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Sunday, June 26, 2011
35 Years of Ordained Lutheran Ministry - June 23, 2011
I was ordained with a group of others, including the first woman ordained by the LCA NE PA Synod, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Boyertown, Pennsylvania on the evening of June 23, 1976. Bishop Wilson Touhsaent, my "spiritual father" who had baptized and confirmed me as pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, ordained me, assisted by his assistant, the Rev. Harold Weiss. (Weiss became the next synod bishop and I later served for nine years as his assistant). The preacher for the ordination service, the Rev. Elton Richards, then one of the best-known Lutheran preachers, told us about an elderly pastor friend who loved playing cards with his friends, but would only do so with all the shades of his or their home drawn so that no one would see that he was playing cards. Richards challenged us to live our lives as pastors "with the shades up," not hiding our personal and professional lives lives, but sharing them with others.
In my 35 years of ordained ministry, I have tried to live my life in ministry "with the shades up!"
I have served as pastor of congregations quite small and very large. I have been on a Lutheran synod (regional) staff and the churchwide (national) staff. Ecumenical and interfaith communication work has been a cornerstone of my professional and volunteer ministry and currently is my full time ministry at Odyssey Networks for which I am pleased to have a call from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Working for justice and feeding the hungry have been central to my life and ministry, all part of sharing God's love for this world and all of its (God's) people.
My ministry has taken me across the USA and around the world (Europe, Africa, Central and South America and the Middle East). I have met Popes, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Kings. I have led workshops across the USA and in Europe and taught in South Africa and Madagascar. I have produced weekly television and radio programs and shared in bringing back a children's television stop-motion animation icon through which I have met some of the best (and worst) people in Hollywood. (I even was once criticized by name by Jerry Falwell, something of which I am very proud!)
I have been privileged to have been supervised by some of the finest men and women - bishops, presiding bishops, communication directors, journalists, CEO's, COO's and many others.
Through it all I have been loved and supported by my wife, Kris, and blessed by wonderful friends and staff colleagues.
At worship this morning we sang the wonderful old hymn, "Blessed Assurance," which has the chorus, "This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long."
That continues to be my hope and prayer for my ordained ministry! With the shades open!
Only for the Glory of God,
Thursday, June 16, 2011
From "Time to Time" for June 1, 2011
Here is my most recent (June 1, 2011) From "Time to Time" e-mail to Odyssey members and friends:
I like to write to you from "Time to Time:"
· It was so good to see many of you at our May 9 – 11 annual member gathering which included the special event, "9/11, the Conversation We Never Had." More than 135 members and friends attended at least part of this gathering. Thanks to all who participated, especially to those who were willing to take part in the leadership of these days together!
· Speaking of member gatherings, we next gather on Monday, September 26th for an evening to "celebrate our members" here at the InterChurch Center in Manhattan. We chose this time and date to hook onto Pat Pattillo's NCC Communication Commission annual meetings which begins the next morning. Mark your calendars and plan to join us if you can!
· The afternoon before our September 26th member dinner, we will have a face-to-face meeting of all Call on Faith channel heads beginning at 2:00 pm. More details later, but please plan your travel accordingly.
· Actually, Call on Faith channel heads now plan to meet regularly via telephone and the web – the first of these regular meetings will happen later this month. More details coming.
· Serving Life, our new documentary for the new Oprah television channel (OWN) debuts on Thursday evening, July 28th, at 9:00 pm, eastern and pacific times.
· We've begun to plan a series of gatherings across the country to raise funds and friends for Odyssey! The first of these will be held on Tuesday, June 28th in Fort Washington (Montgomery County), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia suburbs). Want more details? Contact my assistant, Jocelyn Dupre, here at Odyssey, email@example.com .
· Mary Dickey, Call on Faith executive editor, notes that two new channels will begin later this month, one for "Mediation" and one new member channel for Day1. Later this summer a new 9/11 related channel will be added.
· Another date for your futures calendar – Odyssey's 2012 Member Town Hall Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 beginning at 2:00 pm eastern time.
· Odyssey underwrote four new awards for the Gabriel Awards for 2011. You can see all of their 2011 winners online at http://home.catholicweb.com/GabrielAwards/index.cfm/NewsItem?ID=314220&From=Home. If you plan to attend the Gabriels in Pittsburgh in June, look for Nick Stuart, Mat Tombers and me there!
· Did you read our new monthly member update – ON members? Do you like the new format? This is Deb Mathews' and Jocelyn Dupre's fine work and they are eager to hear your comments. Take a look – http://bit.ly/lBBgUl.
· Speaking of new resources, I hope you are subscribing to our newly revised weekday e-mail newsletter, now called ON today. If not, please check it out at http://bit.ly/iA29yn.
It is already summer-like in temperature here in New York City! Hope YOUR summer is full of like!


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North Carolina educators are in Raleigh today to participate in a rally to call for increased spending for public education.
More than 10,000 people are expected to march at the state legislature, and many school districts across the state have canceled school today.
What do you think about the March for Students and Rally for Respect? Take our poll:
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subset: commoncrawl


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Sakurai Presents the Art and Adventure of Screen Printing at PRINT 17
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Press release from the issuing company
Sakurai, the global leader in sheet-fed screenprinting technology will introduce the MS-102AX cylinder screen press to the North American market in Booth 857 at PRINT 17. First launched at the Sakurai Factory Open House in Gifu, Japan last April, the new press is an upgraded version of Sakurai's most popular MS-102All cylinder screen press.
Upgraded features of the new MS-102AX include a motorized squeegee pressure control system, larger display, optional ink dispensing system and more. The 29 5/8" x 41 1/2" ultra-high precision Maestro 102AX operates at speeds up to 4,000 IPH and accepts stock from .003" to .032" thick. The Maestro is capable of printing on a wide range of substrates such as plastic film for electronic applications, membrane switches, display panels, touch screens, etc., as well as paper, board and foil. Accurate spot coating and special effects are handled easily for value-added features.
The MS-102AX is the screen press of choice for a myriad of specialty printing applications such as:
>Specialty effects finishing
>Glitter and soft touch
>Flood and spot coating
New Sakurai Oliver 66 RCS Rotary Die-Cutter
Sakurai will also demonstrate its new rotary die-cutter, which performs die-cutting, creasing, complicated perforation processing and numbering in the vertical or horizontal position at rated speeds up to 10,000 IPH. Ideal for short or long runs, the 66RC accepts sheets up to 18.5" x 26". Standard equipment includes: anti-static bar, preset counter, ele3ctic miss sheet detector ultrasonic and mechanical double sheet detectors, sheet pile board sideway moving and a feeder pre-loading system.
"At PRINT 17, Sakurai will be conducting live demonstrations of our new MS-102AX screen press line equipped with our industry partner's Natgraph Electronic UV dryer and stacker as well as the new Sakurai rotary die-cutter," said David Rose, General
Manager, Sakurai USA, Inc. "We are anticipating an excellent, well-attended show and expect booth visitors, including general commercial and packaging printers as well as screen printers and trade binderies to look to Sakurai for specialty effects finishing, drying and curing solutions".
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Episode 10 – Grammy Awards Recap
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:28 — 26.9MB)
The 2011 Grammy Awards Recap
- Christina Aguilera Falls (video)
- Serene Branson Grammy Flub
- Rhianna sued for photos used in video for "S&M"
Grammy Winners
- Bruno Mars - "Just the Way You Are" (Male Pop Vocal Performance)
- Rihanna - "Only Girl in the World" (Dance Recording)
- Usher - "There Goes My Baby" (Male R&B Vocal Performance)
- Sade - "Soldier of Love" (R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals)
- Cee Lo Green - "_____You" (Urban/Alternative Performance)
- Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz - "On To the Next One" (Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group)
- Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind" (Rap/Sung Collaboration & Rap Song)
- Eminem - "Not Afraid" (Rap Solo Performance)
- Eminem - "Recovery" (Rap Album)
- Nick Cassavetes to direct 'Freeway' Rick Ross Biopic
- 50 Cent not to be on Dr. Dre's upcoming album "Detox"
- Eminem & Lil Wayne to perform at Bonnaroo Festival
New music
- Young Jeezy - "Count it Up"
- Young Jeezy ft. Tity Boi - "Hard in the Kitchen"
- Young Jeezy ft. USDA
- Young Chris ft. French Montana - "Break a Bitch Down"
Episode 5
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:51 — 32.7MB)
In this episode
- Vado - "Hands Down"
- Dipset Producer Araab Musik gives an MPC 2500 a workout
Concert announcement
Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, Vado, Freaky Zekey and more are set to perform on March 23rd at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY.
Show summary
Where did Kanye West get the horns for "All of the Lights?" Are they sampled? Synthesized? We're pretty sure they actually recorded them live!! Wow. Who does that?
Pumice recently saw this clip of "Music Made with Buttons 4.0" from Egadz. We play "Music Made with Buttons" in the background, pretty dope.
What the #@$%? A Wacka Flacka Flame and Gucci Mane reality TV show? As LJ Knight from "YeahSheSaidIt.com" put it, "both of these rappers can barely stay their asses out of jail long enough to have a successful rap career. Also, hearing them speak is like trying to decode an alien ignorant language."
Flava Flav opened his first fried chicken restaurant in Iowa. "Flav's Fried Chicken" is expected to be a chain of restaurants. Flav also plans to introduce "La Flav's Spirits," a line of flavored liquors. Meanwhile, Terminator X is happily raising African black ostriches (not alpacas) on his farm in Vance County, North Carolina.
Malice of the Clipse turned to God for some career advice. If he wanted to kill his career, he might as well have turned to Mase for guidance.
50 Cent continues his antics on Twitter, this time boosting the value of his stock in HNHI.
The squeal in "Jump Around" by House of Pain is most likely sampled from "Shoot Your Shot," by Junior Walker and the All Stars, not Prince's "Gett Off." It's a tough call, but considering the fact that Everlast and Divine Styler are both alumni of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate, is it merely a coincidence that the Junior Walker sample is also in "Ain't Sayin' Nothin'?"
Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park: Are they Hip-Hop? The jury is still out on this one.
Episode 4
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:50 — 27.9MB)
New releases
Thanks to the release of the instrumental of DJ Khaled's "Welcome to My Hood," every artist and their gardener is releasing their own version. This week we have Maino's New York version featuring Red Cafe & Uncle Murda.
Travis Barker just released "Can a Drummer Get Some," featuring Swizz Beatz, The Game, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. Apparently there's more than one version.
Jim Jones featuring Omega El Fuerte - "We Represent"
Also in this episode
"Christian Dior Denim Flow" by Kanyé West, featuring Kid Cudi, Pusha T, John Legend, Cella, Lloyd Banks & Ryan Leslie.
"Take One for the Team" by Kanyé West Feat Keri Hilson, Pusha T & CyHi the Prince.
Nicki Minaj will be an opener this year on Lil Wayne's 2011 "I Am Music II Tour," along with Rick Ross and Travis Barker. Currently, the tour is scheduled to kick off on March 18th in Buffalo, NY and will run through May 1st at the Bamboozle Festival in East Rutherford, NJ.
Cam'ron and Vado - "And You Don't Stop" (download link)
50 Cent claimed responsibility for the site outage experienced by WorldStarHipHop.com. We doubt it.
Episode 1
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:26:23 — 59.6MB)
Our premiere episode kicks off with the latest Eminem single, "Syllables," featuring Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Status Quo and Cashis. It's a really dope track, but the consensus seems to be that Dre is sounding a bit aged. This may mark the comeback of Aftermath Records. Also new this week is the "2010 Rap Up" by Skillz.
Pumice gets educated about Three 6 Mafia's "Sippin' on Some Sizzurp."
Also in this episode
- Top Female Artists
- Keri Hilson
- L'il Kim
- Nicki Minaj
- Rihanna
- Katy Perry
- Top Hip-Hop Movies
- Krush Groove (1985)
- I Got the Hook Up (1998)
- Baller Blockin' (2000)
- Backstage (2000)
- Scratch (2001)
- Wave Twisters (2001)
- Belly (1998)
- Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
Hip-Hop Homework
Essential Listening
Girl Talk, "All Day"
Assignment 1 - From Jeff
Listen to Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt" and come back to me with a favorite track or lyric.


