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Agile software development
At Mercurytide we transformed how we approach software development with some amazing results. We moved from a fairly Waterfall approach to an Agile Scrum approach a while back and it's proven to be a great success.
What are Waterfall and Agile approaches?
Waterfall is a project management method where everything is mostly linear. For instance, if you have an idea for a software product and you arrange a big project covering months of work where you, e.g.:
Looks like a waterfall, and it's called the Waterfall approach.
Agile Scrum still has a lot of these concepts, but it breaks it down into smaller chunks, with a focus on creating releasable software every 2 weeks once you get into the Sprints.
What does Agile look like within Mercurytide
We call our method T-Agile. The T stands for the Tide in Mercurytide, which is ever moving and adapting to the individual project. It's a variation on Agile Scrum, the key difference being that we believe there is an incredible value to a comprehensive discovery stage, and in creating a business requirements document that covers the full project business needs and expectations. After that, we run an Agile Scrum approach where we prioritise functionality based on business value and adapt the project as the feedback comes in.
What impact has T-Agile had for Mercurytide?
- We have a more accurate representation of progress. Rather than that last 10% of the project taking 90% of the time, we are delivering working software regularly so we have a real handle on what's complete and what not. We can report early if things are not going to expected timescales and implement mitigation action much quicker.
- We can change direction quickly. Customer priorities change, and because every two weeks we complete the current task, we can swap our plans around with greater ease and provide flexibility for our customers.
- We can release software much earlier. We can still do larger releases of functionality but we can also release what we have every two weeks. Meaning customers get the benefits of the software much earlier.
- We get feedback early. We develop functional software so our customers every two weeks and we get feedback on what works and what customers need much quicker. We can the adapt to fit those needs.
- We have better communications. The agile approach is very focused on verbal communication points so that each team member keeps everyone informed on progress and seeks regular feedback on what they have been producing.
If you are looking to develop bespoke business software, Mercurytide's Agile approach to software development provides real tangible advantages over a more traditional Waterfall approach.
If you have any questions about the advantages Mercurytide can provide your business, or want a more in-depth chat about all things software development, please get in touch.


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Direct Email Marketing
Direct email marketing is a format for email-based campaigns in which standalone advertisements are sent to a targeted list of recipients. Why Your Business Needs Direct Email Marketing?
Effective email marketing enables your business to build profitable relationships with customers by speaking to them directly. This relationship increases conversions and lifetime customer value as customers return to you to buy more. Plus, it drives referrals as subscribers share your email offers and information with others.
What is especially great is how targeted email marketing is. Your subscribers are coming to you and asking to learn more about your business. Your marketing dollars are targeted to your most highly interested prospects. We also provide a platform for you to send affordable email newsletters and marketing. We work with you to create your unique template, and if you like we can help you put together your contact list, put together your newsletter and send it.

subset: commoncrawl


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About me and this site
Welcome to Bacteria's site!
I am a modding enthusiast and hobbyist, interested in making old retro video game consoles into handheld portable systems. I live in England, and am in my forties. Since 2007 I have been interested in this hobby and devote much of my free time to it.
I previously had a web site, http://www.modded-by-bacteria.com that got over 100,000 hits in about a year, however the site looked basic, didn't load quickly, used Soholaunch software which wasn't the best to use and the web host was unreliable. I therefore shut my old web site and started on this blog, which is also great as it allows people to comment and ask me questions (subject to my approval of the posts of course).
My intention, over time, is to mod most of the retro console systems and produce guides for doing such; whether or not they become a separate handheld console or one made into a Multi-system is just as relevant as I shall show how to mod them, reduce the boards as needed, rig up power, audio and video to them. All my guides are free, so enjoy!
My aim is to eventually have a site that holds all the information someone needs to make a large range of portables; with my free guides and videos. I hope you enjoy this site, please leave feedback!
How about joining the Chat Room / Forum? (link below or on right menu bar). It doesn't matter if you don't have modding questions, how about discussion on retro console games too? or general chatter about gaming and systems? I am on the site a couple of times every day for a while…
32 Responses to "About me and this site"
I have been looking at the wireless n64 controller and that is by far the best idea ever! I used to have a docs wireless, but it stopped working so I had to part with it. I was wondering if you do commission for a wireless n64 controller? I am in the US so I don't know if the region makes a difference. You have awesome work. I don't think I could trust myself with soldering and programming, but I am just working on a basic NES PC for time being to keep my hands busy. Keep up the great work Bacteria!
Hey Bacman, great job.
I want to make am Intellivision controller, but the buttons connect 3 terminals. Where did you find such buttons?
Thank you
Where did you get the caseing/housing? would you be prepared to sell me one? how much would it cost? regards.
Hello Bacteria,
I have a question about the cooling of an N64 Portable.
I already started to do one. Everything just works fine.
But no I need to know how I can cool the N64 Portable.
I know I could buy heatsinks. But I have so pieces of 10mm strong aluminium at home. Would this work?
My son is getting ready to do a mod on the N64. He wanted to know how the copper heat sink only experiment worked. Did it overheat?
Hi. I want to discuss a mod/commission, but I can find no link for an email?
this website is the best modding website ever! bacman you rock!
I am a big fan of your mods and was wondering if you could send me a starter kit?
Hi my name is Alex i was inspired by your hand held game consuls its so amazing! im from the US how on earth can you do that it will be amazing if you can make a kit i would love to buy a kit its something i have never seeing before but when you buy a kit i was wondering will your kit come with the game consul? because this is something i would love to do! hit me up on my e-mail
BEST site ive come across for modding consoles!
Hey iSaw Your Videos On How To Make a n64 Portable. Can Yhu Send Me aList Of All The Things iWill Need To Make One Please Send This To My eMail email@example.com
Was just wondering if there is a possibility I might be able to buy an snes controller with bluetooth from you. I live in the US and would love to have one of those! Awesome work.
Forum Chat is over capacity.
Thank you, this site has very valuable information that has helped me get parts and educated me on how to build a portable console. On top of that, this website has FREE information, unlike Benheck, who charges for his books.
I enjoy this site, it is worth me coming back
I don't know If I said it already but …I'm so glad I found this site…Keep up the good work I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog. Thanks, 🙂
A definite great read..Tony Brown
You need to make a nintendo 64 case! I mus just buy one of your other cases instead though but it would be cool if you made one specifically for the nintendo 64.
Hey There,
I'm interested in a kit, How much do they cost?


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The great strength of the Gazette's Tees Pride campaign is its determination to highlight the area's problems but with a clear focus on ways to resolve them and on the potential that exists within the Tees to renew the area.
For me, one problem stands out above all others: illegal drug misuse, which is sadly more prevalent on Teesside than in many other parts of the country.
Time and again we read reports of the criminal activities linked to this destructive habit.
It is the greatest scourge in our society today and one that must be addressed.
Thankfully, there are signs that progress is being made.
The "dealer a day" strategy, operated by Middlesbrough Police and championed by the Gazette, has seen 151 dealers arrested in 160 operations. Indeed, the scheme has proved such a popular hit that the Home Office is now considering rolling it out nationwide.
But if we are to fundamentally resolve the drugs problem, we must reduce demand as well as supply.
It is surely no coincidence that drug misuse is most prevalent in areas of high unemployment.
In my own constituency of Stockton South we know that crime and drug misuse are concentrated in the most deprived districts.
So it seems clear to me that social renewal will only occur if accompanied by economic renewal.
That is why I am thrilled at the recent news that Teesside shipyards have secured part of the multi-billion pound aircraft carrier contract. The Gazette was one of many voices pressing Teesside's case for a share of the contract through its "Battle for Ships" campaign, and we can all be rightly proud of the outcome.
The award of a share of the contract will generate thousands of highly skilled jobs throughout the area for years to come and is a tremendous boost to the local economy.
That said, we cannot rest on our laurels.
The Tees remains poorer than many other British regions and it is crucial that we continue to press for investment and support.
I strongly believe that the creation of a North East Assembly would aid this process, giving the Tees and the entire region a louder voice when competing for investment and unlocking the great potential that exists locally by transferring decision-making power from Whitehall mandarins to local leaders in the public, volunteer, political and business sectors.
The prize of increased investment, jobs and productivity awaits, it is vital that we act now to seize it.


