5 million from Jensen Farms, BioFood Safety and Pepper Equipment. After that, Marler said litigation amongst Frontera, Primus and retailers is likely to be taken up again with 45 cases in a dozen or more states.


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Lopez's confidence unmoved by shaky debut
MILWAUKEE -- The first appearance for right-handed reliever Wilton Lopez, the Rockies' primary right-handed setup man, didn't go well at all. The second wasn't as bad, but it wasn't long, either.
Lopez gave up three runs on four hits in the eighth inning of Monday's 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Brewers, and was slapped with a blown save. Partly due to matchup purposes and partly because he was so taxed Monday, Lopez faced just two batters (allowing one hit) in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 8-4 victory.
It's not a dream introduction for Lopez, 29, acquired in an offseason trade with the Astros. But he insisted his confidence hasn't taken a hit. He has the two lowest walks-per-inning-pitched seasons in Astros' history, and for all that has gone wrong, walks aren't the problem. He also comes with a reputation for forcing ground balls, and two of the three hits that came before Aramis Ramirez's game-winning double on Monday didn't leave the infield.
"I've been throwing the sinker, and it's good," Lopez said. "I feel good, and I'm ready to go tonight [Wednesday] if they need me. I'm ready to go every day."
Lopez said in retrospect, he should have thrown Ramirez a sinker rather than a changeup when Ramirez launched the game-turning double.
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Hardball in the Rockies, and follow him on Twitter @harding_at_mlb. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: Just picked up a pair of these for the upcoming season. Cost me a whole $49. They might be the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever purchased. They are not water proof...but I have a second pair for that. I bought these for the majority of tournies where I don't need the GTX. These things have some serious tread on the bottom. Interested to see how they hold up. They are trail shoes, so hoping they do ok.


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Absurdly tall wigs held aloft by stage wires. A talking sheep. An 18th-century queen who speaks like a modern-day valley girl. Acclaimed playwright David Adjmi's "Marie Antoinette" is no typical look at the guillotined French royal.
The modern sensibility and rich themes of Adjmi's brisk and lively script, the larger-than-life mise-en-scène and the play's farcical and absurdist elements could create an inventive and moving production. As directed by Rebecca Taichman in this co-production between Yale Repertory Theatre and the American Repertory Theater, the production achieves many powerful moments, though it has a little ways to go to reach its full potential.
The play, which moves from Marie's pampered days at Versailles to her final ones in prison in 1793, is a challenge to perform. It is a tragicomedy with elements of farce, a reality-show romp that descends into darkness. It is a testament to everyone involved that, for the most part, the production succeeds at both. In portraying Marie as a clueless teenage celebutante (the real-life Marie was poorly educated and only 14 when she married the French king), Marin Ireland demonstrates endless energy and the skill to portray both vapidity and raw, affecting emotion. As Marie's husband, King Louis XVI, Steven Rattazzi pulls off a moving transformation from dithering to dignified. The superb design team has created striking images and effects—including a magnificent display of glittering palace excess and, by contrast, a very effective use of stage dirt—that establish place and character, advance plot and underscore themes like artifice, consumption and excess.
The big elements of the production work well. Where the production is less successful is in the more subtle details. Overlapping dialogue is sometimes hard to understand. Marie's lover's feelings for her, and his function at the end of the play, are a bit uncertain. That talking sheep (David Greenspan), an intriguing and challenging piece of theater, feels like it is still in development. Most importantly, several moments lose their full impact due to Ireland's loose-limbed physicality and, more frequently, her valley-girl inflections. Reining it in at key moments could allow for a stronger emotional connection with the audience.
The rich themes of Adjmi's script shine forth regardless. Ideas about authenticity and artifice, the perils of over-consumption, and nature versus society—themes Adjmi has explored in previous works—are touched on in clever and thought-provoking ways. The theme of consumption, for example, is deftly revealed through the numerous instances of and references to eating in the play, both frivolous and fearsome. Adjmi shrewdly shows how a super-consumer like Marie Antoinette, far from spontaneously bursting into existence, was partly created and supported by the society and culture at large—who therefore bear part of her guilt.
"I wasn't raised I was built: I was built to be this thing," Marie says, "and now they're killing me for it."
When society turns against Marie, it becomes a more frightening "consumer" than she. "They threatened to roast me on a spit," says Marie of the mob she encounters. "They want to EAT me."
There are obvious parallels here to 21st-century consumer society and its role in our economic crisis, as well as today's voracious, often vicious celebrity culture. The play is surprisingly timely given that it was written in 2006. Adjmi has said he had George W. Bush on the brain while writing, but there are clearer connections to the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The play also touches on topics relevant to 18th-century politics and philosophy, such as the nature of power, religion versus reason and, as mentioned, nature versus society. The latter is one of the more spiritually interesting themes of the play. In Act Two, Sheep tells Marie about Rousseau's belief that people are inherently good but corrupted by society. The play explores two sides of this. On one hand, we see how a persona like Marie Antoinette's was the work of many hands, and in vulnerable moments we see glimpses of the woman she might have been but for "society." On the other hand, in the ironies of the Terror—an exercise of evil in the name of virtue—we see the danger in underestimating humanity's inherent dark side.
"Marie Antoinette, c'est moi," Adjmi has said. He was referring to his personal connection with the character, but his statement also suggests something spiritually profound about our celebrity culture. While most of us will never live the life of a celebrity like Marie Antoinette, the lives of the privileged can nonetheless serve as mirrors to humanity as a whole. When it comes to celebrities, we are simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by their larger-than-life oscillations between success and failure, virtue and sin, happiness and despair that play out each week in the tabloids. With the extremity of their highs and lows, and the often archetypal roles they are cast in by the media, celebrities—like the gods in Greek myths or the figures in fairy tales—function as an excellent mirror to the best and worst in society and in the human soul. In the celebrity mirror we get, magnified in all its beauty and ugliness, a good look at ourselves. And the sight, even when it is as terrible as a car wreck, is hard to look away from.
What we learn from this celebrity mirror is manifold. None of us is perfect. Human heroes can always let us down. Both angel and devil are within us. And, most strikingly, that where there is a fall there is room for redemption. And that sometimes we need to lose everything—even our life—to gain it. In "Marie Antoinette" it is ironically when Marie is stripped of her title and her freedom, her husband and her son, that she most truly begins to realize what it means to be a woman and a wife, a mother and a queen. It is as she moves closer to physical death that she comes closest to claiming her own life. It is a development that moves not only Marie, but the audience as well. As any sinner—or down-on-his-luck celebrity—can tell you, there's nothing more inspiring than a comeback.
Photos © T. Charles Erickson, 2012.
View clips from 'Marie Antoinette' and interviews with cast and crew.


