text:
News Article
Many bodies make one coherent burst of light
Rice University researchers first to see superfluorescence from solid-state material, incorporating indium, gallium and arsenide quantum wells separated by gallium arsenide barriers
In a flash, the world changed for Tim Noe – and for physicists who study what they call many-body problems.
The Rice University graduate student reckons he was the first to see, in the summer of 2010, proof of a theory that solid-state materials are capable of producing an effect known as superfluorescence.
That can only happen when "many bodies" – in this case, electron-hole pairs created in a semiconductor – decide to cooperate.
Rice University researchers have confirmed a long-held theory that solid-state materials are capable of producing an effect known as superfluorescence. From left: Junichiro Kono, Ji-Hee Kim and Tim Noe. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)
Noe, a student of Rice physicist Junichiro Kono, and their research team used high-intensity laser pulses, a strong magnetic field and very cold temperatures to create the conditions for superfluorescence in a stack of 15 undoped quantum wells. The wells were made of InGaAs and were separated by barriers of GaAs.
Noe spent weeks at one of the only facilities with the right combination of tools to carry out such an experiment, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University. There, he placed the device in an ultracold (as low as 5 K) chamber, pumped up the magnetic field (which effectively makes the "many body" particles – the electron-hole pairs – more sensitive and controllable) and fired a strong laser pulse at the array.
"When you shine light on a semiconductor with a photon energy larger than the band gap, you can create electrons in the conduction band and holes in the valence band. They become conducting," said Kono, a Rice professor of electrical and computer engineering and in physics and astronomy. "The electrons and holes recombine – which means they disappear – and emit light. One electron-hole pair disappears and one photon comes out. This process is called photoluminescence."
The Rice experiment acted just that way, but pumping strong laser light into the layers created a cascade among the quantum wells. "What Tim discovered is that in these extreme conditions, with an intense pulse of light on the order of 100 femtoseconds (quadrillionths of a second), you create many, many electron-hole pairs. Then you wait for hundreds of picoseconds (mere trillionths of a second) and a very strong pulse comes out," Kono said.
Pumping laser pulses into a stack of quantum wells created an effect physicists had long sought but not seen until now: superfluorescence in a solid-state material. The Rice University lab of physicist Junichiro Kono reported the results in Nature Physics. (Credit: Tim Noe/Rice University)
In the quantum world, that's a long gap. Noe attributes that "interminable" wait of trillionths of a second to the process going on inside the quantum wells. There, the 8 nm thick layers soaked up energy from the laser as it bored in and created what the researchers called a magneto-plasma, a state consisting of a large number of electron-hole pairs. These initially incoherent pairs suddenly line up with each other.
"We're pumping (light) to where absorption's only occurring in the GaAs layers," Noe said. "Then these electrons and holes fall into the well, and the light hits another GaAs layer and another well, and so on. The stack just increases the amount of light that's absorbed." The electrons and holes undergo many scattering processes that leave them in the wells with no coherence, he said. But as a result of the exchange of photons from spontaneous emission, a large, macroscopic coherence develops.
Like a capacitor in an electrical circuit, the wells become saturated and, as the researchers wrote, "decay abruptly" and release the stored charge as a giant pulse of coherent radiation.
"What's unique about this is the delay time between when we create the population of electron-hole pairs and when the burst happens. Macroscopic coherence builds up spontaneously during this delay," Noe said.
Kono said the basic phenomenon of superfluorescence has been seen for years in molecular and atomic gases but wasn't sought in a solid-state material until recently. The researchers now feel such superfluorescence can be fine-tuned. "Eventually we want to observe the same phenomenon at room temperature, and at much lower magnetic fields, maybe even without a magnetic field," he said.
Even better, Kono said, it may be possible to create superfluorescent pulses with any desired wavelength in solid-state materials, powered by electrical rather than light energy.
The researchers said they expect the paper to draw serious interest from their peers in a variety of disciplines, including condensed matter physics; quantum optics; atomic, molecular and optical physics; semiconductor optoelectronics; quantum information science; and materials science and engineering.
There's much work to be done, Kono said. "There are several puzzles that we don't understand," he said. "One thing is a spectral shift over time: The wavelength of the burst is actually changing as a function of time when it comes out. It's very weird, and that has never been seen."
Noe also observed superfluorescent emission with several distinct peaks in the time domain, another mystery to be investigated.
Support for the research came from the National Science Foundation, with support for work at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory from the state of Florida.
Further details of the researchers' results can be seen in the paper, " Giant superfluorescent bursts from a semiconductor magneto-plasma," byG. Timothy Noe IIet al, Nature Physics, Published online on 29 January 2012. DOI: 10.1038/nphys2207


text:
Yesterday during the live blog – click here if you missed it – we talked about why Nicolas Cage dropped out of Trespass with Nicole Kidman, buggering off on holiday and leaving an entire production in disarray. However I noted at the time that:
"There's also a sense that he might just be on his period and he'll eventually come back to it. Freak."
And indeed it appears that Nic has temporarily put his crazy away. Deadline reports that he's recommitted himself to the project and will start shooting this month, playing Nicole Kidman's husband about a kidnapped couple after previously lobbying for the part of the villain. F-cking drama queen.
Apparently he was tired after promoting Sorcerer's Apprentice and working back to back to back because he's broke ass. Perhaps the few days in the Bahamas and Paris revived him. Or perhaps he remembered that he needs the money, either way, production will begin two weeks after the original start date and now the studio is putting down the panic fans although if I'm on this set, and Nic's already nuts, up against Granny Freeze's frozen quirks, after an already inauspicious start, I'd be bracing for some serious stress.
Photo from Wenn.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mark Fuller sent us this video demoing his 3D-printed, humane mousetrap. Love this simple gravity-powered design. Mark says he made the trap with the help of the rapid prototyping class at Pennsylvania College of Technology (www.pct.edu). The device was printed on the Dimension uPrint, in little a under six hours.
Tilt-N-Trap (Mouse Trap) on Thingiverse
From MAKE magazine:
MAKE Volume 21 is the Desktop Manufacturing issue, with how-to articles on making three-dimensional parts using inexpensive computer-controlled manufacturing equipment. Both additive (RepRap, CandyFab) and subtractive (Lumenlab Micro CNC) systems are covered. Also in this issue: instructions for making a cigar box guitar, building your own CNC for under $800, running a mini electric bike with a cordless drill, making a magic photo cube, and tons more. If you're a subscriber, you may have your issue in hand already, and can access the Digital Edition. Otherwise, you can pick up MAKE Volume 21 in the Maker Shed or look for it on newsstands near you!
1 thought on "Tilt-N-Trap 3D-printed mousetrap"
If peanut butter bait is at an open end, they will simply eat it without setting foot in the traps. (Been there, done that…)
Comments are closed.
Join Make: Community Today


text:
The content handlers system is used to configure Conkeror's behavior for content types which are not supported internally by Mozilla. Note that before Conkeror gets a chance to handle a given document with these content handlers, Mozilla first looks for plugins such as Acrobat, Flash, Java, et cetera. Plugins can be disabled in the Plugins tab of the Extensions window (M-x extensions).
For versions of Conkeror older than October 12, 2009, see MimeTypeHandlers instead.
1. content_handlers
When you browse to a document of a content-type that Mozilla cannot view internally, Conkeror normally prompts you for an action to take on the content. You can customize this on a per-mime-type basis to automatically do what you like by registering a content handler:
content_handlers.set("application/pdf", content_handler_open);
content_handlers is a mime-type table associating mime-types and mime-type patterns with content handler functions. The following handlers are predefined for your convenience:
- content_handler_save
- Save the document, prompting for path.
- content_handler_open
- Open the document, promting for a command.
- content_handler_open_default_viewer
Open the document in the viewer registered in external_content_handlers for this mime-type, or prompt if none.
- content_handler_open_url
- Prompt for a command, and run it with the URL of the document as its argument.
- content_handler_copy_url
- Copy the URL of the document.
- content_handler_view_internally
- content_handler_view_as_text
- content_handler_prompt
- The default prompt---the same as if no handler was defined.
If you set a give null instead of a content handler to content_handlers.set, it will unset the handler for the given mime type.
You can also use the mime-type wildcard "*". A mime-type of "*" will match any mime-type. A mime-type of, for example, "application/*" will match any mime type whose major type is "application".
2. external_content_handlers
This variable is a mime-type table that associates mime types with command names of viewer programs. Manipulation of the table works just as for content_handlers.
external_content_handlers.set("application/pdf", "xpdf"); external_content_handlers.set("image/*", "display");
The default table is:
{ "*": getenv("EDITOR"), text: { "*": getenv("EDITOR") }, image: { "*": "feh" }, video: { "*": "mplayer" }, audio: { "*": "mplayer" }, application: { pdf: "evince", postscript: "evince", "x-dvi": "evince" } }
If you want to discard the defaults and set the entire table in one go, you can do that as follows:
external_content_handlers = { "*": "gvim", text: { "*": "kate" }, image: { "*": "display" }, application: { pdf: "xpdf", postscript: "gv", "x-dvi": "xdvi" } };
That trick works for content_handlers too.
2.1. Temporary Files and Forking
As a measure of basic garbage collecting, by default, Conkeror deletes temporary files as soon as the handler program completes. This can cause problems if the handler program forks immediately because it dispatches to another program. Examples include urxvtc, emacsclient with the -n flag, or the OS X's open command without the -W flag.
If you are using urxvtc, or a similar program, just use the non-client version (urxvt) instead. If you are using emacsclient, don't pass the -n flag. If you are using OS X's open command, make sure to pass the -W flag.
Another option is to write a wrapper script that runs your forking handler, but does not exit until the viewer or editor is done viewing or editing.
As a last result, you can disable the early deletion of temporary files altogether by setting delete_temporary_files_for_command = false;.


