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FEAST - Nine Saints for the Day (August 1): The Maccabean Martyrs
John Dillon <[log in to unmask]>
medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture <[log in to unmask]>
Tue, 2 Aug 2016 04:56:27 +0000
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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
This celebration honors the seven brothers and their mother of 2 Macc. 7 and the senior scribe Eleazar of 2 Macc. 6, put to death -- in the case of the brothers, gruesomely -- in the second century BC by Antiochus IV Epiphanes and widely revered in the early church as examples of constancy under oppression by the state and as Christians before the letter. Their chief early cult center was at Antioch, the presumed venue of their martyrdom. In the sixth century remains said to be theirs were translated to Rome and placed in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, which had been dedicated on their day. Their present location is in a crypt behind and below the shrine containing Peter's chains.
The feast appears in eastern and in western calendars from the fifth century onward; with great regularity it has been kept on 1. August. Its popularity in the early Middle Ages is attested to by entries for it in, among others, the Gelasian Sacramentary, the Marble Calendar of Naples, the Metaphrastic Menologion, and the Synaxary of Constantinople (where the feast has the first entry for the day). It continues to be celebrated on this day both in today's Latin-rite churches and in those using the Byzantine Rite; not coincidentally, these are churches that include 2 Maccabees among the canonical books of the Bible.
In 2. Macc. the seven brothers and their mother are all unnamed. In Orthodox tradition the mother is called Solomona, Salomona, or Salome and the sons all have individual names as well. In the Marble Calendar of Naples (earlier ninth-century) she is called Felicitas, as she is also in her late antique Christian transformation in the story of Felicity of Rome.
An English-language translation of a letter from St. Bernard of Clairvaux explaining why this feast should be kept is here:
Some period-pertinent images of the Maccabean Martyrs:
a) The brothers before Antiochus and (third image) being exhorted by their mother as depicted in an eleventh- or twelfth-century copy of the _Orations_ of St. Gregory of Nazianzus (Paris, BnF, ms. Coislin 239, fols. 40r, 41v, 43v):
b) The brothers as depicted (martyrdom) in an early twelfth-century bible from the abbey of Cîteaux (ca. 1109-1111; Dijon, ms. 14, fol. 191r):
c) Antiochus addressing the brothers' mother (who holds the heads of six sons; one son stands behind her) as depicted in a late twelfth-century bible (ca. 1185-1195; Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, ms. 10, fol. 110r):
d) The brothers as depicted (martyrdom) in a later twelfth-century bible (ca. 1276-1300; Bourges, Bibliothèque patrimoniale et d'étude des Quatre-Piliers, ms. 3, fol. 176r):
e) the brothers' mother as depicted in a later thirteenth-century bible (ca. 1251-1275; Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, ms. 14, fol. 398v):
f) The brothers as depicted (martyrdom) in a late thirteenth-century copy of French origin of the _Legenda aurea_ (San Marino, CA, Huntington Library, ms. HM 3027, fol. 88r):
g) The brothers (with their mother and Eleazar standing behind them) as depicted by Michael Astrapas and Eutychios in the earlier fourteenth-century frescoes (betw. 1313 and 1318; conservation work in 1968) in the church of St. George at Staro Nagoričane in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:
h) One brother (at bottom left, about to be decapitated) and Eleazar (at bottom right, in flames) as depicted (martyrdom) in an earlier fourteenth-century pictorial menologion from Thessaloniki (betw. 1322 and 1340; Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Gr. th. f. 1, fol. 49v):
i) Eleazar and the seven brothers as depicted (panel at left; Eleazar at far left) in an earlier fourteenth-century copy of the _Legenda aurea_ in its French-language version by Jean de Vignay (ca. 1326-1350; Paris, BnF, ms. Français 185, fol. 239r):
j) The brothers and their mother as depicted in a mid-fourteenth-century copy, from the workshop of Richard and Jeanne de Montbaston, of the _Legenda aurea_ in its French-language version by Jean de Vignay (1348; Paris, BnF, ms. Français 241, fol. 183v):
k) Four brothers (two young) as depicted in the earlier fifteenth-century Châteauroux Breviary (ca. 1414; Châteauroux, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 2, fol. 149v):
l) Eleazar (having lost both hands), the seven brothers, and the brothers' mother as depicted in an earlier fifteenth-century _Bible historiale_ (ca. 1430; Den Haag, KB, ms. KB, 78 D 38 II, fol. 102r):
m) Some of the brothers and their mother as portrayed in relief on the early sixteenth-century shrine (ca. 1510) containing putative relics of them in the Kirche Sankt Andreas in Köln:
Their souls ascending in glory:
n) Eleazar, the seven brothers, and the brothers' mother as depicted in an earlier sixteenth-century veil icon (ca. 1525) in the Sergiyev Posad State History and Art Museum in Sergiyev Posad (Moscow oblast):
John Dillon
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Traditional Therapy
"Each person is born with an unencumbered spot, free of expectation and regret, free of ambition and embarrassment, free of fear and worry, an umbilical spot of grace where we were each first touched by Spirit. It is this spot of grace that issues peace. To know this spot of inwardness is to know who we are, not by surface markers of identity, not by where we work or what we wear or how we like to be addressed but by feeling our place in relation to the Infinite and by inhabiting it. This is a hard, lifelong task, for the nature of becoming is a constant filming over of where we begin while the nature of being is a constant erosion of what is not essential. We each live in the midst of this ongoing tension, growing tarnished or covered over only to be worn back to that incorruptible spot of grace at our core."
-Mark Nepo
Carol Damoth operates within a holistic health paradigm where healing is seen as a dynamic multidimensional journey toward wholeness, balance and harmony with the fullest experience of oneself as an ever-evolving being. Psychotherapy supports individuals in finding a firm grounding in personal power and intentionality, thus nurturing a life of health, vibrancy and joy.
Carol has 20 years of clinical experience treating children, adolescents, adults and families. Although her clients often choose to utilize a combination of psychotherapy and holistic medicine modalities, psychotherapy may also stand alone as a powerful tool to facilitate movement through various life experiences such as depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, and relationship issues, as well as the challenges which accompany the experience of acute or chronic pain and disease.
Carol subscribes to a high standard of quality care and practices in accordance with a professional and standardized code of ethics.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™(STARS) is a framework for colleges and universities to measure their overall sustainability performance. In February 2016, Seattle University submitted its first STARS report and achieved a gold rating (with a score of 69.41) from this rigorous benchmarking program. In March, 2018, Seattle University's second STARS report resulted again in a GOLD rating with an improved score of 75.64. View SU's STARS report HERE.
In 2018, Seattle U obtained the #8 place in Sierra's "Cool Schools," up from #48 in 2017. Seattle U was the only university in Washington State to make the magazine's top 20. The rankings highlight schools that displayed a deep and thorough commitment to protecting the environment, addressing climate issues and encouraging environmental responsibility. The schools were ranked based largely on their existing STARS scores.
Seattle University is also one of 26 colleges and universities out of 648 schools to be named to The Princeton Review's 2019 Green Honor Roll by receiving a score of 99 (the highest possible score). This is the first time SU makes it to the top of the list on the Princeton Review's green ratings.


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Ever since Google announced its intent to purchase Motorola Mobility, several Android device manufacturers have been a bit uneasy about what this move could mean for their future business. Though statements released by these manufacturers immediately after the acquisition announcement were all relatively positive, these companies are still worried about how Google entering the hardware business will impact them.
In a move to reassure these key Android partners, Google Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt again stated that Google will not give preferential treatment to Motorola after the deal goes through.
In general, with all of our partners, we told them that the Motorola deal will close and we will run it sufficiently and independently, that it will not violate the openness of Android…We're not going to change in any material way the way we operate.Eric SchmidtGoogle
If nothing else, it's becoming more and more clear that Google's motivation for purchasing Motorola Mobility was mostly for the company's patents rather than a solid move by Google into the hardware game. Google has committed to both HTC and Samsung specifically that it will aid them in the pending patent lawsuits these companies face against rival Apple, Inc.
When it comes to how Motorola Mobility will be integrated into Google once the deal closes, Mr. Schmidt suggested that the two companies would continue to operate largely independent of each other. We can only hope that this notion is only partially true, and that Google works closely with Motorola Mobility to put out stock/vanilla Android devices.
« U.S. Cellular announces the Samsung Repp along with a new phone and tablet trade-in program Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus for T-Mobile available Nov.16 »


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Alexander Fiterstein performs Carl Maria von Weber
This disc presents the three masterful works of Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) for solo clarinet and orchestra. Composed by Weber for the leading clarinet virtuoso of the era, Heinrich Joseph Baermann (1784 – 1847), these three works have endured as favorites of clarinetists and audiences alike. The present recordings were made in 2011, and feature Alexander Fiterstein, whose playing was praised by the New York Times for its "beautiful liquid clarity". Mr. Fiterstein is a first prize winner of the Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition and the "Aviv"competitions in Israel, and is a winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
Order from Amazon.com
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Order from iTunes
Order from H&B Direct by calling 1-800-222-6872
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, op. 73
Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E flat major, op. 74
Concertino for Clarinet and Orchestra in E flat major, op. 26
Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
Martin West, conductor


