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Khans of Commander: Part 1
Khans of Tarkir has a lot going for it. It's really a great set but it has many masters to feed. With the ever increasing focus on Limited there is a greater percentage of cards that just aren't cut out for any constructed format, especially one with as much depth as Commander. Then there are many cards that are designed for Standard. These cards are meant to be enjoyed best in a context of games with two players and twenty life each. So while the set is well made and has some powerful cards, it's difficult to be excited for Khans of Tarkir if Commander is your main or only format.
But it's not all bad news for Commander aficionados when it comes to Khans of Tarkir. The presence of "Wedges" as a theme for the first time opens the doors for a lot of new options. There are very few tricolored cards from the Wedges before so that means more opportunities for even otherwise middling cards to have a chance to shine. That said, there are some strong cards and the multicolored cards provide us with plenty of things to discuss even if there is not an abundance of great new cards.
The Main Mechanics
Having appeared in Onslaught Block and Time Spiral block, morph is a well-traveled mechanic. Anytime an ability reaches a saturation point like Morph has, it will either be starting to veer towards strength or be exposed as fundamentally flawed. Morph has a serious flaw and that is one of resources and scale. It can take excessive amounts of mana to get simple effects. Just compare Echo Tracer or Icefeather Aven to Man-o'-War or Venser, Shaper Savant and see how much mana you have to spend for the surprise factor. There is an upside to coming back a third time and that is an increase, however small, in both the number of quality synergistic Morphs and some new support cards. Outside of a dedicated morph deck there is little chance for many of them to shine but that's just the nature of the beast.
Outlast is not that great of a mechanic for Commander. While there are plenty of design opportunities for ways that Outlast could shine, it just doesn't really connect with the needs of a Commander player. The ability has too many drawbacks: Only 1 counter, sorcery speed, and requires tapping. Now you can get around some of that by giving your creatures vigilance or using trick stuff like Reconnaissance, but it doesn't scale well in Commander. There are three styles of creatures with Outlast: those that just pump themselves, those that also grant abilities to creatures with +1/+1 counters, and those that have triggered abilities when you outlast. The problem is that none of the abilities being granted are that amazing, unique, or cost effective to make that series of Outlast creature desirable. None of the Outlast creatures without abilities are quite up to the rigors of Commander without the ability so tacking it on provides little help. Then you have only one card with a triggered ability when you activate its Outlast ability (Herald of Anafenza). Now perhaps cards more scaled for Commander will have Outlast in the future, but these aren't going to accomplish much but wasting deck slots and mana.
I like Delve as a mechanic, but it has a problem in Commander. The graveyards are too useful here for a variety of things like Life from the Loam, Living Death, and the numerous other uses graveyards have. The worst part is that there are numerous effects that your opponents can use that impact your own graveyard, either for the good or bad, like Exhume and Time Spiral. So Delve is much more tricky in Commander than other formats as its rare for you to be able to predict what type of options your opponents may have that could possibly impact which cards you wish to leave in your graveyard. My verdict is that while Delve as a whole may not be a big winner, it just comes down to the specific cards.
Attacking with a creature is a pretty easy to meet condition. This is true even more so in multiplayer where there is usually at least one person without much defense. The biggest issue is that you are giving up being able to do anything tricky pre-combat involving these raid cards, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue.
It's an either or type of ability which makes is sort of easy. Until you start looking at how the impact of the card fluctuates wildly when you lose control a creature with 4 power right before the spell or ability resolves. The problem is that these type of cards usually have little strategy tied to them. Either you can wait to meet the condition or you have to fire it off anyway.
I am sort of torn on Prowess as a theme. While it is definitely more open than previous Izzet style pump creatures like Nivix Cyclops or Wee Dragonauts, the bonus is much smaller and that does matter. Where Prowess may shine is that is works well with Auras like Flickering Ward, Shining Wings, and Crown of Flames that can return to your hand for repeated uses. Incidentally these effects work with Heroic and Constellation triggers since you don't need to target the creature with Prowess for the pump. I am not sure that an aggressive Prowess based deck can take effects, but I know people are trying. I think my friend put it best when he said, "It's like Storm but for creature pumps." So while I may not be reviewing many of the Prowess cards, just keep them in mind for future reference because who knows what could happen with the mechanic.
Brave the Sands
Giving creatures Vigilance is a solid thing to do. The extra blocking capability is nice too. The only problem is that there are better cards to have for Vigilance or pseudo-Vigilance (like Reconnaissance). If you were going more defensive, it could be solid with Tajic, Blade of the Legion or Commander Eesha.
End Hostilities
The Wrath of Khans is no slouch for Commander. While it doesn't put Commanders on the bottom on their library like Terminus or Hallowed Burial, End Hostilities has some massive upside. Destroying attached permanents means it won't just eliminate the immediate threat of a creature but also powerful cards like Lightning Greaves and Sword of Fire and Ice. It is definitely much stronger than Day of Judgment and should see some play, especially in metagames defined by "Voltron" or Equipment/Aura heavy decks. It is good to note that End Hostilities has some synergy with Darksteel Plate and Shield of Kaldra as you can load up on equipment that will survive End Hostilities and then plan on using it to harass everyone else.
Wingmate Roc
The Raid ability to create an extra flier is quite strong, just not for Commander. 6 power of flier for 5 mana is not that great of a deal in a format where Serra Ascendant starts off a 6/6 for a single mana. The lifegain is something interesting, but it probably only sees play in token heavy decks. I'm thinking that the Roc sees play with Commanders like Darien, King of Kjeldor and popular Commander cards like Avenger of Zendikar. It's cool, but not that practical as 5 mana threat.
Clever Impersonator
For extra colored mana we get the most versatile Clone ever. Phyrexian Metamorph, while more flexible to cast, added one permanent type and was a huge upgrade. By copying anything, including Planeswalkers, Clever Impersonator could be yet another powerful Blue spell. For such a promising spell, it doesn't have much strategy. It just gives you access to the best of whatever happens to be around, which is almost always worth the mana and card slot. It doesn't have the useful artifact typing that Phyrexian Metamorph does, so I wouldn't say the cards are interchangeable. But I feel confident in saying that Clever Impersonator is one of the best copy effects ever.
Dig Through Time
The ability of Dig Through Time is pretty great. Its most easily compared to a double Impulse. The problem is that it costs 8 mana, which is pretty nuts. The delve component of the spell is certainly a help, but graveyards in Commander are just much better than they would be in every other format. This makes Delve a much worse value proposition. So for Dig Through Time that question becomes not whether the ability is strong enough, but at what mana cost? Being an instant, I'd say 2UU is a fair price for a format where Fact or Fiction is legal. Which means you would need to Delve 4 cards. Which is not that hard to do, but the rub is when you need to delve away 4 cards that don't matter. There will be decks that have intense graveyard applications (Life from the Loam, Reanimation, etc) that will stay away, but Dig Through Time may prove to be a solid staple in some of the more controlling decks. Cards like Thirst for Knowledge, Compulsive Research, and Fact or Fiction do all provide some extra fodder for the Delve costs.
Disdainful Stroke
I want Disdainful Stroke to be good, but it loses a lot of versatility. I feel like it will rank behind Negate in most metagames, but I have a feeling Disdainful Stroke will be extremely good in more Casual metagames. If people are casting Avenger of Zendikar, Rafiq of the Many, and/or Decree of Pain then you should do just fine with Disdainful Stroke. If people are doing things like Power Artifact/Grim Monolith then Disdainful Stroke not right for you.
Embodiment of Spring
How many people would pay 1UG for Rampant Growth? I wouldn't pay it and that is essentially what Embodiment of Spring does. It is not the second coming of Sakura-Tribe Elder for Commander and I wouldn't recommend it for any reason.
Icy Blast
My gut instinct is to dismiss Icy Blast. But when I pondered on it more, I figured out that it single handedly cant wreck multiple players when you are playing a big creature deck and are fighting other big creature decks. While I never run into that situation, I know many people do and for that reason I would recommend Icy Blast if you find yourself having a big creature stare down.
Kheru Spellsnatcher
Of all the Morphs revealed, this is the most exciting one to me. It's Spelljack tacked onto a Morph. Which makes it tough to judge as Morphs with very high mana costs to un Morph tend to have a trouble finding a home. However, Kheru Spellsnatcher gets really sick when used in tandem with Vesuvan Shapeshifter. While it isn't Brine Elemental level of nasty, stealing spells at whim will definitely upset many an opponent. The coolest thing is that Kheru Spellsnatcher doesn't have to be on the battlefield for you to cast the spell later on, a weakness normally associated to these types of effects.
Pearl Lake Ancient
It's a big dumb mythic rare. Uncounterable and flash are nifty characteristics, but in a format where you can get Great Whale, Palinchron, and Diluvian Primordial for the same mana cost it just doesn't stack up at face value. I wouldn't be shocked if a way to use the big dumb guy shows up, but unless you metagame is nothing but counters and removal, I would stay away from this guy.
Quiet Contemplation
I am really interested in Quiet Contemplation. It is a pretty open ended card that can really cause havoc in a game. Being able to pair Quiet Contemplation with reusable cards like Flickering Ward or Capsize will only increase the power you can wield over creatures with this card. I think Quiet Contemplation will be possibly dominant against some metagames, I'm not just sure how it holds up in competitive metagames. I think that I will try it, just to see if turning my mana rocks into tap effects is worth it.
Singing Bell Strike
I love these oddball removal spells that Blue gets from time to time. Singing Bell Strike is a solid enough spell, but the effect is probably not needed as you could just run Control Magic or Treachery instead. Singing Bell Strike would help if your metagame is more aggressive in the "play a creature, untap play Armageddon" way. Of course Singing Bell Strike also enables infinite combos if the enchanted creature is able to produce 7 or more mana in an activation (sup, Metalworker?). I'm not sure where Singing Bell Strike will show up outside of some enterprising Metalworker and Elf combo users, but I wouldn't be shocked if it did.
Stubborn Denial
Having another option for 1 mana counterspells, like Force Spike had a kid with Negate, is fine. If you are determined to run a lot of "tax" based counters, then Stubborn Denial is fine, even if it is below Spell Pierce and Force Spike. On the other hand, there is a big variable with Ferocious. Getting a 4 powered creature in play does take some doing so Stubborn Denial is essentially weak Force Spike early game and conditional Negate later on. I'm not sure that's worth enough of a discount to trade away the sure effectiveness of Negate. I think that Stubborn Denial will have application in the most competitive of metas when people are all playing control or combo and need early responses, but it won't outdo Negate for regular, healthy metas.
Taigam's Scheming
It's a huge upgrade to the skill testing Index (as in you have no skill if you are using Index), but its leagues behind Strategic Planning or the many other options at lower and higher mana costs. At the same converted mana cost there are cards like Idea's Unbound, Impulse and Brain Freeze (target yourself when someone else casts a spell or two if you want to dump a lot of stuff into your graveyard). So while I'm sure this will enable Delve in other formats, it just has too much competition for that same real estate in Commander.
Thousand Winds
I feel like this is a Morph with the ability turned up to 11. One of the strongest triggered abilities to be tacked onto unmorphing, Thousand Winds provides a pretty good body (Mahamoti Djinn feels outclassed) and a ridiculous board clearing effect at will. Meanwhile, it also has great opportunity for being absurd with Vesuvan Shapeshifter. There is great potential for some fun Morph decks that I'm sure will gain in popularity.
So that part one. Join me again as we tackle another slab of the new cards.
You can hit me up via email, in the comments, and on Facebook.
-Alex Tobriner
alextoriner at gmail dot com
Tags: Commander, EDH, Khans, Khans of Tarkir, Previews
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Baqir al-Shaikh, the recipient of several awards, is an Iraqi who teaches art at the Mariam Centre for Arts and Crafts in Amman, Jordan.
Natalie Nahhas was 6 when she discovered her capacity to draw beautiful sketches, an aptitude she developed with the support and encouragement of her family. Today, at 14, she is learning to paint with the guidance of an award-winning Iraqi painter keen on investing in young and promising Jordanian talents.
Baqer al-Shaikh is among Iraqi artists who fled violence at home and are now in Amman guiding young Jordanians who can tell a story with a stroke of a brush and manipulate the forces of light to bring their vision into life, as he says.
"It is a 2-way course in the sense that I can get inspiration from young students, who I prefer to call artists, and at the same time they can learn how to create ubiquitous sets of lines that are transformed into a beautiful piece of art whether it symbolises their own vision or the vision of others," Shaikh said.
"I believe that all children have a unique talent and working with them makes it easier to discover their inner self. They have a lot of imagination that tells so much about their personality and this is what we lack in the Arab world, the opportunity to express ourselves."
Shaikh, the recipient of several awards, including Al-Wasti Festival of Baghdad Award and the 2008 Ashtar Festival Award of the Iraqi Artists Association, teaches art at the Mariam Centre for Arts and Crafts in Amman. He said there are not enough art facilities in the Arab world to accommodate the talents of Arab children.
"The centre I work for was established in 2008 by passionate Jordanian artists and since then it has developed the talents of many children but we need more centres and schools because art is a sign of culture and we are a society who has a deep culture," he said.
Shaikh said working closely with inspired children gives him the ultimate satisfaction and the motivation to transfer what he has learned during his career "to those who discovered their talent holding a brush and not a musical instrument or a tennis racket or a football."
"Painting and tennis, for example, have so much in common but the creativity is different in both. Winning is needed in a tennis match but in art you always come in the second place and your painting or work takes the top spot at the podium," he said.
"What I teach students here is to express their feelings while painting. For me, painting is an expression of a feeling that transcends past light and dark brushstrokes."
Students said they had learned a lot from Shaikh's classes at the centre. "By giving us the freedom to express and learn and by allowing our imagination to run wild, we are learning so much and this is what we need as we love to paint and we love to express," Nahhas said.
Another Iraqi artist, Imad Khalidi, who is married to a Jordanian and settled in Amman in 1997, happily shared his artistic talent with Jordanian youth.
"Several years ago, there were hundreds of Iraqi artists in Jordan who had fled the war in Iraq but then sought asylum in Europe. Today there are fewer than 20 who decided like me to stay and share their art," said Khalidi.
"Many Jordanian families are interested in art and decide to enroll their children in art classes. We have many students who have the right talent to become professional artists but the economic factors and financial situation of their parents can be an obstacle," he added.
Khalidi, who teaches art in several schools and universities, observed that, unlike Jordan, Iraq embraced art a long time ago.
"In Iraq, it is easy to find a simple employee with a simple salary paying for a painting he saw in the market because art is in the blood. In my opinion, there should be more interest in young talents in Arab countries," he said, noting that marking World Art Day, celebrated April 15, could be a vector for raising awareness about the importance of promoting children's artistic talents in the Arab world.
Meanwhile, at the art centre, as Nahhas holds her brush with confidence gazing at the plain white, stretched canvas, she closed her eyes to imagine what to paint and how to bring her thoughts to life.
Roufan Nahhas, based in Jordan, has been covering cultural issues in Jordan for more than two decades.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi! Remember me??? Allow me to introduce myself....I'm Krissy....I know it's been forever since I posted. Life has been crazy around our home lately. But, now that I've gotten the boys back into the school routine I will have more time to get inky! Woo-hoo!!!!!!!! My oldest started 2nd grade last week and my youngest (my baby!) began Kindergarten. It's been an adjustment for all of us, getting back into the swing of a morning routine and getting them on and off of the bus and then dinner, homework and bedtime. It's been strange for me having both of them gone all day, I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually, but right now it's still strange being home alone. More time to get inky though, right?
This is one of the cards I've created for Stampendous and Michaels stores. It's the first time I've used more than one colored embossing powder at a time. It was so much fun to mix and match!!! I have one tip for you, though. After you stamp the image with the Versamark ink sprinkle one of the embossing powders very lightly to use as a guideline as to where the flowers and stems are located. Then apply the remaining colors more liberally covering the image completely. For some more tips and techniques on how to use Stampendous embossing powders, watch some of Fran's videos on You Tube. All the supplies used to make this card are available at your local Michaels store!
I hope you'll come back tomorrow and check out the Stampendous Saturday Challenge. It's going to be so much fun! Our wonderful Wendy Price has created a great sketch and many of the Stampendous team members are playing along. We hope you will too!
I'll be back next week with more cards. Whatever your plans are for the long Labor Day weekend, I hope you and your family have a wonderful time with family and friends - be safe!
Take time to get inky today!
recipe: Stampendous Flower Fields, Happy Messages, Rubellite PearLustre EP, Garnet PearLustre EP, Amethyst PearLustre EP, Emerald PearLustre EP, Jade PEARLustre EP; VersaMark ink; Recollections White CS, Spice Market Paper Pack