text:
Response rates generated by promotional pop-up mailers are known to be far in excess of those created by bog-standard leaflets and flyers but what is it about pop-up mailers that make them such a success as direct mailing pieces? The answer lies in one word and that word is "interactive". Here are some suggestions and ideas for interactive marketing products but first, I should perhaps try to define what I mean by interactive.
"Interactive" is one of those new words that is used a lot in marketing but what exactly is an interactive mailer or interactive marketing product? Let's try this for an explanation – once the user has opened the promotional mailing pack and has experienced the surprise of the pop-up, the next thing to happen, almost inevitably, is that the pop-up mailer is put back in the pack and the user does it all over again! After that the pop-up mailer is put back in the pack once again and passed to an unsuspecting colleague. When I refer to promotional pop-ups as interactive mailers, that's what I mean.
Pop-up mailers have a combination of positive attributes that are not always present in standard promotional print. Let's look at automatic pop-up products as an example. Powered by rubber bands, the various pop-up items all bring with them the element of surprise which inevitably leads to laughter – so they are fun products. That fact alone already puts pop-up mailers higher up the league table that an A4 flyer.
However, not all interactive mailers have a pop-up action – but they still make very successful direct mail pieces. In these instances the interaction might be different but nonetheless, the reader will perform a level interaction with the marketing product which will make a very significant contribution to the success of the campaign.
There are many types of interactive mailers and each has something different to offer that gives them that something extra. It might be the fact that the product has a long desk top life such as promotional penholders, pen pots and desk tidies which stay on desktops for absolutely ages giving your message a very long exposure indeed. Cardboard-engineered pen pots are supplied flat in a size suitable to fit standard envelopes and are erected by one simple interactive push-up action that makes them a popular choice as a promotional mailer.
It could be that the movement fits perfectly with an advertising message. Take interactive marketing products that turn, for example. I don't think that enough use is made of the humble eyelet in the design of promotional marketing products. The simple task of eyeletting can add car wheels that turn, steering wheels, turning hands on a clock, items that spin such as propellers – all kinds of things – and each with an interactive turning movement.
Another type of mailer has an interactive movement that makes pictures change. These promotional advertising products are known as dissolvers and are heaven-sent for a multitude of advertisers. The old classic theme of "before" and "after" pictures is brought up-to-date by these tremendously interactive advertising products. Absolutely everything is down to the smooth way in which, by the simple interactive pull of a card, the picture at the focus of all your attention changes from one scene to another.
Or how about interactive marketing products that jump. Promotional products in the "Jack in a box" or "Crackerjack" style offer much more of a surprise than you would ever imagine from the size of the pack. They have a very high and instant impact and are very successful at drawing attention to any campaign. Even when the person opening the pack knows exactly what is going to happen next you will see that they open the pack with some trepidation – being wary of the crackerjack effect.
Assuming that the advertising and marketing agencies have done their jobs well and assuming that the direct marketing team are sending the interactive mailer only to serious business-to-business sales prospects then you have a winning formula for a successful promotional mailing campaign.


text:
'Inception' stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page dream big
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
This is a longer version of my upcoming Sunday Calendar cover story on the two young stars who play opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Inception,' the most ambitious Hollywood film of 2010.
These days, the term "young Hollywood" conjures up images of pouty, plastic starlets being chased down Robertson Boulevard by paparazzi and probation officers, but recently the soulful side of young Hollywood made an appearance at a corner deli on Franklin Avenue. "Hi Joe," Ellen Page said with a faraway smile as Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave her a hug.
Page and Gordon-Levitt are costars in Christopher Nolan's "Inception," the perception-bending heist movie that opens July 16 amid high expectations and strong early reviews. Leonardo DiCaprio leads an extremely deep cast — there are seven Oscar nominees in the film — but Nolan says that Page and Gordon-Levitt more than held their own. "They were simply outstanding," the director said last year on the London set, "their performances are key to the film and some of the best work I've seen."
But more than their work in any single film, Gordon-Levitt and Page are interesting because, in an era when vacuous celebrity and recycled concepts are ascendant, they are talented actors of serious ambition. Of course, both of them roll their eyes at the expectations and even pretensions that come bundled with that sort of statement — but they also talk freely and articulately about their frustrations with media of the moment and the paradoxes of stardom.
Page, a Nova Scotia native with bird bones and a steady gaze, made her screen debut at age 10 in a Canadian television movie and turned 23 a week after this last Valentine's Day. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as a pregnant high school student in the 2007 film "Juno" and before that startled audiences in the 2005 movie "Hard Candy," in which she portrayed a teenager who traps and tortures a man she suspects is a sexual predator.
Gordon-Levitt, 29, grew up in Sherman Oaks and, from age 15 to 20, in front of America thanks to "3rd Rock from the Sun," the loopy alien sitcom that ran for six seasons. With considerable trepidation, he left the cast and acting to pursue studies at Columbia University. The time in New York propelled him back toward acting in 2004 with a resolve to work only in high-quality and indie fare. His work in "Brick," "Stop-Loss" and, especially, "(500) Days of Summer" has given a new trajectory to his career and made him restless at the same time.
"The best path for anyone is to just trust yourself, do what you believe in and don't try to cater to executives or whatever big company is going to give you a job at that moment," Gordon-Levitt said as he munched on a blueberry muffin. Neither he nor Page arrived with publicist or entourage in tow — both speak more like New York stage actors than L.A. celebrities; Gordon-Levitt said that he doesn't see his participation in a $160-million summer film as a surrender to the mainstream because "Inception" flies in the face of most popcorn-film conventions.
"Mr. Nolan is a beautiful example of someone doing exactly what they want to do," Gordon-Levitt said. "This movie wasn't developed by committee ... I think that goes to show that more than ever there's room for quality and challenging things to become popular. Sure, there's still a lot of stupid stuff out there but things are changing, I think. And I'd say that Ellen and I are also examples."
He looked at Page sitting next to him. "Ten years ago, do you think that you and me would be in this position we're in, in a huge summer movie? I feel like they would have looked for people that were less unexpected, if that makes sense. You're in this position because you're an awesome actress, because of your talent and the quality of your work. It's not because of some celebrity thing."
Perhaps, but is "Inception" really a sign of the changing times or just an exception to Hollywood's current business as usual? Adult dramas and risk-taking scripts are harder to find on studio release schedules these days and most resources are going into sequels, remakes and "pre-sold" properties that are based on toys, comics, old television shows and video games.
It's common to see "serious" actors in summer special-effects films now — Tobey Maguire, Christian Bale and Adrien Brody among them — but is that a sign that the blockbusters are getting better or that the art house is getting smaller? The risk-taking of the 1970s American cinema seems like a long time ago. This summer, for instance, director Joe Carnahan veered from his indie-fare career to make "The A-Team" and sounded resigned when explaining his remake of a cheesy 1980s television show: "It's getting tougher to lead out there with your chin and finance something that doesn't have the loyalty of a fan base…there's billions of dollars at stake now, and that fundamentally alters the DNA of how we make films."
Ever the optimist, though, Gordon-Levitt believes technology is the force that will give rise to better art and less cookie-cutter entertainments. Page, however, an old soul in a vintage T-shirt with a bandanna knotted at her neck, is trying to step away from the digital noise of today so she can hear the pop and hiss of the human condition.
"I'm listening to a lot of vinyl records and it's not some hipster, retro thing ... The other night my friend and I just lay down on the floor and listened to Joni Mitchell and [Radiohead's] 'Hail to the Thief' and to Leonard Cohen. I love the iPods, but when was the last time that I sat at a computer or whatever and could listen to a whole album without getting ADD and saying, 'Check out this cover by Feist...'' "
Page finds the poetry of ideas and art help her get past the contemporary drumbeat of scandal and celebrity and predictable entertainments. "There are people I meet who are my age or younger who are doing brave, sincere, courageous, rad work," she said. "It's just that the other stuff is what media gives its attention to and there's people who play into that because it facilitates their profession which is, I guess, being a celebrity. I try to focus on the different things and fight off being cynical."
If Page is ready to get back to the garden, Gordon-Levitt is reaching toward new technology for the promise of a new connectivity between performer and audience.
"In the last 10 years, we are in nothing less than a renaissance and pop culture is going back to what it used to be," Gordon-Levitt said. "The big, cliquish machine that used to have all the say, is in its death throes and we're seeing the worst of it come out, but I don't think it's long for this world. I think other things, beautiful things, are much more popular now but the executives at the big media corporations cant keep track of it all because their system isn't built to do that. The way that I get my media? I don't turn on a television, ever. I don't turn on a radio, ever. That isn't to say I don't watch TV -- I will watch some shows, which I get to pick, online. I read stuff and look at photos based on recommendations of people I trust and know all over the internet."
Some listeners may hear naivete in his views. Gordon-Levitt said the feverish attention to scandal these days is the last-gasp effort by old media to hold on to an audience and that as content control shifts "to the people" the tone will change; yes, in essence, his view is that the Internet will save us from gossip. When surveying the crumpled remains of the recording industry, he points out that "there's really not a lot of crap music making money anymore" without adding the second half of the thought -- that pretty much the same thing can be said for great music.
The two actors came to "Inception" in the same way -- Nolan and his producing partner and wife Emma Thomas made inquiries and the young stars jumped at the chance to meet the director of "The Dark Knight" and "Memento." Gordon-Levitt wore a suit and tie to meet the filmmaker, and Page speaks in awed tones about Nolan. "I am a massive fan," she said, "and I'm humbled and inspired by the chance to make this film."
In the film, Page plays Ariadne, a gifted young architecture student in Paris who is recruited by a mysterious man named Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) for his corporate espionage team, which invades the dreams of billionaires via a strange contraption and drugs. Her assignment is to craft rooms, buildings, even entire cityscapes, to fill this co-inhabited Land of Nod. Gordon-Levitt, meanwhile, plays Arthur, Cobb's point-man and the lieutenant who fears that his leader is slipping into his own personal nightmare as their shared reality bends and bleeds around them.
The movie is huge in every way -- it was filmed in six countries -- but Page said she walked away from the experience marveling at the way Nolan was able to protect the human emotion amid the massive gears of the big-budget thriller. 'It was a very intimate experience as an actor and very fulfilling. It's this blockbuster monster but when you're working with Chris he does everything possible to make every single moment completely honest. And I've worked on a lot of independent movies where I wasn't working with a director that wanted and needed every moment to be completely honest.'
The production required Gordon-Levitt to do grueling combat scenes in a spinning corridor, and he finished some days bruised and battered. Perhaps more challenging for both actors was holding the screen in the company of veterans such as DiCaprio, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe, Tom Berenger and Pete Postlethwaite. (Each name on that list, by the way, is a former Oscar nominee, and Caine and Cotillard have won the prize.)
Page said she is hungry to learn from top-notch actors and directors and she said took on a role in the HBO project "Tilda" -- which is about an online Hollywood columnist -- largely to work side-by-side with Diane Keaton, who has the title role. She said she felt zero pressure to follow up "Inception" with a feature-film project of similar scale or prominence.
"I want to do things that inspire me intellectually and artistically, just like Joe said, and to do things that excite my heart. That's the only way that works for me. If I did something else I would just be really bad in it anyway."
Gordon-Levitt gave a hearty laugh and nodded in agreement. He has a number of film projects lined up, including "an untitled cancer comedy" with Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anna Kendrick, but he says as technology shifts he isn't sure that his future will be defined by major-studio feature films. He runs a production company called HitRecord.org that is an open collaborative effort -- people around the Internet contribute images, music or ideas for a final product that is as much a tapestry of its audience as it is a mural by its makers. For example, he said, a documentary filmmaker might post a message that they need a visual that represents poverty, and around the Internet the audience would submit video, animation or some blend of both that would become that part of the movie.
"Things are moving away from the proscenium -- the structure where there's a stage here and an audience there, that is giving way to something that is more collaborative," Gordon-Levitt said. "People are still interested in sitting and watching a movie, but that is a form that is growing dated too. The idea of stars and movies is changing. And I'm OK with that."
-- Geoff Boucher
'Inception' questions? Here's THE most in-depth article on the film
Ken Watanabe wins over Nolan: 'He's such a movie star'
Bigger than Batman: Nolan takes on 'Inception'
24 FRAMES: Are 'Inception' expectations too high?
'Inception,' the only movie that matters?
Nolan breaks silence on Superman and Batman
THE BIG PICTURE: 'Inception' may feel backlash
Forget crossovers: Nolan says his Batman doesn't play well with others
PHOTOS: Top, third and fifth photos are portraits of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page by Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times. All other photos: Scenes from 'Inception' (Warner Bros.)
Clicking on Green Links will take you to a third-party e-commerce site. These sites are not operated by the Los Angeles Times. The Times Editorial staff is not involved in any way with Green Links or with these third-party sites.