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Ajaeng V-neck T-shirt s are an Idakoos specialtiy! Idakoos has many things to offer. Whether you want to get a Ajaeng V-neck Tee for a special occasion, give a Ajaeng T-Shirt as a present or need to represent with a funny Ajaeng V-neck Tee during Holidays or Family and Friends get-togethers, Idakoos is sure to have the right Ajaeng V-neck T-shirt for you! Even if it turns out you can't find the right Ajaeng V-neck Shirt with the perfect design for your mother, father or children; Idakoos offers all of its men's women's and children's Ajaeng V-neck T-shirt s as Custom Ajaeng T-Shirts. Personalize any Ajaeng V-neck T-shirt the way you want to ensure the perfect gift.
Showing 1 - 24 of 93 V-Neck T-Shirt


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Motorcycle Saddlebags
Motorcycle Saddlebags are crafted from fine leathers and other durable materials and come in all price ranges. At Jafrum, we're sure that you can find that high-quality bag you've been searching for.
The type of bags you will need will depend upon several different factors. For example, if you own a cruiser, you're going to require a different bag than if you own a sport-type bike. You'll also need to decide on whether you want a bag that will attach to your bike or one that you can throw on and off, as needed. Or you can choose a versatile bag that can be used either way.
As for materials, consider what would work best for your needs. Would a durable synthetic leather bag that you can wipe down with a wet cloth after a long ride suit your needs, or do you just prefer the look, feel and smell of genuine leather? You will also need to decide whether you want a soft bag or a rigid one. There really is no right or wrong answer to these questions. It's just a matter of preference.
The motorcycle saddlebags collection from Jafrum consists of top of the line, quality bags. We are able to offer the best prices around because we get these saddlebags directly from the manufacturer! We also have bags that will fit a variety of motorcycles including Harley, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha. In addition, Jafrum carries a variety of styles, from handsome plain bags to stylish two-tone packs. When ordering your bags, please check the measurements given in inches to ensure the correct fit on your bike.
If this is your first time ordering saddlebags online or you have questions about the type you should order, check out Jafrum's YouTube channel, where you can find a number of informative videos as well as product reviews. At Jafrum, we pride ourselves on offering our customers the best saddlebags for the money, whether you are searching for a version to carry your belongings back and forth to work or one that will carry a lot of gear for an epic cross-country journey.
Adding Saddlebags - Click here for the Guide
Motorcycle Luggage Buying Guide - Click here for the Guide


