text:
The following list of resources are for anyone in need who has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis in our region.
Name: Online COVID-19 Assessment offered by Providence Medical
Hours: 24 hours daily.
Description: Maintains an online assessment tool where users can answer questions that will help determine whether they may have COVID-19.
Eligibility: No restrictions.
Intake Process: Visit website.
Website: https://www.providence.org/patients-and-visitors/coronavirus-advisory
Name: Deferred Utility Payment Plans for People affected by COVID-19 offered by City of Seattle's Human Services Department
Address: 810 3rd Ave Suite 440 Seattle WA 98104
Phone: 206-684-3000
Hours: M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm.
Description: Allows Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities customers to set up deferred payment plans if they are having difficulty paying their bills because of the COVID-19 virus. Payment arrangements will be based upon individual customer needs. Utility service will stay on as their deferred payment plans are developed and implemented. Also eliminate the 1% late fee added to past due balances.
Eligibility: Those who receive bills from Seattle City Light or Seattle Public Utilities whether residential or commercial.
Intake Process: Call or send an email via the website.
Fees: Plan is based on customer needs.
Travel Info: Located in downtown Seattle, between Marion & Columbia Streets. Call King County Metro at (206) 553-3000 or visit http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ for public transit information.
Website: http://www.seattle.gov/utilities/about-us/email-question
Name: Family Food Hotline offered at WithinReach
Phone: 888-436-6392
Hours: M-Th, 8am-5:30pm; F, 8am-5pm.
Description: Offers a statewide, toll-free telephone line providing screening for the Basic Food program (i.e. food stamps) and the supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Helps clients who are enrolled in the Basic Food program submit paperwork for their six-month and annual reviews. Provides guidance on when and where clients can go to complete annual interview with DSHS, what documents may be needed for verification, and explains options for in-person versus over-the-phone services. Can also help clients with transfer of food benefits from another state. Provides referrals to locations of the Summer Meals Program, as well as food pantries. Also provides similar information via the website. Website includes a "Benefit Finder" for determining eligibility and applying for food programs.
Eligibility: Eligibility for benefits programs depends on household income.
Intake Process: Call or visit website.
Fees: None.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.parenthelp123.org
Name: Health Insurance Information offered at WithinReach
Phone: 877-543-7669
Hours: M-Th, 8am-5:30pm; F, 8am-5pm.
Description: Provides eligibility screening and application assistance for Washington health insurance programs, including WA Apple Health (Medicaid) and SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) and Qualified Health Plans.
Eligibility: State Children's Health Insurance Program: Children through age 18 in families with incomes up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Washington Apple Health: Adults in families with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. Qualified Health Plan: Families with incomes up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Intake Process: Call.
Fees: None, or low-cost depending on income levels.
Email: email@example.com
Website: http://withinreachwa.org
Name: Emergency Food offered at Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle and King County
Address: 851 Houser Way North #A Renton WA 98057
Phone: 425-277-0300
Hours: M-Th, 8am-3pm.
Description: Provides emergency food bags and food packs to individuals and families experiencing a hunger crisis. Food packs include six complete, nutritionally balanced meals per person, regardless of household size. Provides 15 different types of packs to accommodate special dietary and cultural needs, including the following: – Diabetic – Low sodium – Vegan – Liquid protein – Infant – Asian, East African, Latino – Snack pack for teens – No-cook pack for people who are experiencing homelessness
Eligibility: No restrictions.
Intake Process: Visit the main site to receive food or apply to partnering distribution sites. Clients can visit the website to find a list of distribution sites, or if they do not have Internet access, can call the main number to receive a list of distribution sites over the phone. For website, click on "What We Do," then click on "Find Food."
Fees: None.
Travel Info: Located northeast of downtown Renton in the Renton Landing area, just south of NW Park Dr, between Lowe's and I-405. Call King County Metro at (206) 553-3000 or visit http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ for public transit
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.emergencyfeeding.org
Name: Moratorium on Residential Evictions offered by City of Seattle
Address: 810 3rd Ave Suite 440 Seattle WA 98104
Phone: 206-684-5700
Hours: M-F. 8am-5pm.
Description: Placed a temporary moratorium on residential evictions to keep Seattle families from losing their homes as a result of impacts from the pandemic. The moratorium halts any residential eviction action related to the non-payment of rent for 30 days. It also prohibits late fees or other charges for late payment of rent. Property owners may not issue "Pay or Vacate" notices for nonpayment of rent during this period nor initiate an eviction action with the courts. The order further directs that action upon existing pay or vacate notices cannot be taken. For tenants who must appear in court, the moratorium should be used as a defense. If a tenant does not appear in court, the court may grant a continuance to allow the matter to be heard at a later date, after the moratorium has lifted. Tenants are required to continue paying their rent if they are able and should work with their landlords on payment plans if they are experiencing financial hardship. The moratorium lasts from March 14-April 13, 2020 or until the civil emergency ends, whichever is sooner. It may be extended if necessary. At the end of the moratorium, the landlord may issue a 14-day notice for any rent balance that remains unpaid but may not charge fees for late or partial payments made during the moratorium.
Eligibility: Residents of the city of Seattle who cannot afford to pay rent due to impact from COVID-19.
Intake Process: Tenants who receive an eviction notice for not paying rent during the temporary moratorium can call or go online to submit a complaint.
Fees: None.
Travel Info: Located in downtown Seattle, between Marion & Columbia Streets. Call King County Metro at (206) 553-3000 or visit http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ for public transit information.
Website: https://durkan.seattle.gov/2020/03/mayor-durkan-signs-emergency-order-to-halt-residential-evictions/
Name: Customer Service/Bill Payment Arrangements offered by Puget Sound Energy at Natural Gas/Electric Services
Phone: 888-225-5773
Hours: M-F, 7:30am-6:30pm.
Description: Handles billing inquiries and arranges payment plans. Budget Payment Plan provides monthly billings and spreads the cost of annual energy usage evenly throughout the year. Third party designee (protective payee) serves as client liaison with Puget Sound Energy regarding payments and notices; third party is not obligated for payment. Other payment plans may also be available. Also offers winter disconnection moratorium in accordance with Washington Administrative Code WAC 480-100-128, from November 15 to March 15, allowing qualifying customers to avoid disconnection by setting up a bill payment plan. Customers must provide written notice of inability to pay within five business days of late notice (unless there are extenuating circumstances) and follow detailed application process. Call PSE for detailed information. Customers with a verified medical emergency, including dependency on a life support system, may apply for a 60-day extension of current electric or natural gas bill.
Eligibility: Budget Payment Plan: – All Puget Sound Energy customers are eligible for assistance. Winter Disconnection Moratorium Program: – Income limits apply – Documentation required 60-day Medical Emergency Extension: – Puget Sound Energy customers with a serious illness or medical emergency who have difficulty paying a delinquent electric or natural gas bill may be eligible. – Documentation required.
Intake Process: Call customer service for payment options or visit the website.
Required Documents:
Fees: None.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.pse.com
Name: Emergency Low-Income Assistance Program offered by Seattle City Light
Address: 700 5th Ave Seattle Municipal Tower, Suite 3200 Seattle WA 98104
Phone: 206-684-3688
Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm.
Description: Provides grants to help qualifying low-income households pay electric bills. ELIA grants are provided once each year per household. Program serves Seattle City Light customers who have received an urgent or shut-off notice on a balance of $250 or more; participants may receive up to $200 maximum. To participate in ELIA, customers must first make the payment that is due to avoid disconnection, as well as payment arrangements on the remaining balance. ELIA does not help with bills in collections, with the payment amount required to prevent shut-off or the reconnection required amount, but may be able to help with the additional outstanding balance once the shut-off prevention balance or reconnection required amount has been paid. Offers multi-ethnic outreach through brochures that are available in Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Laotian, Spanish and Vietnamese languages. Refers customers to Project SHARE if they need additional assistance, have exhausted all other resources, meet income specifications and have an account balance of $125 or more. Project SHARE is a program funded by customer donations. Initially, it will pay up to $250 towards an electric bill. If more assistance is needed, a customer may qualify to receive up to $250 in addition to the initial payment of $250. Maximum amount of assistance available through Project SHARE is $500.
Eligibility: Seattle City Light customers only, whether inside or outside Seattle. Household income at or below 70% AMI. Must be the primary utility account holder. Must have already obtained assistance through LIHEAP when that program is open for appointments in their area. Must have an urgent or shut-off notice on a balance of $250 or more AND customer needs to first make the payment that is due to avoid disconnection, as well as make payment arrangements on the remaining balance. ELIA refers callers to Project SHARE if more assistance is necessary. Project SHARE also serves Seattle City Light customers with a household income at or below 70% AMI.
Intake Process: Applicants MUST get an appointment with LIHEAP before receiving assistance from ELIA, UNLESS: – They have total household income greater than 125% FPL (not eligible for LIHEAP) – They have already accessed LIHEAP during the current season – LIHEAP assistance for their area is currently closed In the above cases, an applicant may call ELIA directly for a screening and application.
Required Documents: Documents Required: – Urgent or shut-off notice – Proof of income for one month previous to applying
Fees: None.
Travel Info: Located in downtown Seattle on 5th Ave between Columbia & Cherry Streets. Call King County Metro at (206) 553-3000 or visit http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ for public transit information.
Email: email@example.com
Website: http://www.seattle.gov/light/assistance/assistance.asp
Name: Utility Discount Program offered by City of Seattle's Human Services Department
Address: 810 3rd Ave Suite 440 Seattle WA 98104
Phone: 206-684-0268
Hours: M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm.
Description: Utility Discount Program – Offers a rate discount for income-eligible Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities (water, sewer, garbage) customers. Discount is approximately 60% for Seattle City Light and 50% for Seattle Public Utilities. If a landlord pays all utilities, qualifying low-income tenants may still be eligible for utility financial help. More information: 1. How long does it take to process my application? Due to large volume of applications received, the average time to process an application is 1-2 months. However, if your application has all the requested documents (government issued photo ID, one month of income documentation for all household members age 18 and older) it will shorten the process time and help expedite the approval process. 2. How will I know if I've been approved? If you have a Seattle City Light bill or a Seattle Public Utilities bill in your name, the discount will be noted "Utility Discount Program Savings" on your bill. Please note: If you live in the SPU service territory and do not have an SPU bill in your name, you may be eligible for the utility credit, which may be added to your SCL account. 3. Will this help with the bill that I have now? The Utility Discount Program is retroactive back to the date the application is received if all required documents are submitted with the application. We recommend that applicants continue to make payments or seek other options (payment arrangements or other programs that can help with the immediate bill(s)). 4. What if I have a disconnect bill (SPU or SCL bill that says non-payment will result in service disconnection) and I've been waiting for my application to be processed? Please contact SCL or SPU directly and make payment arrangements if you are unable to pay the full amount. You may also be eligible for other assistance such as the Energy Assistance Program (SPU), Emergency Low Income Assistance (SCL) or Project Share (SCL). Please note many programs may have different requirements and eligibility processes. Submitting an application does not guarantee benefits or an expedited process if your household is subject to disconnection. 5. How much is the discount and how long will I be on the program? The discount is approximately 50% to 60% for qualifying SCL or SPU bills. The average time you will be on the program once approved is two years for non-senior households and three years for senior-only (ages 65+) households. Thirty-seven days prior to a customer's recertification date, the customer is contacted by telephone and/or email. If a customer does not have a phone number, thirty-six days prior to the recertification date, the customer is sent a postcard. Customers will need to complete a recertification form with an updated household status and provide supporting documents. 6. Will the discount move with me if I move to another apartment or another residence? Yes. Customers that moved to another residence or another unit in the same apartment must first contact SCL to request the discount moved to their new address and then contact the Utility Discount Program for a follow-up. If you are up for recertification, you must first complete the recertification process prior to having the discount moved to the new address.
Eligibility: All Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities customers at or below 70% State Median Income, regardless of city of residency. Account must be in the primary applicant's name. Income eligibility is based on total household income during the one month period prior to application. If a landlord pays all utilities, qualifying low-income tenants may still be eligible for utility financial help.
Intake Process: Call, visit in person or visit website for application.
Required Documents: Due to COVID-19, the city is expediting the enrollment process by providing a self-certification form to sign without having to provide income documentation.
Fees: None.
Travel Info: Located in downtown Seattle, between Marion & Columbia Streets. Call King County Metro at (206) 553-3000 or visit http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ for public transit information.
Email: email@example.com
Website: http://www.seattle.gov/udp
Name: Apple Health offered at Washington Health Plan Finder
Address: 521 Capitol Way South Olympia WA 98501
Phone: 855-923-4633
Hours: M-F, 7:30am-5:30pm.
Description: Provides medical benefits for individuals and families with limited incomes. The following health care services are covered by WA Apple Health (Medicaid): – Appointments with a doctor or health care professional for necessary care – Medical care in an emergency – Maternity care – Mental Health services – Treatment for chemical or alcohol dependence – Dental and vision care – Prescription medications – Transportation to and from medical appointments, when necessary – An interpreter for your appointment, if you do not speak English (arranged through your provider)
Eligibility: Adults and families who are at 138% of the Federal Poverty Level who are not eligible for Medicare. Undocumented immigrants are eligible for emergent conditions only if they are otherwise eligible for Apple Health. Cannot be currently incarcerated. Covers children only in families with income up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Covers pregnant/post partum women up to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Intake Process: To sign up or renew coverage, call or visit www.wahealthplanfinder.org For information about common health insurance terms and important information to consider when selecting a health plan, visit www.knowyourplan.org.
Fees: None for adults under 138% of the Federal Poverty Level and children in families under 200% of the Federal Poverty level. Families with children at an income between 200 and 300% of the Federal Poverty Level pay a $20 or $30 a month premium per child.
Website: http://www.wahealthplanfinder.org
Name: Health Benefit Exchange offered at Washington Health Plan Finder
Address: 521 Capitol Way South Olympia WA 98501
Phone: 855-923-4633
Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm.
Description: Open enrollment begins November 1st and runs until December 15th, 2019. Provides information about health insurance plans available to Washington state residents, including WA Apple Health (Medicaid). Determines if the user may be eligible for financial help paying for a health plan, and helps the user enroll. Coordinates an online marketplace where individuals can apply for, learn about and be approved for medical coverage under various insurance options. Offers comparisons of health plans. Qualifies applicants for tax credits or financial help to pay for copays and premiums. All insurance plans listed in the Health Plan Finder must cover essentials, including visits to the doctor and emergency room, prescriptions, maternity care and preventive care like cancer screenings and immunizations. In addition, no one will be denied coverage because they are sick or have a pre-existing condition. Most health plans are not allowed to have annual benefit limits and none are allowed to have lifetime benefit limits.
Eligibility: Families and individuals earning up to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level are eligible for help with paying for premiums and copays. Families and individuals earning less than 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level are eligible for WA Apple Health (Medicaid). Special Enrollment: Certain life events including but not limited to – Getting married – Having a child – Moving to a new area – Losing health coverage may qualify applicants for a Special Enrollment period. Existing customers can report a change through their Washington Healthplanfinder accounts. New customers can apply now to check if they qualify.
Intake Process: To sign up or renew coverage, call or visit www.wahealthplanfinder.org For information about common health insurance terms and important information to consider when selecting a health plan, visit www.knowyourplan.org.
Fees: All plans sold on Washington Healthplanfinder will have four levels of cost-sharing. These are called 'metal levels' and include: – Bronze – Silver – Gold – Platinum The difference between the levels is based on how much of the medical costs your health plan picks up and how much is your share through copays and coinsurance.
Website: http://www.wahealthplanfinder.org
Name: COVID-19 Related Relief for Businesses offered by Washington State Department of Revenue
Address: 2101 4th Avenue Suite 1400 Seattle WA 98121
Phone: 360-705-6705
Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm.
Description: Works with businesses that cannot file or pay their taxes on time due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Affected businesses that owe Washington taxes may qualify for the following assistance: – Filing extension for excise tax returns – Late payment penalty waiver request – Rescheduling of a planned audit (contact the auditor). – More time to file a business license or registration renewal (Call Business Licensing Service at 360-705-6741 or by email at email@example.com). – An extension of its expiring resellers permit (Call 360-705-6705 or by email at email@example.com).
Eligibility: Washington state businesses that cannot file or pay their taxes on time due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Intake Process: Request an extension or penalty waiver by sending a secure email in your "My DOR account" or call.
Fees: None.
Travel Info: The building is located on the west side of 4th Avenue between Lenora and Blanchard streets in the Sedwick James Building. Call King County Metro at (206) 553-3000 or visit http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ for public transit information.
Website: https://dor.wa.gov/about/2019-novel-coronavirus-outbreak-covid-19-update
Name: Disaster Loan Assistance offered at U.S Small Business Administration
Address: 409 3rd Street Southwest Washington DC 20024
Phone: 800-659-2955
Hours: 24 hours daily.
Description: Provides Economic Injury Disaster Loans to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and private non-profit organizations located in a declared disaster zone. Washington State has been declared a COVID-19 disaster zone The interest rate on the EIDLs will not exceed 4% per year. The repayment term is determined by the organization or business's ability to repay the loan. EIDL assistance is available only to small businesses when the Small Business Administration determines they are unable to obtain credit elsewhere.
Eligibility: Small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and private non-profit organizations located in a declared disaster zone having suffered substantial economic injury.
Intake Process: Apply online.
Required Documents: Must submit a completed loan application and a signed and dated IRS Form 4506-T giving permission for the IRS to provide SBA your tax return information.
Fees: None.
Email: email@example.com
Website: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information/EIDLLoans
Name: Emergency Fund for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 offered by City of Seattle
Address: 700 5th Ave Seattle Municipal Tower, Suite Seattle WA 98104
Phone: 206-684-8090
Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm.
Description: Provides working capital grants in amounts up to $10,000 to qualifying small businesses affected by COVID-19. Grants may be used to cover the day-to-day operating expenses of the business, such as payroll or losses due to destabilizing events. Has approximately $1.5 million in one-time Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds available.
Eligibility: The business owner must have a low- or moderate-income (≤80% of the Area Median Income). The business must have five employees or less. The business must have a physical establishment. The business must have experienced a loss of income due to COVID-19. Businesses that are franchises, chains, or restricted to patrons above the age of 18 are not eligible.
Intake Process: Visit website to apply or call for a paper copy of the application.
Required Documents: Federal regulations require that the business provide proof of loss of revenue due to a destabilizing event.
Fees: None.
Travel Info: Located on block between Columbia and Cherry St. Call King County Metro at (206) 553-3000 or visit http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ for public transit information.
Email: email@example.com
Website: http://www.seattle.gov/office-of-economic-development/small-business/small-business-programs-/stabilization-fund-
Name: Employer Assistance Program offered by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
Address: 7273 LINDERSON WAY SOUTHWEST TUMWATER WA 98501
Phone: 360-902-4817
Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm.
Description: Works with financially distressed businesses impacted by the economy, natural disasters, or other serious problems to arrange a payment plan for workers' compensation premiums. L&I waives late penalties and interest if qualifying businesses pay their premiums within 90 days. Penalties and interest may be applied for longer payment periods. Businesses must also pay future quarterly premium payments by the regular deadline, which is 30 days after the end of each quarter. In some cases, the payment plan can be renegotiated if a business goes deeper into financial distress.
Eligibility: Businesses impacted by the economy, natural disasters, or other serious problems.
Intake Process: Businesses should contact their L&I account manager or call employer services.
Fees: None.
Email: email@example.com
Website: https://www.lni.wa.gov/agency/outreach/employer-assistance-program
Name: Workers' Compensation Coverage for those Affected by COVID-19 offered by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
Address: 7273 LINDERSON WAY SOUTHWEST TUMWATER WA 98501
Phone: 877-561-3453
Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm.
Description: Allows for treatment of COVID-19 when work-related activity has resulted in probable exposure to the virus and certain criteria are met. – The worker's occupation must have a greater likelihood of contracting the disease because of the job (examples include first responders or health care workers). – There must also be a documented or probable work-related exposure, and an employee/employer relationship. Accepts claims of health care workers and first responders who are quarantined after COVID-19 exposure on the job. Other quarantine claims will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Time-loss payments may be allowed for lost wages during the quarantine period of up to 14 days. Appropriate, medically required testing/surveillance would also be covered. When the contraction of COVID-19 is incidental to the workplace or common to all employment (such as an office worker who contracts the condition from a fellow employee), a claim for exposure to and contraction of the disease will be denied.
Eligibility: Workers exposed to COVID-19.
Intake Process: Call or apply online.
Fees: None.
Website: https://www.lni.wa.gov/agency/outreach/workers-compensation-coverage-and-coronavirus-covid-19-common-questions
Name: Unemployment Benefits for Employees Affected by COVID-19 offered by Washington State Employment Security
Phone: 800-318-6022
Hours: M-F, 8am-4pm.
Description: Adopted a series of emergency rules to relieve the burden of temporary layoffs, isolation and quarantine for workers and businesses. The new rules allow current unemployment claimants who are in isolation or quarantine as a result of COVID-19 more leniency when it comes to deadlines and mandatory appointments, such as deadlines for applying for training programs, job search reviews or mandatory reemployment service appointments. If an employee is sick they may be eligible for Paid Family & Medical Leave. Once they recover they may be eligible for unemployment benefits if they have lost their job as a result. Workers who have been asked to quarantine but are not sick may be eligible for unemployment benefits. Workers who are laid off work temporarily or have reduced hours due to a business slowdown or a lack of demand as a result of COVID-19, may be able to receive unemployment benefits.
Eligibility: Employees whose work schedule has been affected by COVID-19.
Intake Process: Apply online or by phone.
Fees: None.
Travel Info: Agency is located in a secured facility and is not open to the public.
Website: https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19
Name: Paid Family & Medical Leave offered by Washington State Employment Security
Phone: 833-717-2273
Hours: M-F, 8am-4pm.
Description: Provides paid time off for Washington state residents when a serious health condition prevents them from working or when they need time to care for a family member or a new child, or for certain military-related events. Provides up to 90 percent of weekly pay, up to a maximum of $1,000 a week. Most Washington workers are eligible for up to 12 weeks of Paid Family and Medical Leave a year. Some may qualify for up to 18 weeks of paid leave. The leave does not have to be used all at once. MEDICAL LEAVE When a serious health condition prevents an employee from working, medical leave covers a wide range of serious health needs such as major surgery, after giving birth to a baby, for bed rest during pregnancy, to receive treatment for a chronic health condition, and to receive inpatient treatment for substance abuse or mental health. FAMILY LEAVE When an employee needs to take time off to care for a family member and the family member has a serious health condition that would qualify them for medical leave, or if they're welcoming a new baby or child into their family, they are eligible for family leave. MILITARY FAMILY LEAVE Allow Washington workers to spend time with a family member in the military if the family member is about to be deployed overseas or is returning from overseas deployment.
Eligibility: Must have worked at least 820 hours in the past year, or about 16 hours per week in Washington state and have a certification of a serious health condition. These are the family members Washington residents can take paid leave to care for: – Spouses and domestic partners – Children (biological, adopted, foster or stepchild) – Parents and legal guardians (or spouse's parents) – Siblings – Grandchildren – Grandparents (or spouse's grandparents)
Intake Process: Visit website to apply online or call to request a paper application. The Certification of a Serious Health Condition form can be emailed to your healthcare provider and emailed back to you, then uploaded to your Paid Leave account. Electronic signatures are accepted. After you submit your application, Paid Family and Medical Leave program staff will review it to: – Make sure you have worked enough hours to qualify; – Confirm that your event qualifies for paid leave; – Record the length of leave that your medical provider has certified (for your own medical leave or leave to take care of a family member for medical reasons); and – Determine how much pay you are eligible to receive during your leave.
Required Documents: Proof of ID Certification of Serious Health Condition for self or family member Active duty orders (for military family leave only)
Fees: None.
Travel Info: Agency is located in a secured facility and is not open to the public.
Website: https://paidleave.wa.gov/