text:
Tag Archives: #OrganicsLive
If you're an average social media user like me, you can probably attest to receiving regular requests to like a new page, join a group, or follow a new business. In fact, I receive far more business related requests then I do friend requests (imagine a sad emoji here). It seems the fear for businesses to enter the world of social media is dissipating and instead of being out of the ordinary for having a social media presence, businesses that don't have these networking tools in place are starting to be the minority. For companies just starting out in the last few years, this is a huge advantage. New companies need not worry about the headaches of converting old methods of advertising, collaboration and supply chain management. Instead, new companies are able to jump right into social media and utilize it to their full advantage. Melissa Laking, owner/operator of A la King Culinary Creations in Beamsville, Ontario did just that and has not only grown a loyal fan base that saw her recently nominated for the Hamilton Spectator Reader's Choice Awards for catering, but has also used Facebook and Instagram to develop and source out suppliers.


text:
- Home
- Government
- About St. Anthony
- Community Organizations
- Sister City
- About the Sister City Program
About the Sister City Program
President of Finland Visits Minnesota
Councilmember Stille attended a reception in Minneapolis and had the honor of meeting Finland President Sauli Niinistoo. Councilmember Stille presented the President with a Proclamation and St. Anthony history book. The Proclamation recognized the over 30 year Sister City relationship between the cities of St. Anthony, Minnesota and Salo, Finland, and congratulated Finland on their 100th year of independence. Thank you to St. Anthony Sister Cities association for the opportunity to participate in the Sister City Program.
Program Overview
Sister Cities International (SCI) is a not-for-profit agency, which links communities from the United States with communities worldwide. Currently, Sister Cities International represents 1,200 U.S. cities, counties, and states and their 2,100 partners in 125 countries worldwide. As the premier citizen diplomacy network in the United States, Sister Cities International leads the national movement for global community partnerships and volunteer action. One of the major goals SCI strives to attain is to stimulate environments through which communities will creatively learn work, and solve problems together through reciprocal cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional, and technical exchanges and projects.Visit the Sister Cities Website for additional information.
"The Sister Cities program is an important resource to the negotiations of governments in letting the people themselves give expression of their common desire for friendship, goodwill, and cooperation for a better world for all." - President Dwight D. Eisenhower.Sister City, county, and state affiliations between the United States and other nations began shortly after World War II and developed into a national initiative when President Eisenhower proposed the people-to-people program at a White House Conference in 1956. Originally, SCI was part of the National League of Cities, becoming a separate, not-for-profit corporation in 1967 because of the tremendous growth and popularity of the U.S. program. President's Eisenhower's intention was to involve people and organized groups at all levels of our society in personal citizen diplomacy with the hope that people-to-people relationships, fostered through sister city, county, and state affiliations, would lessen the chance of future world conflicts.
For more than 40 years, Sister Cities International has been one of the most recognized international programs. In every region of the world, sister cities, counties, and states play a significant role in supporting long-term community partnerships through reciprocal exchange programs that promote the inclusion of ethnic and racial minorities, people with disabilities, youth, women, and people of diverse socioeconomic status in all sister cities' activities.


text:
IRVING, Texas -- When Michael Sam was released last weekend by the St. Louis Rams, he was sure another opportunity, if not with the Rams, would come.
When his phone didn't ring over the weekend, there was some surprise a dominant college pass-rusher couldn't get a bite with another NFL team. It all changed Wednesday morning when Sam passed a physical and joined the Dallas Cowboys' 10-man practice squad.
"It was a little longer than I expected," said Sam, who is trying to become the first openly gay player to participate in an NFL regular-season game. "But you know what, I'm here now, and that's all that matters."
The Cowboys downplayed Sam's arrival, saying the objective is to play against the San Francisco 49ers in the season opener Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium.
Sam, however, became the first practice squad player to hold a news conference. Standing against a wall with the Cowboys' blue star on it, Sam was surrounded by reporters.
"It feels good to be a Cowboy," said Sam, a Texas native. "It feels great."
Sam appeared tired with the constant questions about fitting in and trying to prove himself worthy of a roster spot.
"This is part of the job, so I just got to do it," he said. "I really don't ... care."
Sam has been described as a tweener, and some have said he's not fast enough to play defensive end. He seemed to be dismissive of that kind of question Wednesday.
"Did you not watch my preseason?" Sam said. "Did it look like I was slow?"
Sam has yet to meet Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones, who was in Austin, Texas, for a promotional event, but he did speak with executive vice president Stephen Jones.
"This is Jerry's team and he wants everything right and I'm here to do everything I can to earn a spot on this team," Sam said.
Coach Jason Garrett said he hasn't had any special conversations with players or staff members regarding Sam's arrival. Garrett, along with several players, has downplayed the fact that Sam is an openly gay player.
Linebacker Justin Durant gave a reporter a funny look when asked whether Garrett addressed the team about Sam.
"No, none of that," Durant said. "He's just going to come in and help the team, that's it, it's just football."
Quarterback Tony Romo said the team is following the lead of Garrett, who wants the focus on football.
"[Sam] just got here today," Romo said. "I haven't seen much other than on scout team and some of the special teams stuff. For us as football players, it's all about, there are 53 guys, there are 10 guys on the practice squad, consistently, everyone has different politics, religion, views on things, and I think what you find in the locker room, no one cares. It's about can you help this football team win. We're always bringing in people to help the football team. If he can help us, it's a bonus and we'll be lucky to have him. It's just part of the whole process."
Sam will learn how to play within the Cowboys' 4-3 scheme and contribute on special teams. There are no guarantees Sam will be called up to the active roster, but given how the Cowboys' pass rush struggled in the preseason, there's a good chance he might get called up.
"Like I said, any way I can use my speed or the things I learned in St. Louis, anything I can do to help this team win games," Sam said. "I'm hungry to be on the team and help a team win, and I'm sure that Dallas wants to win as well."
Dallas heads into the opener with serious questions about its defensive line after giving up the most yards in the NFL last season -- and third-most in league history.
Defensive end George Selvie, who might miss the opener with a shoulder injury, is the only Cowboys lineman who had more than two sacks last season.
Tackle Terrell McClain, one of the team's key free-agent signings, is likely out with a sprained ankle. The other major free-agent pickup, tackle Henry Melton, missed all the preseason games with a groin injury and hasn't played since tearing a knee ligament with Chicago in Week 3 last season.
Rookie DeMarcus Lawrence, who was drafted in the second round with the hope that he could at least partially fill the void created by the departure of DeMarcus Ware, can't play until after the eighth game. He's on short-term injured reserve with a broken right foot.
The Cowboys had five sacks in the preseason, and the two players who led the team in the preseason, Martez Wilson and Zach Minter, did not make the final roster. The Cowboys acquired Lavar Edwards in a trade with the Tennessee Titans and signed free agent Jack Crawford, who was among the final cuts by the Oakland Raiders. Neither player has a regular-season sack to his credit.
ESPN.com Cowboys reporter Todd Archer, ESPN.com's Darren Rovell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