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Alan Becker
Animator vs Animation Part 1
The 1st part in the epic trilogy created by Alan Becker where a creation has turned against it's creato ...
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Insane daredevil threads the needle between two high rises.
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VideoBash is your first and final stop for free funny videos, games and pictures guaranteed to brighten up your day. The funniest jokes and the most unbelievable pranks caught on tape have been collected in one spot for your viewing pleasure. This is entertainment at its best and no one does it better than VideoBash. These funny clips crackle with humor and they will definitely have you laughing till your sides hurt. Quality is our number one priority and the free funny vids here are the best of the best. There are no mediocre videos here. All the videos, jokes, pranks on VideoBash are the cream of the crop and you'll be hooked from the get go. The best part is you don't have to keep all this good stuff to yourself, you can share all the free entertainment videos with your friends.


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CORONATION Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh has thanked soap fans and campaigners after a cancer petition reached 20,000 signatures.
The Accrington-born actress has been a keynote supporter of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund's appeal to generate more awareness of the condition.
Tonight, the famous ITV soap is set to screen the final scenes for Julie's much-loved character, Hayley Cropper, who has opted to end her own life while suffering from the illness.
Julie has met Maggie Watts, the Scunthorpe secretary behind the petition, who lost her husband Kevin to the condition in 2009.
And as her storyline and soap career draws to a close, Julie told her 71,379 Twitter followers that her 'big hope' was that the petition would reach 20,000 names.
If the awareness drive goes on to generate backing from 100,000 people then that will force the issue to be debated in the House of Commons.
Supporters of the cause say that while the condition is the fifth leading cause of UK death cancer deaths, only around one per cent of research funding is concentrated on tackling it.
Survival rates are said to have barely improved over the past 40 years.
The same cancer this week resulted in the death of actor Roger Lloyd Pack, alias Trigger in Only Fools and Horses.


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Dear friend,
Through its PhD program Dallas Theological Seminary seeks to provide a high caliber of academic training for qualified men and women. This program is intended for students capable of pursuing advanced studies in biblical and theological research with a view toward becoming productive scholars and Christian leaders. The doctoral program at DTS has a long and venerable history, having been established in 1927.
Over the years many of our PhD graduates have made outstanding contributions to theological education as scholars, teachers, authors, administrators, pastors, and missionaries. We are proud of the accomplishments of these alumni who have rendered exemplary service around the world for the cause of Christian higher education.
The PhD handbook sets forth the guidelines and regulations that currently govern PhD studies at DTS. Whether you are a current PhD student or a prospective student, I hope that you will find this information to be a useful summary of the structure, requirements, and features of our doctoral program. All current PhD students should become as familiar as possible with this information, for they are responsible for following these guidelines throughout the course of their doctoral studies. All prospective students will find information here that will be helpful as they seek to learn more about PhD studies at DTS.
I invite those of you who are contemplating advanced research in biblical and theological studies to consider prayerfully whether this program can assist you in your career goals. We are eager to have well-prepared and dedicated men and women join us in the scholarly pursuit of biblical and theological truth. Please let us know how we can assist you in determining whether PhD studies at DTS are right for you.
Richard A. Taylor, PhD
Director of PhD Studies


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I grew up in small town Indiana, and when I went to college in Washington, D.C. four years ago I swore to myself that I'd never go back to the land of cornfields again.
As I've lived here in D.C. longer I've been able to tolerate it less and less. Snobby, distant people, packed Metro trains, high cost of living, and the number of dangerous parts of the city have really turned me off as I've been here longer. It seems like most people are either really, really ghetto or a snobby government employee. It's sort of like a third world country, there's no middle class.
I have a longterm girlfriend here who I plan on living with after college, and I recently told her that in a year or so I want to move back to Indiana eventually. I expected sparks to fly at this suggestion, but actually she's open to the idea and said that if I wanted it, she would move there with me and not have any problem with it at all.
This is something I have thought long and hard about. In a way moving to Indianapolis is like moving somewhere entirely new for me, because while I have lived in the Indianapolis area for a large part of my life I was never able to experience it as a real adult, since I left when I was 17 and don't really come back too frequently due to work and school.
IF I can find a job I think I would really consider it. My only concern is that there are "no things to do" in Indianapolis as my girlfriend and I have enjoyed the cultural amenities here. Some people say that is not true, some people say that it is. What do you think? Have any of you moved back to Indianapolis from somewhere else, what brought you back? I admit that part of it has to do with the Colts and the Pacers, I miss my family's season tickets.
So what drove you out forever/brought you back?