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Ref: GreCor25981
House for sale at € 70000 in CorfuName/Address:
Image disclaimer: It is the responsibility of the hotel chain and/or the individual property to ensure the accuracy of the photos displayed. Dream Home Shop is not responsible for any inaccuracies in the photos.
160sq. m.
For Sale Detached house, Corfu-Chora (Kerkira) 160sq.m , price: 70.000€
No extra info provided
The position on the map may not be accurate
No info provided


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Although it may seem strange, the use of black color in the design of bathrooms is an increasingly common trend.Usually, most people use white, but without a doubt, the best option to get a different and bold decoration is to bet on the black .
The black transmits elegance, so if we choose this color in the bathroom we will be providing an extra touch of sophistication. Of course, being a very dark color, it is important to combine it with clearer ones so that the space does not appear too muted or reduced. We tell you how to do it!
But if the bathroom is not very big or bright, it is better that the combination is the opposite, ie use the black as a contrast in furniture and accessories in a bathroom where white is the protagonist.
At present, we can find shower trays, sinks and toilets at very different prices . From cheaper to high-end models and higher prices. Everything depends on your tastes and the budget you have, but you should not worry about this question since, in any case, online you will find perfect products for the design of bathrooms at the best price .
And, speaking of styles, there are two types of decoration among which we can choose when playing with black and white: classic or modern . That is, we risk doing something different or following the conventional patterns in bathroom design. These are two completely different environments with which we can reform our bathroom and both, with its particular charm.
They present a more traditional aesthetic, warm and comfortable . An ideal style for those cases where we do not have much space. However, this does not mean that we can not introduce some changes and that we must remain faithful to the simple and traditional ornaments. For example, as for the toilet, it is best to opt for a white porcelain (traditional color) but modern cut .
They stand out for their simplicity and for the cleaning of the lines . Both storage furniture and toilets should give the impression that they are floating, as this prevents saturation. Toilets that are attached to the wall or the low tank are the best option, even more so if we opt for the original black color . Combined with white, gray and dark brown tones is always a safe bet. The important thing is that the result is harmonious and comfortable.
You can also place a granite countertop, a large mirror and a couple of furniture to store the towels and accessories you use for your personal hygiene. The important thing is that the result is harmonious and comfortable. And, above all, remember that simple and minimalist things should be the protagonists of this style.
And which one do you prefer? Discover the collection Verona offers you thebath.es and choose your favorite for the design of bathrooms: white or black.
Home - Créatures - Produits - Points de vente - Acheter en ligne - Presse - A propos de... - Contact


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Your Consent
By using our site, you consent to this privacy policy.
What information do we collect?
We collect information from you when you register on our site.
When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your: e-mail address. You may, however, visit our site anonymously.
The email address you provide may be used to send you information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.
Do we disclose any information to outside parties?
Your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent, other than for the express purpose of delivering the purchased product or service requested.
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others rights, property, or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.
Third party links
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services on our website. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.
California Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance
Because we value your privacy we have taken the necessary precautions to be in compliance with the California Online Privacy Protection Act. We therefore will not distribute your personal information to outside parties without your consent.
Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance
We are in compliance with the requirements of COPPA (Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act), we do not collect any information from anyone under 13 years of age. Our website, products and services are all directed to people who are at least 13 years old or older.
Changes to our Privacy Policy
If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page, and/or update the Privacy Policy modification date below.
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads and collect data when you visit our Web site. These companies may use aggregated information (not including your name, address, email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements on this site, other sites, and other forms of media about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, please see: www.networkadvertisingoptout.asp
Contacting Us
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Navy Shark Swim Shorts - 8 yearsby Tutuc132981752
- £4.25
Size: 8 YearsSize Guide
Fitted 50% of customers 'as expected'
Check stock
Tell us where you are to check stock:
Delivery & Returns
Next day collection - Order before 2pmFree
Home delivery - 1 to 2 days£3.95
Free returns to store30 days
Design details
These board shorts are great for the beach or pool. Lined with mesh, they feature an elasticated self tie waist, three pockets and an all over shark print.
- Navy shark swim shorts
- Shark print
- Elasticated waist
- 3 Pockets
- Florescent yellow detailing
- Keep away from fire
The small print
*Prices correct as displayed but are subject to change.
The customer and brand answers you'll see above are submitted independently. As we don't review these answers, we can't take responsibility for anything they may say. The responses from Argos colleagues are accurate at the time of publishing. For the latest info, you should check the product page.


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$4.97 $5.99 (17% off)
It's officially grilling season, and if you've got a charcoal grill you're obviously going to need a ton of briquettes. Pick up Embers Premium Quality Charcoal Briquettes 15.4-lb. Bag from your local Home Depot for just $4.97. According to the product page, these briquettes add a distinct flavor to your meal. More Info »Claim Deal » Expired 06/01/18


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Help shape the future of NHS immunisation programmes
If you're pregnant (or gave birth in the last 12 months) and live in Lancashire or South Cumbria, NHS England want to hear your views about the vaccinations available to you during pregnancy by the NHS.
Come along to the independently facilitated focus group 6.30pm to 8pm on 28 March at Blackpool Sports Centre, West Park Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9HQ
Tea and coffee will be provided and there's a £10 Love 2 Shop high street voucher as a thank you for every attendee who helps with this research.
Your feedback will help shape the design of these NHS immunisation programmes going forward.
To book your place or make an enquiry, please contact Laura Harvie by emailing email@example.com or calling 07584 884111. Please let Laura know if you've got any access requirements that we need to be aware of.


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New 12 seater Minibus goes straight into action with The Chilterns Dial-a-Ride – with a trip to the Manor Born and The Isle of Wight!
The Chilterns Dial-a- Ride has taken delivery of it's new larger minibus which was fully commissioned late in April, having been funded with invaluable help from donors. The minibus has been added to the CDAR minibus fleet in response to demand for larger group trips of up to 12 passengers and can accommodate up to 4 wheelchairs.
CDAR provides a door-to-door transport service for those who have difficulty in getting out and about, Based in Latimer Park near Chesham, it operates throughout Chiltern and Wycombe Districts as well as nearer parts of South Bucks.
Whilst most of the trips that CDAR do are relatively local, the new minibus has already been in action with two weekend trips for a group of regulars, led by volunteer driver Paul Binsted.
The first was to Cricket St Thomas, down in Somerset, where the group of 9 ladies (see picture) visited the Manor where "To the Manor Born" was filmed. Said Dorothy Turner "I thorougly enjoyed it – we had a great weekend and I can't thank Paul enough. He goes the extra mile to make sure we all have a good time."
The other trip, again led by Paul, was to the Isle of Wight, at a venue overlooking the Solent and a wonderful beach. Those who came along were from a variety of places, including Amersham, Chalfont St Giles and Hazlemere.
CDAR's service enables social visits, hospital and healthcare appointments, visits to day centres, and group outings – day trips to garden centres, and places like St Albans and Waddersdon Manor, as well as some weekend trips.
CDAR is encouraging new members to join – call 01494 766123. "Being able to go out and see other people, with CDAR, makes such a difference to my quality of life", say so many of those using the service.
CDAR Operations Manager Jo Francis-Gow is after more volunteers to help with the driving "Volunteers, who simply need a driving licence, please find a little time and step forward to join our cheerful and caring team."
The Chilterns Dial-a-Ride
01494 766123
Visit our website www.chiltern-dial-a-ride.net
Give us a call!


