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Global Ecommerce Acceleration Platform
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Reach a wider market and increase conversions with our powerful payment platform. We work with you to remove the complexities of global payment management so you can focus on your customers and scale fast in the safest, most cost-effective way.Let's talk revenue growth
Truly be able to offer your customers competitive prices. We help you optimize your payment system so you can securely handle global transactions while minimizing foreign exchange rate fees and obliterating compounding banking fees.Learn more about our advantage
Going global has never been easier. Our API offers you complete customization for a seamless fit into any ecommerce solution. And our unparalleled support team ensures you have everything you need to get and stay up and running.Explore resources to get you started
A Global Market
Whether you like it or not, if your business is online, it's already global. Potential customers from around the world are looking at your site and are ready to make a purchase. Are you set up to handle them?Learn about going global
Did you know...
82% of online shoppers have made at least one purchase online from a merchant abroad.
Did you know...
46% of online shoppers feel it is not important if the retailer is based overseas or not.
Global Customer Experience
Companies spend countless resources improving their sites so customers can shop hassle-free. But the customer experience is always limited if you aren't optimized for global business. And this could be costing you millions in lost revenue.Learn how Reach will improve your CX
Local Payment methods
Visa and Mastercard are not universal. Many countries are dominated by foreign payment methods unique to their area. If you are not set up to process international transactions, you are losing their business.
Works with all foreign currencies
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"Our clients are looking to compete with the best retailers in local markets and we require a global payments partner that can continuously educate them along their journey. Reach has proven to be a complete partner helping our clients grow globally. "
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Michelle Rhee's advice: Stop overpraising kids
StudentsFirst chief Michelle Rhee is a lightning-rod figure in educational reform, and I talked to her at length for my ''Patt Morrison Asks'' column. Her goal of a tough-love, top-to-bottom overhaul of public schools doesn't stop in the classroom or with teachers; even how we reward our children is in need of a makeover, she told me.
As an example, her own daughters, she says in a radio commentary, "suck" at soccer, yet they have so many medals and ribbons, "you'd think I was raising the next Mia Hamm."
And that is not, to her mind, a good thing:
The practice of applauding kids for taking part and trying their best, whatever the results -- you are concerned that we overpraise kids.
I think it's a huge problem. We don't want to make kids feel bad. I tell the soccer story: One of the soccer leagues my kid was in wanted to stop keeping score because they didn't want the kids on the losing team to feel bad. That's so ridiculous. Life is about sometimes losing and being able to tough it out, and if you're not as good, you know you've got to put in the hard work to get better. If we're creating this cocoon for kids where they think that if they just try their best, we can tell them that's sufficient -- that is doing a disservice to kids in the long run.
Shouldn't you also hold the soccer coach responsible, the way you'd hold the teacher responsible?
Saying "we're not going to keep score" is the same as saying "we're not going to look at student achievement levels." A coach's win-loss record is the basis on which [the coach] is paid. If you were to say, "We're going to stop keeping score; we're going to evaluate coaches on how they're inspiring team spirit" -- are you kidding me? People would go ballistic!
An L.A. teacher reviews her review
Patt Morrison Asks: Hard lessons with Michelle Rhee
Does the Miramonte case argue for cameras in the classroom?
-- Patt Morrison
Photo: Michelle Rhee is seen at Good Housekeeping's 'Shine On' Women Making History theatrical event at Radio City Music Hall on April 12, 2011 in New York. Credit: Evan Agostini / AP Photo

subset: commoncrawl


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Bombshell is both light on its feet and a punch in the gut.
Bombshell is both light on its feet and a punch in the gut.
It's excruciating and exhilarating.
Roger Ebert on James Ivory's "Howards End".
"The Ballad of Narayama" is a Japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. What a space it opens…
An article about today's noon premiere of a new movie about architect Benjamin Marshall at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
An article about the screening of Horace Jenkins' "Cane River" on Friday, November 1st, at the Academy Film Archive in Los Angeles.
Scout Tafoya's video essay series about maligned masterpieces celebrates Steven Soderbergh's Solaris.
An article about today's noon premiere of a new movie about architect Benjamin Marshall at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
An FFC on Gavin Hood's Official Secrets.
A celebration of Yasujiro Ozu, as written by a Far Flung Correspondent from Egypt.
An interview with director Jay Roach about Bombshell.
Leading the Netflix movies was Marriage Story, which received six nominations.
It's no surprise to me that Amy Adams is enchanting. She won my heart in "Junebug" (2005), where she told her clueless husband: "God loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to let you stay that way."
You should have seen "Junebug" by now, which means you will not be surprised by how fresh and winning Amy Adams is in "Enchanted," where her role absolutely depends on effortless lovability.
She's so lovable, in fact, she starts life as an animated princess in a Disney-style world. The birds, flowers, chipmunks and cockroaches even love her and do her bidding. Listen, if you could employ the roaches of the world, you'd have a hell of a work force.
The princess is named Giselle, she has a beautiful singing voice, and although she resists singing "Someday My Prince Will Come," I think she's always humming it to herself.
One day her prince does come. This is Prince Edward (James Marsden), and it is love at first sight, and there are wedding bells in the air before the wicked Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) puts the kibosh on romance by banishing Giselle to a place as far as possible from this magical kingdom. That would be Times Square. It is so very far, indeed, that the movie switches from animation to real life, and stays there. But the animated prologue does a good job of setting the stage, so that we understand the ground rules of what will essentially be a live-action story playing by Disney animation rules. What results is a heart-winning musical comedy that skips lightly and sprightly from the lily pads of hope to the manhole covers of actuality, if you see what I mean. I'm not sure I do.
Anyway, Prince Edward follows her to New York, along with his manservant Nathaniel (Timothy Spall in full Jeeves sail) and her chipmunk. But do not rush to the conclusion that Giselle and Edward find love in Gotham, because there is the complication of Robert (Patrick Dempsey), a handsome single dad she meets. He's bringing up a daughter named Morgan (Rachel Covey), and Morgan of course likes her on the spot, when she ends up living with them as a homeless waif from an unimaginable place.
Not so welcoming is Nancy (Idina Menzel), who already fills the girlfriend slot in Robert's life. She's nice enough, but can she hold her ground against a movie princess? Not in a PG-rated world. So the romance and the adventure play out in ways that would be familiar enough in an animated comedy, but seem daring in the real world. First we get animation based on reality ("Beowulf") and now reality based on animation.
The movie has a sound background in Disney animation, starting with director Kevin Lima ("Tarzan," "A Goofy Movie") and the music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, who composed songs for the soundtracks of Disney's "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." More important, it has a Disney willingness to allow fantasy into life, so New York seems to acquire a new playbook.
We know, for example, that there are bugs in Manhattan. Millions of them, in a city where the garbage left overnight on the sidewalk must seem like a never-ending buffet. But when Giselle recruits roaches to help her clean Robert's bathtub -- well, I was going to say, you, you'll never think of roaches the same way again, but actually, you will. I am reminded of "Joe's Apartment" (1996), which used 5,000 real roaches, and of which I wrote: "That depresses me, but not as much as the news that none of them were harmed during the production."
Anyway, the roach scene is soon over, and the scheming begins, much aided by Sarandon's evil queen, who fears the specter of her son Edward marrying the unworthy Giselle. I am not sure Robert and Morgan fully understand from whence Giselle comes, but they respond to the magic in her, and so do we.
A Far Flung Correspondent weighs in on the MCU controversy.
The top 50 shows of the 2010s.
This message came to me from a reader named Peter Svensland. He and a fr...
A review of the newest film by Quentin Tarantino.