text:
Check out the latest
Rusty Gear is an American singer-songwriter who leads a collaboration of great musicians to create and record original country, blues and southern rock music. Rusty's primary focus has always been the song writing, where he tries to tell authentic stories of life in America and deliver rocking numbers that will energize his live performances. He has released 8 albums/ EPs of original music featuring top Nashville session players and members of the famed Muscle Shoals Rythm Section. Rusty's songs have received radio play around the world and charted on the Billboard Country Breakout Chart, Roots Radio in Blues and Americana and on the Hotdisc Top 40, where he has 4 #1s and 5 in the top ten. Rusty's songs have been streamed over 2.7 million times on Spotify.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's recent praise of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi needs to be seen within the regional context, analyst Mohamed Gomaa tells Dina Ezzat
There was a moment of high praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu for Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi late last week.
Speaking at the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv during a ceremony that Ambassador Khaled Azmi was hosting on the occasion of Egypt's National Day, Netanyahu said that "our two countries, and many other countries, are fighting extremism, violence and terrorism. I would like to commend my colleague President Al-Sisi for standing firmly against this wave of extremism and terrorism."
"In my meetings with President Al-Sisi, I was very impressed not only with his leadership, but also with his intelligence. From him I understood many things about the challenges we face, and we spoke about ways to face them in the best possible way," Netanyahu added.
The remarks of the Israeli prime minister received considerable attention in the press inside and outside the region.
The main interpretation was that Egypt and Israel were in a moment of closer relations than ever before, though Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPPS) analyst Mohamed Gomaa, an expert on the Arab region, shrugged off what he said was "an overrated reaction to otherwise very typical remarks".
"It is not as if this is the first time the prime minister and president of Israel have attended the event that the Egyptian embassy in Israel hosts to mark the National Day of Egypt. It is usually the case that they do so, and it is also usually the case that the senior Israeli officials present praise the peaceful relations between the two countries and make a nod of appreciation to the Egyptian leadership," Gomaa said.
This was precisely the case this year, he added, as Egypt and Israel marked the 40th anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty between them. During the National Day reception at the Egyptian embassy, both Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivilin paid tribute to the treaty and expressed their wish to see closer cooperation with Egypt.
According to Gomaa, during the past 40 years of Egyptian-Israeli peace, "things have been steady." There has been cooperation on certain fronts and not on others, he argued. "And for the most part it would be hard to argue that relations today are significantly closer or warmer between Egypt and Israel in comparison to during the rule of [former president Hosni] Mubarak, as some might suggest," he stated.
It was not so long after signing the peace treaty with then Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin in March 1979 that former president Anwar Al-Sadat was assassinated in October 1981. Mubarak, the then vice-president, took over. Since his first days in office and until he stepped down on 11 February 2011, Mubarak observed to the full the requirements of the peace treaty with Israel.
He only summoned the ambassador to Israel on two occasions, the first in the early 1980s with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the second in the late 1990s with the Israeli war on Gaza.
During his 30 years in office, Mubarak only went to Israel once, in order to take part in the funeral of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated in November 1995 by an anti-peace Israeli militant. However, he received Israeli officials on a regular basis, essentially in Sharm El-Sheikh, and often enough with, before, or after Palestinian officials.
According to Gomaa, during his five years in office, Al-Sisi has not shown such a direct engagement with Israeli officials. Obviously, he argued, this has not been the moment for Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, but instead has been the time to face up to the "serious challenge of terrorist groups" that have made their disturbing presence felt in Sinai.
Clearly, Gomaa added, this was a top national security issue for Egypt. Observers also argue that security has become a central issue for Egyptian-Israeli cooperation in a way that it has never been before. This, Gomaa argued, "is not at all surprising. It is a concern for both countries in view of the increased wave of terror we have been seeing. This was not the case during the Mubarak years. It is a very different situation now, especially in Sinai."
Gomaa argued that the extensive Egyptian security presence in Sinai is in fact one outcome of the security cooperation between the two countries. And while critics have expressed concerns over the liberties granted to the Israeli army in relation to the war on terrorism on the border with Egypt, Gomaa insisted that operations on both sides of the borders were "carefully measured and closely coordinated".
He said that there had been an exaggerated assessment of how far Israeli anti-terror actions were being conducted in Sinai. "Many of the accounts in the press are inaccurate, if not fabricated," he argued.
According to Gomaa, there are new understandings between Egypt and Israel that permit each side to act promptly after having notified the other to stop a possible terrorist attack. To portray such agreements as an Egyptian "accommodation" of Israeli military prerogatives is both wrong and misleading, Gomaa insisted.
Gomaa said that the new profile of cooperation between Egypt and Israel in managing natural gas resources was not a function of any particular political warmth between the political leaderships on both sides, but rather was a function of the new finds of natural gas in the region and Egypt's intention to become a hub for gas in the region.
"Egypt has made the most of its gas resources over the past few years as part of wider finds that have also been made by Israel and other East Mediterranean countries. So, this is a new development that should not be interpreted as a new sign of closer relations between Egypt and Israel, as some have been suggesting," Gomaa said.
During his speech on Egypt National Day at the Embassy of Egypt in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu particularly praised the cooperation between the two countries in managing gas resources. During the Mubarak years, Egypt, to the criticism of many experts, exported natural gas to Israel at questionably low prices.
Following the 25 January Revolution, most of the exports were suspended, leading to litigation that cost Egypt millions of dollars in compensation to Israel. As part of an out of court settlement between Cairo and Tel Aviv that considerably reduced the volume of compensation that Egypt had to pay to Israel there was a deal that allowed Egypt to import gas at a price that some critics suggest is overrated.
Officials and businessmen however argue that the price is not too high and that at the end of the day the scheme is meant to liquidate and resell the gas.
Netanayhu said in his speech that a pilot operation for gas pipelines from Israel to Egypt had begun. "At this moment we are conducting a pilot — Israeli gas flowing into Egypt — and in another four months it will be even more," Netanyahu said.
"We have commitments to security. We enjoy the prosperity and peace between us, and we would like to see a more comprehensive peace," the Israeli prime minister added.
According to Gomaa, this development is only part of a wider scheme of East Mediterranean cooperation that will eventually include Greece and Cyprus. Cooperation between these four countries is in the direct economic interest of each of them, he added.
Gomaa also noted that a regional meeting on natural gas cooperation that Egypt hosted earlier this year saw the presence not just of officials from Israel, Greece and Cyprus, but also from the Palestinian Authority and Lebanon. "Overall, I cannot see much progress in bilateral relations with Israel, and even if there is closer cooperation then it should not be exaggerated or read out of context," Gomaa said.
According to the ACPPS expert, even from the perspective of managing the Palestinian issue it would be better for Egypt to have better relations with Israel. "One has to take into consideration the fact that the current US administration is offering Israel almost unprecedented and unconditional support. It would be unwise for anyone to try to defy this," he argued.
Good Egyptian-Israeli relations, Gomaa argued, have to be credited for helping to secure a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Hamas leaders have often been on record praising the role of Egypt in maintaining a frail but necessary truce between Egypt and Israel.
This ongoing rapport between Cairo and Hamas, Gomaa said, was essential to Egypt's national security interests, especially in relation to the war on terror. Hamas sources have spoken repeatedly over the past two years of "good security cooperation" with Egypt that has been essential in helping Cairo abort the penetration of militants into Sinai from the borders with Gaza.
"Those are important calculations," Gomaa said. And at one point or another, he argued, Egypt will need its good rapport with Israel to help start another peace process, even if this is later rather than sooner.
During his speech at the Egyptian embassy last week, Netanyahu said he would keep an open "mind and heart" to the peace deal US President Donald Trump is planning to offer later this year, probably in September.
Soon after assuming office, Trump spoke of a plan to offer what he said would be "the deal of the century" to help find a once-and-for-all Palestinian-Israeli peace.
The text of the deal was never announced, however. Today, Trump is waiting for the outcome of the Israeli elections due in the autumn of this year that might or might not keep Netanyahu in office.
Leaks of the deal that is being drafted by a small team working within the White House have been alarming for both the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and for Hamas that is in control of Gaza.
Last month, Bahrain hosted a workshop for officials and members of the business communities from all sides to examine the economic side of the deal. In addition to the Palestinian Authority, several Arab governments shrugged off the event. Egypt sent an assistant minister to take part in the meeting.
According to Gomaa, the participation of Egypt in this event, unpopular with the Palestinians, was essential because Cairo has to be in the know about what is going on in the minds of the Americans. Ultimately, he argued, participation is one thing and making commitments is another.
Moreover, Gomaa added, it would not be wise for Egypt to take a step back on its relations with Israel at this moment of growing Arab openness towards Tel Aviv. At the end of the day, he concluded, "there are no big signs of closer Egyptian-Israeli relations at the popular level.
"I think in the four consecutive decades of Egyptian-Israeli peace, relations have been essentially official, and cooperation has always focused on security and some economic issues. It's business as usual, for the most part," he stated.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 18 July, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: No change in Egypt-Israel relations