text:
FBI: Sniper Tactics and Effects on the US Homeland 2007
From WikiLeaks
Unless otherwise specified, the document described here:
- Was first publicly revealed by WikiLeaks working with our source.
- Was classified, confidential, censored or otherwise withheld from the public before release.
- Is of political, diplomatic, ethical or historical significance.
Any questions about this document's veracity are noted.
The summary is approved by the editorial board.
See here for a detailed explanation of the information on this page.
If you have similar or updated material, see our submission instructions.
- Release date
- September 11, 2008
The 18-paged PDF file presents a document titled "Sniper Tactics and Effects on the US Homeland". The document is dated 16th of February 2007 and based on data "derived from FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) case files, Department of Defense assessments, and open source information" current as of 31st of December 2006. It is issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
According to the introduction of this For Internal Use Only document it "addresses sniper tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and how this method of attack can affect the Homeland in future terrorist aggressions". It addresses "the sniper TTPs and their potential physical, psychological, and economic impacts against the affected communities", but independent of whether the origin of this activity has a terrorist or simple criminal background.
Further information
File size in bytes


text:
Define Your Competitive Advantage: How Do You Line Up?
on March 27, 2019
with No Comments
Many business leaders spend a good deal of time and resources trying to create an impactful marketing strategy and/or winning sales strategy – only to find that it doesn't translate into increased conversions. Often times, it's because an integral step was missed: defining the company's competitive advantage. The truth of the matter is that customers don't think like we do about our business. They don't care about your products or services; they care about the solutions you provide. There's a … Read More


text:
One issue with focus though is how new raiders will learn the ropes. It used to be that older learning instances were still in the rotation (so you'd join a guild which ran them). If people are coming straight in to the latest raid, where do the learning instances fit in?
I am beginning to wonder if new raiders actually need learning instances. I think that on the institutional, or guild level, learning instances are important. But for an individual raider, it seems like individual raiders can learn quickly when integrated into an already experienced group.
Yeah, they don't know the tricks and shortcuts. You can't go "This boss is like Chromaggus crossed with Illidari Council". But individuals not having done the learning instances doesn't seem to have significantly hurt, at least in my experience. It's actually kind of shocking to go into Ulduar with someone you think is an extremely experienced raider, and she starts picking up the basic achievements.
This is just the individual level, though, and on Normal modes. Exposure to the experienced group seems more important than exposure to previous content. However, I'm not sure throwing a group of people who have never raided before into ICC will really work.
There are middle ways like: standard progression but every month all existing raids get a 5% ICC-like buff. So imagine the old MC-BWL-AQ40-Naxx way, but one year after start MC has a +60% heal, HP, damage buff and BWL has +30%.
I think this kind of cuts against the whole progression idea. The idea is that every group encounters content in more or less the same difficulty. I really don't see any difference between getting i251 gear and going back a tier vs a 60% buff.
If there's going to be a 60% buff, why bother making them do the old content at all? May as well just point them to the current content content and tell them to have at it.
I don't understand how the WotLK raiding system helps people see more content by skipping to the last raid of the cycle.
In both styles, you are not seeing content. So I don't understand at all how that somehow becomes a part of equation.
The difference is in Wrath, you don't do earlier content by choice. Your ICC guild can always go back and run through Naxx and Ulduar for fun. Odds are you'd be able to complete it fairly easily. My own guild did Yogg+1, Yogg+0, and got someone a Valy'nar at the end of the expansion.
In Vanilla/TBC, the upstream content was pretty much blocked. Once a guild was stuck, it was stuck. There was no aspect of choice involved at all.
If MC was dropping 6 items per boss instead of 3 when AQ40 came out, new players and less progressed guilds would have been able to catch up faster without getting a free skip-all-old-content pass.
I don't think I agree with this. In my experience, by the time your guild reaches a boss, you have enough loot to beat that boss (excluding edge cases with the Royalty guilds). Loot is very rarely the true stalling factor.
Now, you can use loot to overpower fight, but that generally requires loot from higher tiers. The current tier of loot is almost never enough. If you are stuck on a boss in a progression-style, the kill usually comes through improved execution or an improved strategy.
Do Hard Modes change things?
One thing to consider is that Vanilla/TBC didn't have hard modes. It's quite possible that the guild-killer bosses we all know and love would really be a Hard Mode in the Wrath environment. Perhaps the Normal mode progression chain would be enough to keep guilds from stalling out.
Obviously a lot of the Aristocracy and Gentry guilds would leave Hard Modes unfinished when the next tier came out. And a new guild would probably ignore Hard Modes altogether until it got caught up. They would do Naxx-normal, Ulduar-normal, TotC-normal, and ICC-normal. There really isn't a Vael or a Vashj in that path to really get stuck on.
Other issues and thoughts
But that doesn't solve the recruitment issue. For a guild in the ICC tier, being able to recruit relatively new 80s is a huge boon. It makes life a lot easier than poaching from the TotC or Ulduar guilds would be. But if progression is in place, if you need to do TotC before ICC, then obviously an ICC guild must recruit someone in a TotC guild, or run old content to gear them up.
Maybe a different change would help. What if, when TotC came out, Naxx gear was automatically upgraded to Ulduar ilevel? And when ICC came out, Naxx and Ulduar gear was upgraded to TotC level? This would mean that Naxx and Ulduar are not entirely obsoleted. But perhaps Naxx would become the zone of choice, because it is easier than the other two but would provide the same reward.


text:
Never heard of Daughter's Day? OK, it may not be nationally recognized, but that's not the point! We've got a bunch of ways you can celebrate your favorite girl (or girls!) — personalize them as you see fit. Have fun!
1. Start the day with a surprise
Wake her with breakfast in bed, announcing that you'd nearly forgotten that June 28 (or whatever day it happens to be) is Daughter's Day! Steal a page from the Mother's Day playbook: Include a bud vase with one bloom, a construction-paper card, and a handmade gift (maybe a photo of you two on a simply decorated cardboard frame) on the tray.
2. Go outside and play
It may sound like a little thing. But think about all the times she might have asked, and you said "Maybe later." She'll be thrilled if you suggest it. Play lawn bowling with small cardboard boxes (like cereal or tissue) and a small ball. Play "trust walk," when you take turns being blindfolded, spun around, led somewhere, and then guessing where you are. Play hopscotch. Pick up an inexpensive metal detector and head to the beach or park to hunt for loot. Blow bubbles.
3. Go for coffee
You do it with your girlfriends, so why not your best girl? Head to a cute coffee shop and treat her to a fancy decaf iced tea, smoothie, lemonade, or hot chocolate. Dish about the latest happenings at school.
4. Have an indoor picnic
Set it up in her room, picnic basket, blanket, and all. But first: Get the other guests ready. What other guests? Her dolls and stuffies, of course. Clean them, fluff them, dress them, and style their hair.
5. Eat fresh
Head to a local farmer's or outdoor market. Just stroll the stalls, deciding together which goodies you should bring home. Try to find things that neither of you is used to eating. Whether it's rhubarb, tomatillos, a Crenshaw melon, or homemade beach plum jam, it'll be a (healthy) adventure trying out new treats.
6. Give it a spin
Many pottery stores hold make-your-own workshops. Research and sign up for one in advance. Then you can spend a few hours crafting vases, bowls, or mugs as mementos of your day.
7. Visit the library
No, not just to take out a book, though you can do that, too. Sign up for a class that you and your daughter can take to learn something new together. You'll need to sign up in advance, but will likely have little trouble finding one that sounds fun. Most libraries offer plenty, like yoga, cake decorating, jewelry making, flower arranging, crocheting, or knitting. This is a perfect idea if money is tight. Programs are either free or cost only a small materials fee (usually less than $5).
8. Do lunch
A fancy restaurant is nice, sure. But you can have a meal just as special for a lot less money at home. Treat your daughter like a guest you really want to impress. Set the table with your good tablecloth, china, and silverware. Let her drink sparkling cider from the crystal glasses. Put out a fresh flower centerpiece. And get dressed up! Finger sandwiches never tasted so good.
9. Cue the culture
Investigate local theater and ballet programs. Many towns have community theaters that put on great family-friendly shows. Even high-school performances can be surprisingly professional. It's an out-of-the-ordinary experience for a low ticket price. And you never know: You could wind up with a budding thespian on your hands.
10. Tuck her in to dream of future fun
As the day ends, present her with a final gift: a booklet of coupons to cash in later. The prizes can vary from treats to promises of time together. We made it easy for you: Download our printable versions here, including "blanks" for you to customize for your sweetie!
Ready for more mother-daughter adventure ideas? Click here!


