text:
Many people are still unaware of the fact that a website can do wonders for any business. Every successful business today has a website. A website basically acts as a showcase of business products/services. With the increasing importance of online business it has become essential for different business enterprises to thrive their business in the global marketplace. In other words a business website acts as a visiting card; it helps in networking which is a key to run a profitable business.
In order to help business owners reflect the image of their firm Scriptgiant Technologies has come up with wide array of web based services. It is a leading ISO 9001: 2008 certified web design and Development Company that started its journey since 2004. We aim to deliver maximum return on your investment through our creative, cost-effective and timely solutions to both small and mid-sized business organizations globally.
At Scriptgiant there is a group of quality professionals who have years experience to help companies achieve and surpass their business goals.
Apart from the above services we also offer some other services like logo designing, e-commerce, flash animation along with other IT enabled services. Not only Scriptgiant has proven itself to be an excellent web services provider to clients worldwide but it has also become popular because of its industrial training institute called Scriptgiant Academy. Training is provided to students on different courses like Php, MySql, Website Designing and even digital marketing. The courses are designed as per the industry standards.
Our vastness spreads to different specific subjects like script customization; Content Management System (CMS), web designing and web based professional software development. The three things that have set us apart from crowds are excellent customer’s service, results and bursting circle campaigns.

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many people are still unaware of the fact that a website can do wonders for any business. every successful business today has a website. a website basically acts as a showcase of business products/services. with the increasing importance of online business it has become essential for different business enterprises to thrive their business in the global marketplace. in other words a business website acts as a visiting card; it helps in networking which is a key to run a profitable business.
in order to help business owners reflect the image of their firm scriptgiant technologies has come up with wide array of web based services. it is a leading iso 9001: 2008 certified web design and development company that started its journey since 2004. we aim to deliver maximum return on your investment through our creative, cost-effective and timely solutions to both small and mid-sized business organizations globally.
at scriptgiant there is a group of quality professionals who have years experience to help companies achieve and surpass their business goals.
apart from the above services we also offer some other services like logo designing, e-commerce, flash animation along with other it enabled services. not only scriptgiant has proven itself to be an excellent web services provider to clients worldwide but it has also become popular because of its industrial training institute called scriptgiant academy. training is provided to students on different courses like php, mysql, website designing and even digital marketing. the courses are designed as per the industry standards.
our vastness spreads to different specific subjects like script customization; content management system (cms), web designing and web based professional software development. the three things that have set us apart from crowds are excellent customer’s service, results and bursting circle campaigns.


text: sound. video. vision. We help you make your ideas possible. Video promos. Music publishing. Song creation. Check out our current artists.

lowercased: sound. video. vision. we help you make your ideas possible. video promos. music publishing. song creation. check out our current artists.


text:
Grossman’s career in Chicago is one of the strangest in the history of the organization. He was both hero and heel, and often both at the same time. He was the perfect Lovie Smith quarterback.
Other than the victory against the Panthers, which was a near split, the Bears’ offense has lost the time-of-possession battle in four of their last five games. For the season, the Bears are 27th in the NFL with an average time of possession of 27:57.
The issue I always have with this argument is that it’s always seemed that Lovie Smith has embraced his defense spending extended time on the field. The bend-don’t-break approach is all the Lovie-Deuce can lean on without an interior-busting defensive tackle (a la Warren Sapp) or a punishing player at the safety position (John Lynch, Bob Sanders…etc.). The offense clearly needs to improve, increase drive length, and cut down on thirty-yard throws when only three are required for a first down. But I’m tired of the defense trying to have it both ways.
Mike Mulligan writes a strangely dispassionate love letter to Mike Shanahan’s impact on the Washington Redskins over the first several games of the season. The subtext of the argument is that the Bears mistakenly did not fire Lovie and hire Shanahan this offseason. (Something I wanted desperately to happen and wrote about daily.) His argument, though, is a bit of a stretch.
The Redskins’ line has allowed only 14 sacks for a loss of 96 yards as opposed to the Bears’ 27 sacks for minus-168 yards.
The Bears’ offense has dipped to a season-low 29th ranking in the 32-team league. They have not only allowed the most sacks in the league, but they’ve allowed seven more than the next-closest team.
I don’t think the Redskins are better than the Bears, however, and Vegas agrees with me this week. I guess we’ll see what the records of the two clubs are after Sunday afternoon.
Giving me a full explanation why (“I hate the Packers” doesn’t count), who are you rooting for in the Sunday night game – Minnesota or Green Bay? I literally can’t decide.

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grossman’s career in chicago is one of the strangest in the history of the organization. he was both hero and heel, and often both at the same time. he was the perfect lovie smith quarterback.
other than the victory against the panthers, which was a near split, the bears’ offense has lost the time-of-possession battle in four of their last five games. for the season, the bears are 27th in the nfl with an average time of possession of 27:57.
the issue i always have with this argument is that it’s always seemed that lovie smith has embraced his defense spending extended time on the field. the bend-don’t-break approach is all the lovie-deuce can lean on without an interior-busting defensive tackle (a la warren sapp) or a punishing player at the safety position (john lynch, bob sanders…etc.). the offense clearly needs to improve, increase drive length, and cut down on thirty-yard throws when only three are required for a first down. but i’m tired of the defense trying to have it both ways.
mike mulligan writes a strangely dispassionate love letter to mike shanahan’s impact on the washington redskins over the first several games of the season. the subtext of the argument is that the bears mistakenly did not fire lovie and hire shanahan this offseason. (something i wanted desperately to happen and wrote about daily.) his argument, though, is a bit of a stretch.
the redskins’ line has allowed only 14 sacks for a loss of 96 yards as opposed to the bears’ 27 sacks for minus-168 yards.
the bears’ offense has dipped to a season-low 29th ranking in the 32-team league. they have not only allowed the most sacks in the league, but they’ve allowed seven more than the next-closest team.
i don’t think the redskins are better than the bears, however, and vegas agrees with me this week. i guess we’ll see what the records of the two clubs are after sunday afternoon.
giving me a full explanation why (“i hate the packers” doesn’t count), who are you rooting for in the sunday night game – minnesota or green bay? i literally can’t decide.


text:
PHD Interactive develops alexander technique websites under the name of WebHealer. A large number of teachers of the alexander technique host and run websites with us. Most are members of STAT the Society of Teachers of Alexander Technique.
An important reason why teachers of the Alexander technique choose WebHealer for their website is our AIDAN methodology, a proprietary approach developed by WebHealer over a decade ago, but constantly revised ever since. It's purpose is to help our clients achieve top places on major search engines, gain more website visitors, and produce more enquiries and more clients.

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phd interactive develops alexander technique websites under the name of webhealer. a large number of teachers of the alexander technique host and run websites with us. most are members of stat the society of teachers of alexander technique.
an important reason why teachers of the alexander technique choose webhealer for their website is our aidan methodology, a proprietary approach developed by webhealer over a decade ago, but constantly revised ever since. it's purpose is to help our clients achieve top places on major search engines, gain more website visitors, and produce more enquiries and more clients.


text:
In this page, we will provide JNTUH B.Tech 3-2 Sem R13 Syllabus. Students who are Searching for JNTU Hyderabad B.Tech 3-2 Sem Syllabus you can download the PDF from through this page. By knowing the syllabus students can easily score good marks in the examination. Candidates can go through this post to understand the syllabus for the preparation of JNTUH B.Tech Sem exams. Students can visit our website JNTUKing.com regularly for more updates about JNTUH B.Tech 3-2 Sem Syllabus.
Students should know the syllabus of the exam to qualify and get minimum marks in the examination. Download JNTUH B.Tech 3-2 Sem R13 Syllabus for different streams such as IT, CSE, EEE, ECE, CIVIL, and Mechanical. Here we have provided all the information about JNTUH B.Tech 3-2 Syllabus. Students can check all the topics to make better preparation for the exam. Download JNTUH B.Tech 3-2 Syllabus PDF from the below section. In order to get more updates about JNTUH Results visit our website frequently.
With the reference of the syllabus, students can get a clear idea about the exam. In this article, we are providing the detailed syllabus for JNTUH B.Tech 3-2 students. To prepare well for exam students need to download 3-2 Syllabus from this page. Here is the latest syllabus for JNTUH 3-2 Sem in PDF format. Here is the good news for students who are looking for JNTUH B.Tech 3-2 Sem Syllabus. A Huge number of students are attending for this 3-2 exam. Those candidates who are eagerly waiting for the syllabus is given below. Students can also check JNTUH B.Tech 3-2 Sem R13 Previous Question Papers on this page.
So, here we are providing JNTUH 3-2 syllabus in PDF format. Jntu Hyderabad has different streams like Aeronautical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Information Technology, and Mechanical Engineering. Students can check JNTUH Notifications on our website.
In JNTUH different streams have different subjects. In Information Technology they are different subjects like Web Technologies, Intellectual Property Rights Notes pdf (IPR), Object Oriented Analysis and Design Notes (OOAD), DATA WAREHOUSING AND DATA MINING Notes (DWDM), Software Testing Methodologies Notes (STM), Cloud Computing(CC). CSE has different subjects like Distributed Systems Notes (DS), Information Security, Object Oriented Analysis and Design Notes (OOAD), Software Testing Methodologies Notes (STM), Managerial Economics and Financial Analysis Notes pdf (MEFA), Web Technologies.
In EEE they are different subjects like Electrical and Electronics Instrumentation, Static Drives(SD), Computer Methods In Power Systems (CMPS), Microprocessor and Interfacing(MPI), Environmental-Studies (ES), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). ECE stream has multiple subjects like Managerial Economics and Financial Analysis (MEFA), Digital Communication (DC), VLSI design (VLSI), Microprocessors and Microcontrollers (MPMC), Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). CIVIL has various subjects like Design of Steel Structures (DSS), Environmental Engineering (EE), Transportation Engineering (TE), Foundation Engineering, Structural Analysis-II, Ground Improvement Techniques (GIT).
Students can check JNTUH Updates on our website. Students who have recently admitted in any of the JNTU Hyderabad College can Download their syllabus from above links. The syllabus is very helpful for the students who are studying 3-2 Semester.