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Pink Tourmaline and Diamond Bamboo Themed RingRobert Manse Designs
Meticulously handcrafted, this bamboo themed ring perfectly combines the silver and gold work of the Balinese with a luscious Pink Tourmaline cabochon. Sparkling diamond accents frame the tourmaline for a touch of elegance and class. This ring is a size 7. VERY limited quantity available! Don't forget the matching pieces!
Metal: Sterling Silver & 18k Gold
.05tcw diamonds


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Weekday Musings with Pastor Brian - March 11
Jean Harrison
"In the church there is the bond of family, yet room for variety. The devil tries to disrupt unity. Two chickens tied at the legs and thrown over a clothes-line may be united, but they do not have unity. - Leslie Flynn, Great Church Fights.
"In essentials, unity. In nonessentials, liberty. In all things, charity. - Phillip Melanchthon
Since Sunday, I have been quite occupied with thoughts and prayers of and for unity. I pray for it often for our church. It's a much bigger deal, and far more fragile than many, if not most of us realize. Over my years of life and ministry, I have witnessed far too many occasions where there was little or no unity… and my reflections on those memories are always sad. I know of churches, even denominations where there was little or no unity, or where unity was perverted.
Consider again the verse I shared on Sunday: Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. (Phil. 2:1-2 NASB emphasis added)
So… let me ask you; do these verses describe East Shore Baptist? If not, why not? If it does, how? Maybe it's a little bit of both? Now it's time to get personal; what are you going to do about it? How can you serve Christ in obedience to being an agent of unity among our body? Why am I making this personal? Because God does; and He holds each and everyone of us responsible for unity in the church.
Way back when I encouraged our leadership to engage our church in the Transformational Church Assessment, it wasn't to launch another "program"; it wasn't to get the church busy; and it sure wasn't for kicks-and-giggles. Seeing our need for prayer, evangelism (making our Jesus known to others), growing in grace (discipleship), identifying and engaging our community, and to communicate more effectively are all components to the formation and engagement of a healthy church that is committed to and obedient to our our biblical purpose and reason for being.
Many of you will remember that Pastor Bryan closed most of his correspondence with these words: "Pulling on an oar." I loved it. It spoke to his heart and passion for our church. It also serves as a wonderful word picture of what unity should look like. Have you ever watched Olympic Rowing? Typically you will have 4-8 rowers and a coxswain (someone who steers and sets speed and rhythm). Imagine yourself in a race. The goal is to win… to cross the finish line at the fastest possible speed. But…
Rower #1 believes that we should put all of our resources in Children's ministry; Rower #2 believes the church should be solely focused on prayer; Rower #3… well… they have no clue, and don't really want one; and Rower #4 thinks that doing stuff "in" the church is a complete waste of time beyond Sunday worship - it's all about doing ministry among the "lost"… I could use any number of examples, but you get the idea. How well do you think the church would function… what prayer would we have of crossing the "finish line" so-to-speak?
Please don't take lightly my plea for you to pray for me and our church's leadership. In the above illustration, we are the coxswains. It is our calling to take the disparate passions and interests and ideas of what ministry should look like in our church, to recognize and engage people who each have unique spiritual gifts and talents, and set a course and a rhythm that has our church moving in God's direction… according to His will and design for our body. I once heard John Maxwell quote a pastor who stated that pastoring a church is like trying to herd cats. But if you read your bible, we're typically referred to as sheep. See… I'm thinking there's hope! LOL!
Please keep Pastor John in your prayers. He returns from his mission trip in Moldova on the 15th.
I thought I'd close by sharing a recent devotion from Jean. I miss her posting to "Heads or Tails".
Love you all! Pastor Brian
He Gave Me a Gift
Who doesn't enjoy receiving a gift? They are given throughout the year on birthdays, Christmas, and on those "Hallmark" inspired occasions. Presents are thoughtfully wrapped in homemade or store-bought paper and tied up with ribbons and bows. Sometimes you just know what the gift is going to be and, other times, it's quite a surprise. What about those times when choosing a gift just boggles the mind and takes way too much energy? How about factoring in how much money to spend on the gift?
Heavenly gifts have occupied my mind for awhile. These are the custom-made ones that my Father sometimes gives me. It is not wrapped in a handsome package. The gift is bound with my suffering, tears, and pain. Layer upon layer of carnal tissue is torn away in order for my eyes to see what my LORD wants to reveal to me. Only my Father can bring a gift like this to me. The card on this one reads "Trust me like never before........I got this" ----- God.
2 Cor 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness".


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The first sewing box I ever owned was a birthday gift from my parents when I was a little girl. The second was a gift to my Grandfather from someone he worked with many years ago and which my mother gave to me. The third I found while thrifting and I wonder at its history.
And this is the fourth, my parents gave me yesterday, which was my Grandmothers.
It is a beautiful pink and white woven sewing box, lined in a pale pink satiny fabric with little faux pearls instead of buttons. It was filled with old hand embroidered hankies she had been saving, some still wrapped in their original plastic.
I remember that Grandma had a little sewing room off the dining room in her old house. There was a small cupboard and lots of drawers. There we old jam jars with rusty lids full of old tape measures, pins and buttons. Things tied with lengths of stocking. Large heavy scissors hanging up on hooks. My sister and I used to love sneaking in to the sewing room just to look at everything, but I don't remember seeing this old sewing box in there.
I have finished the shawl, all but weaving in the ends and will show you soon.


text: Posted April 30, 2005 Hello everyone http://www.ifdg.net/forum/style_emoticons/default/bye.gifSeeking the wisdom of you scenery gurus.Many add-on airport scenery packs for FS9 have taxiway lights which I find really cool. The default FS9 taxiways look very empty without them.1. Is there an add-on out there that creates these lights that will make them appear on *every* airport?2. If not..how hard would it be to create such lights? Is it as easy as sticking a file in the main texture folder...or is it a lot more complicated than that?! http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contri...y/corkysm20.gifThe lights *do not* have to light up. I never fly at night in the sim anyway so thats not a factor hee hee!I would just like the physical taxiway light units showing!Would greatly appreciate feedback!Thank you :)http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/114667.jpg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Here in the South, we have a few trademarks. Elsewhere in the country, you might call them idiosyncrasies.
We like grits, and you'd like 'em, too, if you'd ever had them prepared by a southerner.
We drink our tea sweet and iced.
Even the most educated of us say y'all -- and even in the most formal settings.
Our men aren't afraid to wear seersucker suits. In fact, they look quite dapper in them.
If you've ever spent a summer in the South, you'd understand the appeal of seersucker. It's lightweight, crisp, cool and oh-so-fashionable, in a timeless sort of way.
Now, not everyone is cut out to wear seersucker head to toe. You have to have a certain air of the Old South about you to pull out a seersucker suit. But seersucker, in my opinion, is one of the freshest ways accessorize, especially in the heat.
That's why I'm giving away this adorable Bandolino seersucker clutch to one lucky reader as part of the monthlong Goo Goo Giveaway Extravaganza.
Now if you're a stickler for follow fashion rules, you'll have to save this bag for next summer. But here in the South, where it can be sweltering even in November, I've always thought it fine to flout those rules. No white after labor day? Maybe in Juneau or Green Bay. But in Greensboro and Charleston, those rules don't apply.
To enter the giveaway, post a comment below sharing with me your favorite kitchen gadget.
You can also earn extra entries by:
Subscribing to this blog by email or through a reader
Following me on Twitter
Following this blog
Becoming a fan of Goo Goo Buy Buy on Facebook
Tweeting about this contest (once daily) using the hash tag #googoogiveaway
Tweeting about the Goo Goo Giveaway Extravaganza (once daily) using the hash tag #googoogiveaway
Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Be sure to include an email address so I can contact if you win. Also include your Twitter name on Twitter entries and a link to any tweets you post about this contest for verification.
Contest open to residents of the United States and Canada only. Contest ends at 11:59 PM EDT on October 29. Winner will be drawn at random from all entries and will be contacted by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond to that email. If no response is received in that time, a new winner will be drawn.
Don't forget to check out the other prizes being offered as part of the Goo Goo Giveaway Extravaganza. Come back every day to see what's new.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Goo Goo Giveaway Extravaganza:: Bandolino Seersucker Clutch
Here in the South, we have a few trademarks. Elsewhere in the country, you might call them idiosyncrasies.
26 comments:
Cute! My sister Olea just told me about your adorable site. Love it! I think my favorite kitchen gadget is either my Kitchenaid Mixer because it has revolutionized my life and made bread making accessible or my tiny little wooden handled whisk. I can mix hot chocolate in a cup and not make a mess. I like that! :)ReplyDelete
Jessica, are you Olea Mills' sister, by any chance? If so, hey cousin in law (or whatever we are!)ReplyDelete
It seems like I am always reaching for my paring knife. The clutch is so pretty!ReplyDelete
I am a subscriber.ReplyDelete
I am a follower on google friend.ReplyDelete
My favorite kitchen gadget would be my hand held chopper. It can chop anything in a few seconds. Making things so much easier when cooking.ReplyDelete
I love my kitchen aid mixer the most but I use my garlic press all the time!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 23, 2009 at 9:49 PM
I love anything seersucker. My kitchen aid mixer if my favorite, it was the first thing that went on our wedding registry.ReplyDelete
Love me some seersucker & I will take a large sweet with that ya'll:)ReplyDelete
a7ellis at hotmail dot com
Kitchen-Aid mixer in Martha Green.ReplyDelete
My favorite kitchen gadget is my ULU! It's a type of knife from alaska. It's amazing! Great giveaway!ReplyDelete
I subscribe via google reader!ReplyDelete
I follow on twitter! @kufb50ReplyDelete
I follow your blog!ReplyDelete
I tweeted! kufb50ReplyDelete
Daily tweet!ReplyDelete
Daily Tweet!ReplyDelete
my electric skilletReplyDelete
email subscriberReplyDelete
Daily tweet...again!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 29, 2009 at 12:03 AM
Can openerReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 29, 2009 at 12:04 AM
twitter followerReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 29, 2009 at 12:04 AM
blog followerReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 29, 2009 at 12:05 AM
facebook fanReplyDelete
michelle rosborough
Last daily tweet!ReplyDelete