text: Casio Zoom × Casio AE-1200WHB-1BDF Classic Digital Watch for Men AED 110.25 AED 87.10 21% OFF AED 87.1 https://www.letstango.com/product/casio-ae-1200whb-1bdf-classic-digital-watch-for-men-bdf Key Features Water Resistant DELIVERY Order in next 9hrs 1mins and receive it within 3-5 Working days Warranty 1 Year Sold by LetsTango Share Read Blogs Sold Out Notify Me × Success! You will be notified when this product is back instock! visa mastercard amex cash Free Delivery For AED 200 and above Pay your way Cash On Delivery,Credit Card & more 100% Genuine Vendor sourced & brand new Get Rewards Earn Upto 87 reward points Earn 35 Earn 44 Earn 87 Overview Specification Review Product Details Casio AE-1200WHB-1BDF Classic Digital Watch for MenThe Casio AE-1200WHB-1BDF classic digital watch for men. Its has multi-mission LCD and 10 year battery. The watch's large square case design provides a wealth of easy-to-read information, such as World Time Map and Analog LC Display. Additional features include a 1/100th second stopwatch, 24 hour countdown timer and 5 alarms. Black cloth band digital with black/olive green face and green bezel. 100m Water Resistant LED Light with Afterglow World Time 31 times zones (48 cities + UTC), daylight saving on/off, home city/world time swapping 5 Alarms (one-time alarm or daily alarm) Hourly Time Signal 1/100 second stopwatch Measuring capacity: 23:59'59.99" Measuring modes: Elapsed time, split time, 1st-2nd place times Countdown Timer Measuring unit: 1/10 second Input range: 1 second to 24 hours (1-second increments, 1-minute increments and 1-hour increments) Full auto-calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099) 12/24 Hour Formats Button operation tone on/off Accuracy: +/- 30 seconds per month Battery: CR2025 Specification Manufacturer Casio General Type Digital Watch General Model Number AE-1200WHB-1BDF General Features 100m water resistance, LED Light with Afterglow, World Time, 5 Alarms (one-time alarm or daily alarm) General Battery Requirements CR2025 Warranty 1 Year