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in this page, we will provide jntuh b.tech 3-2 sem r13 syllabus. students who are searching for jntu hyderabad b.tech 3-2 sem syllabus you can download the pdf from through this page. by knowing the syllabus students can easily score good marks in the examination. candidates can go through this post to understand the syllabus for the preparation of jntuh b.tech sem exams. students can visit our website jntuking.com regularly for more updates about jntuh b.tech 3-2 sem syllabus.
students should know the syllabus of the exam to qualify and get minimum marks in the examination. download jntuh b.tech 3-2 sem r13 syllabus for different streams such as it, cse, eee, ece, civil, and mechanical. here we have provided all the information about jntuh b.tech 3-2 syllabus. students can check all the topics to make better preparation for the exam. download jntuh b.tech 3-2 syllabus pdf from the below section. in order to get more updates about jntuh results visit our website frequently.
with the reference of the syllabus, students can get a clear idea about the exam. in this article, we are providing the detailed syllabus for jntuh b.tech 3-2 students. to prepare well for exam students need to download 3-2 syllabus from this page. here is the latest syllabus for jntuh 3-2 sem in pdf format. here is the good news for students who are looking for jntuh b.tech 3-2 sem syllabus. a huge number of students are attending for this 3-2 exam. those candidates who are eagerly waiting for the syllabus is given below. students can also check jntuh b.tech 3-2 sem r13 previous question papers on this page.
so, here we are providing jntuh 3-2 syllabus in pdf format. jntu hyderabad has different streams like aeronautical engineering, civil engineering, computer science & engineering, electronics & communication engineering, electrical & electronics engineering, information technology, and mechanical engineering. students can check jntuh notifications on our website.
in jntuh different streams have different subjects. in information technology they are different subjects like web technologies, intellectual property rights notes pdf (ipr), object oriented analysis and design notes (ooad), data warehousing and data mining notes (dwdm), software testing methodologies notes (stm), cloud computing(cc). cse has different subjects like distributed systems notes (ds), information security, object oriented analysis and design notes (ooad), software testing methodologies notes (stm), managerial economics and financial analysis notes pdf (mefa), web technologies.
in eee they are different subjects like electrical and electronics instrumentation, static drives(sd), computer methods in power systems (cmps), microprocessor and interfacing(mpi), environmental-studies (es), intellectual property rights (ipr). ece stream has multiple subjects like managerial economics and financial analysis (mefa), digital communication (dc), vlsi design (vlsi), microprocessors and microcontrollers (mpmc), digital signal processing (dsp), intellectual property rights (ipr). civil has various subjects like design of steel structures (dss), environmental engineering (ee), transportation engineering (te), foundation engineering, structural analysis-ii, ground improvement techniques (git).
students can check jntuh updates on our website. students who have recently admitted in any of the jntu hyderabad college can download their syllabus from above links. the syllabus is very helpful for the students who are studying 3-2 semester.


text: You are visiting the placeholder page for Heather Crosby. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Heather Crosby. We created this page automatically in hopes Heather Crosby would find it. If you are not Heather Crosby, but are an alumni of Largo High School Upper Marlboro, MD, register on this site for free now.

lowercased: you are visiting the placeholder page for heather crosby. this page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for heather crosby. we created this page automatically in hopes heather crosby would find it. if you are not heather crosby, but are an alumni of largo high school upper marlboro, md, register on this site for free now.


text:
Since January 2015, I have been lecturing in higher education in Dublin. From January 2015 until June 2016, I was a lecturer in geography at St. Patrick’s College, now DCU. From September 2016 to May 2017, I was an adjuncting geography lecturer at University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. I like teaching GIS and social geography. I am now Teaching Fellow at the School of Geography, UCD.
My interests include geospatial data, urban geography, spaces of public religion, the process of urban change and uneven mappings. I can be contacted through this blog or via my twitter account.
Any views expressed on this blog are entirely my personal views.
Cartographic poverty II: why does it matter?

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since january 2015, i have been lecturing in higher education in dublin. from january 2015 until june 2016, i was a lecturer in geography at st. patrick’s college, now dcu. from september 2016 to may 2017, i was an adjuncting geography lecturer at university college dublin and trinity college dublin. i like teaching gis and social geography. i am now teaching fellow at the school of geography, ucd.
my interests include geospatial data, urban geography, spaces of public religion, the process of urban change and uneven mappings. i can be contacted through this blog or via my twitter account.
any views expressed on this blog are entirely my personal views.
cartographic poverty ii: why does it matter?


text:
Published 04/25/2019 03:07:10 am at 04/25/2019 03:07:10 am in Washer Seal.
washer seal washing machine door gasket replacements lg washer seal and bearings.
pressure washer sealant,maytag epic z washer seal,washer seal leaking,washer sealant,samsung refrigerator sealant,bosch washer seal replacement,ge front load washer seal replacement,washer seal repair,amana washer seal repair,washer door boot seal cleaner,how to tell if front load washer seal leaking.

lowercased:
published 04/25/2019 03:07:10 am at 04/25/2019 03:07:10 am in washer seal.
washer seal washing machine door gasket replacements lg washer seal and bearings.
pressure washer sealant,maytag epic z washer seal,washer seal leaking,washer sealant,samsung refrigerator sealant,bosch washer seal replacement,ge front load washer seal replacement,washer seal repair,amana washer seal repair,washer door boot seal cleaner,how to tell if front load washer seal leaking.


text:
This amazing footage captures a Dukes of Hazzard-style moment when a speeding van flies through the air after hitting a roundabout.
The silver Citroen van is caught hurtling along a dual carriageway before failing to stop and launching into the air as it strikes the edge of the roundabout.
Motorcyclist Andy Daynes, 35, told The Mirror he caught the footage on his helmet cam while driving behind the van on the A11 at Attleborough, Norfolk, earlier this year.
Andy, of Hingham, Norwich said: “I was actually on my motorbike behind him so I saw it all.
“I pulled over along with some other drivers to see if he was OK.
“He had to be cut out of the van – but he seemed to be alright, he wasn’t badly injured.
“It is quite a bad roundabout, he just didn’t see what was coming because he was going so fast.
“He was on his own, he had a few cuts and bruises but the ambulance came straight away and took him to hospital.

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this amazing footage captures a dukes of hazzard-style moment when a speeding van flies through the air after hitting a roundabout.
the silver citroen van is caught hurtling along a dual carriageway before failing to stop and launching into the air as it strikes the edge of the roundabout.
motorcyclist andy daynes, 35, told the mirror he caught the footage on his helmet cam while driving behind the van on the a11 at attleborough, norfolk, earlier this year.
andy, of hingham, norwich said: “i was actually on my motorbike behind him so i saw it all.
“i pulled over along with some other drivers to see if he was ok.
“he had to be cut out of the van – but he seemed to be alright, he wasn’t badly injured.
“it is quite a bad roundabout, he just didn’t see what was coming because he was going so fast.
“he was on his own, he had a few cuts and bruises but the ambulance came straight away and took him to hospital.


text:
The Australian Institute of International Affairs has published a book exploring aspects of the tenure of The Right Honourable R.G. Casey (Lord Casey) as Minister for External Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia from 1951 to 1960.
This is a consequence of a forum entitled “R.G. Casey as Minister for External Affairs 1950 – 60, Fifty Years On” held to commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of Casey’s retirement at the Sir David Smith Meeting Rooms in Government House Yarralumla in February 2010.
The book has been edited by Melissa Conley Tyler, John Robbins and Adrian March.
A hardcopy of this volume is available for purchase from the AIIA National Office.
To order please fill out an order form or email to angus.esslemont@internationalaffairs.org.au.
For more information, please call the National Office on (02) 6282 2133 or email angus.esslemont@internationalaffairs.org.au.