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Launch of the 2017 FTC Time Trial League and Championships:
After a successful TT session last week the club is announcing the following TT league dates and Structure:
26th July – CTT Georgetown League
2nd August – CTT Georgetown League
23rd August – CTT Georgetown League
6th September – Club TT CHAMPIONSHIP – Georgetown course.
V simple – your best 3 times are added up and the league standings are based on the accumulative time.
We've decided to use the 11.2km Georgetown road course for all events to encourage participation. It's a short ride or drive from Glasgow. No busy dual carriageways and it's pretty much flat!!
Juniors over 14 years old can ride as long as parents are happy with them riding solo on public roads. No gear restrictions in place
we are also using the CTT Georgetown League for 3 of our events. this is a freindly, volunteer organised series taking place on many Wednesdays through the summer. The club is affiliated to this organisation and taking part couldn't be simpler – registration is 6:15-7:00pm on the day of the event – turn up at the car park by Aulds bakery in Inchinnan industrial estate (PA4 9RZ) and sign onto the start sheet with "Fusion Triathlon Club" as your club, Pay £3, pin your number on your back and then ride at allocated time!!! I'll be there for the first one at least for anyone unsure. First rider starts at 7:15 and you start in sign on order so if want an early start be there at 6:15 to register early. One important point – do not ride on the Georgetown Road for warm up – use other roads towards Bishopton or in Inchinnan Industrial Estate for warm up. There is a facebook page for this: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetownLeague/
For the Champs on 6th September we will need ~4 helpers to sort our own sign on, starters and timekeepers. Please let us know if you can help out for an hour / 90 mins on this date. Start time for first rider 7:30pm. Sign on 6:30-6:45
Last week we had 15 folk at short notice for a wee informal session – no reason why we can't but 20+ folk at these events. TT is you against the clock – not others so challenge yourself and push your cycling forwards.
posted by John Dargie on


text: I have a MBP with a 2.4 ghz SR cpu/4 gb ram and a 160 gb 7200rpm hard drive that I bought about 14 months ago and it came with Tiger and now runs 10.4.11 I would like to install Leopard but I am wondering if doing so will hurt its performance in any way? Is it good enough to run Leopard as well or perhaps better than Tiger? If I install, should I do a clean install and reinstall all of my apps as well? I definitely do not want any problems caused by just installing over the current setup. Also, besides my personal files, how do you back up the mail settings and emails, the internet settings and the address book? Thanks a lot for any advice.


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text: Marvel.com has released 12 new images of their upcoming film Ant-Man. The images include the suit design for Yellow Jacket and a couple behind the scenes images of star Paul Rudd and director Peyton Reed. Ant-Man hit theaters July 17 and stars: Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Evangeline Lily as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellow Jacket, Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter, and John Slattery as Howard Stark. The film also features: Judy Greer, Bobby Canavale, Michael Pena, Wood Harris, Jordi Molla, T.I., and Martin Donovan.


text: Business committee met today with one bill: to create a fund that can help build infrastructure to intice businesses into Idaho. The bill requires the local government to 'match' the 'investment' to help the local government attract those businesses. We passed it out of committee. It is contrary to my 'small government less spending' ideology, but since infrastructure is a major part of government responsibilities, we accepted the representations by the commerce department.


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Thursday, November 20, 2008
Friday's the Day
There have been a few distinct phases to starting a business, the first phase is the idea. It's exciting and scary. It really could be something. Or it could be totally wrong. But something is there. Butterflies fly. You want to know more. The pursuit starts in earnest.
Phase two. Let me look into this. Is this real? Where's the beef? I still feel giddy but now there's work to do. I've got to investigate. Do some research. What am I not seeing? Why could this not work? Why should I be scared? Nothing comes to mind. The research says to continue. So you do.
Phase Three. You commit. This is it. You're in now. Business plan is in the works. Lawyers are being consulted. You search for a location. You tell all your friends. You get them excited about what's about to happen. And that commitment scares and excites you.
Phase Four. You spend a shitload of money. Because that's what it takes to get the business going. You go through Realtors, leasing agents, lawyers, inspectors, government folks, you name it, you have so many hoops to jump through to make this happen. It means so much to you now, you can be blinded to certain pitfalls. But they always show up. In due time. They show up. You deal with them. You are faced, at many points, with the decision to proceed or go back. Reset or press on. Spend more or cut your losses. And the bitch is only your gut really knows.
That's what makes a successful business. Someone with the gut to keep going. Someone with the foresight to know when to change direction. Have courage. You can make it. Perseverance. It's yours to be had.
Phase five. Starts tomorrow. See you then. Todd
3 comments:
OK, so I was early, but I was only customer #2. Someone beat me to the door. As I walked up, I wondered if the door would be open even though I was early. Don't you hate it when you get to an establishment 3 minutes early, you can see the folks in there, and you have to wait outside until the exact moment of opening? Well Todd and his outstanding crew didn't disappoint me. I took the tamales back to the office for a pot luck. This was the big test. People freaked out. I had people who hate tamales try them and raved about the Thanksgiving tamale. I even had to teach someone how to eat a tamale. (no you don't eat the corn husk)
My hat is off to the team. I am definitely a 'Net Promoter' on the Burke loyalty scale. (geek stats stuff)
I can't wait for another 'excuse' to bring in more for the troops at the office.
Thank you very much.
- November 21, 2008 at 3:57 PM
- Robin Brande said...
Okay, so I just finished eating the vegan tamales (spinach and mushroom), and they were AWESOME!!! Loved the side beans and the jalapenos, too. Great job, you guys! I will be back and back and back.
Especially if you make your vegetarian beans and corn tamales without the cheese for the vegans among us!
- November 21, 2008 at 5:59 PM
- Robin Brande said...
And I just realized I started out my comment the same way Pete did. Apparently we all have to begin, "Okay, so--"
- November 21, 2008 at 5:59 PM


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As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
Yesterday in the village, I noticed 3 new fat, ugly, genetic misfit Mexican females being impolite as usual and chattering like monkeys. There were in turn, two chattering juvenile primates standing on toys, and pulling down other toys in crashes.
In addition, there were two friendly hoochies, the painted up, rather thin Mexican women, taller, who brought the conclusion that enough Mexicans are now in the area, that Donald Trump is importing green card whores for them.
I want you to understand something as the headlines wonk about Donald Trump deporting foreigners, that what is being lost in this, IS DONALD TRUMP IS INCREASING THE NUMBERS OF VISA ENTRIES INTO AMERICA for laborers to replace Americans.
Trump admin moving quickly to build up nationwide deportation force...
Expected to Return 4,000 Somali Migrants...
The fat ugly vermin stunk of chemical, meaning it is not just the males who are now employed in the huge dairies here, but the women are taking these jobs too. Every month we get in a new batch of these visa card Mexicans, and while you think this does not matter for you, the area I am in, is a pipeline where this is where these beaners get their first jobs, and then move to your areas for the jobs which you are working at to replace you.
I watch Mexicans in Wells Fargo banks as they are bi lingual. I watch Mexicans in contractor jobs. Mexicans under Donald Trump are coming in LEGAL, as they champion the border is shut down.......and all that means is Donald Trump is displacing American workers faster and he is not going to be creating any jobs for you.
This is not just Mexicans, but it is Muslims. The same Muslims which ARE NOT VETTED, are pouring into America because Rex Tillerson is not limiting numbers nor is Mr. Trump. The fact is the Tomahawk bombing delays peace in Syria, and that means more Muslim terrorists flowing into Europe and America.
Trump Is Resettling Syrian Refugees
At A Much Quicker Pace Than Obama
1,401 Syrian refugees have been resettled State Department
figures reveal. This is more than double.
So, do not be fooled by the Kushner Trump economics, as it is all Wall Street Chamber of Commerce. You are being told to wait around expecting a promise, but what is already engulfing you is your legalized extermination.
That is the legacy of the Trump regime, in it lies and deceives as much as Obama did to his leftist base, but where Obama was criminal, Donald Trump is engaged in the American Genocide legally. To think that the healthy DNA of Americans is being replaced by the regime in this unhealthy Mexican DNA, as Americans were betrayed again in this clever slight of hand.


