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Am I Special?
by Chad Elliott on June 30, 2013 under Business, Education
Yes, you are unique, but you are also the same as everyone else. You have two eyes, two ears, and one mouth. You have a heart. You have a brain. You need oxygen, water, and shelter. You have fears, you have hopes, you have inspiration.
Some of us focus on being special, and some of us focus on being the same. Some of us bring our ego into being special, and we develop a belief that we are 'better than'. This is a severely limited place to be in. If you are 'better than' you actually cut yourself off from the rest of the world around you. There is only a false illusory power in being 'better than'.
True power comes in seeing why you are the same. Seeing yourself as other and coming from that place can create a powerful connection to your fellow human beings. From that connection you can create anything. What do you want? Others want it. What are your concerns? Others share them. What are your dreams? Others have them as well. If you see similarity and come from compassion you can do something very powerful: You can serve people. There is no greater purpose than the service of others.
The depth and quality of your service will be determined by the extent to which you develop compassion for your customers. From that compassion you can then build up a differentiated service that makes you unique, but without the foundation of compassion for your fellow human, your service will not receive mutual appreciation.
Smokers Have Already Quit
by Chad Elliott on December 30, 2011 under Education, Health
Why would you persist with activity like smoking cigarettes in the face of mountainous evidence that smoking kills? Well, lets take a look at it.
Human beings are wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Pleasure is perceived as something that supports our values and pain is perceived as something that challenges our values. Pleasure is provided by perceived benefits, and pain is experienced with perceived drawbacks.
For a person to conduct any activity they need to be motivated to do so. That motivation comes from a perceived imbalance in the ratio of benefits to drawbacks expected from conducting the activity. If you expect more benefits than drawbacks you will do it, if you expect more drawbacks than benefits, you won't do it. Common sense, right?
Well for a smoker to continue to smoke, they must perceive more benefits than drawbacks in smoking. Lets look at some of the common benefits reported by smokers:
- "It relaxes me"
- "Its a social activity"
- "Smoking helps me think"
- "It gives me a break"
So for a smoker to continue smoking, they prefer these benefits, over the all-to-well advertised drawbacks. What I notice about these benefits though, is that they are all immediate, and short lived. As we know the ultimate drawback of death, is long term.
So smokers are trading off these short term benefits, ultimately for their life. This is why regular smokers have already quit. They have given up on the idea of a long, healthy and vibrant life, and sometimes you can see it in their body language, their actions, and their attitudes.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying smoking is bad. I'm saying that at the most fundamental level, regular smokers have given up on life. This is a choice smokers' have made, either consciously or unconsciously, and that is fine. People are entitled to their choices. Yes smokers burden the medical system and therefore all of us through medicare, but hey, they also stimulate the economy and pay ridiculously high taxes that relieve the pressure on our income taxes. The truth is that the benefits and drawbacks for all of us are balanced.
My values are on life, health, and vitality, so personally, smoking challenges me. I would be happy if smoking in public was banned entirely. The smell is unpleasant and I feel my lungs choking up even when I smell cigarettes at a distance. This is my body's natural defence mechanisms responding to avoid the toxins in cigarettes. I am ok with you smoking, but do it in private. It is not my desire to share your passive smoke and your ultimate fate.
Order the SHAQ T-SHirt here.
Chemtrails – Lines in the Sky
by Chad Elliott on December 24, 2011 under Health
Stop and really look at the sky! Why are two jets leaving different trails on the same day at similar altitudes?
Why is it that the plane on the left is leaving a lasting trail and the trail on the right is disappearing almost immediately? If these were all condensation trails or 'contrails', then shouldn't there be consistency between their behavior??
Why is it that every single person in my office was either on sick leave or at work coughing with respritory congestion all day after a heavy day of 'lasting contrails' over Sydney in August 2011? Why is it that I was the only one who wasn't sick coughing all day? That's another story…
Pay attention next time you see a plane and a chemtrail, and ask yourself these simple questions:
- Is this plane flying a regular commercial route?
- Is this plane leaving the same trail as the other planes flying today?
These questions will highlight to you that someone is not telling us something and that there is more happening in the sky than you thought. What is worse is that these chemicals are contaminated with all manner of nasty viruses and toxins which have negative health impacts for all of us.
Surely the Government wouldn't… well actually the Government has no idea what is really going on. They get told that it is a 'safe chemical' and that these experiments are 'necessary' to better understand 'climate science' and the like. The Government only knows what it is told by its advisors. It seems like a good idea but within that plan there are issues of which the Government remains ignorant. Even DDT was a good idea at the time.
Please pay attention and start making noise about this issue. Email your local member of parliament and let them know that the sky belongs to us all and it is not acceptable to continue these experiments with unknown effects and the practice of spraying chemtrails needs to cease immediately.
What is Karma?
by Chad Elliott on November 13, 2011 under Education
Karma is the universe acting to bring balance into your life and your perceptions.
Life is a process of evolution to ever higher states of consciousness. You cannot progress to a higher level of consciousness until you have learned to see your current situation in a state of balance and love. Only then are you ready for the next growth step. The universe is an amazing thing; it constantly and ever presently provides us feedback to let us know where we are unbalanced in our perspective, to help us bring balance and love to the situation, so that we may evolve to the next level of consciousness and contribute more meaningfully to the wider evolution of the planet.
The majority of people live in ignorance of this process. The universe maintains balance.
If you look very carefully you can see that in times when you are elated, you will be humbled, and in times when you are depressed, you will be supported. You stand up on a chair being a clown, getting elated, then the chair breaks, humbling you back into balance. That is an obvious example of Karma in action.
One thing we have to realise about Karma, is that it is about our perception of our actions as measured against our true self worth. Your true self worth is your balance point. Your fulcrum. The universe will continually bring you back to your true self worth, drawing attention to it, because real evolution occurs when you improve your self worth. That is the goal of the universe acting in your life through what we call Karma.
Your Karma is created by the void between your perception of your own actions and your true self worth. Nothing else. The void creates the attraction; Nature abhors a vaccuum. If your perception of your actions is above your self worth, your Karma will bring you down into balance, if your perception of your actions is below your self worth, yor Karma will lift you up into balance with your self worth.
The key to attracting and manifesting 'good Karma' is to elevate your self worth and be humble about your actions so your Karma is always lifting you up. If you can do this you are aligning yourself with the universe and the universe will support you through everything you do.
Take care, CE.
Global Warming – The Third Great World Hoax
by Chad Elliott on June 22, 2011 under Global Warming
The first great world hoax was Religion. The second great world hoax was Central Banks.
In all educated civilisations religion is dying. In the same way that religion has died, within this century and even within the next decade we will begin to see categorically that Anthropogenic Global Warming is a hoax, but by then it will be too late. We will already be sending our hard earned and valuable dollars to the UN thanks to an ignorant old man named Tony Windsor who put his hand in the air at the wrong time, thinking he was being a morally responsible citizen.
Anthropogenic Global Warming is rubbish. It is absolutely ignorant of us humans to think that we can somehow throw off the balance of the earth. We live in a conservation of matter! The earth remains perfectly balanced at all times! More CO2 means more trees and better produce growth rates to address the food shortage. Fantastic! No, no, no, you evil people have to pay for it, you have to pay for the damage you have done. Silly you, thinking you have a right to live the full expression of life. Turn your tv off! Stop driving your car!
Global warming is a guilt trip. Earth hour is a guilt trip. Religion is a guilt trip. Guilty people try to buy their way out of guilt; hence the vast wealth of the catholic church. The carbon tax is fundamentally a religion-style guilt collection tray. I'm not interested in your guilt trip.
I have a series of questions that I am yet to see satisfactorily answered which illustrate my point. I know the likely answers to these questions but I will ask them for you to ponder. These questions form the basis for the justification of my statement:
- Who paid for Al Gore to travel the world sprouting his 'convenient lies' campaign? There is no way that he paid for himself out of the goodness of his little green heart. Who paid for it and what is their agenda?
- Where did the revenue for the movie sales go to? They alone could have built a wind farm. Why have we not heard about that?
- Why was it the highly influential and highly polished Al Gore that was sent on this crusade and not a representative member of the rumored scientific consensus? Surely a scientist could better deliver the cold hard scientific facts of global warming?
- Where is Al Gore now? Such a passionate global climate advocate should be all over the media or at least down here in Australia holding Julia Gillard's hand while she tries to birth his rotten carbon tax egg.
- Why were Al Gore and the late CEO of the great Enron energy fraud, Ken Lay, close friends?
- Who formed the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and why?
- What were the criteria for being admitted into the IPCC? Were certain beliefs necessary?
- Since when did the IPCC become the only relevant 'scientific' body on climate change?
- Would a carbon tax and associated ongoing studies provide significant revenue to the 'scientists' of the IPCC?
- Why has the ongoing increase in thermal output of the sun been ignored? How many of us know about that?
- Why were over 4,500 out of 6,000 international NOAA temperature probes removed from service from rural and high latitude and altitude locations in 1990?
- Why are there remaining international NOAA temperature probes within 5 metres of air conditioning units in capital cities?
- Why are there remaining international NOAA temperature probes stationed in urban jungles where UV penetration heats the surrounding concrete and asphalt?
- Why have global temperatures not risen in over 10 years despite the doctoring of data?
- Why has there recently been record snow falls in Washington and in London?
- Why do the media show images of plumes of STEAM coming out of stacks every time they're talking about climate change? STEAM is not CO2!
- Why does Julia Gillard have to fly our unknown Kiwi neighbour over to sell the carbon tax?
- Why has Julia Gillard made Tim Flannery (an influential and undeservedly respected global warming advocate) the head of Australia's independent Climate Change Commission?
- Is Tim Flannery paid to act as a neutral facilitator of healthy debate or is he paid to promote his view on the issue?
- Why are Tim and his merry band of men touring the country to "advance awareness of climate change issues in the community"? I thought in a 'democracy' the people ruled? Why do we need to be 'educated' by the Flannery gang? Why do we need to be told what is the 'correct' view?
- Why do people respect the "Critical Decade" climate change report produced by this group of paid puppets? The report is nothing more than a summary of the views that got them hired!
- Why has the debate moved directly into solving the problem and skipped over the definition of the problem? Could it be that the desired solution (a global carbon tax) has caused the definition of the problem?
- Why has the terminology been changed from "Global Warming" to "Climate Change"?
- Do people realise that a tax on carbon is a tax on life itself? Do they realise that human beings are made of carbon? Will there be a carbon levy on babies next Julia?
- Why are banks like Deutsche Bank sponsoring the carbon tax movement? Are they suddenly global green crusaders or do they stand to gain from a trading scheme?
- Why would 10% of OUR Carbon Tax revenue go to the UN? Wouldn't it be better spent on reducing our emissions? Why has this issue not yet been raised Julia?
And my favourite number: 27. If the UN is so concerned about global carbon emissions then why do they want money from the developed world to help turn the third world into a carbon polluter? Lifting living standards in the third world will result in carbon emissions. Why not leave them to their low carbon lifestyle?
Vaccines Kill Children
by Chad Elliott on February 2, 2011 under Health
Vaccinations are a heated topic but there is no way I can keep my opinion to myself. It is too important, too critical to too many. I have to share my view that vaccines are simply not worth the risk to put it mildly.
There is a law of the universe that I want you to keep in mind while reading this article, and that is: "No living organism will ever destroy the thing that it depends on for its own survival."
I'm not a scientist with millions of dollars of research grants but I am an aware citizen. I observe. I observe an entire multi-billion dollar industry whose survival depends on selling vaccines the same way that Coca-Cola's survival depends on selling its product. The marketing of vaccines is more sinister though, and it has to be. Coke at least tastes ok to a lot of people.
Vaccines are sold by two main marketing ploys: medical authority, and peer pressure. We are told that 'medical research proves that vaccines save lives'. Yeah, medical research that has been sponsored by vaccine profiteers and only includes half the story. 'The Polio vaccine eradicated polio!' Bollocks. Improved living standards eradicated polio. If you don't yet understand that researchers can find whatever you pay them to find then you have some learning to do about the reality of life (Fraudulent Medical Research). High profile research looks for links between vaccines and SIDS and vaccines and autism like Enron's CEO Ken Lay looked for fraud.
The peer pressure aspect of vaccination marketing is huge and ties in perfectly with the medical authority aspect. If you, heaven forbid, decide to question vaccination you have a whole raft of peers from friends, to teachers, to nurses, to doctors who will cite medical authority in convincing you to tow the line. Don't forget that 'my friend is a nurse and she says…' yes but your friend the nurse has been indoctrinated by the medical system for years and has never genuinely formed her own opinion! Not to mention, her survival in her job partially depends on promoting and administering vaccines!
If you reject vaccinations you are made to feel like some kind of social terrorist who is defiantly endangering the lives of all humankind by creating this ticking time bomb of a child that will surely contract and spread deadly flu viruses of all kinds! 'Do you want your child to be the one that spread the deadly virus through the whole school?' Bollocks.
Parents feel that pressure, and they ignorantly yield to it.
All over the world there are tens of thousands of cases of vaccines killing children or rendering them with autism or other permanent disablement. There are too many holes in the arguments of the so called experts for me to even begin to list them. Plenty of others have done a great job of that and if you search you will find them.
I have an issue with these 'do gooders' that go running around vaccinating the third world, and even more so with those that recruit westerners to take action to assist them in their mission. The Vicks campaign is a recent example. Their TV advertisements show images of young children running after a vehicle smiling and waving, and another shot of a child saying "thank you very much". All very 'feel good' material. What they fail to show you is that that vehicle was loaded with food hand outs and children screaming in pain during the injections along with those who suffer immediately obvious permanent physical damage. "Thank you very much" indeed.
Babies are born perfect. Any new parent would agree. In fact the early development of the fetus from the zygote stage (one cell) to the first eight cells is the true essence of perfect creation (Read 'The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life' by Drunvalo Melchizedek). Babies, and all humans, are perfect creation. Why then do we treat perfect newborn babies like new computers? 'Ok we need to upgrade this evolutionary operating system with antivirus MMR 2.0 and Polio 3.1 and H1N1 and…oh no the system crashed! Push the reset button!'
People have forgotten the art of feeling, knowing and intuition. Intuition draws on universal intelligence, the highest source of knowledge available, yet it has sadly been replaced by medical authority and ego. The medical profession is the new infallible church (article to follow), and medicine is primarily a profit industry with health sadly secondary.
I'm not interested in your sponsored scientific research, or your university degree based upon the same, I'm interested in my own inner knowing, and my own inner knowing screams to me that vaccinations are wrong.
Lucky children survive DESPITE vaccinations, not because of them.
Central Banks – What You Should Know
by Chad Elliott on December 28, 2010 under Banking
What is money? Money is a mechanism that facilitates fair exchange of real goods and services in a society. As such, the mechanism of money belongs to all citizens in the society. The actual money itself will broadly be distributed according to who has added the most value to the society, but the mechanism is there for everybody and therefore belongs to everybody. Or does it?