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On Thu, 2009-07-30 at 17:39 -0700, John Hudson wrote: > Really, it is in everyone's interest for nil rootstring checking to be > MUST not SHOULD. On the contrary, that would be a danger to life and limb. http://noeot.com/legal-mumbo-jumbo.html (which refers to EOT, not EOT-lite, but a relevant general principle is therein expressed). -tReceived on Friday, 31 July 2009 01:42:52 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 22:37:33 UTC


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- adj.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
reusable — (adj.) 1959, first attested in a Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogue (in reference to plastic bags for paper plates), from RE (Cf. re ) back, again + usable (see USE (Cf. use) (v.)) … Etymology dictionary
reusable — [spelling only] … English World dictionary
reusable — [[t]ri͟ːju͟ːzəb(ə)l[/t]] also re usable ADJ Things that are reusable can be used more than once. The average family in Europe throws as much as ₤20 worth of reusable materials into its dustbin each year. ...re usable plastic containers. Syn:… … English dictionary
reusable — adjective a) able to be used again; especially after salvaging or special treatment or processing b) (of a program) Able to be executed by several tasks without being reloaded; either reentrant or serially reusable … Wiktionary
reusable — reuse ► VERB ▪ use again or more than once. ► NOUN ▪ the action of using something again. DERIVATIVES reusable adjective … English terms dictionary
reusable — adjective Date: 1943 capable of being used again or repeatedly • reusability noun … New Collegiate Dictionary
reusable — adj.; reusableness, n. * * * … Universalium
reusable — re·us·a·ble || 'rÉªË juËzÉ™bl adj. can be reutilized, can be used again … English contemporary dictionary
reusable — re·us·able … English syllables
reusable — re•us′a•ble adj. ness, n … From formal English to slang


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A new API has been released by Google for the mobile-friendly testing tool named the mobile-friendly test API.
The API is a simple and quick tool that allows you to build your own tools to see what pages are mobile-friendly.
Google's John Mueller said, "The API method runs all tests, and returns the same information — including a list of the blocked URLs — as the manual test." He added, "The documentation includes simple samples to help get you started quickly."
The API test outputs include these three statuses:
- MOBILE_FRIENDLY_TEST_RESULT_UNSPECIFIED Internal error when running this test. Please try running the test again.
- MOBILE_FRIENDLY The page is mobile friendly.
- NOT_MOBILE_FRIENDLY The page is not mobile friendly.
You are able to access the API at developers.google.com/webmaster-tools/search-console-api.


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FREE delivery over $200.00
Shop the best skate stores and brands in one spot
Black Label Lucero X-2 Deck 8.88″ x 32.25″ (Orange Stain)
Parade code. 175-35421803053219
FREE US delivery on orders over $200.00.
Orange Stain
Shop Black Label Lucero X-2 Deck 8.88″ x 32.25″ (Orange Stain) for $65.00 and other Decks from Black Label on Parade.
Parade guarantees delivery across all sellers and is backed by our first class customer service.
Parade accepts Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards as well as Apple Pay and PayPal. In some countries, such as Germany, PayPal also offers additional local payment methods such as Sofort and Giropay.
All transactions are secure and encrypted.
Parade is a multi-brand online store that brings together the best skate shops, lifestyle boutiques, emerging brands and creatives to one easy shopping experience. By bringing this community together, we have curated the best choice and widest selection of product. Whether you're discovering an emerging or staple brand, you can shop Parade with the added knowledge that independent shops, brands and creatives benefit from every purchase.
Explore the collection
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Get regular updates with the Parade 4 minute newsletter covering the happenings across skateboarding as well as more regular product updates as they happen. You can unsubscribe in one click, and we never share your email address.
Stay up to date with a mix of noteworthy news and the best product in skateboarding.


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All of the images, videos and applets on this blog, unless specifically noted to the contrary, may be used freely under the following conditions:
All commercial websites may use any image as is as long as: A courtesy link using the code below is visible immediately below the image:
<a href=http://www.bryanmbrandenburg.com>Courtesy of Bryan Brandenburg </a>
Cropping is allowed under these conditions.
Students and Teachers can use the imagery in ANY capacity except for commercial purposes. This means, the images and animations may be used:
If you care to provide a link back from your website, or pass the link on to a colleague, it will help spread the word about these resources. Just Place a courtesy link using the code below is visible immediately below the image:
I hope in some small way that these illustrations will help future scientists connect the dots of existing knowledge with visual learning. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and an animation 60,000 words per second. We hope you find some value here. If you have special requests for using anything on this website, please contact me here. I almost never say now.
All the Best,
Bryan Brandenburg
All images except those contributed to Wikipedia are (c) Bryan Brandenburg
"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both."
James A. Michener


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Poor Charlie Fisher went away on holiday and when returned he had a surprise waiting for him at the airport. He got off the plane and then saw his girlfriend, standing with his other girlfriend, who was standing with his other girlfriend. Looks like someone got busted.
Friday, September 19, 2014
This Guy Found Out The Hard Way That Cheating Is Wrong
Friday, September 19, 2014 Cheating No comments
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A while ago I posted a video of the prototype of this innovative guitar tuner
now this is the finished product by TCelectronic:
you can find the product info on the TCelectronic page here:
This is innovative as you can see you can tune all the string at once. Not only that, it switches between the 'old style' tuning one string at the time and the new mode automatically…and it is true bypass.
another promo video:
In the UK this is £75 on-line for now…I am sure it will come down in price once all the brands will align to this new technology.
Hi There! If you liked these lessons: Download all the products In This Page in exchange for a donation to support the site (minimum $10): my 4 eBooks+Mp3 examples, and 84 blues backing tracks (divided in 7 sets). A total value of $149 at full price on other sites!
Use the drop down menu if you want to donate more, it's appreciated! All products on this page are digital goods you can download instantly after a successful Paypal checkout.
Feel Free to Visit:
My Music/Bio: >www.GianniChiarello.com<
SKYPE guitar lessons:>Here<
Download "The Guitar Kit" – All the templates you will ever need to learn or teach guitar: Pentatonic Scale, Major and Minor Scales, Blank Templates…
Click HERE to find out more or enter your email to subscribe and download.


text: There are no film podcasts like this one. Dean, Jessica, Matthew, and Josh deliver unfiltered and hilarious commentary about film and television. The LSG Media team is not afraid to speak freely, and they routinely push the boundaries of the politically correct. If you're looking for pompous, high-brow, better-than-you film discussion – look elsewhere. The hosts are authentic and unapologetic in how much fun they have with the content. Tune in every Monday and listen to a new podcast episode that covers a science fiction movie.


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I don't go to the dentist as often as I should. But I do look after my teeth. I didn't look after them when I was younger though and that has come back to haunt me lately.
Riding my bike in the cold over Christmas resulted in the most excruciating pain as freezing cold air got into an old filling.
Eventually the filling came out bringing half a tooth with it and leaving me with exposed nerves and a rather messy molar.
Why am I calling this post "childhood memories"? Today I had injections in my gum and the roof of my mouth – my god how much does that hurt??? And it just reminded me of er going to the dentist! Which I remember doing a lot when younger.
Anyway so I am sitting here typing this biting down on a gauze or something, soaking up the blood in my mouth, I am starving and could murder a cup of tea and a biscuit! No hot drinks for 12 hours no food for 3 hours…
I hope now that this heals quickly and the tooth ache stops.
Kids look after your teeth please!