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the australian institute of international affairs has published a book exploring aspects of the tenure of the right honourable r.g. casey (lord casey) as minister for external affairs of the commonwealth of australia from 1951 to 1960.
this is a consequence of a forum entitled “r.g. casey as minister for external affairs 1950 – 60, fifty years on” held to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of casey’s retirement at the sir david smith meeting rooms in government house yarralumla in february 2010.
the book has been edited by melissa conley tyler, john robbins and adrian march.
a hardcopy of this volume is available for purchase from the aiia national office.
to order please fill out an order form or email to angus.esslemont@internationalaffairs.org.au.
for more information, please call the national office on (02) 6282 2133 or email angus.esslemont@internationalaffairs.org.au.


text:
Courtney Lillich (@cornut34 on Instagram) joins the podcast from California to talk about her 31 year journey with T1D. Courtney is a physical therapist and bodybuilder, participating in the bikini division on a regular basis. During our conversation, she was preparing for a competition which she recently completed.
Courtney gives awesome insight of what it’s like to be diagnosed with T1D at an early age, and all the hurdles her parents had to go through, from chasing her around with needles to having to explain to Courtney why she had to test her blood sugar, while her twin sister didn’t.
We talk preparing for competition, overcoming lows at the gym and even mention our good friend Phil Graham! Give it a listen, and if you missed part 1 of Diabetics Doing Bikini Competitions with Devean D’Silva, check it out!

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courtney lillich (@cornut34 on instagram) joins the podcast from california to talk about her 31 year journey with t1d. courtney is a physical therapist and bodybuilder, participating in the bikini division on a regular basis. during our conversation, she was preparing for a competition which she recently completed.
courtney gives awesome insight of what it’s like to be diagnosed with t1d at an early age, and all the hurdles her parents had to go through, from chasing her around with needles to having to explain to courtney why she had to test her blood sugar, while her twin sister didn’t.
we talk preparing for competition, overcoming lows at the gym and even mention our good friend phil graham! give it a listen, and if you missed part 1 of diabetics doing bikini competitions with devean d’silva, check it out!


text:
This Episode is all about the One Happy Family currency the ‘Drachma’.
What is Drachma? Where does this name come from?
Where can I use Drachma?
How many Drachmas do I need for a tea or a coffee?
How does the new recycling idea for the café work?
How much costs a shampoo?
What do we have in our shop?
How many Drachmas do I need to play one round of Playstation Fifa?
Where do we actually issue the Drachma for the entire center?
Those and many more questions will be answered in this week’s Podcast.
This episode is all about the volunteers.
We chat with Sam, who volunteered in One Happy Family for 2 months. If you want to know how your time as a volunteer in OHF could look like, listen to Sam’s stories, experiences, laughter and statements.
We also asked Aimerance, who works in the Café how she feels about the volunteers who come and go all the time and how she feels sad and happy about that at the same time.
We will have a sneak peak into the pottery workshop, talking to Hugo and a short comedy dialog about the usual small talk with volunteers, that for sure will make you smile.
Enjoy and let us know about your own volunteer experiences!
Sam, Zahra, Ali, Paul, Clara, Emilia, Mindy, Reza are helpers, volunteers and visitors of One Happy Family. In our 3rd Podcast we asked them what their favourite part of #OneHappyFamily is.
Primary health care, sort out medical histories, treat chronic illnesses and acute problems, assist in social and psychological problems; @DocMobile is doing a lot everyday. Listen to Lucia, one of their coordinators, and get more informations.
What is your favourite part of One Happy Family?
Enjoy our new podcast and let us know what you think in the comments!

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this episode is all about the one happy family currency the ‘drachma’.
what is drachma? where does this name come from?
where can i use drachma?
how many drachmas do i need for a tea or a coffee?
how does the new recycling idea for the café work?
how much costs a shampoo?
what do we have in our shop?
how many drachmas do i need to play one round of playstation fifa?
where do we actually issue the drachma for the entire center?
those and many more questions will be answered in this week’s podcast.
this episode is all about the volunteers.
we chat with sam, who volunteered in one happy family for 2 months. if you want to know how your time as a volunteer in ohf could look like, listen to sam’s stories, experiences, laughter and statements.
we also asked aimerance, who works in the café how she feels about the volunteers who come and go all the time and how she feels sad and happy about that at the same time.
we will have a sneak peak into the pottery workshop, talking to hugo and a short comedy dialog about the usual small talk with volunteers, that for sure will make you smile.
enjoy and let us know about your own volunteer experiences!
sam, zahra, ali, paul, clara, emilia, mindy, reza are helpers, volunteers and visitors of one happy family. in our 3rd podcast we asked them what their favourite part of #onehappyfamily is.
primary health care, sort out medical histories, treat chronic illnesses and acute problems, assist in social and psychological problems; @docmobile is doing a lot everyday. listen to lucia, one of their coordinators, and get more informations.
what is your favourite part of one happy family?
enjoy our new podcast and let us know what you think in the comments!


text:
On the Dynasty Blueprint, Matt Williamson and Ryan McDowell bring you the latest NFL news from a dynasty fantasy football point of view. Also, listen in for the unique dynasty perspective and strategy employed by both hosts.
Matt Williamson (@WilliamsonNFL) and Ryan McDowell (@RyanMc23) welcome Scott Connor (@CharlesChillFFB) of the Dynasty Command Center to share his dynasty buys and sells divsion by division.
Matt Williamson (@WilliamsonNFL) and Ryan McDowell (@RyanMc23) answer listener questions, including discussing the dynasty value of players like Antonio Brown and Damien Williams.
Matt Williamson (@WilliamsonNFL) and Ryan McDowell (@RyanMc23) answer listener questions including Kareem Hunt's trade value, off-season dynasty stashes and wha tto expect from the San Fransico backfield in 2019.

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on the dynasty blueprint, matt williamson and ryan mcdowell bring you the latest nfl news from a dynasty fantasy football point of view. also, listen in for the unique dynasty perspective and strategy employed by both hosts.
matt williamson (@williamsonnfl) and ryan mcdowell (@ryanmc23) welcome scott connor (@charleschillffb) of the dynasty command center to share his dynasty buys and sells divsion by division.
matt williamson (@williamsonnfl) and ryan mcdowell (@ryanmc23) answer listener questions, including discussing the dynasty value of players like antonio brown and damien williams.
matt williamson (@williamsonnfl) and ryan mcdowell (@ryanmc23) answer listener questions including kareem hunt's trade value, off-season dynasty stashes and wha tto expect from the san fransico backfield in 2019.


text:
Please ensure system has current video drivers."
I do have the current drivers, and DirectX 10 is installed. I'm wondering what I need to do to get it to work?
The processor is too slow maybe?
Thanks for any helpful advice you might have.
Thanks! I wasn't sure how to tell if the video card was enough or not.
I upgraded to a Radeon X300, 256MB. It plays, but boy is it slow. Even with everything turned down.
Your processor should be ok since it's a dual core, but the x300 is still below the minimum video card requirement, so you may run into issues with it.
a good inexpensive video card is the radeon 4670. It's about eighty dollars and would be more than enough to play the game.

lowercased:
please ensure system has current video drivers."
i do have the current drivers, and directx 10 is installed. i'm wondering what i need to do to get it to work?
the processor is too slow maybe?
thanks for any helpful advice you might have.
thanks! i wasn't sure how to tell if the video card was enough or not.
i upgraded to a radeon x300, 256mb. it plays, but boy is it slow. even with everything turned down.
your processor should be ok since it's a dual core, but the x300 is still below the minimum video card requirement, so you may run into issues with it.
a good inexpensive video card is the radeon 4670. it's about eighty dollars and would be more than enough to play the game.


text:
In a rush? want something healthy? something that you can have in the fridge the night before and take it to lunch? – yep, this salad ticks all the boxes.
I am a big believer in cooking once – eating twice (or thrice)! Kale and brussel sprouts are hearty vegetables, they can handle sitting in the work fridge all day without getting soggy! Talk about a win!
What I love about this recipe is that the ingredients support nutrient intakes, help move waste out of the body and provide the body with several serves of delicious veggies! The brussel sprouts support liver health, the chili warms the digestive system, the pumpkin seeds provide zinc and the dulse iodine.
However, there are a couple of things missing from this salad – protein and good fats to mention a two. This salad is not a complete meal, its here to boost a meal. I had it with oven roasted salmon, adding some hemp seeds and avocado. You could have it with organic chicken breast or keep it vegetarian and add chickpeas or another legume. . . . because when it comes to health, balance is always key.
A special mention about kale; if you have known thyroid issues or presume that you do firstly get your thyroid checked, but secondly raw kale may not be the most suited vegetable for you. The addition of dulse flakes supports extra iodine intake.
This recipe is Gluten free, Dairy free, Grain free, Paleo, Vegan, Summer loving and supports elimination pathways.
Lemon, olive oil as dressing.
1. Finely chop all the green ingredients, add to a salad bowl.
2. Add pomegranate, buckwheat, Dulse, pumpkin seeds.
4. Dress when ready and enjoy.
If you are enjoying your salad the next day you are able to dress it and place it in a glass container ready to go, or leave the dressing off – gently massage the salad, box it up and keep dressing in a little glass jar to add later.