text:
Jaguars fire Hackett, bench Bortles
Amid a seven-game losing streak, Jaguars coach Doug Marrone made his first significant changes Monday when he fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and announced that he's benching quarterback Blake Bortles.
Marrone will turn play-calling duties over to quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich and start backup Cody Kessler over Bortles.
In a statement released by the team, Marrone said: "We would like to thank Nathaniel for his hard work and dedication to the Jaguars organization, and we wish him and his family the best moving forward. These are always tough decisions, but as the head coach, I have to do what I think is best for this football team."
Marrone's decision to fire Hackett comes after the Jaguars lost 24-21 on Sunday at Buffalo, another disappointing performance for an offense that has been plagued by inconsistent play from Bortles, questionable play-calling by Hackett and a rash of injuries.
Hackett called plays Sunday from the coaches box rather than the sideline, thought to be the first time he had done so this season. That did not jump-start the Jaguars' offense, which battled back from an early 14-0 deficit to tie the game but could do little after running back Leonard Fournette was disqualified for fighting late in the third quarter.
The lasting memory from Hackett's tenure this season will likely be the Jaguars' inability to cash in from inside the 1-yard line Sunday after Fournette was ejected. Two penalties and a sack kept the Jaguars out of the end zone, and kicker Josh Lambo missed a 42-yard field goal. Buffalo scored a go-ahead touchdown on the ensuing possession.
The Jaguars (3-8) currently rank 28th in the NFL in scoring (17.9 points per game) and 22nd in overall offense (346.5 yards per game).
Among their problems: They've often started slow (30 points in 11 first quarters but only 10 over the past seven), Bortles' apparent shattered confidence (13 passing touchdowns, 14 total turnovers) and a dismal red zone offense (nine touchdowns on 22 trips).
Asked Nov. 20 whether he felt his job was secure despite the team's struggles, Hackett said: "I would say even when you're winning, you're always kind of thinking about that. Because if you're winning, you're not winning by enough or well enough or not doing things right.
"If you're losing, then you're doing everything wrong. One way or the other for a coach, I've grown up in this business, it doesn't matter what you do that question mark is always going to be there. There's going to be some people that like you, some people that don't.
"I'm here working with those guys doing everything I can to put them in great position. As long as I do that, I'm good."
Hackett, who was the Jaguars' quarterbacks coach in 2015, was promoted to the offensive coordinator post on Oct. 29, 2016. He held that role for the final nine games that season and was retained after Gus Bradley was fired in December 2016 and Marrone became the team's head coach.
The Jaguars showed considerable progress during Hackett's first full season as offensive coordinator in 2017, improving from 3-13 the previous season to 10-6 and advancing to the AFC title game. No doubt boosted by their all-world defense, they finished fifth in scoring offense (26.1 points per game) and sixth overall (365.9 yards per game).
Hackett, who turns 39 in December, was previously an assistant under Marrone at Syracuse University (2010-12) and followed him to the Bills, serving as the offensive coordinator for Marrone's two seasons as coach from 2013-14.
Whoever takes over the Jaguars' play-calling duties will do so beginning Sunday against Indianapolis.