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We note that, in her remarks on "Scientific Integrity and Innovation" at the Carnegie Institution for Science on October 4, Sen. Clinton took up several issues that Climate Science Watch has raised and stated positions in line with what we have been advocating—including a revived and expanded National Assessment on Climate Change, ending inappropriate political interference with climate science program reports, strengthening protections for whistleblowers who disclose political interference with science, and dealing with the emerging crisis in the space-based global climate observing system.
Climate Science Watch does not and will not make electoral endorsements. We will report on candidate statements and activities that address the climate research and government accountability issues of concern to us.
See the Clinton campaign's news release, "Ending the War on Science," and the full text of her October 4 speech.
Excerpts from the news release of particular interest to Climate Science Watch (with our underlining added, on some of the issues that we have developed on this web site and in other communications between March 2005 and the present):
Restoring the Federal Government's Commitment to Science
Hillary will:
Sign an Executive Order that:
Ends political interference with science. Hillary will ban political appointees from altering or removing scientific conclusions in government publications without any legitimate basis for doing so, and prohibit unwarranted suppression of public statements by government scientists. President Bush's political appointees have exercised unprecedented influence over the scientific content of government reports on global warming and other issues. In one particularly egregious case, the Chief of Staff for the White House Council for Environmental Quality – a lawyer with no scientific training – systematically edited and weakened government scientists' conclusions on global warming. (Bush Aide Softened Greenhouse Gas Links to Global Warming, New York Times [June 8, 2005].) In another case, the Bush administration added statements to the National Cancer Institute website that suggested a link between abortion and breast cancer, when experts agreed that no such link existed. (Abortion and Breast Cancer, New York Times [Jan. 6, 2003].) Similarly, the EPA published reports on the environment and air pollution without information on or references to climate change, and political appointees reportedly added references to a study funded by the American Petroleum Institute questioning climate change evidence. Hillary will stop these and other practices once and for all, and will ensure that scientists play their proper role in ensuring that the public receives accurate information on matters of public interest.
Promotes vigilance in protecting scientific integrity. Hillary will direct all department and agency heads to submit annual reports on the steps they have taken to (1) safeguard against instances of political pressure threatening scientific integrity; and (2) promote openness and transparency in decision-making. In a survey of government scientists conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists, nearly half of all respondents perceived or personally experienced pressure to eliminate the words "climate change," "global warming" and other similar terms for a variety of government communications. A full 87% perceived pressure on government scientists to make changes to their reports that altered the meaning of scientific findings. Dr. James E. Hansen, a climatology expert at NASA, spoke out about pressure by senior officials to minimize the impact of global warming. Hillary will ask all of her agency and department heads to provide a thorough accounting of any improper efforts to influence or suppress scientific conclusions and their efforts to prevent or deal with those instances.
Revives and expands the national assessment on climate change. A 1990 Act of Congress requires the Executive Branch to issue a national assessment every four years outlining the most recent scientific data on climate change and global warming and its projected effects on the country's environment, economy, and public health. Despite this clear mandate, the Bush administration has not released an assessment in six and a half years – the last one was issued by the Clinton administration in 2000. In August, a federal court ruled that the administration had broken the law. The judge mandated that it complete an assessment by May 31, 2008. Hillary will not only comply with the Congressional directive – she would go further. Her Executive Order will expand the assessment to include not only the anticipated impacts of climate change, but also how U.S. regions and economic sectors can respond to climate change through mitigation and adaptation.
Restore the science advisor's role in the White House. President Clinton, and President George H.W. Bush before him, relied on the advice of an Assistant to the President for Science and Technology – a senior adviser who reported directly to the President. President Bush eliminated the position of Assistant to the President, and the credibility of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has suffered under accusations that the Administration has manipulated and politicized science. Hillary will once again name an Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and will do so quickly so that he or she can help recruit top scientific talent into government. That individual will not have his or her advice filtered through political advisors, but instead will be empowered to speak candidly with the President on matters of science and technology policy. Hillary will also fully fund and fully staff the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Re-establish the Office of Technology Assessment. The Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) should be restored to provide authoritative and objective analysis of complex scientific and technical issues for the federal government. From 1972 to 1995, the OTA had been a small department in the federal government providing authoritative and objective analysis to Congress on science and technology issues. Hillary will encourage Congress to re-establish the OTA and ensure that we restore the role of evidence, not partisanship and ideology, to decision making.
Protect the integrity and independence of federal scientific advisory committees. Roughly 1,000 federal advisory committees have been formed over the years to provide advice to the government on a range of issues, including scientific, medical, and technical matters. The Bush administration has been criticized by a number of organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the Union of Concerned Scientists, for making politically motivated appointments to these committees. A 2004 GAO investigation and report recommended a number of steps to enhance advisory committee independence. As President, Hillary will not allow political considerations to factor into selections; she will improve conflict-of-interest protections; and she would increase the transparency of committee recommendations. She will also enforce and build upon the scientific integrity provisions of the recently passed FDA reform bill.
Strengthen whistleblower protections for those who disclose potential instances of political interference with science. Ensure that federal employees feel free to speak out when they see threats to scientific integrity.
Develop a comprehensive space-based Earth Sciences agenda. A National Academy of Sciences report found that "[a]t a time of unprecedented need, the nation's Earth observation satellite programs, once the envy of the world, are in disarray." (NAS final report of the Decadal Survey Panel, [January 2007].) Incredibly, the number of operating sensors and instruments on NASA satellites that observe the Earth is likely to drop by 35 percent by 2010 and 50 percent by 2015. Among other things, NASA's Earth Sciences program is vital to our country's – and the world's – long-term efforts to confront climate change. Hillary will fully fund NASA's Earth Sciences program and initiate a Space-based Climate Change Initiative to help us secure the scientific knowledge we need to combat global warming and to prepare for extreme climate events.
And this, from the full text of the speech:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been forced to delay the launch of important climate and weather-monitoring satellites. These technologies are critical tools to study climate change: measuring the rates of melting ice, temperature and humidity changes, sea level variations. Meanwhile, NASA's budget for earth sciences has been cut by 30 percent and NASA climate scientists have been muzzled. Last year, the Bush administration went so far as to remove the following phrase, and I quote, "to understand and protect the home planet," end quote, from NASA's
mission statement.


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We're passionate about a couple things here at 9th Street Public House: great drinks and a great sense of community. Our staff of expert mixologists take pride in both their knowledge of ingredients and their ability to customize a drink for any customer. Whether you know you want a dry gin martini shaken with a twist, or you just want something sweet with vodka in it, our mixologists will work with you to make the perfect drink. If cocktails aren't your thing, just ask our staff about our wide selection of craft beers and they will set you up with a beer of your liking.
The quality of the work we do here goes beyond serving excellent drinks. 9th Street Public House isn't another college-town bar trying to sell as much beer as possible each night. Instead, our focus is on cultivating a sense of community through superior customer service and a welcoming space. We want to spend time with our customers and provide them with a place to relax, celebrate, watch a game or just hangout. Running this bar isn't just a job for us; it's a passion. Stop by and see for yourself.
Beer falls into a couple main categories: ales and lagers. These are simply two different ways of brewing the beer.


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Twitter Link Facebook link
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is encouraging church members to call on federal legislators to address gun violence in the USA.
US Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has challenged the Episcopal Church's Executive Council to look outwards and avoid "suicide by governance."
Speaking at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori challenged Christians to take action against the world's injustices.
Members of the United Nations community were welcomed to the Episcopal Church Center in Washington DC, USA, for a special September 11 evening prayer service co-sponsored by the Office of the Anglican Observer at the UN.
There's exciting new material going up on the site all the time.
In the aftermath of a tense Anglican Primates (provincial heads) meeting in Tanzania, under-fire Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church in the United States has briefed the community of people who work at the denomination's Centre in New York on how oversight will be offered to a church divided on issues of sexuality and biblical interpretation.
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Police Scotland are investigating the use of Scottish airports to facilitate torture and rendition in 2013, and the Lord Advocate in 2014 ordered...
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Time to get into the zone of writing another blog post. Okay, it's only my second blog post but it's still not easy to find the headspace for writing while staying at home with 2 small children who have slightly unpredictable nap schedules! Speaking of nap schedules, today we decided to skip them all together and head over to our local Farmers Market (I rarely mess with 'the schedule'!) I wanted to introduce Niko and Emma to some different food and besides, it's so good to get out of the house. I've always had a soft spot for the Farmers Market, but I think my reasons for going have since evolved. I use to enjoy visiting the Farmers Market to pick up a few of my favourite goodies and then of course, try and sample everything that came in sight. I now have a totally different appreciation for vendors.
Imagine this...we've all been there. Walk into a busy market, people everywhere and samples being offered at every stand. Sure, sneak in a sample next to that big group of people. Nobody is looking. If you do it quick enough then you might not even have to make eye contact with the shop owner. Besides, who would pay $8 for a small jar of salsa? That's way overpriced! Okay, head on over to that marshmallow stand...again, nobody watching. Poor shop owner, put so some much time and effort into making the perfect marshmallow but seriously $7 for a pack of 6 marshmallows?! Are they crazy? I will sample one anyway and slowly walk away backwards. I can't speak for everyone but I am certainly guilty of being that person...that sample and run person.
I will never walk into a Farmers Market the same way again. So much work and love go into making that little jar of salsa or that small batch of marshmallows. Everything you see at that vendor's stand took a lot of time, love and money to put together. Being a small business owner is hard. You put your heart and soul into something that you hope someone will appreciate and buy, or at least acknowledge it exists. But the truth is, few people will actually understand the amount of effort that went into it. So next time you are at a market or a fair where there are hand made or homemade goods, try not to judge the product on the price, but rather the love and dedication and vulnerability that went into making that product. At least that is what I'll try to do next time I go out. Putting a product or idea out there and allowing it to be judged takes a lot of courage and I think I understand it a little more because I am putting my time and courage into Baby Leaf Covers. It's not easy venturing into small business ownership. It's not easy wearing a million different hats that you aren't sure if they even fit you.
Quite a few people have asked me who built my website and how did I come up with the idea to make a cover for baby. I don't usually go into a lot of details about my journey but I will start by saying, none of it has been easy! I designed Baby Leaf Covers simply because I had a need for it after my second child was born (read my story here). I started sewing when Emma was 1 month old. Recently having given birth to her, I was exhausted, hormonal and unstoppable. Who cares if I put in a few more sleep deprived hours? I was already not sleeping so I might as well be working on one of my crazy ideas. The website however, was an area of uncertainty for a long time because I am NOT technically savvy. I didn't even know what Instagram was before I started this business (no joke, ask my friend Katerina...she gave me all her Instagram tips) I built my website using Shopify and believe me, I called them A LOT. After my babies were asleep, I would sit down next to my charging phone and call my Shopify people. Seriously, if I logged the amount of time I spent with them over the phone troubleshooting and figuring out how to add a page to my website, I would say it was almost as much time I spent getting to know my husband when we were dating (okay maybe that's a stretch). But seriously, my poor husband, I almost forgot I had one (just kidding). It was a moment on my journey that was tiring and also rewarding. Someone once told me to just pay to get a website done, that it would be way too much work to build one and that's when a crazy thought came to my head! Okay, why don't I just build one?
Life gives us challenges everyday, no matter who we are. We don't understand challenges unless we experience triumph. Life gives us worry no matter who we are. We don't know what worry is unless we experience certainty. Life gives us joy but we don't know joy unless we know sadness...the list goes on. There have been lots of ups and downs so far on this journey and I am so excited to ride it out no matter what may come my way!


