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No. 00-1496
In the Supreme Court of the United States
Acting Solicitor General
Counsel of Record
Acting Assistant Attorney
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
(202) 514-2217
Whether the decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board that the agency had established a sufficient nexus between the employee's misconduct and the promotion of the efficiency of the service was supported by substantial evidence.
In the Supreme Court of the United States
No. 00-1496
The opinion of the court of appeals (Pet. App. 1a-25a) is reported at 229 F.3d 1356. The opinion of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or Board) (Pet. App. 27a-34a) is reported at 83 M.S.P.R. 230. The initial decision of the MSPB administrative judge (Pet. App. 35a-50a) is unreported.
The judgment of the court of appeals was entered on October 20, 2000. A petition for rehearing and rehearing en banc was denied on December 28, 2000 (Pet. App. 26a). The petition for a writ of certiorari was filed on March 28, 2001. The jurisdiction of this Court is invoked under 28 U.S.C. 1254(1).
Petitioner, Michael J. Brown, was removed by the Department of the Navy from his position of Program Manager, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department (MWR), Operations Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for misconduct. Pet. App. 1a-2a. Mr. Brown was found to have engaged in an inappropriate personal relationship with the wife of one of the Marine Corps officers from one of the units he was charged to support. Ibid. The decision to remove him was based on the finding that this conduct had jeopardized the trust, credibility, and integrity essential to Mr. Brown's effective job performance. Id. at 4a-8a.
In his capacity as an MWR program manager, petitioner coordinated activities to provide support for deployed Marines and their families. Pet. App. 4a. Petitioner planned, developed, and coordinated recreational and leisure time activities and other MWR events designed to contribute to the mental well-being of the participants. Id. at 4a-5a. The participants were active-duty Marines and sailors as well as their dependents. Ibid. Petitioner worked closely with commanders and their staffs as well as Marine spouses to fulfill his support role. Id. at 5.
Colonel Stewart, Assistant Chief of Staff, MWR Division, decided to remove petitioner from service based upon his determination that petitioner's misconduct interfered with petitioner's responsibilities to assist deployed Marines because those responsibilities required "that his interaction with Marines be founded on trust, respect and confidence." Pet. App. 44a. Colonel Stewart further found that as a result of petitioner's misconduct, petitioner had "lost his credibility, integrity and ability to function with" the Marines and their families. Ibid. Because petitioner's misconduct had interfered with his ability to interact with Marines and their families, Colonel Stewart decided that it compromised petitioner's ability to perform his assigned mission. Ibid. Based on these findings, Colonel Stewart determined that petitioner's removal was necessary to promote the efficiency of the service. Ibid.
Petitioner filed an appeal with the MSPB. After conducting a hearing, the administrative judge found that petitioner had engaged in the alleged misconduct and that the agency had established the nexus between the misconduct and the efficiency of the service. Pet. App. 46a-47a. The finding of nexus was based upon the determinations that the misconduct adversely affected the agency's mission and management's trust and confidence in petitioner's job performance. Ibid. The administrative judge also determined that the penalty of removal was reasonable. Id. at 49a.
By order dated August 10, 1999, the full MSPB denied petitioner's petition for review of the initial decision because the petition failed to meet the criteria set forth at 5 C.F.R. 1201.115. Pet. App. 27a. Accordingly, the initial decision became the final decision of the Board. See 5 C.F.R. 1201.113(b).
The court of appeals affirmed the decision of the Board (Pet. App. 1a-25a). The court held that substantial evidence supported the Board's finding of a nexus between petitioner's misconduct and "both the mission of his agency in general and his job responsibilities in particular." Id. at 7a. The court repeatedly noted that misconduct such as petitioner's would not provide sufficient basis for disciplinary action in many other situations, but that the circumstances of petitioner's position and the role of the MWR department provided the necessary nexus. Id. at 7a, 11a. The court also noted that, absent a mistake of law regarding the test to apply in reviewing nexus determinations, its review of the case was limited and that the Board's decision must be affirmed if supported by substantial evidence. Id. at 3a.
Writing in dissent, Judge Linn took the view that the Board's determination of nexus was not supported by substantial evidence. Pet. App. 14a. Specifically, Judge Linn regarded the evidence in support of the effect of petitioner's misconduct upon the trust and confidence of his supervisors to be "conjectural, speculative, or unrelated to petitioner's actual job responsibilities." Id. at 16a. Judge Linn also believed the Board's and the majority's focus upon the mission of the MWR department, rather than the Navy as a whole, to be legally erroneous. Id. at 20a-21a.
The court of appeals correctly determined that the Board's decision was supported by substantial evidence. Petitioner fails to raise a legal question of general importance and there is no conflict among the courts of appeals on the matter. Therefore, further review is not warranted.
The scope of review of Board decisions is established by statute and is extremely limited. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 7703(a), the courts of appeals must affirm decisions of the MSPB unless they are "(1) arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law; (2) obtained without procedures required by law, rule, or regulation having been followed; or (3) unsupported by substantial evidence." 5 U.S.C. 7703(c). See Oshiver v. OPM, 896 F.2d 540, 541 (Fed. Cir. 1990); Cheeseman v. OPM, 791 F.2d 138, 140 (Fed. Cir. 1986), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 1037 (1987); Hayes v. Department of the Navy, 727 F.2d 1535, 1537 (Fed. Cir. 1984). The court of appeals will not overturn an MSPB finding of nexus if it is supported by substantial evidence, i.e., "such relevant evidence as might be accepted by a reasonable mind as adequate to support the conclusion reached." White v. United States Postal Serv., 768 F.2d 334, 336 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
The court of appeals in this case found that the MSPB's decision was supported by substantial evidence. Specifically, the court found that the testimony of petitioner's superiors and co-workers provided ample basis for the Board's determination that the agency had shown the necessary nexus between petitioner's misconduct and his job responsibilities. Pet. App. 7a.
Petitioner first asserts that his petition should be granted because the issue regarding the nexus standard is an important one. The nexus standard is important, but the decision by the Federal Circuit did not alter the established test in any way. As the Federal Circuit has repeatedly held, to establish nexus, an agency must demonstrate that the employee's misconduct so interferes with the efficiency of the service that the employee must be removed. See, e.g., Brook v. Corrado, 999 F.2d 523, 527 (Fed. Cir. 1993); Allred v. Department of Health & Human Servs., 786 F.2d 1128, 1130 (Fed. Cir. 1986). That nexus requirement necessarily depends on context and the facts and circumstances of each case. In this case, the court of appeals determined that the Board's finding of nexus was supported by the testimony of petitioner's co-workers regarding the effect of his misconduct on the mission of the MWR department and the testimony of supervisors that Marine commanders would no longer allow their unit personnel to work with petitioner because of his misconduct. Pet. App. 5a-7a. The premise of petitioner's assertion that the decision by the Federal Circuit impermissibly expands the scope of activities which may warrant removal is incorrect. The nexus standard does not focus upon the nature of the misconduct itself. Rather, the standard requires an agency to establish a connection between the misconduct and the mission of the agency or the employee's job responsibilities. See, e.g., Brook, 999 F.2d at 527 (electrical technician's conviction for illegal drug possession jeopardized management's trust and confidence in technician's ability to maintain critical electrical systems). The court of appeals recognized that petitioner's misconduct would not warrant removal in many other employment situations. Pet. App. 7a. The court found, however, that petitioner's position as an MWR program manager required that he provide support to Marines and their families whose trust and confidence in petitioner-essential to his effective job performance -was jeopardized by his misconduct. Ibid. Accordingly, the court properly affirmed the Board's finding of nexus.
Petitioner next argues that the petition should be granted because the court of appeals decided the case incorrectly by affirming the Board's finding of nexus based, in part, upon management's loss of trust and confidence in his performance ability. Pet. 11-15. Petitioner also argues that there was no evidence presented concerning the impairment of petitioner's future job performance. Pet. 15. Despite petitioner's protests, the Federal Circuit has repeatedly held that management's loss of trust and confidence provides ample basis for a nexus determination. See, e.g., Brook, 999 F.2d at 527; Allred, 786 F.2d at 1131. The Federal Circuit and other courts have also held that the agency need not wait until the expected effect upon job performance or agency mission occurs before removing the employee. See, e.g., Brook, 999 F.2d at 527 ("Entrusting to a convicted drug dealer unsupervised control over the entire Goddard electrical system and potential responsibility for the safety of persons and equipment could seriously undermine the public's confidence in the agency's ability to perform its mission. NASA need not wait until Mr. Corrado makes a mistake on the job before removing him."); Wild v. HUD, 692 F.2d 1129, 1133 (7th Cir. 1982) (HUD not required to continue employing appraiser publicly known to be moonlighting as a "slumlord" until it can conclusively prove actual job performance deficiency; employee's off-duty conduct that is fundamentally incompatible with agency's public duty sufficiently establishes harm to the credibility and effectiveness of the agency); Giles v. United States, 553 F.2d 647, 650 (Ct. Cl. 1977) (testimony of supervisor that IRS employee's failure to file timely tax returns would have a deleterious effect sufficient to establish nexus).
In addition, petitioner's assertion that there was no evidence presented regarding the effect of his misconduct upon his job performance is simply incorrect. A commander from one of the units petitioner was responsible for supporting and the deciding official both testified that commanders would no longer use petitioner's services, causing a loss of efficiency for both MWR and the deployed Marine units. Pet. App. 5a-6a. The deciding official also testified that petitioner's misconduct had jeopardized the credibility and integrity petitioner needed to perform his job adequately. Id. at 44a. That testimony and the underlying determination of nexus are not, as petitioner contends, "unsupported, general assertions that such action is necessary to maintain the public confidence." Pet. 15, 18 (quoting Bonet v. United States Postal Serv., 661 F.2d 1071, 1076 (5th Cir. 1981)). Instead, this testimony provided a proper basis for the Board's nexus determination and the court of appeals' affirmance of that determination. Pet. App. 44a; see Allred, 786 F.2d at 1131 (statements of subordinates in support of employee were not sufficient to overcome fact that direct supervisors had lost trust and confidence).
Petitioner also criticizes the decision because the court recognized that the social mores of the group petitioner was required to serve could properly be considered in evaluating the agency's demonstration of nexus. Pet. App. 11a. This recognition is reflected throughout the cases relied upon by petitioner. For example, if a Customs officer failed to file his tax returns in a timely manner, it might not be cause for removal from the Customs Service. A tax auditor, however, could be removed from the Internal Revenue Service for such an infraction. See Giles, 553 F.2d at 649. Similarly, a conviction for illegal drug use in off-duty hours may not provide the same justification for removal of an Internal Revenue Service employee as for a Customs officer who is charged with enforcing the nation's drug laws. See Masino v. United States, 589 F.2d 1048, 1056 (Ct. Cl. 1978). In this case, the court properly recognized that petitioner served the Marine community at Camp Lejeune and that his misconduct jeopardized his ability to provide services to that community. Pet. App. 11a.
Although petitioner does not raise the argument in his petition, Judge Linn's dissent took the view that the Board's and the majority's focus in the nexus analysis on the mission of the MWR department, rather than the mission of the Navy as a whole, constituted legal error. See Pet. App. 20a-21a. Judge Linn's opinion is based on the absence of any case law in which "the mission of a unit smaller than the agency was considered." Id. at 20a. Judge Linn's criticism of the majority's analysis is not persuasive in the context of this case, however. Unlike many agencies in which the sole mission of the agency is to serve the public at large, the military services also have an important duty to care for and support the service men and women who carry out the agency's broader military mission. This fact is reflected in the court's determination that the MWR department's mission was to support service men and women on deployment as well as their families. Id. at 46a. Thus, the court of appeals and the Board properly focused on the role and mission of the MWR department rather than the mission of the Navy as a whole.
Finally, petitioner argues that the Federal Circuit's decision in this case creates a conflict among the circuits with regard to the scope of the nexus test. The scope of the nexus test set forth in the decision below is in accord with the Federal Circuit's prior precedents as well as those in other circuits. There is no conflict to be resolved by the Court.
First, as petitioner recognizes, the Federal Circuit has exclusive jurisdiction to consider appeals of MSPB decisions, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 7703(b)(1) (1994 & Supp. V 1999), unless the employee's challenge raises a claim of discrimination under an enumerated federal statute, see 5 U.S.C. 7702(a)(1), 7703(b)(2). Thus, another circuit would have occasion to consider the application of the nexus standard only if it were presented in an appeal from a United States district court case which also involves an issue of discrimination. See Williams v. Department of the Army, 715 F.2d 1485, 1491 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (en banc). On those rare occasions when other circuits do consider the issue of nexus, the standard of review remains the same-namely, whether the agency's demonstration of nexus is supported by substantial evidence in the record. See, e.g., Morales v. MSPB, 932 F.2d 800, 802 (9th Cir. 1991) (in "mixed" cases involving both discrimination claims and civil service claims, the nondiscrimination claims are reviewed on the administrative record pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 7703(c)).
Second, contrary to petitioner's argument, there is no conflict among the circuits regarding the proper application of the nexus standard. In all the cases cited by petitioner, the courts clearly stated that an agency must demonstrate that the adverse action taken against the employee will promote the efficiency of the service, as required by 5 U.S.C. 7513(a). See, e.g., D.E. v. Department of the Navy, 721 F.2d 1165, 1166, amended, 722 F.2d 455 (9th Cir. 1983). Then, in each of the cases, the court examined the nature of the evidence presented to the Board and determined whether it constituted "substantial evidence" to support the agency's nexus determination or the Board's decision that nexus had been established. See, e.g., Gloster v. GSA, 720 F.2d 700, 705 (D.C. Cir. 1983) (nexus between employee misconduct underlying discharge and service efficiency not established by record evidence).
Similarly in this case the court of appeals recited the necessary showing for nexus and then conducted a review of the evidence presented to the Board. Pet. App. 3a. Based upon the testimony of the five agency witnesses and the evidence in the record regarding the job responsibilities of an MWR program manager, the court found that the agency's showing of nexus was supported by substantial evidence and affirmed the decision of the MSPB on this basis. Id. at 7a. The nexus requirement necessarily requires the Board to engage in a fact-specific analysis that depends on the nature of the individual employee's responsibilities. Courts of appeals then review the Board's determination deferentially. The resulting decisions, like this one, tend to be highly fact-dependent and do not lend themselves to this Court's review.
At bottom, this petition for a writ of certiorari is based solely on a different view of the evidence presented to the Board regarding the nexus between petitioner's misconduct and the efficiency of the service. Petitioner's disagreement with the decision of the MSPB and the court of appeals' view of the evidence does not provide an adequate basis for further review of this case by the Court.
The petition for a writ of certiorari should be denied.
Respectfully submitted.
Acting Solicitor General
Acting Assistant Attorney