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Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Aloft Orlando Downtown
There was a Spring Fling presented by Orlando Style Magazine at Aloft Orlando Downtown (500 South Orange Ave Orlando, FL) on April 10th. I didn't even know that this building nestled between OUC and City Hall was a hotel. The evening was a way to celebrate the opening of the W XYZ Bar and Re:mix Lounge with the City's Premiere Luxury Lifestyle Magazine. There were select complimentary cocktails and appetizers, live Entertainment, fashion models and more at this Spring's most exclusive event. The dress code was Spring-Chic but I didn't get the memo. Neither did Bronze Radio Returns who performed live.
Fashion models were stationed all around the room showcasing skimpy swim suits. For heavens sakes, I could see their ankles! I sat on a couch and immediately started drawing the band. When I stretched my neck, I noticed two models right behind me on a mini stage. I wish I had noticed them earlier, I would have put them in the foreground. The music was lively and entertaining but it ended all too soon. Terry's office is right across the street, so she came down to join me. She sat across from me on the other couch and fingered her phone. Psi, a former co-worker of hers stopped in and they went outside where it was less noisy to talk.
Several people introduced themselves to me as I worked and I picked up their business cards. With the sketch done, I went outside to join Terry and Psi. There were so many beautiful people clustered around on the patio. Aloft is also a hotel. A pool sat unused on the other part of the patio. Psi said the rooms at Aloft are rather industrial and not in any way plush. If you want plush, then you stay at the Grand Bohemian across the street.
Prints are available for each sketch for $250 and many originals can be purchased for $400. White museum grade shadow box frames are $100 more. You can e-mail Thor at firstname.lastname@example.com
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Zombie Response Team
I write English not so well, but this thin string for sewing or fabric-making my funny wheel getickles. Baron von Schtupp
Anybody have a quiver that's worth mentioning? The one I have is a two-piece. I like them because it doesn't mess with the site. But this pos only grabs the arrows on one-end and then uses the arrow in the foam as the second attachment point. The hood doesn't even cover all of the broadhead. So the arrow is constantly loose and you have to be careful not to cut yourself.
Zombie Response Team
I write English not so well, but this thin string for sewing or fabric-making my funny wheel getickles. Baron von Schtupp
I've shot quiver-off almost my entire career, so I might not be much help. But I'm sure you can add a third attachment point and a deeper hood easily if you look around.
If I were looking for a new quiver, I would look at Kwikee (naturally), TreeLimb, Soft Loc and TightSpot. As far as I can tell, everyone else is just excess noise. I have long experience with each of them except the TightSpot, and they do the job. No major complaints.
By the way, do not visit TheTightSpot.com unless you're feeling frisky.
But don't let me stop you ...
A few years ago my wife and son gave me the two-piece Octane quiver. It had a magnet in the hood that held the arrows in place rather than foam. The problem was that they had an engineering/manufacturing defect with the aluminum part that attached each half to the bow that caused them to just sheer right off when you tried to tighten them down at all. I contacted Octane and they acknowledged the problem, saying it was an issue with one of their suppliers, but that it had since been worked out. They sent me replacements for the failed parts...and the replacements promptly failed in exactly the same way. A shame, really, as I really liked everything else about the quiver.
Don't go ninja-in' nobody don't need ninja-in'.
- Diemon Dave
LOL ... Okay.
I asked a stupid question ....


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Update Overload
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
4 Years Ago...
Posted by The Ames Family at 9:01 PM
2 Comments:
- Susanna said...
ADORABLE! Happy birthday Cyndi! :) I love your blog, it's awesome!
I'm a 16-year-old mormon girl from Finland. I'd love you to check my blog and leave your comment because YOU're a good blogger. http://susanna-behindmyeyes.blogspot.com
- April 23, 2012 at 11:46 PM
- Alex Bramwell said...
Hello, my name is Alex Bramwell and I work for Inspirational Art Shop. Firstly, I apologize for contacting you in the form of a comment, but I was unable to find any price contact information listed elsewhere on your page. That being said, I was wondering if you would be interested in becoming an affiliate with our website. if you are interested, please visit inspirationalartshop.com and click on the affiliate link at the bottom of the page for more information. thank you for taking the time to read this comment, and good luck with your blog!
- April 30, 2012 at 6:17 PM


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Event Grid SDKs for management and publishing
Event Grid provides SDKs that enable you to programmatically manage your resources and post events.
Management SDKs
The management SDKs enable you to create, update, and delete event grid topics and subscriptions. Currently, the following SDKs are available:
Data plane SDKs
The data plane SDKs enable you to post events to topics by taking care of authenticating, forming the event, and asynchronously posting to the specified endpoint. They also enable you to consume first party events. Currently, the following SDKs are available:
Next steps
- For example applications, see Event Grid code samples.
- For an introduction to Event Grid, see What is Event Grid?
- For Event Grid commands in Azure CLI, see Azure CLI.
- For Event Grid commands in PowerShell, see PowerShell.
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Clide Geffrard Jr. scored 22 points on 7-on-11 shooting from the field, and Samford defeated The Citadel 69-65 in a Southern Conference game on Saturday night.
Raijon Kelly and Tim Williams had 15 points apiece for Samford (5-12, 3-1), which claimed its first road victory against The Citadel and swept the season series. Samford also snapped a five-game losing streak against The Citadel dating to 2009.
Matt Van Scyoc led The Citadel with 19 points, Marshall Harris III had 12 points to go with seven assists, P.J. Horgan 11, and Mike Groselle pulled down 11 rebounds to go with eight points.
The Citadel has lost 10 games in a row.
The Citadel led for only 1 minute, 16 seconds, that coming in the first half. It closed to 63-62 on Ashton Moore's 3-pointer with 2:48 remaining, but Samford made six free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.


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The Intellectual Origins of Egyptian Nationalism
The Intellectual Origins of Egyptian Nationalism
Mr. Ahmad's book deals with a group of Egyptian thinkers who flourished in the early years of the present century. This may seem a subject remote from the problems of today, but in fact he is writing about the most important movement of modern thought in what is, from many points of view, the most important country of the Middle East. The unique geographical position of Egypt, at the meeting point of three Arab regions (the North African littoral, the Nile Valley, and the Arabian Peninsula with its northern fringes) gives her, as we all know, a vast potentiality of political influence--at least of negative influence, the power of obstructing the policies of other states--; but she has also had for many centuries a pre-eminence of another type. After the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad the centre of gravity of Islamic thought and Arabic culture moved to Cairo, and the Azhar Mosque-University became the home of the traditional sciences of religion and language. Then in the nineteenth century Egypt was the first Arab country and one of the first Muslim countries to begin the process of adopting the institutions which are characteristic of the modern world. She became the scene of an experiment which was of interest to all Arab and Muslim countries; and since she also became the centre of modern Arabic literature, the experiment was self-conscious and articulate. Among Egyptian Muslims, as among no others except perhaps those of India and Pakistan, the question was posed and debated, on what terms can the Muslim peoples become part of the modern world while remaining Muslim?
Although in principle subject to the Ottoman Sultan, the rulers of Egypt had considerable freedom of action, and Egypt became virtually autonomous from the time when Muhammad Ali seized power in the confusion created by the withdrawal of the French army of occupation. Once Muhammad Ali had consolidated his power he set himself the task of reforming the . . .


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Iris described participating in a Circus Camp show: "I wanted to be a beautiful rat, but they made me be a dumb old butterfly."
God, I love that child.
Meandering anecdotes and an occasional incisive comment, courtesy of an overeducated, feminist former-professional, who is continually outsmarted by her overly-gifted children and genius spouse and who seeks refuge in books, cocktails, and the occasional Xanax.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
my heart soared
Posted by the Drunken Housewife at 9:31 PM
2 comments:
- silliyak said...
Did it soar like a dumb old butterfly?
- silliyak said...
Here's some good news for rat lovers everywhere.
Researchers have decided to cease the use of rats in labs. They are going to use lawyers instead.
There are three reasons.
1. There are more of them
2. The researchers don't get attached to them. and finally
3. Lawyers will do things that rats never would.
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People who find themselves in deep duty problems experience the same symptoms, more or less: numerous sleepless nights spent in anxiousness with calculators available hoping to find some ways to get out of the mess they may be forced to endure loss of appetite caused by the strain of possible lawsuit reduced budgets for even things which are considered as necessities and depressive disorders because of the seeming hopelessness associated with things. Indeed, over these times of despair, the tax resolution is always prayed for, one which would bring a finish to all these financial woes.
But how, precisely, would you be able to achieve a favorable tax decision? What are the options available for you personally?
* A tax resolution can finest be facilitated simply by an expert. If you would hire the services of a tax attorney, youre sure to have the finest representation when it comes to these tips. A tax lawyer would certainly inform you, quite effectively, the remedies you could avail of. If youre looking for one of the most favorable tax quality, then a tax legal professional is the best person to refer to.
* Lawyer, however,s can be quite expensive for even a much needed taxes resolution. A good alternative should be to procure the services of a tax advisor or possibly a tax accountant. A taxes advisor is an expert about tax matters and the complex workings of the field. He will charge regarding his services, however, not as much as a titled attorney. A tax accountants primary concern, however, is to prepare your tax forms and terms. But this doesnt preclude you from asking some doubts about the most favorable duty resolution you could acquire, given your circumstances that the tax accountant needs to be familiar with.
* Seek advice from online services with regard to prompt answers to your queries. Self-study is well and good, but when youre looking for definitive tax resolution, you would take some inputs from experts. There are a lot of online tax resolution services on the net.
The best tax decision you would be able to use, however, is not some thing post-problems. Rather, it is one thing you should do beforehand, and that's to exercise persistence. Through diligence in the steps you take that would impact your fiscal character, you would be able to lower your tax liability, stop onerous garnishments and prices, and prevent the delivery of liens. Practicing diligence prior to jumping into the waters would be the best way in order to avoid having to seek out the tax resolution afterwards.