text:
Internet Explorer is no longer fully supported on sagchip.org. Please use a newer browser for the best experience.
Tribal Members
Eagles Nest Facility
Facility Rental:
(Director's Note: The SCIT Parks & Recreation department is always looking to serve the community better and we are offering this new web feature "Staff Shoutout" to profile current recreation programs and activity within our area )
May 17, 2012: Staff Shoutout - Parks & Recreation Director Ronnie Ekdahl
The SCIT Parks and Recreation department is finishing the Youth basketball season with a recognition and awards banquet (May 31 from 6 to 8pm at the Eagles Nest Tribal Gym) for all youth and their families who participated in the 2012 County/Morey leagues and travel teams. The youth came out in big numbers and were fired up for the season this year. We started county league and Morey league play for 5-8th grade youth back in January with 2 boys and 1 girls team playing in competitive games every weekend until the end of March. Our Tribal athletes then transitioned into Travel team play with an intense tryout for all age categories before the first tournament in April. We fielded an amazing seven youth basketball teams (3 boys and 4 girls teams in three divisions: ages 11 and under, 12-14 yrs. and 16-18 yrs). SCIT Parks and Recreation had only ever sponsored four teams in the past and the amount of participation from the youth was nothing short of historic. The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe was represented with great integrity and sportsmanship displayed by our young athletes, their coaches and all of our parent volunteers and fans. It was a very successful season with all of our teams placing in each tournament. I look forward to a great banquet on May 31 for our young athletes and am very excited for the season next year and the future of all of our Tribal youth. Please come and celebrate the end of a great basketball season with our Tribal athletes. Miigwetch!
7500 Soaring Eagle Blvd
Mount Pleasant MI, 48858
Designed and built by SCIT IT - Multimedia Group
Copyright © 1998 - 2022
the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. All rights reserved.