Underlying all modern history there has been another war raging. You didn't learn about it in school, or at university, and you sure won't learn about it on TV. Several well known wars and high profile assassinations including that of US President John F. Kennedy have been motivated by it. This war has been over who has the right to issue a nations money supply. In the UK, Europe and the USA, financial war has been raging since the 18th century with the right to issue money moving between Kings and Governments (the representation of the people), and the privately controlled central banks.
Why all the fuss over the right to issue money? Well, it was best said by one of the central bankers themselves:
"Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws." – Mayer Anselm Rothchild
If you have the exclusive power to issue money for a nation, then you determine everything in that nation financially. You can create boom times and you can create depressions. You determine what the average house will be worth, and the average wage. You can expand the money supply and create a housing bubble, and you can contract the money supply, collapsing the markets.
Consider this analogy: The nation is a bath, the water in it the money supply, and there are fish in the bath representing the people of the nation. If there is plenty of water in the bath, the fish are happy. They can swim freely through the water, they can breed, they can live. If the plug is opened, the fish are squeezed to the bottom, they can no longer swim and if the tap is not turned on they will surely die. Central banks have their hand exclusively on the plug, and on the tap at the same time. The people and the government are fish in the water and are therefore at the mercy of the central banks.
I can hear you. "But the central bank is required to act in the best interest of the country!" you say. Wrong. The central banks are required to act in the best interest of their private shareholders. If that happens to be by making things run smoothly for a decade or two, then that is what they will do. "But the central banks are owned by the government, not private shareholders!" you say. Wrong. One of the marketed benefits of central banks is that they act independently of the government. If they were 'owned' by the government they could not act independently could they. Why would the government take out huge loans from itself and pay huge amounts of interest to itself? It wouldn't, and it doesn't.
If the government borrowed money from itself, there would be no interest to pay, and no concern over the national debt. So why are we concerned over the national debt? Because the central banks have private shareholders and the massive amounts of interest we pay as taxpayers goes to those shareholders, not back into the government. Like any bank, central banks are in the debt business. More debt = more revenue.
The alternative to central banks is for the government (the people) to issue its own debt free money – to permanently block up the plug and occasionally turn on the tap to make things comfortable for everyone. Imagine how much money would be available for health care and infrastructure if we were not paying billions per year in unnecessary interest. This would not result in inflation. Retire debt based money and replace it with debt free money 1 for 1. Zero inflation. Governments have successfully issued their own money throughout history and this is the answer to our economic woes today. Then we need to ensure our memory lasts for centuries and we never go back despite the instability the central bankers would attempt to cause.
Closing facts about our current system:
- Physical money is only 4% of our money supply (minted). The rest is interest bearing bank credit.
- Central banks are misleadingly named to create the illusion of having national reserves of money and being government controlled.*
- Central banks create the credit for nations out of nothing. Nothing at all. 96% of money is keystrokes on a computer.
- Financial instability is manufactured by central bank shareholders as justification for the existence of central banks.
- National debt can never be extinguished because to do so would also extinguish the debt based money supply. The nation is therefore trapped in perpetual debt.
- For the privilege of having a money supply to use as a fair exchange mechanism the people must pay interest to the central bank. (Our money supply is rented not owned)
- Since the central bank has the power to issue money and control its availability they dictate our ability to pay the interest on the loans they issue!
- Continual inflation is necessary to maintain the system therefore hyperinflation and/or instability are ultimately guaranteed. (Assured failure of stated aim)
- Real resources are pillaged, real assets are sold, and real services (health and infrastructure) are reduced to fund these fabricated loans.
- When a nation inevitably defaults on loans from its own central bank, the World [central] Bank steps in. Without action from us, the World Bank will eventually hold all nations to ransom. First Greece, now Ireland, where next?
Please do everything you can to learn the truth about central banks and encourage your government to take back the issuing power of money on behalf of us all.
Learn the history of money by watching this documentary: The Money Masters – How International Bankers Gained Control of America.
Learn about debt based money: Money As Debt.
* Take a close look at the RBA logo above. Now focus your attention from the white 3 spoked image to the 3 black circular images in the negative space. What do you see? The true character of the RBA and all central banks. A wolf in sheeps clothing hidden in plain view.
What is Fractional Reserve Banking?
by Chad Elliott on December 15, 2010 under Banking
Fractional Reserve Banking
Fractional Reserve Banking is the mutation of a counterfeiting fraud started by goldsmiths way back in medieval England. Let me briefly tell you the story, it's a fascinating one…
One medieval day a few wealthy folk came knocking on the goldsmiths door, asking if they could perhaps rent storage space in his vault to store their surplus gold coins. The goldsmith obliged, and soon earned a small side income from his vault rental business, but he wanted more. He learned that the paper receipts he had issued for depositors gold were actually trading in the marketplace as if they were real gold! After all, a claim upon gold is as good as gold itself, and pieces of paper are more convenient than heavy gold coins. This was the birth of paper money.
The goldsmith began issuing loans against his own gold in paper receipts rather than in real gold because that was becoming the new currency of choice. His interest income was the same as before however, because he was still lending against his own gold and that quantity had not really changed.
Big idea#1: "What if I begin lending against the gold that I am looking after for others? Hmm…" so the goldsmith created gold receipts, paper money, representing the amount of gold he was being paid to look after in his safe, and loaned that out at interest! So he was now earning a full income from money that was not even his! As he began to flaunt his new-found wealth, the depositors became suspicious that he was spending their gold. Of course he wasn't, he was spending the interest earned from loaning out paper money against their gold. The physical gold was still intact in the vault. When he came clean with his depositors as to how he had increased his wealth, they demanded a share of the proceeds. So the goldsmiths income dropped from say 7% to 2% when he had to pay 5% to the depositors (for example), but this was still better than before because he was now legitimately earning 2% on other peoples money stored in his vault for safe keeping. This was the birth of banking.
Big idea #2: "So I see that people rarely come in to demand physical delivery of their gold… they place full trust in these receipts I write. Hmm… I bet I can create paper money for gold I don't even have, and loan that out at interest! No suspicious depositors to pay, so I get the full income!" So the goldsmith began counterfeiting large sums of money, backed by nothing, and lending it out at interest. Needless to say, our friend the goldsmith became the wealthiest man in town. This was the birth of Fractional Reserve Banking.
As you can imagine, it was troublesome for the early banks when people demanded their physical gold back instead of paper receipts. There were far more receipts on issue than there was gold on deposit in the vault, so in a bank run, when everyone wanted their physical gold back, banks would frequently collapse, and many people would lose their gold. Over the years a few regulations have been added to make the system 'safer':
- Central Banks were created to supposedly maintain reserves among other objectives;
- Minimum reserve requirements were regulated.
Incidentally, Central Banks successfully lobbied us off the gold standard, so money is now backed by no unit of real value that would put a physical size limit on the money supply.
The dangerous aspect of Fractional Reserve Banking is the multiplication effect it has on the money supply, and the fact that this is all based on debt. In short, it facilitates asset bubbles and instability in the pursuit of super profits. Fractional Reserve Banking is the practice of lending out many times more money than is held on deposit.
Consider the following Fractional Reserve Banking example with parameters as follows:
- The minimum reserve ratio is 1:10 or 10%;
- An initial deposit of $100 is made at CBA;
- Maximum loans are issued at each step;
- The loan money is then deposited in another account (could be the same bank);
- The process continues.
As you can see the reserve ratio of 10% allows the $100 initial deposit to multiply the money supply towards $1000! So at this ratio the fractional reserve banking system has the capacity to multiply the money supply by 10 times! This is quite close to the average reserve ratio, or capital ratio, of Australian banks today.
The initial deposit of $100 (which is incidentally based on nothing) comes into the system from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) as either cash or 'reserve money', sometimes called 'high powered money', as the monetary base, forming the base upon which a succession of loans and deposits will multiply the reserve money into 'credit money' totalling up to $900. The banks make their interest margin on this $900 of credit money so it is in their interest to expand the money supply in this way. Withdrawing cash from the system reduces the credit money supply by 10x the amount withdrawn. That is why banks don't like us withdrawing large amounts of cash and ultimately would like to see cash abolished. It's one way the people can still hurt them.
This credit money is what you and I use and think of broadly as 'money'. Credit money is what we receive in our salary or from our customers, buy our houses with, deposit into our bank accounts, and use to pay interest on our loans.
You might be wondering: "Where does the money come from to pay the interest?" Good question. After all, interest is what keeps the whole system running: without the payment of interest the banks will call in the loans, and without the receipt of interest we would deposit our money under our mattresses, both actions destroying credit money and the entire system. Well guess what, the money to pay the interest comes from the creation of more credit money! Yes, inflation. Without inflation, the creation of new money, a hidden taxation making every existing dollar worth less, the whole system would collapse.
Let me show you how it works in this example using fairly standard numbers:
The banks charge 7% on loans and pay 5% on deposits. Inflation runs at 3%, the rate of expansion of the money supply.
So the money available to the population at any one time is:
5% + 3% = 8%
To pay an interest bill of 7%!
Therefore we have a 1% margin between our income and our costs. At all times our financial system is only ever 1% away from recession.
If you haven't worked it out yet, our credit money system is a house of cards. This house of cards nature was evident in the GFC. As much as it pains me to say it, Kevin Rudd's deposit guarantee was the smartest thing we could possibly do given the short time frame. That was all he needed to do. This move alone is what saved Australia in the GFC. There is plenty to say here and I might need to save it for another article.
There is another limit on the quantity of credit money other than the reserve ratio. This is the physical limit of the debt society can afford to service. This is the 'sweet spot' for which all banks aim. Maximum interest revenue with minimal defaults. If this limit is surpassed you have an imminent correction in the financial system. The introduction of strong competition into the banking sector will naturally lead down this path as small, less experienced lenders inevitably play the sub-prime balancing act in an attempt to grab a bigger slice of the overall credit money pie.
When you consider that reserve money created or destroyed by the RBA has up to a 10x effect on the size of our credit money system, and that the wholesale interest cost of money is directly set by adjusting the cash rate, you can begin to grasp the staggering power central banks like the RBA have. When you realise that central banks are owned by private shareholders, not elected governments, then you begin to realise we are not as 'free' or 'lucky' as the government would have you believe.
Quick Fact: The approximate composition of our money supply is:
Reserve Money = 10% (2% cash, 8% RBA money), and Credit Money = 90%.
If you would like to learn more about the history of money or our credit money system in an entertaining video format, take a look at the video below.
Help Your Kids Start a Micro Business
by Chad Elliott on September 17, 2010 under Business, Education
In the absence of other influences the institution of school creates individuals who are good for jobs and little else. "Do what the boss says and you will get a raise, promotion, or bonus". The challenge with this scenario is that many people feel dis-empowered because they feel they have to superimpose their bosses' values over their own. This is what creates fundamental dissatisfaction in many people in the workforce. Unless you see how your values align with those of the company or undertake self-education around starting your own business, your only options are to fall into line or change to another job. Hence why the average person today spends only 18 months in any one job.
The other challenge is that many of us give our children pocket money. That's right, this is a problem! Which part is the problem you ask? The word GIVE. When you simply GIVE children money, you are rewarding them for whatever action they think they did that led to the reward. Often this will be simply asking or nagging. If you respond to these requests frequently then you are creating a credit junkie. Today credit card debt per capita in Australia is among the highest in the world at over $3000 per person.
How do we get money in the real world? Simple: In exchange for products or services. If you want to raise empowered children then you must instill this in them from an early age. Teach them to offer a product or service in exchange for money and you will empower them to take control of their own financial future. Here is what I mean:
Last Christmas I had the opportunity to babysit for my sister who has 3 lovely children. I noticed that the eldest, 10 yr old Jaslyn, was into Hama Beads. Uncle Chad saw a micro business and educational opportunity: "Hey Jaz, why don't we buy some magnets to stick on the back of these creations you are making and you can sell them as fridge magnets!" She instantly saw dollar signs. Off we went into town and got the magnets. We returned home and she went into production for hours making the magnets you see in the picture above (notice how inspired and alive she looks).
For 9 months now the micro business stand has stood in my sisters' Bowen therapy treatment room and Jaslyn has sold over 25 Hama Bead Magnets at $4 each. That's some good pocket money! More importantly, what is she learning? She is learning how to make money and how to create and run a business. She is learning that to get money you have to create and deliver a product or provide a service. She is learning the value of money because she worked to earn it. She is learning that if she wants to she can create an income for herself from her own micro business.
I believe these are some of the most important things you can teach a child. I know as a parent these days you may feel you don't have time to help your kids start a micro business. You don't have to go to this extent right away. The first step could be as simple as setting dollar values for household chores and stopping the gravy train of free money. Any parent has time to do this in the interest of teaching their child about the elephant that school ignores: Money.
Dr John Demartini – The Breakthrough Experience
by Chad Elliott on September 13, 2010 under John Demartini
It is the essential synthesis of John's entire life's work. The study of centuries of wisdom from over 29,000 texts and decades of experiential refinement have left him holding the most powerful transformational tool available today: The Demartini Method®. The Breakthrough Experience is the personal result of applying that tool to perceived challenges in your life.
John Demartini spends two life transforming days offering you the fundamental truth of life itself. Your prior illusions of life will be alleviated and your mind will be expanded to encompass greater spheres of awareness and greater time and space horizons. Once this happens your mind can never go back and so you will never be quite the same person again. You will live in a new, more highly evolved paradigm. I know you are ready for that responsibility.
You won't learn the latest stock market or real estate get rich strategy from Dr. John Demartini. He is way beyond that. John will teach you to find the gold mine within your own being, leading to a life of true fulfillment. Only when you find that will you manifest outer wealth. You already have within you everything you need to achieve your dreams. Your dreams could not be without the corresponding ability to achieve them. That is the truth.
Fear, guilt, shame, grief, and regret are all false perceptions based on a false cultural control mechanism called religion. The truth is there is no universal judgment but what we ourselves impart. Such realisations are part of The Breakthrough Experience which will lift the veil of illusions from your life, allowing you to freely express your most authentic self.
You are in exactly the right place right now. The fact that you found this article is no mistake. Follow your intuition and experience life After Demartini.