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CEIS Update
A quarterly news bulletin of the Caribbean Energy Information System, with articles geared to researchers, consultants, petroleum marketing companies, energy policy-makers, libraries, tertiary institutions all dealing with energy data.
There is a special section geared towards high school students preparing for Science subjects in the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Exams across the Caribbean.
The CEIS Update is a dynamic quarterly magazine publication which seeks to bring to our regions' people current information on energy and energy related issues in a interesting yet comprehensive manner. It is presented with focus on the sections: Network News; update on Energy Developments; Energy Feature; The Consumer and Energy; Energy and the Environment; and Energy for Young Minds.
Network News presents energy sector related information making the headlines throughout the Caribbean.
Update on Energy Developments presents articles related to Research Development and issues shaping development of the industry.
Energy Feature seeks to highlight outstanding Public Sector Energy Individuals making their mark in the field.
The Consumer and Energy is geared towards the edification of students as consumers and the responsibility they would need to display in their efforts to manage their lifestyle as it relates to energy.
Energy and the Environment aims to highlight developments, business and organizations and individuals within the sector and their efforts geared toward the protection and sustainable development of the environment.
"Energy for Young Minds" is a section which features energy articles related to examination syllabuses, while featuring novel topics and general scientific knowledge on energy systems.
"Energy for Young Minds" is a column in the CEIS Update which was introduced in the publication to facilitate students preparing for the Energy Sections of the CXC Physics, Chemistry and Integrated Science syllabuses. The rationale for the Column was based on annual CXC reports which revealed weak areas in the answers of students sitting the examinations and why students are unable to obtain full marks. More recent issues identified included:
A need to develop the enquiry skills in the area of energy
Answers required greater detail on subjects – too superficial
Inability to arrange in correct sequence the forms of energy which they correctly identified
Difficulty in describing the disadvantages associated with the use of fossil fuels.
In addition, surveys are conducted from time to time among high school teachers and students to enquire what assistance is needed with the preparation of students sitting these examinations. The column offers students articles which according to CXC Examinations Council are topics which students sitting these examinations have difficulty with. This column is usually sponsored by private sector companies
throughout the region.


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I expect cannabis dispensaries to employ knowledgeable, energetic, customer-service savvy budtenders who'll reciprocate my enthusiasm and fulfill my product needs and service expectations. I prize those exceptional budtenders who transform my dispensary visits into cannabis bonding sessions where I can learn the latest product and industry news and make thoughtful purchases.
The Best Budtenders
Cannabis shopping is a unique consumer experience and dispensaries are the exclusive nexus between consumers and the cannabis industry. I've interacted with at least 100 different budtenders over the past few years as a medical cannabis consumer. The best of these budtenders were cannabis enthusiasts providing exceptional customer service. The worst of them were uninformed and aloof, ruining my shopping experiences and leaving me searching for new stores. The cannabis industry lacks uniform minimum qualifications for budtenders. I'd like that to change.
I expect dispensaries to hire budtenders who genuinely enjoy working with cannabis and assisting cannabis customers. I rely on hiring managers to choose budtenders who will ask the right questions, listen actively and attentively to my responses, and then translate those responses into relevant, viable product choices. I don't expect a budtender to be my best friend, but he or she has to reciprocate the energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge I bring to the exchange, or I am left unfulfilled and in search of a better dispensary.
The Budtender-Customer-Dispensary Dynamic
Budtenders who establish meaningful customer relationships and provide reliable, consistent customer service are both the antidote to customer dissatisfaction and the tonic for their continued patronage. Dispensaries succeed in the long term by training front-line budtenders to forge meaningful relationships with consumers by providing quality customer service and by nurturing allegiances to the company's brand.
My favorite budtenders build on their relationships with me by learning my cannabis needs, preferences and reasons for visiting their shops. The knowledge enables my budtenders to quickly identify and suggest new products, brands, and strains I'm likely to enjoy and it facilitates meaningful conversation between us about cannabis. The rapid pace of industry change makes it imperative that all good budtenders continue to seek out new learning opportunities in order to provide the best customer service.
Knowledgeable, responsible budtenders benefit dispensaries and consumers alike by carefully balancing customer service with profound loyalty and dedication to a store's success. Their regulatory awareness is essential to protecting a dispensary against compliance penalties, up to and including business license revocation and shutdown. These model budtenders self-identify as dispensary ambassadors and demonstrate in each shift integrity and professionalism, projecting the image of a healthy, well-run business. Above all, these budtenders are ethical, honest, trustworthy, always working to ensure consumer satisfaction and employer success.
The Worst Budtenders
The worst budtenders are disinterested, if not totally disengaged, tend to lack customer service skills and/or cannabis knowledge and don't really assist me at all. They are self-absorbed, uninformed, or both, and exhibit little to no interest in my satisfaction. They don't open display items for me to see and smell or provide other helpful product information.
Unworthy budtenders are often poorly trained, lack product and strain awareness, and are unfamiliar with compliance requirements. The worst of them are there for the paycheck and the status alone and see no difference between selling cannabis and selling doughnuts, leaving me to eyeball and select products blindly, in which case I'll depart the dispensary unfulfilled. When home, I'll log on to Weedmaps in search of better shopping options.
Unethical Budtenders
Some budtenders are both unskilled and unethical. These employees won't hesitate to sell bad products, even concealing from my view indications of poor quality. During a recent dispensary disappointment, a budtender I'd never worked with before sold me shatter without checking it. When I was home and opened it, I found that it was a glob of mush.
I believe the bad sale was an act of omission on her part, unprofessional though unintended, but it begs the question why nobody else at the dispensary had noticed the shatter was bad. Unethical budtending reflects terribly on an employer's brand and is a wanton show of employee disrespect to both customer and employer. I won't only avoid such unethical budtenders, but will often end my relationship with the dispensary that employs them.
Budtenders in the Real World
In the real world, most budtenders exhibit both positive and negative characteristics, reflecting a combination of strengths and weaknesses. Sincere cannabis consumers like me are willing to overlook certain deficiencies as long as customer service is sound.
Budtenders who recognize their limitations find ways to provide good customer service by observing more experienced co-workers, seeking additional training, and doing independent research. Even the most advanced budtenders treat cannabis as a lifelong educational experience, always learning and improving. These budtenders are committed, they take responsibility for their role in cannabis commerce and they treat customers and employers as the true beneficiaries of the process.
In the end, the most important budtender quality is good customer service. If a budtender has cannabis knowledge but no customer service skills, I'll register the negative vibe and go elsewhere. But a budtender with only customer service abilities will have a positive impact on customers like me who are more than happy to forgive any other shortcomings. A budtender with solid customer service skills will make short work of filling in the gaps because his desire to provide better service will motivate him to improve his cannabis literacy.
33 Questions for Dispensary Hiring Managers
Following are the questions I'd ask myself were I hiring budtenders. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it covers the issues significant to me as a cannabis consumer and dispensary customer. I often have the impression that dispensary managers are disconnected from the way their store comes across to customers. They only look at one side of the equation. But they need to see things from the vantage point of their patrons. The cannabis industry is still young and unsettled and there is a good reason to believe that a more uniform approach to budtending will engender happily fulfilled customers and robust, repeat business.
33 Questions Hiring Managers Should Ask Themselves Before Choosing A Budtender
Will the budtender greet customers with a smile and warm welcome?
Will the budtender give customers his active and undivided focus and attention?
Will the budtender listen to customers patiently and attentively?
Will the budtender inquire about a customers' preferred strains, varieties and types of products?
Will the budtender ask (tactfully) about a customer's shopping budget?
Will the budtender ask all relevant and necessary questions to help determine the best products for customers?
Will the budtender recommend specific strains and products that correlate with customers' particular complaints/needs?
Will the budtender present customers with multiple product options from which to choose?
Will the budtender become familiar with the dispensary's normal inventory?
Will the budtender become familiar with the dispensary's on-hand inventory?
Will the budtender familiarize himself when product shipments will be received?
Will the budtender allow customers to see and/or smell the product (or a sample)?
Will the budtender allow customers all the time they need to decide what to purchase?
Will the budtender provide THC and CBD percentages?
Will the budtender provide other production or testing information, like date manufactured or packaged?
Will the budtender try to upsell in spite of customers' budgets?
Will the budtender try to sell customers bad product?
Will the budtender spend a little time chit-chatting to get to know customers?
Will the budtender identify any discounts, promotions or limitations?
Will the budtender highlight any new cannabis products or technologies?
Will the budtender evince a passion for cannabis and cannabis products?
Will the budtender express compassion towards cannabis consumers?
Will the budtender act as a store ambassador representing the dispensary culture, values
Will the budtender act as part of a larger team, asking other staff for assistance when necessary to provide the best customer service?
Will the budtender make customers feel like part of the dispensary team?
Is the budtender sufficiently familiar with cannabis regulations?
Will the budtender take care to ensure all transactions are compliant?
Will the budtender project professionalism?
Will the budtender appear well-trained?
Will the budtender be hired for merit or for some other reason?
Will the budtender know more about cannabis than most customers do?
Is the budtender committed to the dispensary for the long term?