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The DUP was an autocratic party in which ordinary members had little say over the party policy or direction - but as the party grew there were strains at the top, a confidential NIO briefing paper said in 1988.
The detailed analysis of what is now Northern Ireland's largest political party highlighted the extraordinary influence on it of the relatively small Free Presbyterian Church, with political decisions sometimes taken in Presbytery meetings.
It said: "The DUP relies, to this day, on the twin strands of the Free Presbyterian Church and the political party.
"This duality was even more evident in the early days of the party - despite the fact that it relied upon some prominent dissident unionists - so that in 1971 of 15 appointments within the DUP 13 were Free Presbyterians or [seemingly meant to be 'and'] members of the DUP, only two were dissident unionists.
"Perhaps the most unusual aspect of all this, in political terms, was that many of the party's decisions were only taken after discussion in the Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church.
"For example, in 1973 this was the forum that decided that three Free Presbyterian clergy (the Reverends James McClelland, Ivan Foster and William McCrea) should not stand for the 1973 Assembly elections."
The report estimated that 60 per cent of all DUP councillors elected in 1981 admitted to being Free Presbyterians.
However, it said that "despite local stories about the transfers of funds there is no evidence that the Free Presbyterian Church actually supports the DUP".
Setting out the party's structure, the report said that "very little of any significance happens in the DUP without the leader's knowledge and approval...one matter which is obvious from this structure is that in the DUP, unlike many parties where grassroots opinion is a major factor, the ordinary member has little power or influence".
It went on: "Party conferences, which have been infrequent in the past, are largely stage-managed and provide no opportunity for the rank and file to influence policy-making."
The report said that although the DUP was exceptionally well-disciplined, there has been recent evidence of internal strains, resulting in the departure of Jim Allister and the (ultimately brief) resignation of Peter Robinson as deputy leader.
The report included an organisational chart of how the party was officially structured. But it included the NIO's own assessment of where power lay in the party, with all of the lines heading towards the leader at the top.
It said that one change which that seemed to indicate was that there was "a more open split between the Free Presbyterian wing of the DUP and the secular grouping who see the continuance of party politics as more important.
"Robinson is clearly in the second category and the fact that his resignation as deputy leader did not lead to the appointment of either McCrea or Beattie (as the two most obvious candidates) has been interpreted as an indication that an all clerical leadership is recognised as undesirable."
It went on: "The third strand of dissent is the lack of progress in bringing down the Anglo-Irish Agreement and the leaders' obvious desire to keep to himself the various tactics that are currently being deployed (most notably the talks about talks).
"There are fairly clear indications that it was Robinson's unhappiness about tactics in the wake of the task force that caused his resignation.
"His return to the fold may be an acknowledgement by Paisley that matters are not what they were within the party.
"It is hard to conceive that the Paisley of five years ago would have rehabilitated anyone who had so publicly embarrassed him as Robinson did.
"All this may indicate that Paisley now believes that the way forward involves some degree of compromise and a recognition by him that if he is to take the party along he will need a broad spectrum of support rather than the simple autocratic exercise of his power as leader."
It said that some individuals had emerged as influential within the DUP by allegiance to Dr Paisley's church and party. It said that these individuals, examples of which were given as the Rev William McCrea, Rev Ivan Foster and Rev William Beattie, in some cases went "as far as to ape his style of preaching" but had carved out a niche which was "very much in his shadow".
It went on: "Others have emerged who rely less on the influence of the church or the emotional pull of Paisley's style of rhetoric and delivery.
"It was the emergence of Robinson in the General Election of 1979 (largely helped by the UDA) and Allister's appointment as EEC Adviser that gave fresh impetus to the party and it was at this point that the DUP could be said to be likely to survive as an independent party should anything happen to Paisley."
Later, the report said that "the DUP has maintained links with the UDA".
And the report speculated about who was really behind Peter Robinson's infamous 'invasion' of the Monaghan town of Clontibret - something about which Mr Robinson and Mr Paisley publicly disagreed in recent years.
It said: "There are some cynical views that Paisley encouraged Robinson along the path that led to Clontibret, the Dublin trial and Robinson's subsequent embarrassment when forced to choose between a fine and prison.
"Whether Paisley is sufficiently devious or far-sighted enough to plan all of that sequence is questionable but there is plenty of apocryphal evidence to show that he did little or nothing to soften the difficult position his deputy found himself in."


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Well, I haven't been riding the bike much this year. I'm not 100% sure why it has just not been fun, but it hasn't and I've probably only ridden about 5-10 times this year up until a few weeks ago.
If you recall from previous (some of my early blog) posts, I switched the bike to a Brooks B-17. I finally decided that the Brooks just wasn't working for me. I talked my friend Jason, whom I'd given my old saddle for a saddleless bike he had into trading me my old saddle back for the Brooks (I think he got the better end of that deal *wink*).
Well, from the moment I put my old saddle back on, the bike suddenly felt much more comfortable to ride again. I'm still having a little ass hatcheting, but I think that may just be reacquiring my saddle sores again (aka hardening up my ass).
My guess is that the Brooks B-17 was too wide. My old saddle is quite a bit narrower. Even though my ass is fat, apparently my ass bones aren't as wide apart as one might guess. Maybe if I want to do Brooks again, I'll have to consider the B-17N or some other narrower saddle.
At least I'm back to riding the work commute again with about 10 rides in the last few weeks or so. :)
So summer is here, and KT is "back in the saddle again"!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Back on the commute...just in time for summer
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20% off everything with LASTDAY. Which is nice.
An original oil painting inspired by sketches I made from different aquariums, and a second grade reading project from when I use to work in the classroom.50% of all net print sales goes to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
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Lovely painting! Love the colours
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Love the colors in this one. Nice work!
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Breaking News
A new campaign 'My Caste Hindustani' is launched in Haryana state by the Aam Aadmi Party. On 14th May the 'Kranti March' was started from Rohtak. It is said by, Naveen Jaihind that Haryana needs positive energy and he wants to create an environment for all including the 36 communities to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
Haryana- The Vedic Land
The state has been a cradle of Indian civilization and culture which astonishingly combines both antiquity and plenty. The history of this state is glorified replete with myths, legends and vedic references. Among the most prosperous states of India, it occupies an important place being the state with the highest per capita Income. Presently, it is gaining a world-wide fame because of its rich cultural and agricultural practices.
Satisfy Your Palate With The Delicacies Of Haryana
It's really going to be a great experience if you are planning to visit this state to taste its rich and traditional dishes. The most highlighting thing that makes this state famous is here people are fond of eating different kinds of rotis. This is the fact due to which Haryana is popularly known as 'The Land of Rotis'. Each and every dish here has some cultural context in it. Have a look at the list of dishes which includes Kachri Ki Sabji, Singri Ki Sabji, hara Dhania Cholia and many more.
Festivals- Enliven Your Spirit!
The celebrations of Haryana are the symbol of their glorious history and culture. Almost all the festivals here are organized and celebrated with zeal enhancing the feeling of harmony among the different tribes of the state. With high festive spirit tourists around the globe come here and take part in the festivals to live life to the fullest.
Baisakhi Fest – (13th April)
Last month the fervour of Baisakhi was celebrated by the Sikh Community of Haryana with great pomp. In 1699, on this day the tenth Guru Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji founded the Khalsa. Nagar Kirtans were organized in the Gurdwaras of the state with the sweetened semolina served to the devotees. It marks the relaxing period before the harvesting of corn.
Nirjala Akadshi (May/June)
For all the women of Haryana state, this festival forms an important part. According to the traditional calendar, it is celebrated in the months of Jaisth. Religious rituals and rites are performed by the women of the state for the welfare and happiness of their family. In addition to this, they keep fast and remain abstained from the water.
Grappling Association of Haryana
The Haryana State Governing Body of Grappling Wrestling Sports in Haryana G.A.H is registered by Government of Haryana. Being affiliated by Haryana Olympic Association and Grappling Federation of India was established to promote wrestling in India. In order to spread the tradition values, it has been popularizing among the masses.
'Revenge Politics' – By Haryana's BJP Government
On 8th May, when the former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been booked in a land re-allotment case, he stated that it is the cheap tactics of the BJP government. Further speaking ill of BJP that this government has never done anything for the welfare of the people; he tried to prove his side.
Jat Agitation in Haryana
It has been estimated that Jat Agitation has lead to the destruction of 20, 000 Crore. Around 90 officials indulged in the deliberate negligence when violence hit Haryana. Authorities had turned a blind eye to the loot and damage whilst allowing the 'mayhem' for hours in some areas.
Folk Culture of the Haryana
Along with the innumerable list of festivals, the folk dances of Haryana are also known since ages. The spirit of Haryana culture can be seen in the lifestyle of the people there. Among the various dance forms, some of them are Phag Dance, Saang Dance, Chhathi Dance, Khoria Dance and more.
Leading State in Sports
Apart from its culture, the sports activities have made this state stand out from the crowd. The Department of Sports & Youth Affairs manages all the sport events of the state. With a view to foster the qualities of sports among the youth the Department of Sports is initiating many activities and Schemes.
Ghoomar Dance- Soul stirring Dance Form
Generally performed by the girls of the areas bordering Rajasthan is one of the most popular dance styles that has gained huge popularity worldwide. In the western parts of the Haryana, this is performed to represent the rich cultural heritage of the state. This form is different from others as it is performed in the circular movements by the dancers with clapping and singing. Mainly this is performed on the festivals like Teej, Gangaur Puja.
Know more about Haryana!
For an everlasting experience, plan a trip to Haryana and Learn all about this state which has made it known for years.