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COSTA MESA — A man who was found stabbed just after 6 p.m. Tuesday near the Mesa Verde Country Club has died, police said.
The 40-year-old victim was discovered lying in the driveway of a home in the 3000 block of Capri Lane with stab wounds to his upper torso and chest, police said in a news release.
Costa Mesa police have arrested Jeffrey Alec Henderson, 50, of Costa Mesa, in connection to the crime. Henderson was found in Fountain Valley about five miles from the scene, after police stopped an SUV in which Henderson was a passenger.

subset: commoncrawl


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For historians of Hindu thought, Vallabha (1478-1530) - or, with his title ācārya (teacher), Vallabhācārya - is well known as a philosopher and religious leader within the Vaiṣṇava tradition. As a philosopher he created the Śuddhādvaita (pure monism; see Vedānta) system of thought, and as a religious leader he established a sect or sampradāya, known from his name as the Vallabha Sampradāya. But for the members of the V…
Vallabha(10,276 words)
Cite this pageRichard Barz, "Vallabha", in: Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Edited by: Knut A. Jacobsen, Helene Basu, Angelika Malinar, Vasudha Narayanan. Consulted online on 17 February 2019 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2212-5019_beh_COM_9000000133>
First published online: 2012
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The Guildhall was rebuilt in Georgian times (1769). It stands on the site of The Bear where the Council had met since 1673. Harwich Borough Council last met there in 1951. The interior contains a fine panelled court room.
In 1974, due to local Government reorganisation, The Guildhall became the home of Harwich Town Council, who restored it. Restoration revealed a medieval wall painting, boarded walls covered with engravings of 18th century ships and houses, carved into the woodwork, which had subsequently been plastered over. These engravings were probably created by prisoners, as this was part of the lock-up when the Police Station was contained within the Guildhall.