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Love, JO
in rain or shine....love.
Hey all. Just got home for a day at Me & Ollies and now I am off to a night of studying. Its been a nice weekend here in New Hampshire, but I don't have that much to share with you. I went to the UNH Hockey game on Friday and got my school spirit on. Other than that, I've just been modeling and studying for tests all weekend long. Although it sounds weird to say, I am looking forward to my busy week. I am scheduled to job shadow a Graphic Designer at St.Pauls this week and am really excited. I am looking forward to seeing was this woman does daily and what all the job entails. For photos today, I don't have much. I found this inspiration quote on a blog while stumbling and liked it. Also a picture of my new shoes that I can't wait to sport this week!! I went on a limb last week and trucked up to Maine to the Aldo outlet. They were a deal, nothing better. Hope everyones week goes well.
Posted by joanna at 7:29 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
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subset: commoncrawl


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It features songs like Shunyota ( Prashmita ), Sarbonash ( Sidhu ) , Neon ( Rupankar ) , Jantrana ( Avishek ) , Obujh ( Rupankar ) , Harano Path ( Lagnajita ) , Swapner Gaan ( Manomay ), Khamoshi ( Prashmita ). All penned, composed and musically arranged by Avishek Chakraborty.
Avishek said, "It's a dream venture for me. I do compose music, write lyrics everyday. It's like my passion. I selected a few out of the lot and went with this venture. I selected all the singers as per my tune. I enjoyed every bit of making of the album."
Singers at the launch of the album
The album comprises of different kind of songs with a fresh kind of musical arrangement.
Avishek left his job just for his passion for music. He is trying his luck at music making.
Raaga Music has also taken an unique initiative to launch an app exclusively for this music album too.