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From Burnout To Work Engagement: An Interview With Dr. Wilmar Schaufeli
Guest Contributorby David Zinger | Posted | Engagement
Dr. Wilmar Schaufeli is a leading psychology expert who focuses on burnout and work engagement. He has published about 500 scientific articles, chapters and books. Although I can't keep up with the volume of his work, I always look forward to reading his latest thinking and research on the topic. I firmly believe his work should be required reading for anyone leading employee engagement for their organization.
Dr. Schaufeli is among the top 1% of most cited researchers in psychology. He is both an academic and a consultant so he offers a broad understanding of the dynamics of employee engagement and the workplace.
This brief interview touches upon some of his current thinking on engagement and burnout.
What engages you the most in your own work and what has most stood out for you this decade surrounding the subjects of engagement and burnout?
What engages me the most is to see that science works. By that I mean that scientifically validated models, like the Job Demands-Resources model, are being used in practice to help organizations to prevent burnout and to increase employee engagement. I recently wrote a paper about how to do that. In a way, it is magic for me to see that putting pieces together into a model at one's academic desk - that is, crafting an intellectual tool - may ultimately impact on employee's well-being at the shop floor.
How would you describe the relationship between work engagement and burnout?
I know that there is much debate about that. Recently, I have edited a special issue about this question together with my colleague Hans De Witte. Some people believe that burnout and work engagement are redundant concepts. However, our own research shows that burnout and work engagement are distinct concepts, yet they are negatively related. That means that, generally speaking, when engagement is high, burnout is low and vice versa.
This is particularly true for short time intervals. In fact, one cannot feel burned-out and engaged simultaneously at one particular moment in time. Yet across longer periods one can feel engaged on certain days and burned-out others.
Some researchers believe that work engagement should be assessed by using an instrument that only measures burnout as opposed to a measure that assesses both engagement and burnout. To me that is rather awkward because scoring low on a burnout scale only signifies that you are not burned-out. But that same measure that indicates you are not burned-out doesn't mean that you are engaged. We need a measure that can range from low levels of burnout to high levels of engagement. This is possible with the instruments that we have designed based on the Job Demands-Resources model.
Do you believe that work engagement has the potential to play a role in preventing or being an antidote to burnout?
Work engagement is a high-energy state, whereby people also feel deeply involved in their work. In contrast, burnout is a state of chronic mental exhaustion, which is characterized by a lack of energy and mental distance. So, energy versus exhaustion and dedication versus cynicism.
That means organizations should be aware and take action as soon as energy and dedication levels drop amongst their workers. This is a bad omen. This also means organizations should invest in keeping engagement high because high levels of energy and dedication prevent employees from moving towards the opposite poles of exhaustion and cynicism, which are the hallmark of burnout.
You work as both an academic and a consultant on engagement. What do academics know about engagement that seems to be lacking in much of the consulting in employee engagement? How cautious do we need to be about the claims made in improving engagement or alleviating burnout?
First of all, proper concepts and good engagement measures should be used.
Sometimes consultants confuse engagement with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, or extra-role performance ("going the extra mile"). Albeit related, these are different things that are measured differently as well. Second, rather than relating engagement with numerous job characteristics and outcomes, it is important to use conceptual models - like the Job Demands-Resources model - to understand the antecedents and the consequences of engagement, and the processes that are governing it.
I believe that we know already a lot about engagement and how to increase it. The problem is how to implement this knowledge in organizations.
It is extremely difficult to prove indisputably that interventions to prevent or combat burnout and to increase engagement are effective - at least at the organizational or team level. For that, an experimental design would be necessary and this is virtually impossible to achieve in organizations. So, we are left with less rigorous studies, such as case studies that are open to scientific criticism. On the other hand, meta-analytic studies show small but consistent positive effects of individual burnout interventions. Also positive effects of individual engagement interventions (e.g., mindfulness and job crafting) have been documented in controlled studies.
If you could offer just three tips or things leaders should know or do to improve engagement of lessen burnout with their people what would those three ideas be?
We know that emotional states such as burnout and engagement are contagious. We have shown that engaged leaders might infect their followers. That is the good news. The bad news is that the same applies for burnout. So, the first tip is to take care that you feel engaged (and not burned-out) yourself.
Second, by allocating optimal job demands and resources for each team member, leaders can increase engagement and prevent burnout. It is the balance between both that counts. Moreover people differ with regards to resilience, ambitions, etc. Striking that balance is different for each employee.
Finally, our research shows that engaging leaders strengthen, empower, inspire, and connect their followers.
Leadership behaviors, such as delegating (strengthening), encouraging voice (empowering), enthusing (inspiring) and social bonding (connecting) lead to higher levels of employee engagement.
Where do you think we are headed with work, engagement, and burnout as we move towards the year 2020?
I see two important changes in the world of work that constitute major challenges.
In most countries people will have to work longer before they retire. This means that sustained employability - working healthy, motivated and productively, also at higher ages - will be a major topic in the near future. Keeping employees who have to work longer engaged and prevent them from burning out. I believe that keeping jobs challenging is key.
The other change involves the rapid increase of flex jobs and precarious employment. The challenge here is keeping employees in these jobs engaged. Providing employees with ample job resources such as learning opportunities and career perspectives increases engagement, but such resources are typically lacking in flex jobs.
In conclusion, what else would you like to add about work and burnout?
When I started burnout research at the end of the 1980s, people told me it was a fad. They told me the same at the end of the 1990s when I started my engagement research. But burnout and engagement are here to stay. They are part and parcel of today's organizational reality.
Meanwhile, we know quite a lot from research, and much work is done in practice. Yet I would wish that scientist and practitioners would collaborate more closely. Both would benefit from that.
To learn more about Dr. Schaufeli's work and to gain access to articles and writing about his work visit: http://www.wilmarschaufeli.nl/


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make a difference
Family Nurturing Centre is a registered not-for-profit organisation which relies on support from the community to offer its programs for families.
If you have some time you would like to contribute, we welcome volunteers. There are some specific areas of need itemised in the form below.
Please be in touch for more information.
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Gearing students up for a roller coaster in school
The assignment for the 40 students at a West Side community center Saturday: use paper, popsicle sticks, glue and marbles to create a miniature roller coaster — hours after learning, using math and science, how a roller coaster works.
One group of four teenage boys let creativity literally flow and was encouraged to push their own ideas. The results: a rapid waterslide named the "James Westside Blackjack Casino Jesus Christ Free."
"We were inspired by Schlitterbahn," Jay York, 14, a Burbank High freshman and one of the slide's engineers, said referring to the beloved Texas water park.
The four boys giggled as they tried to explain the name, created by randomly clipping words from a newspaper and pasting them in that order on the waterslide's base. They shifted to a more serious tone in explaining and demonstrating how their contraption successfully worked.
York dropped a marble into the top of the slide, which wound down a paper chute woven between the wooden popsicle sticks, and ended up in a water-filled food concession tray, traditionally used for nachos.
Seeing the students get excited about learning math and science was a major goal of the effort Saturday — part of a program called GEAR UP, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.
It's a federally funded program that aims to prepare a designated cohort of students, chiefly those economically disadvantaged, for college and tracks them all the way through their freshman year in college.
In San Antonio, two school districts — San Antonio and Harlandale — offer the program to about 5,000 students, and in partnership with several groups, such as the University of Texas of San Antonio, which provided educators to teach the concept.
The grant that SAISD won is for a group of students scheduled to graduate from high school in 2017, said Roxanne Rosales, who oversees GEAR UP for the district.
Rosales said the importance of Saturday's exercise was two-fold: get kids interested in one of the hottest trends in education — STEM, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics — as employers look for higher-skilled workers in those fields. The other goal: reduce what's known as the "summer slide," the term used to describe how students can regress during summer if not actively learning.
"It's a good time to get students exposed to more fun, hands-on ways of learning that sometimes isn't as easy to do during the hectic school year," Rosales said.
Students get to learn about all kinds of topics, taking field trips to businesses and college campuses, and learning about careers in fields ranging from the culinary arts to medicine.
Dennis Gonzalez, a GEAR UP project director at UTSA, said they spread out the activities in different areas in the school districts so that all students can more regularly attend their sessions, especially in summer. He said those wondering how the program works can contact his office at 210-458-2674 or by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com to see if their students in SAISD or Harlandale qualify.
In one example, about 120 students signed up for the roller-coaster exercise — a daylong activity held in three different parts of town this month. It was eye-opening for students like Saul Ibarra, 14, an incoming freshman at Edison High.
"It just makes you think about how things work," Ibarra said. "It's not simple."
Gearing students up for a roller coaster in school – San Antonio Express-News.