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I had all these plans on catching up on some reviews this weekend but my little one got the stomach flu last Thursday and is still not out of the woods, no more being sick but she still gags once in a while. My hubby came home at 2 today feeling really cold and miserable and he feels like he's going to be sick so I guess he's next on the list.
I hope it ends with these 2.
I will try and write a review tonight and otherwise tomorrow.


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The Chief Election Commissioner has once again assured the public that he will hold a free and fair elections and this is probably the umpteenth assurance coming from him. What I am longing to hear from him at least once is that he will ensure that only honest politicians will be allowed to context the elections. What is the use of the elections, howsoever free and fair those may be if we have to elect from the same corrupt and dishonest lot of the politicians? Mr Justice CEC please assure us that only the unsoiled and honest contestants would be there for us to elect from as we do not want a comeback of the same rotten lot of politicians.
COL RIAZ JAFRI (r),
Rawalpindi, February 18.


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Patrick Lomantini to break a world record with 50 haircuts in 50 states in 50 days
Patrick Lomantini, owner of Lomantini the Salon in Wichita, Kansas, has been fascinated by world records ever since he was a kid. Last year, he set one himself for cutting hair at his salon for 72 hours straight. The haircuts were free, and donations collected benefited the local humane society. "It was way more than I ever imagined it to be," Lomantini says. "It opened my eyes to what shelters and the humane society do for our communities."
When friends asked Lomantini how he was going to outdo himself this year, someone suggested that he attempt to do 50 haircuts in 50 states in 50 days.
[jump] "I started playing with the idea. I thought that if I had that much success and excitement with the first project, why not do it again?" he says. "It took about eight months to plan. It's been a tough journey, but it's also been exciting."
Currently, Lomantini has visited 27 states, and has completed 964 haircuts. On Tuesday, August 30, he will be cutting hair at the Jungle Red Salon in Minneapolis. So far Lomantini says that the hardest part about his trip has been stamina. After cutting hair for 12 to 14 hours straight, he then has to drive for several hours to the next city. Cutting hair for 72 hours last year taught Lomantini that he had to take care of himself while working.
"I was fortunate enough to be a personal trainer before I was a hair stylist. I work out a lot and eat well and try to do the best I can in terms of fitness. I think the one thing that I've learned is to take care of myself," he says. "When I did 72 hours, I learned what your body does to you on sleep deprivation. Your mind plays tricks on you. Had I not had a tremendous amount of support, I would not have succeeded last year."
The support that Lomantini has received this year on this trip in each state has been tremendous. He says that in return for the free haircuts, he hopes to inform people about the shelters in their neighborhoods.
"Yes, I'm trying to set a world record, but really that's secondary to me," he says. "I'm trying to bring communities together to raise awareness about what these shelters and humane societies and rescue groups do for our societies. I might raise $2,000 dollars in some cities -- and that's great -- but raising community awareness? That's the priceless part of it."
As he prepares to finish his national tour, Lomantini hopes that he will complete 2,500 haircuts, raise over $50,000 dollars, and set a new world record. So far, his project has been both fun and challenging, and he is thankful for the support and relationships that he is establishing along the way.
"If you think about the dynamics of this tour, I've been able to connect with 50 different shelters, 50 different salons, over 2,500 people getting their hair cut, animals, and media," he says. "I've met some amazing people that I hope to stay in touch with for a very long time."
50 Haircuts in 50 States in 50 Days
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, August 30
Free; $20 minimum suggested donation
Call to reserve a time: 612.870.0653


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Comedy filled commercial featuring Steel Panther and announcers for Fox's Thursday Night Football
Comedy filled commercial featuring Steel Panther and announcers for Fox's Thursday Night Football
Steel Panther were scheduled to play at Fox's Thursday Night Football (NFL) and a comedy filled commercial was released in advance with the Steel Panther band members — singer Michael Starr, guitarist Satchel, bassist Lexxi Foxx and drummer Stix Zadinia along with football announcers Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Michael Strahan.
The commercial was to promote Steel Panther's appearance on Fox's Thursday Night Football game between the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The following message was posted on Steel Panther's Facebook page yesterday:
"Carolina Panthers @ Pittsburgh Steelers tonight on NFL on Fox Thursday Night Football. Steelers + Panthers = Steel Panther. You MIGHT want to tune in at 5PM PT/8PM ET to catch a familiar face…or 4. \\n/"
Jocelyn Saenz
Steel Panther on #Fox #ThursdayNightFootball Congrats @ralphsaenz #terrybradshaw #michaelstrahan #howielong #steelers #panthers #proudwife #football


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- Home
- Antique Handguns
- Derringers & Pepperboxes
Derringers & Pepperboxes
Pepperbox Handguns & Derringers for Sale
When it comes to pepperbox handguns and derringers for sale, you can't beat Collectors Firearms. Our extensive inventory includes a wide variety of highly collectable Allen and Thurber perpperboxes, French and English pepperboxes, and single and over/under derringers from Remington and other manufacturers. We update our inventory often, so bookmark our list of new arrivals and check back often.
Scroll through our inventory of pepperbox handguns and derringers for sale below. For other antique handguns, browse or collection of percussion cap pistols, antique cartridge pistols and revolvers, and antique Smith & Wesson revolvers.
For more information or to ask a question about any of our highly collectable firearms, please call (877) 214-9327 or email email@example.com.


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Rooster, Hens & Chicks book page
Rooster, Hens and Chicks pages, copyrighted work by me for a book I illustrated by Millicent Selsam called "All About Eggs". The book is now out of print, but my illustrations have been inspiration for making 3D architectural ceramic pieces. And I'll use these images on my dinnerware for children.


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Tax exposures / Fiscal incentives
Corporate profits in Malta are taxed at 35% but upon a distribution of taxed profits by way of a dividend, shareholders can claim a 6/7th refund of the Malta tax paid, thereby reducing Maltese tax leakage to around 5%. Malta also has a broad network of double tax treaties with more than 50 countries. Income derived from the lease or operation of aircraft used for international transport is considered to arise outside Malta and not taxed unless received in Malta. There is no withholding tax for non-residents earning income from the ownership, leasing or operation of aircraft used in international transport. Private use of a jet under management is not considered to be a taxable fringe benefit. Other fiscal attractions include competitive minimum depreciation periods for aircraft, tax deductions for finance lessors and capital allowances for aircraft lessees.