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Once again, in no particular order (if it weren't for "no particular order" I'd have no organizational scheme at all):
- Breast feeding is fraught- Breast feeding is is the third rail of American parenting (I apologize for mental image this may conjure). In fact, I hesitate to tell you just exactly what we're doing with this, but take comfort in the fact that whatever your views, we're probably defying you on some level. Of course the most famous example of a man who chose to wager his testicles on this issue was Mayor Bloomberg in part of his grand plan to change the "N" in NYC to "nanny" (see also: soda). Sadly, somewhere in the mess he made was a fairly reasonable point that:
- Corporations are sneaky - No one (except maybe my mother) loves babies quite like corporations. They are very interested in your baby and will work very hard to find out if you are pregnant, even if you don't tell them, even if you don't know yourself. Our baby is brought to you by Pampers®, Soothie®, Sleep Sack®, Medela®, and Desitin®--all because these were the brands that the hospital started us with and we haven't gotten around to switching. The hospital also sent us home with lots of swag--diaper bags, samples, etc.--from other companies, not unlike parting gifts from game shows (gifts for people who lost game shows, come to think of it). Included in this haul were some convenient little bottles of pre-mixed formula, designed that you can screw a nipple and ring (the mental images from these words are probably indicative of whether or not you have kids) to them directly. Having trouble breastfeeding? Enfamil's got you covered before you give it too much thought. Further proof of Corporate America's infiltration is lots of brand names that everyone assumes are just names for stuff, like Nuk®, Onesie®, and Butt Paste®.
- Skin-to-skin is important- It makes sense that a little baby who previously spent its entire life completely surrounded by its mother's body, especially those who are born early, needs to frequently be in as much human contact as possible (also called kangaroo care). It also makes sense that fathers have a distinct advantage in this realm, given the topography and relatively lax societal coverage requirements of the male chest. Fine except for:
- Spit happens - All babies spit up, it's just a question of whether it ends up outside or inside. At that point, it's just a matter of laundry. Unless you're engaging in skin-to-skin, in which case, not so much a matter of laundry. In fact, I've found that a lack of sufficient expendable textiles is a very good predictor of how much spitting is going to be going on.
- Boobs are funny - Replacing the word "breast" with "boob" and "nursing" or "lactation" with "boob-feeding" is an endless source of cheap humor. Notice how quickly I've forgotten the first lesson, above.
- Baby talk is bad - We're told not to use baby talk, because babies are developing their language skills from the very beginning. Yeah, okay, you try to say, "You're such a good little baby!!!" without a little lisp, or drastic pitch contour, or distortion of vowel colors. Many of the baby-talk habits we have developed for the dogs--for example: add a diminutive "y" to any word and double it--poochy-poochy, chewy-chewy, stabby-stabby, zappy-zappy, etc.--creep into our conversations with the baby (though the words are sucky-sucky, poopy-poopy, and fussy-fussy).
- Good babies? - Despite what may sometimes come out of my mouth in the form of baby talk, I do realize that there is no such thing as a good or bad baby, because they are not acting with intent. Still, there are certainly easy babies and challenging babies. The current baby is, so far at least, one of the easy kind. So much so she may have turned us into the kind of parents to give out advice like: "Have you tried just letting your little one hang out in her crib? Sometimes babies just like to look up at the ceiling and contemplate the universe." Lucky for everyone who may have fallen victim to this nonsense, her older sister taught us otherwise, to the extent that we haven't forgotten 15 years later.
- Parental leave is crucial - Because I'm a teacher, and we had the good fortune to have both of our children in early summer, I have enjoyed +-6 weeks of paternity leave. My wife is a freelancer, which means that her leave extends until she chooses to take on work again--this will sound very appealing to you until you figure out that when she doesn't have a book to edit she's essentially unemployed (the unemployed get lots of parental leave). There are couples for whom neither parent gets as much leave as I enjoyed, never mind what Jen can take. How they manage this, I have no idea. It's not only a matter of having enough staff around (we still felt shorthanded much of the time); there are lots of skills that take time to develop. Diapering newborns isn't that difficult, comparatively. Yes, they are very fragile, which is terrifying, but they also lack the requisite strength and mass to fling the diaper across the room. Eventually these capabilities develop, and you'd better have gotten some practice in first.
Notice how long I kept from making predictions about the content of future posts.


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One suicide is a tragedy, but two suicides definitely require an investigation.
Jean-Louis St-Cyr and Hermann Kohler first met on the battlefields of France during World War I, when they served on opposite sides. Nearly a quarter-century later, during yet another international war, they meet again with some regularity to investigate unusual crimes (Tapestry, 2013, etc.). They're summoned to Alsace in 1943 to probe a pair of suicides at a German-run POW camp. One victim is Renée Ekkehard, the secretary of Col. Hans Rasche, the camp's commander; the other, whose corpse was found a week later, is a prisoner named Eugène Thomas. The detective duo receives a handful of lame excuses about official laxness in discovering and reporting the deaths of both victims, whose bodies have been placed in cheap coffins. Renée was believed to be visiting her family in Strasbourg; an anonymous letter pegs Eugène as an adulterer. Mindful of the nearby Karneval, abandoned since the Blitzkrieg but often rumored to be a spot for trysts and worse, locals speculate about an affair between the two suicides, but the detectives are skeptical. They're just as interested in the nearby Schrijen Works, a textile factory where Eugène labored and Renée was good friends with the owner's daughter. Within all these crosscurrents lies the truth that must be revealed.
The arch chemistry between the two competitive sleuths, the smattering of German and French, and the measured unfolding of the well-appointed plot all give St-Cyr and Kohler's 15th case a faint flavor of Poirot.


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During the days of feature phones, the young generation on that era including me is undoubtedly been spending hours and hours daily playing a simple mobile game Snake that comes with every Nokia handset during that time. If I could remember correctly, we had to compare score with friends that puts almost all our free time trying to break someone else's record.
But those glory days are forgotten with the advent of the more powerful and more than capable devices that are fitted with touch based interface that seems irrelevant with the games operation and gameplay. But despite the new interfaces on new devices, derivatives of the game Snake still made its way to the new touchscreen enabled handsets and devices.
Finally, coming from the original creator of Snake Taneli Armanto, that graced the Nokia handsets from the last decade is now releasing a reboot of the highly enjoyable game on mobile devices. The Snake Rewind as it is known today is being co-developed with Rumilus Design to bring the game into the smartphone era together with the same gameplay, twists and an update graphics. As we are about to get busy again during our breaks, to get a wider audiences the developers are now releasing the games in all three major platforms in the market namely iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
Users should be delighted to know that while the game now has become quite a remake if we're to speak, it really takes everything it does from its predecessor and that is, it's completely free of charge so you could just download then install the game and you're ready to go. So for now as just I'm about to get things started, keep that fingers busy for a while.
For each platform, download the game from here : iOS | Android | Windows Phone
Related articles
- Snake Rewind officially launches for iOS, Android and Windows Phone(phonearena.com)
- Snake Rewind Is Now Live In The Play Store(androidpolice.com)


text:
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text:
Easton City Council Wednesday night authorized Mayor Sal Panto Jr. to sign a contract allowing the construction of a hydroelectric plant at the Chain Dam on the Lehigh River, a move that will mean increasing revenues for the city over a 20-year period.
The first phase of the project, to be developed by Chain Dam Hydroelectric Associates of Bethlehem, will consist of three 300-kilowatt turbines on the Lehigh Canal near the dam. The second phase calls for two 750-kilowatt units to be built on the dam's north abutment.


text:
Trucking schools, Truck Driving Schools
Top Trucking Schools → Kansas, Alabama
15500 W 113th Street Suite 450
Kansas, Alabama 66219
Sponsored Link
Find Your Local CDL School
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Top Trucking Schools is a free online resource dedicated to helping individuals find local truck driving schools. These schools will assist students in earning their CDL License.