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Re: University of Chicago Trial FOLFIRINOX.
Lainey, huge thanks for your support. Tell me about this moderator status? Is it because of your length of time, or the quality of your encouragement??? Either way, you are a comfort. Thanks. It is scarey; does not seem real; so much to learn. So many things you forget to ask the doctor. I appreciate that this is a place to obtain some answers, albeit layman, but obviously trustworthy.


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I like it
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I like it
would botehr me.
Eli Lilly would have been appropriate a few years ago...
I hate this. It's like the car dealerships who put their name all over your new car. You're basically paying them to advertise for them. If I get a jersey, it is to support my favorite team or player, not freaking McDonald's or Samsung.
Also, I hate soccer jerseys, and agree that it works in the WNBA because few people care that much.
I'm not perfect and neither are you.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the esteem of Elohim,
Ephisians 4: 32 And be kind towards one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as Elohim also forgave you in Messiah.
I wouldn't mind as much if the revenue from the advertising went directly to lowering ticket prices. Of course, that will never happen.
For once, it would be nice to see some of this new revenue, whether it be via uniform patches or television contracts, be used as a benefit to us, the fans.
Another pipe dream to go along with my first pipe dream...
I guess I'd be able to deal with a small logo in lieu of the Jerry West NBA logo, but I this has potential to be severely overdone.
Which leads me to wonder: what team will overdo this the most?
Ah i think itll be funny. Hopefully the bobcats are sponspored by Bob's nickel and dime store because no one else wants to.
DG for 3
Which is worse, being a fan of the Indiana Pacers sponsored by Pepsi or being a fan of the Las Vegas Pacers?
If the NBA was making money, like the NFL, I'd be a little more upset by it. But with the financial restraints that most teams have, anything that can increase revenue, without jacking up prices for the consumer is a good idea by me.
I would prefer not to have sponsorship logos on the jerseys, but it's not going to ruin the game for me.
I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, we should advertise everywhere because we can, am I right?
Last edited by 5_7_Clash; 07-20-2012 at 11:27 AM.
If your pipe dream is that courtsides should be cheaper than an iMax movie then you don't understand the economics of the situation at all. Let's assume for the moment that your max price was $50, that 1/5 of the tickets were $50 and the rest went down evenly from there to $40, $30, $20, and $10.
Let's call capacity 18,000 for ease of calculation. 3600*$50 + 3600*$40+$3600*$30+3600*$20+3600*$10 = $540,000 per game. Assume the home team keeps the whole gate (again, for ease of calculation and so we count only the home games) and that is $540,000 * 41 = $22.1M. Payroll FOR THE PLAYERS is a MINIMUM of $48.3M, meaning you have to make up AT LEAST $26M (that would be over $500,000 PER GAME) from premium suites, sponsorships, advertising, TV, and any revenue sharing just to put a team on the floor, not counting coaches and support staff salaries, training equipment, travel expenses, and so forth. This doesn't even touch building maintenance (if the pipe dream includes that the city cuts off all funding for the Fieldhouse and the Pacers), building support staff, sales and marketing staff, broadcasting teams, etc.
I can pretty much guarantee you a team playing in the Indianapolis market isn't getting $26M per season from sponsors and advertising, even if the jerseys looked like the team was called the Geico Geckos.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...
Last edited by OlBlu; 07-20-2012 at 01:46 PM.
Can Memphis finally rename themselves the Express, as they've wanted to do all along?
Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you
There's enough advertising in the NBA as it is.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...
Can't speak for anyone else, but for me advertising is less tolerable when you're already paying for a product in the first place. Authentic jerseys are well over $100 dollars now, I gotta deal with ads on them too? It's like when you pay $15 to go to an IMAX movie and then before the previews even start they show you 5 minutes of Coca Cola and car commercials. I can deal with patches on the players' jerseys I guess but it would be pretty insulting if they also put the patches on the jerseys I'm paying premium $$$ for.