text:
Household income in the United States rose sharply last year while poverty declined — fruits of a record-long period of economic growth that ended abruptly when the coronavirus pandemic struck.
An annual report from the Census Bureau shows median household income jumped 6.8% in 2019, to $68,700. That's the highest since the government started keeping track in 1967.
The poverty rate declined to 10.5% — the lowest since records began in 1959.
Analysts caution that both income and poverty measures may have been skewed by the challenges of conducting interviews during the pandemic. Fewer people completed the survey than in years past, which likely resulted in artificially boosting the income measure while depressing the poverty rate. Were it not for those survey problems, the Census Bureau estimates, median household income would have risen just 3.8% and the poverty rate would have registered as 11.1%.
Even with that caveat, the report provides a frozen-in-amber snapshot of how a long period of job growth and low unemployment padded the pocketbooks of American families.
With rising wages and more people working last year, median household income rose for every racial group and every part of the country.
Many of those gains were almost certainly erased this year, though, when the pandemic took hold in the U.S., throwing tens of millions of people out of work. Unemployment soared this spring to its highest level since the Great Depression. African American and Latino workers were especially hard hit.
While the job market has improved in recent months, it's still far from the conditions that drove last year's income gains.
"Because of the pandemic, we are going to be struggling again to get back towards full employment," said Elise Gould of the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. "Policymakers should take heed of the policies that had gotten us to where we were in 2019 — albeit more slowly than we should have — to get us back on that road to full employment"
Even before the deadly coronavirus struck, more Americans were going without health insurance. The uninsured rate climbed to 8% in 2019, largely due to a drop in Medicaid coverage. Virginia, which expanded Medicaid last year, was the only state to see an increase in health insurance coverage.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
VideoEgg has been exceptionally good at thinking ahead in their business and changing strategies when it made sense.
They launched in September 2005 as a way to publish video to the web from mobile and other devices. Soon they were allowing people to publish videos directly on the site, like YouTube. And they then aggressively pursued partnership deals to power the video feature on social networks and other sites. Today, they power video on 14 of the 20 largest social networks. And they also monetize those videos with a number of innovative ad units, sharing the revenue with partners.
Today VideoEgg is powering 680 million video plays per month, from 23 million unique users. They've built a large ad sales team to sell into those videos with flash pop-up ads that don't disrupt video play but get in front of the viewer.
That ad sales team now wants more inventory. And so VideoEgg has morphed yet again. Their video business remains in place. But now they are leveraging that ad sales team to sell their flash ads directly into Facebook applications.
EggNetwork, A Facebook Ad Network
There are already at least three advertising networks aimed at Facebook applications – Lookery, fbExchange and a RockYou product. VideoEgg now jumps in the mix with EggNetwork, and they have an immediate and distinct advantage: a huge ad sales team with experience selling into big brand advertisers.
They've been quietly active for weeks, testing the platform and gathering data. The Flash ad units (example) don't do much until you mouse over it, and then text is displayed along with a video clip or interactive game of some sort. CEO Matt Sanchez says that they are selling at above $10 CPM. And they will split revenue from the ads 60/40 with the application providers (60% to the application).
These ads will eventually be targeted demographically based on user data. For now, though, Facebook has put a use of most of this user information on hold as it figures out its strategy. When Lookery launched they had one set of rules in place in their terms of service. Now, they are taking a hard look at what data can be used by ad networks for free, and what should be used at all.
EggNetwork is clearly going to be an attractive option for larger application providers who don't want to sell ads themself. VideoEgg already has a bunch of them using the service: Rock You, J. Squared Media, Graffitii, Renkoo and Flixster have all incorprated the ads into their applications. Early advertisers include Discovery Networks, Electronic Arts, Fox Searchlight, FX Channel, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures.
App-Camp 2007
VideoEgg is also hosting an event, called App-Camp2007, in San Francisco in late October. They're promising a fun and informative environment for people to learn about application creation and monetization, and will be bringing in marketers and venture capitalists to make connections and provide further device.


text:
Based on a previous determination decision (Open Records Decision No. 684) for all governmental bodies with regard to various exceptions to disclosure in the Public Information Act and other statues, we may redact the following confidential Information:
NOTE: Redacted documents will not be sent to any requestor electronically.
Show All Answers
Requestor's contact information. We will need you to be very detailed when stating the type of documents you are requesting and if possible, provide a date range in order to narrow the request.
Click on the POLICE button and press Submit once you have filled in the information.
Email Open Records
City of BaytownAttn: Police Department3200 N. Main StreetBaytown, Texas 77521
City of BaytownPolice Department3200 N. Main StreetBaytown, Texas 77521
(281) 427-5037
Accident reports are not subject to the Act and may be requested directly from the Baytown Police Department or the Texas Department of Transportation ("TxDOT").
For more information please visit the Police Department Accident Report page or TxDot Crash Reports and Records page.
These requests are handled by our Police Department and should be requested as a Police request instead of a General request. Please provide date, time, and location of the incident, as well as any other information, including phone numbers from which calls were placed, if known.
To obtain copies of police reports, you need to provide case number(s), if available. Also, please provide date, time, and location of the incident, as well as any other information, including names of persons involved. It will help us serve you better if you include as much detailed information as possible.


text:
Leo Burnett Dress Code Eliminates Need for Account Management
So Leo Burnett created a goofy in-house ad to announce its new dress code. It's unclear whether or not it's a joke since attempts at confirmation have...well, failed. The horror of it all is that creatives, usually exempt from any and all dress codes, are required to adhere to the code. So, no more jeans. No more black t-shirts. No more kicks. Say what? Yes, you heard right.
Leo Burnett's creative department will now be able to go to client meetings on their own without being found out by either the client or the AE they will pretend to be just to make up for all those years of being told, "The client won't go for that." And, yes. It's been confirmed a joke.


text:
There have been an overwhelmingly amazing number of entries for Storytelling Sunday this month. Over fifty! (and still time to join in if you'd like to..) Thanks to everyone who gets involved
Wednesday 8 February 2012
Taking It Easy
There have been an overwhelmingly amazing number of entries for Storytelling Sunday this month. Over fifty! (and still time to join in if you'd like to..) Thanks to everyone who gets involved
45 comments:
- Jimjams said...
We're not off until next week - can't wait!
Lovely cards - those MR kits are fab! - 8 February 2012 at 09:25
- scrappyjacky said...
Our half term is next week as well.
Love the cards....and there are far too many gorgeous new ranges!!! - 8 February 2012 at 09:44
- Julie Kirk said...
Beautiful cards Sian!
I love pretty much everything Studio Calico do and I really liked Echo Park's 'Note to Self' too.
:-) - 8 February 2012 at 09:57
- Gem's Crafts said...
Love the cards Sian, and I hope your two do get a bit of a break this week :) its no fun doing school work all the time
- 8 February 2012 at 10:23
- Estelle Grace Tudor said...
Our half-term is next week too. Love your cards, the pastels are so pretty! Have a great week x
- 8 February 2012 at 10:26
- Cheri said...
Cute cards Sian! Personally, I'm trying to ignore all those new collections until I use up more of the stuff I already have! :)
- 8 February 2012 at 11:04
- Scrappi Sandi said...
Next week for us here too & I cannot wait!! It'll be haircuts & eyetests all round, but I love not having to set the alarm...I'm still uo & about but it's my choice!!!!
I'm loving these two cards, so pretty!
Oh...& going off at a tanget...did I dream it or do I remember seeing a sidebar button for 'Storytelling Sunday' somewhere ?! :) - 8 February 2012 at 11:09
- Jane said...
gorgeous cards.
- 8 February 2012 at 11:43
- Lisa-Jane said...
These cards are wonderful. I do like your style, its so clean yet so pretty.
- 8 February 2012 at 11:56
- alexa said...
I especially like the blue and yellow - and your delicate layering. Bring on Spring and ditch the studying!
- 8 February 2012 at 13:00
- Barbara Eads said...
You have no idea how happy I am to have discovered your blog months ago. I feel like I have a real British friend! I love your turn of a phrase! Today, I got a kick out of "lie-ins." That is just the cutest way to say what we refer to as "hangin' out." Sounds like a page title to me! I must use it! Have a fun break!
- 8 February 2012 at 13:06
- Cheryl said...
very lovely cards! i desperately need to revisit my card-making... lost my touch. You've given good inspiration today! x
- 8 February 2012 at 13:22
- Kelli said...
I agree no homework over breaks! :) I love your cards, pretty!
- 8 February 2012 at 14:05
- debs14 said...
Our half term is next week and I am SO looking forward to it! I agree that a break should be a break too, no homework, just time to relax and recharge the batteries. Enjoy!
- 8 February 2012 at 15:16
- Jennifer Shaw said...
Lovely cards! Yes, I LOVE all those lines too!! Not that I need them in any way. Have a good break with your children. :)
- 8 February 2012 at 15:58
- Lizzie said...
We have an early close day at school today, which means DS was home at 2pm. He still has three more school days, before our half-term break.
Haircut will be before Friday, as he's playing his guitar in a concert at a local church. I think he'd better look tidy...
Enjoy your break and I hope The Children don't have to work too hard on their projects! - 8 February 2012 at 16:08
- Carmen said...
Mine finish on Friday. Then the two eldest are off to Nanna's for a few days. I don't know who is looking forward to it more, them, her... or evilly... me. Honestly - they have been training in earnest for the bicker olympics! I'll miss them really ;)
Thank you for your lovely comments over at mine, am catching up slowly but surely. It's daft how much I love that old Sylvester jumper ;) - 8 February 2012 at 16:32
- Alison said...
Love the first one particularly..and there are far too many new lines which I'm in love with!
Alison xx - 8 February 2012 at 18:06
- Susan said...
Your cards are beautiful!
- 8 February 2012 at 19:07
- Ladkyis said...
Half term is next week here and it is also the week after Mr Ms birthday. He always takes that week off so we shall be surrounded by kids everywhere we go - sigh - The Storytelling Sunday was brilliant this time wasn't it? I had marvellous fun reading them all. I am planning next month already
- 8 February 2012 at 20:02
- Lou said...
enjoy half term Sian - ours are off next week. I hope they don't go overboard with the homework here.
Lovely bright cards too Sian. - 8 February 2012 at 20:20
- Amy said...
Your cards are lovely today Sian, enjoy the parts of the break which are project free!
- 8 February 2012 at 20:36
- Missus Wookie said...
half term starts lunchtime tomorrow - we're off to the Science Musuem on Friday :)
- 8 February 2012 at 21:09
- Unknown said...
Why do haircuts always end up being at half term? Ours is next week, I am at work unfortunately but I know Mum and the kids are already looking forward to it...
- 8 February 2012 at 22:17
- Sandra said...
Such pretty cards :)
Enjoy the half term,and hope they also get some fun time, which I'm sure you'll make sure they get :) - 8 February 2012 at 22:28
- Nathalie said...
These are some lovely cards Sian! I love how soft they look.
- 8 February 2012 at 23:21
- Melissa said...
Lovely cards! That pink one is so very pretty.
Wow, 50 stories - I better go check out a few more! - 9 February 2012 at 04:47
- Maria Ontiveros said...
There are so many new wonderful paper collections aren't there! I'm going to do a bit of scrapping on Sunday, and I"m really looking forward to it.
Rinda - 9 February 2012 at 08:10
- Peachy Stream said...
Cute cards Sian!
I too have been crafting with scraps and scrapping with the papers I got for Christmas (use 'em whilst you love 'em)...in preparation for CHA collections. Loved October Afternoon as always and am desperate to get my hands on Dear Lizzy Neapolitan - did you see the little library stamp in that collection? And the pinky papers?! Oh my days! I am soooo desperate for it! Not too much longer to wait I hope! :) - 9 February 2012 at 09:22
These are so beautiful, Sian. The colors of both are lovely and so springy! Despite the lack of snow, it's still very wintery here, and spring is already looking mighty good.
I started a Pinterest board with my CHA desires. I've preordered some of the new Amy Tan for American Crafts, but I have my eye on some others as well. - 9 February 2012 at 11:47
- Deb @ PaperTurtle said...
I was never a fan of homework sent to be done over a school break either! But I am a big fan of your cards. You are the queen of layering embellishments into beautiful stacks of adorable!
- 9 February 2012 at 13:00
- Sue Althouse said...
Lovely cards! Your color palettes are stunning. I get a week off at the end of the month, and so looking forward to it!
- 9 February 2012 at 15:38
- laurie said...
what great color combos! i love the depth of your cards. i would love a break right now but we don't get a week off until middle of march. enjoy. :-)
- 10 February 2012 at 02:34
- Ifa said...
I think school holidays should be a break from set work...a time to recharge. We are still at school but last day today. No homework for us, not usually.
Gorgeous cards! - 10 February 2012 at 13:20
- Becky said...
Very pretty cards :)
- 10 February 2012 at 19:03
- Michelle S said...
Thx Sian for ur comment! I've hopefully rectified the problem but deleted ur comment! Aaargh! Thx again x
- 10 February 2012 at 19:41
- Micayla said...
I too think it is unfair to get loads of homework while on a break..so Glad Emily does not have any..ha ha it would be cruel to give to a 3 year old!
Love the pretty cards, the farmhouse paper looks gorgeous, I must play with mine instead of just looking and maybe stroking it :) - 10 February 2012 at 21:22
- scrappysue said...
Sian, your cards are certainly as lovely as your LO's! I have actually taken quite a bit of notice of CHA this year; almost wish I hadn't, there is soo much yummy stuff! I'm loving Lillybee's buttercup line too and I can't wait to get my hands on Heidi Swapp's memory box thingies, just up my street!
- 12 February 2012 at 18:28
These are just beautiful! I love them!
- 13 February 2012 at 09:48
- Katie said...
Lovely cards Sian. Glad I came across your blog aand am now a new follower. Is that a mini easel I see? - Cute! Love Katie xx
- 13 February 2012 at 13:11
- Kim Dellow said...
Gorgeous Sian. Kim
- 13 February 2012 at 20:36
- Michelle Hernandez said...
Beautiful cards! Blue and yellow always make me feel cheerful- I love how you layered the pins and that Maya Road wood die cut there.
- 13 February 2012 at 23:44
- Lisa-Jane said...
Beautiful beautiful cards! And oh yes to the CHA stuff. Loving so much but I really liked the new Dear Lizzy stuff.
- 19 February 2012 at 21:53
Beautiful looking cards Sian. Sorry I'm so late seeing them.
- 2 March 2012 at 14:42
- Wanda said...
Your cards are a treasure, Sian. As for the new kits, I have no idea what they look like, but I do like the sound of "October Afternoon"--a warmish sun, a bit of breeze, a tang in the air. I'll be curious what you do with that when the time comes.
- 6 March 2012 at 09:38