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Paris Climate Conference/"Climate challenge and African solutions" summit
Paris, December 1, 2015
In order to help reaching an ambitious agreement at COP21, the President of the French Republic organized a meeting on 1 December to support African solutions addressing the climate challenge in the Sahel region, in the presence of Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
It gave the opportunity to 14 African heads of state and government to present concrete initiatives and to get financial support from other states and development banks that attended the meeting, in order to implement these initiatives. About 20 delegations were represented.
This meeting is a response to a request addressed by Mr Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the President of Mauritania, Mr Idriss Déby, the President of Chad, Mr Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, the President of the Republic of Mali, and Mr Mahamadou Issoufou, the President of the Republic of Niger.
The projects are:
• The right for all Africans to have access to electricity,
• The Great Green Wall project supported by the Pan African Great Green Wall Agency currently chaired by Mauritania,
• Enhancement of the Niger River Basin, and preservation of Lake Chad.
Africa is the continent that contributes the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is very much affected by the effects of climate change, which represents a real and tangible threat in the daily lives of African people.
Ségolène Royal, head of the French delegation, had prepared this meeting during her tour in Africa last summer to meet with many African heads of state and government and visit emblematic sites, on the issue of solutions to the climate challenge.
France announced its intention to allocate €2 billion towards the development of renewable energy in Africa by 2020. France thus supports Africa to draw the world's attention to the fight against desert encroachment in Africa (Sahel, Namib, Kalahari) and to the solutions that Africa has developed to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change.
The Great Green Wall is a large wall of trees from East to West of the African continent as a means to curb desertification. The project shows that mitigating emissions and adapting to climate change are closely related. The Great Green Wall will allow local populations to enrich the soil, preserve water resources, and improve the quality of their lives, while it will also provide a carbon sink.
The preservation and enhancement of Lake Chad and Niger River Basin mainly involve helping the communities who live there and make a living from the lake and the basin. Not only does this environmental decision help fight against desertification and food insecurity, but it is also an economic development opportunity for populations threatened by the rise of terrorism in this region occupied by Boko Haram.
Access to renewable energy will reduce deforestation. It will provide households, even the most isolated ones, with energy for domestic cooking, heating and lighting. It will allow businesses, hospitals, schools, and universities to operate. Promoting green energy is an absolute priority on a continent where 600 million people still have no access to electricity. Mr al-Sissi, the President of Egypt, presented the initiative adopted by the African Union in Johannesburg to mobilize Africa's potential for renewable energy.
The World Bank has committed a total of $16 billion by 2020. It will support concrete initiatives such as promoting climate-smart farming practices, and developing programmes to fight coastal erosion and programmes to provide financial support to meteorological services./.


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The story of our hotel
The nicest part of the story of our hotel is that it is written anew every day.
It was Wednesday, 1 April 1998 that the public eye again settled on us when we were pleased
to welcome the first guests back into our fully renovated and refurbished Hotel Niedersächsischer Hof, almost 70 years to the day after its first opening on 17 April 1930.
The history of this hotel began when
the famous Goslar hotelier,
"Heinrich Pieper"
opened his latest hotel, the Niedersächsischer Hof, on Maundy Thursday in the year 1930 in a central location between the railway station and the historic Old Town.
Goslar's new top address was to be found in a building which incorporated the fabric of an existent villa originating from 1894.
In a supplement to the Goslarsche Zeitung newspaper dated 17 April 1930, the article provided the following information:
"Every bathroom includes a laundry warmer, a WC and other comforts.
Every room has a telephone and a novel signalling arrangement to call a waiter, a hostess or a servant.
It hardly needs mentioning that all rooms have hot and cold running water and steam central heating."
A vision becomes reality
19 June 1996 was the day in which hope was rekindled with the signing of a contract of sale for a hotel building by the adjacent Volksbank.
Hope for a new beginning following many years of slow deterioration, stand-still and ultimately decay.
Since 1 March 2010 the hotel has belonged to the Concorde Hotels Deutschland group:
a full team of friendly, motivated staff look
after the wishes and fulfil the expectations
of their guests.
Within just a short period of time the Hotel Niedersächsischer Hof quickly regained its reputation as the top hotel in town.
The success and the recognition enjoyed by
the enterprise and its hardworking team are a continuous motivation for aspiring to achieving excellence of service at all times.
All of which also confirms on a daily basis that the decisions taken were the right ones.
The "grand old dame of Goslar hostelries" has reawakened from its long beauty sleep.
"We love & live hospitality!"
The art of hospitality…
is alive and well at Hotel Niedersächsischer Hof.
From hosts with heart.
For the very best guests we could ever hope to have.


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Blackout Bletchley
It is a dark October night in 1944.
Britain rests uneasy.
But Bletchley Park does not sleep.
The great machines whirr as typewriters click and frantic footsteps hurry up and down each bustling corridor. Business as usual.
In this exciting new immersive event, you have been selected to join the codebreakers; and it is on this particular dark October night that you arrive for your induction.
Starting with a drink and cake in our Visitor Centre you will experience the thrill of entering Bletchley Park as a new recruit, explore the site after dark and see what the night-time residents got up to at work and play. Don't forget to bring your torches and wrap up warm!
Of course, in this dimly-lit world of ciphers, spies and secrecy nothing is what it seems; be prepared for some surprises along the way.
You can choose from ten tour times with a maximum of 12 people per a tour, and use the rest of your visit to explore our Visitor Centre including the Entrance exhibition, WWI exhibition and Cyber Security exhibition.
This event is part of Museums at Night, a UK-wide festival of Lates in museums and galleries.
This is a fundraising event for The Bletchley Park Trust and has been created in association with The Pantaloons. Find out more at thepantaloons.co.uk
Please note that some elements of the event have been created for theatrical purposes.
Doors open at 17:30.
The event will finish at 21:30.
Admissions will close at 20:15 so please ensure you have arrived by this time if you are on a later tour.
Elements of the guided tour are outside. The ground can be uneven in areas, sensible footwear is required. Lighting will be minimal, so please take care. It is advised to bring a torch with you.
Places are limited and tickets must be booked in advance.
Bletchley Park will be closed, but the museum in Block B, and the Visitor Centre will be open to explore.
The Mansion House and Codebreaking Huts will be included in the tour.
On arrival, each visitor will receive a complimentary hot drink (Tea, coffee, hot chocolate) and cake.


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China says confident it can clinch trade deal with U.S. as doubts grow
SHANGHAI - China said οn Wednesday that Beijing and Washingtοn will push fοrward with trade negοtiatiοns in the next 90 days and it is cοnfident that an agreement can be reached, as doubts grοw over whether the two sides can resolve their deep differences.
The Commerce Ministry, in a brief statement οn its website, also said China would wοrk to implement specific issues already agreed upοn as quickly as pοssible.
The ministry's statement fοllows a period of relative quiet frοm Beijing after U.S. President Dοnald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reached a tempοrary truce in their trade war at a meeting over dinner in Argentina οn Saturday.
The threat of further escalatiοn in the trade war between the wοrld's two largest ecοnοmies has loomed large over financial markets and the global ecοnοmy fοr much of the year, and investοrs initially greeted the ceasefire with relief.
But the mοod has quickly soured οn scepticism that the two sides will be able to reach a substantive deal οn a host of highly divisive issues within the 90-day negοtiating period that was agreed. Failure would raise the specter of fresh U.S. tariff actiοn and pοtential Chinese retaliatiοn as early as March.
The Commerce Ministry said China-U.S. trade and ecοnοmic discussiοns were "very successful". The statement did nοt mentiοn Trump οr Xi, however, the state news agency Xinhua later said the ministry statement was hailing their meeting.
"We are cοnfident in implementatiοn...The ecοnοmic and trade teams frοm bοth sides will actively prοmοte the wοrk of negοtiatiοns within 90 days in accοrdance with a clear timetable and rοad map," it said.
"The Chinese side will start with implementing specifics οn which there is already cοnsensus, the faster the better."
Trump, via Twitter, threatened to place "majοr tariffs" οn Chinese gοods impοrted into the United States if his administratiοn is unable to reach an effective trade deal with Beijing.
"We are either gοing to have a REAL DEAL with China, οr nο deal at all - at which pοint we will be charging majοr Tariffs against Chinese prοduct being shipped into the United States. Ultimately, I believe, we will be making a deal - either nοw οr into the future," Trump wrοte in a pοst within minutes of the Commerce Ministry statement.
China has said cοmparatively little abοut the Trump-Xi agreement after seniοr Chinese officials briefed the media fοllowing the leaders' meeting, and there have been some differences between U.S. and Chinese accοunts of what the deal entails.
A Chinese official told Reuters officials were "waiting fοr the leaders to return" befοre publicizing details. President Xi Jinping and his mοst seniοr officials, including the cοmmerce minister and the cοuntry's two top diplomats, are in Pοrtugal, and due back in China οn Thursday.
U.S. financial markets tumbled οn Tuesday as doubts over what cοuld realistically get accοmplished in the tight negοtiating window added to cοncerns abοut fading global grοwth.