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sabato 30 luglio 2016
Pubblicato da rma a 19:45 0 commenti
sabato 16 maggio 2015
Beautiful sand statues narrating the history of Jesus.
Fun at the aquarium!
Almost touching a sting ray!
Pubblicato da E a 11:34 0 commenti
Outing to Cornino Lake
we went to see this beautiful glaciar lake about an hour away. it was a fun discovery, the kids loved climbing around, walking around this awesome lake.
Pubblicato da E a 11:26 0 commenti
Fun things to remember from this winter
Big fire for the Befana....it was sooo cold
At the Christmas dance show with cousins.
who whouldn't like some PINGUMMI!!
Alice loves to cook...especially for breakfast.
Here some awesome french toast she made...sooo good!
Drinking hot chocolate like a true lady...sticking her pinky out!
Pubblicato da E a 11:23 0 commenti
At the wedding
Pubblicato da E a 10:45 0 commenti
First day of school - 2nd grade
Pubblicato da E a 10:31 0 commenti
Falcade - Summer 2014
Pubblicato da E a 10:29 0 commenti
lunedì 12 gennaio 2015
a bunch of pics from the summer
Pubblicato da rma a 22:26 0 commenti
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Here's a little trick that will make this job easier and give you a very tidy result.
So you've finished knitting a garment with pockets and you are faced with this:
Start by marking the length that the pocket lining is supposed to be, for instance, in the photo below, the pocket lining was 5" deep:
And now thread some scrap yarn onto a tapestry needle. Start directly below the pocket ribbing and choose either smiles or frowns (sometimes called u's and umbrellas).
These are the parts that make up a stitch on the purl side, if you study the fabric you can see that there are u-shapes (smiles) and upside-down u shapes (frowns). If you choose one or the other and stick to them, it will help keep you in a straight line all the way down.
Thread your scrap yarn through every other smile or frown in a straight line down from your beginning point at the ribbing. In the photo you can see I've gone through smiles from the bottom of my ribbing to the 5" mark.
Now repeat for the other side:
Now thread your working yarn (I DO use tails wherever I can) onto your tapestry needle and stitch through every other row on the edge of your pocket lining, then through the stitch that your scrap yarn is running through on the sweater. This gives you a precise road map of where to go.
Once you have worked down each side edge it should be easy to whip stitch across the bottom, every other stitch for fine gauge, every stitch for bulky yarns. And here is your end result:
Perfectly straight lines and so much easier than guessing what to stitch!


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Martin Lof
Life has been feeling rather nonstop for E and I as of late, and I believe this is only the beginning. Looking forward, I'm not sure when things will slow down, which leaves me longing for a day where we can steal a luxurious nap together.
While napping will certainly do anytime of the year, grabbing a siesta on a warm afternoon and waking with many hours of daylight remaining is something I love about summer.


text: WARMACK GAINS. Sanford's Joey Warmack gained a few points on Doug Howard of Lake Helen, the Street Stocks class points leader last week. Warmack captured the end of the month 20-lap feature when Howard finished eighth. Sanford's Ted Mitchem came in second, and Casey Hawthorne was 10th. Seminole County Fire Battalion Chief Bill Kinley made his Thundercar Class debut this past week and finished second in the end of the month 30-lap feature. Harry Brazee of Winter Springs moved from the Thundercars to the Late Models and finished ninth in the 50-lap feature, which was won by David Rogers of Orlando. Harold Johnson of Sanford finished fifth in the Late Models feature. In the Four Cylinders class it was Guy Lingo of Oviedo in fourth and William Martin of Sanford in sixth. Don Roberts of Sanford finished second to Allan Walker of New Smyrna Beach in the Roadrunners Class 10-lap feature. Mike Kubanek and John Hack, both of Longwood, were eighth and ninth.


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Vanessa MacDonnell
University of Ottawa
(A substantially similar version of this blog post appears in today's National Post.)
What does it mean to have a right to a representative jury? The Supreme Court of Canada answered that question last week in Kokopenace. Mr. Kokopenace was charged with second degree murder and was convicted of manslaughter by a jury. At the Supreme Court, he argued that he should be granted a new trial because the jury roll (the list of potential jurors) from which his jury was chosen contained very few Aboriginal people – a fact that was easily established on the record before the Court. In a judicial district in which 30 per cent of the population was Aboriginal, only 4 per cent of those on the jury roll were Aboriginal, and no Aboriginal people sat on Mr. Kokopenace's jury. The representativeness issues were particularly concerning given that Mr. Kokopenace was Aboriginal.
A majority of the Court ruled against Mr. Kokopenace, holding counterintuitively that the fact that the jury roll was not actually representative was irrelevant. Rather, "the state satisfies an accused's right to a representative jury by providing a fair opportunity for a broad cross-section of society to participate in the jury process." In a particularly revealing passage, Justice Moldaver suggests that Aboriginal people bear some responsibility for the system's lack of representativeness, noting that they "[decline] to participate" in large numbers.
The day after Kokopenace was released, the National Post's Editorial Board lauded the decision, calling it "eminently reasonable and practical." The Board acknowledged the issues with representativeness, but wrote that it would be "far more likely to undermine public confidence in the justice system… to overturn the verdict of a jury whose competence and fairness had never been impugned" than to grant Mr. Kokopenace a new trial.
The Editorial Board, and more importantly, a majority of the Supreme Court, misses the point. As the dissenters in Kokopenace explain, it has long been understood that the legitimacy of a verdict – especially in a murder trial – rests on the idea that the jury represents "the conscience of the community." When a portion of the community is not represented on the jury roll, especially one that is subjected to the marginalizing effects of colonialism and racism, that legitimacy evaporates.
While the majority would have us believe that they are simply engaged in the neutral task of interpreting and applying the law, their reading of the constitution is by no means inevitable. On the contrary, in deciding that the government need only try for representativeness to satisfy its constitutional obligations, the majority resists the plain meaning of the right to a representative jury.
But the problems with the decision go much deeper than that. Judges wield enormous power in determining what constitutional rights require of government, and whose interests they protect. By concluding that the right to trial by jury should not be viewed as "a mechanism for repairing the damaged relationship between particular societal groups and our criminal justice system more generally," the Court gives its institutional stamp of approval to the continued marginalization of Aboriginal people. As Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation put it in an interview with the CBC, "It's our community members that are filling those jails. It's our community members that are interacting with the police, and yet in terms of being part of the justice system, they're not there." It is an all-too familiar narrative in a country scarred by the impact of colonialism and injustice. We are accustomed to Aboriginal people being dispossessed.
Of course, constitutional law cannot fix every social problem. No one would suggest as much. But when Courts decide that issues of colonialism and race are irrelevant to constitutional analysis, they undermine the constitution and the Court's position as a trusted institution. I take modest comfort in the fact that two dissenting justices, Justice Cromwell and Chief Justice McLachlin, give voice to many of the concerns with the majority's reasoning. But these protestations will be cold comfort to Mr. Kokopenace, whose unrepresentative jury has, by legal sleight of hand, been rendered representative. It will also be cold comfort to every other Aboriginal accused who must now face "justice" in a court system agnostic to whether Aboriginal people are counted as among the accused's "peers".
Vanessa MacDonnell is a law professor at the University of Ottawa. She tweets at @vanessa_macd.


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Rental properties. People either love them or absolutely hate 'em.
Personally, I love rental properties and wish I had ten of them right now. Our rental is fully paid for, its value has already gone up considerably since 2015, we get our rent on time every month, and we do absolutely nothing! In my opinion, rentals are one of the best forms of passive income ever!
But, many of you don't share my enthusiasm when it comes to rental properties. You can't stand dealing with people, you hate making multiple repairs a year, you're no good at running background checks and finding good tenants, and you've probably had 101+ other bad experiences when you tried to make a buck in rental properties back in the day.
You simply don't. want. to mess. with rental properties. any. more.
Got it.
So let's look at some other fantastic ways to earn a . . . → Read More: 8 Ways to Earn a Passive Income Without Rental Properties


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cute x-mas cupcakes in taipei from superbaked 超級貝客!
Are you excited for the holiday season? I am I am. My friend Kimmy from Superbaked makes these amazing cute Christmas cupcakes that are divine and hand-crafted with love and care! You've probably heard of Superbaked already since her cupcakes creations are found at Trine & Zen in Breeze Center, and featured in popular blogs like HungryGirl, and TaipeiTrends. My favorite flavors from Superbaked are the carrot and red velvet cupcakes. It was so good I ended up eating the whole box (half a dozen) in one sitting. I felt pretty guilty, but at the same time, I didn't get that icky food-coma I'd usually get after stuffing my face with so much cake. All thanks to Kimmy for limiting her usage of processed oils and food chemicals in her cupcakes, hers feels much more guilt-free.
The holiday season is a great time to indulge and forget about your waist line. I cant' wait to order some of Superbaked Christmas cupcakes and give them away to my friends and colleagues!
Contact Kimmy from Superbaked here: "firstname.lastname@example.com"