text:
lunes, 8 de abril de 2013
Intro: |A2 - E - B4|
|F#m7/11| Once there were |D| two |E| knights and |A2| maidens |Em|
|C#m| They'd walk to-|B4| gether |C| Out in the |D| gar-|G| dens
|E| In all |A| kinds of weather |E| |E4 - E|
The |F#m7| knights always |D| pes-|E| tered the |A2| maidens |Em|
To |C#m| love them to-|B4| gether |C| Out in the |D| gar-|G| dens
And |E| they could |A| watch each other |E|
......The |F| mai-|G| dens had |C| other plans for the two |F| knights |Am|
......|Bb2| They'd give them |C| potions
......|F| And make them see |Bb| dreams and lights
The |F#m7| knights took the |D| po-|E| tions |A2| gladly |Em|
They |C#m| laughed at their |B4| visions
|C| But outside the |D| gar-|C| den
|E| Tigers |A| smelled them together |E|
......The |F| mai-|G| dens had |C| other plans for the two |F| knights |Am|
......|Bb2| They'd give them |C| potions
......|F| And make them see |Bb| dreams and lights
The |F#m7| knights only |D| laughed |E| at the |A2| tigers |Em|
They |C#m| thought they were |B4| visions
|C| Out in the |D| gar-|G| den
The |E| maidens |A| watched them together |E|
............|Am7| Aa-|G/B - C|-ah, but for the two |F| knights |Am|
............|Bb2| Ah, but for |C| maidens
............|F| Who gave to them |Bb2| dreams and lights |Bb2 - F - Bb2|
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Advertising and Misreading: Subway, The Hunger Games, and Never Let Me Go
Catching Fire opened last weekend, earning just shy of $160 million to become the most successful November release ever. I've read the Hunger Games books (they're fine) and I saw the movie: it was good, maybe better than the book; Philip Seymour Hoffman was a good choice, and people are excited about the story's portrayals of gender roles. But what intrigued me most were the tie-in advertisements leading up to the film's release. Especially Subway's tag-line "where Victor's eat" and their contest where you can "win your own victory tour."
Now, Subway ads often feature athletes, so on its face the campaign makes perfect sense. But if you've read the books, or seen the movies, or have even a passing knowledge of what the story is about, it's an awful campaign.
In case you're not familiar with the Hunger Games trilogy here's the basic idea, without spoiling too much. A dystopian totalitarian society ("the Capital") enslaves a bunch of colonies ("the districts") that had rebelled 75 years ago, forcing them to send two children, a boy and a girl, each year to compete in the eponymous games, where they all slaughter each other until only one person is living. That lucky survivor is rewarded with wealth and celebrity status, but also (we find out in the second two books) prostituted by the Capital. These survivors are known as "victors." The term has a specific, and not positive, connotation. Victors are the people who managed to kill everyone else, and now stand as symbols of their own society's enslavement. At least they get Subway sandwiches.
In the tradition of 1984 and Brave New World, the books are something of political satire (Suzanne Collins reports getting the idea while channel-surfing between reality TV and coverage of the Iraq war). The Capital is a cesspool of excess, with ridiculous fashion trends and body mutilation. The districts are starving, and a rebellion brews over the course of the trilogy. It's during the protagonists' "victory tour" through the enslaved districts that we witness the first bubblings of rebellion. Here's a clip from the tour (the antebellum plantation imagery is even more overt in the film itself):
According to Subway, you can now win this tour, and so much more. That's not a contest I'm particularly keen on entering.
I'm not the first person to notice the irony behind Subway's ad campaign. The top results of a Google search for "subway where victors eat" are not Subway advertisements but Tweets, Facebook posts, and blog posts (like this one and this one) about how awful the ad campaign is. It's also been covered in The Guardian, which also talks about Covergirl's similar campaign.
I've been thinking about it, though, in relation to teaching. I have a vague recollection of an essay about using advertisements to teach historicized close reading (now that I look it up, it's Richard Ohmann's "Teaching Historically," in Pedagogy is Politics), and in my literature and science course this semester we read another dystopian novel, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (there's a film version, too, but it's really bad). Ishiguro's novel is very different from The Hunger Games, but misreading is thematically relevant. (So are advertisements — one of the novel's key episodes is sparked by a torn-out magazine ad depicting an office).
The book takes its title from a song the narrator-protagonist (Kathy) listens to, the chorus of which repeats "oh baby, baby, never let me go." Kathy, who can't have children (for reasons I won't explain so as not to spoil this wonderful and disturbing book), imagines "a woman who'd been told she couldn't have babies, who'd really, really wanted them all her life. Then there's a sort of miracle and she has a baby, and she holds this baby very close to her and walks around singing: 'Baby, never let me go.'"
Kathy knows that's not what the lyrics are about: "Even at the time, I realised this couldn't be right, that this interpretation didn't fit with the rest of the lyrics. But that wasn't an issue with me. The song was about what I said." Kathy is interrupted by a woman, the mysterious "Madame," who sees her and then starts crying. Later in the novel we get Madame's side of this encounter:
When I watched you dancing that day, I saw something else … I saw a little girl, her eyes tightly closed, holding to her breast the old kind world, one that she knew in her heart could not remain, and she was holding it and pleading, never to let her go. That is what I saw. It wasn't really you, what you were doing, I know that. But I saw you and it broke my heart.
So Kathy (knowingly) misinterprets the song, and Madame (knowingly) misinterprets Kathy listening to the song. You don't need an English professor to tell you that you should sit up and take notice when you see a novel's title appear in such a manner. This is a book that asks who earns our sympathy and why, and whether art can reveal our humanity. Interpretation is a big deal. One of the things this novel tells us is that just because multiple reactions are possible doesn't mean anything goes and all interpretations are equally valid. Some misreadings are better than others.
Which brings me back to the Hunger Games. Donald Sutherland — who plays the villain — hoped that the Hunger Games would "stir up a revolution." Now maybe this its own kind of marketing hype, but fiction has the power to move people, and I'd like to think a story's political force can do some good. The Hunger Games' success, in the words of the Guardian article about Sutherland, is partly because "the allegory can be read multiple ways." But Subway's reading is not one of those ways. It's just bad, falling back on a word that completely misses the point of the context in which it appears.


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When Jalopnik posted a story about one of its readers' nephews 42-wheeled dream vehicle, calling upon its fan base to send in their renderings of the 19-engine super machine, we said to ourselves, "that's a bit of a larf." Little did we expect that BMW's marketing department would stick one of its Photoshop wizards on the case.
The result is called the 4219Eli. What does the name mean? Well 42 for the number of wheels, 19 for the number of engines, and "Eli" is the name the four-year-old who dreamt it up. Arguably the original concept called for Porsche engines. Clearly, BMW figured some compromises had to be made.
Features of the 4219Eli include a toy trunk, three driving positions, a custom vanity plate, and a bunch of air intakes – and you'd need a bunch of air to let those 19 engines breathe.
Of course BMW finished the 42-wheeled beast with its iconic BMW racing colors and a couple M badges because no mega BMW would be complete without either.
Fuel economy specs aren't yet known for the 4219Eli but combined power output has been pegged at 8,721 horses or just shy of eight Bugatti Veyron Super Sports. Neither Eli nor BMW have specified the transmission options that will transfer power to the 42 wheels – three on each axle – but we wouldn't be surprised if it weren't at least a couple eight-speed automatics and a few 7-speed manuals.
Not surprisingly, being the kind of dorks that we are, the first question we posed in our morning meeting was, "What kind of tech is there on the inside?" Again, this wasn't made clear. Based upon Eli's uproarious imagination, we can only suspect it's pretty fantastical – and includes lasers — lots of lasers
No word yet on a plug-in hybrid or EV version of the 4219Eli. Given the current automotive climate, one will surely have to follow but will likely only be sold in California and Oregon.


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Lauren Cross
Class of 2011
Extern at MGM and Sony,
Los Angeles, CA
Where was your externship and what was your role?
At MGM, I was the consumer products intern for the Legal Affairs team. I spent a majority of my time drafting licensing agreements for various licensees that made deals with MGM to produce t-shirts, toys and other items having to do with MGM's properties. I would also draft the execution letters that accompanied the contracts and non-disclosure agreements if we were going to send any type of marketing material to a potential licensee. It was an amazing opportunity to gain drafting experience and it helped me to understand the licensing process. At Sony, I was the Business and Legal Affairs intern for their International Television group. This internship was very unique in that I would be assigned a deal and was responsible for it from start to finish. A typical day consisted of getting a deal memo that one of our international channels submitted because they were going to purchase programming, comparing that deal to previous deals we have done with the production or distribution company who owned that programming to ensure that we were securing certain rights on behalf of the channel and that we were entering into a lucrative business deal, speaking with the company who owns the programming and negotiating the deal terms, to drafting the contract and communicating with the channel and the company each step of the way. The most interesting thing about this internship was that most of the people we interacted with were from different countries, so there were language barriers and different ways of doing business and I really had to think about how I phrased emails and questions so that they were direct and concise. Otherwise, a lot of time would be wasted clarifying things instead of wrapping up the deal.


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Agents of the Prime
Who are you?
Who is this Creator, that claims to be your father?
Who are these primordials that he has warned you of? What other powers was he referring to?
The spark of the divine rises up within you. It is time to join with your brothers and sisters, and bring to pass the future. For your good, for the good of all – the prime will be established as foretold.
The Agents of the Prime campaign is a D&D 4th edition game, with a few twists. Watch this space.