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PETROL INTO DIESEL VEHICLE? or DIESEL INTO PETROL VEHICLE?
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There have been quite a few news articles in car magazines and newspapers over the last few years with incidents of petrol in diesel and diesel in petrol tanks. For normal motorists this is an easy mistake to make and accidents happen, but you might still feel a bit of a fool. However while browsing the OK magazine website, an article popped up that detailed how police officers in North Wales managed to pump petrol in to the diesel tank of 26 patrol cars! If police officers who are almost full time motorists can make this mistake there is no reason to feel a fool.
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Set up in 2011. WrongFuel.ie first started off servicing the counties of Meath and Dublin. We have now expanded. Call Us Now if you need help. We are based on the border of Dublin and Meath.
DID YOU KNOW - 10% of Irish Motorists accidentally make the mistake of putting the wrong fuel into their vehicles. Statistics show that normally this is 75% male, 25% female. The AA, have estimated that at least 150,000 UK drivers put the wrong fuel in their car each year – one every three and a half minutes! CALL US NOW ON - 01 8258899. WE COME TO YOU.
In most cases, A fuel drain will be required. We offer a speedy, cost-effective solution for the customer, minimising the impact on the environment. Our Standard Call Out Charge is 200euro(Plus VAT). We Accept Credit Cards.
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text:
According to PR Newswire, a recent study conducted in the United States, show that two in five Americans believe that people with straighter teeth are more likely to land a job if they went up against another candidate who is just as qualified, but has bad looking teeth. In addition, there were a significant amount of studies that show those with straighter teeth and teeth that appear more attractive allow them to thrive in life. They have been able to become more qualified than the average person. They were also studies that show those with straighter teeth appear to be more happy, confident and more responsible. It is no surprise that these individuals with straighter teeth have a better perception. In order to have straighter teeth and attractive looking teeth, you have to put in quite a bit of work to achieve that. You have to maintain your dental hygiene in order to have white, straight and clean looking teeth. If you fail to maintain your dental hygiene, you could be left with stained, crooked and even decayed appearing teeth. If you have been looking for ways to improve your career, you may want to first think about improving yourself by improving the appearance of your teeth.
According to the Dental Tribune, in a recent study conducted in America, studies show that about 29 percent of people stated that teeth is the first characteristic of an individual's face that they first notice and about 24 percent of people stated that this is also the facial feature that they remember the most after meeting them for the very first time. Also, 45 percent of respondents stated that those who had attractive appearing teeth were more likely to get a job than those with unattractive looking teeth. Surprisingly, 58 percent of respondents also stated that those with attractive appearing teeth were more likely to be viewed as successful and wealthy. It is no surprise that attractive appear in teeth can get you far in life. Having a truck your teeth can actually tell a lot about an individual. It can tell people how responsible they are, how they keep up with their hygiene and how much they care about their appearance, which are all attractive traits in the job market.
If you have been looking to improve your current condition with your career, you want to first start off by improving your smile. Your smile is a very powerful tool in the job market. You have to be able to appear welcoming, responsible and a obviously appear that you have good oral hygiene. You can accomplish all of this by simply improving the appearance of your smile by whitening your teeth. You can take time to do some research on finding out more information on how to whiten your teeth. You can search for the following terms: teeth whitening naples fl.
Whitening your teeth can make a big change in your life. It cannot just improve the appearance of your smile, but it can change your life for the better. Whitening your teeth can also gain you the confidence that you have needed in order to succeed in your job interviews, getting you a better job in the future.


text:
We review the latest research in immunology, nutrition and development to create the safest plan to prevent serious diseases in puppies and kittens, and provide the foundation for lifelong health.
and the science behind it
and the science behind it
Staying the course -
Our adult dog wellness plan
The enduring commitment -
wellness in the senior years
We will partner with you through your companion's senior years, to help celebrate as many healthy birthdays as possible. Through early detection and cutting edge therapy, we will work with you to maximize the quality and comfort of the golden years.
and senior support services
and senior support services


text:
Presidential candidate Donald Trump talked at length about how he would deliver the "best" deals for America, would give his supporters "everything," and deliver big change, quickly.
"I alone can fix it," Trump said of Obamacare and other problems he saw plaguing the country, at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
As president, Donald Trump has been standing by that rhetorical approach. On Thursday he reached the six-month mark of his presidency, and has recently bragged about passing more bills than any past president — sometimes including and sometimes excluding Franklin Delano Roosevelt — though both claims are untrue.
After six months of Trump's presidency, let's look at some of the biggest promises he made to his supporters, and see how he's doing.
Trump promised to repeal Obamacare 'immediately' and replace it with 'something terrific'
Trump repeatedly promised to repeal Obamacare "immediately, fast, quick," and replace it with a system that would provide "great health care for a fraction of the price." He promised to "repeal and replace" Obamacare with "something terrific" that helps people with "no money." He also promised to "take care" of all Americans with health care.
Trump and Republican in Congress have nearly abandoned their Obamacare repeal efforts. The House narrowly passed a bill, but the Senate has failed to find a proposal supported by a majority of Republicans. Most recently, four Republican Senators announced they'd oppose a bill championed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Trump.
The Congressional Budget Office found that different versions of congressional plans to repeal Obamacare — each trumpeted by Trump in his quest to get a bill passed — would result in over 20 million people losing coverage, as well as higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs for people with lower incomes and those nearing retirement.
Even though Trump promised not to simply repeal the ACA without a replacement, he has since advocated a wide range of tactics, including just letting Obamacare fail through administrative neglect and repealing with a two-year delay and no replacement.
Trump promised to 'save' Medicaid 'without cuts'
Trump opened his campaign with a promise to "save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts."
However, as president, Trump has supported bills that cut Medicaid funding severely. The proposed cuts to Medicaid in various Obamacare repeal bills supported by Trump all exceeded $700 billion.
Trump promised to maintain protections for people with pre-exisiting conditions
Trump regularly promised that people with pre-existing conditions would be able to get health insurance under his health care plan.
I just want to say, I agree with that 100%, except pre-existing conditions, I would absolutely get rid of Obamacare, we're going to have something much better, but pre-existing conditions, when I'm referring to that, and I was referring to that very strongly on the show with Anderson Cooper, I want to keep pre-existing conditions. I think we need it. I think it's a modern age, and I think we have to have it.
However, and despite Trump's repeated claims that the GOP plan would not change things, most iterations of the plans moving through Congress would gut protections for people with existing conditions.
Trump promised to cuts taxes for the middle class and increase taxes on the wealthy
On the campaign, Trump promised to cut taxes mostly for the middle class, and let very rich people "pay some tax, because right now they are paying very little tax." He also singled out "the hedge fund guys," who would be "paying up."
He specifically promised to drop the the tax rate to 12.5 percent for people of "middle income" and zero percent for families making under $25,000 per year.
However Trump's tax cut proposal issued from the White House in April was a broad, vague, one-page document that cut taxes for the wealthiest bracket, and dropped the corporate tax rate considerably to just 15 percent. For middle-class families, the proposal set out an undefined group of new tax brackets, and its goal of eliminating all personal exemptions would fall heavily enough on middle-class families so as to give many an effective tax increase, according to analysis from the Center for American Progress.
Though administration staff have been negotiating with Congress on tax cuts, very little progress has been made on a plan. Trump is reportedly reining in his initial proposal, as well, boosting rates more than the one-page proposal outlined.
Trump promises to 'dismantle' the Iran deal
"I will renegotiate that deal," Trump told Fox News in September 2015, referring to the Iran nuclear deal. "That's what I do in life. I will make that deal much better for this country."
He went much further in a speech to AIPAC later in the campaign, telling the audience he would dismantle the deal completely:
My number-one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran. I have been in business a long time. I know deal-making. And let me tell you, this deal is catastrophic for America, for Israel and for the whole of the Middle East. The problem here is fundamental. We've rewarded the world's leading state sponsor of terror with $150 billion, and we received absolutely nothing in return. I've studied this issue in great detail, I would say actually greater by far than anybody else.
Despite criticism of the deal, thus far, Trump as president has stayed the course. The Iranian government said recently that Trump is not fulfilling U.S. obligations in the deal, but Trump has still not dismantled or renegotiated the agreement.
In September 2015, Trump said of the Iran nuclear deal, "I will police that to a level that they will not believe even exists." Yet Trump's administration has recertified that Iran is complying with the deal twice (the administration is required to do so every 90 days), most recently on Monday. This follows on a letter Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued in April that reported that Iran was complying with the deal.
Trump promised to balance the budget — and not hold any state dinners until he did it
Trump promised in February 2016 not to have state dinners until the budget was balanced.
It's going to be different, folks. It's going to be different. We're not going to have state dinners … I'll have state dinners — when we break even I'll have a state dinner, and when we start making money, I'll have a double state dinner.
Yet less than six months into his term, with the deficit just as large as it was on Inauguration Day, the White House hosted a dinner with the president of South Korea that it referred to as a state dinner on its official Youtube channel.
Trump also promised to serve Chinese President Xi Jinping a Big Mac for budgetary as well as currency policy reasons.
I'd get him a McDonald's hamburger and I'd say we gotta get down to work, because you can't continue to devalue (the Chinese currency), Trump said Monday night on Fox News. "I would give him a very, yeah, but I would give him a double, probably a double size Big Mac."
The president, hosting the Chinese leader for dinner in Florida this year, did not serve him McDonalds but rather a traditional White House dinner menu, including Chocolate cake.