text:
Table of Contents
In recent years, machine learning (ML) has grown in popularity. In fact, it's become a game-changer for many businesses by solving complicated problems faster than humans can. While the machine learning market was worth $7.3 billion in 2020, Forbes estimates that it will be worth $30.6 billion in four years' time.
Data scientists have most of the technical responsibility to build effective machine learning systems. However once the machine learning system is built, it also needs to be maintained and monitored. This is where things can get tricky, and also where "Machine Learning as a Service", or MLaaS, comes into play. MLaaS can be especially helpful if you're a small- or medium-sized company that doesn't have the resources needed to build your infrastructure from scratch. In short, the term "MLaaS" refers to cloud-based platforms that use certain machine learning tools to help you to scale up the way your company uses its data, without beginning from square one.
- What Are Eight Critical Steps in the AI Project Life Cycle?
- What Questions Can Machine Learning Help You Answer?
In this article, I'll talk about some of the most popular MLaaS tools. The following is a list of them, presented in four distinct categories and ordered from least to most flexible. However, higher flexibility doesn't always equal the best solution. In fact, it often means more time required for model development, configuration, and maintenance.
What are Semi-Specialized Platforms for Language and Vision?
Language Platforms
Language platforms are used to train custom text models from your data so that the inputs will be the custom text in a specified language. Some examples of language platform tools include MonkeyLearn, Lateral, Google AutoML Natural Language, and Amazon Comprehend.
Let's take a closer look at the Amazon Comprehend tool, which was made to extract key phrases, people, brands, places, and events from a given data set. More specifically, this tool was designed to comprehend the negative and positive connotations of a text by analyzing it through tokenization, or the process of breaking down a piece of text into small units called tokens. Once that process is completed, Amazon Comprehend automatically organizes text files by topics. You can also use the AutoML capabilities of Amazon Comprehend to build text classification models that specifically meet your needs.
Image Source: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/machine-learning/analyze-content-with-amazon-comprehend-and-amazon-sagemaker-notebooks/
Some language platform tools also offer data annotation services, where machine learning is used to create accurate labels for a given data set. A great example is the crowdsourced Data Labeling Service created by Google. Other tools like Appen also use an allocated annotation platform.
Vision Platforms
While language platforms use text as input, vision platforms use images or videos. Some examples of these tools are Clarifai, Google AutoML Vision, AutoML Video Intelligence, and Amazon Rekognition. Like language platforms, vision platforms also provide outputs which are, in essence, labels that identify concepts associated with given images or videos. For instance, labels generated by vision platforms can be categories like "internal projects" (as opposed to external projects) or specific team names from within your company.
These semi-specialized platforms are great because they're quick to create a working model. They are not, however, able to tailor the model training process for you.
What Are High-Level Platforms as a Service?
High-level platforms as a service, or PaaS, are easy to use because they don't require installation and therefore allow you to stress less about infrastructure. Another benefit is that they can automatically detect the type of problem that needs to be solved in your system. For example, high-level PaaS can detect whether a given data set can be used to solve a classification or a regression problem. They can also automatically prepare the data and perform tasks like encoding of categorical variables, feature selection, normalization, and more. Platforms as a service can automatically configure their learning algorithm, making this kind of tool useful for those with less machine learning knowledge and experience. Some examples of platforms as a service tools include Google AutoML Tables, Google Time Inference API, BigML, and Microsoft Azure ML.
Let's take a closer look at the Microsoft Azure ML tool. Microsoft Azure ML is essentially an MLaaS platform that has two model authoring environments: Automated ML and Designer. While Automated ML helps users create models quickly, Designer is an environment that allows the users to view and edit model training pipelines, making it easier to understand their own pipelines and catch potential errors.
Image Source: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure/how-to-get-started-with-azure-machine-learning/m-p/54679
How to Use Self-Hosted Studios?
Self-hosted studios are based on standard, open-sourced machine learning libraries which allow users to customize both libraries and code. A notable advantage of self-hosted studios is that they help you avoid "lock-ins," a term referring to being stuck with a specific company or vendor due to proprietary language or knowledge in a tool you're using. With self-hosted studios, you can export machine learning pipelines as Python scripts and keep them readily accessible to you or others. Another advantage is that you can also export trained models to different open formats.
On the other hand, self-hosted studios are considered low-level solutions compared to the other MLaaS tools in this list. These solutions are not offered as a service and need to be installed and hosted on your own machines. This can make everything more expensive and difficult to use if you're just getting started with machine learning.
Some notable self-hosted studio tools are DataRobot, Rapidminer, and Dataiku. All of these tools offer Designer and AutoML features.
What are Cloud Machine Learning IDEs?
Cloud machine learning Integrated Development Environments, or IDEs, are powerful GPU-equipped virtual machines provided by cloud platforms that simultaneously offer Jupyter Lab environments on pre-configured infrastructures. These IDEs run experiments more efficiently, and can even do so 24/7. They are also able to scale experiments up to run on CPUs with many cores, as well as CPUs with powerful GPUs, plenty of RAM, and pre-configured clusters.
However, Cloud machine learning IDEs are also known to have low-level features compared to ML studios. While low-level features are intended to increase flexibility and core model access for advanced users, they can in some cases make model development, configuration, and maintenance a more time-consuming job than it needs to be. Some examples of Cloud ML IDEs are Floyd, Google AI Platform Notebooks, Databricks, Amazon SageMaker, and Faculty.ai.
This list of MLaaS tools is non-exhaustive, and more importantly, you should choose the most suitable tools based on your needs and application. Even if you're new to machine learning, many tools require little to no experience to get started. As technology continues to advance, you may wonder if it's worth it to build your own tools and models. Purchasing a MLaaS solution— as opposed to starting from scratch—has many advantages. Once you've decided that you may benefit from machine learning, you're ready to pick the right tools for you and begin to work toward success.


text: One of my favorites in this class is the Escort Passport 9500i because of the best way it utilizes GPS. The GPS intelligence lets it alter by motion – as your vehicle's pace increases, the sensitivity range increases. One of many newer options to be integrated into detectors is GPS capability. These options present lengthy vary protection that keeps the driver from being "surprised." The details that make the difference are a detector's


text: Today we launched "The Positivity Project" "we are positive for the extra time we get to spend with our children" This is an awful time for so many, and the only thing we can do is be positive in ourselves and in our support for each other. Whilst we know that some days are better than others and that some days are worse than others, the positivity project is designed to find a moment of positivity in each day. We have decided to do this visually, in crafts, creative writing and other things that can be done to pass the time and make us think about feeling positive. and hopefully leave others feeling more positive.


text:
James Karas
Ross Petty is still at it. This time he fractures the story of Sleeping Beauty and evokes laughter and sheer joy from an audience that is infectiously enthusiastic. In fact there is a conspiracy between the stage and the youngsters in the auditorium that raises the level of fun to wonderful heights. Petty is listed as only the producer of Sleeping Beauty: The Deliriously Dreamy Family Musical but one feels that the writer, director and the rest of the artistic crew and cast are working under his inspiration and style or there more than that?
Sleeping Beauty gives a wildly funny version of the fairy tale with marvelously comic characters, rousing music, athletic dancing, colourful costumes and stage effects that keep going at a relentless pace.
In the Kingdom of Torontonia whose skyline boasts a tower in the background a Princess is born and is named Rose (AJ Bridel). The Princess receives three blessings but also one curse from Malignicent (Hilary Farr). Boo! If she pricks her finger, she will go to sleep. Nothing is left in the Kingdom that could cause that except for the "turning table" which has a needle. Yikes. Thank goodness, I mean, how terrible, that CDs have not been invented.
Let us meet the other important members of the story. A beautiful fairy princess needs a tall, blond and handsome fairy prince, here called Luke, and James Daly fits the bill even if singing is not his strongest asset.
What we need is broad comedy and we have two terrific comic talents. Eddie Glenn as EGG (and Jacob Grimm) and Paul Constable as Sparklebum provide inspired comedy. They can act, overact, goad the audience and do almost anything with a focused aim: laughter.
Jeremy Diamond who wrote the book does not hesitate to bring current events into the story. Donald Trump, Mike Pence, toll roads in Toronto and hydro are just some of the subjects captured in the dialogue.
Michael Gianfrancesco's sets and costumes are extravagantly colourful and varied. Projection Designers Beth Kates and Ben Chaisson with Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell have to deal with storms, thunder, lightning and numerous scene changes. They produce a kaleidoscope of wonders that keep young and others admiring and applauding their work.
Director Tracey Flye drilled as much as directed the comic and musical routines with meticulous care making everything look spontaneous.
Petty did not hesitate to include commercials during the show but those too were amusing. And he did appear as Captain Hook in a brief video.
I brought Emily ("I'm going to be nine next March"), my Associate Reviewer with me in order to capture the more subtle points of the production. She was a most enthusiastic booer and cheerer with instant expressions of disapproval or approval of the bad and good characters. She found the show funny and the scenes in fairyland were her favourite.
Her final comment: "When are we coming back?"
Sleeping Beauty: The Deliriously Dreamy Family Musical continues until January 7, 2017 at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge St. Toronto, Ontario. www.rosspetty.com