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"I started paying more attention to the details outside of the audio, such as cover art and what I say when sharing on social media."
Check out the interview with Derion Jai exclusively on Skilly Magazine Online.
Skilly: How were you able to start your journey in the entertainment business? Where did this all start?
Derion Jai: I used to play Wiz every day at school and one of my favorite tracks off of his Prince of the City 2 mixtape titled "Buss Down" always made me picture myself on my own tour. I decided to give it a shot before my senior year of high school ended and never looked back. I booked my first show in DC at the Treehouse Lounge near the end of the 2014 summer and have been progressing since.
What are some of the creative ways you use to promote your music?
I started paying more attention to the details outside of the audio, such as cover art and what I say when sharing on social media.
What is the greatest challenge you face in today's entertainment business? How do you overcome them?
Knowing who and what to trust is very important. I'm a nice guy, but I'm no chump.
How is the music scene like in your hometown? What do you like about it and what don't you like?
The DMV is diverse and has been talented forever.
Where do you think the future of music is going to be? How do you feel artists can be more a part of it?
Not sure, I just plan to have a place in it.
What advice can you give to other upcoming artists and musicians trying to achieve success?
Work hard and don't hesitate to test your limits.
What inspires you to write your next song?
What are the steps you take to make a song?
I just search for beats online and write to the ones I like.
What do you think makes a great song?
Where can we connect with you? Can you give us your social media links and where we can contact you?
Official website: www.derionjai.com
Twitter: @derionjai
Instagram: @derionjai


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Growing up we used to read an old picture book that lived in my grandparent's linen cupboard. A porcelain pig came down from his mantelpiece in the station master's cottage and travelled on a train for the first time. The train travelled through some spooky woods where tall gnarled trees grew close to the tracks and then pirates took over the train and sent it down a literal 'branch line' in the forest, so that it ended up at the beach where the pirates looked for gold in the sand and the railway carriages frolicked in the waves (or at least this is how I remember the story). Ultimately Anthony, the pig, ends up back on his mantelpiece, with all the safety of home, but as a significantly well-travelled pig. This book still lives in my imagination, a far greater influence than the (to me) blander narratives of Thomas the Tank Engine. Partly it was the detailed illustrations in Anthony & Antimacassar that really brought the text to life.
This book gave me a romantic view of the world of the train – helping me to think fondly of terms and phrases such as 'branch line', 'railway siding', 'signalman' and 'tickets please'. Recently I took a ride on a vintage tourist rail motor, run by enthusiasts. The ride was very bumpy, the seats worn and sagging and lumpy in strange places, and the windows rattled. Yet there was something soothing about hurtling through the trees, right in the midst of the forest, then through a narrow railway cutting and then sailing along high up on an embankment, looking down on an olive grove. In a train you're right in your surroundings in a way you aren't in a road vehicle.
For those who grew up with trains, they can be very evocative. On family holidays we used to wait while my father and train-mad brother visited a disused station, or talked to a station master at a small country station. From age eleven I rode the train to school half an hour each way. The old Sydney trains were called 'Red Rattlers' and often had their doors permanently open, the half-down windows rattling in their mountings as school uniformed children and their bags cluttered the doorways, their hair streaming behind them as the train breeze blew through the open doorways.
Trains can be used from travel from A to B, but they are also a time-machine, taking you back to trains and times past. They can be the start of an adventure, because who knows where you might end up if you venture down that branch line?


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Achieving Wellness, Success, and Fulfillment Together
Behavioral Health Services for LTC
Achieve Wellness Group provides integrated behavioral health services to residents of long term care facilities. Our service delivery system is outstanding in quality care, customer service and clinical coordination. Our professional staff is dedicated to providing individualized services with care, compassion, and dignity. Patients, families, and staff are delighted with our exceptional service.
All Behavioral Health Services are provided by doctoral-level licensed Psychologists, a Neuropsychologist, licensed masters-level Social Workers, Psychiatric Physician Assistants and doctoral and masters-level Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners.
Services provided in convenient locations: on-site at skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and independent living facilities:


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In Thailand, Sharad Sagar met senior UN officials at the United Nations office in Bangkok, addressed the Telenor Youth Forum and interacted with young leaders from around.
Sharad hosted public meetings with young people gathered from all across the world at the Telenor Youth Forum and worked with them in coming up with innovative solutions for the most pressing problems the world faces.
Sharad addressing young leaders from around the world.
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I'm really excited about our growth. We have another new coach rank advance. This week Jillian advanced to Emerald and she has only been a coach a few weeks. She has taking this business by the horns and working it. Congrats Jillian! Keep up the awesome work!
Jillian of Apple Valley, MN has reached the level of Emerald this past week and can now qualify for Team bonuses, "Free Beachbody leads" and "Shakeology Leads".
A little more about Jillian:
"Your body is your vehicle for life. As long as you are here, live in it. Love, honor, respect and cherish it, treat it well, and it will serve you in kind." Suzy Prudden
Hi!! My name is Jillian, and I am proud mother of two, a fun-loving spunky 5 year old girl, Kirra, and a smiley 3 month old giggle monster, Ryker. I am living my fairytale with the most amazing man, my fiancé Nik. We are getting married on the beach in Jamaica in April of 2012.
Having my two little munchkins, has taken a toll on my body. I am here to recommit to my health and fitness and hopefully inspire and motivate others to do the same.
AND of course I'm looking forward to having a hot bikini body for my wedding!!!!
I am excited to be a part of Team Beachbody and begin my new journey as an Independent Coach. I look forward to fulfilling my dreams as well as yours.
Want Jillian to be your Coach? Click here.
We are a fast growing team, if your on the fence about starting your on business or not sure which team to join call me at (352) 400-1048.
Yours In Success,
Work With Me - Join Us!
WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEAVE YOUR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, or ideas below in the comments!


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Tampa Am Vert 2008
Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008 by Rob
By Rob Meronek
|Pedro Barros has a man sized 540 and he can do them stale grabbing also. I'm not naming a 540 after the McGoon who invented this trick
|Pedro Barros does frontside airs the right way, not stink bug like the rest of the tykes his age
|Unfortunately, Zach Miller fell off during his runs and didn't make the cut. Dad's style has definitely been passed down to the next generation
|Dalton Dern has a 540 also. If you've been skating in Tampa as long as I have, you know the McGoon's mom was the worst skate park owner ever back in the day
|Okay, let's take one more look at Pedro's frontside air. So refreshing to see this instead of this
|I cought myself fanning out and taking all photos of Pedro. His stale fish grabs are sick
|You know those nerd glasses without the tape that Bob Burnquist wears? Ronaldo Gomes wears the same ones. There's a good looking way and a bad looking way to do a slob air, too. This one's the good looking way
|Paul Luc Ronchetti, thanks for coming all the way from the UK for our skateboard shindig. With the exchange rate being what it is, this kid was probably buying lap dances for everyone at Mons after the Contest
|There were a few girls in the Contest. That's Karen Jones
|I spy leopard print pads
|Vern Laird had to get a plate, put on a big bib with a lobster on it, and sit down and eat all his words of hate at Tampa Am Street regarding Ben Hatchell after he ripped and won Vert today. All he needs now is a wardrobe consultant. Someone call Jamie Thomas
|Martin Andre, thanks for coming all the way from Brazil for our skateboard shindig. Please take me back home with you
|That's the Vert top three. See you next year