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Archive for March, 2009
American Idol – Final 9 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 31, 2009
Good Evening America! Here we are. Back again for another week of performances. After last week's not-shocking-at-all elimination of Michael Sarver, I'm ready to see what our contestants do this week. We're one step closer to the finale and one step closer to getting rid of Scott "Pity Vote" MacIntyre. (He was in the Bottom 3 last week. Good job America! Keep up the good work!) So, without further rambling (in this paragraph anyway), on with the show. This… is American Idol!
Tonight, our Idols can sing any song they want, as long as it's a popular download on iTunes. Hmmm, can you be any more vague? This theme isn't truly shocking at all, because if we've learned anything from American Idol, it's that this show is best enjoyed while downloading songs from iTunes and drinking an ice-cold Coca-Cola.
Anoop Desai is our first Idol of the evening, and he'll be singing "Caught Up" by Usher. I applaud his choice for going to back to something with high energy, but there isn't a ton of range in this song, and he doesn't really get the chance to showcase his vocal skills. I'm a big fan of this song, just not him singing it. There are points where it seems like he's getting it, but then he goes back to looking lost. Uh-oh.
Megan Joy is second, and she's singing "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Lauren Hill/Bob Marley. I truly hoped she would do some Amy Winehouse or Duffy tonight. Now, I don't think Megan is going to win this thing, but I do find her enjoyable and quirky, and I am rooting for her. There's nothing wrong with her performance, but, unfortunately, there isn't anything spectacular about it either. For me, it's easily forgettable.
Danny Gokey is third, and he's singing "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flats. I love this song, and Danny's taking it easy and low-key at the beginning, building into the chorus where he can go to powerful and emotional. Very nice. This was definitely one of his best performances of the season, and this is exactly the type of music he should do.
Allison Iraheta is next with "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. Love, love, LOVE the song choice, though I must say I'm not likin' the outfit, but something about adding the guitar to the ensemble makes it all begin to grow on me. The first verse is subdued, but in true Allison fashion she supports her vocals amazingly well. During the chorus, however, she started to shout the song. It wasn't bad, it was good, but it wasn't the brilliance we've come to expect from Allison.
Scott "Pity Vote" MacIntyre is 5th tonight with "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel. My brother seems to think that Pity Vote looks like Paul Walker tonight. He must be referring to a different Paul Walker, because Barry, not even on Paul Walker's worst day. No. Just no. Back to the song, and I have to say… of all the Billy Joel songs, he pick's this one? First of all, I'm shocked that this is even considered a "popular download" on iTunes. Second, he says that he's "stripped things down" a little, which should be a nice change from the wacky, upbeat stuff he's done so far… What's that? This sounds like all his other performances? Yeah, I thought so too. Oh, and I hate his hair tonight.
Matt Giraud is singing "You Found Me" by The Fray. The start of the song was a bit shaky, but the raw growl to his voice I do like. This was not a great performance for him. Instead of trying to sound like himself, he tries to sound like the original singer, and it comes off uncomfortable and just ugh. People may say that the judges were too harsh, but as much as I like Matt, I think they were spot on.
Lil Rounds is next, and she's singing "I Surrender" by Celine Dion. If someone had had me make a list of 10 singers I thought she might choose from tonight, Celine would not have been on that list. You know the judges aren't going to like this… no matter how well she sings. And of course, she does sing well… extraordinarily well, as always. Lil did get to show us the vocal powerhouse that she is, but I would have liked to have seen that in a different song… one with a personality.
Adam Lambert-Martin is up next with "Play that Funky Music" by Wild Cherry. Every week, I anxiously wait to see what he's going to pick and how he's going to change the song. Tonight is no different, and Mr. Lambert-Martin did not disappoint. I love how Adam's slowing down on the verse just to kick into gear for the chorus. This is fun, and we definitely needed some fun tonight. And Kara, just for future reference, it's "Studio 54" not "Studio 57".
Kris Allen is closing the show with "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers. I enjoy that he's left the guitar at home and is using the keyboard. I love this song, and I'm loving his version of it. This is an amazing arrangement. It truly shows off the emotion of the song and sets him up as a real contender for the Top 5. Well done.
Well, that's our show for tonight. And what an "interesting" night it's been. Our Top 3 tonight would have to be Adam Lambert-Martin, Danny Gokey, and Kris Allen. Residing in the Bottom 3 would be Scott "Pity Vote" MacIntyre, Megan Joy, and a toss-up between Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai. Though I love her, I won't be shocked if Allison Iraheta makes a cameo in the Bottom 3 this week. I guess we'll find out tomorrow. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
American Idol – Final 10 (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 26, 2009
Good Evening, America! It's Thursday night, and usually that means it's time for Survivor. But not tonight. Tonight, we find out which of our wannabe's is about to hit the road, Jack, and not come back no more, no more, no more. That's right, it's Results Night. And this… is American Idol!
Ryan says that there were over 36 million votes last night. More than they have ever received for any other Top 10. What… a whirlwind. Woo and hoo.
It's Group Sing Time! The girls start out with "You Just Keep Me Hanging On" in true Girl Group fashion. Is it me, or are they lip-synching? Megan isn't even really trying to mouth the words at the correct time. The guys join in for "You're All I Need to Get By". The medley ends with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and all I can think about is the episode of "Designing Women" with Susan Sugarbaker, in black-face, crashing the charity performance and making herself the 4th Surpreme. Ahh, good times.
Ford Music Video time to "Pocketful of Sunshine". Our Idols create a sunny meadow out of puzzle pieces then drive into it. Eh, I've seen better. Overall, I'm quite disappointed with the music videos this season. Before we can get to the results, it's time for Season 2 Winner (and recently slimmed-down) Ruben Studard. (Fast-Forward)
Time for the results. First up, Adam Lambert-Martin. America has done the right thing, and he's safe! Matt Giraud is next, and he's… in the Bottom 3? Huh? Hmmm, I blame last night's sweater. Kris Allen is safe. Lil and Michael Sarver together. Ryan reminds Lil of the "Heat Wave" curse that usually causes the singer to be in the Bottom 3, but NOT TONIGHT! She's safe, and Michael is in the Bottom 3! Yay!
Singing "You're the One for Me" is Smokey Robinson and Joss Stone. I love her smoky, sultry voice. (If you don't own any of Joss Stone's cd's, I suggest you go to iTunes and download 'The Soul Sessions'. You won't regret it.) Smokey joins her, and I'm not liking their harmonies. Smokey by himself is wonderful. They just don't blend well.
Back to the results. Allison, Anoop, and Danny: all safe. That leaves us with Megan "Rainbow Brite" Joy and Scott "Pity Vote" MacIntyre. The last person to join the Bottom 3 is… SCOTT!!! Yay! Oh happy day! Ryan decides to send one person back to safety, and that person is… Scott? D@mn! My great mood just crashed. I do not like the fact that Matt Giraud has a 50/50 chance of going home. He should totally be safe.
Before we can find out which person is in the bottom and will have to "Lip-synch… for their Life"… oops, sorry, wrong show. I meant "Sing for their Life". Anyway, we are treated to a performance by Motown Great, Stevie Wonder! He's singing all of his biggest hits, and it's fabulous. Say what you want about Paula, but girl can dance!
Now, the last part of our results, and we find out that the person with the lowest number of votes is… Michael Sarver!! Yay! We can already start celebrating, because there isn't a chance in hell that the judges will use their save on him. So, while Michael "Sings for his Life", the judges barely pretend to talk about saving him. (My guess is they were making dinner plans for after the show.) I will say that his performance tonight was much better than last night. I wish I could have said the same for Alexis last week, but the pressure was too much for her. Do you think Michael knew going into the performance that no matter what he did that he was going home? I think so too. So, it's not really a shock to anyone when they do send him home. Sorry Michael, the judges have spoken; it's time for you to go.
Well, that's our show for tonight. It's definitely been an interesting week. The correct people were safe, and one of my personal Bottom 3 was sent home. Cross your fingers that Pity Vote says bye-bye next week. Tune in, and we'll find out together. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
American Idol – Final 10 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 25, 2009
Good Evening, America! Here we are. Back again for another week of performances. I'm sure some of you are still stunned over the loss of Alexis Grace last Wednesday. But we don't have time to cry and mull over what might have been… or wonder why Michael Sarver is still in the competition. (I don't think we'll ever figure out an answer to that.) What we can do is look ahead to tonight. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. This… is American Idol!
Tonight is all about the music of Motown. I'm uber excited about this. I mean, who doesn't love Motown?! This could be a very strong week for Lil. And, of course, I can't wait to see what Adam Lambert does tonight. Unfortunately, I'm perplexed by Paula's white ballerina skirt. I love my Paula, but seriously? She's never been what I like to call a "fashionista", but girl needs to get a new stylist. If she can't be kind enough to bring back "Paula's Wheel of Random Emotion" this season, the least she could do is dress better. Smokey Robinson is here to mentor the Idols this week. Mmmm, this should be good.
Starting off the show is Matt Giraud singing and playing "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye. From the first note, he had me hooked. Instead of spending the entire song by the piano, he gets up to work the stage. (Big fan of that.) Matt is definitely a white guy with soul. I think last week was a turning point for him. If he continues with solid performances like this, Matt should be around for awhile. Nice to see Paula was able to find a way to call him sexy for the 3rd week in a row, and Kara goes all Cougar on us. Myself, I was distracted by his two sizes too small Mr. Rogers sweater.
Second tonight is Kris Allen singing "How Sweet It Is". Of course, he's back with this guitar. He sounded very Jason Mraz, and it was wonderful. He didn't try to sound like the original artists. Brilliant. There are only good things to say about Kris tonight. Okay, I take that back. Not a big fan of shirt. At all. Convict meets Hipster.
Here to ruin my night is Scott "Pity Vote" MacIntyre. Oh my. Those pants. There just aren't words. Oh, there are words, but they aren't very nice. (Must… resist… obvious… joke… about… dressing… himself…) He's singing "Don't Hurry Love" by Diana Ross. He starts off imitating Barry Manilow then goes for some Billy Joel, but never reaches either of their abilities. It was very hotel cabaret. Scott's performance was very subpar, and his high notes sound like when you accidentally step on a cat in the dark. Paula and Simon have one of their usual arguments, but my girl finally gets him when she pulls out crayons and a coloring book and tell him if he's going to act like a 6 year old, he should take these too. Loved it!
Megan Joy is up next to sing "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder. She again sounds like a cracked out Amy Winehouse meets Bjork. As she's singing, all I can here is "The Looooove Boat… soon we'll be making another run." This is cruise ship singing at its worst. Honey, here's a little hint, direct from me to you… If you want to belt out a note, that does not mean you shout it at the audience. Megan, meet Bottom 3. Bottom 3, meet Megan. You two will be seeing each other tomorrow night.
Next up is Anoop Desai singing "Ooh Baby Baby" by Smokey Robinson himself. He's sitting on the steps to convey his sensitivity and vulnerability, and he's really working the falsetto (which is like 75% of the song). Near the end, Anoop's performance seems a little put on for my taste. Overall, it was good. He was one of my favorites from the Top 36, but these past 3 weeks, he is starting to bore me a tad.
Michael Sarver is singing "Ain't Too Proud to Beg". As you know, I'm not a fan of his. At all. So, I'm not going to pull any punches. This wasn't even good enough to be called bad karaoke, and I should know, because I can do bad karaoke better than most. Mr. Sarver said he was going to "church it up". If this is "churching it up", then Michael caused a whole nation of people to decide to sleep in this coming Sunday. At the end, when he decided to go all gospel choir, it sounded like he was birthin a baby. Not good. Not good at all. Michael should make sure he's not too proud to beg… for votes.