lowercased:
in a rush? want something healthy? something that you can have in the fridge the night before and take it to lunch? – yep, this salad ticks all the boxes.
i am a big believer in cooking once – eating twice (or thrice)! kale and brussel sprouts are hearty vegetables, they can handle sitting in the work fridge all day without getting soggy! talk about a win!
what i love about this recipe is that the ingredients support nutrient intakes, help move waste out of the body and provide the body with several serves of delicious veggies! the brussel sprouts support liver health, the chili warms the digestive system, the pumpkin seeds provide zinc and the dulse iodine.
however, there are a couple of things missing from this salad – protein and good fats to mention a two. this salad is not a complete meal, its here to boost a meal. i had it with oven roasted salmon, adding some hemp seeds and avocado. you could have it with organic chicken breast or keep it vegetarian and add chickpeas or another legume. . . . because when it comes to health, balance is always key.
a special mention about kale; if you have known thyroid issues or presume that you do firstly get your thyroid checked, but secondly raw kale may not be the most suited vegetable for you. the addition of dulse flakes supports extra iodine intake.
this recipe is gluten free, dairy free, grain free, paleo, vegan, summer loving and supports elimination pathways.
lemon, olive oil as dressing.
1. finely chop all the green ingredients, add to a salad bowl.
2. add pomegranate, buckwheat, dulse, pumpkin seeds.
4. dress when ready and enjoy.
if you are enjoying your salad the next day you are able to dress it and place it in a glass container ready to go, or leave the dressing off – gently massage the salad, box it up and keep dressing in a little glass jar to add later.


text:
Henry Seewald is on his way! In this third promo video for tonight's new episode of Counting On, Jessa and Ben Seewald welcome their second son. The other Duggars pitch in to help, with Jill Dillard, Jana Duggar, and Michelle Duggar on the birth team and Joseph Duggar running errands.
To those who have asked about removing auto play from videos hosted by TLC, we have spoken with the network, and they are unable to turn the feature off.
I'm curious to know what Joe needed to pick up for Jessa's labour. Since she was 4 days past her due date shouldnt everything have been waiting?
Maybe she should have been prepared, but we all forget things at times.
Sometimes you forget things, that's life.
Quick, someone buy Jessa and Ben some ice cube trays.
If they didn't register for ice cube trays as wedding presents, I guess it's too late.
My ice recipe is an old family one handed down for generations. I couldn't possibly share it with you because it's a closely guarded family secret, so don't ask. It's a summer favorite that everyone seems to enjoy. Not many crave it in January, though, I've found. Kind of a seasonal thing, this homemade ice.
Maybe they had run out of the ice they already had?
Haha but it needs to be the tiny ice you can easily crunch on. But it still could have been bought in advance.
In the episode, it looked like Joe brought ice that came from a dispenser in the Duggars' home. It looked like chipped ice, which is a lot easier to eat than ice cubes! I don't think this was a contrived storyline. I think Jessa legitimately wanted ice chips and Joe was a nice brother and brought them for her!
Maybe they had already used all the ice that they had. It isn't a storyline. It is what happens in their lives. Maybe she needed extra ice for all the people coming to the house to help with the delivery or to be there to see the baby after birth. It doesn't matter why. It was nice of Joe to run errands for her.
ice while you're at it.
I guess you don't know much about birthing and this show isn't scripted unless you know them personally.
I hope all the Dugger siblings, even the older married ones and their spouses, appreciate Jana for the God-send that she is in their lives. I want a sister like Jana!!!
even having Jana as a true friend would be a blessing!
Home birth is normal and good in some cases if not most it's our western culture that has turned it into something to be looked down upon instead of something natural and beautiful.
Jill and Jana ate midwives. So I guess they encourage Jessa to have a home birth.
Women have many reasons for home birth, not the least of which is a hospital feels like a medical "prison". Statistically, a newborn is 200x more likely to contract a staph infection if born in a hospital. And with lawyers dictating ACOG's practices, many women are dubious of a doctor's "decision" to induce or to perform a c-section. Practices that used to be rare are now used routinely. What most people fail to realize is this: birth is not a medical emergency. A heart attack is...a stroke is...but birth is a natural, normal process. Can emergencies happen? Of course. But a trained certified midwife (depending on the state), carries many medical supplies to aid emergencies. I.e.: if excessive bleeding occurs, a midwife often gives the mother a shot of pitocin in the thigh, enabling contraction of the uterus, thus stopping the bleeding...normally. Sometimes hospital transfers are needed. But for the most part, women want freedom in their birthing experience...freedom to eat, drink, move, sit in a hot tub...all aid in SAFE births...and freedom is never selfish.
Anon @ 7:45 Jana is not a midwife, she went along with Jill as her accountability partner and did some training as a doula, but she has never worked as one. I got the impression it wasn't really her thing.
You can have that same freedom in the hospital. As long as everything is fine, it is possible. I told the doctor right away the kind of experience I wanted. Since everything was fine, I was able to have the experience I wanted. I moved around how I wanted and did what I wanted. I just had to be back in the room to have the baby checked every so often.
A birthing plan is a good thing to get everyone on the same page. And it's followed as long as the baby and Mom are doing good. Just because you labor in the hospital, you don't have to be confined to a bed. I'm referring to a natural labor of course.
These days Hospitals aren't safe for even surgeries. Home births are safer and more comfortable.
Who says you can't eat, drink, or move if you're not doing home birth?
Darn it, I fell asleep right before she gave birth. Guess I missed the famous Ice Run of 2014! Can someone explain what happened? Were they planning to make Sno-Cones?
This is old footage, but not THAT old, LOL!
Congratulations on the birth of your new son ☺!!!
Gosh that still of Michelle is kind of creepy!
I much prefer "Honey," "Darling," "Sweetheart" ANYTHING over "Babe". Do all the married Duggars call their spouses "Babe"?
Babe seems like it doesn't fit for women who wear long skirts, have long hair, etc.
I think the 'babe' thing is big with millennials. I watch little people big world and Tori and Audrey use it constantly. Don't like it either, but its just a term of affection that the young uns use nowadays, think i'll go sit in my rocking chair now lol!
I'm not fond of pet-names in general but I despise "Babe.". Maybe it's because Jinger used it incessantly.
She uses it so much that you would think his name actually was Babe.
Haha, yes overused by Jinger, but in a sweet way.
I admire you who run this blog! There are so many rude and hateful comments,and you have to read them all. I encourage you to be more strict with some of the comments because some of these comments are just making fun of duggars and they make no sense.
I am about to have my fifth child. I've had two births using an epidural and two natural ones. The natural ones are so much better. It might be intense toward the end, but there's so much more freedom. God truly gives the needed strength to deliver.
I had bad experiences with the epidural. But it's everyone's personal decision. And the important thing is that the baby and Mom are safe.
They didn't have epidurals 'back in the day'. They would give you some Demerol but then you were on your own. Good times! My mother had 'gas' through a mask during labor, whatever concoction that was. She said she woke up & I was here. My father was born on the kitchen table and I'm sure nothing from the pharmacy was involved (100 years ago).