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Originally published May 5, 2010
What is it about puppets? Doesn't matter what form they take, what cultural background they spring from – and they've been all over the place for milennia – puppetry remains one of the most popular and compelling performance forms in world theatre. It's probably an extension of our fascination with the craft and art of human representation, and provides the comfort of a more innocent age of amusement, harking as it does back to childhood. Not all puppetry is playful, however. Some of the world's great puppet theatres contain terrifyingly blood-thirsty plotlines and special effects designed to shock and scare the audience silly; Mr Punch from the British tradition is no exception.
In Australia we've run the gamut from quaint to quirky. Our most famous puppeteers include Peter Scriven, the creator of The Tintookies who toured for the Australian Elizabethan Trust in the 1950s, and Richard Bradshaw, whose whimsical shadow puppetry owes much to the great European shadow plays as well as the Indonesian Wayang Kulit. Currently touring Australia is the Erth Dinosaur Petting Zoo with its giant dinosaur puppets delighting and scaring the littlies silly, if this video is any indication. Definitely not for the small folk, though possibly even more terrifying is the … ahem … artistry of the hugely successful Puppetry of the Penis duo, Australians Simon Morley and David Friend.
Meanwhile, another home-grown troupe of live actors and puppeteers, accompanied by a little friend are currently playing in the !Metro Arts Independents Season in Brisbane. In a westernised version of the grand traditional Japanese Bunraku or 'doll theatre' (which we saw most recently at work in the touring Avenue Q), Dead Puppet Society under the direction of David Morton bring us The Timely Death of Victor Blott written by Maxine Mellor. This is one definitely not for the faint-hearted. Audiences are warned in a foyer notice that the play contains themes that may 'shock and offend.' Continue reading Review: The Timely Death of Victor Blott – Dead Puppet Society at !Metro Arts Independents


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From: Tusiime Miria May 9th, 2017 Tusiime Miria 0705676229 9/05/2017 Dear ministry of Gender labour and Social Development. RE:APPLICATION F...
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An important aspect of what we do as a foundation is evaluate all activities and measure the success of various campaigns.
As part of the education programme, we ask participants about their attitude to farm safety and risk taking before doing the workshop and immediately after and the results are extremely encouraging. To date this year:
Farm Safety is
relevant to me
Before – 87%
After – 89%
I would think twice
about taking risks
Before – 77%
After – 90%
I have thought about
injury or fatality
Before – 80%
After – 93%
In addition, the Foundation has been carrying out tracker research among our target audience of 18-40 year old young farmers to see how well we are doing.
Results over the past two years suggest that awareness of The Farm Safety Foundation's Yellow Wellies campaign is growing steadily and helping to create conversations about farm safety, particularly amongst Young Farmers Club members.
We have also conducted research among this audience to discover how well initiatives like Farm Safety Week work in creating this behavioural change.
In the July 2016 research 56% of those surveyed were aware of Farm Safety Week. A figure that has leapt up from 45% awareness in 2015.
This research is supported by NFU Mutual's Voice of the Farmer research – an annual survey of 1,200 farmers across the UK which delves into many aspects of modern farming life.
60% of all respondents were aware of Farm Safety Week, an increase in 6% on the previous year.
2015 – 54%
2016 – 60%
2015 – 30%
2016 – 36%
If you would like to find out more about our research into farm safety behaviours please contact firstname.lastname@example.com


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I've got a lot of work to do...internal work, heart work, soul work. I've allowed myself to get to a place that I don't like very much. I was telling myself that I didn't mind being where I was at. But that's not true. That was an excuse. I don't like where I'm at...or how I'm thinking...or how I'm feeling. Or how I'm acting for that matter.
We haven't been to church in about 2 months. That's a long time for a family who rarely missed a Sunday for over 10 years. We are a church-going family. We go to church...we pray before meals...we tithe...we serve and do bible studies and play instruments on worship teams.
But for the last 2 months...nothing.
It's not for lack of wanting to...but circumstances. Things happened. People happened. Humanity happened. And suddenly...we found ourselves without a home church. It was a weird feeling.
We visited a church we thought we'd like to attend...but on both visits not one person said one word to us. Not a hello...not a get out of here...nothing. Weird.
We took that as a cue from God that it's not where He wanted us. And that was fine.
Instead of continuing to look for a new church home, we decided to take some time to get our house in order...specifically the backyard. And it's been good to have the time to do this. For the past 10 years every weekend has been full of church or baseball or wrestling or something other than taking care of things around here. Now our weekends are full of making our backyard habitable. It's been really good.
But eventually we need to get back into church.
The thing about church is that people are at church. And people are...people. Imperfect people. Messed up people...as Joyce Meyer literally just said on TV, "Hurting people hurt people." True dat. It's not an excuse...just a truth.
And I will say...I got hurt. Pretty bad. That's the thing I've been trapped by for the past...oh, year or so. Hurt. I like to fancy myself more Godly...above being hurt...above being trapped by self-pity...ha. Like everyone else...I'm part of that whole "people" thing. I am imperfect. And I'm sure I hurt people, too...not on purpose. Not anymore, anyway.
No excuse.
There comes a time when we know better. And when we know better...we are expected to do better.
To whom much is given...much is required.
Can I just say...through all those years of hurt and confusion I learned a very valuable lesson. One morning I was praying...and I asked God why I was being treated in such a way by this person that I trusted.
"Why are you allowing this, Lord?"
And just like God always does...He answered quietly and simply and directly...
"Now you know how NOT to treat people."
Simple. And so HUGE. God allowed it so that I would learn from it. And so that I would never treat people the way that I was treated. And I pray...earnestly...that I NEVER inflict that hurt and that confusion and that pain on anyone else. If I fail...I pray for forgiveness. I ask the person I've hurt for their forgiveness...and I mean it. No sense in giving fake apologies...or empty forgiveness. Don't bother. Do it for them...not just to make yourself feel better.
No. I mean it. I don't want to hurt others. I want to encourage others. I want to build others up. I want to be a part of their success...not their stumbling. That is my desire...Lord I pray I do what my heart desires to do. I pray I am goodness and light to others...not a stumbling block...or a cork...or a hindrance. And if I am...SHOW ME so that I can STOP.
Yes...I've got some work to do. I need to get out of this rut. I need to get my focus back...keep my eye on the prize...and that prize is living my life for God. The prize is powering through my days here on Earth...being light in the darkness...so that one day, when I'm in heaven, I will see what it was all about...what it was all for...Jesus.
Jesus is the prize. He is the way...and the truth...and the life. Keep my eye on the prize...on Jesus...and my paths will be straight, my feet will not stumble, I will not grow weary, I will not faint...I will not be burned, I will not drown...keep my eye on The Prize.
Jesus. He is the prize.
And if I can just keep my eye on HIM, nothing else will matter. No hurt. No anger. Nothing.
If I keep my eyes on Jesus...my Prize above all prizes...all other things will fall into place.