text:
There are a number of safety requirements that must be satisfied prior to solar panels being installed at your home/office. For a comprehensive list, please click on the following link to visit the Solar Panel page of our website.
Distributed Generation
Show All Answers
No. At this time, there are no commercial water conservation rebates offered, such as for toilets. Rebates are offered to residential customers for the replacement of high flow toilets.
With you adding in specific information on your building, the program then provides a customized report on how electrical energy is consumed by your building year round and specific suggestions on ways to lower your energy consumption.
Use the online tool.


text:
Townsquare Media is Hiring: Managing Editor
Townsquare Media is recruiting a Managing Editor to oversee the digital consumer experiences of the company's radio brands in the Evansville, IN/Owensboro, KY market. The goal of the position is to oversee the creation of digital content that is vital for the local community. The role is accountable for the quality of the content and the growth of the audience to that content. Click here for more info!


text:
Siri clones demonstrate vast technical lead Apple enjoys with iPhone 4S software
Can't Tellme much
Last week, Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie stated in an interview that his company's Windows Phone 7 has included a similar Tellme voice recognition system for a year now, suggesting that Apple's only edge was in its marketing of the feature.
However, a video comparison of Microsoft's Tellme and Apple's Siri created by Australian tech site TechAU demonstrated that while Windows Phone 7 devices can in fact listen to speech, they can't decipher phrases very well and have no ability to handle sophisticated tasks like scheduling events in the user's calendar.
Prior to Mundie's claim, Microsoft's WP7 manager Andy Lees stated that he didn't think Siri was "super useful," indicating his company would avoid having its users speak commands to their phones in public, an outlook apparently not shared by the company's "Chief Research and Strategy Officer."
Google: 'Siri is a cute bumbling droid, Android is Enterprise worthy'
Google's Director of Android User Experiences Matias Duarte made similarly dismissive comments about Siri, comparing Apple's technology to, ironically, droid characters in Star Wars by saying that on Apple' s iOS , "you have these robot personalities like C-3PO who runs around and he tries to do stuff for you, messes up and makes jokes, heâs kind of a comic relief guy."
In conrast, Duarte said, "our approach is more like Star Trek, right, starship Enterprise; every piece of computing surface, everything is voice-aware. Itâs not that thereâs a personality, it doesnât have a name, itâs just 'Computer.'â
Just as with Microsoft, developers at Android are also conflicted about the direction of their criticism of Siri. Andy Rubin, the head of Android development at Google, insisted earlier that he doesn't "believe that your phone should be an assistant" like Siri, an opinion seriously incompatible with Duarte's insistence that Android is at least aspiring to be something like the always-helpful bridge computer of Star Trek.
Droid do'hs
In reality, Android is missing any futuristic assistance service like the one Majel Barrett voiced for the crew of the fictitious Star Trek Enterprise. Instead, the company supplies basic voice recognition with accuracy well below Siri's, while lacking the ability to intelligently process user requests to perform sophisticated tasks.
Google does offer a separate Voice Search app, which can respond to some basic commands such as send a text or email, get directions or play music, using the company's Voice Actions technology. However, this service is much closer in scope to Apple's simplistic Voice Commands, as there is no real processing of grammar or ability to integrate into services like Yelp, interact with the users' calendar, or remember relationships between your contacts, among other Siri features.
Other third party apps merely serve as a second skin to Google's voice services, or provide their own voice-based services, such as Vlingo (also available for iOS, making it a option for users who don't have the latest iPhone 4S). These are still basic voice command apps, not anything like a personal assistant incorporated into the operating system.
Android's Clumsy Cluzee
One of the latest Android apps to compare itself to Siri is Cluzee. Despite getting attention in press releases, it was described as "another awful Siri clone" by ExtremeTech, which complained that "the app is plagued with issues, and doesnât have the same functionality that Siri offers."
In a side by side comparison with Siri performing five commands, "it recognized one command [launching a web search] successfully, force-closed on another, then simply refused to understand the other three."
Competitors are racing to appropriate the spotlight Apple has captured with Siri in part because the new feature is working to sell iPhone 4S, Apple's fastest selling smartphone yet. Analysts have noted that in "talking to industry sources, whatâs driving the 4S is better than expected reception of its new Siri software."
Siri is reported to be one of the largest development groups within Apple, who have worked not just to make Siri functional, but also to "forge an emotional tie with customers."