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Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Integrity of the Liturgy
The inestimable Philip Pfatteicher has published a comparison and review of the daily offices as they appear in the two new Lutheran service books, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW: published by the ELCA) and Lutheran Service Book (published by the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod [and, yes, it's supposed to be an "em" dash]). Of interest to me is his analysis of the utter weakness of the offices in the ELW, since that's the book we use in my congregation -- over my objections, I will note for the record. For my money, it's both a devastating critique and an accurate statement. Many of us would like to see a denomination's worship book designed so that it serves both the congregation and the family in their respective worship and devotions. It is clear that the powers-that-be who designed the ELW have no sense of that. It is also clear that the worship professionals in the denomination have tin ears, faulty training, no ecclesiology, and bad taste. In short, my expectations for this boondoggle have been confirmed.
What the Rev. Dr. Philip does not mention is that he has produced a prodigious alternative to the ELW for the daily office. The Daily Prayer of the Church contains, in one volume, the office rites, music, hymnody, readings "in the ancient" way. You may consult here for more information.
I'm embarrassed, in a way, to admit that it has supplanted the brievary I used to use. It's difficult to have to choose between two wonderful works, and so perhaps I'll go back and forth every two years. I have been very satisfied with For all the Saints: A Prayer Book by and for the Church. Compiled and organized by my friend Fred Schumacher, this "resource" is rich in other ways from Pfatteicher's. Of chief note about Saints is its including three full lections for each day, together with a reading from the writings of some saint, drawn from the full history and all traditions of the Christian Church. (Pfatteicher's, already a very thick book, can accommodate only a verse or two -- in what I understand to me the breviary tradition.) Schumacher's is also easier to use (you start at the front of volume 1 and work through in order to volume 4) -- but you can do that when you get four volumes to work with. Pfatteicher's takes some getting used to, but that poses no major problem to anyone who is committed to using it.
I say that I'm embarrassed about my defection because I am serve as the Synod liaison for the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, which happens to publish both of the works (in the case of Pfatteicher, in tandem with Kirk House). Loyalty might have obviated the need for one of the two books, had they been published by different groups. But ... .
One advantage the Pfatteicher has over the Schumacher is that it follows the "new" calendar in force with the ELW -- i.e., it relates a little more closely to the secular calendar (we now have "ordinary time" instead of "after Pentecost") and allows for pre-Advent preparations (but without the "-gesima" Sundays). Still and all, they are both great achievements and I hawk them whenever I can. (Too: If you're a Lutheran and don't read -- er, subscribe to -- Lutheran Forum, also published by ALPB, you are missing out on a dandy and inspiring experience.) Note: Both office books use the daily prayer orders and music from the Lutheran Book of Worship, which, while not eliminated from the AugsburgFortress line (at least as I understand matters), has been forsaken for absolutely no good reason by the ELCA. I personally don't think that the music of that worship book's offices is stunning or especially invigorating (nothing compares to the anglican chant settings of Matins and Vespers in the now-ancient Service Book and Hymnal) but it is better than what has replaced it. (And that just goes to show that when you have good texts and historical sense, you can make good music -- all of which are lacking in the new "worship resource," as the promoters insist on calling it.)
Do yourself (and ALPB) a favor and buy one or both of the daily office books that I recommend. And begin to take seriously your responsibility to pray without ceasing.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
I think it is in his monograph, A Coming Christ in Advent, that Raymond E. Brown, perhaps my favorite Bible scholar, enthusiastically urges preachers to take up the "begats" of the first chapter of Matthew. There is much to be gleaned for our benefit from what seems a rather arcane recital of a male-celebrating list of forebears. What can possibly serve faith about this section of chapter 1? Quite a bit, Fr. Brown said.
Well, a little snooping around in anticipation of leading a Bible study of the Gospel of Matthew and our first week of discussing the Gospel have shown me that Raymond Brown, once again, knew his stuff. These first few verses are packed with information, assertion, confession, contradiction, and confusion. And taken as a whole, it now seems to me indispensable to the Gospel.
The most obvious feature of the list of "begats" (and scholars seem to agree that the translation "was the father of" is too weak; "begat" or "fathered" or "sired" is much more to the point of the Greek) is that it is the history of Israel writ in brief. Jesus is said to be "son of Abraham." And from Abraham, recipient of the covenantal promise (about which more later), through Joseph, wife of Mary, the history of the faith and nation of
Abraham was blessed "to be a blessing": By his heirs all nations would be brought back into faithfulness with The Lord, creator of heaven and earth. Through her history,
so that Jew and Gentile alike now live as God's people – or, at least, that the path to this eschatological reality is made straight and the journey begun.Additional evidence that Matthew wants to stress openness to the Gentiles is carried by his including women in the list of the begats. While there may be no scriptural support for the claim of motherhood on the part of some of them, Matthew includes Tamar, and Hagar, Bathsheba (though not by name), and Ruth. Some of these are women of ill-repute; most (if not all) are not Jews. Yet here they are: The genealogy is no whitewash over history. And one of the facts that is not whitewashed over is that Gentiles have served a place in God's work all along – as they will again. God can and has made use of surprising instruments to work his will – witness these women, including, let us not forget, a virgin – and he does so for his ultimate purposes, which are all-inclusive.
Wonderfully, this is the story not just of the fulfillment (a big word for Matthew) of
And part of the salvation of the world includes the salvation of its "politics" – this is the point of naming Jesus "son of David." Matthew is a most political book, but it shows us that the "politics of Jesus" (to use Yoder's term) is an alternative to the world's power politics – with their reliance on force, violence, dishonesty, compromise. From the Sermon on the Mount through his peaceful submission to death, even death on a cross,
In all of this, Matthew makes clear that he has no intention of writing a pseudo-history of Jesus; his efforts are in another direction. He interpolates connections, elides dynasties, omit kings. And he doesn't even count very well: His claim to three sets of fourteen generations each doesn't add up. But the effect is to reinforce the impression that his goal is homiletic, not historical. (It reminds me of the claim I frequently make about the Current Occupant of the White House: His theme is "Let me tell you what's going on – and don't confuse me with the facts.") He wishes us to see in the man whose story he tells God's final act and statement to accomplish his will, embodied in the very real human (hence the point of the genealogy in the first place) Jesus.
And that makes sense of Hauerwas' claim that "who" Jesus was and is" tells us the "what" and "why" of Jesus. Matthew's is not a propositional treatise – ala Paul's letters, for example. This is the narrative of the one whose life is the content of his message. The only way to come to grips with Jesus is to follow him, to become his disciple (something he, as his final act on earth, charges his disciples to make of all nations) – to listen to him, to wrestle with his words and his deeds, to see in him the full vesture of God in human flesh.
And that's not bad for a list of names, is it?
Monday, September 17, 2007
Holy and Mundane
One of those tensions planted deeply in my spiritual development relates to the eucharist. It is a tension of "holy/special" with "common/ordinary." When I was growing up, my congregation celebrated (if that can be the word) holy communion four times a year. The services were in the evening; only confirmed members received – and not nearly all of them; the pastor eschewed the surplice and wore only cassock and stole; the lighting was subdued; the hymnody dour and slow. It was a daunting experience – no trace of joy; lots of talk of fear and trembling – as though the setting didn't obviate the need for talking about them. And all of this was perceived to be a way of keeping the communion "special." The great danger, I remember hearing in Sunday School and confirmation, was rendering the Lord's Supper as something "common" or "ordinary." As was later opined in the great debates about celebrating communion more frequently (and this was before the push for every-Sunday eucharists), celebrating more frequently or with less sobriety would rob the sacrament of its specialness, its power, its "meaning," its effect. (That theology was wrong on so many points, but it held sway for decades.)
Well, we live in a new era – and I generally say, thanks be to God. My own congregation, as I have noted ad nauseum, celebrates the holy eucharist every Sunday and on significant feasts, too. We decry "close(d)" communion – i.e., communion only for those who meet certain standards of orthodoxy, as we measure it. We commune "continuously" – i.e., we do not commune by tables, but rather "on the run" – so as to emphasize eating and drinking by the entire assembly as one. (This is not uncontroversial even at
But, curmudgeon that I am, I wonder whether even we at Mount Olive are at risk of dissolving the ellipse of the eucharist – that of the tension between "common" and "special." Now, I believe that the eucharist is meant to be common – it is the most ordinary thing that Christians do, as ordinary as breathing, eating with family and friends, carrying on daily conversation. When my daughter was about four and already communing, she spotted the big red button on the side of my head and, adept at pushing all my buttons, proclaimed just as we were to go forward to receive, "I don't want to commune today." Well, for once I had my wits about me (perhaps it was the proximity of the Holy Spirit at the moment) and I said to her, "Of course you will." "But I don't want to." "That doesn't matter; you will commune." "Why?" "Because that's what Christians do." And that settled the matter for her. Never again have we fought over whether to commune. (I have temporarily lost the battle over communing by the common cup; she prefers the intinction cup, as do most of her friends. But I am confident that I'll eventually win this war, too.)
My point was and is that communing regularly – as we said of voting in
Now, in the church, the sense of communion as "ordinary" – at least in the sense of being something that should be done as regularly as prayer and Bible reading – has won out. But at what cost, I wonder.
As with so much of church life, the pendulum just can't seem to stop at the via media; it has to continue past center to the opposite extreme. And I wonder whether communion has become too "common." Far from close(d) communion, we practice virtually no eucharistic discipline at all: Oh, we may put in our bulletins (as we do at Mount Olive) that we welcome to communion anyone baptized in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, but in no sense do we check credentials of any "stranger" presenting himself or herself. (And, truth to tell, I wouldn't want us to.)
My wish has been granted (to call it a prayer might stretch matters): Eucharist has become a common expectation and practice. But for many, I suspect, it has – as predicted – ceased to be special. With the American inability to live with paradox, most of us have resolved the tension in favor of ordinary. And it shows in the manner that many commune: There is a distinct lack of reverence toward the body and blood themselves, which are tossed around like so much old gravy. (In my in-laws' congregation, after communing, the communicants discard their little plastic individual glass into a waste basket, without regard for whether there's wine still in it or not. Needless to say, I almost faint – especially when that is combined with happy-clappy songs projected on the side screens.) Communion is seen as "due" to anyone who wants it, irrespective of any commitment to or involvement with the congregation that gives flesh and blood to the body and blood of the eucharist. It's a picnic to which all and sundry (perhaps even including the ants) are welcome.
And superstition has replaced reverence. I was recently at a confirmation in a large church. This congregation almost never offers congregation communion services; the pressing need for religious services on-the-hour doesn't allow for it in a 45-minute service. So for the confirmation (which looked and sounded more like a graduation – unfortunate connotations, there – replete with little diploma folders), communion was something of an open question. The church's solution: Have the confirmands stand, throw out the words of institution (with NONE of the versicles, canticles, or anything else that give the Eucharistic liturgy its substance), and commune just the confirmands, while the soloist sang a medley of Bible camp standards. (Side note: And we wonder why we won't see most of those kids in church again?) Let the congregation witness the event – after all, it's a spectator sport, anyway (well, except for the offering). Sanctify the event with a little communion thrown in; don't worry about the absolute nonsense it makes of whatever meaning the confirmation rite has (and I argue that it has very little). Give it out along with a Bible and a diploma. No need to dim the lights (that only happened for the sermon!). It was almost surreal – and that would have been interesting, if the entire event hadn't been so damned sad!
Obviously extreme examples prove very little, but they can open our eyes to deeper realities. Reverence is a dying art in Lutheran worship; it has become all too common – almost indistinguishable from the other entertainment venues we frequent. (I'm not sure, frankly, that I would object to a Starbucks outlet at
Back to paradox; re-stress the tensions. Forget Hegelian thesis-antithesis-synthesis; the Gospel is not synthetic and neither should be our theology. Recapture "dialectic": It means more than "with words." Bring back "the holy" aspect of Church life. Take off your shoes, as Moses was told; this is holy ground. We could stand lessons in how to stand on holy ground without losing our sense of terra firma.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Yet Another Requien
I have been a fan of Ms. L'Engle's for decades, but not primarily through her famous so-called "children's books," Wrinkle and the Austen books, but through her journals and her adult novels. Her journals, sometimes purportedly written in the dead of night when she couldn't sleep and missed her last husband, made me want to be a memoirist. But that requires a certain degree of insight, so I couldn't follow her example. Still, if I can't sleep, I follow her advice to enjoy the wakefulness (especially in the midst of winter) and drink a cup of warmed chicken broth.
There is a very touching obituary here. (No one does obits the way The New York Times does.)
Eternal rest grant her, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon her.
And the people of God are heard to say, Amen.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
A Church on the Move
It's pretty cool, and it reminds me so much of my roots on the prairies of North Dakota.
R.I.P., Luciano Pavarotti
Here is a touching and fair obit:
I can't say that I was a great fan of Pavarotti's: He was too "tenor-ish" for me -- which I say even though, at one time, I was a tenor and I continue to adore the tenor voice. But my taste runs to the deeper qualities of a Placido Domingo (who, I think, is a genius; who began as a baritone, and who continues to sing beautifully). His voice was and is unmistakable, but it was always too shrill for me. (I also absolutely loathe "Irish tenors.")
Still, when I attended his recitals, as I was privileged to do two or three times, I couldn't deny the charisma of the man. He was a superstar, a commercial success, and an attractive ambassador for opera and lieder to those not-yet-acquainted with it. And I can't hear "Nessun Dorma" sung by anyone else without thinking, "If they can retire a baseball jersey, why can't they do so with an opera aria?" Pavarotti would get "Nessun" hands down. (I know: Callas could claim anything from Norma, Price gets "O, Patria Mia," and the like -- and the opera halls would fall silent.)
He wasn't the greatest human being, it seems. I was living in Chicago when Ardis Krainik announced the Pavarotti would no longer be scheduled for performances with the Lyric Opera in Chicago because of his unreliability. (I think I was to hear him in two operas while I had seasons there, and he failed to show for either -- and while I didn't much care, the seat-buying public was mostly incensed.) He also seems to have treated his (first) wife and family shabbily -- taking up late in life with something of a trophy wife.
So, Pavarotti was fun to make fun of and pretty good to listen to.
Rest eternal grant him, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him.