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How To Take Charge Of Your Dating Life So You Can Enjoy Amazing Experiences With Women
How is your dating life? Is it what you want it to be?
Dating can be hard, frustrating, confusing and sometimes depressing. But it doesn't have to be!
The key is to realize who is in charge of your dating life, and ultimately your dating destinty (hint: you are!)
Join Dr. Aziz as he shares stories about dating breakthroughs from his own life and those of his clients. You will leave with a renewed sense of passion and purpose about creating the dating life you've always wanted.
Click below to hear this episode!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:18 — 27.7MB) | Embed
Show Notes
Click here to learn more about Dr. Aziz's powerful dating confidence program – 30 Days To Dating Mastery. You will learn step-by-step how to build natural, healthy confidence in yourself, start conversations with anyone, begin interacting with the women you find most attractive, and ultimately get dates and create awesome relationships!
Valentine's Day = Pain
Welcome to today's show. Today is the time of year that you probably hate if you're single because it's Valentines Day and I never put too much stock into a lot of holidays especially Valentine's day. I personally grew up with my mom saying, "That holiday was just created to sell cards, Hallmark cards." And so, I never really put too much stock into it, although now that I'm with my lady, Candice my wife, she's taught me how to appreciate that sort of thing and actually make them special. But for much of my life, I was single on Valentines Day and even though I thought to myself "Oh, it's just a holiday made up to sell cards" it still affected me. You know you'd see it on TV or people would talk about it or just it would be in the world around you and it would just be this little reminder that I didn't have anyone that I was going on a date with. I didn't have anyone that I was in a relationship with.
And that can be fine. You know let's say if I was dating a number of people and I was in between relationships but that wasn't my experience. You know my experience is I'm not dating anyone right now and I kind of never really am because I'm a weird loser. And that was my experience around Valentines Day. It would bring up this realization of I'm not really where I want to be in my dating life and most importantly I don't even feel that good about myself. I don't really know how to meet women or date women and the whole thing is a mystery and I suck at it and I'm not very good. I'm just this whole ball of pain and shame and I mean, whether I'd be in classes or at work, I'd just be hearing other people talking about what they were doing or what was going on for their dating life, for their Valentines Day and I would just be so uncomfortable. I remember one time I was one job I was at and there were several people at work, maybe a little bit older than I was. I was probably 19, 20 and they were maybe 30, 35 and they were talking and one of the women turned towards me and she's like, "Aziz, what do you think? What it's like to be dating? What's dating like these days for someone your age?"
And I remember feeling so fucking uncomfortable. I was just like "Oh, my God, don't look at me." Because I felt there was so much shame about it and I felt like people could just see right through me and I didn't want to reveal I don't really date. I've never really dated much and I'm a virgin and I don't know what's going on. And God, who wants to say that, right? It's so much shame in our culture especially for men about "Dude, you're supposed to lose your virginity when you're 9 years old like a real man or something." So, if you're a, what to say, 18, 19 and oh, God I can't even get into the story of how I lost my virginity. It was terrible. It was like an attempt to just claim something as a man. It was awful.
But anyway, so this woman asked me this question and I'm just like, "Ah, yeah, well you know dating is pretty tough these days." I don't even know what I said, some weird vague answer and then changed the subject as quick as possible. And so, that's just to paint a picture of where I'm at and the reason I'm doing this is to maybe you're at that place right now yourself, maybe you're listening to me and being like, "Oh, my God that's me. Get out of my head, man." And I'm doing that to show that I've been there and I know that the pain and the discomfort of that. And one of the biggest parts of the pain around that is not the loneliness, it's not the wanting to connect but not having someone to be with, to touch, to talk to, to make love with. It's not that. I mean, that's painful enough, right?
The real pain though for me and it might be for you too if you're in this place is there is nothing I can do about it. It's just sort of this like, as I said in the intro like feeling like you're a drift in the current of the ocean and I have no rudder, I got no motor, I got no ores, I'm just going to kind of float around here and hope that the wind blows me into an island. In this case the island could be a conversation with a woman or a relationship or a date, you just kind of hope that the seas work in your favor and bring you there. And a really stark example of this I remember my freshman year of college, I was going to UC Santa Barbara and there was a dorm and the dorm was a, you walk up to the stairs to the second floor where our floor was and you turn to the right and it's all the men. There are 50 men on the floor. You turn to the left and it goes down the hallway and it's all the women, 50 women on the floor. And I remember, there was a woman who was on my floor occasionally once in a long while.
I see her exiting the building or walking down the stairs at the same time as me and I thought she was really beautiful. I thought she was just something about the way she moved her hair, her eyes, I was like wow. She's pretty and I wanted to go talk to her. Come on, go talk to her. That's just crazy. How can I do that? So, I had these memories of like being, I remember one time I was in the name of the cafeteria where you're getting all your food and the DLG they call it, I remember De La Guerra that's the name of it in Santa Barbara. I was at De La Guerra and I saw her and she was alone. She was like, I don't know, putting some jam on a bagel or something and I was like wow, there she is. Now is my chance and I still remember it to this day of just looking at her and there was this sense of like there is no way I'm going to go talk to her. It was just so outside of my realm of possibility. I didn't even know how to do it.
And even as I'm talking I'm like "ugh" like hurts. It feels so painful to go back to that place and it wasn't that I was just so lonely. It was that powerlessness, that feeling of being totally adrift, totally out of control, totally waiting for something to happen in my life. And if you're in that place now, if I'm stirring up some pain for you right now then good. You know there's a great line, a great speech. Have you seen the movie the Wolf of Wall Street about Jordan Belfort the Wall Street guy who did a lot of high pressure boiler room sales and made a bunch of money and kind of ripped a bunch of people of? He's a – since of course made amends and gone on to be a self-help guru which is interesting. Anyway, the movie has got Leonardo Dicaprio who is awesome and he makes this speech, if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about where he is trying to pump up his crew to go make a bunch of sales of a certain stock of a Steve Madden stock, it's a shoe company and he's trying to pump them up.
And he – it's awesome. Go look it up on YouTube. Type in like – in fact, I'll put a link for it below on the show notes his speech and one thing he's saying he's like, "If you're struggling to pay your rent and you need money, good. Pick up the phone. If your girlfriend thinks you're a pathetic loser, good. Pick up the phone." And he gets more and more intense with it, right? And kind of what I want for you right now. It's like if you're feeling pain at what I'm talking about but the sense of powerlessness and frustration and I'm not good enough and I can't do this and you're stuck and it hurts. Do you hear me talk about this? Good because that is what's going to motivate you, my friend, to grow. That dissatisfaction, that frustration, that hurt, don't shy away from it. Don't say, "Ah, forget about it. That's what I did for years." You know how I dealt with it? I'm just going to smoke some pot and play some video games.
And you can only do that for so long. Well, you can do that for your whole life. I mean some people do but in my opinion, if you want to live this one life that we know for certain that we got to the fullest then you can only do that for so long because time is passing you by and you must take charge of your life, of your dating destiny. And when I get back from a quick break here, I'm going to teach you exactly how to do that. I want to go over what stories are getting in the way that are stopping you, how to break through them, start getting out into the world testing them out and seeing how you can really break free in your own life now. So, stay tune we will be right back after this.
Welcome back. So, what is keeping you stock in your dating life right now? What are you doing in your own mind that's stopping you, that's blocking you from having a sense of freedom, of power, of choice, of confidence? You might say, "Well, there are plenty of reasons why I'm not confident because I'm a loser, because I'm this, because I'm that." whatever you're saying right now is a story that you have about why you can't be confident and I know this well because I had a bunch myself and if you come across any of my stuff on YouTube or got any of my programs I mentioned some of these stories. But it's worth repeating because we can all relate to them, right? We think that confidence comes from the outside. So, for me I look in the mirror and I said it's my appearance that's why I'm not confident, that's why women won't want to talk to me specifically it's my eyes, the pigmentation around my eyes is gross, it's disgusting.
I've learned from magazines when I was in middle school that you don't want pigmentation around your eyes. You don't want your eyes to be darkened anyway. There are products to fix that. I'm ugly. That was the conclusion I came to in middle school and I'm stuck with it for many, many years and that was my story, my eyes and also I'm not physically strong enough, I'm not big enough, I'm not muscular enough. A lot of guys, oh my God so many guys have this one. You might have it. I mean it is like "Oh, I'm not muscular enough." I was just talking with a client about this recently and he said that he couldn't talk to women in the gym because he felt like if he was going to interact with a woman in a gym, she'd kind of look at him and say, "Why am I wasting my time talking to you when that guy over there is like 208 pounds of pure muscle and can bench 4000 pounds. Like why am I even wasting my time with you, worm?"
And I kind of laugh because it's so absurd but he was really stuck in it and I was really stuck in it too because we have this idea it's like look, I'm not muscular enough. My abs aren't defined enough. I have love handles. Whatever, I'm too short. I'm too skinny. I'm too tall. I'm too fat. That's why I'm not confident. And so therefore, I'm not going to go talk to her. I'm going to avoid her. I'm not going to interact with women because they're going to reject me because of this horrible flaw. Does it ring any bells? Does it sound awfully familiar? That's what I told myself for years and that's why I'd never met that woman in my hall in college from my dorm. That's why I spent years of my life stuck and lonely and feeling powerless. It had nothing to do with the women. It had nothing to do with my actual likelihood of success of creating relationships. It was 100% in my mind. It was a story and the same is true for you right now my friend.
There's a story that you're telling yourself as to why you can't meet women, why they're going to reject you, why you're not and it's just, it's on repeat. It's like a trance. We put ourselves into this hypnosis, this trance by repetition. "My eyes are ugly. I'm not good enough. My eyes are ugly." And we just keep repeating it and repeating it and repeating it and repeating it and repeating it and repeating it eventually it just feels true because we heard it so many damn times. But guess what? It's not true. It is not true, not true. You might be raising your hackles right now. "Wait a minute, Aziz. Listen, you don't – I really, I really am missing my left foot, okay?
And that makes me weird and less awkward or more awkward than other guys and women are going to like a guy with no left foot, huh?" and you're maybe challenging me on your story. "No, it's really true, Aziz." And let me say this, the facts of your story might be accurate and yet your story is still false. Here's why.
Because I do have darker pigmentation around my eyes than the average White Caucasian person, that is a fact. I am not as muscular as my buddy, Chris, was in high school that is a fact. Those are the facts. Let's just acknowledge the facts. Maybe you don't have a left foot right now. Get a prosthetic which is getting more and more amazing by the way. I saw a video of a guy and his crazy mechanical things running it was awesome. But I digress maybe the facts are true but the conclusion is false and the conclusion is always therefore, I'm not good enough and women won't like me. And we kind of sneak that conclusion in, right? It's like look at the facts. It's like imagine a prosecutor and he knows that he's got a weak case. He knows that the guy is innocent but he really wants to improve his record. He can't lose another case.
So, he's going to come in there. He's going to present the material to the jury in a way that's going to convince them that this guy is guilty. The defendant is guilty even though he is not and the prosecutor knows it. So, what he's going to do? He's going to say, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, let's all focus on this one fact over here. Look at this fact. He was in the neighborhood the night of the murder. Everyone look at that fact. And therefore, he's guilty." And you kind of sneak it in, imply it. And that's what you're doing to yourself right now. "Look at the fact. I don't have a left foot. Therefore, I'm not attractive. Women won't like me and I'm tired that women will like me" just sneak it in. I'm not attractive and women won't like me. But that conclusion is false. Absolutely 100%, 1000% false and the only thing that's keeping you from seeing that is the story and the avoidance that comes from a story, right?
Because we're like, "I didn't go talk to that woman on the dorm so I never found out what the truth was and so as a result, my story could remain true." And that's how we keep ourselves stuck in the story, right? It's like well, I didn't do it so therefore obviously it never will work out anyway. It's a closed loop. "I know she's not going to like me. I don't go talk to her and then I never get any results and so, I further conclude that women don't like me because I'm not getting any results." Is that making a sense to you? Do you see the insanity of this? Do you see the absurdity of this? Do you see how this is going to keep you stuck for the rest of your life? And believe me I have met people that are in their 40s or in their 50s that are stuck. They are either single or they got into one relationship when they were 22 years old with a woman they didn't really even like or that was mean or abusive to them but they just, that's what they could get and now they have a family and they want a divorce and they're in bad shape, all because they believe the story.
And so I'm hope I'm jarring your home shaking a little bit because we have to wake up out of this trance and we have to start testing out what really happens. We have to be real. We have to look at reality and not live in this fantasy world of this fear. That's really just designed to keep us safe, right? We just don't want to get rejected so we come up with this elaborate plot to not get rejected. But guess what? That safety is killing you. It's strangling you, strangling the life force right out of you. The purpose of life is not to be safe a thousand percent of the time to feel safe. You want to feel safe live in a bunker and wait for the world to crumble around you, safe in your bunker. You're not interacting with the world. You're total isolated alone miserable, at least I'm safe. Damn it. So, let's break out of that. How can we do that? In fact, we're going to take a little break right now. When we get back, I'm going to teach you how to break free of that, how to start shifting these stories, letting go of this bullshit and just getting out there and seeing what really happens. So, stay tune, we'll be back right after this.
How To Take Charge Of Your Dating Destiny
So, how do you take charge of your dating destiny? How do you take charge? The first thing you must do is realized I am not an effect in the world, I am a cause. I am not controlled entirely by the winds and currents. I have an ore. I have a rotor. I have a map. I have a steering where and I am going to guide my boat to the island that I want. I am in charge.
Now of course there is current, there is wind. I can't predict what every single woman is going to do. I can't control that one particular woman to want me, no. So, those are the winds. Those are the currents. Those are the unknowns and unpredictable elements of life that's what makes it fun and exciting, right? But I can still choose the ultimate destiny whether that's an outstanding relationship, fun dating experiences, a wife, a family. Whatever it is, whatever the ultimate outcome of your dating destiny would be, that island that you want to go through, the tropical paradise that you can control. You're getting there, my friend. You just stir your ship towards it. And what you have to do is you have to move into the reality, move into the interactions, stop avoiding them. Stop avoiding women. Stop avoiding women you're attracted to. Oh, my God, the nickel, for every time I saw a woman I was attracted to and then I pretended like I didn't notice her. Because I thought, well, she's going to think I'm real cool like I don't even care.
And guess what? She never even noticed me and I never talked to her, right? So, it doesn't work. Drop it. Drop the act. Just experiment what really happens. When I go talk to that woman, what really happens? Does it go well? Does it go poorly? Does she laugh? Does she not want to talk to me? How do I handle it like you're really nervous? Do I stumble over my words? Do I stand there awkwardly, right? Who knows? Let's find out. Let's find out because guess what? The first time you go up and talk to a woman, you're probably going to go down in flames and the second time you talk to a woman, you're probably going to go down in flames. I tell stories about this in my program 30Days to Dating Mastery. I mean if you really want to take charge of your dating destiny, you want to go much deeper than this episode. Check out 30Days to Dating Mastery, my program 30DaystoDatingMastery.com.
You will learn step-by-step all of this stuff, how to change your self-esteem, how to see yourself differently, how to know your strengths and your value with women then how to interact with people, how to be more comfortable just starting conversations and let go of embarrassment, free yourself from that fear of rejection and get out there and start talking to specifically women and you work your way up step-by-step so you're not jumping into the deep end like tomorrow go out and talk to five beautiful women. I mean that could be overwhelming.
So, we do step-by-step to gradual exposure model and it's getting phenomenal feedback so check that out if you want to go deeper. But I talked about in that program is my experiences, the first three times I tried to talk to women. I went down in flames. Oh, my God, it is just so embarrassing just her looking at me like, "Who is this guy?" and I was sounding so nervous and shifty-eyed and sweating out my armpits and my forehead was probably sweating. He was a mess. But guess what? I didn't die. I did not die. I survived and sure, I was a little uncomfortable and at that time I didn't have much self-compassion so I beat the crap out of myself, but in 30 Days to Dating Mastery, I also and from this podcast, you'll learn all about, a lot more about self-compassion, right? So, you got to treat yourself with kindness along the way.
Learn how to handle the rejection with kindness, with mercy, with forgiveness. You don't want to treat yourself like kicking a dog or something. It is like, "Hey, man that sucked. That was pretty awkward." Call a friend, talk about it, laugh about it and then guess what? Get back out there and see what happens again. Because then let's say you get better, let's say you get more comfortable, let's say you get more at ease, not by getting it all perfect in your head or watching some pickup artists' program that tells you the 43 texts to send her so she'll sleep with you without ever having to look her in the eye. I mean it's absurd. But that's what we want, right? Because that's safe driven party he was like, "Oh, I can get laid without any risk whatsoever." And guess what? It's a fantasy. It's a lie. It's marketing.
The reality is you got to get out there and you got to test it. Now you can get better. You can learn strategies to improve your chances, that's what I teach in the 30 Days program but no amount of strategy is going to help you unless you start getting out there and talking to woman after woman after woman. Start small. Start small. Start by walking down the street and when you see a woman that you're attracted to, just saying hey as you walk by, how's it going? Hey. She probably won't respond to you. Often times, women don't respond in that situation, sometimes they do but don't expect it. You might have big dark sunglasses on and walking fast, that's okay. It's not about the responses. It's about practice. It's about getting comfortable and then working your way up. There are so many ways. I can't get into all that now because we have limited time but you got to work your way up. The key is to test it out and see what really happens and when you do, you'll realized dude the stories didn't matter at all. I dated many, many amazing, intelligent beautiful women and it didn't – my eyes didn't change and I get skin grafts to cover up certain pigmentation in my eye. I have a beautiful amazing life right now.
The most amazing woman I could find that I chose out of all the women that I was dating, I was the selector and I chose the most amazing fit for me and it's incredible and my eyes didn't change, I'm in good shape. Physically, I take care of my body but I'm not muscular buff dude. I didn't gain 30 pounds of muscle. I still have skinny legs, right? And so, this stuff doesn't matter and I have so many women I've interacted with and the same can be true for you and a person after person I've talked to and I've worked with directly or that I've heard feedback from 30 Days to Dating Mastery that they realized that it doesn't affect them in any way to have these flaws or these shortcomings. It's just their story. In fact it's time for you to break out of your story which brings us to your action step.
Action Step
Today's action step is short and simple. Go out there and do it. Hey, hey, do it. Do it. Go talk to a woman, just one. Go talk to one woman today even if it's just "Hey, what time is it?" Ask her what time it is if you're terrified to talk to a woman. Just get out there and do it. Hey, do it. Jump, take the leap. Find out what really happens and you will see that you're going to learn from it and whatever happens, view it as a process. That's what I talk about and 30 Days to Dating Mastery you'll see I talked about as a process where you are going to go step-by- step. You want to look at each individual interaction with a woman as the end or be all. You have interactions to burn. You're just practicing it. It's okay if this one doesn't respond to you, there will be another opportunity and if you really want to get more comfortable talking to women, I want to offer you a free gift.
If you go to 30DaystoDatingMastery.com that's the number 30DaystoDatingMastery.com and then enter your email there, I'm going to send you a free copy of my eBook Seven Ways to Start Conversations with Women Anywhere Anytime. So, go there and get that now to help you with your action step for the day. It will give you just a bunch of simple ideas and the feedback I've gotten, I was talking to one guy who got 30Days to Dating Mastery recently and he said there are so much pickup artists stuff out there so I go your free eBook there and I started reading it. I was like, "Who is this guy?" These were like basic obvious simple ways to start conversations. They're normal, they're casual. It's about working on myself and my own confidence and it's not about some weird script to seduce her and it felt awesome feedback because that's exactly my intention is to help you be a real normal person.
You know most guys don't want to become the next world's greatest pickup artist. They just want to be comfortable talking to women, meet some awesome women, have some great dates, find a great girlfriend, have a wife, and have a family. I mean, just be a normal person and that's exactly what that eBook will help you do. So, go get your copy now at 30DaystoDatingMastery.com. And that about brings us to the end of our show today and to circle it back around to the beginning, Valentines Day and just go easy on yourself. Don't attack yourself.
Don't criticize yourself. Don't say I'm a loser. If there is dissatisfaction, if there is frustration, if there is pain, good. Use it. Get that eBook.
Get out there and talk to women. Start practicing. Start working on yourself. Work on your self-esteem. You can improve this area. I am a living proof of that. Everything I've shared in this podcast is 100% true. It's not increased for dramatic effect. Those are my real experiences and then my life completely shifted and I've worked with people, hundreds of people face to face and seeing the same results, thousands of people through these programs and seeing the results, the same can be true for you. So, use that frustration to take action. Don't criticize yourself. Attacking yourself does not bring you closer to your goals, to your dreams, to your ultimate potential. So, have that compassion for yourself, turn that frustration into fuel and take charge of your dating destiny. I've enjoyed spending the time with you today. I look forward to speaking with you next week and until we talk again, may you have the courage to be who you are and to know that you are awesome.
Music Credit
All music is licensed or royalty free.
DeepSound – Rain Clouds
(Licensed through Pond5.com)
Ask The Shrink:
Boccherini Minuet
(Licensed through Pond5.com)
Action Step:
Justin Crosby – Skrillit
(Licensed through Pond5.com)
Lokfield – Terra's Theme Dubstep
(Creative Commons License)