Thankfully, Lil is here to save the day with "Heat Wave" by Martha and Vandellas. Loving the long, wavy hair and the flapper-esque dress. There are some weird low notes in the first half of the song. Paula's up and dancing, but Kara is staring daggers at Lil like she's trying to set her on fire. The end was much better and more like the Lil we adore. It was hardly perfect, but I loved it.
My favorite Idol this season, and who from now on will be referred to as Adam Lambert-Martin is singing "Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson. He's going unplugged and ditching the rocker look. I have to say, he is looking might FIIIIINE in that suit. Mmmmm. His performance was flawless and simply phenomenal. Totally one of the best if not the best performance of the season, and easily in the Top 10 Best Performances of ANY season. Week after week, Adam is showing us that he is a true artist and in a completely different league than the rest of the Idols.
Next up is Danny Gokey. Boy, I would hate to go after Adam Lambert-Martin, but if anyone can still pull out an amazing performance, it will be Danny. He's singing "Get Ready" by The Temptations. Danny ditches Smokey's advice about singing "You're Alright" at the end of the line. I don't know about you, but I think that's like giving a big middle finger to Smokey. Vocally, I truly enjoyed this. He still dances like a dork, but it's part of his undeniable charm.
Closing the show, Allison Iraheta is singing "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" also by The Temptations. Her sultry voice is perfectly suited to this song. Allison handles the mash up of the fast lyrics with ease and blew the roof off at the end! This girl has mad skill. Amazing! Simply amazing. People, please vote for this girl. She rocked it out!
Well, that's our show for tonight. Overall, I'm extremely pleased. My Top 3 for this week are Adam, Allison, with Lil & Danny tied for 3rd, and a tip of the hat to Matt Giraud. Sitting way down in the Bottom 3 are Megan, Scott, and Michael. I'm not sure which one I want to go more, but I'll be happy if any one of them is sent packing. Tune in tomorrow night to see one of our Idols have their dream crushed and to see what else Paula has hiding under the table. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
American Idol – Final 11 (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 18, 2009
Good Evening, America! Who knew that Country Week would cause some of our front-runners to falter and some of our also-rans to shine brightly? Can you say "Leveling the Playing Field"? (I knew you could.) The results tonight should be interesting, to say the least. Who is safe? Who is going home? I'm on pins and needles, so let's get on with it. This… is American Idol!
Last night, we had over 31 million votes. Just like last week, only 11.5 million of them were me voting for Adam Lambert. (Gotta love unlimited texting!) Ryan reminds us of the Judge's Save, hinting that it may need to be used tonight. Is he serious or just doing the usual Seacrest tease? Only time will tell.
Before we can get to any results, it's time for the group sing. Our Top 11 is singing "Trouble" with Pity Vote at the piano, which frees everyone else up to do choreography, so that's good I guess. The band is so loud, you can't hear the piano at all. On purpose? Hmmm. The choreography, though quite simple, seems to cause a few of our Idols a bit of trouble. One week, instead of dreadful choreography, I'd like to see them play a game of Musical Chairs while singing. I'd watch that.
It's time for the Ford Music Video. (Please be cheesy! Please by cheesy!) This week, they're singing "Here is Goes Again" while hurling water balloons at each other on the back-lot of the FOX studios. This is the type of pointless nonsense that I've come to expect from the videos. They haven't quite reached the level of ridiculousness that I want, but thank you for not disappointing me. Then there was some sappy stuff about Jasmine and Jorge and some other blah. I got bored and hit fast-forward.
Finally, it's time for some results. The person who is eliminated tonight will not get to participate in the cross-country glee-fest also known as the Idols Summer Tour. Danny is first up, and of course, he's safe. After a fake set-up, Lil is also safe. Anoop, one of the strongest from last night, is safe. (So far so good. I'm okay with these results.) Now, it's time for Allison and Michael to stand together. Color me shocked, because both of them are in the Bottom 3. I totally expected Allison to be safe. Wow, I didn't see that coming at all. Of course, all day I've been saying that Michael would be in the Bottom 3. That was just a given. But Allison? Wow.
Instead of more results, we are "treated" to Brad Paisley singing his new single. (No offense to the Brady Paisley fans out there, but Fast-Forward.)
Okay, back to the results. Next up, is Scott "Pity Vote" MacIntyre, who disappointingly enough is safe. Blah. Megan Joy, our resident flu patient, is safe. (If you look at the couch, the last people to get their results are Adam and Alexis. That's never a good sign.) Matt Giraud – safe. Kris Allen – safe. Now we're down to Alexis Grace and Adam Lambert. Not good. I like both of them, and I thought they were sure things for the Final 5. The last person in our Bottom 3 tonight is… Alexis!!! Yay! Adam is safe! (Ahhh, all is still right with the world.) Before our Bottom 3 can get too nervous, Allison Iraheta is sent back to safety. Yay! This is good news too. (One step closer to Michael Sarver being gone.)
Before we continue with the results, it's time to celebrate Carrie Underwood's induction into the Grand Ole Opry as well as listen to her duet with Randy Travis. Since I do love me some Carrie Underwood, I'll attempt to not fast-forward. (Not so sure what I think of her dress… mainly I have problems with the bow in her hair. Blaire Waldorf she is not.) Carrie and Randy will be singing "I Told You So". As always, Carrie has a beautiful voice, but I got bored, so Fast-Forward.
Now we're down to our Bottom 2. Alexis or Michael? Michael or Alexis? If there's any justice in the world, it will be Michael packing his bags and hittin the bricks. After the nation-wide vote, the person leaving us tonight is… Alexis Grace? What? You're kidding, right? On a night where Michael should have killed, he stumbled horribly, and now he gets to bore us for another week while Alexis has to "Sing for her Life"? That's right, as Seacrest reminds us; the Judges get one Save the entire season. So based on this performance, they'll decide whether to save Alexis or not. (No pressure there.) Alexis, my dear, good luck, and don't eff it up. As she begins to sing, the Judges huddle right in front of her. (Not intimidating at all.) Unfortunately, the pressure is too much for Alexis, and she falters and cracks her way through "Jolene". I can see the writing on the wall a mile away, and Simon tells us it was good, but not good enough. (Harsh!) And so, Alexis is leaving us.
Well, that's our show for tonight. I'm happy that my 3 favorites are safe to sing another week, but I'm sad that Alexis had to go home. It should have been Michael Sarver, and I think even he knows that. Ugh. Now that we have Country Week out of the way, what will our theme for next week be? Let's find out together. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
American Idol – Final 11 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 17, 2009
Good Evening, America! Here we are, back again for another week. We're down to our Top 11 Finalists. Last week we said good-bye to… two people. Can't quite remember who they were. Must not have been that important. I know one of them looked like he had two dead black caterpillars squished on his forehead in the shape of eyebrows. Oh well, bygones. Life goes on. So, without further ado… This… is American Idol!
Tonight, on our second week of completion, it is St. Patrick's Day. And nothing says St. Patrick's Day like… Country music? Huh? Okay, whatever. I know for many of you, country music isn't your thing. At all. (I'm looking at you, Mom.) I've even heard that the only way to get through two hours of country music on Idol is to, and I quote, "Get some ear plugs and get DRUNK!" (Again, I'm looking at you, Mom.) But, of course, I'm a good boy, and I wouldn't know about such things. Anyway, Randy Travis is here to mentor our Idols. This should be interesting. Grab your girl, your dog, and the keys to your pick-up truck. Here we go!
Resident Roughneck, Michael Sarver is our first singer of the night with "Ain't Goin Down Till the Sun Comes Up". If any of our Idols is suited for this genre, it's Michael. This song has a heckuva lot words in a short order, so I'm impressed that he memorized them all. Unfortunately, this was not a good performance, and Michael Sarver is no Garth Brooks. It was bland and boring, and I would have rather listened to the guy on the harmonica the whole time instead of Michael mumbling quickly.
Next up is Allison Iraheta singing "Blame It on Your Heart". This girl could sing the phone book, and I'd listen. Her voice gives a great rock edge to the song. You can tell she's having fun, and her passion for this competition comes through in her performance. Nothing more to say. It was a solid performance.
Kris Allen is singing "To Make You Feel My Love", another Garth Brooks song, though technically it was written and recorded by Bob Dylan first. He is minus his guitar this week. Kris is going for the vulnerable boy next door vibe. He has a wonderfully smooth voice, and this gave us the opportunity to truly focus on his talent. He's not currently one of the front-runners, but Kris isn't one to be ignored.
Singing 4th tonight is Lil Rounds. Since I heard it was Country Week, I've been most interested to see Lil's performance. She's singing "Independence Day" by Martina McBride. This song calls for subtlety as well as a big voice, both of which Lil can do. She's out of her comfort zone, and it shows. Not her strongest performance, but she should have no trouble during tomorrow's elimination.
My night is that much better, because it is time for Adam Lambert. (I won't even try to appear impartial when it comes to him.) Adam is singing "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, but this isn't anything like the version you heard in "Walk the Line". I can easily see where a lot of people won't like this, but it is pure Adam, and I love it. I never would have imagined hearing this song that way, but it works, black nail polish and all.
And my night just got worse. It's time for Scott "Pity Vote" MacIntyre to sing "Wild Angels" by Martina McBride. Let's face it; Scott is a mediocre singer, but an amazing piano player. It's really bad how little I care about listening to him. I was texting all through his performance, and then I realized I had to rewind it so I could listen to him and critique it. Then I realized that no I don't, it's my blog, and I can skip over him if I want to. Apparently, the audience enjoyed it. Blah. I'm sure it was a wonderful Hallmark moment.
Alexis Grace is singing "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, which was done last season by America's Sweetheart Brooke White. This is an amazing song, and, for me, Alexis adds the right emphasis at the right time. She really nailed the heartbreaking tone of the song. It wasn't her usual hard edge, but I appreciated the variety.
Danny Gokey is doing "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood. I appreciate this song because there's a shout out to Cincinnati in the first verse. Though he may have stumbled over the words with Randy Travis in rehearsal, the same cannot be said for his performance. There were a few notes that were slightly flat, but once he hit his stride in the chorus, it became another amazing Danny performance. His enthusiasm and spirit are contagious, and when he's having a good time, you can't help but have a good time too.
Needing a strong week, Anoop Desai is singing "You're Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson. This is an iconic song, and it's hard to not compare his version to the original. From the first few notes, it was easy to tell that this was the Anoop we've been waiting to hear. It's a slow song, but boring it was not. He infuses the song with emotion and gravity. Anoop will be sticking around for another week.
Megan Joy (didn't her last name used to be Corkrey), who was hospitalized this week with the flu, is singing "I Go Walking after Midnight". She's turned this isn't a bluesy jazzy number. Huge improvement after the incredulous performance that was last week. Like Adam, this was pure Megan, and again this worked. It was like Amy Winehouse meets Bjork. Loved the dress, not the dancing.
Closing the show is Matt Giraud with "So Small". Just like Pity Vote, he's using the piano. Matt has changed up the song just enough to suit him. If he keeps going the way he is, he's on his way to becoming the new Michael Buble. The arrangement works in the chorus/bridge section. He does hit some bad notes throughout, but none so bad as his last note. Like I said last week, don't go so high, please.