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Training Aids
If you want to make it to the next level you have to train harder than next guy. Baseball training aids can help you achieve your goals and at Sports Depot we have what you need. We carry L-screens and nets from Champion and other top brands as well.
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Existence of God
"If God doesn't have a girlfriend or wife, does He need to create a wormhole to have sex?"
"God is mortally wounded"
"It is self-evident that this God character has a Messiah Complex. I would advise Him to seek counselling at the earliest possible opportunity."
Does God exist? If you have a life then you probably don't give a rat's ass. However, if you're bored as hell, then you might want to contemplate this question that will never be answered.
Overly Long Section Concerning the Definition of God[edit]
To approach the existence of God it is important to understand the meaning of the word "God". The great dead philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein spoke on this matter. He said, "God spelled backwards is Dog. One would then assume that God is a dog. However I don't believe that is the case. Why isn't God a dog? Because dogs don't really exist. If God was going to be an animal, he would probably be a cat. Why? Because cats kick ass. Did Egyptians ever worship dogs? No. They worshiped cats. The Norasii worshiped dogs. Who are the Norasii? Exactly. Wikipedia doesn't even have an article on the Norasii. Wikipedia most definitely has an article on Egypt. Egyptians built the pyramids and the Sphinx and enslaved the Jews! The Norasii didn't do shit. They just sat around worshiping dogs and not getting articles written about them. Dogs shit on carpets and drool and do what you tell them to do like the little bitches they are. Cats on the other hand are calm and collective and do useful things like lying around and soaking in the sun's energy while quietly planning to take over the world. God most definitely stands for 'cat'".
Another widely accepted theory of god's creation is, A man by the name of Chad Rucker that lives in Richmond Kentuckistan took a massive shit, and then there was god.
However, despite Wittgenstein's attempts to define God, his strange rant comparing canines to felines drew much criticism mainly due to the undeniable fact that a dog could totally kick a cat's ass. Therefore, a grand council was held to discuss the definition of God. The council was made up of philosophers, theologians, psychologists, gynecologists, astronomers, and mimes. The meeting was held in Kaliningrad for the sake of Immanuel Kant who didn't want to leave his hometown. The meeting began with Kant being called forward to speak. After much stifled giggling, (his name sounds a lot like "cunt") Immanuel spoke in great and confusing detail about human knowledge, the source of transcendental ideas, and a bunch of other crap the caused David Hume to become so frustrated that he killed a mime with a fork.
Everyone ultimately decided to dismiss Kant's ideas and settle on the fact that God was an old man that looked similar to father time, lived in the clouds, and spoke with an electronically enhanced voice. This seemed to make most people happy until Stanley Milgram decided to deliver electrical shocks to the mimes until they died, which caused everyone to be happy.
Proof of God's Existence[edit]
Once everyone was agreed on what God was, people who had nothing better to do decided to prove that He (note the masculinity) existed. Some people, mainly Christians, decided to do prove God's existence illogically (referencing The Bible), while other people, mainly Christians, decided to prove God's existence logically (referencing themselves). One of these good Christian men (note that the masculinity) was St. Anslem who almost successfully proved God's existence through his Ontological Argument which is shown below.
Anslem's Ontological Argument for the Existence of God
- Think of the greatest thing you can think of.
- Now think of something even greater.
- Now think of something even greater than that.
- Now think of something a little bit greater than the last great thing you thought.
- Right now you should be thinking about God, if you're thinking about Mt. Everest go back to 1 and try again. If you're thinking about Oprah shoot yourself in the head. If you're thinking about a hot dog stand then stop fucking around because this is serious.
- The greatest thing in the universe would have to be everything in the universe according to the equation E=mc² where E stands for everything and mc² stands for the greatest thing in the universe.
- Since the greatest thing is the universe is everything and God is the greatest thing in the universe, God is everything, even food.
- You eat food, and since you are what you eat, you are God.
- If you've made it this far on the Ontological Proof you are probably thinking. Therefore you probably exist.
- Since you exist, and you are God, God exists (until you die and then God will be dead).
St. Thomas Aquinas rejected St. Anselm's argument and instead embraced his own argument mainly because he was an egotistical bastard. St. Thomas Aquinas's proof that God exists is shown below.
If God doesn't exist…
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then who was the first thing to make something happen?
- Then why does everything work?
- Then who made everything?
- And on a related note… How could have we come from monkeys if there are still monkeys around? Or are we just monkeying around?
However most philosophers and smart dudes (note the masculinity), reject the aforementioned proofs because, as Oscar Wilde put it, "the proofs are mystic, unrealistic, altruistic, dualistic, propagandistic, pantheistic and anachronistic".
The Paradox Of Good.[edit]
As philanthropists have pointed-out to
cult religious leaders time and time again, the greatest contradiction to the postulate of a monotheistic God is the existence of Good.
It is self-evident that good exists. Occasionally, people are destined to do good things to others. Some parts of this universe are a good design, from which life-forms benefit. Thus, not all of this universe we inhabit is definable as the creation of God. This is a contradiction, since God is supposed to be the creator of all that exists.
From reading the Old Temperance, there is little doubt that God was a total badass at that time in history. Not only that, it is obvious that He really, really enjoyed doing all those nasty things to people. One can just imagine Him sniggering with glee as He issues the instruction to Abraham to exterminate the Canaanites, for example. The kind of world-picture we are presented with for this bygone age is a straightforward and reassuring one; that God is just as bad as we are. If not actually worse, assuming that is possible. We, evil beings, it seemed, lived in an evil uninverse created by an evil God, in which we were all hunky-dory so long as we did his evil bidding. And, then some.
Yet, it is intuitively the case that a God of Absolute Evil such as the one portrayed by the Old Temperance would not allow Good to exist, once its existence had come to his attention. Which would happen immediately, since He is postulated to be all-powerful and all-seeing. The moment any Good was seen to emerge in his Realm, He would act to deal with this departure from His own basic nature. The fact that this observedly does not happen (well, mostly it does, but not always) leads us to one of two conclusions:
- That God is Omnipotent, but not pure Evil.
- That God is pure Evil, but He is not Omnipotent.
Accepting either of these conclusions defines God as being non-absolute. In which case -as Teal'c would be quick to point out- He is Not a God.
It is self-evident that a badass God would not permit Good to exist. That would be a violation of His basic nature. Yet, this leaves us with the perplexing question of who created good, if God did not? After all, if God created Good, then God cannot be the essence of Evil. Therefore, in this case, God cannot exist. Either that, or someone else sneakily created Good, just for the hell of it. His Son, maybe, just to be rebellious? Who knows.
If that was the case, then oh boy, look what happened to His Son whilst paying us a social-visit.. On the basis of that, I would advise anyone against acting contrary to God's instructions. If he would do that to His own Son, of all people, then... Yeah. Watch out. It is for good reasons that the Kabbalists never write God's name in full, instead using the acronym YHBW.
Proof of God's Nonexistence[edit]
God's existence has been tested on a number of occasions. In 1993, Andrew Wiles proved Fermat's Last Theorem. The theorem had never been proven all though it had been hanging around annoying the fuck out of mathematicians for about 357 years. After Andrew Wiles proved Fermat's Last Theorem, he proceeded to walk to the nearest local Baptist Church, stroll up to the pulpit, and proclaim "where's your God now bitches?! I just proved Fermat's Last Theorem! Can your God prove that no nontrivial solutions in integers exist for the equation: Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle x^n + y^n = z^n} if Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle n} is greater than two? I don't think so. You know why? Because I did it. God didn't do shit. What was God doing the last 357 years? Not proving Fermat's Last Theorem, that's what he was doing. It only took me seven years! Wow, God couldn't prove it even though he got a 350 year head start. Well, since I've already shown that I'm obviously superior to God, I think I'll stop here." Similar tests include the invention of Benham's Top and the existence of Bruce Lee.
Also, God cannot make a Thai dish so spicy that He Himself could not eat it.
Other Shit[edit]
Epistemology is sort of like studying magic without the luxury of playing Quidditch during your spare time. Epistemologists try to prove God exists by casting two types of spells called a posteriori and a priori. No one really knows the difference between these two spells. However, one of the spells usually ends up describing beliefs while the other one leads to methodology (another form of wizardry that has an extremely boring name and therefore requires that we ignore it completely).
Identifying Attributes[edit]
Suppoose you encountered God, would you recognise Him? Here are a few pointers:
Glowing eyes. It is established that God's eyes will invariably glow if you get him sufficiently annoyed at you. As Godliness-tests go, however, this is not a preferred method from a health-and-safety point of view. You may only get to do this once, and may not be able to report-back on the results of the test.
Speaking in a 'phlanged' voice. Although widely reported, it is apparently the case that God only does this for effect. He does not have to speak like that. Therefore, this is not a reliable indicator of Godliness.
The Theory That God Is Actually A Goddess[edit]
God is always identified by way of His trademark beard, which is of truly impressive proportions. This, incidentally, tends to rule-out any possibility of God being 'sHe' - Unless of course, the beard happens to be one of those stick-on ones which female Pharaohs such as Nebuchadnezzari the 43rd wore.
Yeah right. Get in the kitchen and fix me a sammich.
God might exist or He might not exist if you are an agnostic. If you are a Christian, Muslim, or Jew then He (note the masculinity) does exist. If you are an atheist, He (again note the masculinity) does not exist. And if you are me, then you're sexist.