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|small lump!
Apr 9, 2002
i've been hiv+ for five years now, and have been on meds for 18 months. i have noticed in the past six months a lump, slightly smaller than a pea, at the back right hand side of my neck, i just assumed that it was a gland, but i was feeling it the other day, and i noticed that the lump is actually in the skin, not below it (as in it moves when i pull and manipulate the skin), and if it was a gland, surely these would be a corrisponding swollen gland on the other side of my neck, but there is'nt. Basically what i want to know is could it be a gland, if not what could it be and do i need to get my doc to have a look?
Response from Dr. Boyle
It could be a lymph node or it could be many other things, including a small fat collection, a cyst or some other benign finding. If it hasn't grown in 6 months, its unlikely to be anything terribly significant, but you should have your doctor actually examine it. An exam is sometimes worth a thousand words.
Zerit,Videx,Sustiva with fans and benzodiazepine interactions
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Pasta with Shrimp
Shrimp and asparagus, tossed in wine sauce and served over angel hair pasta, is an elegant dinner for two that requires short time in the kitchen.
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Pasta with Shrimp
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- Thaw shrimp; if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact (if desired). Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- Trim woody ends off asparagus. Remove tips and set aside. Bias-slice the stalks into 1- to 1-1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to saucepan; cover and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a medium skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for 15 seconds. Add tomatoes; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the asparagus stalks, wine, salt, and black pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and asparagus tips. Cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes more or until shrimp are opaque. Stir in butter until melted.
- To serve, add the shrimp mixture and basil to pasta; toss gently to coat. Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition Facts (Pasta with Shrimp)
- Per serving:
- 379 kcal ,
- 10 g fat
- (4 g sat. fat ,
- 208 mg chol. ,
- 361 mg sodium ,
- 41 g carb. ,
- 3 g fiber ,
- 28 g pro.


text: Does anyone know how the dynamic weather works in the game? Because it always seems to be raining on my race day the only one that it hasnt rained on is Bahrain wonder why ha. But is the weather based on live weather or is it randomised for every session. Honestly though i dont mind the rain because i like taking the risk and driving flat out whereas the AI dont like the rain which is stupid but im just curious as to how it works.


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This action packed, zany, comedy adventure unfolds when brilliant Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Frankfurt (Billy Drago) goes AWOL and begins experimenting on the synthesis of zombies, leaving the United States government with no choice but to call in...the Zombie Hunters.
Nicole Weller (Jana Williams) is a young actress in a movie on location in the Sierra mountains. It turns out to be anything but what she hoped for when a gang of vicious killers shoot the film director and take Nicole hostage. Will she survive her captors in... The Survivor.
The story of a young man's passion for muscle cars who is constantly harassed by local town rich boys. His troubles grow when his family is in trouble of losing their farm. Find out how Danny Tanner saves his family and the girl he loves in this red line action flick... Finish Line.
Warpath is a taut, riveting action adventure thriller about Native American's search for justice. He summons his childhood training and the spirits of his ancestors as he faces the ultimate test of survival. Jim is accused of murder and wanted law.
A chilling erotic thriller that unfolds in the dark tradition of film noir, OBSESSION KILLS is a sexy ride with numerous twists and turns. Starring Playboy model Lisa Comshaw (also of THE PUPPET MASTERS) and featuring soap opera veteran Carrie Genzel of "Days Of Our Lives" and "All My Children".
After trading their noisy Boston condo for a bizarre mansion on a small island along the New England coastline, Adrienne and Donald Gordon are slowly enveloped in a mystery of boundless, supernatural proportions.
Huge motherships from an alien species sneak ominously into orbit earth. Lethal, bat-winged fighters descend to the planet. Citizens are abducted. Homes are destroyed. The invasion has begun. With the secret to destroy the attacking space ships, there's a chance they can stop the alien invasion; for now.
String bikinis, wet t-shirts, killer babes, and raging dudes can only mean one thing - spring break! Party with Tim and Dave as they cruise the beach in search of the heiress with the hidden birthmark.
A Vietnam War veteran (John Schneider) renounces the military for a priest's habit, but after his wife and daughter are killed by terrorists in Rome (and the government does nothing), the hero returns to violent means.
Diplomatic Immunity is a taut, riveting thriller about one man's search for justice. When Marine Sgt. Hickel (Bruce Boxleitner) learns that his daughter has been brutally murdered by Klaus Hermann. He is enraged.the action explodes as Cole faces the ultimate test of survival.
The crash of a tanker truck leads to the evacuation of the prison by the warden (George Kennedy). In the ensuing confusion, anti-social cons Kuttner (Lee De Broux) and Patch (James Tolkan) kidnap prison psychologist Maria Slayton (Kim Delaney) and hit the road with a bus full of prisoners.
A vigilante group has set up an organization to capture criminals that have escaped the legal justice. A member of the group, an ex-Vietnam war veteran, goes out of control and creates havoc. Now it is up to two cops to find him and stop him and his senseless bloodshed.
In the future after a war has wiped out any sense of humanity that may have survived the 20th century. Motorcycle-riding groups of toughs are now riding roughshod as they try to wipe each other out. Humanity's last hope is two lone survivors search of a legendary place where people are attempting to resuscitate civilization.
Somewhere in the Middle East, a passionately flamboyant Arab leader whips his people into a frenzy during a street protest against America's superpower and invades a Midwest American town. The town's only hope is a ragged group of teenagers from the local high school.
James Macalla (Chris Robinson) is a prominent university researcher whose mysterious death is not investigated to the satisfaction of his distraught wife, Laura (Linda Purl). Laura sets off to find the real killers and discovers that they are linked to a shadowy band of government operators.