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Like any other country, America has had a complicated history with prejudice. Generally, we view American history in very specific eras of "unenlightened" and "enlightened", with us in the latter. As with any simplifying of history, this ignores the nuances of race and political relations throughout the years. Nothing is ever black and white. The study of any history always needs to take this into account, which in this case will be comic book history.
One of the most vitriolic interactions our nation has had is with Japan. The moment Japanese immigration became legal, several organizations endeavored to give Japanese-Americans as much shit as possible, including one as petty as the "Anti-Jap Laundry League" which is exactly what it sounds like. This was vastly exacerbated by World War 2 and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. As with any war effort, major media rushed to create war propaganda for the homefront.
This included comic book companies. Characters who previously held no prejudices were now vehicles for Anti-Japanese rhetoric.
One of the most prominent heroes of this generation was Hoverboy. The character was created by Chicago ad execs Bob Stark and C.L. Nutt in 1937. In short, he was a boy that hovered. Actually, he was a man, so his moniker is a bit of a misnomer. And we haven't even gotten to the bucket helmet yet, which some claim was either an homage to a cartoon character named "Lil' Bucketboy" or a reference to the "slop gangs" of the 30's who competitively ferried various goods in buckets for cash. The only thing the character was noteworthy for was his…leanings. Whereas Superman merely dabbled in prejudice, Hoverboy was a full-on racist, misogynist, xenophobic, anti-intellectual asshole.
While unpopular at first, during wartime, he got his niche as a "domestic" superhero who fought the Japanese threat in the States in a series called "Yellow Peril".
From the very beginning of this particular story, we get one of the most common forms of propaganda: demonization. Though it's become more of a figurative term, demonization originated in religious scholarship to describe how Christians literally viewed other religious deities as demons. In this case, the literal interpretation is more apropos. The perceived extent of Japanese "foreignness" meant that they were often literally viewed as monstrosities such as this Octo-Man (who sadly isn't in the actual comic). Representing the Japanese through octupi is a strangely recurring element in WW2 propaganda. The octopus' could possibly be an attempt to communicate that the Japanese are grasping and greedy.Or maybe the artist saw The Dream of The Fisherman's Wife and thought they were into that kind of thing.
One would think the focus of Hoverboy's "heroism" would be a Japanese saboteur or another worthy opponent. Well, it's not quite that…
So our hero is actually running down an escapee from an internment camp. If you're not aware, during WW2, Japanese-Americans were thrown into internment camps without regard to a proven connection to the war. Most of these people were ordinary citizens, so chances are this guy isn't quite Lex Luthor.
Hoverboy's confidence in the threat of the escapee is ludicrous, but remember that these stories were meant for children. Hoverboy – as a then-popular superhero – had enough clout to make these fears seem valid. This propaganda method is often called 'assertion': it's akin to how advertisers often have a celebrity (let's say Shaquile O'Neal) hawk a shitty product (let's say Shaq Soda).
This is where the comic delves into a strangely smart bit of irony. Hoverboy's correction of the woman attempts to ground this story in "reality" where there is a limit to the evils of the Japanese. It turns Hoverboy into a reasonable authority rather than a racist, bucket-headed loon. Of course he makes sure to remind us that Japanese people would kill a baby if given the chance. Just so we're clear.
The end of this issue is baffling. The comic built up the threat of the escapee as a representative of the Japanese as a whole, so to drop it in the penultimate panel seems to be counter-productive as propaganda. Hoverboy ends the story claiming his guilt was irrelevant, meaning that the Japanese don't even have to commit an actual crime to be worthy of death. A message that macabre begs the question: what is the point of this comic?
Unsurprisingly, Hoverboy lost much of his popularity after wartime, but then was picked up again in the 1950's due to the influence of the House of Un-American Activities Committee (often abbreviated to HUAC). The committee was a government agency responsible for rooting out Communism in American society, particularly involving arts and entertainment. Who better to combat the foreign menace than asian-hunting, black-punching superhero Hoverboy! An animated series was created in 1953 during the ongoing Korean War. One of the plots involved Hoverboy fighting a villainous Julius and Ethel Rosenberg , who are two convicted communist spies executed for treason in real life.
As you can imagine, the series was as ridiculous as the comic that preceded it. But even through such obvious prejudice, it's possible that we could be misreading the series' purpose.
The cartoon portrays real-life spokesman for American anti-communism – Senator Joe McCarthy – as a mentor figure for Hoverboy. McCarthy was famous for making wild claims about the pervasiveness of communism in American politics and culture, to the point where his very name became associated with "the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence" (definition courtesy of Wikipedia). In other words, "McCarthyism". While the series at first seems to present McCarthy as an intimidating figure, his behavior seems to shift into being even more ridiculous than Hoverboy himself. In one episode, he reveals that an American scientist was building a robot for the army, but the Russians bribed him to sell it to them. McCarthy is quick to call the scientist a commie, to which Hoverboy questions " If he were a communist, why would he SELL them the design?". Flustered, McCarthy tells him there's no time to explain and then insinuates that Hoverboy is a communist, which shuts him up immediately. As much as the show seems to favor anti-communist rhetoric, it clearly lambastes the authorities behind that rhetoric. In this example, it mocks the idea that ANYONE who questions authority must be a communist.
In addition, Hoverboy spouts advice directly to kids that would be considered horrendously jarring, including warning children that "Anybody could be a commie, even Mom and Dad". This brings us back to the issue of the comic series: who the fuck would agree to this? Would a child believe a cartoon over their own parents? Would the same child believe that any Japanese person is guilty of death for no apparent reason? It's possible that this series and the comic that preceded it were never true propaganda at all but extremely subtle satire.
While it's easy to dismiss the satirical nature of the Hoverboy franchise, it's important to remember satire had to be much more underwritten during these periods. The validity of the Japanese Internment was never officially questioned by the American government until the Carter administration in 1980, meaning that for almost half a century, many thought it was reasonable to lock up Japanese citizens without trials during WW2. During the Red Scare of the 50's, even indirectly challenging American ideals meant you can be excluded from the entertainment industry for being a communist. This meant that the few creators who thought "This is whack!" had to express themselves in as covert a way as possible. And that way was by taking a "refuge in audacity". If Hoverboy seems like the most racist, anti-communist hero one could imagine, he'd simultaneously appease the superficial censors and hopefully signal to a smarter-than-they-look youth how outmoded these ideas were. He took the occasional racism of mainstream comics (i.e. Superman "slapping japs") and took it beyond the bounds of reason. Even Hoverboy's first appearance has a bit of subversion to it; the title of "Fun Comics" is modified into "Somewhat Fun Comics", telling us there's something wrong with the story it's telling.
While the 60's popularized social protest, the 50's both intentionally and unintentionally laid the groundwork for upheaval. The 50's saw the gradual decline (and literal death) of Joe McCarthy, who's effect on the nation actually soured most of America's anti-communist and xenophobic passions. For the first time in awhile, Americans began to realize how silly some of their own prejudices are when displayed on such a grand stage. This gave the flower children and collegiates fodder for protest in the following decade. While I'm sure most wouldn't consider Hoverboy part of the movement that led to the firebrands of the 60's, hopefully he can stand as an example that while we may judge history, we should never settle for it's cover.
Most images courtesy of hoverboy.com,internet reviewer Derek The Bard's review of the cartoon, and comic artist/fellow blogger Ty Templeton
For more posts on comics and history:
Bats In His Belfry: Batman As A Heroic Psychopath
Superman As Defined By Lex Luthor
Spidey Tackles The Human Torch: Spider-Man As An Anti-Hero


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16th December 2014
There is always great choice and variety on offer for those looking to make their next company car selection. Of course many companies often secure long term deals and tie-in with a chosen brand in order to secure the best deals. Popular choices include BMW's, Vauxhalls and even Mercedes-Benz.
Ford however, and the new Mondeo in particular, has topped a survey by Sewell Intelligence. Having quizzed 2,200 so called "user-choosers" (company car drivers in other words) in the largest survey of its kind, over half of those in the lower/upper medium vehicle sector said that they would be likely to consider the new Ford Mondeo as their next company car.
Available from next month in diesel and petrol five-door and estate bodystyles, plus a four-door hybrid, the all-new Ford Mondeo offers striking exterior styling, greater interior refinement. Technologies also include adaptive LED headlamps, Inflatable Rear Seatbelts and SYNC 2 connectivity.
Sewells also surveyed over 2,000 fleet managers and business decision-makers across the country, who placed Ford in the top two most desirable brands for businesses overall.
Simon Staplehurst, of Sewells Research and Insight, said: "It's easy to be blinded by the kudos of a premium badge, yet surveys like our User Chooser Barometer highlight that company car drivers also strongly consider Ford. Given that this Mondeo will also offer a hybrid petrol-electric option, it's only likely to further increase interest from drivers."
All-new Ford Mondeo introduces new features too. These include adaptive LED headlamp technology, combining full LED headlamps which offer daylight clarity. The ingenious incorporation of Adaptive Front Lighting to adjust the beam angle and intensity to match the environment, is a key safety benefit.
And speaking of safety - in the event of an accident, the Mondeo's Inflatable Rear Seatbelts expand to disperse crash forces across a body area five times greater than that achieved by a conventional belt. In particular it then offers valuable extra protection to the very young or even older passengers with weaker chest areas.
Ford's SYNC 2 connectivity system boasts technology-led innovations. These include a voice controlled eight-inch colour touchscreen to operate phone, entertainment, climate and navigation systems.
The intelligent all-new Ford Mondeo also includes some very 21st century capabilities. These include automatic parking in both parallel and perpendicular spaces, as well as having the ability to avoid pedestrians which stray into the car's path.