text:
Robin's Healthy Take: One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four
I love potatoes! Red, gold, purple, sweet, fingerling, russet. Fall seems like an especially great time to enjoy potato dishes because they partner so well with the other staples of the season (turkey, ham, beef roast). Not only do they round out a dish, their inherent starch helps them soak up sauces and gravies. Here are four of my favorite potato side dishes just in time for the holidays and entertaining (they're so easy, you might use them on a busy weeknight instead).
Yukon Gold: I love these for fries. They cook up crisp and golden brown. The mayonnaise-based dip I serve with my fry recipe is rich and tangy thanks to roasted red peppers and basil.
Red Potatoes: These are excellent in mashed and "smashed" recipes, especially when paired with bacon and cheddar (like smashed skins!). I used center-cut bacon because it's got a greater meat-to-fat ratio, but you can also use turkey bacon.
Fingerling Potatoes: This variety is not only adorable, it's easy to work with. No peeling, dicing or slicing – just roast 'em whole. The curry coating is warm, wonderful and so fragrant, your neighbors will be sniffing at your door.
Sweet Potatoes: Most people think of regular potatoes for the "scalloped" dish but the sweetness from orange-fleshed spuds partners perfectly with tangy parmesan cheese. The dish is kept light by using low-fat milk instead of a heavy cream sauce. I added a little nutmeg too – to bring out the cheese flavor and enhance the sweetness of the potatoes.
Baked Yukon Wedges With Red Pepper Mayo (pictured above)
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Combine potatoes and oil in a large bowl and toss to coat. Transfer potatoes to a large baking sheet, in a single layer, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, red peppers and basil in a food processor and puree until smooth. Serve potatoes with mayo dip on the side.
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Rinse fingerling potatoes to remove any debris and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl, add olive oil and toss to coat. Add curry powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and toss to coat potatoes. Transfer to a large baking sheet, in a single layer, and bake 30-40 minutes, until potatoes are browned and fork-tender. Toss potatoes with scallions just before serving.
I like to leave the peel on these potatoes, for flavor, texture and color.
Combine potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan and pour over enough water to cover by 2 inches. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and return potatoes and garlic to pan. Add buttermilk and cheese and mash until almost smooth (I like to leave some chunks), adding more buttermilk if necessary. Fold in the bacon and parsley and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2 large orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, until smooth. Whisk in milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer 1-2 minutes, until sauce thickens. Whisk in nutmeg. Remove from heat and set aside.
Arrange one quarter of sweet potato slices in the bottom of prepared pan, allowing slices to slightly overlap. Top sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the cheese and season with salt and pepper (the cheese is salty, so go easy on the salt). Repeat 2 more times, ending with cheese. Top with remaining sweet potato slices. Pour milk mixture over top and top with remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown.
You Might Also Like:
Robin Miller is a nutritionist, host of Quick Fix Meals, author of "Robin Rescues Dinner" and the busy mom of two active little boys. Her boys and great food are her passion. Check her out at www.robinrescuesdinner.com.


text:
Martin Guitar was featured on CBS Sunday Morning January 21.
The piece featured CEO and Chairman Chris Martin IV, who CBS calls "the great-great-great-grandson of the man who started it all more than 180 years ago." It focused on the recently opened Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit, Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin.
CBS correspondent Anthony Mason interviewed Martin player John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful about the legacy of Martin guitars. Sebastian was also given the opportunity to play a Martin from 1834 that's on display at the exhibit.
Find out more about Martin Guitars at martinguitar.com.


text:
The Powerful Life of the Praying Pastor: In His Room, With His Family, Among the People of God
Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jan-Feb 2011
Attending this conference was a great way to prepare myself for my ordination. It was a double blessing because several brothers also got to join.
To see the video, go to here.
Looking at the Heart of Prayerless People
Twenty years ago, I took my kids camping in Pennsylvania. It was not long until I returned to our car to my teenage daughter who had dropped her contact lens. I said, "Ashley, freeze. Let's pray." And she bust into tears and said, "Why! What good does it do?! He doesn't answer my prayers for Kim!" Kim is another daughter of mine who has several disabilities. Ashley's response articulates the feeling many Christians have in regards to prayer—what good does it do?
Here are some questions and issues we regularly come across in the prayer ministry I work with.
1. How do you concentrate?
2. What does good praying look like?
3. How do you interface with God?
4. How do you de-program from our American culture?
5. What about my negative feelings?
6. What good does it do?
Our studies have shown that 90% of people in your churches do not have a praying life. Most people feel guilt, confusion and frustration. We ask these same people to articulate a doctrine of atonement and they provide a beautiful description of this doctrine. So on the outside things are working correctly. But internally, there is no functional, ongoing relationship with their Father. This kind of Christianity cannot withstand the onslaught of a postmodern world. It is a tinderbox for cynicism.
Back to Ashley, we did pray and bent down to look for the lens. We looked and there it was, resting on a leaf. The rest of the camping trip was just as challenging. The kids were fighting and complaining and the whole thing was a hassle. I was getting so frustrated. Then it started raining and the tent was leaking tremendously. It was terrible. In the morning we went on a car ride to another park just to do something else.
As the kids slept in the car, I just thought how sweet they looked. I began to get scared because of how the pressure of the trip had brought out the meanness in them and in me. There was no sweetness of Christ in me. And I could easily look into the future to see the road my kids and family could head down. We needed Jesus. And God began working on me first.
I burned out at work a few months later. God used that burnout to humble me profoundly and draw me into the life and death of his son. I'm telling you this story to encourage you to teach your congregation to pray. But they will only learn to pray if you first develop a life of prayer.
Learning a Praying Life: Be a Child
How do you begin to develop a life of prayer? The feeling of helplessness is necessary. Feeling that you are completely unable to do life on your own, to do life without Jesus. God needs to be active in all of the details of your life. I think that is a big reason why Jesus tells us to be like little children.
Here are some passage regarding this call: Mark 10:13-16, Mark 9:33-37, Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 10:21, Matthew 21:14-17, John 5:19, Matthew 6:9-13, and Mark 14:36.
The gift of the Spirit is to bring the "Abba, Father" cry into our hearts. Jesus is the most helpless human in history; he was completely unable to do anything on his own. He was profoundly enmeshed with the Father and dependent upon him like a child. To enter into a praying life is to enter into this heart of Jesus.
What does it mean to come like a child in your prayer time? You get out of bed and start praying. It is not long until your mind begins to wander to the problems that you have. You think there is something wrong with you, and there is! You need Jesus.
Being a child in prayer means to just come. Children are not tied up in all the details when they come to their parents. They just come.
Jesus says those are weary and heavy laden are to come to him. He doesn't call the organized and fixed up but the broken. Why do we forget that when it comes to prayer?
The dirty, muddy you is the real you. Don't try to put on the spiritual façade in prayer. You can talk to God about whatever is on your heart, so just come as you are. Be weak and open in prayer before God. It is the same as the gospel. I'm just applying the gospel to your prayer life. We need to learn helplessness. That is what a child reflects.
Now, asking like a child. Think of what a child asks for. They ask all the time; they ask for the silliest things; they ask all the time. In asking God for things in prayer, there are two dangers: asking selfishly and not asking. The first is functional paganism and the other is functional deism. It is easy to fall into not asking because we don't want to be helpless. Those who do not ask need to ask boldly. Those who ask selfishly need to ask ______.
Praying With a Child
Back to my daughter, Kim. She often would wake early and pace and make noise. This resulted in my wife and I yelling at her to get back to bed. I eventually decided to wake up early with her to go and pray with Kim. When I prayed with her, I knew I had underestimated her own ability to control her behavior and to look to God. I then began to do devotions with Kim and listened to her prayers through the speech computer she has to use. I was struck by how her prayers were marked by thanksgiving.
Later, I had to take Kim to the ER because she hurt her elbow at camp. She began to have a meltdown at the hospital and was signing, "Jesus, help me." We got back into the doctor's office and she calmed down. Later we talked about it and she said God spoke to her. And she quoted Scripture.
Story. That is how prayer works. God is active in my life. I'm not in control of these stories. God is discovered in the story of your life. You begin to discover God and yourself.
Repentance. To pray is to repent. That is the story of my life. Things regularly come to mind about things I need to pray about. Prayer. It is a different way of doing things. It is not a mystical black box out there to be unlocked.
God is alive. The activity of praying ignites this story that unveils God.
Answer. Kim stopped pacing.
It gets bigger. In Lewis' The Last Battle, when they get into Heaven, the further in they go, the bigger everything gets. Everything is like that with God.
A real relationship.
God's presence. God is in the shadows and is discovered in our obedience.
Hope. You can start dreaming again. At the hardest moment of Jesus' life in Gethsemane, he has hope.
I have a devotional time tomorrow morning where I'll touch on the rest of my points. We'll also talk about how I use prayer cards to help in my praying.


text:
Panasonic has announced pricing on some of its recently-introduced Lumix digital cameras.
The Panasonic Lumix GF2 will carry a retail price of $499.95 for the body only. The GF2 and 14-42mm lens kit will retail for $599.95, while the GF2 and 14mm prime lens kit will retail for $699.95. The Lumix GF2 should be available later this month.
You can check on availability for the Panasonic Lumix GF2 at B&H Photo, Adorama and Amazon.com.
All of the new Lumix compact cameras will be available in March 2011, with prices and retailer availability links below. [Read more…]


text:
1. I love the Leafs, I'll probably never stop loving the Leafs. That said, for me to believe in a group of players, they have to show up. This group of players had a lot of chances to show up, they didn't. As a fan, I can deal with almost anything – just don't play without heart. Leafs Nation doesn't deserve you playing without heart. I love the Leafs, and believe in the Leafs rebuild, but I don't believe in this particular group. We're a young team, a developing team, but there are issues beyond that. Changes in personnel need to be made.
We have pieces but if those pieces have no one to learn from, no one to show them how to consistently perform in this league, you can't fault them for failing. Injuries aside, everything is pretty clear. Leafs being a bubble team, not a good enough team to make this year's playoffs, isn't news.
A rebuild is indeed in progress, the team still needs to grow. That said, as a fan as well as a person, I have never accepted giving up and sadly, that is exactly what this group of players did. I certainly hope the pick is worth the pride. Romanticized as it might sound, sports aren't about losing to be better in the future (which is what the pick should mean, I'm well aware of that) – I will never accept that. If it's a good pick, I'll make my peace with it, but I'll never accept it.