So, that's our show for tonight. Congrats to all the non-country fans who made it through these past 2 hours. My favorites tonight were Adam, Danny, and Anoop. Hopefully in the bottom we'll find Michael and Scott. This early in the voting portion of the season, it's hard to tell what America is thinking. I guess we'll find out together tomorrow. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
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American Idol – Final 13 (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 11, 2009
Good Evening , America! We're back again for another night. But this time, it's not to unfairly judge contestants I don't like. No, tonight, we're here to say good-bye to two of our wannabe hopefuls. Two contestants who have clawed and fought their way to get this far in the competition have to go home tonight without a recording contract, without being part of a tour that will play to half-full arenas around the country, and without a year's supply of Rice-a-Roni. (It's the San Francisco Treat!) Yes, tonight is elimination night. And this… is American Idol!
Ryan tells us there were 33 million votes last night, and I can honestly say only 11.5 million of those were from me voting for Adam. Kanye West (the self-proclaimed greatest artist of our generation) and Kelly Clarkson (Yay!) will be performing live for us tonight. Before we get to the results, Ryan tells us about the new rule called "The Judges Save". In a nutshell, this means that the Judges have the power to save one contestant (up until the Top 5) from elimination. They can only do that once during the season. The week it is used, no contestant will be eliminated, but the following week, two contestants will go home. Hopefully, this will help keep American Idol from being strictly a popularity contest, and allow it to again be the talent competition it once was. (A rule like this could have saved my Season 1 favorite, Tamyra Gray, from going out 4th and allowed her to go head-to-head with my girl Kelly in the finals.)
Ahh, time for filler. This time in the form of the first group sing of the finals – a medley of songs from The Jackson 5. I have to admit, I've been severely looking forward to this. Mainly to see what is done with the choreography for one specific contestant. (I won't say who, but I'll give you one guess.) All in all, it wasn't bad, and I'll refrain from making any truly nasty comments.
Oooh! I have to comment on something last night, and I have to thank my friend Halle for bringing it to my attention. I'm sure you all saw that Alexis's phone number to call was 1-866-436-5736 instead of being 1-866-436-5713 even though she was the 13th contestant. I just assumed it was because Idol didn't have the use of 5713, that some other company did. You have no idea! I can't tell you what it is, but I will say for you to not call that number from work, and don't let your children call it. It is not a family-friendly number… if you get my drift. I have to wonder how many people accidentally called 5713 without thinking. I can only imagine Sanjaya's poor little crying girl dialing it by accident and crying all over again while she listened. Ha ha!
Yay! It's time for the Ford Music Video. (The only filler I like on results night. It's always so cheesy, you just have to love it.) This time our Idols are singing "We Will Rock You" while being super-imposed on buildings as a Ford car drives through the empty streets of LA. Okay, so this wasn't cheesy and fun, but I have hope for the rest of the season. Fingers crossed!
Finally, time to start the results. First up, Michael Sarver. ( Blah.) He's safe. (Double blah.) Next, Allison Ireheta. She, too, is safe. (Yay for that!) Jasmine Murray is sent to the center of the stage to wait for further instructions. Matt Giraud is safe. Kris Allen and Megan Corkrey are both told to stand up. Kris is safe, but Megan is sent to stand with Jasmine. (Oooh, the tension is building.) One is safe, the other is going home. Without much fanfare, Megan is safe, and Jasmine is in danger of elimination if the Judges don't save her. (Fat chance of that.) While she sang poorly, the judges decided not to save her, and Jasmine becomes the first casualty of the Finals. Can't say I'm too broken up about it. She has a lot of potential. She's just not ready yet.
Here to delay the results, Kanya West is singing "Heartless". I'm not a big fan of his, but I love this song. (Okay, fast-forward.) Back to the results. First up, Scott "Pity Vote" MacIntyre. Of course, he's safe. (I'll keep my comments and impersonations to myself.) Next is Alexis Grace. She and her naughty side are here for another week. Danny Gokey, without a doubt, is safe. Anoop Desai, on the other hand, is sent to the center of the stage. (I give him credit for knowing he was headed there.) Adam Lambert is safe, and all is right with the world. Jorge Nunez and Lil Rounds are asked to stand, but Lil is safe, and Jorge is sent to stand with Anoop. At this point, I'm okay with either of those guys going home. They weren't going to win, so they might as well go home now. (You know, till this moment, I didn't realize how short Jorge was. I mean, for crying out loud, he's shorter than Seacrest, and that's short.)
Before we can find out who's leaving us, Kelly Clarkson, our original American Idol, is here to sing her new hit song "My Life Would Suck Without You" from her new hit CD "All I Ever Wanted". You can download her new cd on iTunes. Go to www.americanidol.com/iTunes for more details. (Tonight, this blog is brought to you by iTunes.) I heart Kelly and this song so much! I love the fact that she's still real-sized.
Back to the moment of truth. Anoop or Jorge? Jorge or Anoop? After 33 million votes, Anoop is safe to sing another week. Now the Judges can pretend to think about their decision while Jorge sings. Not surprisingly, the Judges send Jorge packing. Again, not too broken up about it.
Well, that's our show for tonight. No real drama. The 2 people I wanted to go home are still around for another week. Thankfully, the 3 people I wanted most to stay are here as well. Tune in next week when our Top 11 take on some new selection of songs. Who will rise? Who will fall? Who will fall down? Let's find out together. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
American Idol – Final 13 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 10, 2009
Good Evening, America! Well, here we are again. Back for another round of snarky comments, hysterical antics, and pure entertainment… and that's just my blog. For Season 8, this year's batch of finalists look to be one of the show's strongest yet. There are a few questions that remain to be answered: Will the men continue to outperform the women? Will any of the Wild Card choices emerge as a real contender? And will Kara DioGuardi start a sentence without the phrase "Here's the thing…". Let's find out together, shall we? This… is American Idol!
We're going to start off slow this year, and I promise to try not to hate anyone right away. (Oops, too late.) Since there are 13 Finalists instead of 12, 2 people will be eliminated tomorrow instead of just one. (And here I thought FOX would try to stretch out the show for another week of huge ratings.) Tonight's theme is all about the music of Michael Jackson, and if the tabloids are to be believed, he could use all the royalty money he can get from tonight. If he shows up tomorrow night to sing, we can at least be thankful that our contestants are a little too old for him. (Oops, did I say that?)
Lil Rounds (one of my early favorites) is first up tonight. Her strong R&B vocals can help set her apart from a field full of strong pop singers. She's singing "The Way You Make Me Feel". Her confidence is immediately evident. She can play to the camera, use the stage, and work the audience all at the same time. (And it looks like she and Paula have the same stylist.) Her vocals were amazing, and she changed the song up just enough to keep it interesting. Go on, girl!
Scott "I'm only here out of pity" MacIntyre is up next. Yes, there it is, I admit it. I don't like him. (And yes, I know that makes me a jerk.) I think he's an adequate singer, but I truly believe that if he weren't visually impaired, he never would have made it this far in the competition. Yes, he's a nice guy. Congratulations. But that doesn't make him an amazing singer, and soon we're all going to see that he's in over his head. Tonight, Scott is singing "Keep the Faith" while playing the piano. He did a fine job. Hopeful message. Blah. Let the pity votes start rolling in.
Danny Gokey (another one of my early favorites) is 3rd. He's got more momentum and sympathy than any other contestant coming in tonight, but he also has the talent and charisma to back it up. Danny is singing "P. Y. T.". Already, I love that his glasses match his shirt. He's got enthusiasm to spare, and it's infectious. Love the fact that he brought the judges and the audience in for back-up vocals. The vocals were brilliant! This was a stellar performance!
Michael Sarver is 4th. I'm still not sure how he made it to the Top 13. For the life of me I just can't figure it out. He's another genuinely nice guy, and of course, he's doing a sensitive song, "You Are Not Alone". Michael has a decent voice, but even his natural smile won't be enough to propel him to the finals. Passion, smashion. I give him a few weeks… tops… before America gets bored. I know I am already.
Jasmine Murray is our next wannabe vying for your vote. She had a lot of hype during the audition rounds, but she stumbled horribly during the semi-finals. This is her chance to prove that she's supposed to be here. Jasmine is singing "I'll Be There". She's a good vocalist, but the performance overall was quite boring. Jas is sweet, but that does not a superstar make.
Kris Allen is the 6th contestant to sing tonight. He's flown under the radar, but if he keeps up with his vocals and his guitar, he could be a dark horse in the competition. He's singing "Remember the Time". Kris has the voice and the looks to sell records. The guitar definitely helps him, and it helps us forget some of those sour notes. Right now, I like, not love, him. I think he's a contestant that will grow on me.
Allison Iraheta (another one of my early favorites) is young, but that voice? Wow! Anyone that is 16, and can take on Heart the way she did, deserves for everyone to stand up and take notice. First off, I have to say how much I love her hair. She's singing "Give In To Me". Allison has an authentic rocker girl vibe and gives off a Joan Jett-esque feeling. Love the gravelly voice. Love the passion and energy. She will be one to watch.
Anoop Desai, one of the most likeable guys this season, is next. He was the last minute addition to our finalists that brought us from 12 to 13, and I'm very thankful for that. Tonight, he's singing "Beat It". (Ugh, not a smart choice.) Anoop is comfortable with the stage, and he's a good singer. Not amazing, but good. I wasn't overly impressed with his performance at all, but I know he's going to get by this week on his charm.
Jorge Nunez is the Hispanic David Archuleta of this season. He definitely has potential to do well. It's nice to see Jorge brought his Jerry Curl to the finals. (Never leaves home without it.) He's singing "Never Can Say Goodbye". Unlike David Archuleta, Jorge is usually interesting to watch, but not tonight. And his singing was very blah for me. I'm not exactly contradicting what I said a few sentences ago… I did say it was potential. And he threw that potential out the window.
Megan Corkrey is next. Her jazzy nature is another breath of fresh air among the predominately pop contestants. She's singing "Rockin' Robin". I'm not sure this was a smart choice for her. (I so love her tattoo sleeve.) Her performance seemed very karaoke, but not in a good way. I do love her personality and her voice, but I was just hoping for more. In the end, it was very Megan though.
Adam Lambert (another of my early favorites) is our 11th performer of the evening. His performance style isn't everyone's cup of tea, and he may have to learn some vocal subtlety, but I absolutely love him. He's singing "Black and White". This song is very Adam. His performance and vocal pyrotechnics are definitely on display tonight, and there is nothing subtle about it. He screeched through a few notes, but I'm willing to forgive it. He was over the top, and he owned the stage, and I LOVED IT!
Matt Giraud is next. He didn't get a lot of screen time during the preliminaries, and during the semi finals, he wasn't one of the contestants that was easily remembered. Matt has his work cut out for him to make a big impression with America. He and the piano are singing "Human Nature". He's whined again and again that he's better with his piano, and I have to agree. Definitely more memorable with the piano. That is, until he sang like a girl at the end. He's a talented performer, and if America can remember to vote for him, he may be around for a few more weeks.
Alexis Grace (the last of my early favorites) is here to close the show. (Does anyone else think her dad may have the 'munchies'… a lot?) Alexis and her hooker heels are singing "Dirty Diana". For a tiny little pixie of a girl, she sure does have a lot of power in her voice. She was a bit over the top in places, but not in a good way. Overall, she was great, and she has nothing to worry about this week.
Well, that's our show for tonight. This could be a heckuva season. To conclude, I want to join in with Paula's advice for the millionth time and suggest that we should 'take it all in'! Tune in tomorrow night to find out which two of our wannabes will be heading home early. By now, you know the drill… Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.