lowercased:
henry seewald is on his way! in this third promo video for tonight's new episode of counting on, jessa and ben seewald welcome their second son. the other duggars pitch in to help, with jill dillard, jana duggar, and michelle duggar on the birth team and joseph duggar running errands.
to those who have asked about removing auto play from videos hosted by tlc, we have spoken with the network, and they are unable to turn the feature off.
i'm curious to know what joe needed to pick up for jessa's labour. since she was 4 days past her due date shouldnt everything have been waiting?
maybe she should have been prepared, but we all forget things at times.
sometimes you forget things, that's life.
quick, someone buy jessa and ben some ice cube trays.
if they didn't register for ice cube trays as wedding presents, i guess it's too late.
my ice recipe is an old family one handed down for generations. i couldn't possibly share it with you because it's a closely guarded family secret, so don't ask. it's a summer favorite that everyone seems to enjoy. not many crave it in january, though, i've found. kind of a seasonal thing, this homemade ice.
maybe they had run out of the ice they already had?
haha but it needs to be the tiny ice you can easily crunch on. but it still could have been bought in advance.
in the episode, it looked like joe brought ice that came from a dispenser in the duggars' home. it looked like chipped ice, which is a lot easier to eat than ice cubes! i don't think this was a contrived storyline. i think jessa legitimately wanted ice chips and joe was a nice brother and brought them for her!
maybe they had already used all the ice that they had. it isn't a storyline. it is what happens in their lives. maybe she needed extra ice for all the people coming to the house to help with the delivery or to be there to see the baby after birth. it doesn't matter why. it was nice of joe to run errands for her.
ice while you're at it.
i guess you don't know much about birthing and this show isn't scripted unless you know them personally.
i hope all the dugger siblings, even the older married ones and their spouses, appreciate jana for the god-send that she is in their lives. i want a sister like jana!!!
even having jana as a true friend would be a blessing!
home birth is normal and good in some cases if not most it's our western culture that has turned it into something to be looked down upon instead of something natural and beautiful.
jill and jana ate midwives. so i guess they encourage jessa to have a home birth.
women have many reasons for home birth, not the least of which is a hospital feels like a medical "prison". statistically, a newborn is 200x more likely to contract a staph infection if born in a hospital. and with lawyers dictating acog's practices, many women are dubious of a doctor's "decision" to induce or to perform a c-section. practices that used to be rare are now used routinely. what most people fail to realize is this: birth is not a medical emergency. a heart attack is...a stroke is...but birth is a natural, normal process. can emergencies happen? of course. but a trained certified midwife (depending on the state), carries many medical supplies to aid emergencies. i.e.: if excessive bleeding occurs, a midwife often gives the mother a shot of pitocin in the thigh, enabling contraction of the uterus, thus stopping the bleeding...normally. sometimes hospital transfers are needed. but for the most part, women want freedom in their birthing experience...freedom to eat, drink, move, sit in a hot tub...all aid in safe births...and freedom is never selfish.
anon @ 7:45 jana is not a midwife, she went along with jill as her accountability partner and did some training as a doula, but she has never worked as one. i got the impression it wasn't really her thing.
you can have that same freedom in the hospital. as long as everything is fine, it is possible. i told the doctor right away the kind of experience i wanted. since everything was fine, i was able to have the experience i wanted. i moved around how i wanted and did what i wanted. i just had to be back in the room to have the baby checked every so often.
a birthing plan is a good thing to get everyone on the same page. and it's followed as long as the baby and mom are doing good. just because you labor in the hospital, you don't have to be confined to a bed. i'm referring to a natural labor of course.
these days hospitals aren't safe for even surgeries. home births are safer and more comfortable.
who says you can't eat, drink, or move if you're not doing home birth?
darn it, i fell asleep right before she gave birth. guess i missed the famous ice run of 2014! can someone explain what happened? were they planning to make sno-cones?
this is old footage, but not that old, lol!
congratulations on the birth of your new son ☺!!!
gosh that still of michelle is kind of creepy!
i much prefer "honey," "darling," "sweetheart" anything over "babe". do all the married duggars call their spouses "babe"?
babe seems like it doesn't fit for women who wear long skirts, have long hair, etc.
i think the 'babe' thing is big with millennials. i watch little people big world and tori and audrey use it constantly. don't like it either, but its just a term of affection that the young uns use nowadays, think i'll go sit in my rocking chair now lol!
i'm not fond of pet-names in general but i despise "babe.". maybe it's because jinger used it incessantly.
she uses it so much that you would think his name actually was babe.
haha, yes overused by jinger, but in a sweet way.
i admire you who run this blog! there are so many rude and hateful comments,and you have to read them all. i encourage you to be more strict with some of the comments because some of these comments are just making fun of duggars and they make no sense.
i am about to have my fifth child. i've had two births using an epidural and two natural ones. the natural ones are so much better. it might be intense toward the end, but there's so much more freedom. god truly gives the needed strength to deliver.
i had bad experiences with the epidural. but it's everyone's personal decision. and the important thing is that the baby and mom are safe.
they didn't have epidurals 'back in the day'. they would give you some demerol but then you were on your own. good times! my mother had 'gas' through a mask during labor, whatever concoction that was. she said she woke up & i was here. my father was born on the kitchen table and i'm sure nothing from the pharmacy was involved (100 years ago).


text:
Choose the day of your visit!
Regular Season 10:00 a.m. - 6/7:00 p.m.
Regular Season 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Come before Aprile 19th and come back for free in May!
Notti Magiche 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
HalLEOween 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Natale Incantato 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Book your table and buy your dinner with fun!
Adults can enjoy dinner at the table-service restaurant and see their kids play and make friends in the large indoor playground! Seats are limited! Babies aged 0-24 months, can enjoy the experience with an adult for free, excluding menu.
For further information or dietary requirements, please call us on +39 02 99 99 11 62*.
*Saturday from 10.30a.m. to 10:30p.m.
You can you can only choose one season pass option for the entire family. Season tickets are non-transferrable, so each family member must have his own personal pass.
Tickets will not be refunded or changed. Tickets are not transferable.
N.B. Please remember to measure your children’s heights with their shoes.
Opening hours and entertainment programmes may vary.
Open date tickets are valid for two days: use your ticket on an open day of your choice and you can come back for free on one of green days, within 60 days after your first visit to Leolandia! Check out our calendar and learn when you can return for free.
This ticket will not be refunded or changed.
N.B. Please remember to measure your children’s heights with their shoes. If you buy open date tickets online, full price ticket (120cm and over) costs € 38.50 and reduced price ticket (children from 90 to 119 cm) € 33.50. Open date ticket at the ticket office is available for full price at € 39.50 and reduced price ticket at €34.50.
N.B. Remember to measure your baby with your shoes.
If you buy open date tickets for 2018 online, full price tickets (120cm and above) are available at €38.50 and reduced price tickets (children from 90 to 119 cm) at €33.50. Open date tickets at the ticket office are available for full price at € 39.50 and reduced price ticket at €34.50.
Ticket is valid for the entire day and you can make a round-trip with it.
You secure your seat by booking your ticket online.
Please note seating is not guaranteed if you decide to buy the ticket on the spot or at the bus stop.
Before booking your ticket, please read our travel rules here.
Please note that you must bring a child car seat appropriate to their weight.
You will find the instructions needed for your travel (departure time and point) on the ticket you will get in your confirmation email.

lowercased:
choose the day of your visit!
regular season 10:00 a.m. - 6/7:00 p.m.
regular season 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
come before aprile 19th and come back for free in may!
notti magiche 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
halleoween 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
natale incantato 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
book your table and buy your dinner with fun!
adults can enjoy dinner at the table-service restaurant and see their kids play and make friends in the large indoor playground! seats are limited! babies aged 0-24 months, can enjoy the experience with an adult for free, excluding menu.
for further information or dietary requirements, please call us on +39 02 99 99 11 62*.
*saturday from 10.30a.m. to 10:30p.m.
you can you can only choose one season pass option for the entire family. season tickets are non-transferrable, so each family member must have his own personal pass.
tickets will not be refunded or changed. tickets are not transferable.
n.b. please remember to measure your children’s heights with their shoes.
opening hours and entertainment programmes may vary.
open date tickets are valid for two days: use your ticket on an open day of your choice and you can come back for free on one of green days, within 60 days after your first visit to leolandia! check out our calendar and learn when you can return for free.
this ticket will not be refunded or changed.
n.b. please remember to measure your children’s heights with their shoes. if you buy open date tickets online, full price ticket (120cm and over) costs € 38.50 and reduced price ticket (children from 90 to 119 cm) € 33.50. open date ticket at the ticket office is available for full price at € 39.50 and reduced price ticket at €34.50.
n.b. remember to measure your baby with your shoes.
if you buy open date tickets for 2018 online, full price tickets (120cm and above) are available at €38.50 and reduced price tickets (children from 90 to 119 cm) at €33.50. open date tickets at the ticket office are available for full price at € 39.50 and reduced price ticket at €34.50.
ticket is valid for the entire day and you can make a round-trip with it.
you secure your seat by booking your ticket online.
please note seating is not guaranteed if you decide to buy the ticket on the spot or at the bus stop.
before booking your ticket, please read our travel rules here.
please note that you must bring a child car seat appropriate to their weight.
you will find the instructions needed for your travel (departure time and point) on the ticket you will get in your confirmation email.