I understand the NBA has to make money but for me this is not the way to do it - it's right up there with selling the naming rights to your stadium. It really cheapens your brand.
Well actually if the players have the patch on their jersey wouldn't you have to have a patch on yours to make it authentic?
You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....
I hate it too, but it was all inevitable, and I bet all major sports will have advertising on their uni's within 5-10 years, I think they were all waiting to not be the first league to impliment it. Now they can all look at the NBA and say they started it.
"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."
----------------- Reggie Miller
Other sports already do it, soccer has been doing it forever, as have auto racing sports... but those guys have their own reasons for doing it (soccer has no timeouts and thus very few TV commercials; auto racing sponsorships have a large number of auto-related brands advertising like motor oil companies etc.) Tennis and golf players wear logos but those are usually for brands that make their gear and/or clothing, plus those guys are individuals and not part of a team...
Basketball doesn't really have any of those reasons, there are tons of sponsorship and advertising opportunities already being used (the court itself often has ads on/around it for example), which to me makes the uniform thing appear a bit more crass and desperate-looking. JMHO
Who knows, if they don't get it right there is a small possibility of a backlash. Remember a few years back when they tried to introduce a new basketball and the players and fans hated how it?
EDIT: also I hate how people feel this is "inevitable." Is it inevitable that every square inch of everything that can be sold to the highest bidder will eventually have an ad stuck on it? What kind of depressing thought would that be? What does that say about our values and our culture. Just sayin.
Last edited by rabid; 07-20-2012 at 01:28 PM.
That is the thing though, this kind of stuff never makes things cheaper, it just makes the rich richer. People used to argue that it was ok to put advertisements in video games because it would make it cheaper, it has still yet to have an effect on the cost of video games. Every year the cost of putting an ad up during the Super Bowl becomes more and more expensive, but every year tickets become more and more expensive. In the end the only thing that will lower ticket prices is lower attendance.
Auto racing has it because the cars are so damn expensive. I would guess 90% of all drivers wouldn't make enough money in winnings to even be racing, and who would want to watch a 500 mile race between 6 people?
In some cases, like the Super Bowl, prices are based on scarcity. That means they aren't being priced in any relation to the costs, they are priced based on the buyer's perceived value. It would take pretty high prices before the cost of a Super Bowl ticket makes a difference in the sale of tickets - this would be an "inelastic" good, one where demand does not change significantly based on price. So, for this sort of good, your view would be correct.
In other cases, like video games, I'd venture to say that price has a much greater effect on demand - in other words, those goods are "elastic". I would bet that product placement/advertising revenue does a great deal to hold down the increase in prices in order to make sure demand is maximized. Costs still go up because inflation exists, but the base price would be more if it wasn't for the infusion of additional revenue. For this sort of good, your view is likely incorrect.
Pacer tickets fall into something of a gray area, because it is hard to tell if the lack of demand is due to ticket pricing or the perceived quality of the good provided. In any event, though, there is not a whole lot of room to reduce ticket prices further due to the cost structure and the current money losing situation of the team. For additional revenue to come anywhere close to having an effect on ticket prices, it would have to be relatively large compared to the cost of running the team. If it is not, then it is better served going toward those costs ALREADY not covered by the current ticket sales rather than being used to essentially have no increase in overall revenue by subtracting a portion from current income that - at best - would keep losses at the same level. There is no evidence to suggest at all that such revenue would simply line anyone's pockets ("make the rich richer") with no regard to the current bottom line of the team.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...