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Midweek Lessons
Quiet Times for New Moms, Deb Anton
The Quiet Times for New Moms booklet is a wonderful resource for anyone striving to remain close to God while caring for a little one. The beginning months can be one long blur and before we know it we have drifted from God's side. Use these daily devotionals to help you stay focused on God as you embark on this new chapter in your life.
Midweek Lessons
Shiela Wehr's Moving Testimony on Surrendering to God, Despite...
Shiela Wehr's Moving Testimony as She Battles Amyloidosis
Midweek Lessons
Forgiveness Follow-up Series
The Hampton Roads Church women's ministry is conducting a series of follow-up lessons on the freedom that comes with forgiveness.
Joyce McDonnell delivered the second message in this series, The Master Forgiver
Let It Go! Forgiveness Workshop with Linda Brumley
Linda Brumley, author of Hand in Hand with God Finding Your Path to Forgiveness, led women throughout Hampton Roads in a workshop on forgiveness.
For next three weeks, each of the regions of Hampton Roads Church will conduct special follow lessons. Here's the details for the follow up lessons:
Coastal region (virginia beach/norfolk)
- 1132 Pickett Road, Norfolk — 7pm start, childcare provided
- feb 24th………. . . . …………… faith to forgive
- mar 3rd……. . . . . . . . ……… the master forgiver
- mar 10th. ……forgiveness: journey of the heart
Tidewater region (chesapeake/suffolk/portsmouth/odu/nsu/tcc), 1132 Pickett Road, Norfolk — 7pm start, childcare provided
- feb 25th………. . . . ……………faith to forgive
- mar 4th……. . . . . . . . ……… the master forgiver
- mar 11th. ……forgiveness: journey of the heart
Peninsula region (hampton/newport news/yorktown/williamsburg/gloucester), 73 Maxwell Lane, Newport News — 7pm start, childcare provided
- feb 25th………. . . . ……………faith to forgive
- mar 4th……. . . . . . . . ……… the master forgiver
- mar 11th. ……forgiveness: journey of the heart
For further information please contact:
- Peninsula: Deb Anton (757) 287-4156
- Virginia Beach/Norfolk: Joyce McDonnell (757) 575-5169
- Chesapeake/Portsmouth: Ayhanna Booker (804) 248-9921
- Teens:Kelly Throne (630) 335-1035
- Campus:Alanna Lund (240) 461-1151
Women's Night Out - "Sarah's Daughters Don't Give In To Fear"
Joyce McDonnell preached to the women of the Hampton Roads Church on overcoming fear through faith as she looked to Sarah's example in 1 Peter 3.
Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. (1 Peter 3:4–6, NIV)
Women's Day 2014: Created to Crave
Following our incredible Women's Day about CRAVING we had three weeks of follow-up lessons at our midweeks. The themes for the lesson were Truth, Purpose and Freedom. Women from all regions preached the word of God powerfully and with conviction. The lessons are available below. Please share with your friends, family and co-workers!
Deb Anton: Created to Crave || Wednesday, March 19th
Joyce McDonnell: Created to Crave Truth || Wednesday, April 2nd
Anadee Tucker: Created to Crave Truth || Wednesday, April 2nd
Alanna McCalla: Created to Crave Purpose || Wednesday, April 9th
Maritza Amadeo: Created to Crave Purpose || Wednesday, April 9th
Ayhanna Booker: Created to Crave Freedom || Wednesday, April 16th
Deb Anton: Created to Crave Freedom || Wednesday, April 16th
Tidewater Women's Day
The women of the Tidewater Region had an incredible time at their event. Angie Hoover from a sister church in Charleston, SC brought the message with conviction and excitement. Over 200 women were in attendance and deeply moved by God's word. Listen to Angie's power lesson below!
Peninsula Women's Day
The Peninsula Women had the special opportunity to hear Dionne Davis from our sister church in Baltimore. She preached the word with passion and zeal, touching the hearts of the more than 200 women who came for the event.
Coastal Women's Day
On Saturday, April 5th the Hampton Roads Church wrapped up our Women's Days with a moving and inspiring lesson from Kim Evans, visiting from a sister church in Philadelphia. The 350+ women walked away motivated, humbled and excited to have their cravings filled by God. Listen in for yourself!
The Missing Peace
Our series on the Missing Peace equips Christian women to find and enjoy the great yet elusive promise of the peace of God. Audio lessons are available below:
The Missing Peace Keynote Speech by Terrie Fontenot
A peace that transcends understanding is often missing from the heart of a woman. Learn more about this missing peace.
TentMaking for Women
An audio lesson from Lynley Cejas on working for the ministry as self supported staff.
Women's Follow Up Series: "The Missing Peace"
The Women's Day Follow Up Series was a fantastic time of learning more about the "Missing Peace" in our lives. If you'd like to hear the audio or download the lessons and listen to it at your own pace, please click the link below!


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from www.dailymail.co.uk – Despite the demands of her vast brood, Nadya 'Octo-Mom' Suleman has found the time to scribble down a handwritten diary that will be the bafflement of future historians.
It's certainly bewildering even to her contemporaries, as for the most part it's made up of scribbles and strange stream of consciousness ramblings
But somewhere amidst all the craziness, the 37-year-old has laid down a framework for a kind of sexual revolution, and by that we mean, she won't be having sex.
Nadya has vowed to stay celibate while she undertakes therapy and says she will never take on any more porn work – the mother of 14 once starred in an solo performance adult film.
According to Radar Online, she writes: 'I choose not to give my body sexually to ANYONE. Not even myself. I won't give what I can control away… I am not for sale.'
Nadya won AVN Award for her solo porn tape and has stripped – all to raise funds for her family – but the diary writings reveals the extent of her pain at doing so.
'I'm to blame. I deserve to be punished. Punish me. Hurt me. Destroy me. As I am now done,' she writes according to the website.
'I focused 100% attention on my family, went back on welfare (I know), and never stripped again. Soon…you will be reading these words. And as soon as you are…we will be off welfare forever.'
'Ones body is sacred,' she writes.
"Should never be sold or shared…with anyone unless in a completely committed relationship.'
The mother of 14 children allegedly packed up and left her property in Palmdale after being asked to leave for not paying her rent for the month of April.
She left in the middle of the night despite being given three days to rectify the situation by Urban Resources Consulting on behalf of her landlord.
Nadya has owed $2,590 since April 1 according to RadarOnline, who also state that the star left a huge mess and stench of urine inside the pad.
'Octomom had not paid her rent for the month of April as of last Wednesday,' a source close to the landlord told the website. 'Then, in the middle of the night, she moved her furniture and the kids out of the home, leaving the house in filth and smelling like urine. The landlord was disgusted. There were beer bottles in the garage and trash littered all throughout the house.'
Almost one year ago, Octomom was investigated by Orange County's Children & Family Services when her hairdresser made a complaint.
And in 2009, the La Habra Police Department and Social Services of Orange Country investigated claims of child neglect.
Suleman moved to her 5,000 sq ft house in October 2012 after her former property was foreclosed.
According to a report by TMZ, she wasn't even due to start making payments until April meaning she hasn't even begun contributing.
She explained of her busy lifestyle recently that she is run down with costly tasks.
'I do a lot! I'm a cook, a chauffeur and a nanny,' she told In Touch.
Suleman says she spends 'a couple hundred dollars a week on groceries' for her ten sons and four daughters and does 'several loads' of laundry a day.
She came under fire last month after signing up for welfare after spending her savings on a trip to rehab, despite reportedly making more than the minimum amount required to qualify for federal financial assistance.
TMZ reported at the time Suleman has been receiving $1,800 a month for food, $1,000 for emergency cash, as well as medical benefits to help with mental health and dental issues after signing up for the programme in January.
But she is only eligible for the support if she brought in less than $119,000 in a calendar year, and according to TMZ, authorities believe she may have made over $200,000.
According to the website, The L.A. County Dept. of Welfare Fraud Prevention and Investigation has started calling her various employers from the past year to figure out exactly how much the television personality has earned, sources told the website.
The investigation includes combing through bank statements, cancelled cheques and wire transfer receipts, as well as asking her employers who else she may have worked for.
If she is found guilty of committing welfare fraud, she could face three or more years in prison.
Suleman did not comment on the allegations. But she remains resilient in the face of hardship.
She told In Touch: 'We've hit rock bottom, but our struggles are what shape us.'


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Yesterday I took a day free so we could do the anti-fouling. The night before we cleaned the surface and put a skirt on the tape against drops of ant-fouling. In the late afternoon we bought two Airmare DST800 smart transdusers for in the floats and we visit Fetske there father so were late at home and I could not post this.
Today I spend the hole day with drilling holes in the beams. This is a precise work and you don't want to make a error. Fetske did removed all the tape from the folding strut mounts. There are some pieces off hardware in backlog so the beams have to wait before I can clue and screw things together.


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I was out of town for a few days. While at my mom's I was able to crochet these arm warmers/fingerless gloves. They look like candy stripes to me- for the girl who like bright colors or pink.
We had to come home early since my son got sick. It's a real bummer to be sick when you've got the week off of school. We were planning on going to Disneyland yesterday too. He's got a fever and there's lots of germs at my house right now. My throat was a little scratchy on Monday, so I took some Airborne, and am taking it twice a day. So far, so good. We'll see in a few days if I get sick or not. If not, I'll probably have Airborne to thank for that!