text:
Samson had his hair, Achilles had his ankle, Superman has his kryptonite, Goliath had his forehead, Icarus had the Sun, and the Death Star had the Thermal exhaust port. We all have weaknesses that can expose our otherwise perfect existence. So, it should come as no surprise that the average everyday schlep we meet has weaknesses. Nevertheless, every time you meet someone who seems to have it all together, it seems like a complete shocker when they expose to us their weakness.
The unfortunate thing is that, as humans, we have tremendous capacity to be boneheads. Nevertheless, we often fail to see our own boneheadedness. This is why the loners or people who have no outside human interaction are usually tough to befriend, because they are unaware of their own neurosis. We often don’t know what we don’t know.
So, as I have been meandering through life, I have a friend, whom I know to be extraordinarily good at two jobs that are only tangentially related. I have recommended to him that he should find one person to assist him in each area, and as he grows his newly formed company, hopefully he has found two Vice Presidents. This is the concept upon which the assembly line was built.
The negative thing about my friend is that he doesn’t realize how truly special he is. He does not realize that the two diverse skill sets he has are so rare that finding another person with them is as likely as finding a purple goober. He wants to find that person who is just like him. But this is a reality of life, when we realize what sets us apart, we realize what gives us such a dignified value. Some even achieve the level of Savant!
I think sometimes we need that guy to point us in the correct way. Nevertheless, sometimes people thwart the attempts to assist them that are given. The reality of setting up an assembly-line approach to a company has been proven for over a century, yet some people think that the once in a lifetime talent is easier to duplicate than compliment. However, we all have complimentary needs. Flash needed food, Popeye needed Spinach, and the Green Lantern needed to avoid the color yellow.
So, when building a team of something you are great at, find someone who can pick up the slack you leave and lead you to greater heights, rather than the person who can duplicate what you already do well. Remember that if two people always act, react, and do things the same way, then at least one of them is unnecessary. If you don’t act wisely in that regard, you may end up with the adjective idiot before your title Savant!
Despite the fact I never seem to know anything about new movies coming out, I am talking a lot about movies lately. I mention We Bought a Zoo and Tangled in the last two blogs I’ve written, so it may seem like I spent an entire weekend watching movies, but it’s more that the movies I watched taught me something. Nevertheless, I am fairly certain that whenever I saw The Help, it would have had an incredible impact on me, even though as of a week ago, I had never heard of it.
I am fortunate that I live my life in almost complete obscurity. While I may have occasional delusions of grandeur, most people will not know (or care) what I did on any particular Tuesday afternoon. The reason I consider this fortunate is that my sins are mostly played out in anonymity. And I do not believe in us needing to re-watch the bad parts of our life on a big screen once we get to Heaven.
The unfortunate thing is that I still do sin and I still feel the effects of it all the time. Nevertheless, I am very glad that many of the things that were shown in this movie were things I have never lived near or with a concept of. The reality is that many of the attitudes displayed in the movie were not concentrated in the city of Jackson, Mississippi but were prevalent throughout our culture. The reality is that caste systems have been around long before the founding of this country and will continue long after we are gone.
One thing I really liked is that is wasn’t judgmental on the issue that usually riles everyone up. Slavery and Racism can be atrocious things, and I think the tendency to over-abuse authority is one that may make it best to just not allow it. (I realize this movie is set when slavery is “illegal” and the culture did not declare it slavery, but it really was slavery—no matter the term we use to describe it). The movie was more about the abusiveness that can accompany the racism/slavery combo.
With the attitude of Skeeter and Celia Foote (and her husband Johnny), there were definitely examples of benevolent “bosses.” And there was at least one story told by one of the women that spoke of a “boss” who was so benevolent that he purchased land just to make her life easier. The over-riding problem is that they were such a minority that they were almost as great of outcasts as the humans they treated that way, which others did not.
Unfortunately, I believe this is a real-to-life story that paints a largely accurate picture of the majority of people out there. The tremendously unbridled ignorance that the majority showed was so egregious that I hate to think the populace of the country I love could have been that way just a generation and a half ago. I also know that no amount of so-called reparations can ever right the wrongs that were committed.
Another thing I know, however, is that we are getting better. I have no doubt that racism still exists. I have no doubt that many “employers” or even parents mistreat those in their charge to this degree. Notwithstanding this, I also know that these things are now called out by the public-at-large and the leadership of society in concert. And instead of largely unjust things happening to the abused parties, we see more justice in this area by the authorities than ever.
We live in a society where our President and many of my favorite public figures to talk about are of a minority race. The reality is that Dr. King’s dream of people “being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin” is largely a reality. In my conversations, more people probably cast a vote for a person because he is a minority than people who would not vote for him for the same reason.
I don’t think we as a society are perfect, but that will never happen in this world, as we are all sinful creatures. I do, however, think that the situation as shown in this movie is largely gone. And the vestiges of it that remain can begin to be stamped out by, among other things, movies like The Help. Yet I feel overcome by so many unspeakable feelings upon watching this movie, that I am almost wordless (and that’s bad for the blog).
I guess the problem with watching a movie like this is we see our own tendency to be sinful. I clearly thought throughout the movie that I would never think or act in such a way, but I also know that there must be some egregious sin that this culture is largely blind to, and I am fitting right along with culture in general.
The problem is that we see how blind society can be to its own shortfalls, which necessarily leads one to introspection to the point of questioning what we are blind to. I believe in the Second Law of Thermodynamics enough to know that the world is not getting better. The fact that this one thing has been largely beaten does not give us overall improvement.
Nevertheless, we do not watch movies to come to grips with our own sinfulness, but rather to watch our triumph. While this triumph may be thinly defined and not across-the-board, it is still triumph. I am glad I have never been in an immediate situation where these attitudes were prevalent. I am glad that it is not even difficult for me to side with the side of the right in this issue. I am also glad the movie was done well and that it can open the dialogue so that we never become condemned to repeat these mindsets. The movie was good and entertaining, but it exposes the seedy underbelly of a portion of our heritage, and I, for one, am just glad that Dr. King’s dream lives and is largely becoming reality!
Thirteen days ago, my sister sent me an email saying that she highly recommended a movie called, We Bought A Zoo. I saw the previews and imagined some hidden or invisible zoo after a family bought a house, and I thought, “Is my sister going crazy? Is this really the best movie she can come up with in this day and age of movies?” So, I treated the email with the reverence I thought it deserved (ie, remembered that she liked the movie and nothing else that she said).
I came home Friday night to the announcement that somehow we had picked up the movie We Bought a Zoo. The kids had already watched the movie with Kelly and all said that they liked it, but that it was a little bit vulgar for a PG movie. So, being the knucklehead I am, I give my sister a call to give her a hard time (which is really all it was, because I had not even forwarded her thoughts to the rest of the family). Of course, had I actually read and remembered her email, I would have known that she gave that exact warning, and she told me that.
So, now as a guy feeling bad about giving my sister a hard time, I agreed to watch it and just kind of keep my mouth shut. So after we did several things, including eat dinner, do family devotions, put the kids to bed, and recapping the day, I finally sat down to watch the movie. Hereafter are my thoughts about the movie, without giving anything (er, well, giving very little) away.
First, the movie was nothing like what I got from the previews (what I saw was approximately the equivalent of the first minute of this). It was never an imaginery or hidden zoo; it was clearly a zoo recognized and seen by all humans with eyesight at all times. I’m not sure how I misinterpreted that, but it really was a completely different movie than my imagination.
Second, the movie was genuinely captivating. There was a family in mourning, which I could certainly empathize with. You wanted this dad and daughter to succeed and move on, as much as would be appropriate. There was a real estate agent at the beginning, that I loved. He reflects well on one of my chosen professions, and we aren’t normally portrayed well.
Third, the movie had a plot that moved along and was feel-good. I know many critics insulted it for being too formulaic. Let’s face it; there is a reason those things become a formula—We like them!
Is Hoosiers less a movie because they win? Or is Cinderella worse for her not remaining stuck in a rut? Do we dislike Star Wars because Luke is successful?
Of course not. We like things that end well. Another thing I learned from a lesser movie is that every character comes into your work with back-story. The audience needs to know enough about it to understand why it leads them to the present without being bogged down by it. This movie did a wonderful job of that, keeping it realistic and yet genuinely fun to travel with the characters on this journey.
This story, which though it didn’t have a lot of mystery involved, was a nice, happy story with the heart of real life. It may send you to the kleenex a couple times (it did me), but it isn’t a depressing movie. It had a line in the movie that I loved. All-in-all, I found the whole thing very entertaining. So, if you want a feel-good story to watch that the whole family can enjoy, watch this one (email me about the ten second scene to fast forward through if you have young kids). You’ll be glad you watched it!
Seat-belts are Essential to Keeping Peace!