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- September 11, 1926 - November 9, 2017
- Rolling Meadows, Illinois
of Rita's Passing
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Rita Q. Lee, 91 of Rolling Meadows, formerly of Arlington Heights was born September 11, 1926 in Chicago to John and Irene (nee Tracy) Quill and passed away November 9, 2017. Rita was a teacher at Our Lady of the Wayside School in Arlington Heights for 25 years. She had a wonderful smile, quick wit and loved to host a party. She will be missed by many. Rita was the beloved wife of John W. Lee and the late James T. Sweeney, Jr; loving mother of Mary Pat (Nick) Barmantje, Brian J. (Teddi) Sweeney, Christine S. (Tim) Richards and the late James P. (Mona) Sweeney and the late Kevin Sweeney; cherished grandmother of Corinne, Matthew and Kaelin Sweeney, J.T. (Judy) and Sean Sweeney, Kevin (Nicole) Barmantje, Dan (Emily) Barmantje and Katie (Mike) Parisi, Kelly, Jake, Brendan and Samantha Sweeney and Michael and John Richards; great-grandmother of Jordan, Mykaela, Trinity, Hunter, Owen, Carter and Kevin; dear sister of Bill Quill and the late Don and Jack Quill; fond sister-in-law of Thomas (Eileen) Sweeney, Mary Eder and the late Robert E. (Sonia) Lee and Patrick (Deborah) Lee. Visitation will be Monday, November 13, 2017 from 3-8 PM at Lauterburg & Oehler Funeral Home, 2000 E. Northwest Highway, Arlington Heights. Prayers will be said on Tuesday, November 14 at 10:15 AM at the funeral home and proceed to Our Lady of the Wayside Church, 440 S. Mitchell Street, Arlington Heights for funeral mass at 11:00 AM. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Our Lady of the Wayside School Annual Fund (please note in memory of Rita Lee on check), 434 W. Park Street, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 appreciated.