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I spoke at Music Tech Fest in May.
I met the festival's founder Michela Magas at the London blogger's meetup I spoke at back in April, and she asked me to come along and simply talk about what it is I do. I decided that since everyone else at the event would probably be talking about music and digital media, I would focus on the other stuff I do. The "music as a tool for social change" stuff.
It seemed to go down well, and they filmed it for posterity (see above). There's a lot of really fascinating presentations on the Music Tech Fest YouTube channel, so if, like me, you have an interest in that intersection of ideas between music and technology, I'd suggest spending quite a bit of time there.
Since I did this talk, not only have I been over to Brazil to work on Occupy Music (the film I discuss in the video), but Michela is now the executive producer of that film, and I've become one of the organisers of Music Tech Fest.
So that all worked out rather nicely.


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I know we are in the perfect city to sample the myriad of delights Chinese food offers but sometimes you need variety and the Friday night curry is one of my rituals no matter where I am (an English heritage showing through). So the quest is on to find the best and after our first month here we have tried a few:
Tandoor (1/F Lyndhurst Tower, Central) was our first experience after a recommendation from a work colleague. Unfortunately it didn't impress with sludgy curries and slightly crispy naans – a definite quality in a pappadum but not in a naan. The food was very reminiscent of a good old British high street curry, which may be a good thing in some peoples book, but for us is a reason not to return - price HK$528 for two.
Hin Ho Curry (Shau Kei Wan) gets a star in the latest Michelin guide, which is not usually a great endorsement for Indian food, so we approached this one with caution. I think we were the only ones with a reservation and I was definitely the only one in a suit, and we were probably the only westerners. It is packed, and turns tables frequently. The menu is scrappy and too long; the photos' in the menu are not a good sign, and so it looks like we will need to put this one down to experience. However the food is superb, great kebabs, really fresh breads and some great vegetables (the true test of good Indian food). The curries are all really fresh with quite subtle flavours. Service is a bit chaotic but wonderfully friendly - a keeper and one we will return too frequently – price HK$368 for two.
Bombay Dreams (77 Wyndam St, Central) is a really posh curry house in a trendy designer space off one of the popular/fashionable bar streets. It's a good space, nicely designed with thick white linen table clothes. It has an interesting menu with some nice choices. The kebabs are good, if slightly mild, and the vegetable curries are generally interesting apart from a sludgy eggplant dish. Breads are wonderfully fresh and of good quality. Again another one for a return trip especially if we feel like staying in Central. It also features in Michelin and gets a bib, this really confuses me as the bill for two was HK$707 which stretches the bib definition of $300 a head for a three course meal (as do many other Bibs in HK).
So far so good, two out of three were good, the quest will continues, I will keep the feedback coming and would be grateful for suggestions and ideas.


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Here, you can learn about outdoor furniture. Find out about different materials that are used in outdoor furniture and their properties, learn how to identify good quality outdoor furniture and see examples of good quality outdoor furniture. Please select from the list below:
Types of outdoor furniture
A detailed overview of the main types of outdoor furniture...click here
Good manufacturing techniques
What to look for when buying new outdoor furniture...click here


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Join Date: Jun 2008
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I'm looking at getting a new digital camera and need useful unbiased input. It's mostly to photograph kids sports and other activities. Would require a good photo if at a distance on the field. Might like to have larger than normal photos (5x7 or 8x10). Something that can do in action photo's with clarity. Good Image Stabilization. Also, the occasional short movie, (with sound). Would love face recognition to make sure his face is focussed as good as possible. Heard of smile recognition? Not sure what that is but if it's what I'm thinking, why not? Unless the feature is costly.
I'm looking at; Canon S5 IS, Fuji S1000fd, Kodak Z1012 IS, Nikon P80, Pan. Lum DMC-FZ18, & Sony H50.
I don't really want to spend the 400.00 for the Sony, so I'm trying to go below that price. However I don't want to wish I had a more adequate camera in a month. I have a compact Kodak 3.2 mp point & shoot which I can use for indoors or just to have in a pocket.
I'm looking to get something that I can use to zoom in on my son from a distance, say from the stands while he is on 2nd base or lining up in football. Since zoom is a desire I assume I will need a decent Image Stabilization camera, which may discard the Fuji (unless there is some other comparable model I'm unaware of). I like the IS on the Canon, it seemed to be the most stable out of all of these, but 8 mp compared to 10, will I notice the difference? It also is 12x zoom as apposed to the 18x on the Nikon and Panasonic. It seems like most mp and zoom goes to Nikon and it's about the same price as the others, except for the Fuji which is noticeably less. I did not have every setting the same when I tested so I believe I wasn't exactly comparing apples to apples.
I just need the best picture and would like a camera that does not require me to focus like an old school camera. If ease of use is of note please inform as mom will take a lot of photos since I'm usually coaching and sometimes cannot take the pictures I would like.
Also, at a camera shop I heard something odd, to me anyway. The guy behind the case advised that the Megapixels declared size of the picture. Doesn't a megapixel reference a dot on the LCD that carries color? He tried to explain, and when I questioned him he seemed to fumble around. If I have a 10 mp camera it doesn't mean I'm printing 11x14 photos. It basically refers to the clarity doesn't it? Since it's putting more spots for color and definition in a specified space?:?:?:?
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|Jun 7, 2008, 10:41 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Marquette, MI
Posts: 285
I would recommend the Panasonic FZ18 from those you have mentioned. It's 18x optical zoom is good, and it has other features that are very useful. Here's a blog to give you more information from someone that has it;
The zoom is longer than the S5 IS, which is a good quality camera. To get those zoomed in shots on base, you need the longer reach, and IS. Here are photos taken at baseball games using the FZ18;
And here are photos taken with the S5 IS;
More megapixels does mean you can print larger photos. You can also crop your images and still be able to print quality photos at modest sizes. Here's a chart page explaining this concept. Keep in mind that you will most likely never print at 300 dots per inch, but perhaps at 200 dpi.
A megapixel is not referring in this case to the pixels displaying the image on your LCD. It does refer to the number of pixels captured on your camera's image sensor (CCD - charged coupled device for nearly all point and shot cameras).
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Canceling or modifying a water order on My Account
To make changes to a water order online using your SRP My Account follow the steps below.
You can also download a printable version of these instructions.
Changes to water orders can be made up until the ordering deadline. If it is too late to cancel or modify an order, SRP recommends either making arrangements for someone else to take your water or arranging for several neighbors to share the excess water.
Go to the My Account logon page and log in.
In the "Order Water" section, click on "Place or modify order."
To cancel an order, select "Skip my next delivery" from the drop down menu to place a "0" water order.
To modify an order, select either:
- "Last order" - This will replicate your previous delivery.
- "Max allotment" - This will deliver this run's maximum allotment.
- "Other" - This option allows you to enter a custom delivery amount.
Click "Submit order."
"Order placed" confirmation will display and SRP will send an email confirmation of your water change to the primary email address associated with the account.


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A fun way to introduce ethics into your program. This bingo game can be used as an ice breaker for in-services on ethics. It is appropriate for most age groups from middle school to seniors. Played like regular bingo, instead of numbers words on ethics are used, a great way to get participation and reinforce your groups knowledge of ethics and related topics.
In Microsoft Word format. 11 pages.
This product is not mailed to you. After purchase, you can download the file from the receipt page or the email receipt.
In-service Products: Ethics Bingo Game
- Product Code: Document-44
- Availability: In Stock