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Eva Hammelmüller is an Austrian competitor and rock climber. She is the Lead European Champion and has several podiums from the international circuit. Eva climbs at the 8C level outside and tries to spend as much time as possible at the crag!
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The Montlake neighborhood, wedged between the Broadway and the University District neighborhoods, draws its urban feel from the waterway that cuts through it. Crafstman-style homes and one-story Tudor houses dominate the area and lend a placid air to the Montlake Cut, a part of the ship-bearing canal between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Montlake residents regularly walk across the Montlake Bridge to attend Washington Huskies football and basketball games on the weekends.
Montlake, Seattle
The Montlake neighborhood is located in Central Seattle. Homes for sale in Montlake include foreclosures (bank-owned homes), short sales, new construction, and traditional resale homes. Home styles range from condos to townhomes and single-family homes.
Our Montlake market research helps you make more informed decisions about homes in Central Seattle. Each week we publish market updates for Montlake, in its 98199 zip code. You can see the latest trends in pricing, affordability, supply and demand. We invest in this research so our clients always have the latest insights to make the best decisions with confidence.
Seattle's Montlake Neighborhood Real Estate Statistics For Zip Code 98199:.
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A tale of a long dog, his girl and the people that saved them
As a person with general anxiety disorder, one of my not-so-favorite pastimes includes imagining the death of my pets. Don't worry, it's not an all-the-time thing, it's a worrying process smooshed in there with contemplating my failures, considering the nasty thoughts my colleagues and superiors are harboring toward me and imagining my own (surely imminent) death in a fiery car or airplane crash. But, out of all these anxieties, the pet ones have the most emotional hold on me. Where the others remain a constant buzzing of the brain, an endlessly critical and overly careful set of voices in my head, the pet worries actually bring tears to my eyes and an ache to my heart.
I love both of my dachshund boys. Rupert is all stubborn personality and ass (he's got a big one). To Rupert, everything is about Rupert — feeding Rupert, letting Rupert sleep and sometimes, when he feels like it, carrying Rupert like a baby. Add burrowing under blankets and searching for floor foods and you've got a good chunk of his autobiography. My husband and I have had Rup since he was a grumpy puppy who couldn't believe the kind of miseries we subjected him to. "Grass?! You expect me to walk in this stuff? Ohmygod, is that a BEE?!"
I adopted Enzo after we'd had Rupert for a few years. I say "I" because my husband, Matt, wasn't so sure about him. A half wiener dog with behavioral issues due to previous abuse with a side of deep seated man-fear? What's not to love? His first day with us he clung to me for dear life and we cried — he for being left in a new place with a jerky big butt dachshund, and me for adopting him a.k.a. tearing him away from his "proper" home and the caretaker he loved. When Matt first approached him with the leash, Enzo bit him and ran away while pooping himself, but with time and many French fries, they became best buds. I think Enzo and I have always been joined at the hip (or his nose to my ankle) because Enzo is an anxious and needy person's dog dream come true. He always comes when called (heck, he comes when any other dog is called) and he's always down for a cuddle. You want to hug Enzo like a teddy bear? OK, he'll do that. You need someone who understands that things like cars and bikes, men and loud little children can be mean and dangerous? Enzo's your guy! We may live in fear, but we do so together.
But what do you do when your fuzzy friend in fear succumbs to your worst fears?
A few weeks ago Enzo was diagnosed with degenerative disc disorder. All of those flashes of him on the vet table, Matt and I comforting him, holding him, his little eyes confused then closing as he's put to sleep in our hands, these flashes became so much realer and too terrifyingly true. I cry like a fool when this worrying is completely unwarranted — with a real illness to deal with, you can imagine I was a total mess. Because a disc had slipped out of his spinal cord, Enzo lost feeling in his rear half. No tail stub tic-tocking his emotions, no bladder control. His walking became a pathetic tugging of his splayed hind legs across the carpet. The Anxiety Girl's dream dog was fulfilling her worst nightmares.
We immediately put the dog on crate rest so as not to further disturb his back. We took him to our vet and got him pain pills, we drove him to Ann Arbor to see a neurologist, but that's all we could do. An MRI priced at $2000 could tell us if the exploded disc was disappearing on its own or required surgery. A $6000 surgery could then either 1.) get the pup on the road to rehab and recovery or 2.) at least insure he wouldn't be in pain. With the second possibility Enzo would remain paralyzed but could become a candidate for little doggie back wheels.
Well, we had already spent $500 on the appointments and meds and we didn't have any more to give financially. We had tons more to give in terms of care and love. Worst feeling ever. As a family we were pretty much at rock bottom. . . until we got word that Rupert, who was vacationing with Matt's family, had eaten some rat poison he found in his cabin getaway. Okay, thanks, Rup *THAT* was rock bottom. He's fine. He apparently has an iron stomach and is some kind of doggie freak show wonder according the vet. Anyway, this is finally when things started changing.
The Ann Arbor vet, Dr. Issacs, and his team at the Dogwood Veterinary Referral Center (at the pleading of Andrea Conklin, a neuro vet tech and Enzo's saintly "dog mom" from above) decided that they could give us everything, the MRI and the surgery at cost. Andrea set up a Chip-In site where people could donate money towards Enzo's now $2000 care plan and boom, our fate wasn't quite as sealed as it had seemed.
Old friends, new friends, Facebook acquaintances, the moms and grandpas of people we'd met 5 years ago, people we've never heard of before — everyone started sending us money. And Enzo got what he needed. It happened too fast to understand fully but it's kind of miraculous. My dog, my baby boy, our Colonel Peebody, our little buddy is alive and working on getting better. All my worrying and anxiety came to fruition in Enzo's broken little body. We've had to carry his limp behind and express his bladder and see pain in his confused stare and send playful dorky Rupert away, but the people around us keep giving and helping.
That's the part that my sick premonitions forgot to mention. When the body gives out and the money runs out, your people will be there. People will care for a creature in need out of sympathy or empathy or because they love his old man eyebrows and bushy mustache, or simply because they love you enough to keep the nightmares at bay for a little while longer.


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It was silly early in India. At 5:00 AM the sun hid beyond the horizon, reflected light casting shadows over a dusty landscape dotted with multistory flats and makeshift tenements. There are few sounds, save a crow's piercing squawk, a cow's soulful moo, and the hum of the nearby concrete manufacturing facility. The unmistakable smell of burning plastic, wet wood, and cow dung permeate the dining room—a recurring beginning on a Newbie writer's journey.
After no small amount of discussion, my better half agreed to an assignment in India. I lobbied my employer for an unpaid leave of absence. When we shipped out in October 2015 we had three plans: work, travel, and write.
I'd dreamed of writing the "Great American Novel" since I can remember. But like most people, time, family, and personal commitments kept the written word an elusive nymph. As an analyst, my day-job included writing—mostly reports, analyses, assessments, and other boring blather. But the job sucked creativity from one's body like a litter of puppies at the teat. Then the bell sounded to depart, cutting through the dense fog of rationalizations—there were no more excuses.
I'd written a couple articles for publication, but I wasn't a writer. I desperately needed practice if I wanted to produce evenly remotely entertaining composition. So I did what many other would-be writer expats do when they find themselves wanting to practice prose while serving as their partner's full-time Chief of Staff—I started a blog.
The hardest part about writing a blog is idea generation. I spent time learning the technical aspects of web-based distribution, brand development, and HTML, but developing an idea, researching, analyzing, and producing meaningful, interesting, entertaining missives on a weekly basis was a recurring trip through deadline hell. Blogging is a writer's bootcamp.
Six months into the assignment I started the book. Sixteen months later, as if awakening from a long sleep, still groggy and bleary-eyed, I looked to find 61 blog posts, several more articles sold or accepted for unpaid publication, and 145,623 stale, plebeian words in a book I'd wanted to write since Captain Kirk met the tribbles.
The first draft was nothing if not a testament to the fact that anyone with a keyboard and ten fingers can click out pedestrian poppycock given a sufficient quantity of time, booze, and material. Initial editing served up a punishing slog through literary no-man's land. Then, after several days and as many chapters, I noticed the pace of edits quicken—chapters required less polishing the further they lived in the manuscript.
The results of writing—the book, the blog, articles—were startling. In addition to blog posts, a first chapter for a future book, and the random published article, the daily, petulant 5:00 AM alarms and pungent aromas culminated in a book with a second draft—soon to be a third. I doubt any of it is any good—at best a mildly non-boring adventure—but it's also not terrible. This idea of publishing, the formerly elusive nymph now tamed, becomes more attainable, more real with each stroke of the red pen. Soon it will take on the appearance of a short, manageable 70,000 word story, at which point there will be no more excuses.
If you like reading and writing, or enjoyed this article, or you're just feeling left out, subscribe to be notified as new material becomes available.
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Unless otherwise noted, I drew or took the photographs in the article—as lame as they may look. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is probably planned. Copyright can be found here for my original work.