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I really need to stop saying I'll do posts and then not do them. Let's face it, I have a hard time being consistent… this is mirrored in my own life, so don't feel special or anything. I always have really great intentions. I'm working on a fiction piece right now, and by working on it I mean running scared from it. After failing my last assignment I'm not very motivated to get shredded again. But what is life without being torn down? If I was never torn down I'd never be able to build myself up again, right? right?! So, I will post a big life update [eventually], but for now more of my writing will just have to suffice.
Our first assignment was a 3-5 page non-dialogue screenplay. Mine ended up being 2.5 pages. Enjoy 🙂
PDF: Short_Script_1


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Halloween Plus Size Lace Up Hooded Maxi Dress - Xl
Final Winter Clearance Sale
Size XL 2XL 3XL 4XL 5XL Size Guide
Fit US Size:14,Length:54.72,Sleeve Length:25.2.(In inches) Fit US Size:16,Length:55.12,Sleeve Length:25.59.(In inches) Fit US Size:18,Length:55.51,Sleeve Length:25.98.(In inches) Fit US Size:20,Length:55.91,Sleeve Length:26.38.(In inches) Fit US Size:22,Length:56.3,Sleeve Length:26.77.(In inches)
Processing Time: Your item will be shipped out within 3 business days.
- Buyer protection|Learn More >>
- 30 Day Returns Guarantee
- Full or partial refund if the item is not as described
- Full refund for damaged items
The long sleeve gorgeous maxi dress is an understated way to rock a Halloween look! This simple design of color combination and front lace-up detail are such a beautifully classic Halloween choice, while the soft material of this dress is so wonderfully comfy! Just add jeans to complete this holiday look!
Material: Polyester,Spandex
Silhouette: A-Line
Dresses Length: Ankle-Length
Neckline: Hooded
Sleeve Length: Long Sleeves
Pattern Type: Solid
With Belt: No
Season: Fall,Spring
Weight: 0.6670kg
Package Contents: 1 x Dress
- Receiving time = Processing time + Shipping time
- Priority Direct Mail: 7-15 bussiness days
- Standard Shipping: 7-25 bussiness days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-7 bussiness days
Our Guarantee: 30 Day Returns or Exchange guarantee from the delivered date.
- Small 43%
- True to Size 57%
- Large 0%
We want to hear from you!
Tell us what you think about this item,win 10 points for post text review.
NatalieHeight:5' 9" Bust size:38D Body Shape:Hourglass
- Fits perfectly (please always consult the size guide before ordering) and can be adjusted with the binding in front. The length is perfect for me, but I'm pretty tall, so bear that in mind if you are a bit on the short side. The green is exactly as vibrant and rich as the picture. Nice fabric, soft, but feels sturdy, not heavy.
- Size:5XL Color:BLACK AND GREEN
- je porte une taille 52 pour 1m60 j'ai acheté un équivalent 54 et j'en suis très satisfaite. la matière est très agréable. la robe m'arrive pile au pied sans traîner par terre. les lacets sous la poitrine permettent de dessiner une très jolie taille cet article va au dela de mes espérances merciiiiii
- Size:5XL Color:BLACK AND GREEN
CeliaHeight:4' 6" Bust size:32AA Body Shape:Hourglass
- This is perfect for me for Halloween! Glad I used the size guide because I'm a 22 and would have ordered a 2xl or 3xl like i normally do, but I'm a 5xl for this. Fits true to size as long as u use the size guide. It is heavy and durable! Ordered 10/7 with expedited shipping and it arrived 10/25.
- Size:5XL Color:BLACK AND GREEN
HalieWeight:245Lbs Height:5' 8" Bust size:38D Body Shape:Rectangle
- I am an american woman of size 16 to 20. the 4xl of this hoodie dress fits me, looks flattering but not the most flattering (I ordered a bigger size for that later) I think it is beautiful and my friend says I am bewitching. I like it.
- Size:5XL Color:BLACK AND GREEN
pluiedouceHeight:4' 6" Bust size:32AA Body Shape:Hourglass
- By Daphne Oct-20/2017 03:10:49
- Q: Are there any regular sizes coming for these hooded dresses? Thanks.?A:
Hi Daphne,
Please check the related measurements indicated on the product page. Under the product description you can see find a size chart.
You need to choose the item size according to your own measurements (in cm or inches).
- By Angela Oct-17/2017 03:10:03
- Q: When is it estimated product will arrive to Swansea MA if ordered today? ??A:
Hi Angela,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Once we receive your payment we will need 2-7 business days to process your order. Once we have shipped the order, you can use these estimations:
1) Expedited Shipping: Around 3-7 working days
2) Standard Shipping: Between 7-10 working days
3) Flat Rate Shipping: Between 10-25 working days


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Yummy And Super-Easy
Milk bath recipes are good for people who want to rejuvenate the vitality of their skin. When your skin is feeling dry, soak for a few minutes in one of the healing and soothing preparations below.
Milk softens the skin and removes the layer of dead cells that are clogging the surface. Use milk with higher fat content to get more nourishment. The essential oils in each recipe also provide additional benefits.
Lavender Uplifting Milk Bath
2 cups of whole powdered milk
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
10 drops lavender essential oil
9 drops lemon essential oil
1 drop chamomile essential oil
1. In a dark glass jar, combine powdered milk, baking soda and cornstarch.
2. Cover the jar and shake to mix well.
3. Add the essential oils, cover and shake the jar again to combine.
4. Set aside to cure for at least 24 hours
5. Usage: Pour 1 or 2 cups of the milk bath directly under running bath water. Disperse with your hands to mix.
6. Slide into the water and relax for 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Finish up by applying body oil or a hydrating lotion.
Caution: Do not use chamomile if you are allergic to ragweed.
MILK BATH RECIPES Photo Gallery


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By Kelly Joiner, Campus Staff in Los Angeles
Here are 11 thorough tips for creating a robust follow-up process that will help your chapter reach out to peers who've gone through a Proxe Station, attended an evangelistic outreach, or indicated interest in InterVarsity at New Student Outreach.
Make quarter-sheet follow-up cards that obtain the following information:
If you don't want to print follow-up cards and will have WiFi access/cell service at your table or event, you could even create a Google form to use on a phone/tablet that inputs follow-up data into a Google spreadsheet (see #2).
Create a database (Google spreadsheets are great for collaborative follow up) using the same categories from the follow-up card above as your column headings, plus a column for "Assigned To" (see #3).
Before your event, create a system so that students know exactly who should follow up with each contact. You might organize follow-up efforts based on where contacts live, for example, and pre-assign each student leader or staff to specific dorm floors, whole dorms, apartment buildings, or parts of campus.
After the event, you can make adjustments in the database if a certain person would have a lot more people to follow up with than others.
It is best that only one student is assigned to each new contact, though they can do follow up in pairs for higher accountability.
Determine what you want to measure and create goals around those categories. Here are some sample goals:
Create columns in your Google spreadsheet to keep track of progress with contacts and assess where you're at with goals.
For example, if one of your goals is to have contacts attend chapter events, you could create a column called "New Student Action" with dropdown options for "Attended Once," "Attended 3 Times," "No Show (Interested)," and "No Show (Not Interested)."
If one of your goals is for leaders to visit the contacts, you could create a column called "Leader Action" with dropdown options for "Face-to-Face Connection," "3 Repeated Connections," and "No Connection Yet."
Assign three to five people to be your data-entry team. Immediately after each event or Proxe Station, it's their job to enter the data from follow-up cards into the Google spreadsheet.
Make sure that the "Assigned To" column gets filled out within a few hours after your event as well, so that every leader knows exactly with whom they are expected to follow up.
Certain people should get higher priority in follow up, perhaps because they aren't Christian or because they are from a minority culture on campus and will take less self-initiative in getting connected.
A few ways to do this are:
Each leader at a Proxe Station or event should know exactly what to do when they get a contact card.
After the interested student has left, the leader should write their own name on the back of the contact card along with any relevant information from their conversation. If the leader desires to follow up with that person directly, note that on the back of the card as well.
All contact cards should be turned into the same location. If a leader wants to keep a phone number or email for themselves, they should copy that down on a separate paper. The main thing is that all contact cards get put in one place so they can be inputted into the Google spreadsheet.
Sometimes a new student will connect with someone who was not the original person assigned to follow up with them. For example, Andy was assigned to follow up with Tanya, but Tanya ended up going to Jessica's small group instead of Andy's.
You need to have a system for "passing off" this contact. It should become the responsibility of the person "taking" the contact to update that on the Google spreadsheet. In the above example, this means Jessica is now responsible to connect with Andy and update the Google spreadsheet to say that she is now responsible for following up further with Tanya.
Keeping data is a good thing. Evaluating data is even better.
Likely the most important thing will be helping your leaders know what to do once they are assigned to follow up with someone.
Have them role play what they will do when they visit someone's room or make a phone call. Be very specific about what you want them to do when they connect with someone:
Do you have more pointers for efficient and effective follow up? Share them in a comment below.