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& Co. reported that worldwide sales increased 4 percent year on
year to $992 million for the Christmas season, which included the months
of November and December 2012. However, comparable-store sales were
Sales in the Americas region rose 3 percent year on year to $516 million and on constant-exchange-rate basis sales increased 2 percent. Tiffany recorded a comparable-store sales decline of 2 percent for its New York flagship store and in branch stores. Internet and catalog sales rose 4 percent.
In the Asia-Pacific region, revenue increased 13 percent to $187 million and comparable-store sales jumped 7 percent, both increases were due to growth in Greater China. In Japan, total sales plunged 5 percent to $153 million, but same-store sales rose 1 percent.
Tiffany stores in Europe experienced a 2 percent increase in revenue at $119 million, however results were mixed by country and same-store sales were flat.
Revenue from other regions, increased 114 percent to $17 million, largely reflecting the conversion in July of five Tiffany & Co. stores in the United Arab Emirates from independently-operated distribution to company-operated retail stores.
Michael J. Kowalski, the chairman of Tiffany & Co., acknowledged that Christmas-season sales were at the ''low end'' of guidance and therefore Tiffany expects net earnings for the year ending on January 31 to be at the lower-end of the forecast in the range of $3.20 to $3.40 per diluted share.
''Looking forward, we are formulating plans for continued store expansion and new product introductions in 2013,'' Kowalski added. ''We will provide detailed financial guidance when we report our full year results in March but, due to uncertainty about general economic conditions in all our major markets, management is planning sales growth conservatively for 2013 and at this point expects net earnings growth of 6 percent to 9 percent.''
The Zale Corporation stated this morning that its Christmas-season same-store sales rose 2.3 percent year on year, while total revenue was flat at $567 million.
Zales branded stores, consisting of Zales Jewelers and Zales Outlet, posted a same-store sales increase of 3.1 percent year on year, while Gordon's Jewelers posted a comparable-store sales increase of 2.2 percent. Canada's fine jewelry brands, consisting of Peoples Jewellers and Mappins Jewellers, posted a comparable-store sales increase of 2.7 percent. Same-store sales at Piercing Pagoda rose 1.7 percent.
Zale's guidance for the second-fiscal quarter suggested gross margin to remain the same from one year ago at 50.5 percent with operating margin up approximately 7.5 percent, or 100 basis points higher than one year ago as a result of improved leverage on selling, general and administrative expenses.
For the fiscal year, Zale expects to achieve a profit, according to its statement.
"This Christmas season, we focused on driving bottom line improvement," said Theo Killion, Zale's chief executive. "Our comp performance, combined with an expected 100 basis point operating margin improvement, brings us closer to our goal of achieving positive net income for the fiscal year."
|Source: diamonds.net


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Electronic & Telecoms Equipment
The two full bathrooms are lined with exquisite tile and include glass-enclosed walk-in showers, with a soaking tub in the master bath. The master suite also includes a private balcony. A large flat screen TV in the living room provides great indoor entertainment and a well-stocked kitchen contains all you will need to make a gourmet meal with a view.
© 2014-2018 ecrent worldwide company Ltd. All Rights Reserved.


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CHICAGO (CBS.MW) - The wait for nothing but net continues for True North investors.
While the company released figures showing healthy double-digit increases in revenues and operating income, it delayed yet again its release of complete fourth-quarter and full-year results.
Before the bell Monday, True North TNO, -1.10% posted a nearly 27 percent increase in operating income, to $84.6 million, and a better than 10 percent rise in revenues, from $399 million to $441 million.
The ad agency holding company also said that it had resolved an accounting problem with the Securities & Exchange Commission by restating previously issued financials. The net effect of the change will cut the company's 40-year amortization period for intangible assets from prior acquisitions down to just 20 years.
Full results will be issued following the release of quarterlies by Modem Media MMPT in which True North holds a 45 percent equity stake, the company said.
Wall Street seemed relatively content to wait. On a brutal day in the markets, True North edged down 59 cents to $37.55 Monday. Modem was less fortunate as it fell 81 cents, or better than 22 percent, to $2.81.
"We are pleased to report that our fourth quarter operating results build on the trends of recent quarters, with excellent profitability and a number of major new business wins. For the year, organic growth increased to 9.8 percent and operating margin rose to 12.8 percent from 10.2 percent the year before," said CEO David Bell.
Bell characterized the numbers as "significant improvements that reflect our focus on financial discipline and the positive momentum of our brands," while the company predicted EPS growth at least 15 percent for 2001.
In a mid-morning conference call, Bell noted that while the company is "concerned about the proliferation of earnings warnings" and the effect they could have on the business, with the exception of dot-coms, True North has seen "no significant signs of cutbacks in ad spending."
While the company picked up some big account wins on the year, including new business from Samsung, Kraft and AT&T, it also lost the biggest shootout in advertising history when DaimlerChrysler consolidated its $1 billion-plus ad account at Omnicom shop BBDO - leaving FCB Worldwide out in the cold.
In the wake of that loss, True North has been widely labeled as takeover bait, with rumors having everyone from Interpublic Group IPG, -3.11% to Havas HADV, +0.00% to WPP Group WPPGY on the verge of swallowing the Chicago-based company.


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Raising meat chickens in your backyard is an achievable way to maintain a self-sufficient supply of protein for your family. ...and if you have kept laying chickens before, raising meat chickens is just as easy! What is the difference between … [Read more...]
Raising Chickens: An Introduction
Chickens have always been part and parcel to homesteads and farms, but they have recently broken into urban back yards, too! People homesteading on an acre or less often have chickens (and sometimes even goats) as part of their strive for … [Read more...]


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Original Descendants of Truth!!!! IS THE NAME O.D.O.T First Project The Appetizer, this is merely just the beginning of what O.D.O.T is about. Enjoy a Appetizer, and crave for more . Be teased and grasp what is being said. Remember its just an Appetizer, there is more to come. Listen with your heart. One Band,One Sound,One Body,One Christ #SpeakTruth Original Descendants of Truth!!!!IS THE NAME
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Five months ago I wrote an article for TeleSUR English following the story (more of a meme, really) about, and this should pronounced as a single phrase, "Afghan Shia Militias in Syria". I compared it to the older story about Gaddafi's "African Mercenaries", used to good propaganda effect in that war. I spent some time trying to get to the bottom it and find what sources writers were basing their stories on when they wrote about the "Afghan Shia Militias in Syria". What I found was thin indeed: anonymous Syrian opposition fighters who talked about facing off with these (fast running, death-defying) Afghans on the battlefield; pseudonymous Afghan fighters who told journalists unverifiable stories; and finally poorly-sourced statements by anonymous Iranian officials. Based on these shoddy sources, journalists were building up to some outrageous conclusions: that the Afghans were an "inexhaustible reservoir of the desperate", that they "run faster" than the Syrians they were fighting, and that they had the miraculous ability to "keep shooting even when surrounded."
There was an Afghan community in Syria at the start of the war; some of these Afghans did join the civil war on the government side. As for Afghan fighters from Iran, the most promising reports to continue following the story were on the Iranian side. There are millions of Afghan refugees in Iran; many of them (perhaps most) are Shia, from the Hazara ethnic group. Some of the young men from this group have fought with Iran's military in their own unit (the "Fatimeyoun") in Syria. Since my story came out in May, I have seen reports from Iranian news agencies about such fighters - specifically about their bodies being returned to Iran for burial.
Human Rights Watch has documentation about these fighters, among whom they recently found tombstones for eight child soldiers.
The HRW reports are framed differently than the Syrian opposition-sourced stories about Assad's use of "Afghan Shia militias". Those stories emphasized that these were Afghans and Shia who were fighting for Assad - invoking ethnic and sectarian phobias in the service of war propaganda. The subtext in those stories, I wrote in May, was " if Assad has "Afghan Shiite Militias" fighting for him, what atrocity is he incapable of?" By contrast, HRW's reports are about the cruelty of recruiting soldiers from a vulnerable refugee population.
On that score, HRW's reports are right. Afghan refugees are mistreated everywhere they go. Iran - where Afghans have suffered mass executions and deportations - is very much included. If the story of Afghans fighting in Syria is used with an agenda to help protect Afghan refugees in Iran, that is a far better outcome than the story being used to fuel sectarian conflict in Syria's bloody civil war.
Photo from Tasnim News Agency [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


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Hi Roger,
This is interesting but people would be more interested if we could see an image-editing tool, say like Picasa, written using these technologies. Then we would be able to compare this to the way this is done in a more conventional way, and also the quality of the code.
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On Dec 13, 2016, at 6:19 AM, Costello, Roger L. <email@example.com> wrote:


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For Clark and Skamania counties, Beacon manages these core services:
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Mental Health and Substance Use Block Grant Planning
Each region in Washington must have a current plan that directs the administration of local behavioral health funding from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.
- Mental Health Block Grant Project Plan Fiscal Year 2018-2019
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- SAPT Block Grant Request for Response (Will be released November 2018)
Family Youth System Partner Round Table (FYSPRT)
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The Children's Long-term Inpatient Program (CLIP) is the most intensive, publicly funded inpatient psychiatric treatment available to Washington State residents ages 5 to 18 years old. Applying for CLIP enrollment is done region by region by a locally organized CLIP committee.
- Southwest Washington Regional CLIP committee facilitator, please contact mailto:email@example.com
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The Ombuds service provides free and confidential help when you have a concern or complaint about your behavioral health services. It is independent of Beacon. The Ombuds service can help you with the grievance and appeals system. It can also help you file and assist you during an Administrative Fair hearing.
- Southwest Washington (Clark and Skamania Counties), please contact the Ombuds Melanie Maiorino at 866-666-5070 or via email at email@example.com.
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Click here to see a list of community resources to support individuals and families in need, such as behavioral health services, transportation and housing.