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Hall of fame inductee to be honored Feb. 15
The annual Dawson County Cattlemen's Banquet will be Monday, Feb. 15, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building in Lexington.
Cowboy poet Jack Ostergard will be the featured speaker.
Also, an honoree will be inducted into the Dawson County Cattlemen Hall of Fame at the banquet.
Tickets for the steak dinner are $25 and are available from any Dawson County Cattlemen director including: Chris and Kendra Tordrup of Farnam; Tucker Thompson of Eustis; Casey Russman and Pat Harnan of Gothenburg; Anne Burkholder, and John Schroeder of Cozad; Dr. John Lawton and Eric Ryan, both of Overton; Dan Keller of Lexington; and Bruce Treffer at the Dawson County Extension Office (308) 324-5501.


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ByGreg Bensinger
Wish, a fast-growing mobile-shopping app, raised $50 million from venture-capital investors who believe there is still room for upstarts in an industry dominated by Amazon.com, eBay and Groupon.
The funding came from new investor Founders Fund and existing investors Formation 8, GGV Capital and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, among others, and gives the San Francisco startup a valuation of roughly $400 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal comes only about two months after Wish announced it raised $19 million in funding.
Wish offers users a feed of products from various online merchants at discounted prices. As users save products to their "wishlists" or recommend them, the software learns about interests. Users can buy the goods directly through the Wish app.
Founded in 2010, the app now has 31 million active users, up from 25 million less than three months ago.
Chief Executive Peter Szulczewski said the app has grown quickly because it recreates the experience of browsing stores in a shopping mall, with software that recommends products – predominantly apparel – based on users' spending habits. That makes it more likely people will return to the app and keep spending, he said.
"On Amazon there's a great recommendation engine based on products that you're already specifically looking for – we're trying to show you products based on your entire shopping history," Szulczewski said.
He said the company charges the roughly 10,000 merchants listing goods on its app a relatively high 15% transaction fee, but that most saw an instant spike in sales. He said Wish would use the funding to help bring in new merchants and expand its 55-person staff.
Clover Ivy, a 15-year-old Grand Junction, Colo., resident, said she got hooked on the app after downloading it this month and buying bracelets for $6 each, including shipping. "This app is fun to go through when I get bored," said Ivy, who now spends about an hour a day using Wish.
Wish, like Groupon with its "Goods" unit, has more recently started storing and shipping items itself using software that predicts when and where customers will buy things, Szulczewski said, adding he is looking for additional warehouse space. That capability could help cut down on shipping times and costs as Wish expands.
The latest round of funding brings Wish's total to $80 million.


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I think I have lost touch with why have invested so much effort into establising Jhanas.
How will Jhana lead to Insight?
Kind regards,
For a meditator following the vehicle of serenity the attainment of jhana fulfills two functions: first, it produces a basis of mental purity and inner collectedness needed for undertaking the work of insight contemplation; and second, it serves as an object to be examined with insight in order to discern the three characteristics of impermanence, suffering and non-self. Jhana accomplishes the first function by providing a powerful instrument for overcoming the five hindrances. As we have seen, for wisdom to arise the mind must first be concentrated well, and to be concentrated well it must be freed from the hindrances, a task accomplished pre-eminently by the attainment of jhana. Though access concentration will keep the hindrances at bay, jhana will ensure that they are removed to a much safer distance.
In their capacity for producing concentration the jhanas are called the basis (pada) for insight, and that particular jhana a meditator enters and emerges from before commencing his practice of insight is designated his padakajjhana, the basic or foundational jhana. Insight cannot be practiced while absorbed in jhana, since insight meditation requires investigation and observation, which are impossible when the mind is immersed in one-pointed absorption. But after emerging from the jhana the mind is cleared of the hindrances, and the stillness and clarity that then result conduce to precise, penetrating insight.
Some commentators have suggested that, in practice, this fivefold perspective can be gained simply by focusing on the arising and passing away of these aggregates in the present moment; if one's focus is relentless enough, it will lead naturally to a knowledge of drawbacks, allure, and escape, sufficient for total release. The texts, however, don't support this reading, and practical experience would seem to back them up.
vipassana needs to be teamed with samatha — the ability to settle the mind comfortably in the present — so as to master the attainment of strong states of absorption, or jhana. Based on this mastery, samatha and vipassana are then applied to a skillful program of questioning, called appropriate attention, directed at all experience: exploring events not in terms of me/not me, or being/not being, but in terms of the four noble truths. The meditator pursues this program until it leads to a fivefold understanding of all events: in terms of their arising, their passing away, their drawbacks, their allure, and the escape from them. Only then can the mind taste release.
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Fort Hays State University > About FHSU > Academic Divisions > Office of Strategic Partnerships > Overview
It's midnight in Kansas and at least those students residing in Kansas may be turning in for the night, but on the other side of the world, students from other universities, businesses and military bases may be logging on for afternoon classes. Because Fort Hays State University is open around the clock, 24 X 7, as well as around the globe, students in different time zones and different cultures study together.
The Office of Strategic Partnerships was established in 2004 to facilitate educational partnerships to make this type of study possible. These global strategic partnerships have become increasingly important in defining FHSU's mission as a "regional university with a global outlook" and its brand of "forward thinking, world ready." Such partnerships and outreach programs must be of mutual benefit to both institutions or organizations and must follow proper procedures to insure quality of academic program activities, while also protecting the integrity of the university and its academic reputation.