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To make a $20 monthly donation - click here
Our funding comes from family donations and community support through individuals, businesses and local churches. We believe in a community supporting it's own neighbors. Therefore, we do not receive any government funding.
Donations can be made by credit card through our website or by check. Please contact us if you would like to sponsor a family. Event sponsorships are available.
We believe your tithes belong to your local church. Your donations to our organization are received as offerings to support the needs of our community.
The Little Closet Community Food Pantry is a ministry of The Good Shepherd Foundation, a (501)(c)(3) registered, faith-based, non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible. EIN #46-3243772.
Gifts may be restricted to a designated program or project or used in an unrestricted fund, to be applied wherever the need is greatest. All gifts can be made in honor or in memory of a friend or family member. Thank you for supporting The Little Closet Community Food Pantry!
The Little Closet Community Food Pantry - Samantha, AL
Click on "Donate" to make a Donation with a credit or debit card
Many thanks to Sulpher Springs FWB and Arbor Springs FWB for your monthly support; also to Doyle and Barbara Sanford, Kathy Anders, Rebecca Strickland, LaWanda Williamson and Becky Williamson-Martin
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At the Lighthouse church we hope that you would discover a warm and friendly community with a passoion for Jesus.
We strive to create an environment where all people can encounter God and grow in their own destiny.
We aim to reflect the kind of church described in the Bible, one that has relevant teaching, passionate worship,
honest friendships, constant in prayer and compassionate care for those in need.
Lighthouse church seeks to see a people having the kind of contagious Christianity that can influence people for good
encouraging those in Spalding and the surrounding area.


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Sauces now available for retail!
Swamp Yankee Sauces are officially available. We have Yankee Sauce which is a hearty, rich, sweeter sauce with a little kick. Swamp Sauce is a thinner, vinegar based sauce as you might find in the south. They are available directly from us for $5 a bottle plus shipping or you can pick up a bottle in Richmond, Maine at Anything Goes on Main Street or Uncle Tom's Market in Brunswick, Maine on Pleasant Street.


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Well. I don't know what went wrong, but, somehow our gingerbread house didn't exactly turn out well this year. lol. I have made those inexpensive little gingerbread houses with Bennett the past two years (2011 & 2012), and they've always stood up and stayed up.
But this year? Not so much. I mean, it was standing up at one point, like a house is supposed to. Here's proof.
And then... it just collapsed. lol. I don't think I let the frosting "set" long enough before we started messing with it! Plus, Bennett accidentally broke one of the roof pieces so we had to try and glue that together, too. The odds were against us from the start. But next year... I'll just use hot glue or buy a pre-made house. ;)
Didn't seem to matter at all, though. Bennett had a blast decorating his "cookies" as he called them. And I mean, the real point of doing this activity was to have a good time, and clearly, we did that. So I call it a success. Plus, kids don't care as long as they get to eat the candy along the way, right? ;)
Did you all make gingerbread houses this year? Was yours a disaster like ours was?? lol.


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Mr. Neil H. Borden is the initially man who used the term 'marketing mix' on his published report 'The notion of the Marketing and advertising Mix' in 1964. When it comes time to move across the state, across the country or even about the planet keep in mind the experienced pack and load group at Packing Service, Inc. The Organization is also engaged in customer product-associated packaging business enterprise through its packaging division, which is integrated in the branded customer meals segment, and by means of its subsidiary, CFC Clubhouse Property, Inc. Google, Inc.'s corporate culture mirrors the company's founders Larry Web page and Sergey Brin, who did not want the regular culture of corporations that came out of the greed is good" mantra of the 1980s.
In addition, it is essential that a business will create a habit assessing, 'Are all these goods or services are ideal for our customers nowadays?' for the reason that it is vital that the solutions of the company go well with the solution. Our turnkey packaging solutions also incorporate solution labeling, solution sourcing, and warehousing and inventory management. Google Inc.'s method of job style is staying away from monolithic hierarchies that stifle and distract creative tips.
A company need to have clear objectives no matter if a business wants to provide goods with solutions or just the item. We give packing and unpacking, loading and unloading, shrink wrap palletizing , crating and shipping solutions. Schmitt states If workers want complete handle then join the Marines." Google Inc.'s radical decentralized method to management structure is due to Google, Inc.'s founder's belief that breakthroughs come from questioning assumptions and smashing paradigms (Hamel, 2007).
If you have a packaging need to have or just require answers to packaging equipment questions in basic, give PSI Packaging Services, Inc. ICT and its subsidiaries give cargo handling and connected services to container, storage facilities and services, and roll-on roll-off (RORO) and anchorage solutions to non-containerized cargo or general cargo. Businesses are sensible to place front line workers initial because without having them, there would be no customers—no enterprise. Our team of pack and load specialists have comprehensive knowledge in all package solutions.
Believes in administering rewards and that fantastic organization culture is vital to enterprise results, consequently, Google hired a Culture Czar. When you are undertaking operate for a consumer, or packaging one thing they have purchased from you, normally give a small extra. The business and its subsidiaries are organized into two major business groupings: the mining small business beneath Philex Mining and the power and hydrocarbon business enterprise under Philex Petroleum Corporation (PPC).
If you have boxes for packaging, furniture in have to have of wrapping, international containers to be loaded or machine packing to be handled by experienced craters Packing Service, Inc. Is the packing enterprise that brings integrity and professionalism back to the moving services business by providing that white-glove service you would expect from a skilled packing corporation. Sterling Contract Packaging offers packaging design and style and engineering to deliver custom packaging solutions focused on the individual wants of your product. Verify out the rest of our site for further info on all of our services.


text: 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2012 The Nines 100% Grenache The grapes from this extremely limited bottling come from two very distinct blocks on our estate vineyard, blocks 9A and 9B. Block 9A is a Spanish Garnacha clone planted on our only northwest slope. The neighboring block, 9B, is an Alban clone that runs directly along the ridge at just over 1900 feet elevation. Both blocks are trained in a goblet style. This wine has a lush texture that weaves together dried strawberries, ripe raspberries, licorice, thyme, sage and rosemary harmoniously with brilliant acidity on an elevated finish and can be aged for at least the next seven years. $175.00 SKU: 1205 SOLD OUT Ratings 93 Points, Wine Spectator - Tim Fish Refined and tightly focused, with vibrant aromas of raspberry, smoky sage and pepper that lead to complex flavors of ripe cherry, licorice and mineral, framed by a beam of lively acidity and tannins. Drink now through 2027. 92 Points, Robert Parker A step back from the incredible 2011, the 2012 The Nines is 100% Grenache that was raised mostly in 50% new 500-liter puncheons, yet had a small percentage aged in one concrete egg. Medium ruby in color, it gives up lots of chalky minerality, dried rose petal, kirsch liqueur and spice-box notes in a medium to full-bodied, polished, elegant and supple package. It will benefit from a year or so in bottle and drink nicely through 2022. 92 Points, Vinous Media - Josh Raynolds Bright ruby-red. Hugely aromatic scents of ripe red berries, potpourri and incense, along with a subtle smoky topnote. Juicy and penetrating on the palate, offering vibrant raspberry and floral pastille flavors that deepen with air. Very pure, seamless Grenache with excellent closing focus, sneaky tannins and a whiplash of sweet red fruit.


text: Missing Olympus Billions Tied to Yakuza Crime Gangs $4.9B unaccounted for at Japanese firm By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff Posted Nov 18, 2011 3:10 AM CST Updated Nov 18, 2011 4:46 AM CST 3 comments Olympus Corp. President Shuichi Takayama bows in apology during a press conference in Tokyo earlier this month. (AP Photo/Mainichi Shimbun, Toyokazu Tsumura) View 1 more image (Newser) – To make a serious financial scandal much, much worse, simply quadruple the sums involved and add gangsters. Investigators probing the shady accounting at Japanese camera maker Olympus believe that in addition to the $1.4 billion the firm paid in merger fees to mask losses, some $4.9 billion is unaccounted for and much of that went to Yakuza organized crime groups, according to a police memo obtained by the New York Times. Organized crime syndicates that knew about the firm's earlier cover-ups coerced it to channel ever-growing amounts of money out of the company by buying up firms that were Yakuza fronts, the memo suggests. Olympus has lost more than 70% of its stock market value since the scandal surfaced, and it will probably be delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange if investigators confirm the links to organized crime. (Read more Olympus stories.) View 1 more image My Take on This Story Report a story error Show results | 0% Annoying 13% Hilarious 62% Intriguing 16% Depressing 4% Brilliant 5% Scary