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Cars are increasingly complex and software-dependent, yet when lives are at stake what matters is not just building safe software, but how you react when problems start to appear. E&T asks what other manufacturers can learn from Toyota's recent travails - and how the car giant might have dealt with them more effectively.
It should not have been a surprise that software might be blamed - rightly or wrongly - for the recent high-profile cases of out-of-control Toyotas. After all, faulty software had already been fingered for crashes that were literally out of this world.
It was in late 1999 that two linked missions to Mars finally arrived at the Red Planet after blasting off from Cape Canaveral almost 12 months earlier.
Reaching Mars on 23 September 1999, Mars Climate Orbiter began a 16-minute 'orbit insertion' engine burn, which took it behind the planet, away from direct contact with Earth. It was never heard from again.
The second mission, Mars Polar Lander, reached Mars on 3 December 1999, and duly began its descent. It too was never heard from again, with the last successfully-received telemetry being sent just prior to atmospheric entry.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the most likely cause of the latter mission's failure was a software error that wrongly identified vibrations caused by the deployment of the lander's legs as the vehicle touching-down on the Martian surface. Accordingly, the descent engine would have been switched off 40m above the surface, causing the lander to crash.
In the case of Mars Climate Orbiter, software error was a more certain cause. The computer controlling the directional thrusters on the spacecraft was intended to work in metric, calculating force in Newtons. Instead, organisational failures allowed some software code to be written in pounds force, an Imperial measure differing by a factor of 4.45. The result? The Orbiter descended too steeply into the Martian atmosphere, and was destroyed by atmospheric friction.
The two mission failures are now a decade old, but it seems clear from Toyota's well-publicised travails during late 2009 and early 2010 that their critical lessons had not been absorbed by the company, which is now the world's largest single car manufacturer.
Unintended acceleration
First, let's briefly review the facts. Since 2002, when Toyota introduced an electronic throttle control system, there have been a spate of what are termed 'unintended acceleration' incidents involving Toyota vehicles. Several investigations by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration duly followed, and there were a couple of small recalls.
But the problem, it seemed, was mostly ignored by the company, with Toyota - where it did acknowledge a problem - blaming improperly installed floor mats by customers, which then became stuck under the accelerator pedal.
Then, in August 2009, came the harrowing deaths of California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor and three members of his family. In a recorded emergency call, the cautious and experienced officer can be heard saying that the accelerator was stuck, and that the brakes weren't working. As he approached an intersection, his last words were: 'Hold on and pray'.
Finally prompted to acknowledge a problem, Toyota subsequently recalled 2.3 million vehicles, blaming an American supplier for faulty workmanship. But the supplier fought back, pointing out that they had only become a supplier in 2005 - three years after reports of unintended acceleration first surfaced. In all, one American firm of safety consultants has identified 2,262 instances of the problem, leading to 819 crashes and 26 deaths.
The world's media - previously fond of extolling Toyota's Just-in-Time productions systems and quality-conscious virtues - now rounded on the company, which quickly found its reputation in tatters. Public apologies soon followed from Toyota president Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company's founder, as did still further recalls. Yet at the time of writing, no firm cause has conclusively been identified, and Toyota's reputation remains troubled.
Safety 'deafness'
So what could the company have done differently? Talk to some of those close to the issues raised, and it's clear that the outcome could have been very different.
For instance, it seems certain that Toyota could have sidestepped a lot of the flak by being more alert to the charges being levelled against it, and responding more quickly. Instead, in the memorable words of United States Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, it was steadfastly 'safety deaf'.
Organisational issues seem in large part responsible. Each Toyota model, we now know, is assigned a shusa - or chief engineer - responsible for defining its intended market, creating it, bringing it to market, and hitting targets in terms of metrics such as cost, quality and performance.
Highly respected, and - according to Fortune magazine - granted near-absolute authority, Toyota's 38 shusas all reside at headquarters in Toyota City, where, admits one Toyota executive, they remain isolated from market information.
Yet Toyota could, for example, have instead taken a leaf out of Volvo's book. Earlier this year, the Swedish automaker revealed how it had invested in a 1.7 terabyte data warehouse, specifically to capture the sort of information that Toyota's shusas could have found invaluable: highly detailed warranty information, and diagnostics extracted from the on-board computers built into each Volvo vehicle.
The company already collected warranty data, explains Bertil Angtorp, senior business analyst at Volvo. It was when it began building a larger, separate data warehouse for the diagnostic readout information that it was realised the two datasets were complementary, and should be combined.
'There was clear business value to be gained from the ability to easily match warranty claims against diagnostic data from actual service records,' Angtorp says.
Accordingly, the company began the construction of a data warehouse designed to integrate data from four primary sources: a system for managing vehicle and hardware specifications, a system for managing onboard software specifications, the system that collects vehicle diagnostic data from service centres worldwide, and the warranty administration system.
Yet, as always, merely gathering data together adds little value without an ability to intelligently analyse that data, transforming it into insights and information.
'A car contains thousands of parts, both mechanical and electrical, and finding evidence of a model-wide issue rather than an isolated fault can be like finding a needle in a haystack,' says Niall O'Doherty, European director of business development at Teradata. 'We spent 12 months working with Volvo to develop the advanced analytical models required to detect worrying changes in reliability without either overwhelming the organisation with false alarms, or stating the obvious once it was too late.'
Nor should the computer horsepower required be underestimated, if the job is to be done properly. Compared to its previous - and much smaller - data warehouse, Teradata's 'massively parallel' processing architecture made short work of the complex analyses required.
A daily fleet mileage calculation that previously took two hours, for instance, now ran in five minutes. And a comprehensive report of diagnostic failure codes by model, by year of manufacture, now took 15 minutes - down from two weeks.
Better still, whereas performance constraints had previously restricted the number of people who could have access to the system, the new platform provided ready access to over 300 employees, spread across product design, manufacturing, quality assurance and warranty administration.
In other words, were repeated failures to occur, it's likely that product design and other engineering functions would see the critical data far more quickly than seems to have been the case at Toyota.
'Our decision-making has become more fact-based,' sums up Volvo's Angtorp. Now, whenever a questions arises, people invariably ask: 'What is the data telling us?' And once we've verified the existence of a problem, we use the data to determine the scope and scale of our response. It helps us to make sure that we're focusing on the things that are most likely to affect the customer experience.'
Social networking
Large databases aren't the only way of keeping close to what's going on in the marketplace. Through the use of online social media, it transpires that computer manufacturer Dell is also getting early warning of any problems.
'Dell is doing a great job - it's doing everything right,' enthuses Connie Bensen, the director of community strategy at brand market specialists Alterian. Simply put, she explains, Dell has a team of 36 people trawling the Internet, joining in on-line 'conversations' when issues with Dell equipment are raised, and offering solutions, discount coupons and suggestions.
As more and more people interact through media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other online virtual communities, the ability to respond quickly not only identifies problems more quickly, but is seen by consumers as very positive and proactive.
'Dell has been able to identify over $1bn in sales from this initiative,' explains Bensen. 'Plus, it's really got its finger on the pulse in terms of reliability.'
Consequently, she's in no doubt that a similar initiative by Toyota would have led to a different outcome. 'Quite simply, the company would have heard of the problems sooner, and would have been better positioned to respond,' she asserts.
Of course, response isn't the only course open to manufacturers. Prevention is better than cure. What could Toyota have done to identify and fix the cause of the unintended acceleration incidents - before the vehicles were being driven by consumers?
Whether or not software is implicated, the eventual analysis of what went wrong at Toyota, there are lessons to be learned from the IT industry, it seems.
Increasingly, points out Dr Bill Curtis, chief scientist at software quality specialist Cast Software, director of the Consortium of IT Software Quality and the creator of the well-known Capability Maturity Model (CMM) methodology, vehicles are complex systems that are akin to very large IT systems.
'You can have a hundred million lines of software code in a modern automobile, spread across a wide variety of sub-systems - brake servo, fuel injection, cruise control and so on - and it's difficult to understand all the interactions between them, and then write test scenarios for those interactions,' he points out.
Consequently, he adds, 'It can be difficult to think of all the possible conditions in which something can fail, and then deliberately stress it so that it operates in those conditions - and especially difficult to do that when all those components are built by different companies.' Nevertheless, if vehicles are to be safe, the industry needs to do just that, he says.
And if software error is implicated in the Toyota problem, a mandatory testing standard could help prevent such bugs in future, says Robert Dewar, professor of Computer Science at the Courant Institute of New York University, and co founder and CEO of avionics software firm AdaCore, which has developed code for the Boeing 787 'Dreamliner' and Airbus' latest 380 and 350 models.
Pointing to the existence of 'safety critical' standards for applications such as avionics (the DO-178B standard), railway systems (RIA-23) and industrial automation (IEC 61508), Dewar argues that there has never been a death on a commercial aircraft as a result of a software problem - despite modern aircraft containing many more lines of code than the latest generation of cars.
'We still don't know what went wrong at Toyota, although there's a significant suspicion that software has at least played a part,' he says. 'In other industries - such as avionics, for example - there's a mandatory requirement for a Federal Aviation Administration-certified software auditor to go through the software from a safety and quality perspective before it can be certified as fit for use.'
The answer? 'Software for cars should be subject to the same rigorous testing procedures as software in other industries,' he insists. 'Hardware for vehicles is subject to exacting tests - so why not software?'
In short, a reasonable conclusion. But will it happen? Don't hold your breath. In an industry that has yet to agree a standard barcode format, software standards may be a bridge too far.


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A larval tapeworm resembling a cysticercus but having a smaller bladder, containing little or no fluid, in which scolex of the future adult tapeworm is found; the larval form is typically found in insect intermediate hosts.
[cysti- + G. kerkos, tail, + eidos, resemblance]
The larval stage of certain tapeworms, resembling a cysticercus but having the scolex completely filling the enclosing cyst.
cysticercoida larva of tapeworms that is similar to a CYSTICERCUS but possesses only a small bladder.
a stage in the life cycle of pseudophyllidean cestodes. One of the forms of metacestodes in which there is a single, retracted scolex withdrawn into a small vesicle which has a very small cavity. Found in invertebrates such as oribatid mites, fleas, etc.