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This a Vietnam lady. She is a clerk aged 26 years old and she is loking for a man aged between 25 to 51. Are you her true love? It's your choice. Click here!
Recently large member of men from western countries come to Vietnam for Vietnamese girls. In addition, the number of tourists from other countries who come to visit Vietnam is on the increase.More and more Vietnam girls have cross-cultural marriage and become the wife of other country. Also their virtues are widely spread.
Vietnamese Girls
Indeed, Vietnamese women have many advantages.First of all, they are industrious and are willing to manage the household as their main occupation. They are good domestic housewife after marriage. Second, Vietnamese girls are beautiful with slim figure. This does not mean that women in China, American and other western countries are not pretty. In Vietnam there are thousands of beauties waiting for you to choose, especially in Vietnam villages. Moreover, they are really hot Asian girls. They rarely have make-up. They are natural beauties and have good features. When travelling in Vietnam, almost all the girls are trim and slender. Third, they don't exert pressure on their husbands. Their wants are few and they are easy to please. Perhaps because they content themselves with simple yet enduring pleasure of family in everyday life. Last but not least, most of them are unmarried. Because so far Vietnam is still a socialist country and compared with people in other countries people are conservative, especially in villages. In TV series there rarely appears scenes of kissing; there are little content about sex in the Internet as well as in books or magazines.
How To Choose Vietnamese Girl Online Or In Vietnam
When looking for Vietnamese bride, put personalities and characters in the first place. What comes next is appearance and other factors which you should take into consideration. No matter what kind of girls you choose, make sure that she is honest, kind and filial.
How To Get Along With Your Vietnam Bride
Respect your Vietnamese wife and her customs and be kind and generous with her. To maintain a happy marriage and family needs the efforts of you two. Life without a problem is not life. When problems come up, solve them by making concerted efforts. After all, you two are from different countries and there must be cultural and language difficulties. Spend some time understanding each other every day and give her some material gifts now and then. What we must remember is understanding, communication, forgiveness and sharing inner lives with each other. You will be a happy couple with your Vietnam girl.


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Have you seen it yet? I have, it arrived in my mail box last Saturday. And I have to say it: it's a WOW issue! I've only started to flip through the pages but I'm WOW-ing on each and every one of them! Yes, I'm talking about the new Stamp it! Cards issue of Paper Crafts Magazine. Here's the cover.
And guess what? I have one card in this one. One only (and I won't tell you how many I've submitted...) but who cares? Since the issue goes on sale tomorrow I guess I can share it here with you. It's a card with my favorite layered embossed resist technique. For details you'll have to get the mag, though! :)
But that's not all. Today this card is featured among some gorgeous ones, coming from my "idols" on Moxie Fab World! It's incredible! I thought it wasn't ever possible... What a beautiful day it was! Thank you MFW!


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Wailea, Maui » Having sold more than 25 million copies of eight novels and two nonfiction books, you'd think Scott Turow would be in a good position to offer advice to aspiring writers.
But in doing so he simply borrows a page from Nike.
"I always tell (founder) Phil Knight that he stole the best slogan for writers, which is 'Just do it,'" Turow said during a break at the Maui Writers Conference during Labor Day weekend.
But there is value in talking about the craft, he said. "I think it's a good thing to get feedback and hang around with other people who have the same aspirations. I'm positive about it as long as people don't assume that the conference somehow takes the place of writing. There's no shortcut to logging a lot of pages."
After all, he added, "I had four unpublished novels before I became an instant success."
The best-selling novelist and attorney (he still maintains a part-time criminal law practice in Chicago, with an emphasis on pro bono work) joined an impressive list of presenters at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, speaking to nearly 600 attendees.
"This is literally the first (writers conference) I've ever been to," Turow said. "Dave Barry told me, 'If you're going to do this, this is the one to do. It's really a great gig and it's extremely well organized.'
"For me it's just a kick to get to know other writers. Karen Joy Fowler ('The Jane Austen Book Club') is someone whose work I've admired for decades, and I'd never met her before, so that was a real treat. And the setting, you know, it's not bad."
WAILEA, Maui » Despite all the images and video clips of him circulating online, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt prefers to avoid the spotlight. The admirer of reclusive authors such as J.D. Salinger bows his head, flashes a charming, shy smile and apologizes for his desire to remain not photographed ("sorry to be such a prima donna"). But a quip later clarifies the intent: "Writers shouldn't be photographed for the same reason models shouldn't be interviewed."
Like some of the characters he created in "Little Miss Sunshine," Arndt seems capable of easing between cynicism and sentimentality. "We had such an idyllic experience here," he said of his family vacation to Hawaii when he was 10. "So when (conference organizers John and Shannon Tullius) invited me, I just had to say yes. And it's more than met my expectations." He even enjoyed a greeting from a dolphin during a snorkeling excursion.
Rarely seen without what resembles a military utility hat, the understated Arndt captivated an audience of hundreds at the Maui Writers Conference over Labor Day weekend with his incisive wit and articulate rendition of his long road to overnight success.
After attending film school at New York University, Arndt began a circuitous journey that included digging ditches on construction sites. Later he worked as actor Matthew Broderick's assistant before beginning a stint as a freelance script reader. For $75 he would analyze a script, write a three-page synopsis and recommend it -- or not -- to the producer.
"That was the real crucible," he said. "It forced me to examine, 'Why is this third act not working? Is there a point-of-view problem?' You're training your brain to think about things a certain way."
Meanwhile, he wrote his own scripts at night and on the weekends -- a schedule that exhausted him. But living in a 500-square-foot apartment in Brooklyn offered a few advantages. The cheap rent allowed him to stop working temporarily to devote his full attention to writing. Despite his increasing knowledge of the business, "in the end you only learn by doing," he said.
Many of his compositions were "angry, miserable stories where everybody gets killed at the end," he chuckled. "That was my artistic statement." So when the idea for the characters in "Little Miss Sunshine" entered his consciousness, "I was looking for a good ending."
But with 10 unsold scripts and zero agents to his credit, he was barely known to Hollywood power brokers.
'"Nobody had taken me out and bought me lunch or anything," Arndt said. "Seven years ago if you'd bought me lunch, I would have given you the rights to the 'Little Miss Sunshine.'"
A studio purchased the script in 2001, but the 30-day shoot did not begin until 2005. Its rousing reception at the Sundance Film Festival led to an Academy Award nomination as best film, and a screenwriting Oscar for Arndt. Even so, Arndt quickly deflects attention, pointing out that he didn't make the film by himself. He's now working on Pixar's "Toy Story 3" from that same tiny apartment in Brooklyn.
Arndt and blockbuster novelist Scott Turow led the conference, along with several success stories from previous years, including Wendy Merrill, who sold her proposal to Putnam. "Falling Into Manholes: The Memoir of a Bad/Good Girl" describes the life of a "serial mater" who loses herself "in an endless series of attachments" and eventually finds love in herself."
"It's about learning to hear and tell the truth, and find some purpose and meaning in that," Merrill said of the book, slated for release in March. Merrill, who stands 6-foot-1 and looks more than a decade younger than her 50 years, owns an advertising agency in the Bay Area.
"I always aspired to an A+," she writes of her school days. "I just didn't think it would end up being my bra size." Her honest, fresh prose illuminate other universal presumptions: "I figured if I moved fast enough (in a relationship), it wouldn't count as a mistake, like if I eat a chocolate bar fast enough, it wouldn't have any calories."
Like Merrill, Georja Skinner also garnered a book deal from the conference. Skinner, who was Maui's first film commissioner, has worked with Shannon and John Tullius marketing and organizing the Maui Writers Conference for 14 years. Along the way, however, it never occurred to her to pitch her own story. When she decided to enter the conference's manuscript marketplace in 2003, a dozen agents and editors contacted her. A successful sale meant running Skinner Productions, an entertainment marketing and production firm, while finishing "The Christmas House." In 2004 her publisher arrived at the conference on Maui with a contract. The memoir was released the following Christmas.
"It was the first time I really connected what John and Shannon were doing," said Skinner. "I was high for days!"
Though the conference mingled first-time authors with Oscar winners, the core message never changed. "The amount of time you spend in deliberate practice," explained Arndt, sets apart those who truly want to become writers.
Best known as a motivational speaker, Nichols also co-wrote "Chicken Soup for the African American Soul" and was a featured instructor in "The Secret." She's appeared on "Oprah" and "Larry King Live" to teach people about the Law of Attraction.