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The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I
The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I
This sequel to THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS finds Virginia on the verge of a nervous breakdown --- or perhaps on the verge of a breakthrough.
Fifteen years ago, Carolyn Mackler burst onto the YA scene with THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS, which introduced readers to the memorable, winning voice of Virginia Shreves --- and earned Macker a Printz Honor for her work. At the end of that book (spoiler alert!), Virginia had finally started to embrace her curvy shape, develop a healthy attitude toward her family's unrealistic expectations and even land a boyfriend, much to her own surprise.
"[Readers] will be sure to cheer as Virginia begins to come into her own in this novel....Virginia is an appealingly imperfect character, someone who readers will relate to and imagine befriending."
Despite the decade and a half that's passed in the real world, only a few months have elapsed between the end of that novel and the start of its sequel, THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING AND SO AM I. As the summer after sophomore year approaches, Virginia's plagued with self-doubts; she's just not that into Froggy anymore, but she doesn't want to violate her own rule: "If you're a chunky chick and you managed to get a nice boyfriend, don't ever let him go."
Her boyfriend troubles aside, Virginia's looking ahead to a summer filled with an internship at her dad's company, working alongside her best friend Shannon, who is finally coming back to New York City after a year in Walla Walla, Washington. Also returning to the Shreves' family home? Virginia's older sister Anaïs, who's been in the Peace Corps for two years. But as the summer kicks off, everything changes, and Virginia's summer starts to look very different --- and not in a good way.
Virginia's older brother Byron, who was previously suspended from Columbia for sexual assault, is now under arrest for the same crime. Shannon has some bad news, and what should have been a cool internship instead turns into a job at Virginia's least favorite place: her parents' gym. Even Virginia's favorite sanctuary --- her body-positive kickboxing class --- has been disrupted by the negativity of her nemesis, Brie Newhart. Will anything good happen this summer?
When something does --- a chance encounter at a bagel shop with a nerdy, book-loving (and cute!) artist who aspires to illustrate children's picture books --- Virginia breathes a small sigh of relief. Maybe her friendship with Sebastian can offer her a break from the rest of her messed-up life. But that's before she learns a secret that could bring her budding relationship with Sebastian to a dramatic and messy end.
Readers who already met Virginia in Mackler's prior book will welcome the chance to spend more time in her funny, self-deprecating company. New readers will also be pleased to discover that THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING AND SO AM I can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel as well. And both groups will be sure to cheer as Virginia begins to come into her own in this novel, finding her place in her family, sticking up for herself and gaining self-confidence through her friendships, her work and her ability to solve problems. Virginia is an appealingly imperfect character, someone who readers will relate to and imagine befriending.
Reviewed by Norah Piehl on May 29, 2018
The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I
- Publication Date: May 7, 2019
- Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Family Life, Fiction, Personal Growth, Romance, Social Issues, Young Adult 12+
- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury YA


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Gae Stewart-Dudley, RE/MAX Alliance Group
Place Category: Real Estate
Welcome to the premier resource for all real estate information and services in the area. Looking for a new home? I'll conduct a personalized search for you, browse an up-to-date database list of all available properties in the area and I will use comparable sold listings to help you determine the accurate market value of your home. If you're planning to sell your home in the next few months, nothing is more important than knowing a fair asking price. I would love to help you with a FREE Market Analysis.


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Earlier in March, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan praised the Raptors' cohesive second unit of Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright, C.J. Miles, Pascal Siakam, and Jakob Poeltl, which has helped lead Toronto to the best record in the Eastern Conference. "They play with no agenda," Donovan said. "They play to make the right play."
The key to the success of Toronto's bench has been the willingness of every single player on the floor to accept their role. That might sound simple, but as role players around the league explain, it's often a process that requires setting aside your ego, making sacrifices, and finding the right opportunities.
Miles was selected by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 2005 draft, and like almost every player that makes it to the league, he had a glowing resume. He was named All-Dallas Area Player of the Year by The Dallas Morning News as a senior at Skyline High School and appeared in the top 20 of most high-school-senior prospects lists around the country.
Today, Miles is a 3-point specialist and a wonderful veteran presence in Toronto's locker room. But that was not the case when he started his pro career.
"That was when it was all about me," Miles told theScore. "Not that I was playing selfishly, but everything (I did on the court) was geared towards being about me at the end of the day. I made the extra pass not because I wanted to get it to my teammate, but because it would be an assist for me."
In his first season with Utah, Miles played in 23 games and averaged 8.8 minutes and 3.3 shots per game. Over several seasons, he watched successful teams in the playoffs, seeing the camaraderie between teammates and how often they were making plays for each other. There was no specific light-bulb moment for Miles, but he slowly recognized that he needed to change his approach.
"I realized I don't need accolades to know that I was a good teammate or I did the right thing," Miles said. "Don't get me wrong, you want the chance to shine. But being prepared to play the game the right way is the type of teammate I want to be. I don't think anyone wants to be the guy that no one wants to play with."
J.J. Redick entered the NBA in 2006 as the reigning national college player of the year at Duke. By his second season in Orlando, Redick was an afterthought, averaging 8.1 minutes per game. That's when he understood his superstar days were behind him, and he needed to adapt.
"It was a mindset switch," Redick told theScore. "It was more about survival." Redick remembered a particular conversation he had with Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. Both huge fans of Broadway plays, Krzyzewski told Redick to pay attention to the background actors on stage - the ones who were not part of the main dialogue.
"They have to star in their role," Redick said. "They have to nail their facial expressions. They have to time everything perfectly for a musical. It didn't resonate with me at the time because at Duke, I was getting the ball every time down the floor. But as I grew as an NBA player, the notion of starring in your role really resonated with me."
Several role players say they're grateful for finding themselves in the right situations to start their careers. J.J. Barea credits Jason Terry, Devin Harris, and Jason Kidd for helping him survive his first few seasons in the NBA. "It was huge just watching them work," Barea told theScore. "It helped me a lot. The first couple of years, you have to learn to be patient. It's not easy."
Taj Gibson still thinks about how differently his career would have gone if it didn't begin with the Chicago Bulls. "If I was in Sacramento or somewhere else, playing with players that weren't playing the right way, it would have been different," Gibson told theScore. "I played for a team that competed. I never had to get selfish or be around negative teammates."
James Johnson played for four NBA teams in his first seven seasons, and admits it was initially difficult to give up shot attempts and take a backseat to other players.
"That was one of the hardest things to let go," Johnson told theScore. "Most of the time, you just feel like you're better than the person who has the opportunity now."
With the Miami Heat, Johnson has found the perfect situation. Teammates and opponents alike refer to him as the Heat's Swiss Army knife - a player who does a little bit of everything.
"The role that has been given to me here in Miami is my dream job," Johnson said.
It took Jamal Crawford almost a decade to find his dream job, and even then, he accepted it with some hesitation. Over his first eight seasons, Crawford was one of the most reliable scorers in the NBA. But he never made the playoffs.
"I was getting known as a good player on a bad team," Crawford told theScore. "I got to a point in my career where I was just tired of it."
In 2009, Crawford was traded from Golden State to Atlanta. A starter who once averaged 39.9 minutes per game, Crawford accepted a bench role with the Hawks, averaged 18.0 points in his first season in Atlanta, and won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. More importantly, he made the playoffs for the first time.
Since that season, Crawford has missed the playoffs just once and won two more Sixth Man of the Year Awards. "I've had, like, what - 18 head coaches in my career," Crawford said. "Every coach sees you and your role a different way. More than anything, overcoming that is what I'm most proud of."
Accepting a lesser role after experiencing individual success as a starter can be difficult. Vince Carter did it and remains in the league at the age of 41. Allen Iverson didn't and played his last NBA game at the age of 34. After Isaiah Thomas was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, he was vocal about not coming off the bench - a role he later accepted, though reluctantly.
"I was just willing to do whatever it took," Crawford said, "and the bench role was there for me. It was an adjustment. It's still an adjustment, because you sacrifice a lot. A whole lot. I didn't know how much I would have to sacrifice."
A role player's performance can go under the radar. For Trevor Booker - who's played for four teams over the past four seasons, including two this year (the 76ers and Pacers) - the fanfare is secondary to the respect you command in the locker room. "Guys like myself don't get noticed by fans," Booker told theScore. "But coaches and teammates appreciate what we do."
Marc Gasol spent seven seasons as Tony Allen's teammate. Hearing him describe Allen is like reading a five-star Amazon review.
"Great guy, great player," Gasol told theScore. "The most relentless guy I've ever seen. He will always fight over screens. He always contests shots. He's never going to be out of place. He reads plays and understands what teams are trying to do and is always a step ahead. He prepares well for the game.
"He takes care of his body. You could always count on him to do his job. You never had to worry about him. Every player wants to score 20 points, but he has no problem running 100 sprints, scoring four points, and shutting down the opposing team's best offensive player."
Goran Dragic has rarely shared the floor with teammate Udonis Haslem in his two-plus seasons in Miami, since Haslem has only appeared in 65 games over the last three seasons. But the Heat guard considers the 37-year-old forward to be the most important player in the locker room.
"I've learned a lot from him the past three years," Dragic told theScore. "His experience in the locker room and how he gives advice to younger players and even older players like me. It's awesome. He takes care of his own players."
Players who can no longer contribute on the court can still have a positive impact by making their voices heard.
Haslem says he picked up tips on being a leader from many former teammates, including Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Ray Allen, and Brian Grant.
"I took a little bit of something from each one of those guys," Haslem told theScore.
Though Haslem has developed a reputation as one of the best locker-room voices in the league, he said the transition into the role was very uncomfortable.
"The strong move silent," Haslem explained. "I'm just not much of a talker."
Over time, like many role players, Haslem has come to appreciate what he brings to a team.
"When you see how you can impact and inspire guys with your voice, it makes you want to keep going," Haslem said. "You have to evolve."
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)