The last few weeks I’ve seen a commercial several times where they tout that if you fake wearing your seat-belt, police are trained to spot people not wearing seat-belts even in the dark. Now, this is exceedingly distressing to me for multiple reasons. Though I suspect that most people view this commercial with relative indifference, I have many reasons that this should not be the case.
I believe I should begin by letting you know of my bias on this “issue.” I believe that a government should give you the right to be stupid. This makes me very Libertarian on many issues. If you want to harm yourself, so long as you don’t harm anyone else, you should have the right to do so. Wearing a seat-belt doesn’t endanger anyone but the non-wearer. Now I have heard the argument that someone being killed on the highway could increase the cleanup costs for the rest of us taxpayers.
There are at least two responses to this, which could easily make it a worthless argument. First, should the government really pay for roads and their cleanup. Assuming that is too Libertarian for you, the second response is that someone who is at fault in an accident would be responsible for the extra cleanup costs incurred. Of course this would lead to Insurance companies paying for it, which would require them to set rules for payments to be made (rather than the government).
I realize, however, that our government has said that they want us wearing seat-belts, which is their prerogative. Nevertheless, even assuming that you disagree with my assertion that you should have the right to be stupid, there is still significant reason to be disgruntled by this commercial. I think most of us, even the most violent supporter of seat-belt laws, would concede that police do far more important things, even more important traffic issues, than catch people without a seat-belt on. Yet, they are spending valuable training dollars on teaching policemen how to spot people without seat-belts. tsk. tsk.
Really? We’re not training police officers (during this time) to spot drug dealers, hate crimes, beatings, counterfeiting, violent crimes, child abuse, or even dangerous or impaired driving? Instead of learning about those, let’s teach them to spot someone who’s faking the wearing of a seat-belt. The absurdity drips from the situation. We’ve gone from having officers of the law keep peace to finding invented crimes.
I assert that we can do better for ourselves, for the protection of our citizenry, and for life in general than training our first line of defense against crime on techniques people use to look like they’re wearing seat-belts. Maybe we could focus that energy into making texting while driving illegal. Then, of course, I may not be able to text blog posts like this one, but at least police pulling me over may be saving lives other than mine own.
How old do you feel? At a recent 40th birthday party I attended, that was the question du jour. This is a decent question. And to some extent, it is a question that we all must ask ourselves. We need to do what we can to keep ourselves young. Not because we are Darwinian, but because much of aging is a choice.
The Nobel prize winning George Bernard Shaw wrote, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” We like hearing this, as it gives us excuses for being juvenile, as it adds value to it. And while there is some truth to it, there is also truth to the fact that some aging is inevitable.
In my real estate classes, we talk about how a piece of real property decreases in value over time. One of the things we talk about is physical deterioration, which we all agree is positively demoralizing, yet an inescapable part of the condition of buildings. Unfortunately, it is also an inescapable part of the human condition.
I’ve noticed recently that when I stand it is accompanied by creeks and groans. I need more sleep than I used to require. I am unable to do some of the things I used to be able to do. Basically, I’m an old dude and as much as I try to Claim I feel young and spry, the reality is that I am feeling older and older all the time. I mean sometimes I need to sit on the floor for the firmness that it provides, while other times I cannot sit on it for the very same reason.
Clearly some aspects of aging are outside of our control, even if we do the best we can. But I learned from my good friend, Bob Collins (whom I mention in this blog and will write a more fitting tribute between his would-be 91st birthday and the 1st anniversary of his death) that aging gracefully and finishing well is less about physical ability and mental or business acumen and more about doing all we can with that which God has still blessed us.
I may be (strike that, am) less capable than I used to be, but I am more mentally aware of the correct decisions to make. And while I have just recently come to grips with the fact that I am an adult, I have been readily aware that regardless of age or position, I am required to do that which God requires of me. And that is a full time job, no matter how old I feel!
On Friday, Veritas Academy, which is run by my good friend Michael Phillips, had a graduation ceremony. Graduation is a unique event, because we are celebrating something that has happened in the past, yet it is almost always called a “Commencement” because the focus is on what it will look like in the future. There is no other event in our culture where we celebrate the past with a focus on the future.
This celebration is prevalent. My son’s school has a similar ceremony this coming week. We had a little bit of a different recognition in church this morning, and I would be shocked if someone told me that they had never seen one. Every time I see a graduation, I am reminded of the line in The Incredibles where he touts over-celebration of mediocrity.
The truth is that I believe in education a great deal. I have achieved three college degrees and have done work towards another degree. With that in mind, I am aware of the tendency to over-celebrate, but if there is one thing we should reward, it is education.
Now clearly, not everyone is purposed for a college education, and I understand that. I also teach people who want to get a real estate license, and I have been in the classroom for security officer, mortgage broker, or life and health insurance licensing.
These classes are important, too. Because one thing that is essential, no matter what your chosen occupation, is you need to prepare. I have been known to tell people to never stop preparing for your future. “The longer your preparation, the greater your opportunity.” So continue to follow the Proverbs 4 model of attempting to attain wisdom, no matter the area of study.
But as I take a more global view, I have noticed that in this economy, the one industry that has changed the least is education. I had a front row seat to the recent real estate market collapse. Now, there are an infinite number of factors that played into it, but among the most prevalent was mortgage money being so easily acquirable.
Marc Cuban thinks that the availability of education loans will spell the death of the industry. While I am not sure I will go that far, I am persuaded that changes need to occur. Having worked at a few school attempting to re-tool their programs, including a college, I know that these are not easy decisions to make.
While we may see the re-introduction of trade schools or some other way to re-educate people, something must (and will) happen. The government cannot continue to give away money to people in school. I know some people first-hand, who are going back to school at older ages, because it is easier than getting a job. Obviously, anything that discourages productivity must eventually take a hit.
Conceivably, education is good for the future of the economy, there are now more gaps than there have been in years between those things learned in school and those usable skills. The schools which find a way to combat the expenses for when the loan money dries up will be successful. I, for one, hope that is a great number, as I’d love to see a more educated society.
As I was reading a book to my son during our nightly “Girly-Book Time” there was a story of a non-Christian consistently proverbially battering a Christian and then accusing her of not being willing to forgive. Now, I am not suggesting that he was right, as the type of forgiveness one gives is largely dependent upon the type of contrition there is. We owe it to ourselves, our families, and others to act responsibly. To forgive may be required, but reasonable hesitancy is not out of the question.
It seems lately the topic of Forgiveness has come up a lot for me. Perhaps this is because when you are as crazy as I am, people frequently feel as if I need to be consistently seeking forgiveness. The reality is that my life, just like everyone else’s, is a tremendous lesson in God’s unfailing grace, despite my inability to consistently be worthy.
As we look at human forgiveness, we are forced to look at how pathetic it normally is. First of all, we often feel as if we are doing people a favor when we forgive them. We look at how we have some cosmic scorecard on which we are now ahead. While we rarely admit this to ourselves, we really usually feel like someone else can never catch up. How many of us “forgive” a good friend or spouse, knowing that we will bring it up later?
I feel like this is unacceptable and far less than that which is required of us. As I read Evan’s blog earlier this week, I am reminded how many of us have a thirst for the justice of others. I’ve heard it said that we always want justice for others and forgiveness for us. But I think when we balkanize the characteristics of God like that, we start to lose the depth of each.
God’s true justice encompasses our forgiveness. There is no doubt that God’s plan includes the absolute forgiveness of our sins. And while God forbid that we continue sinning that grace may abound, there is clearly continued grace for those things we have done. Forgiveness at the cross is plentiful, and I am grateful for that.
Now, to juxtapose the fact that forgiveness is not merely forgetting the wrong that was done, but rather choosing not to hold it over that person on the Cosmic balance sheet. Ah, but there’s the rub. It is exceedingly difficult to give biblical forgiveness so that we aren’t keeping score and yet treat a sinner with the proper trepidation. How in the world can we do this perfectly? To start, I don’t think we can do it. In fact, I find the only way I can adequately come close is to be overly cognizant of my own depravity.
Maybe that is the trick, but I think God knows that our justification leads to sanctification. The legal sanctification happens right away, and the behavioral sanctification will come. Doubtlessly, we still have Romans 7 style battles with sin, but the reason we can shout that there is no condemnation with authority is because we are walking more and more after the Spirit.
God is already offended by our sinful nature and our sinful choices. He continues to forgive us, yet our offense to Him is as great as it can be. Nevertheless, we are forgiven. How can we do less? My assertion is that we shouldn’t. We should completely forgive in the legal sense. However, since we don’t have the ability to regenerate a life, we need to help our fellow humans by keeping them from the situations that could cause them to stumble or have a sacrificed testimony. And, I think, that is the best we can do!