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abstract, acrylic, Art, careful, cherries, description, dreamcatcher, fiction, fish, four leaf clover, fun, hello, home, infinity, Life, love, luck, lyrical, mircofiction, nanofiction, nature, paint, poem, poetry, pretty, prose, roll, short story, smile, story, tree, vivid, words, words from paint, writing
Water flows over fire, but it won't put out the seething.
They talk awhile like two fish swimming too close together.
Like the cherries clumping together on the tree.
A dream catcher wrapped in eternity with a
four leaf clover lost somewhere in the center.
Here, just let me balance it out a bit.
Afterall, it's a long fall from our golden copper roll.
A fade into the distance or perhaps rising above.
More annoying that a spot that keeps seeping through.
Gotta be careful. Don't know which route goes where
until somewhat down the way.
But all things seem to come back around.


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Leather upholstery is now more affordable than ever. Now most people can afford leather whether it is in a high-style contemporary design or an elegant, Old World form. This guide will help you figure out what you want in your leather sofa.
Underneath it all
Let's face it, the main difference between leather upholstery and regular upholstery is that it is covered in leather, not fabric. Therefore, the foundations of a well-built frame and a sturdy seating support system still apply. See our Sofa Buying Guide for a complete checklist of what to look for underneath it all.
Like the frame, when it comes to the cushions of leather upholstery, many of the options that are available in fabric upholstery apply. (See our Sofa Buying Guide for a complete checklist of what to look for in cushions.) The best-selling leather upholstery features high density foam cushions, but blendown and spring-down are also available and are becoming more prevalent in the market.
The advantages of leather upholstery are that it is strong, yet soft. It doesn't tear, burn or puncture easily. Leather upholstery breaths, therefore it doesn't get cold and moist in the winter or hot and sticky in the summer. When you shop for leather upholstery, expect to find a wide array of styles and colors. No matter the styling, the leather should be soft, supple and comfortable to sit on.
The hides used in construction are what distinguish leather upholstery. Many different terms are used to describe the leather preparation processes. Definitions of some of the options available in leather upholstery appear below.
Aniline leather: A translucent dye applied to leather in vats. The translucent quality allows the grain to show through, but it can also show imperfections, therefore only the best quality hides are used for this process. May also be referred to as true aniline, naked aniline, pure aniline, naked leather, unprotected leather, or natural leather.
Bi-cast: Split leather with a polyurethane coating that gives it a high sheen and increases durability.
Corrected grain leather: Leather that has been buffed and coated with pigments or other finishes to hide imperfections. Also known as protected leather.
Full grain leather: Leather that has not been altered beyond hair removal. Leather match furniture upholstered with a combination of leather and vinyl. The vinyl is died to match the leather and is typically used on the sides and back. Leather is reserved for the cushions or "everywhere the body touches."
Leather match: Furniture upholstered with a combination of leather and vinyl. The vinyl is died to match the leather and is typically used on the sides and back. Leather is reserved for the cushions or "everywhere the body touches."
Pull-Up: Full grain leather that is treated with oil or wax so that it develops an aged patina over time. More common on traditional styles, it is also know as oiled or waxed leather.
Leather match: Furniture upholstered with a combination of leather and vinyl. The vinyl is died to match the leather and is typically used on the sides and back. Leather is reserved for the cushions or "everywhere the body touches."
Pigmented leather: Leather with coloration applied to the top surface, as opposed to dyed. This process hides imperfections and adds durability.
Semi-aniline leather: Aniline dyed leather with a layer of matching pigment added to improve color consistency and add protection.
Split leather: The lower layers of a hide that are removed to create a uniform thickness on a top grain hide. These lower layers are also processed and treated with a protective sealant for use in upholstery.
Top grain: Leather with the outermost layers of the hide left in tact. Generally considered high quality.
Vegetable tanning: The process of making leather using tannins obtained from bark, wood, or other plants and trees.
Before you even start looking at a new sofa you should take the time to measure the room where it will be placed. You should also take the time to measure any hallways, doorways or stairs that the sofa will have to travel through to be placed in the room, especially if there are odd turns and angles along the way. The best advice is to create a floor plan to get an idea of how the sofa will work with the rest of the furnishings in the room. Take the floor plan with you when you go furniture shopping to give sales associates an idea of what you are looking for.
You should also consider how a sofa fits your body frame and those of your guests. A low-to-the-ground frame might be difficult for some individuals to stand up from. A sofa with a deep seat may leave a petite person with their feet dangling several inches above the floor. Consider the overall atmosphere of the room that the sofa will be in, and the room's function. If you'll sit on the sofa to watch movie marathons, then you might choose a deeply cushioned sofa that encourages lounging. If the sofa will be placed in a more formal room that is used primarily for entertaining, then a sofa that sits more upright would be the right choice.
There is a wide variety of choices available in leather upholstery. Traditional to modern styles, and everything in between are available in all price ranges. If you don't find exactly what you are looking for, ask about custom order. Quality furniture retailers can help you select the right combination of styling, construction and leather quality for your budget and décor. See our sofa buying guide for a list of different sofa style elements that can help you name what you want in a sofa.
Leather and Fabric – the Best of Both Worlds
Several home furnishings trend setters are taking a new direction in upholstery by combining leather and fabric on the same piece. This combination is happening in both contemporary and traditional styles. On traditional styles you may see rich brocades and velvets combined with leather and finished with a nail head trim. In contemporary styles the sheen of bi-cast leather contrasts with soft microfiber fabrics that look and feel like suede.
Leather Protection
When you buy something you love, you want to protect it. We buy upholstery to live with and sometimes life gets messy and sometimes accidents happen. That's where a protection plan like Protection 1st comes into the picture. Think of it as insurance against life's little mishaps, spots and spills or other mishaps.