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- Usual AM routine. Morning Prayer in the cathedral. With Sue on vacation and the Archdeacon away on state business (he serves as an appointed member of the Ethics Commission), I had the Round House to myself. Tried not to cause too much damage, surprising a few people by being first up on the phones and declaring it "casual Friday" by showing up in khakis and a blue button-down shirt. No one saw me, though.
- Spent the morning and the first part of the afternoon producing a draft of a homily for when I visit St Matthew's, Bloomington a week from this Sunday. Sometimes sermons just seem to write themselves and sometimes it's like giving birth. This was more toward the latter.
- Lunch at home. Leftovers.
- Had a good phone conversation with Cameron Nations, a first-year seminarian from our diocese at the University of the South.
- Spoke by phone with the dean of the Darrow Deanery ahead of this pre-synod meeting this Sunday.
- Spent some prayer time on You Tube. Seriously. There are a couple of seriously fine hymn texts having to do with the cross of Christ, set to some seriously fine music. Holy Cross Day duly observed.
- Laid out the broad strokes of my address to the 2012 annual synod of the diocese next month. Lots of development and refinement still ahead.
- Evening Prayer in the cathedral.
The online diary of the Right Reverend Daniel Martins, Bishop of Springfield (Episcopal Church)
Friday, September 14, 2012
Holy Cross
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LIFE Before Death The Pain Research, Education and Policy (PREP) program within is honored to be one of the global sites selected to host a world premier simulcast of LIFE Before Death on Thursday, February 2, 2012 from 3 - 5:15 PM.
Our screening of this award-winning, multinational documentary on the global crisis in undertreated pain is open to all who are interested - clinicians as well as the general public -- at no cost. The film was made possible through support of several organizations, including the International Association for the Study of Pain , the Mayday Fund , and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) . This event is in conjunction with WHO's annual World Cancer Day on Feb 4.
We are pleased that Judy Foreman , a nationally syndicated health journalist and author, will open with an introductory overview. After the screening, a panel of palliative care clinicians and PREP faculty, joined by Ms Foreman, will present their reflections and conduct a conversation with the audience.
DATE: February 2, 2012
PLACE: Wolff Auditorium, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Boston, MA
80% of all people globally lack adequate access to essential pain medicine. More than 3.3 million people die with untreated moderate or severe pain from cancer and HIV each year.
Please view the "trailer" about this unique documentary. Attached is a flyer for download and display. Please forward this information to colleagues and lists that may have a personal or professional interest in addressing the problem of undertreated pain.


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Big Brains!
On 12th March, several of our pupils took part in a livestream web event with some of the top innovators at IBM (International Business Machines). The streaming came in from New York and our pupils were able to watch and interact with the panelists over the web. Several of our tweets to the panelists were re-tweeted and one of our questions about future computing was taken up and answered by the panel. Pupils asked questions about cognitive computing and 'big data' and the storage of vast amounts of information. What a fantastic, inspiring opportunity for these pupils to hold global conversations with the leading STEM specialists of their time. The event tied in nicely with international women's day, and featured primarily, leading females. It was titled 'Where do you see yourself in five years?'
Well done to all the pupils who represented our school so well. Who knows, maybe one day THEY will be livestreaming with the future pupils of Darwen Vale inspiring and encouraging a new generation of STEM enthusiasts!
Miss Hugill


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Do you want to turn your home into the ideal house? You can accomplish just about any home-improvement goal if you set your mind to it. Home improvement projects aren't only useful; they could also be fun. It can be easily done if you keep these simple, but effective, tips in mind.
If your floor is generally squeaky, you can make use of construction adhesive to quiet it. While this requires you to complete the work from a basement or crawlspace, the result is well worth your trouble. Apply some glue to each floor joist with the aid of a caulking gun to secure them to the floor planks.
For an economical approach to floor tiling, consider installing vinyl instead of ceramic or stone. This peel-and-stick brand of flooring comes in a wide variety of colors and styles. It can look just like stone or wood, and it's very tough, easy to clean up, and it can take a beating. Vinyl flooring can be purchased a set of tiles or as a sheet for covering larger areas at once.
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Don't decide on any major home renovations without taking a look at homes in brand new subdivisions. At an open house, you'll get a much better idea of current styles and how they might look in your home than you could get by taking a trip to the hardware store. Many model homes even hire a decorator to include window coverings and furniture to complete the effect, so you can copy the ones you like best and skip a lot of trial and error when updating your own home.
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Fender deluxe stratocaster (Pre-owned)
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2011/12 model
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*Please note this is a cash on collection sale only*
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** Please contact us directly for any international sales so we can provide a taylored solution.
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Fender deluxe stratocaster (Pre-owned)
- Brand: Fender
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- £1,099.00 -£100.00