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This is the first year I've used up all my healthcare pre-tax savings account. To be completely transparent, it was gone in August. And now it's December. And I'm still spending!
I'm spending on healthcare this month like it was all I wanted for Christmas!
One might surmise that I'm not feeling well, or that I have some disease, but that's not it. I've spent most of my money on wellness procedures to get some nagging aches and pains under control. And that worked. (insert smiley face here).
The new view on December spending is frankly this: I've met my deductible and can finally tap into my insurance.
Now I get why all the docs are so jammed in December. And I'm glad I had appointments booked in advance.
On my spending list this month is some shoulder therapy, which has helped my golf swing and is also prep work for a January trip that includes white water rafting and zip-line fun in Costa Rica. Today I go to pick out and pay for new glasses, that's always an expensive treat given I'm now up to three layers of vision in the lenses!
And Monday the hubby and I are both off to the lab to prove to our interinst that our "number" are better and our health efforts have been worth it.
Too bad, Walmart, Target and the mall stores. Too bad Amazon Prime. Our gift budgets are gone. But we're making the best choices we can, given what our premiums and deductibles will be come January. Taking the long view has changed our December spending, but we are feeling like Santa came early!


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Danish Fuel Suitcase – Army Green
580,00 €
Ready for takeoff? This is the original Jerry Can suitcase design. Since 2010 we have hand made the one and only original Jerry Can suitcase as upcycling from old used navy Jerry Cans. Not two are alike. This makes this design super unique and authentic. Dents appears and corrosion from use by navy's since World War II. Be aware of fake designs. Always check the Danish Fuel brand name!
It's hard to exude a sense of confidence when sweating through layers of can't-fit-in-the-carry-on clothing at your boarding gate, especially when surrounded by suave businessmen in seemingly uncreasable suits.
Now you have the perfect Icebreaker! No matter where you are while on the move, you'll be sure to turns heads in your direction.
A repurposed military jerry can be retrofitted into objects that display a sense of classic masculinity that's similar to their tough and sophisticated rolling suitcase. With a single compartment and retractable pull handle, the suitcase has everything you need. From the boarding gate, customs, and everything in-between, you'll be sure to travel with confidence and style.
All Danish Fuel Jerry Cans origins from military surplus stockhouses and private collectors around in Europe. Refurbished during at three weeks period, for another kind of fuel. Check out the videos to see how it's made.
All Jerry Cans were colored by its use. Red = Gasoline, Black = Diesel, White=gear Oil, Grey=Kerosene and the Army Green color was used by the German Tank division in late 1944.
A Jerry was a slang term for a German soldier (Jerries) during World War II. Thereby the name a Jerry Can as it was a german invention.
We have preserved the original can that won the World War II, and added some unique features which have given new life to the old military Jerry Can.
The handmade result is unique and of high quality with a finish that speaks to the taste of any admires of luxury and history aficionados.You can never aim to high when it comes to find the perfect present and conversation starter.
The ID tag on top of the is designed from the octane tag during world war II. Each Jerry Can has its unique number and matching number appears on the certificate with your name and date for purchase on.
Your Danish Fuel Suitcase is put in a jute dust bag and comes in a World War II designed ammunition box. Variation in the Jerry Cans as they are all different as they origins from the navy all over Europe and from 1945-2002. You can check the embossment at the front of the can that tells the manufacture, year and so on.
The Suitcase design and the Danish Fuel logo are trademarks of One Copenhagen IVS and it's affiliates.
We're on the case.
- Light weight – only 4.5kg
- 110cm handle
- long lasting rollerblade wheels – low noise
- All our designs are carrying the stamp Made in Denmark
- ID aluminium tag with unique S/N no.
- All our designs are coming in World War II Ammunition Box
|4.5 kg
|50 x 35 x 20 cm
In stock


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Free NFL Betting Odds & Picks for the New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks week 6 matchup. The Seahawks are a 7.5 point road underdog. The over/under is 37.5. Dave says to expect a close game at very least here with the Seahawks conceivably pulling one of their late game comebacks once again. 7 1/2 points is way too many – if and only if the Hawks lose, he sees it coming by a field goal! It will be interesting to see if Marshawn Lynch can ground out yards vs. the 49ers D.
Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers Week 7 gambling odds & handicapping
Seahawks vs. Browns Week 7 Gambling Odds & Handicapping
Free NFL Betting Odds & Picks for the Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns week 7 NFL matchup. The Browns are a 3 point favorite. The over/under is set at 40. Its NFL predictions time. Charlie Whitehurst looks to start at QB for the Seahawks, he'll have Mike Williams, Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin to throw to, but remember Seattle is a bad road team plain and simple…


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Here comes the 4th of July weekend! Whether you're headed to the beach, the mountains — or even your in-laws' house — you'll want to look your very best when you arrive. Here are a few packing and jewelry cleaning tips from the pros at Connoisseurs. Put them into action now and you'll be all set for a dazzling summer.
The Art of the Edit
As any frequent flyer will tell you, the secret to stress-free travel is packing light. For a long weekend getaway try to select a few key pieces and one go-to look you can wear on multiple occasions. Consider white jeans and shorts, striped T-shirts, a light blazer or jacket, and one dress or jumpsuit you can dress up or down. Pack these items with your best summer jewelry and accessories and you'll be good to go. (Don't forget your bathing suit, and a sarong that can double as a wrap at night.)
Clean Your Jewelry
To get your jewelry wardrobe in order, clean all your pieces before you pack. For professional-style cleaning right in your own home, we suggest the Sonic Dazzle Stik Jewelry Cleansing Power Brush by Connoisseurs.
"It cleans your jewelry just like a jeweler cleaned it," says Kathy Elliot, Product Marketing and Social Media Manager of Connoisseurs. "The Sonic Dazzle Stik is the first jewelry cleaner to use the same hand-held sonic technology we've all grown to love for facial care."
Use a Jewelry Organizer
Kathy also recommends packing your best baubles in a jewelry organizer. The Clutch from Connoisseurs is a soft-sided clutch-style bag which opens flat to display your necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings in separate compartments. Available in red or black leather, The Clutch will help prevent chains from tangling and jewelry from scratching – whether on the road or at home.
Wear Your Good Stuff
Many women fear wearing their "real" jewelry on vacation, but we say "go for it." In addition to the jewelry you wear every day, like your engagement and wedding rings, don't hesitate to pack your pearls, your favorite gold and silver pieces, whatever you love.
If you're flying, just stow your jewelry organizer in your tote bag and carry it on board with you. At the hotel you can secure it in your room safe, or keep it in your bag when you leave the room.
Pack a Portable Jewelry Cleaner
The combination of salt water, sunscreen and chlorine can wreak havoc on your jewelry, so be sure to pack a portable jewelry cleaner for quick touchups on the go. Kathy Elliott suggests keeping Connoisseurs Jewelry Wipes and/or a Connoisseurs Diamond Dazzle Stik in your jewelry organizer. To view a video of the Jewelry Wipes in action, with before-and-after cleaning shots, please click here.
And have a fabulous 4th!