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Why are there so few female chefs?
I myself, was a pastry chef from the age of 18-21 years old. I relocated and I now live in Hong Kong where I work with children. So I have since taken a break from the hospitality business.
Through my personal experience, I think there are so many female chefs mainly because of the physical endurance of being a chef in general. For myself, I was thrown in at the deep end. I was in college one day a week and working in one of the top ten restaurants at the time. They later gained a Michelin star not long after I left. So being in such a high-profile kitchen took its toll. The hours were very unsociable. I was also running a section all alone, with the occasional help of other staff members. This was due to understaffing. A typical day would be me arriving at work between 7-8am and leaving at midnight, a little before or sometimes after. It was mentally, emotionally and physically tiring. I would not change my experience for the world, as I learnt so much, but it was very draining. I also think that, because there aren't so many female chefs, it can seem quite daunting to take the leap and follow your dream in a kitchen where males are dominant. Some staff members wouldn't treat you any differently, however, you are female, so at times it felt like you were being picked on and that you had to be as good as the men.
I am lucky to have studied and attended a boarding school before becoming a chef. This prepared me for the behaviour and 'talk' that boys/men have with one another, especially in the kitchen. I gained a hard skin from school, so any 'banter' or sexual references in the kitchen, I took on the chin. Boys will be boys.


text:
We have no problem with Stacy Keibler doing set ups, except the whole scenario is so boring the only caption that Startraks can come up with is the dreaded "Out and about..."
'Out and About' is the kiss of death caption for any set.
Photo editors think, if you can't come up with a story here, we sure as hell can't!
Now that Stacy is best known as being #456 girl who dated George Clooney, we suggest her doing something in pics rather than just posing pretty.
Jogging, roller blading, ice skating, using jumper cables to start her car battery, eating a burger, bungee jumping---something!
Stacy and Startraks, you can do better, dammit!


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Sunday School – 9:00am
Join us each week for a study of God's Word. With the Bible as our guide, learn practical lessons from God's word that can be applied to everyday life.
Worship Services – 10:15am
With a blend of contemporary and traditional music, communion and Biblical preaching.
Our Sunday Worship is streamed on Facebook each Sunday morning at 10:15 am.
All children are welcome to worship with their families during our 10:15 a.m. worship service, or they can participate with our toddler and Jr. church programs that are held in the Children's Wing of the Education Building. We also have a Nursery available in the Children's Wing of the Education Building during our 10:15 service.
Monday With Men in the Family Life Center
8:00 am — Men's Prayer Breakfast
9:00 am — Men's Bible Study
This is a study of the "Foundations of our Faith" lead by Pastor Ray
Tuesday Ladies Bible Study – 10:00 am
They are studying the Women of the Bible, lead by Shirley Kelley & Lisa Thomas.
Wednesday Nights – 6:00pm
A time of prayer and Bible study. Pastor Ray is leading a study in the Book of Matthew. This is a verse by verse study and discussion.
In the fall and spring, dinner is served in the family life center at 4:45 pm ($5.00 person).


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DOLLAR GENERAL SURVEY at www.dgcustomerfirst.com allows the Dollar General users to share their experience while visiting the stores. DollarGeneralSurvey is an official survey held by Dollar General Retailers. The survey offers the users a chance to enter the sweepstakes of $1,000 Dollar General Gift Card at the end of the survey.
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These are sweepstakes rule. The rules straightly mean that it is mandatory to satisfy the terms and rules in order to enter the survey sweepstakes. Once, you fulfill all the terms and conditions, then and then you will be able to complete the survey and enter the sweepstakes.
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- Take a survey within the limited period of your visit to the stores. You might waste your receipt and survey code if you do not take the survey in time.
Quick Guide- Take "Dollar General Survey" Here
Make sure that you fulfill all the requirements and terms that listed on upper columns of the post. It is notable that there may be a timeout period at the time of completing the survey. So, you must complete the survey within a limited time period. I suggest our users first check out the steps here and then proceed to complete the survey.
▶Visit the official DG customer survey site at www.dgcustomerfirst.com.
▶Enter the basic requirements on available boxes. Users will be required to enter Time, Store number and 15 digits survey code here. The information is available on your receipt.
▶You will be on official survey page now. Enter the required information about your visit and answer all the questionnaires that asked on the survey. Users are requested to answer honestly and truthfully what really they have experienced at the stores.
▶Once you complete the questions and survey, you will be asked to enter the sweepstakes. Please press Yes there. You can thank me later for this. 😉
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Hopefully, the post available here related to DOLLAR GENERAL SURVEY was helpful for you in order to complete the survey and entry to sweepstakes. I suggest our users take care of the receipt whenever they visit any leading store, restaurant or retailers across the country. Bring the receipt to us and we will help you win plenty of sweepstakes, gifts, and other prizes.