text:
Reducing salt consumption below the currently recommended 2,300 milligrams — about 1 1/2 teaspoons– per day maybe unnecessary, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
The news follows a decades-long push to get Americans to reduce the amount of salt in their diet because of strong links between high sodium consumption and hypertension, a known risk factor for heart disease.
The IOM, at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reviewed recent studies published through 2012 that explored ties between salt consumption and direct health outcomes like cardiovascular disease and death. The organization describes itself as "an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public."
Researchers determined there wasn't enough evidence to say whether lowering salt consumption to levels between 1,500 and 2,300 mg per day could increase or decrease your risk of heart disease and mortality.
But lowering sodium intake might adversely affect your health, the panel found.
"These new studies support previous findings that reducing sodium from very high intake levels to moderate levels improves health," said committee chair Brian Strom, the George S. Pepper professor of public health and preventive medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
"But they also suggest that lowering sodium intake too much may actually increase a person's risk of some health problems."
Those problems, he said, could include heart attack or death.
The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that a sub-group of people — anyone older than 51, African Americans, and people with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease — limit their salt intake to 1,500 mg a day.
The IOM committee found no benefit, but possibly a risk of poor health outcomes with lower salt intake in people with these pre-existing conditions, but said that evidence is inconsistent and limited.
"While the current literature provides some evidence for adverse health effects of low sodium intake among individuals with diabetes, CKD (kidney disease), or pre-existing CVD (cardiovascular disease), the evidence on both the benefit and harm is not strong enough to indicate that these subgroups should be treated differently from the general U.S. population," the report said.
"Thus, the committee concluded that the evidence on direct health outcomes does not support recommendations to lower sodium intake within these subgroups to, or even below, 1,500 mg per day."
American adults eat on average 3,400 mg of salt a day, according to the IOM. Groups like the American Heart Association (AHA) support reducing that number. In 2011, the AHA called for a reduction in daily consumption, recommending all Americans eat no more than 1,500 mg a day.
The IOM report, the AHA said Tuesday, does not accurately assess salt impact on health. "While the American Heart Association commends the IOM for taking on the challenging topic of sodium consumption, we disagree with key conclusions," said the association's CEO, Nancy Brown. "The report is missing a critical component — a comprehensive review of well-established evidence which links too much sodium to high blood pressure and heart disease."
The Salt Institute says it welcomes the IOM study, calling it a major breakthrough in the salt debate.
"This whole thing has been blood pressure-driven and this study finally looks at overall health outcomes," said Morton Satin, vice president of science and research for the institute.
"The study makes it very, very clear that the level of 1,500 mg that has been recommended in the dietary guidelines is not warranted, despite this full-throated cry for these levels by some organizations … We hope this is the opening of the much broader review of the available evidence and a devotion to ensuring that our guidelines reflect the science."
The IOM panel was not asked to make recommendations on what a healthy range should be. It says more research is needed to help shed light on how lower sodium levels affect health in all Americans.
On Monday, the Center For Science In The Public Interest published results of a new investigation on what they call the food industry's failed efforts to reduce sodium levels in pre-packaged and restaurant foods. It called for phased-in limits in an effort to prevent heart disease. The group tracked nearly 500 food products between 2005 and 2011.
"The strategy of relying on the food industry to voluntarily reduce sodium has proven to be a public health disaster," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Inaction on the part of industry and the federal government is condemning too many Americans to entirely preventable heart attacks, strokes, and deaths each year."
Saundra Young | CNN


text:
Can't get a royal cover star? Just make one up like Marie Claire South Africa, whose Duchess of Cambridge cover is not quite as it seems.
BY Belinda White | 16 July 2012
She's the cover girl they all wanted, so how exactly did Marie Claire South Africa scoop Anna Wintour to the sitting the century: the Duchess of Cambridge?
Well they obviously didn't did they? But not to be deterred by the absence of a flesh and blood royal subject to shoot, the art department got to work on the next best thing: a Frankenstein cover featuring the head and hands of Kate, stitched onto the body of a fashion model wearing a 'colourful' creation by local designer, Clive Rundle.
"We were so inspired by her fairytale wedding and her life as a modern-day princess, which is why we elected Kate Middleton as our cover star for the August issue," explains editor, Aspasia Karras. "The cover is actually a hyper-real illustration of Kate, meant to be a fan art tribute to fashion's new royal icon."
IN PICTURES: The Duchess of Cambridge's fashion hits and misses
Reaction to the cover has so far been mixed.
"So she didn't actually pose for the cover? How is that a good thing? Aren't you cheating your readers as well as your cover subject?" complains Sue, while Samina points out: "That's not weird at all…".
It's not the first time Kate has fallen foul of heavy-handed Photo-choppers. After her wedding, UK Grazia magazine cut Prince William out of their cover shot and took about 6 inches off the Duchess's waist in the process.
READ: Grazia admit to slimming down the Duchess of Cambridge
No word from Kate on what she makes of the cover, but one person is sure to be over the moon: Clive Rundle. The South African designer is unlikely to ever see one of his creations on the Duchess in real life - she famously wears mostly British labels and is not, as far as we are aware, partial to a tattoo-effect sleeve - so this is definitely one for the Rundle family scrap book.
Besides the unlikely dress choice, there is one other cover clue to the truth behind the image: 'Fashion's new royal icon wears SA's best local designers*', it reads.
Then below: '*Of course she doesn't. But she should."
Perhaps that's one decision best left to the Duchess...


text:
Sections / Communities
Bible.org is providing specific resources for different ministry groups such as men, women, and pastors. Whatever group you may be a part of where God is the central purpose for your meeting, then look here for valuable resources. Each section has unique needs and we have provided unique resources to help you accomplish your ministry goals.
For Pastors
We are so blessed to have such godly and gifted pastors on our partnership team. They are the backbone of the Bible.org ministry as they provide weekly content coming from their many hours of Bible study and sermon preparation from their local church ministries. We are building a community on Bible.org just for pastors. This is your place on the site to find invaluable resources to help you in your ministry, whether you are the senior pastor or priest, the teaching pastor, the executive pastor, or one of the many staff pastors to men, women, youth, the elderly, or the pastor of body life, spiritual formation, small groups, special needs, etc. This is a regular stop for our users who are providing pastoral care to others.
For Men
Welcome to the men's equipping ministry at Bible.org... Ephesians 6:10-13 teaches us that if you are a Christian man, then you are called into the battle of life. This is not an invitation. This is a command. For far too long, men have been on the sidelines, in the bleachers, or on the couch while the spiritual forces of evil have corrupted our culture, attacked our families, and infiltrated the Church. If you are a Christian man, then you are a leader. As faithful followers of Jesus Christ, we must become the sacrificial servant leaders that He modeled for us. We are to be His true ambassadors 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. At Bible.org we are working hard to equip the front lines of Christian ministry. In doing so we discovered that men on the front lines need help. Therefore we have created this resource center for you.
For Women
Welcome to the Women's Ministry of bible.org. The mission of bible.org Women is to provide trustworthy resources, proven training materials and biblical encouragement to women so that they walk more closely with God and expand their influence for Christ. In this area you'll find great resources in the areas of Bible Study Curriculum, Leadership, Women's Ministry, Women's Messages--Audio and Written, and articles for A Woman's Life.
Children's Ministry
Among those who will be considered greatest in the Kingdom will be the men and women who utilized their God-given time, talents and treasures to minister to children. Jesus made it clear that unless adults become like little children, they cannot enter His Kingdom. Jesus went on to teach that the treasures of God are reserved for those who receive them as babies (Matthew 11:25).
For New Authors
Bible.org, a non-profit (501c.3), provides authors a multilingual Internet pulpit to reach the 2 billion+ users on the Internet and to share God's truths about what "Matters in Life". We invite you to fill this global multilingual Internet pulpit with trustworthy biblical material. In the spirit of Lev 23:22, we will host your material so Christians in every culture can be equipped for global impact. "Ministry First" is our motto.


text:
Author: Vanessa Garden
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: August 10, 2016
Summary from Goodreads:
In a glittering underwater world, where danger lurks behind beauty and power...
For the past twelve months since her parents' death, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has harboured a dark secret — a secret that has strained the close relationship she once shared with her older sister, Lauren. In an effort to repair this broken bond, Miranda's grandparents whisk the siblings away on a secluded beach holiday. Except before Miranda gets a chance to confess her life-changing secret, she's dragged underwater by a mysterious stranger while taking a midnight swim.
Awakening days later, Miranda discovers that she's being held captive in a glittering underwater city by an arrogant young man named Marko...the King of this underwater civilisation.
Nineteen-year-old Marko intends to marry Miranda in order to keep his crown from falling into the sinister clutches of his half-brother, Damir. There's only one problem. Miranda is desperate to return home to right things with her sister and she wants nothing to do with Marko. Trying to secure her freedom, Miranda quickly forms an alliance with Robbie — Marko's personal guard. However, she soon discovers that even underwater, people are hiding dangerous secrets...
Buy Links: Kindle│Nook│Kobo│iTunes
A bookseller and Young Adult author, Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not raving about her favourite reads with customers, or mentally casting actors to play the characters in her next novel, she enjoys hanging out with those she loves most.
Marko took my hand and gently pulled me towards him.
"Don't ignore me," he said, his icy blue eyes vivid beneath a fringe of black lashes as he stared down into my face.
There was something both commanding and alluring about his stare. It frightened me that anybody, especially somebody in a position of power over me, could transfix me like this.
Though the touch of his hand was making my insides tremble with butterflies, I yanked mine from out of his grasp and took a step back. The only other guy who had ever made me feel like this, just by touching me, was Aiden. It shocked me that a person like Marko had the ability to do the same. It wasn't right. I wasn't right in the head to be responding this way.
A frown of confusion creased Marko's forehead.
"You don't like me, do you?" he asked. "And yet, you liked it when I held your hand."
I stood there, burning with humiliation. He was so right.
He half-smiled. A spark of interest illuminated his eyes.
"I find that so intriguing, Miranda."
"I didn't like it," I said, when I finally found my voice. "In fact I hated it."
Marko's smile widened.
"Shall we try it again, then, just to be sure?"
I was glad for the dimness of the room because I probably looked like a human tomato.
"Here, take my hand. I'll escort you back to your room."
I folded my arms across my chest. "I'll escort myself back."
Marko shook his head and stared at me.
An awkward, statically charged silence followed.
I turned to leave but Marko called my name and I paused, mid-step, my breathing laboured.
"I understand it will take a while getting used to our forced union, Miranda," he said in a quiet, thoughtful voice. "But the people of Marin won't wait forever."