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UTS- Nurdan's UNITED TRAVELSERVICES DMC – TURKEY
Head Office: Cumhuriyet Street, 137/6, Harbiye 34373, Istanbul –Turkey
Office Phones: 220.127.116.11.21 – 231.31.26 Fax:22.214.171.124.09
In the FOOT STEPS of St. PAUL
StPaul of Tarsus (C.1-67 AD)
Also called Saul in Hebrew and leader their early Christian movement, wasinstrumental in the spreading of Christianity throughout the Greco-Roman world.He was born a Jew in Tarsus of Cilicia in Anatolia.
13 New Testament letters have been attributed to him, many of which showhim adjusting newish ideas and traditions to new circumstances and measuringOld Testament laws by their relevance to Jesus Christ.
The New Testament records how he actively tried to suppressed the earlyChristian movement through persecution until he was converted to Christianityby a visionary encou8nter with the risen Jesus while on the road to Damascus inabout 36 AD.
Several years later, Barnabas brought Paul to Antioch, where theyministered together for a year.
Paul spent the following 10 years on 3 lengthy missionary journeys topAnatolia and Greece:
1st Journey fromAntioch (Acts 13:4 – 14:28) 47-49 AD
2nd Journey fromAntioch (Acts15:36 – 18:22) 50- 53 AD
3rd Journey fromAntioch (Acts18:23 – 21:17) 53- 57 AD
4th Journey fromCaesarea to Rome (Act 27:1 – 28:15 59) 60 AD
Upon arrival in Istanbul Ataturk Airport, you will be connectingto your Turkish Airlines Domestic Flight to Hatay (Antiocia). Upon arrival, youwill be transferred to your hotel.
Welcome Dinner & overnight at the hotel.
Following breakfast, youwill depart from the hotel for the sightseeing tour in Antiocia.
*Paul's first missionary journey (46-48 A.D.) was theshortest, in time and distance, of the first three, but it was nevertheless avery significant development in the history of the new Christian church. Itestablished Paul as a leader in the spreading of The Word of God. He went on towrite a large portion of the New Testament that we have today.
Traveled 13,000 miles over the course of 29 years (35 – 64A. D.)
Antioch on the Orontes
The third largest city of the Roman Empire after Rome andAlexandria.
After Jerusalem, Antioch was the second great center ofChristianity in New Testament times and where the disciples of Christ werefirst called Christians
(Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3; 14:26-28; 15:1-41; 18:22-23; Gal.2).
- Cave Church of St Peter: this is where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. After the stoning of Stephen for blasphemy in Jerusalem (Acts 7) in about 33 or 34 AD.
- Roman Mosaic Museum : One of the world's best mosaic museum
- Tunnel of Titus
- Antiochia Church.
Overnight at the hotel
Following breakfast, youwill depart from the hotel for Tarsus in Cilicia, the native home of the Apostle Paul. Located near theMediterranean about 30 miles below the Cilician Gates, Tarsus in Cilicia servedas one of the great crossroads of history. Paul described it as 'noinsignificant city's. (Acts 1:39; 9:11; 22:3).
Today's visits:
* The Saint Paul's Church in Tarsus is on the UN WorldHeritage Tentative List
* The St Paul's Well
* The Cleopatra Gate
* SeleuciaPieria The ancient port town of Antioch from which Pauland Barnabas set out on their first journey and where Paul returned afterwards(Acts 13:2-4).
Dinner and overnight atthe hotel in Adana.
St. Peter's letters were addressed toChristians living in Cappadocia (1 Peter 1:1).
The Apostle Paul was from Tarsus inCilicia, which is the adjacent region just south of Cappadocia. Paul isbelieved to have traveled widely though Cappadocia during his missionaryjourneys.
Early Christians in the third centuryflocked to Cappadocia to escape Roman persecution. The soft stone was carvedinto chapels and churches, and the natural caves and tunnels could be made intounderground cities and safe hiding places.
Cappadocia, which lies in the heartof Asia Minor, became an important center of Christian theology in the fourthcentury ad. Already at the time of St Paul there was a small Christiancommunity in Cappadocia where Christianity spread so rapidly as to produce anumber of martyrs and confessors in the second century, and to contribute sevenbishops to the Council of Nicaea in ad 325. But it was mainly in the secondhalf of the fourth century that Cappadocia became famous for its theologicalthought due to three leading figures. The Cappadocian Fathers or CappadocianPhilosophers are Basil the Great (St Basil of Caesarea or Cappadocia orpresent-day Kayseri, who lived from 330-379), Basil's brother Gregory of Nyssa(c.330-395), who was bishop of Nyssa; and a close friend, Gregory Nazianzus(329-389), who became Patriarch of Constantinople. They advanced earlyChristian theology, including the doctrine of the trinity - God as three inone, Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and established the basis for the NiceneCreed. The three Cappadocians were characterizedby saying that St Basil was the arm which acted, St Gregory the mouth whichspoke and St Gregory of Nyssa the head which did the thinking.
Basil the Great is remembered as thefounder of Eastern monasticism. All Eastern Orthodox monks are Basilian monksand follow a variation of the monastic rule that he outlined.
The day's experience will start with panoramic view point stops toenjoy thye breath-taking sceneries of the region. Avcilar (Hunters Valley), Uchisar(Tip fortress) and Pasabaglar Valley(Monks Vallley).
Before your transfer to the hotel you will visit one of thelargest Underground City where earlyChristians have sheltered from Roman persecution. The Christians had a built in communication system of pipes to each of its levels, eachcarved out room had ventilation provided by holes when the city was closedagainst enemies.
The day will end at the hotel with dinner and overnight.
Following breakfast The day's tour will continue with anunforgettable visit to the Valley ofGÖREME (the largest con monastery of the region) that houses the "OPEN AIR MUSEUM OF ROCK CARVED CHURCHES",built by the early Christians there, hiding from the persecution of the Romansoldiers. Due to the incredibly beautiful frescoes, adorning the walls ofthese early churches of Christianity carved into vulcanic rocks, CAPPADOCIA'sfamous Open Air Museum has been included in UNESCO'sWORLD Heritage List, as one of thecultural Wonders of the World.
Another cultural experience, unique to this region,is a visit to the group of young village girls from all over Cappadocia,at their "Art School", where they happily learn to become mastersof the national art of weaving Turkishcarpets and kilims to be able to contribute to their traditional dowry,before they get married.
The ancestors of the Hittites were the first settlers of the areain the second millennium B.C. ZELVE OPENAIR MUSEUM is honeycombed with caves and there are some ancient cavechurches from 9th Century A.D.
The day will end at the hotel with dinner and overnight
Following breakfast, you will depart for Konya.
Én route, you will visit Lystra& Derbe.
Because of the miracles performed, the peopleattempted to worship the missionaries, thinking they were gods. Themissionaries, however, refused worship and convinced the people that they wereonly human.
Unbelieving Jews from Antioch and Iconiuminstigated a riot in which Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city, and leftfor dead. He revived and returned to Derbe the next day, where he and Barnabassaw many people converted as a result of their teaching.
** Tell of Derbe (Kerti Huyuk; Acts 14:20-21; 16:1;20:4)
** Mound of Lystra (Zordula) near the village ofHatunsaray.
At Lystra the priest of Zeus wanted to offer asacrifice to Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:6-20). This was the home of Lois,Eunice, and young Timothy (Acts 16:1-4). These cities were in the province ofGalatia (Gal. 1:2) in New Testament times.
The day will end at the hotel with dinner and overnight in Konya.
Following breakfast, you will start the sightseeing tour of Konya-Iconium:
* Manyconverts, both Jews and Greeks,
* Numerousmiracles.
* A plan toinstigate a riot and stone the missionaries is discovered, causing Paul and hiscompanions to escape from the city.
Én route you will visit Yalvac – Pisidian Antioch :
*Paul'sFirst Sermon of Record
On the west side of the city are the foundations ofthe synagogue where Paul gave his first recorded sermon. In the 4th century ADthe Church of St. Paul was built on the remains. At the time it was one of thelargest churches in the world, it is still one of the largest ever discoveredin Asia Minor. It is significant that this is the only church in ancientAnatolia built on the site of a synagogue.
The day will end at the hotel with dinner and overnight inAntalya.
Following breakfast, you will start the sightseeing tour ofAntalya.
First, you will drive to Pergewhich is the largest ancient settling of both Hellenistic and Roman Age, and the presence of a Jewish community there made it an ideal base forPaul's first missionary journey through Anatolia. Perge was also the city whereJohn Mark left Barnabas and Paul. The Ancient site possesses a Roman Bath, Colonnaded Street,Agora, Stadium, and Water Aqueduct. These structures are in good order and wellprotected after the excavation.
Then, continue to Aspendos,the best preserved Roman Theatre in the World which is still in use. This15.000 seated theatre hosts many concerts and competitions, during the SongFestival.
You will then visit the Antalya Archaeological Museum which is one of the most important museums for AnatolianCivilizations. The museum has13 exhibition halls and an open air gallery covering an area of 7,000 m2(75,000 sq ft). As a museum exhibiting examples of works, whichilluminate the history of the Mediterraneanand Pamphyliaregions in Anatolia, Antalya Museum is one of the most important of Turkey'smuseums. The Museum won the "European Council Special Prize" in 1988.
The day will end at the hotel with dinner and overnight.
Following breakfast, you will depart from the hotel for Pamukkale.Én route you will visit Colossae andLaodicea.
Laodicea is the lastof the seven churches mentioned in Revelation and the only church about whichJohn had nothing good to say. He called them "wretched, pitiful, poor,blind and naked."
Laodicea, like Rome, was built upon seven hills. Itwas one of Asia Minor's most flourishing cities. It prospered primarily due toits trade route location, which made it a hub for large money transactions.Laodicea's sheep were also known for their fine black wool. Laodicea was famousfor the production of a special eye salve (collyrium), referred to as 'Phrygian powder' made from a local stone. 'All three industries, finance, wool, and the production of eye salve,come into play in this letter to the Laodicean church.
Laodiceawas one of three biblical cities in the valley of the Lycus River, a tributaryof the Meander.The water to the city was carried partly by anaqueduct, partly through stone pipes. By the time it arrived in the city it wastepid, neither refreshing, like the cold running water at nearby Colossae, norpiping hot, like the famous mineral hot springs of neighboring Hierapolis.
Christianity came early to the city. St. Paulimplies a close relationship between the churches in Laodicea and Colossae. The church in Laodicea was probably foundedby Epaphras from Colossae and thefaithful of Laodicea met in the home of Nympha (Colossians 4:15). AdditionallyPaul sent greetings to Archippus, who may have been from Laodicea (Colossians4:17).
The daywill be ending at the hotel for dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
Following breakfast, you will be driven to Kusadasi. En route youwill visit Hierapolis and Miletus.
Today'sprivate sightseeing tour will start with the Hierapolis. It was founded as a thermal SPA early in the 2ndcentury BC within this sphere of the sluiced empire. Antiochus the great send2000 Jewish families to Lydia & Phrygia from Babylon and Mesopotamia. TheJewish congregation grew in Hierapolis and has been estimated as high as 50,000in 62 BC. It became a healing center where doctors used the thermal springs asa treatment for their patients.
Afterbecoming a part of Roman province of Asia, the city continued to developprosperously under rule of Tiberius and Nero.
Through the influence of the Christianapostle Paul, a church was founded herewhile he was at Ephesus. TheChristian apostle Philip spentthe last years of his life here. The town'sMartyrium was alleged to have been built upon the spot where Philip was crucified in AD 80. His daughters were also saidto have acted as prophetesses in the region.
You will next cross the broad flood-plain of the RiverMaeander (Turkish Buyuk Menderes) to Miletus. This was once a major portbut silt brought down by the River Maeander blocked its harbour centuries ago,and it is now several miles from the sea. The city is laid
To book this tour, please contact UTS – Turkey Team
UTS- Nurdan's UNITED TRAVELSERVICES DMC – TURKEY


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Our challenge this week is :~ A Sketch
Will be sending one person chosen at random a lucky dip bag of goodies worth over £15.
Check out what our lovely DT have come up with to help inspire you. Don't forget to check out their blogs for more details!!
Please leave us a comment with a link to your card. For those who do NOT have a blog or an online gallery please email them.