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A recently published report sheds light on the effects of a whey protein-based, low carbohydrate meal replacement consumed by overweight men and women during 8 weeks of resistance exercise and endurance training (3 days per week).
The meal replacement, which was taken once daily, contained 220 kcal, 35g of protein, 6g of carbohydrates and 6g of fat.
After 8 weeks, subjects experienced fat loss of just under 4 pounds and an increase in lean body mass by about 1.5 pounds. Measures of strength also increased significantly.
Thus, a low carbohydrate whey-based meal replacement was effective at promoting improvements in body composition in response to resistance training.


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Premiering June 7 on Disney XD...
Premiering June 7, 2012 is Tron: Uprising, Disney XD's new 10-part animated series. Set between Tron and Tron: Legacy, Tron: Uprising stars Beck (voiced by Elijah Wood) as a young program trained by Tron - the greatest warrior the Grid. Check out the first full episode - "Beck's Beginning" - below.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjbwVzJR8w4&feature=youtube"]TRON: Uprising[/ame]
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, RedfordFilms.com, Toynk.com, PastGenerationToys.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.


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Those looking to improve their love life may find an unlikely ally in the dairy aisle – yogurt.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers Eric Alm and Susan Erdman were interested in discovering why yogurt helps fight age-related weight gain. By studying the link between probiotics in yogurt and obesity in mice, the duo also found that it not only made the mice slimmer; it also made them sexier.
ABC News reports that the researchers tested their theory connecting probiotics to weight-loss by feeding one group of mice a normal mouse diet. They also fed a second group the same diet with mouse-sized servings of vanilla yogurt.
The yogurt-fed mice did lose more weight than their yogurt-deprived friends. However, researchers also noticed other benefits.
"One of the first things we noticed was their fur coat," Erdman told ABC News. "It was so thick and shiny; shockingly shiny."
Researchers also noticed that the males developed a "swagger."
"There were legitimate physiological differences in males fed probiotics, not just the extra sexiness," Erdman said. The yogurt-eating males mated faster and produced more offspring.
The study is still ongoing, and the final results could bring new insight to human fertility, weight control and hair health.
While the connection between yogurt and sexiness may be new, the connection between dairy and healthier lifestyles isn't. Dairy has been found to prevent strokes, cut the risk of diabetes and lighten the body mass for both adults and children.


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NEW YORK - The Deloitte Spending Index, comprising four components -- tax burden, initial unemployment claims, real wages and real home prices -- fell to 4.29%, from an upwardly revised gain of 4.71% a month ago. According to Deloitte the decline was primarily due to sustained weakness in the housing market despite incremental gains in other areas.
"Real consumer spending has accelerated in recent months, and consumers presently retain their spending potential following a period of increased savings, debt reduction and a rise in personal income in the U.S.," said Carl Steidtmann, Deloitte's chief economist and author of the monthly Index. "While this momentum may continue, it could peak in the months ahead given the continued drag on the Index from the housing market that is offsetting an uptick in real wages."