text:
Your Joy is Screaming to be Free!
March 24, 2010 at 2:23 pm 2 comments
Channeled by Brenda Joyce Hoffman for Life Tapestry Creations.com
Dear Ones,
Let us review what has happened in the last couple of weeks, and extrapolate from those happenings what is going to be happening in the next few months.
You have long heard that open communication, joy, peace and love are the end points of your movement into the New Age. And you have meditated, discussed and read about what you need to do to reach that goal. We will tell you to throw your books away. Stop meditating. And stop your discussions. All of the aforementioned activities merely continue your thoughts that someone out there somewhere has answers that you do not. Nothing could be further from the truth.
You are a fully contained, unique individual who does not require anyone or anything to direct you to your individual joy. If each person is an individual, how can anyone – no matter what their credentials are or how many books they have sold – tell you how to achieve your goals? Freedom is not just an isolated word in your vocabulary that you spout when appropriate, it is your life on earth and in all other realms. Freedom is who you are. Now, it is true that others can give you tips or help you access feelings you have o't allowed yourself to access. But they cannot live your life for you or tell you how to live your life. It is YOUR life.
You have heard this concept from others in many different ways from, "You are God." to "Act on your feelings." But because your need to blend is so deeply ingrained in your being, you continue to think that this person or that person holds the key to your joy and thereby, your life. We must be very direct with you. Some people take great joy in finding joy. Others, are more comfortable for whatever reason, in finding pain. And still others, find a great deal of satisfaction in directing the lives of others. None is right nor wrong. How can any be if freedom is the direction you are all searching for?
By the same token, joy to one person might be pain to another. You can no longer define your feelings as how you have defined them in the past. This New Age is a revolution of immense proportions. What was is no longer. And what will be is in the formation stages – including how you define your feelings.
In the past, others told you what joy meant to them and expected you to not only agree with them, but to define your feelings in a similar fashion. If you doubt our thoughts, please review how each culture teaches feelings as readily as they do colors. "This is a RED ball. This is a HAPPY moment for you."
Many of you will disagree. But before you totally negate our thoughts, think back to what you found joyful as a child. A pretty new dress perhaps? A new toy car? Now why did those items give you joy? Were you nude? Did you not have any toys? If you look closely at history, you will find that joy has been defined by the culture rather than by the individual. Does a two-year find more pleasure in a new truck than a set of old pans? Of course not. It has been the culture who defined joy.
Which means that you now have to start at 'ground zero' to determine what truly gives you joy. Does that mean you will throw your clothes out the window? Maybe or maybe not. It is your joy you are defining. What gives you joy? Not what should give you joy. Define your unique joy and your path to the New Age will be rapid and so much fun.
Many of the New Age, new energy materials you are accessing define your joy according to what gives the author joy or what he or she believes they should do to access joy. Perhaps you love meditating. That is wonderful. But if you are meditating because you have read that you should and you believe that you will not attract a mate or whatever it is that you want without it, you are wasting your time. Meditation will not work for you. Joy is your only access point for creating the life you are dreaming of. Does it feel delightful to think about your new life as you cross a busy street in Manhattan? Then that is as much of a meditation for you as is the sitting in a specific position in a silent room is for someone else.
Listen to your joy. It is screaming to be freed of all of the restrictions you have placed on it since birth. Joy is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week – as it always has been. Now that the New Age has dawned it is time for you to remove the restrictions and rules you have placed on your joy. More importantly, it is time for you to know that you, and only you, truly know what gives you joy. That giggle, that laugh of recognition, that beacon is yours and yours alone.
No one can tell you how to be, anymore than they can tell you where to live. This is your life. This is your joy. And you have the freedom and responsibility to claim both. Take that freedom and revel in it knowing that others will be less and less inclined to care about your life, as they become enamoured of their own. This is the New Age. Claim your being and then live your life in joy – your unique joy. So be it. Amen.
If you would like to receive my free blogs as they are posted, please click the Subscribe button on the upper portion of my Subscribe to Blog page and then click – Subscribe to Brenda's Blog by E-mail – line. Complete your subscription by entering your e-mail address and accepting the e-mail request you will receive shortly in your inbox.
Entry filed under: channeling, conscious creation, forecasting, interpersonal relations, new age, new earth, new energy, self love, self-help, social changes, spirituality. Tags: channeling, conscious creation, forecasting, interpersonal relations, joy, new age, new earth, new energies, self love, self-help, social changes, spirituality.
Look Beyond the Spring Equinox You Are Creators of the Highest Magnitude
2 Comments Add your own
2. Luke | March 25, 2010 at 10:45 pm
It was nice to know someone like yourself saying these things.I do readings and healing work and I try to impower people to be guided by there higher self through there feelings. It may not be good for my line of work to do that but I sleep well at night and truth is truth. My joy comes being one with all
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed


text:
There's lots going on in December, so don't miss anything!
1st - 30th: Light Up the Holidays on Mark of the Stars. I'll be visiting Jessica's blog on the 29th. She has somebody new every day in December. These won't be just promos, but essays from the authors equating aspects of SF/F/P to the holiday spirit. At least that's what I'll be writing about.
2nd: Penny Ehrenkranz visits me here with a lot to say about not one, but TWO new books.
4th - 30th: Seasons of Reading Blog Hop. See Jo Ramsey's blog for the hop schedule. I'll be hopping. How about you? This hop is all about giving. The authors talk about either books they've received which impacted them or books they have given that have impacted others. I think there'll be a lot of interesting thoughts. AND PRIZES. Giveaways galore. Just hop and comment to win.
8th: I'm in the Spotlight on J Ramsey's blog.
6th and 13th: Visit the Loglines blog to see featured books. Just the cover, buy links, and logline. Would those loglines make you want to pick up the book?
18th: I visit with Adriana Ryan on her Alphabet Authors segment.
29th: Mark of the Stars hosts my SFR Holidays post.


text:
Language Garden Preschool
We Offer a Rich Bilingual Education in
Spanish and French Starting at Age Two
Developmental / Play-Based
Conveniently Located in Carthay Square
Schedule a Tour
We invite you to come take a tour and see the Language Garden campus.
Tours are scheduled by appointment on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. or every other Sunday morning. Children are welcome.
We look forward to seeing you!


text:
Where else can mountain bikers complement a day's bike ride with a dizzying glissade down a mid-August snowfield? Where else can they descend nearly 40 miles through five biogeographical zones? Where else can they catch a major league game and be ripping along rocky singletrack 30 minutes later? Colorado, that's where. Snow in August, lighting above timberline, and 100 degree desert temperatures are all to be expected in the sport of Colorado mountain biking. As the country's highest state, Colorado offers its mountain bikers a unique perspective into the sport and raises the bar for all who ride. Under the expert guidance of local cyclist Stephen Hlawaty, come admire the beauty and revere the majesty that is Colorado. From this newly revised book, cyclists can expect exhaustive and comprehensive trail descriptions of more than 50 of the state's greatest mountain bike adventures, from beginner to advanced. Included are GPS-quality, digitally designed relief maps, and accurate route profiles showing the ups and downs of each ride. In addition, detailed directions get cyclists to the ride without getting them lost. Detailed mile-by-mile directional cues are also provided with difficulty ratings, elevation gain, trail contacts, and much more. More than 60 photographs round out this book's presentation. It's not just a mountain bike guide to Colorado. It's a guide to Colorado by mountain bike.
This item is Non-Returnable
- Publisher: Falcon Press Publishing
- Publish Date: June 2018
- Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
- Page Count: 464


text: Bryant Kryck from Operation Trench Kitchen and Executive Chef of CRAFTpdx shares his story of service in the Army, sustaining an injury while deployed in Iraq ending his post-service dreams. With one door closed, Bryant utilized his GI bill and began a trajectory that has led to him reaching incredible milestones which include a rapid rise on gustave a. larson website, through the chef ranks and being featured in two national TV game shows. Enjoy this story and then go visit www.operationtrenchkitchen.com.


text:
Anna Jones, CFP®
Designations and Licenses
Anna is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING™ professional.
Experience and Education
Anna provides comprehensive financial advisory services to high-net-worth individuals and their families to help them achieve their goals. With more than 24 years in the financial planning and investment management industry, her experience includes financial and estate planning, income tax compliance, stock option analysis, cash flow management and contingency planning.
Prior to joining the firm, Anna was a shareholder and principal at Patriot Wealth Management, Inc., which was acquired by Mariner Wealth Advisors. Before that, she was senior vice president and trust officer at Kanaly Trust Company. Anna began her tax and financial planning career with Arthur Andersen & Co.
She has a bachelor's degree in business with a concentration in accounting from Trinity University. She is a member of the Financial Planning Association.
Personal Interests
Anna is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Houston, a board member for West Houston Young Life, and supports the Mariner Foundation and Kids Meals, Inc.