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Published Aug. 21, 2013 by Imperial Beach Patch.
The city of Imperial Beach will vote Wednesday whether to approve an official response to a series of critical findings made in a report by the San Diego County Civil Grand Jury following an audit conducted within the last year.
The report criticized city, redevelopment agency and redevelopment agency successor agency spending and accounting practices and concluded that the city "needs to take strong action to get their financial house in order."
The city called 20 of 21 facts or findings addressed in the 15page response to the report inaccurate, misleading or incorrect.
The Imperial Beach City Council, Mayor Jim Janney and City Manager are required by state law to issue an official response to San Diego County Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert Trentacosta by Aug. 26.
Instead the city issued a single letter on the behalf of all three parties.
The report titled "Imperial Beach Finances – A City Under Stress" was released May 28. The audit was carried out by San Diego County accounting staff for the civil grand jury and stated that the city and redevelopment agency kept inaccurate legal services records and made several other mistakes in its accounting.
Among statements labeled facts by the grand jury that the city disagrees with:
The city continues to be dependent on redevelopment agency tax increments for a substantial amount of its operating budget.
Legal services were not properly recorded.
Redevelopment expenses were understated $1.7 million in fiscal year 201011. Shared labor costs that allowed redevelopment funds to pay part of city salaries were inadequately accounted for and incorrectly reported.
The only fact or finding Janney in part agreed with is that the city's redevelopment agency accounting procedures were flawed, noting that "there is always room for improvement."
"The city partially agrees with this finding, although the city object to the use of the word 'flawed' which may have an unnecessarily harsh connotation not applicable to immaterial misstatements," the letter stated.
Several of the report's recommendations have already been implemented, the letter stated. The city does not intend to follow a recommendation that it study the amount of time spent on redevelopment activity versus city activity.
The city also does not intend to follow a recommendation that it change how it classifies legal costs between the city and redevelopment activity, calling the step "unwarranted."
In April, in what is thought to be one of the first actions of its kind in San Diego, the city filed a temporary restraining order against the grand jury in April to block their ability to use specific records related to the city's legal fees.
A Superior Court judge sided with the grand jury and lifted the restraining order at a court hearing month later.


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About Sanese Pippen
The Creative Vessel
It was never supposed to be this way. I was never supposed to major in art. I was never supposed to become an artist. This was never supposed to be my career... Shhhh. Can you hear that? That's God still laughing at my long list of no's and never's.
The biggest irony of my career is that before I'd gone to college, I thought I was completely void of any artistic talent outside of music. I had so many bad experiences in previous art classes that I actually hated art. When I decided to major in photography, I hadn't realized photography was form of art. So you can cool believe I was utterly confused when my professor handed me an 8 hour assignment to paint a series of 2 inch squares on my first day. I wish I could tell you that my heart fluttered and opened up to the infinite possibilities of art after that assignment. I wish I could tell you that I fell in love with the skill and couldn't get enough of it. Instead, I was frustrated. The perfectionist in me was appalled that I struggled so hard with such simple assignments and nothing rivals impatience like the elongated process of producing art. For two years, I simmered in my inadequacy until I took a drawing class my sophomore year and discovered that my perfectionism actually helped me to draw what I see fairly well.
The class was geared towards experimenting with different mediums and it inspired me to experiment with spray paint, the one art medium I had always been fascinated by. Now this is the part where I'm supposed to say cupids arrow finally found its mark the moment my fingertips gripped the can because I was a natural. Ha! Not quite. I can confidently say I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or how to control it....and I loved it!! For the first time in my entire life, here was this thing I couldn't control or plan and yet the end result still came out beautiful in all its abstract glory. The pressure to produce something specific was gone. The pressure to meet my own unrealistic standards, or anyone else's, was gone. Every piece was a surprise in itself. My abstract art quickly became a place of freedom from the self-control freak that was once me and I was there every chance I could spare.
It wasn't until a year or two later did I realize why I letting go allowed me to paint so freely. The paintings weren't my idea. They were God's. All I was doing was manifesting the visions he had downloaded into me. But the only way, I was able to manifest His visions was by letting go. The moment I tried to control the flow of creativity, I would lose my ability to paint. Realizing what was truly happening, opened my awareness to the fact that God was using my paintings to talk to me. They were subtle messages at first, but the more engrained in the process I became, the more complex our conversations became through each phase of the creative process.
The real catalyst in my career was the cliff I fell clean off of when I took my first steps as a career artist. For 6 months after I graduated college, I traveled around Atlanta, showing my work in as many art shows as I could find and for 6 months I struggled to sell much of anything. I knew I had an audience. Numerous people had inquired about purchasing my work. It was what motived me to try my hand as a career artist to begin with. I thought maybe my prices were too high, so I lowered them. Still, my work didn't sell. It didn't take me long to start get discouraged about the career path. Thoughts of keeping my work to myself crept in steadily. That is until I was featured at Pancakes and Booze, one of the biggest shows in Atlanta. For 5 hours, I stood in front of my art and used it to candidly talk about God and the things He was teaching me, just as I had been doing for the last 6 months. 5 hours later, I still hadn't sold anything but I didn't care because I had had entirely too much fun ministering to people. Talking about what I had been through made people comfortable enough to talk about what they had been going through. I got the chance to encourage people about their situations and, if you know me, that is by far one of my favorite things to do. I walked away from Pancakes and Booze with a new understanding of my purpose and a fresh fire under my growing passion. My artwork is not just about me. It's not just about some extra change on the side while I write my book. It's about ministering to people through my artwork in the most flexible way possible.
In the last year and half, I've fully embraced the purpose of my work, putting Gods conversations ahead of my own ambitions. He has challenged me to take my work to the next level and produce conceptual art, creating a more dynamic visual to describe our in-depth conversations. Only beauty can come from the alignment of purpose and ambition. So long as He is the Visionary, I will always be His Vessel.
"God is the Visionary. I am the Vessel."


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Elsevier's DirectCourse Can Help States Meet and Exceed New CMS Requirements for Home and Community-Based Services
Elsevier's DirectCourse online curricula provides states and agencies with tools for implementing competency-based training to comply with new CMS requirements
Elsevier's DirectCourse online curricula provides states and agencies with tools for implementing competency-based training to comply with new CMS requirements
Philadelphia, PA, March 3, 2015
Elsevier's DirectCourse is offering a new crosswalk tool to help providers of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) implement competency-based training for direct service workers as a means to comply with new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations.
CMS amended the regulations, effective March 17, 2015, to enhance the quality of services and provide additional protections for Medicaid beneficiaries receiving services at home or in the community – people with mental illnesses, intellectual or developmental disabilities, and physical disabilities. Those individuals are often supported by agencies that employ a workforce who need competency-based training to help persons with disabilities to remain in home and community settings.
"The new regulations are an indication of ongoing efforts by CMS to encourage Home and Community-Based Waiver state and providers to support individuals in ways that maximize their autonomy, independence and personhood," said Valerie Bradley, President of the Human Services Research Institute. "To that end, it is extremely important that states and providers take advantage of progressive training tools, such as DirectCourse, to improve the capacity of organizations and their staff to operate in ways that align with the strong person-centered values in the new regulations."
The Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC/CL) at the University of Minnesota created the crosswalk tool to show how DirectCourse's College of Direct Support (CDS) aligns with these new regulations. This easy-to-follow crosswalk demonstrates how CDS, which provides competency-based training for direct support professionals, maps to the new HCBS requirements, helping state agencies to demonstrate compliance. The new requirements call for direct support professionals to support the development and implementation of person-centered service plans; ensure an individual's basic rights, such as rights of privacy, dignity and respect; and informed choices regarding their services and supports.
"States need to develop a transition plan that will bring them into compliance," said Hajo Oltmanns, Senior Vice President, Performance Management & Services, Elsevier Clinical Solutions. "As states and agencies seek to meet and exceed these new standards, DirectCourse is an excellent resource to help them achieve this new level of quality service delivery."
The new regulations also define a more advanced concept of "community life" and the role and value of people with disabilities in their communities. The regulations serve to advance the quality of services to all people and raise the bar for community supports, which also is the mission of DirectCourse.
Other curricula within the DirectCourse suite offer training to community mental health practitioners and physical disabilities (College of Recovery and Community Inclusion and College of Personal Assistance and Caregiving, respectively), which also support the new HCBS Regulations. To learn more about DirectCourse, please visit www.directcourseonline.com.
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps scientists and clinicians to find new answers, reshape human knowledge, and tackle the most urgent human crises. For 140 years, we have partnered with the research world to curate and verify scientific knowledge. Today, we're committed to bringing that rigor to a new generation of platforms. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 39,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com
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