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One of South Shields Football Club's longest serving players has suffered Wembley heartbreak – after sustaining a broken leg less than two months before the FA Vase final.
Striker Stephen Ramsey will miss out on the showpiece occasion after picking up the injury on Thursday.
The 27-year-old is in his 10th season with the club, who he has represented more than 300 times.
A dream Wembley date was on the horizon, but those hopes have now been dashed after he suffered a broken tibia in a 50-50 challenge towards the end of the 2-1 league win at Sunderland RCA.
Popular Stephen has been inundated with messages since the cruel blow, something which has been a huge source of comfort to him.
Speaking from his hospital bed at Sunderland Royal Hospital yesterday, the striker – a mechanic by trade – said: "It's obviously a massive blow to me and I'm devastated to be missing out on such important games, especially Wembley.
It's obviously a massive blow to me and I'm devastated to be missing out on such important games, especially WembleyStephen Ramsey
"It just sums up what it has been like for me recently.
"As soon as I get back fit again and get an opportunity, something else happens.
"I've had hundreds of messages, lots of them from people I don't even know, wishing me well.
"It has been a bit emotional reading some of them but is much appreciated, and has really helped me."
Stephen was yesterday told by doctors he did not require an operation, and that he would instead be in a leg cast for six to eight weeks. He returned home from hospital last night.
The striker will still make the journey to Wembley on May 21 to see his team-mates take on Cleethorpes Town in the final. Messages of support for the loyal Mariner continue to flood in.
On Facebook, Gary Atkinson wrote: "Gutted for the lad! Commitment in the tackle was 110%. Wishing you a speedy recovery!"
Andy Wilson added: "Lionhearted challenge by Ramma, put his body on the line for the team, hope he has a speedy recovery UTM."
Blayne O'Brien posted: "Such a shame he won't get a run out at Wembley. Loyal to Shields over the years. Speedy recovery Ramma."
Tim Hines said "Get well soon mate. We had 10 heroes out there tonight and your commitment in that tackle late on was immense. Hope recovery is quick."
Denise O'Reilly wrote: "Such a shame for the lad at this point in the run up to Wembley. Speedy recovery."
Vivien Scott added: "Get well soon Steve."


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Nottingham is part of the East Midlands and has a strong history in the lace-making and bicycle manufacturing industry. Originally given the title of City by Queen Victoria in 1897, it has gone on to be a leading part of the United Kingdom though it's large universities and popular bars and clubs. Well known people from Nottingham include the fashion designer Paul Smith, Stella Rimmington, the former head of MI5, Dan Hardy the mixed martial artist who know competes in the UFC, and Kenneth Clarke, the Conservative Member of Parliament who was born in West Bridgeford.
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The vast majority of companies are unprepared for the move to digital business models that will begin to dominate their revenue potential within the next five years, according to an in-depth study conducted by Odgers Berndtson and Forrester Research.
Based on nearly 1,000 interviews with senior executives from around the world, the report examines the readiness of companies to succeed in the age of digital disruption.
The State of Digital Business Report revealed that, while executives understand the potential that digital has to transform how businesses create and deliver value to customers -- with 46 percent of survey respondents estimating more than half of their sales will depend on digital by 2020 -- more than four out of five companies (84 percent) are not equipped to make this transformation. More specifically, only 21 percent of respondents feel they have the right team to define their digital strategy, and only 14 percent believe they have the necessary processes in place to implement it.
The report analyzes and ranks business sectors for potential impact and conveys the importance of having a digital talent acquisition and retention strategy, and developing strong C-suite partnerships within the organization.
The report concluded by recommending six tactics to help companies accelerate their digital transformation:
- Convince CEOs of the critical need for change
- Enlist the support of other digital champions
- Develop a digital talent strategy
- Invest in business technology projects
- Update your company's technology
- Embrace your CMO and executives responsible for customers
Agile methods already widely used
New Manager Barometer by Odgers Berndtson shows high approval ratings for the still young leaders...
UK ports must attract global leadership talent
By Paul Butterworth MNI, Global Head of the Maritime & Shipping Practice at Odgers Berndtson
Maximising data the Scottish way
If data is the key to unlocking innovation in every aspect of our lives, has Scotland's Data Lab...


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Moms are only human and we all make mistakes from time to time, but have you ever committed a mom fail so horrible you're almost embarrassed to admit it?
Sometimes no matter how hard we try to do everything perfectly with our babies and keep an eye on them 100 percent of the time -- sh&% happens -- and they wind up either being in a potentially dangerous situation or possibly even getting hurt.
And then we freak out and the overwhelming guilt kicks in and we wind up being traumatized by those mistakes to the point where we'll never forgive ourselves for them.
More from The Stir: Hysterical FEMA PSAs Point Out How Bad Parents Are at Emergency Planning (VIDEO)
Here are nine of the worst mom fails out there -- proving no one is "Mother of the Year" all the time.
- "After a routine Whole Foods trip, I was driving down the highway when I heard my baby making this weird whimpering noise from the back seat. I briefly turned my head to see if he was ok -- and realized he was not fastened into his car seat! The straps were around his shoulders, but I'd totally forgotten to clasp the harness. I pulled over immediately and fixed the problem, but to this day, whenever I drive down that stretch of road, my heart drops into my stomach." -- (Yep. This one's mine.)
- "One time I was trying to click my daughter's car seat into the base. I totally missed it, and entire seat went tumbling down behind drivers seat. Whoops."
- "When my daughter was seven months old, she rolled off our bed, hit her head and suffered a concussion, even losing consciousness. I was sitting right next to her when it happened. Just turned my head away for a second. She was OK, and there have been no long term effects (she's four-and-a-half now.) But I have never gotten over the guilt I feel from that one moment. Not to mention it was the single most terrifying experience of my life. I thought she was dead." -- Elizabeth, The Writer Revived
- "I put the forward facing car seat back in the car after getting it cleaned. I must have missed a loop or latch with the seat belt. After the first left turn, my son started whining. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw him safely strapped in the car seat -- which was laying on its side across the back seat."
- "Once when my oldest was about three or four months old, I put him on the changing table and took my eyes off him for five seconds ... that's all it took for him to roll off the table and hit the floor face first."
- "We had a case of the flu go around our house and I was down for the count. My son was probably a year old at the time and at some point in the night he woke up and threw up everywhere. My husband and I didn't hear him cry! I woke up the next morning to check on him and the poor kid had puke everywhere!! I still feel completely horrendous about it to this day!"
- "My daughter, my second, was literally home from the hospital for an hour when I decided to cut her claw like fingernails (being the pro that I was as a second-time mom, this did not intimidate me.) So I start snipping away with the baby clippers and NICK -- blood! Missed her nail and clipped the top of her finger. She survived and her finger was fine, but I was a bad, careless, over-confident mommy."
- "I let my son play out back and he managed to squeeze through the gate (still don't know how) and my neighbor (luckily out front at the time) returned him to the front door. You can imagine my heart when I saw him standing on my front porch when I thought he was out back. And I swear I was checking on him regularly! I think my husband was even out in the garage nearby."
- "I strapped my daughter into her car seat while it was sitting on the kitchen counter. I turned around to grab my keys, and boom! The next thing I knew she was on the floor. Luckily she was not hurt -- but thinking about it still makes me cry."
Do you have a major mom fail you'd care to share?
Image via nitibob/Flickr


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Legislation to Lighten Estate Tax Didn't Pass in the Past, may be Reintroduced Again
A different approach to estate taxes comes from a House Republican, who proposes that taxpayers make annual payments for a certain number of years during their lifetime, instead of having their estate pay estate taxes when they die. He plans to reintroduce the bill, if tax reform measures fail to include elimination of the estate tax.
Representative Andy Harris (R-Md.) has again proposed the American Solution for Simplifying the Estate Tax (ASSET) Act. Introduced in previous Congresses, the act would enable taxpayers to pay a percentage of their modified adjusted gross income annually for a certain number of years to avoid estate taxes at death. Harris introduced versions of the ASSET Act in 2014 and 2015.
Bloomberg's article, "Maryland Rep Has Backup Estate Plan, If Tax Reform Fizzles," says that if enough Republicans want the tax reform to be revenue-neutral, they'll need to find significant revenue increases to offset President Trump's proposed tax cuts.
Trump proposed a repeal of the estate tax during his campaign. It is also included in his tax plan and in the House GOP's tax reform framework.
In the 2015 version of Harris' bill, taxpayers could elect to make annual payments of 1% of their modified adjusted gross income for a minimum seven-year period, in lieu of existing estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. However, the Joint Committee on Taxation said that the 2015 bill would cost the government money. Thus, the new legislation will include changes to make it revenue-neutral. Harris commented that he's considering increasing either the annual payment amount or the seven-year payment window.
The bill does not appear to be gaining much traction with the American Farm Bureau Federation. Another group, The Family Business Coalition, says that its immediate priority is to pass full repeal of the estate tax but that, failing a complete repeal, this bill would be a huge improvement. A member of the pro-estate tax group Patriotic Millionaires, who says he is not a spokesperson for the group, says that "….any tax that allows taxpayers to pay a percentage of AGI rather than of wealth is going to enable a great deal of game playing and evasion."
Do you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties in Florida? Laws are constantly changing-- has your estate plan been reviewed in the last 2-3 years? Call me (954-888-1747) right away for peace of mind. I can help! Come visit www.411Probate.com for valuable information.
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Reference: Bloomberg (May 8, 2017) "Maryland Rep Has Backup Estate Plan If Tax Reform Fizzles"


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My Third Eye posted this last week. Enjoy your weekend everyone!
Also, thank you for the greetings everyone! I'm so glad you guys are still posting your beautiful shots! Keep on sharing and visiting each other.
Congrats on the new baby! Happy SS! :)
Joining Scenic Sunday this week! :)
What a fantastic image...I love the two nearly vertical "stars" in the photo!
Tx Aisha, Im glad u liked the shot :) Hope you and your baby are doing great!
also, i'd really appreciate if you could contribute for Saturday Sareenity.
have a great weekend,
Looking forward to finding some great new reads!!
Such a lovely night view of London!
that is a very nice image..love it..catching for my entry since i was out for the weekend..


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Catherine O'Donnell: Drawn in Fairfield - Art Collector
|Catherine O'Donnell, Urban dwellings series 10, 2016. Pencil on paper, 25 x 56cm. Courtesy: the artist and Brenda May Gallery, Sydney
|"My drawings are an exploration of architecture, culture, history, and the urban environment with a current focus on 1960/70s housing estates. At first glance, the aesthetic qualities of these utilitarian dwellings may not be evident, these buildings are not always given the same value as other housing and have become a cultural signifier of lower socioeconomic communities across Western Sydney." - Catherine O'Donnell
|Exhibition opens: 3-5pm Saturday, 1 October 2016
|Exhibition closes: 27 October 2016
|Location: Brenda May Gallery, 2 Danks Street, Waterloo NSW 2017
|Contact: 02 9318 1122
|Email: firstname.lastname@example.com