text:
Re: Decision 2016
The best thing that you can say about Hillary is that at least she's not Trump. I may need a drink before (and after) I vote this year.
Re: Decision 2016
She doesn't get a free pass from me. She deserves scrutiny, as any candidate does. In an ordinary election cycle, we might compare her seriously to the other party's candidate.
As it is, I don't think there's a serious comparison to be made. I am too lazy to find the links now, but prominent Texas newspapers, papers that do *not* normally endorse the Democratic candidate, are already doing so. Well in advance of the election.
You want to talk about foundations and election fraud? How about Trump using his foundation to pay off Pam Bondi, Florida's AG, to get Florida to stop looking into shenanigans at Trump University. Not the Clinton Foundation, which is (AFAICT) universally regarded as a highly efficient force for good in the world.
This whole thing is ridiculous. We look ridiculous, as a nation. Not because of Clinton, who is (whether you like her or not) actually qualified for the job, but because of Trump. Like I said about Clinton upthread, you don't have to like her, but she was a U.S. Senator and the Secretary of State. Just as W. had been Governor of Texas and Obama had been a Senator, she is qualified for the job.
Trump is not. He has no relevant experience and is simply unfit for what may be the single most important job in the world. He has enabled the worst of us, and the media have normalized what he brings to the table, by covering relatively minor bits about Clinton and declining to keep digging into the many, many skeletons in the Trump closet.
We are in dire straits, and our news outlets are so weak in the knees that they cling to an imaginary and shifting middle, unmoored from an honest and unmoving center.
Re: Decision 2016
Re: Decision 2016
Good morning!
If you are having difficulty selecting a candidate this year, take this 10 minute unbiased quiz based on political issues. It will give you percentage based results of how you align with each candidate:
My survey produced 97% alignment Gary Johnson!
(Clinton and Trump were both in the 70% neighborhood.)
Re: Decision 2016
Re: Decision 2016
Trump would be ecstatic if people decided to vote based on what a computer program told them about him, without regard (as you say) for his countless and obvious failings. As for Johnson, that's something else the computer program isn't capturing.
Re: Decision 2016
ISideWith tends to frequently tell people that they are really Liberterians and they just didn't know it yet. I'm not sure why, maybe because most people have the ideal that the government shouldn't be involved in their lives and their quiz is very idealistic, but I know that Gary Johnson himself mentions that quiz quite a lot in interviews. I don't know how much you can learn from a quiz that tells you to support the candidate that tells you about the quiz.
Johnson does lack foreign policy experience, but I don't think he is actually running with the intent to win, so it's slightly more forgivable than Trump's.
Re: Decision 2016
Most people just don't realize how much the government is involved in their lives until it is either obvious or difficult.
When we are students in elementary or high school it does not occur to us that is a government instution. We forget as students we spent the governments money. More over everytime we are assisted by someone with an education or receive care after retirement, that is money well spent (the reason why the childless still need to support schools). Police and legal services, Fire, public transit, garbage collection, ensuring fair trade with other countries, protection of human rights, protection from our enemy's and our boarders, workers rights, the list goes on and on.
People say that the free market can do things better. Looking at health care systems around the world seems to disprove that (Compare Canada, France, Cuba and the US). Free market education seems to be the same way (look at Scandinavia which has eliminated private schools). I shutter to think what a free market police or fire force would look like. I don't even know what free market defense of human rights would look like, and I don't want too.
Free market luxuries is Awesome. Free market necessities is terrifying.
Sure I think people should choose if they want to smoke a bit of weed, Marry whom ever they like, worship which ever god they want, and have the right to die. Pierre Trudeau (Justin's dad) was famous for saying the Government has no business in peoples bed rooms. However, you want to store anthrax on your property? You refuse to hire red heads? You want to be able to sell heroin? You want ALL the MONEY? Yeah, sorry no. Sometimes we need smarter people to make smarter decisions. If government wasn't involved we Sydney would not be livable the Ozone hole would be that big and Slavery might actually still be a thing. DARPA, NASA and Public Universities are responsible for some of the biggest innovation of all time, that would have been too costly for business to invest in.
All these "No government" nuts, will be happy the CDC and Armed forces exists when the Zombie Plague starts.
In a few years the debate about the "right to drive" will start creeping into our discourse. "I'm a safe driver, I should have the right to drive" will be the chorus. This will be a time where public safety should out way individual sentiment. It will be interesting to see how that goes.
Re: Decision 2016
Re: Decision 2016
Re: Decision 2016
The home owners could not afford the expense - in which case having wealthier people step in to protect them is only logical.
Assuming they also don't have insurance now there is a family that will be a cost to society at large. Society would be much worse if everyone on welfare were homeless and destitute. Free-market charity is not even remotely as effective as social programs.
Re: Decision 2016
In the real world, the President should actually know the basics of what's going on in the world, and how the American government functions, etc. The President shouldn't have to begin a meeting with a session of connect-the-dots, or whatever. There is no reason to think that Trump knows anything about foreign powers, foreign relations, the American government, state governments, or *anything*. At least Johnson was a former Governor, so he had that going for him. But not knowing what Aleppo is, when you're claiming to be prepared to serve as the President of the United States, is pretty bad.
I may have written this already upthread, but I think part of what's going on here is the idea that people have that this idea that some job *other* people have can be done by anybody. There is this idea that we, the non-specialists, are perfectly capable of second-guessing police, replacing journalists with our own hunches and cell phone pictures, or (heaven help us) being President. As if competence and expertise don't actually matter.
Well, I think those things do matter. I have a job, and some expertise in it. I am sure most of you do, as well. Could some person without any training or experience walk in off the sidewalk and do what you're doing? Assuming for a moment that you fell over dead and somebody untrained and inexperienced tried to do your job, what would happen to your responsibilities? What would become of the people or things that depend on you?
Of course we should not accept that experience and expertise are the only things that matter, or that they should not be scrutinized. But they matter a *lot*, to me.
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:55 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2022 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.


text:
Friday, 22 March 2013
More from the Guardian on targets for sanctions
Yesterday the paper revealed a leaked email from a Jobcentre manager proving that there were targets for punishing people by stopping their benefits. Mark Hoban denied there were any such targets. Today the Guardian follows this up with a denial from Iain Duncan Smith. "There are no targets for any sanctions whatsoever", he says, and staff will be reminded of that. He said that "the order not to employ targets had gone out to jobcentre staff on innumerable occasions".
There's a sense of deja vu about this. A full year ago the Guardian revealed that there were targets for sanctions. IDS said that the report was "claptrap" but then the DWP admitted that it was happening. So twelve months on, it's still happening. And Duncan Smith and Hoban either know it is and are not telling the truth; or they genuinely didn't know and their civil servants are running rings round them. Either way, the victims are ignored - except by the Guardian, which has a short film about what happens to them.
There's a parallel with the denials that there are targets for Atos to get people onto ESA, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Maybe there's a problem with IDS's definition of "targets".
6 comments:
How did the comment on Panorama go? Thieving,lying Ba$tards...not only are our MP's the worst benefit cheats,when caught out they try to shift the guilt on anybody but themselves.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous22 March 2013 at 13:18
The DWP acknowledged last year in a published report that sanction targets where in operation: 80% approvals for sanction referrals and competence being questioned if it dropped below 60%. See link for free download of report mid way down page.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous22 March 2013 at 16:00
The direct link for the DWP report "Work Programme evaluation:Delete
Findings from the first phase of qualitative research on
programme delivery - N0 821"
The relevant passage (p. 87) reads:
"Decision Makers outlined that they were working towards a target of 80 per cent of approval of sanctions referrals, but that their work would be called into question if the approval rate sank below
60 per cent. Some Decision Makers indicated that most of their sanctions were for two weeks' duration, rather than for the longer periods that could be applied. This is consistent with the providers' accounts (noted earlier) that failure to attend the initial appointment comprises a high proportion of referrals for sanctioning."
So far, Southampton JCP, where I sign on, have not been unreasonable about sanctioning JSA claimants as far as I know. They have not tried to claim that Universal Jobmatch is "mandatory," either. The Manager of Southampton JCP seems to be a mature, sensible lady, from what I've seen about the ways Southampton JCP seems to be managed.ReplyDelete
Recently, however, Southampton JCP have altered their signing on procedures for JSA claimants who are also Work Programme customers, like me. I asked A4E (my own WP provider) whether they knew anything about the altered arrangements for signing on at Southampton JCP?
A few days later, I then had a routine meeting with my A4E adviser. He said that he had contacted the JCP, who had told him that they don't understand why they have been told to change their signing on procedures.
The A4E chap said that it sounded to him as if the DWP are probably experimenting with different ideas about signing on at the JCPs. A4E's information is that the new arrangements at Southampton JCP are not being used in other JCP offices in other parts of the UK.
I suspected at the time – and I am almost certain of it now, thanks to the Guardian – that the DWP are under considerable political pressure to try to sanction as many JSA claimants as possible, as savagely as possible, regardless of whether or not "good cause" can be shown by the claimant.
This is not "justice." It is nothing but a kangaroo court with IDS acting as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner, it seems to me.
I'm now waiting for Michael Spencer, the solicitor who works for the Child Poverty Action Group, to say something about this week's developments on the CPAG website.
- Simone22 March 2013 at 15:26
Misplaced Government Expenditure..ReplyDelete
Just an aside which is "p -ing me off" and that is the £150 million of public money which has been designated to the redevelopment of the Olympic Stadium for West Ham football club. (They only pay £15 million.)Replies
- Gissajob23 March 2013 at 04:06
That £150m could have been used to pay what they have unlawfully sanctioned!Delete
@ Judi There have been a number of local experiments with signing on for WP victims. Some time ago the office where I sign did a sort of "drop your form here" with no fixed appointment time, just a fortnightly day to attend. This was great as it cut down waiting time and ruled out the possibility of being late (unless you missed the day altogether!). I am sure it was a local initiative as the form wasn't well designed, in spite of several versions being produced in its limited lifetime.
The experiment finished without explanation and normal interview signing on has now been resumed.
P.S. Sorry for my abrupt departure from UM site - someone other than IDS can have a hissy fit!
I too look forward to CPAG's reaction. I just hope that people don't give up the fight against these unlawful sanctions.
Keep it clean, please. No abusive comments will be approved, so don't indulge in insults. If you wish to contact me, post a comment beginning with "not for publication".


text:
Michael Hoffman, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Arkansas, is contributing $25,000 to create the Margaret J. Hoffman Endowed Scholarship for Citizens of Tribes Indigenous to the United States. The scholarship is named in honor of Hoffman's late wife, Margaret "Peggy" Hoffman, who was a University of Arkansas faculty member in the department of anthropology and a University Museum staff member.
For more information, http://newswire.uark.edu/articles/23606/tribal-students-to-benefit-from-scholarship