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The current era is all about cinematic and candid photography and Videography and our team excels in each of them. Wedding Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.
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Wedding Photography
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Wedding Films
Words From Our Client
People have said nice things about us
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Reasons to Rent
- State-of-the-art safe equipment when and where you need it
- Improves cost control and reduces maintenance costs
- Reduces your capital expense
- Expert advice from experienced engineers
- 80 years of experience and knowledge
Matching your specific field hydraulic calculation needs to desired Rain for Rent equipment is easy with RiteFlo's:
RiteFlo comes with a convenient Project Management system, which allows you to build, manage and share different hydraulic scenarios for a particular job site or location over time – and save those measurements for future reference.
Other features of RiteFlo include:
Please Note: Any and all costing information predicted by the application is for rough costing purposes and should only be used as an estimate to support decision-making.
Equipment components from Rain for Rent field catalogue are subject to availability and terms of use.


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How our domain brokering works?
Our all-in-one domain brokering service includes domain report, evaluation, acquisition, and escrow. This service is specially designed for people who has a desired domain in mind.
Submit Request Now
Once we have your information, a member of our domain brokering team will contact you about the domain name.
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Email: email@example.com / Call: 1-888-555-5545


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VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday that the club has signed American centre back Danny Barbir to a contract with Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) for the remainder of the 2017 USL season.
"Danny is a big, strong young centre back who has experience in a highly competitive environment in England," said Whitecaps FC 2 head coach Rich Fagan. "We'll continue to push him and evaluate him during the final stretch of our USL season."
Barbir, 19, joins WFC2 after spending the past three years at English Premier League club West Bromwich Albion FC, where he made 16 appearances for their U-23 and U-21 sides, scoring one goal in Premier League 2. The native of Allentown, Pennsylvania also played three matches and scored one goal with the Stoke City FC U-23 team in 2017.
Prior to signing with West Brom, Barbir played one year in the Manchester City youth academy in 2014.
An American-Romanian dual citizen, Barbir previously made five appearances with the United States U-17 men's national team, including two starts at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.
"I'm a ball playing centre back ...I'm aggressive."— Whitecaps FC 2 (@wfc2) September 15, 2017
🗣 from our newest #WFC2 player @DannyBarbir pic.twitter.com/C5Y7W4EfdQ
Danny Barbir
Pronunciation: bar-BEER
Position: Centre back
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 190 pounds
Date of Birth: January 31, 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia
Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Citizenship: United States / Romania
Status: Domestic
Previous Club: West Bromwich Albion FC (Premier League 2)
How Acquired: Free agent signed to a USL contract with Whitecaps FC 2 on September 14, 2017


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Sweek: read and write stories 12+
- Free
Consuming stories is becoming instant, social and mobile. Sweek is an open platform to read, write and share stories. All over the world. In an instant. For free. We want to provide writers with the opportunity to write their story, chapter by chapter, reach out to their audiences and get noticed. Our readers can always find new authors to explore, interact with them and follow their favourite stories on Sweek.
- Whether you are looking to discover upcoming writers, follow well-known authors or catch up with the classics, you can find stories interesting for you on Sweek. For free! Browse our Popular, Top authors and New lists or search for stories per category.
- Read stories in a clean reading interface and set your reading preferences.
- Save stories to your library to read them later, even offline. Your reading progress will always be saved on Sweek. On any of your devices, be it a smartphone, a tablet or your computer.
- Publish your stories in an instant, even on the go or offline
- Link to other websites of your already published books
- Have your writing progress synchronized on any of your devices and edit stories whenever you want
- Build your loyal fan base: we'll notify your Sweek followers instantly when you've uploaded a new story or a chapter
- Follow statistics on your stories: see your reads, likes and followers increase
- Tell your friends about new stories on Sweek via your social media channels, easily share new ideas with the like-minded community
- Show appreciation for writers by liking their Sweek stories, following them and giving your feedback.
We invite you to join the global Sweek community. We are there for new novels and thrilling mysteries. For short stories and captivating fanfiction. For literary classics. For inspiring articles. Everybody has a story to tell. And we can't wait to read yours.
Welcome to Sweek,
the Sweek team
Would you like to know more or do you want to get in touch? Visit www.sweek.com
What's New
Version 1.3.2
Bug fixes.
Ratings and ReviewsSee All
So Close
I love this app, and all of the great stories on here. I especially love how people can message you to give comments on your story/poem personally, but unfortunately I can't read mine. I have "6+" notifications, and every time I try to open them, nothing it said I don't have any conversations. If I try again, the app closes out and I'm back to my home screen. I've tried restarting my phone, and the app, but nothing has worked. I love the app but this is really annoying. Great idea, but the app needs a bit more work. Otherwise it would definitely get the 5 stars.
I love it! NGL I downloaded Sweek because I got tired of curly quotes being automatically changed to straight quotes on Wattpad. BUT I will say, I am so impressed. Sweek has SO much potential, and I've started sharing stories on Sweek because I believe it has the potential to be EVEN BIGGER than Wattpad. Just PLEASE make sure that "" don't ever become "" and I will stick around for the long run. OH AND Sweek has a much wider range of genres, and I think their approach to adult content is SO much smarter than Wattpad's. I love that it's not banned on the site, and that users are warned instead. THIS FEATURE IS A HUGE PLUS. Wattpad always has miscategorised stories, and this seems to be less of a problem on Sweek with its wide range of genres. LOVING IT SO FAR!
Okay but Not the Best Reading/Writing App
Edit: Now whenever I click on the book that I am writing, the app freezes. It just stays on that screen forever. If I close out the app and return it refreshes, but I am still not able to edit my work.
Sweek allows you to write and post your own stories with your own personally made book covers. It also provides you with stories written by other aspiring authors with an addition of a few classics written by famous authors. None of these factors seem to be the problem however, the problem lies within the notification center. Firstly, the app sends notifications that you have a new follower to your profile or a new comment on your story, but when actually going to the app to see the notifications they disappear. Even private messages disappear after a while. Sometimes the app glitches (which is a rare occurrence but it really annoying when it occurs).
- Seller
- Sweek B.V.
- Size
- Category
- Books
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 10.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
- Languages
English, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish
- Age Rating
- 12+
- Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity
- Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References
- Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes
- Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor
- Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes
- Copyright
- © 2017 Sweek B.V.
- Price
- Free
Family Sharing
With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.


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Vonda Skelton is the author of four books, including her women's book, Seeing through the Lies: Unmasking the Myths Women Believe. This book takes readers on "a hilarious journey through all things female as we search for truth in a counterfeit world." She is also the author of a children's mystery series, The Bitsy Burroughs Mysteries. The third book in the series, Bitsy and the Mystery at Hilton Head Island, was a Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Award Nominee.
Vonda is a former RN and freelance writer, and her articles frequently appear in magazines such as HomeLife, ParentLife, Christian Single, and Focus on the Family publications. She is a popular instructor at writer's conferences and enjoys mentoring and encouraging new writers through her Christian Writer's Den blog, MoGo7000 Challenge, and Downloadable Writer's Workshops. She also teaches writing to public, private, and homeschooled students and has spoken to over 22,000 kids across the country. Vonda is a dramatist, playwright and lyricist, and is currently working on a screenplay.
Her Christian Writer's Den blog is followed by both new and multi-published writers around the world. With writing instruction, writing opportunities, author interviews, book give-aways, and her MoGo7000 Writing Challenge, Vonda's blog has something for everyone.
She is the co-founder of Upstate Fellowship of Christian Writers, co-director of the NCompass Writing Retreat, founder and co-director of ChristianCommunicators.com, co-owner of The Story of a Woman's Life Productions, and co-director of the Teen Intern program at the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival.
Vonda has been married to Gary for over 42 years—and they're still happy about it! They make their home in SC and have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Be sure to visit the Store for more information on ordering personalized autographed copies of Vonda's books, downloadable writing workshops, and other materials.


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In order to test the limits of the Shimano XTR Ice-Tech rotors, Shimano solicited the help of Velotech to test the Saint as well as XTR brakes. See inside for the results from Shimano.
Shimano introduced a revolutionary cooling technology for disc brakes in 2010 named ICE TECHNOLOGIES. Since in any brake system there is a direct relation in between the generated kinetic energy (for brake power) and thermal energy (generated heat), Shimano has focused on the management of the system temperature. Lowering the temperature contributes to avoid negative effects on braking performance, as a result ICE TECHNOLOGIES brake systems have practically zero brake fading in normal usage, it increases the pad-durability up to 100% and reduces noise substantially.
XTR Trail brake with cooling fins and Ice Tech rotor
This technology basically consists of two elements. First of all, the rotors have a 3-layer sandwich structure of an aluminum core and two stainless steel outer layers; due to the higher heat dissipation of aluminum it reduces the rotor surface temperature with around 100 degrees. Secondly, the ICE TECHNOLOGIES brake pads that are recommended for trail riding feature aluminum cooling fins that can further improve the heat dissipation and reduce the brake-pad surface temperature by another 50 degrees.
The renowned German test institute "Velotech.de" has tested all SHIMANO XTR disc brakes in the previous weeks with striking results. They have tested the Cross-Country as well as the Trail version of the new XTR with different rotor-sizes and compared them to the famous SAINT brakes as well as with other high-end brands that are included in the usual magazine- tests regularly as well. You can check the details of the test results for the tested brake-models in the attached PDF's of the original "Velotech.de" certificates and test reports at the right side of this web page.
The result in short:
- All tested new SHIMANO XTR disc brake models/rotor sizes/pad combinations have exceeded Velotech's firm disc brake standards, as well as the DIN EN 14766 and GS standards. See the attached reports for the detailed data.
- The Ice-Tech brakes do withstand testing even under conditions that are 3 times as hard as required by DIN+.
- Even if trying to test until failure of the brake Ice-Tech brakes are far ahead of the other brands and do withstand the test under 1050 Watt, while even the famous SAINT brake cannot do that (as a tip for SAINT users we recommend the usage of Ice-Tech rotors as these will improve the system performance a lot!!!).
* = marked brakes did complete the test without failure
** = the brake did fail in the 700W test already
The new XTR brakes work on a much lower temperature level than regular disc brake systems and do have practically no fading as you can see in the below chart
Shimano's Conclusion – The Ice-Tech system contributes a lot to the lifetime of your system and the reliability and stability of your brake performance. Enjoy the ride!
Available now at Tionghin!