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" The Alton Towers Waterpark is a heated oasis of fun for all the family, and is available to everyone. This Caribbean lagoon is open all year round. "
During our stay at Alton Towers we also purchased the Waterpark tickets, although we were not sure if we would use them. However I am glad we did as we had a brilliant time. There was 3 of us all together all aged in our mid 20's and we had a fantastic time. The pool area is extremely big and a lot of variety for all ages. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was extremely packed, which did start to cause a problem when we wanted to go on the flumes as we had to queue for rubber rings for around 20 minutes and then queue again to get on the flumes. Obviously if it was less packed this would have worked well but with all the rubber rings in use we only got to go on each flume once. They were definitely worth the wait though. The best Flume has to be the Master Blaster water Coaster, which takes you all the way round the park high up above everything else. There was also an outside area, which was also very good, with various flumes taking you down to the bottom of the pool. We went at the end of September so it was pretty cold outside but the water was kept at a warm temperature so the cold was not an issue. There is also a children's water play area, which looked great fun for the younger kids.
The only thing I would say is they should open the pool later. It currently stays open one hour after the park closes which by the time you have got from the park back to the hotel is too late to then go for a swim. This would be good to keep it open longer as there is nothing else to do in the hotel once the park has closed and would mean you do not have to miss out on park time to go to the water park.
There are plenty of lockers and changing rooms as well as a large shower area and heat booths (which you have to pay for). The lockers are also £2, but you get £1 back after use.
The cost of the Water park is £16.50 each, although we got it slightly cheaper as we were staying the hotel, but I feel it is definitely worth the cost, it's a great Waterpark.
Overall I think this waterpark is great fun and a must do for everyone. Although beware the food is quite expensive in here so maybe wait until after swimming to grab something to eat.
Carriba Creek is Alton Towers' indoor, heated water park. It's located under the Splash Landings / Alton Towers Hotel complex and can be accessed from both relatively easily (though the directions from the Alton Towers Hotel can be a little confusing).
Carriba Creek is the perfect water park for young families, but will be less appealing to serious water park junkies, especially if you have experienced any of the big American water parks. The water park doesn't really have much to it. It has three substantive attractions and some peripheral features, such as water falls, jets, an outside swimming pool and a water-based climbing frame. The main attractions consist of two water flumes and the 'lazy river'.
My favorite of the two flumes is The Master Blaster Water Coaster, a water flume which requires its users to sit in a large rubber ring. You have to be over a certain height to use this slide and it is not suitable for small children. Part of the flume entails participants shooting upwards along a rising stretch of the ride. The participants are pushed along by water jets, which is an innovative and unusual experience (ie sliding up a water slide). I have to say, that although I am a big fan of this water slide, the queuing is excessive and I twice fell out of my ring and hit my head on the way to the bottom.
The other water flume is a lot more tame in comparison to The Master Blaster. Rush N Rampage is a much gentler water flume and is far more suitable for young children. Kids can choose to enjoy this ride on their own or in a double seater rubber ring with parents.
The Lazy River is also very suitable for children and is a lot of fun for adults as well. Participants sit in a rubber ring and enjoy being swept along a stretch of indoors river, complete with water falls, tipping stations and jets. The water park also has a large jacuzzi style 'bubble pool', a shallow bathing area for babies and toddlers and an outdoors swimming area and slide (which has always been closed when I have attended).
There are a lot of great touches, which make this a really fun place for children especially. The Wacky Water Works Treehouse is a climbing frame style attraction (very safe), which includes integrated water cannons and pistols, which can be fired by the kids. The Tipping Bucket is a nice touch. It is an enormous bucket, holding 1,000 liters of water that turns over and empties on those below when a bell sounds.
Carriba Creek has a lot going for it and I would recommend a visit if you are staying at one of the Alton Towers hotels. The changing areas are clean, the staff are friendly and polite and the atmosphere is very uplifting and fun.
Its not very often that you get a decent waterpark in this country.... ive been to loads but have been continually disappointed. But no more - Cariba Creek is fantastic!!
Its set in the grounds of Alton Towers - which means that you can often get deals for both the waterpark and theme park combined which work out bargainous. We went to the waterpark as part of a package with the hotel - and we had a blast.
Its suitable for all of the family - theres a section for little children, a climbing section in the middle with squirters and buckets rope ladders that is suitable for anyone any age (who doesnt have fun tipping the buckets of water over people), and theres the big waterslides (about 5 or 6 of them).
Some of the slides go outside (which even in freezing october wasnt too cold) and theres an indoor and outsoodr jacuzzi.
All in all - theres lots to do for all the family!!
Its a great day out for everyone - and i would definately recommend this to anyone with a spare day to fill.


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Since my second daughter was born I have had sparse time to practice or even play. Now that I've finally found some more time, I've discovered I have totally regressed in my form. I can't hit the lines I once hit; I can't get the D I once could; nothing works. I've started to become thumber/tommy dominant because those are more controllable for me. Well, that doesn't do me good in every situation.
I know something (many things) is wrong with my throw, I just don't know what it is -- I just know the throws never feel "right." Please, rip my throw apart and show me what needs to be worked on.


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In an effort to advance the adoption of anaerobic digestion and other advanced manure treatment technologies, AgSTAR along with Cornell PRO-DAIRY, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) are co-sponsoring a conference titled Got Manure? Enhancing Environmental and Economic Sustainability to be held March 27-29 in Liverpool, N.Y.
The conference goal is to provide state-of-the-art information about integrated manure management systems to dairy producers and consultants so that they can make informed decisions about adopting manure management techniques such as anaerobic digestion and other advanced treatment technologies that enhance economic and environmental sustainability.
The program will feature two McLanahan customers: Dean Doornink from Jon De Farms in Baldwin, Wis. and Mike McCloskey from Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Ind. They will be joined by Andrew Wedel from McLanahan Agricultural Systems Division. Here you can preview Andrew's paper titled Sand-Manure Separation for Anaerobic Digestion Pre-Treatment. Get more information on AgSTAR Registration and agenda details.