text:
Monster Rings are designed for the extravagant sizes! 10mm to 19mm stretches only, these rings are not for the light-hearted. Made of 316L Surgical Stainless Steel, the Monster Ring is a heavy piece of jewellery, with one ball that screws into the end of the ring, easily fitted and removed.
Smaller sizes in this type of body piercing jewellery are available in the form of 'screw-in ball rings', available from 4mm to 8mm stretches, and a wider choice of internal diameters.
Suitable for: Male Genital Piercing
Jewellery Type: BCRs
UK Delivery
Royal Mail Recorded Delivery delivery for this item is $2.93.
European Delivery
Standard International Mail delivery for this item is $4.73.
World Wide Delivery
Standard International Mail delivery for this item is $4.35.
Recorded, Special Delivery & UPS options are also available. See our Shipping Rates for more details.
We guarantee to refund any item you are not completely happy with when you return it to us by post, unused in a saleable condition within 7 days of receipt. Refunds will be credited to your original method of payment.
See our Terms & Conditions for our complete returns policy.
Be the first one to upload a photo of this product in use!Upload Your Photo
By Sweetspunker from Oxon
Rapid despatch and receipt in under 48 hours as ever. Stretched up from 8 to 10mm and settling in nicely now after 4 days. Looks stunning and the weight sensation is amazing. Go for it guys!
By Sweetspunker from Oxon
8mm BJS ring had just about settled in and I attempted stretching to fit the fabulous 10mm Monster Ring. Found that a 10mm steel tapering stretcher just slipped on through my piercing as I couldn't hold the ring firmly enough with lubed fingers for it to follow on through. So..decided to stretch just now with an 11mm stretcher which arrived in under 48 hours from ordering (superb service as ever from BJS) Perfect result after 20 minutes of stretching. .found the end of the 11mm stretcher was just able to contain the end of the 10mm ring so it followed on through first time. Awesome piece of steel now glinting in my uncut cock. Can't wait to show it off to the bois and play :)
By Andrew from Lincolnshire
As always, really great fast free delivery. Couldn't wait to try it out in my PA.. upgrading from my 8mm, which I have been wearing for a long while. Slipped right into place without any issue and really liking it.
By skinboy from maidstone
Cannot wait for my stretch from 7mm to 10mm such a comfortable peace of jewellery to wear love it so sexy as well thank you guys at jewellery shop for fast and promt service
By Commiefloyd from Northumberland
Received this ring today inserted it straight away, feels great and heavy with a capital 'H'. Thank you BJS for your excellent service and delivery.
By Denog from Hartlepool
Put this 10mm in my PA and find it great. Great price,excellent quality. cannot fault this piece.
By Nutley from Lincoln
I've just received this ring today - it is a superb piece of jewellery, but boy what a weight and size - I can't wait to start inserting this one. I'm upgrading from the 8mm and if you have never used these rings and have a PA don't be left out - they really are worth trying. They are very well made (nothing cheap or shoddy about them) and they look absolutely fabulous - really sexy and erotic to wear. The service from Body Jewellery was, as usual, first rate, in fact never had anything else from them. I am considering uploading a photo of the monster ring in position so if you are still in doubt about buying or wearing one, watch this space!
By Chen from Rotterdam, Holland
Truly great and excellent service. Quite easy to fit in after 4 weeks using 9 mm. Heavy and shiny.......Will order 12 mm soon. Thanks BJS: took only 4 days to reach Holland and postage free!!
By HungBiker from Newcastle
I've had this ring in my PA for a week now. Feels so good, nice and heavy feel to it. Looks good to. As with other rings I've bought, this is a quality piece of engineering. No doubt it will sparkle hanging out in the sun :)
By TribalPAplus from East London
I've been using this 10mm (19mm diameter) ring in my pa for a while and I love it! Unscrew the ball and slip it in and out when I like where ever I am. Love the sensation of the weight, especially if I'm wearing boxers, gives me a nice profile in a pair of 2xist too. Highly recommend it. Originally bought 7mm then 8mm both steel and titanium versions. Good value for money.
Subscribe to keep up to date with all of our news and offers!


text:
Mobile World Congress Barcelona may have been canned but the organiser has decided that the awards must still be handed out. It has announced the winners of its Global Mobile (Glomo) Awards.
Covering eight categories, the awards are a consolation from winners who were hoping to use the show as the launchpad or announcment of new products and solutions.
Huawei wins big
Huawei was the big winner, securing six awards individually and with partners. It nabbed the 5G Leadership Award with its E2E 5G products. "This winning entry demonstrates the breadth of capability, capacity for innovation and focus on solid business bases from this vendor. Keep it up and 5G will definitely have a bright future," said the judges.
The Huawei for Atlas 900 AI Cluster won the Tech of the Future Award, which the judges dubbed "a platform for progress across a wide array of applications in the mobile industry and beyond".
Its Huawei PowerStar Solution, a three-level AI-based energy saving solution came up top as the Best Mobile Innovation for Climate Action.
The China telecom giant teamed up with BMW and China Unicom on a 5G digital factory that clinched the 5G Industry Partnership Award.
Another Huawei project with China Eastern Airlines and China Unicom for 5G smart travel in airport snagged the Best Mobile Innovation for Work.
Together with China Mobile (Zhejiang), it took the Best Mobile Innovation for Smart Cities with its NB-IoT smart city fire control.
OnePlus 7T scores
In the highly popular Best Smartphone category, the OnePlus 7T Pro took top honour. It won against Apple iPhone 11 Pro, Huawei P30 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Fold.
The judges said the OnePlus 7T Pro is virtually unsurpassable from a technology perspective, with class-leading processor speed, rapid charge times and excellent software.
"An all-round product at an accessible price point, the company should also be recognised for its impressively successful go to market strategy," said the judges.


text:
Silent Stepper Motors for everyone with stealthChop
Stepper motors have primarily been favored for their high reliability and low cost. The price, however, was a significant amount of noise. And although the days in which stepper motors were operated at full & half-step are long over, the stepper motor is still tainted by its noise level. With modern control processes and a […]
Silent Stepper-Motors opening new Fields of Application
Stepper-Motors are robust and cheap, but not silent. Even if the times that stepper-motors have been driven in voltage control full- or halfstep mode, they still have the reputation of being noisy. With modern control modes and careful layout it is now possible to design completely silent stepper-motor drives. Read full article (German language) at all-electronics.net


text:
McReynolds Arabians
Sport Horses
Romeo VF+/
*Aladdinn x True Love(Bask++)
1983 Pure Polish Copper Bay Arabian Stallion bred by Lasma Stud.
AHR # 0269538, IAHA Nominated Sire, NSH Nominated Sire, SHN Payback Sire
Sire of Purebred and Half-Arabian National Winners
Romeo VF+/ is a Canadian Reserve National Champion in Ladies English Sidesaddle, U.S. National Top Ten Pleasure Driving, and Canadian National Top Ten Pleasure Driving. He also has Five Regional Park Championships, Three Regional Reserve Park Championships, and Regional Championships in Informal Combination, Native Costume, English Pleasure, Pleasure Driving, Sidesaddle, and Show Hack.
His refinement, strong athletic ability, charisma, beauty, presence and kind disposition are strong traits that all his offspring inherit. His beauty is admired by all, along with his love for people.
Wychwood Firefly
Gambits Counterpoint x Pattys Commotion
2002 Homozygous Bay & White Tobiano Welsh Cross Pinto Pony Stallion
13.2 Hands
4x Reserve Champion Pinto Pony Stallion, 4-1st places in Pony Trail In-Hand
Firefly is the perfect cross for Arabian, Morgan, Pinto, Quarter horse, or Pony mares. He will always produce a pinto for you even if your mare is a solid color. Firefly represents a nice combination of welsh, paint, and Arabian bloodlines.


text:
Greyhound dies on Fla. track every three days
A greyhound died on one of Florida's dog tracks about every three days between June 2013 and December 2014.
A News-Press review of data and reports complied under the state's death reporting rule shows 192 greyhounds died in that 19-month period.
The rule requires track operators to notify the state within 18 hours of a greyhound's death on a track. The requirement went into effect in the spring of 2013.
Derby Lane in St. Petersburg lead the state with 25 deaths, followed by Orange Park Kennel Club in Orange Park with 23. With only two deaths, Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Racing and Poker was tied for the fewest number of incidents with Melbourne Greyhound Track in Melbourne, according to state records.
Some of the dogs were euthanized after sustaining severe injuries on the track, others died of natural causes and some died for unknown reasons, according to state records.
Both deaths at Naples-Fort Myers happened in November 2013. One animal was euthanized after sustaining a severe leg break, the other was unspecified, according to reports.
Track owner Izzy Havenick credits the low number of deaths to a combination of good fortune and track safety measures.
"We are very pro-doing all the humane things," he said. "We hold all the trainers at our track to a high standard and we hold ourselves to a high standard."
Florida is one of seven states that allows greyhound racing and is home to more than half of the 21 dog tracks still operating in the U.S.
It's unclear whether the number of reported deaths in the state is high, low or where it was expected to be because the rules are so new, Havenick said.
Others, like GREY2K USA, a national greyhound protection organization, found it too high.
"I do think that number is disturbing," said Carey Theil, executive director of the organization. "My sense, however, is the death rate has declined slightly and that's the result of increased transparency."
According to the Florida Greyhound Association, which represents dog owners and trainers, track owners are to blame for many dog injuries and deaths because they've failed to invest in improvements to their facilities.
"The only way we're going to stop injuries on the track is to remedy what's causing the injuries," said Jack Cory, a spokesman for the greyhound association.
Despite the accumulated data on deaths, the state and Legislature haven't enacted additional safety requirements, which means dogs keep dying from the same things, he said.
Where to go from here
Unlike other states, greyhound racers in Florida don't have to report when dogs are injured in racing or training. Several legislators are looking to change that.
So far, five bills relating to greyhound tracks have been filed. They range from mandatory injury reporting to prohibiting people convicted of certain violent crimes from working with the animals. The legislative session begins March 3 in Tallahassee and runs through May 1.
The most prominent of these bills, SB 2, was filed in December by Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, and would impose a fine on track veterinarians who don't report these injures. The bill is being vetted by the Senate's fiscal policy committee and is co-sponsored by Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples.
Adding injury reporting requirements will give state regulators more information about where and how greyhounds are being injured and could also help cut the number of dogs euthanized each year, Theil said.
Massachusetts enacted a greyhound injury reporting law in 2001 and the number of euthanizations declined by 43 percent in the first year, he said.
In Florida, many see the best way to bring down injury and death numbers is to "de-couple" greyhound racing from poker rooms. Since 1996, dog tracks have had to run dogs to keep their poker room licenses, despite losing millions of dollars per year.
"We always say the best way to reduce deaths and injuries is to reduce the number of races we're being forced to run," Havenick said.
Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @Steve_Doane_ and facebook.com/SteveDoaneJournalist