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Leading Breeders' Cup Classic candidate Game On Dude heads a deep, world-class roster of horses running at Santa Anita on Saturday in five Grade I Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" stakes for those seeking to secure berths in the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held Nov. 2 & 3 at Santa Anita.
Game On Dude drew the rail in the Awesome Again and will face eight rivals, all of whom are hoping to run in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at 1 ¼ miles on Nov. 3.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Game On Dude won the 2011 Santa Anita Handicap and comes off a second-place finish, beaten a half-length as the 6-5 favorite in Del Mar's Grade I Pacific Classic run on Polytrack Aug. 26.
Ridden by Chantal Sutherland in his last nine races, four of them victories, Game On Dude will be handled by Rafael Bejarano and will return to natural dirt on Saturday. Bejarano's only previous try with "Dude" resulted in an allowance win at Santa Anita on January 27, 2011.
A gem of consistency, the 5-year-old Awesome Again gelding is owned by Joe Torre's Diamond Pride, LLC, the Lanni Family Trust, Bernard Schiappa and partners.
Game On Dude took full advantage of his inherent speed the last time he drew the rail, in the Grade II Californian at Betfair Hollywood Park on June 2. Sent to the lead by Sutherland, he crushed three rivals, winning by 7 ½ lengths at the Awesome Again distance of 1 1/8 miles.
Although the run to the first turn was shorter on Hollywood's 1 1/8- mile main track, it would be no surprise to see Bejarano employ similar tactics on Santa Anita's one mile oval Saturday. Game On Dude has a lifetime record of 19-8-5-1, with earnings of $2,844,658.
Richard's Kid, who was a troubled third in the Pacific Classic, beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Game On Dude in his first start for new owners Kenney, Triple B Farms, Westside Rentals, et al and trainer Doug O'Neill rates a huge chance in the Awesome Again.
Like Game On Dude, Richard's Kid gets a new rider on Saturday, as the multiple Eclipse Award winning Garrett Gomez will take over. Gomez has ridden the 7-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid twice, winning the Grade II San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita on Feb. 7, 2010, as well as splitting a 14-horse field in his next start, the 2010 Dubai World Cup.
It is expected that Richard's Kid, who is three for seven going 1 1/8 miles, will get plenty of pace to run at, which could facilitate his late kick.
Richard's Kid has a lifetime mark of 36-11-3-8, with $2,106,385 in earnings.
Jay Em Ess Stable's Rail Trip, who ran an even fourth, beaten 4 ½ lengths in the Pacific Classic, will again get the services of jockey Jose Valdivia Jr.
Trained by Ron Ellis, Rail Trip and Valdivia sat close to the early pace in the Grade II San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 28, winning by a half-length.
Since returning to Ellis' barn from New York this past spring, the 7-year-old Jump Start gelding has experienced a rebirth of sorts and has trained well at his Hollywood Park base since returning from Del Mar. His career record is 21-9-6-1, with earnings of $1,313,790.
Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will send out the talented 3-year-old Nonios in the Awesome Again. A winner of Hollywood Park's Grade III Affirmed Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on June 3, Nonios was subsequently second in the Grade II Swaps Stakes on July 4, second in the Grade I Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 29 and most recently fifth, beaten 3 ¾ lengths in the Grade I Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 25.
Possessed with good tactical speed, the son of Pleasantly Perfect will be reunited with Martin Pedroza, who rode him in both Hollywood Park starts. His record stands at 7-3-2-1, with earnings of $359,000.
The complete field for the Awesome Again, which will be run as the 10th on an 11-race card, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Game On Dude, Rafael Bejarano, 124; Winning Machine, Javier Matias, 119; Nonios, Martin Pedroza, 116; Groovin' Solo, David Flores, 116; Suggestive Boy, Joe Talamo, 121; Empire Way, Brice Blanc, 116; Richard's Kid, Garrett Gomez, 119; Balladry, Victor Espinoza, 119, and Rail Trip, Jose Valdivia Jr., 119.


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John has been working at Mason since 2000. He was first a manager in the Information Technology Unit responsible for implementing many enterprise-wide applications and technology solutions. He joined CHSS in 2004 where he now works as a Web Developer and is responsible for developing and maintaining the Budget Tracking System. John works remotely from Florida and his position is split with Human Resources and Payroll to assist both organizations in implementing technical solutions to common problems.
He has over 30 years experience in the Information Technology and Software Engineering fields and has worked for a variety of commercial software companies, local governments, and consulting companies in Florida and the DC area. John holds a B.A. Degree in Geography from Jacksonville University.
Besides computers, John takes advantage of the sun, beaches, and water sports available in southwest Florida. John also enjoys traveling and likes to visit Europe with his family.


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Registrations are open for New Zealand's premier international conference about dementia:
Alzheimers NZ Biennial Conference and 19th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International
3-5 November 2016
Wellington, New Zealand
TSB Arena & Convention Centre
Buy your tickets before 15 September 2016 to receive the discounted earlybird rate.
Dementia is one of the greatest healthcare challenges of our time, in New Zealand and around the world. Already, 60,000 Kiwis are living with dementia. Due to an ageing population, this number is expected to almost triple by 2050, to 154,000.
Top flight speakers from New Zealand and overseas will share the latest research, evidence, learnings and insights, and discuss how we can address this challenge.
With real life case studies, and an emphasis on what works, this conference has practical relevance to the real world of people affected by dementia, policy makers, service providers, health and care professionals, researchers and NGOs.
Visit the conference website to find out more and to register
People living with dementia and their care partners can attend the conference free of charge after registering. This is a dementia-friendly conference with facilities for people with dementia at the venue.
It's not too late to submit an abstract on the conference theme. Abstracts are 250 words in length and if accepted, can be followed up with either an oral or poster presentation at this exciting conference. Abstracts close on 7 June 2016. Share your insights, knowledge and ideas.
See our call for abstracts
Some of the people shown in photographs on the Alzheimers NZ website and social media channels are stock photography models.
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I re-visited an old project to see if I can improve the candy apple method for sliced apples. Knowing a little bit about sugar, as well as picking the right apple variety will determine your success rate.
The key to having the perfect candy coating is the boiling temperature—sugar is finicky, and has different properties at different temperatures. Cooking the sugar to a high temperature makes it hard and more brittle, while cooking it to a lower temperature makes it soft, and less stable. The ideal temperature range for candy apples is 300'F (~149'C/hardcrack stage)—any lower than this, and you'll have a soft sugar that will droop right off your apple slices; on the other hand, if your temperature exceeds this by more than 9-12 degrees, you'll have sugar that is too hard to evenly coat your apples, and be too hard to bite into.
Apples are equally important: different apple varieties have different qualities, and picking the right one is critical. For this project, I opted for Ontario-grown Cortland Apples. Cortland's resist browning extremely well when cut into slices, and they have a sweet taste and crisp texture. The crisp texture was perfect for threading the wooden sticks into the apple slices, which didn't show any signs of oxidation. You can skip cutting the apples into shapes, but that's most of the fun and contributes to that wow factor– you can always make apple butter from the scraps, or better yet, eat 'em.
Apple Candy Hearts
[1 apple makes ~5, 2" apple hearts/prep:10 min; total: 45 min]
For ~15 apple candy grams:
- 3 Cortland apples
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup (prevents crystallization)
- 1/2 tsp red food coloring (optional)
- 1/2 cup corn flakes
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
+ 15 wood skewers
+ silicon mat or parchment paper
+ parchment piping cone (for drizzling chocolate)
+ cookie cutter
+ candy thermometer
1. Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, water, corn syrup, and food coloring. Gently stir until all ingredients are combined, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. After the initial stir, you'll want to avoid mixing the sugar.
2. Insert candy thermometer and continue to boil until temperature reaches between 300'F and 310'F (hard crack stage)—this step takes ~ 15-20 minutes.
3. While the sugar is cooking, prep your apples by cleaning and drying them. Slice them into 5/8" rounds, and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter.
4. Pat the shapes dry using a paper towel, and gently insert wooden skewers into the bottom of each shape.
5. Gently crush the cornflakes, and place them in a shallow dish. Have it ready near by, to transfer the sugar coated candy apple slices into the cereal before they cool.
6. When the sugar syrup reaches 300'F, remove it from heat, and place on a heat resistant surface. Working quickly, dip the apple shapes into the sugar until it is completely coated. You might find it easier to use a spoon to coat the shapes—use whatever method you find easier.
7. Transfer the coated apples to the cornflake bowl, and roll the apples into the cereal until they adhere to the sides. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; allow to cool. Repeat the process until you have coated all of your apple slices.
8. Over a double boiler, melt your chocolate. Using a parchment piping cone, drizzle chocolate (liberally) over the cornflake-coated apple slices. Return to the baking sheet to cool. Individually package the apple slices, or transfer into an airtight container. Consume within 2 days.
- If the sugar droops right off or doesn't stick to your apples, your sugar wasn't at the right stage. Most likely, the sugar didn't reach 300'F, and was still in the soft crack stage. Else, the apple slices were not dried off sufficiently.
- If the sugar is too hard to dip your apple slices into, it either exceeded 310'F, or it cooled down too much. If it exceeds 310'F, unfortunately, you'll have to re-start. If it has cooled down too much, return to the heating element to warm it up.
- If your cornflakes won't stick to the apple slices, the sugar cooled down too fast. You can skip this step, and drizzle with chocolate, or re-coat the apple slice, and try again.
- If your chocolate won't harden, it hasn't tempered properly.
// Update:
Guess what? This recipe won me the title of Ontario Apple Growers Challenge Champion! The challenge was inspired by the 200th anniversary of the McIntosh apple and the grandiose Winter Apple Ball . Woohoo