text:
Lucky Just To Know
'I want to get inside your head',
Has to be the sexiest thing you've said in a while.
A few chords and a lingering, piercing look,
That lasts that tiny eternity of a single second.
And a babbling brook and a tiny escaping look,
The spell is broken,
Because reality entered when the door opened,
And I left a while ago,
You should have mended the hole in your pocket.
If I looked up from my distorted mirror,
It would be obvious to me that there was no knife,
Slicing through my belly,
But if I looked up, then I would see the immeadiacy of now.
I cannot live here when I prefer there and then,
When every action and inaction is redone,
Drawn out again according to melodramatic pen.
I wonder, if you think that I reflect, absorb and redo,
Or if you only realise these glasses are fairground mirrors,
Sewn across my eyelids,
Until I can tear from the centre of my chest,
Another piece of glass,
Sylvie – have you chosen yet? Because I refuse to choose,
I cannot look up yet,
Obsessed as I am with exactly how the knife would fit,
Were it to go here, or there, or then again,
Between my heart and soul,
Cutting out any chance I have of looking up and out across the path,
That leads across pleasant plains now,
Far away from the cliffs, that my telescopic lenses have so near.
I'm just silly right, nothing serious here.
Blood brothers linked to the soul,
All that split them was the gold,
They never sold their love, would never sell it,
But all she valued was it,
Blood-brothers linked to the soul,
All she valued was the gold;
So they said.
They don't have the understanding she does,
All that linked them was the soul,
They don't have the understanding she does.
Blood-brothers, nothing between them,
Blood brothers, she who split them,
Golden hair and golden love,
All a castle in the cloud was her talk,
Golden hair and golden love,
Her robe was split to above the knee,
All visible beneath was she,
Blood-brothers, for all their talk,
One declared his love all out,
Beneath the surface plotted he,
One keep his counsel as long as he could,
When pushed he surfaced with it.
Such different men,
The link was blood, the link was soul, the link was good.
All that split them was her gold,
Gold that poured from her hair, from her soul, from her silken voice,
She raised her pale arms up,
They had her, they marked her, they tore her,
All she loved was the gold that they paid her.
Never one to whore herself for money,
It was the gold of the tales, of the love, of the cream of men inside her.
Blood-brothers shouldn't be split over only a woman,
But there are tensions in the gold,
There are wires that can crack and one cannot resist,
To pull at all the cracks and make them tear,
It is he will lose her,
He has no respect for her gold,
The castles in the air are hers,
The clouded gold is hers,
All that they left her she will take with pride,
Never one to sell herself, never one to accept a cheaper price,
The brothers are trapped in their ways of knowing,
I do not think that they can see,
All the reflections in her gold,
All they see are the globbets that they left, drying and cold now on her skin,
And they think that that is it.
They think that the castles in the air come down to that.
If they did, then it would be worse that they broke the bonds that they shed over.
She had shed a thousand times more than they,
She has bled six months or more for them,
But they simply see the strands that, for them, were gold for only seconds,
For her they are a lifetimes worth and more,
Six thousand miles gone.
What the hell am I still doing here?
Waiting for the mould to consume me, to subsume me, to fill every part of me,
What the hell amd I still doing here?
Didn't I egt out? Or was it just a dream?
Did I really just stay forever in a tiny little village,
A place I never called home before,
Waiting in my room for nothing to happen because nothing ever did.
What the hell amd I still doing here?
I can see it you know, it's resting over the hilltop,
it's a shining light,
It's coming and I am here and I'm not sitting here waiting,
Not for anyone,
Not waiting, not letting this mould in,
We've got to run you know, follow the hill to it;s natural conclusion,
I'm not still here, this is a pause,
We're running, the light is there,
Just be careful not to lose it, even for a moment or it will forsake you,
A questing army without belief will never be allowed to come within an inch,
And the mould take you.
And the weed take you,
And the moss consume you,
But never me, never me, just another hill to climb, Got to get to where the light is coming from,
What are you waiting for?
Are you still here?
The maze
This isn't a path I recognise, the swamp was that way and I avoided it,
So where am I now and what is it that these signs say?
Did I forget how to read along the way?
The cliffs over there so where am I now?
This labyrynth I'm in isn't just me,
This maze is surely not of my making,
Was it waiting for me all this time,
This isn't like the swamp I don't know how to float through stone,
This isn't like the cliff I can't climb hand over hand,
This is made of obsidian.
The woods were easy compared to this,
Or is it that I can't see past these carved trees…
I don't know where I am, I can't see the way out.
You've cast your lines now,
And I'm confused by these words,
These aren't paths I recognise, these aren't the ways I know.
Not Forgotten
I've been low since your birthday and thats almost a week ago.
I haven't seen you since that awkward moment almost two years ago,
I came back and you were long gone.
Long gone, since before I left if I'm honest,
Gone from the Briary that scratched its words into your skin and mine,
The marks healed as they tend to do.
A million faults wrapped up into a single home.
A memory for your birthday and your favourite colour,
When I hear your name it's as if you only began when you left,
Theres never mention of how it looked when you smiled.
Theres never mention of how it was when we laughed,
Its as if we never existed together, just a bottle of mistaken red wine,
A blip on the radar that left a tattoo or two,
You're long gone and mostly forgotten it seems
Just not entirely by me, and all I knew of you is simply distilled,
Into your birthday and your favourite colour.
The elves are coming.
The elves are coming.
The whisper was so quiet now she might almost have missed it, had she not spent her whole life waiting to hear it.
The elves are coming.
It was very nearly too late but the whisper said that they were coming and she was still waiting for them.
The elves are coming.
She stumbled to the window to look at the sunrise, the boiling, churning golden light that was filling a world without elves for the last time.
The elves are coming.
Yet the voices on the wind were very faint, she almsot couldn't hear them, or was it that she had strained so hard that they were shouting loudly and her own hearing was letting her down? She looked about her but no one around her seemed to hear. No one around her seemed to be reacting to the great joy and fear that the elves would bring… the elves were bringing… that she had always thought must accompany the elves.
The elves are coming.
Perhaps she had got it wrong, she had spent so long waiting, perhaps she had misremembered how they were supposed to come, spent most of her life in a fantasy of elven greetings that she had twisted up the words inside herself. She sat down heavily, they were coming and in amongst this boiling gold light she couldn't think of what to do.
The elves are coming.
She could barely hear the words now. She turned her hearing aids up as far as they would go and sank back into the armchair, her breathing was heavy and she could barely hear the words on the wind. The windows of her council flat was as far open as they could be so that she wouldn't miss the heralds. The sun pushed more of its light into the world without elves and she squinted to the west and away from the sun. That was the direction they were supposed to come from wasn't it? She strained to remember her father telling her in rhymes how they would come. It was all so long ago. She had waited such a long time.
The elves are coming.
The voices were those of dried leaves and barely their autumns. The boiling light continued in it's journey and she at last closed her eyes. Finally the heavy breathing did not overpower the almost silent voices on the wind.
The elves are coming.
The sun rose. She no longer moved with the churning light or heard the voices on the wind.
The elves are coming.
The elves are coming.
There is no one left to greet them.
The elves are coming.
The Dead Rabbit Again
There is a dead rabbit in the canal, it's been there all week, perhaps a bit longer.
It's just floating from one end of the town to the other, brushing up against the reeds,
Plastic bags hook over it's fur, it's shiny fur that had such promise, years ago,
Do you suppose the rabbit wondered, when it was young, if it would grow old?
If it's fur would show grey when it had littered litters a thousand fold,
Or perhaps a dozen more, did it slip into the waters of the canal as it played,
Unknowing that it was just a little too close to the edge,
Maybe it was pushed? Or jostled by a rabbit who didn't understand the dangers the waters posed,
Jostled accidentally until it slipped, fell, and the waters closed overhead,
Gone when its tired, tired paws stopped being able to swim.
Did it struggle? Or was it a blessed relief? No more worries, no more unkept promises,
Just release from this life that is too long, just an endless night that began in the waters,
It's been there all week, it won't let me alone, that rabbit that floats,
That is just fur and bone and no life you understand, the spark that brightens eyes is long gone,
But the way that it floats, just goes with the canal, the drey water that dies and dies all day,
Enfolds the rabbit in gentle liquid embrace, did it die in the town or out of it,
No question need be asked, it is the town that kills as it pulls you in,
It is the town that squeezes all life from you and the spark is gone,
The rabbit is gone.
It was there all week.
Stay True
There is no shame in loving, oh why could I not say that aloud,
There is no shame in loving,
The shame is only in silence to your self.
But you have spoken, there is honesty in your soul.
There is no shame in the flame, in the burning,
The passion is yours truly, and the honesty burns you pure,
There is no shame in the loving, only in the actions you take.
There is no evil in the loving, oh why could I not say that aloud,
Loving itself is a pure thing, loving itself cannot be corrupt,
Your choice is what keeps the flame burning,
Your choice is to keep the love pure,
There is no shame in the loving and never was,
Only by your actions can you make it so,
Only can you betray the love (far worse a treachery than to mere people),
Only your actions can debase the flame, cover it over with mud and trip through sullying pathways,
There is no shame in loving and never was.
The Dead Rabbit
There was a dead rabbit in tha canal today,
It slowly wended it's way to us as we ate lunch.
Boats came and went, pushing past the wet fur of the rabbit that nobody noticed.
A woman at the front of her barge hooked plastic bags out of the water,
Made a wet plastic collection of them dripping over her prow.
The rabbit was pushed to the side.
It had died, perhaps, before the canal had reached the town,
Fallen into the sucking waters that pull inexorably back to Lancaster,
Been unable to climb out,
The high tribal banks at which rabbit paws scrabble ineffectually,
They extend even into the reeds and the grasses and the greenery outside the town.
Imagine falling into these pulling waters and staying there to drown.
Or perhaps the rabbit fell and was knocked by the barges,
Huge to a rabbit, that pass through,
Back and forth and forth and back and do not ever really stop,
But just keep chugging along the canal,
The dead rabbit a casualty of too much pushing, forth and back,
Restricting the paws it tried to use to swim,
As dangerous to the rabbit as the high banks.
The dead rabbit wended it's way in accordance with the currents of the canal,
The canal which seems so still pushed the corpse along,
We ate out lunch and watched the rabbit out of sight,
Dead and touching us only because we'd happened to see it.