lowercased:
samson had his hair, achilles had his ankle, superman has his kryptonite, goliath had his forehead, icarus had the sun, and the death star had the thermal exhaust port. we all have weaknesses that can expose our otherwise perfect existence. so, it should come as no surprise that the average everyday schlep we meet has weaknesses. nevertheless, every time you meet someone who seems to have it all together, it seems like a complete shocker when they expose to us their weakness.
the unfortunate thing is that, as humans, we have tremendous capacity to be boneheads. nevertheless, we often fail to see our own boneheadedness. this is why the loners or people who have no outside human interaction are usually tough to befriend, because they are unaware of their own neurosis. we often don’t know what we don’t know.
so, as i have been meandering through life, i have a friend, whom i know to be extraordinarily good at two jobs that are only tangentially related. i have recommended to him that he should find one person to assist him in each area, and as he grows his newly formed company, hopefully he has found two vice presidents. this is the concept upon which the assembly line was built.
the negative thing about my friend is that he doesn’t realize how truly special he is. he does not realize that the two diverse skill sets he has are so rare that finding another person with them is as likely as finding a purple goober. he wants to find that person who is just like him. but this is a reality of life, when we realize what sets us apart, we realize what gives us such a dignified value. some even achieve the level of savant!
i think sometimes we need that guy to point us in the correct way. nevertheless, sometimes people thwart the attempts to assist them that are given. the reality of setting up an assembly-line approach to a company has been proven for over a century, yet some people think that the once in a lifetime talent is easier to duplicate than compliment. however, we all have complimentary needs. flash needed food, popeye needed spinach, and the green lantern needed to avoid the color yellow.
so, when building a team of something you are great at, find someone who can pick up the slack you leave and lead you to greater heights, rather than the person who can duplicate what you already do well. remember that if two people always act, react, and do things the same way, then at least one of them is unnecessary. if you don’t act wisely in that regard, you may end up with the adjective idiot before your title savant!
despite the fact i never seem to know anything about new movies coming out, i am talking a lot about movies lately. i mention we bought a zoo and tangled in the last two blogs i’ve written, so it may seem like i spent an entire weekend watching movies, but it’s more that the movies i watched taught me something. nevertheless, i am fairly certain that whenever i saw the help, it would have had an incredible impact on me, even though as of a week ago, i had never heard of it.
i am fortunate that i live my life in almost complete obscurity. while i may have occasional delusions of grandeur, most people will not know (or care) what i did on any particular tuesday afternoon. the reason i consider this fortunate is that my sins are mostly played out in anonymity. and i do not believe in us needing to re-watch the bad parts of our life on a big screen once we get to heaven.
the unfortunate thing is that i still do sin and i still feel the effects of it all the time. nevertheless, i am very glad that many of the things that were shown in this movie were things i have never lived near or with a concept of. the reality is that many of the attitudes displayed in the movie were not concentrated in the city of jackson, mississippi but were prevalent throughout our culture. the reality is that caste systems have been around long before the founding of this country and will continue long after we are gone.
one thing i really liked is that is wasn’t judgmental on the issue that usually riles everyone up. slavery and racism can be atrocious things, and i think the tendency to over-abuse authority is one that may make it best to just not allow it. (i realize this movie is set when slavery is “illegal” and the culture did not declare it slavery, but it really was slavery—no matter the term we use to describe it). the movie was more about the abusiveness that can accompany the racism/slavery combo.
with the attitude of skeeter and celia foote (and her husband johnny), there were definitely examples of benevolent “bosses.” and there was at least one story told by one of the women that spoke of a “boss” who was so benevolent that he purchased land just to make her life easier. the over-riding problem is that they were such a minority that they were almost as great of outcasts as the humans they treated that way, which others did not.
unfortunately, i believe this is a real-to-life story that paints a largely accurate picture of the majority of people out there. the tremendously unbridled ignorance that the majority showed was so egregious that i hate to think the populace of the country i love could have been that way just a generation and a half ago. i also know that no amount of so-called reparations can ever right the wrongs that were committed.
another thing i know, however, is that we are getting better. i have no doubt that racism still exists. i have no doubt that many “employers” or even parents mistreat those in their charge to this degree. notwithstanding this, i also know that these things are now called out by the public-at-large and the leadership of society in concert. and instead of largely unjust things happening to the abused parties, we see more justice in this area by the authorities than ever.
we live in a society where our president and many of my favorite public figures to talk about are of a minority race. the reality is that dr. king’s dream of people “being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin” is largely a reality. in my conversations, more people probably cast a vote for a person because he is a minority than people who would not vote for him for the same reason.
i don’t think we as a society are perfect, but that will never happen in this world, as we are all sinful creatures. i do, however, think that the situation as shown in this movie is largely gone. and the vestiges of it that remain can begin to be stamped out by, among other things, movies like the help. yet i feel overcome by so many unspeakable feelings upon watching this movie, that i am almost wordless (and that’s bad for the blog).
i guess the problem with watching a movie like this is we see our own tendency to be sinful. i clearly thought throughout the movie that i would never think or act in such a way, but i also know that there must be some egregious sin that this culture is largely blind to, and i am fitting right along with culture in general.
the problem is that we see how blind society can be to its own shortfalls, which necessarily leads one to introspection to the point of questioning what we are blind to. i believe in the second law of thermodynamics enough to know that the world is not getting better. the fact that this one thing has been largely beaten does not give us overall improvement.
nevertheless, we do not watch movies to come to grips with our own sinfulness, but rather to watch our triumph. while this triumph may be thinly defined and not across-the-board, it is still triumph. i am glad i have never been in an immediate situation where these attitudes were prevalent. i am glad that it is not even difficult for me to side with the side of the right in this issue. i am also glad the movie was done well and that it can open the dialogue so that we never become condemned to repeat these mindsets. the movie was good and entertaining, but it exposes the seedy underbelly of a portion of our heritage, and i, for one, am just glad that dr. king’s dream lives and is largely becoming reality!
thirteen days ago, my sister sent me an email saying that she highly recommended a movie called, we bought a zoo. i saw the previews and imagined some hidden or invisible zoo after a family bought a house, and i thought, “is my sister going crazy? is this really the best movie she can come up with in this day and age of movies?” so, i treated the email with the reverence i thought it deserved (ie, remembered that she liked the movie and nothing else that she said).
i came home friday night to the announcement that somehow we had picked up the movie we bought a zoo. the kids had already watched the movie with kelly and all said that they liked it, but that it was a little bit vulgar for a pg movie. so, being the knucklehead i am, i give my sister a call to give her a hard time (which is really all it was, because i had not even forwarded her thoughts to the rest of the family). of course, had i actually read and remembered her email, i would have known that she gave that exact warning, and she told me that.
so, now as a guy feeling bad about giving my sister a hard time, i agreed to watch it and just kind of keep my mouth shut. so after we did several things, including eat dinner, do family devotions, put the kids to bed, and recapping the day, i finally sat down to watch the movie. hereafter are my thoughts about the movie, without giving anything (er, well, giving very little) away.
first, the movie was nothing like what i got from the previews (what i saw was approximately the equivalent of the first minute of this). it was never an imaginery or hidden zoo; it was clearly a zoo recognized and seen by all humans with eyesight at all times. i’m not sure how i misinterpreted that, but it really was a completely different movie than my imagination.
second, the movie was genuinely captivating. there was a family in mourning, which i could certainly empathize with. you wanted this dad and daughter to succeed and move on, as much as would be appropriate. there was a real estate agent at the beginning, that i loved. he reflects well on one of my chosen professions, and we aren’t normally portrayed well.
third, the movie had a plot that moved along and was feel-good. i know many critics insulted it for being too formulaic. let’s face it; there is a reason those things become a formula—we like them!
is hoosiers less a movie because they win? or is cinderella worse for her not remaining stuck in a rut? do we dislike star wars because luke is successful?
of course not. we like things that end well. another thing i learned from a lesser movie is that every character comes into your work with back-story. the audience needs to know enough about it to understand why it leads them to the present without being bogged down by it. this movie did a wonderful job of that, keeping it realistic and yet genuinely fun to travel with the characters on this journey.
this story, which though it didn’t have a lot of mystery involved, was a nice, happy story with the heart of real life. it may send you to the kleenex a couple times (it did me), but it isn’t a depressing movie. it had a line in the movie that i loved. all-in-all, i found the whole thing very entertaining. so, if you want a feel-good story to watch that the whole family can enjoy, watch this one (email me about the ten second scene to fast forward through if you have young kids). you’ll be glad you watched it!
seat-belts are essential to keeping peace!
the last few weeks i’ve seen a commercial several times where they tout that if you fake wearing your seat-belt, police are trained to spot people not wearing seat-belts even in the dark. now, this is exceedingly distressing to me for multiple reasons. though i suspect that most people view this commercial with relative indifference, i have many reasons that this should not be the case.
i believe i should begin by letting you know of my bias on this “issue.” i believe that a government should give you the right to be stupid. this makes me very libertarian on many issues. if you want to harm yourself, so long as you don’t harm anyone else, you should have the right to do so. wearing a seat-belt doesn’t endanger anyone but the non-wearer. now i have heard the argument that someone being killed on the highway could increase the cleanup costs for the rest of us taxpayers.
there are at least two responses to this, which could easily make it a worthless argument. first, should the government really pay for roads and their cleanup. assuming that is too libertarian for you, the second response is that someone who is at fault in an accident would be responsible for the extra cleanup costs incurred. of course this would lead to insurance companies paying for it, which would require them to set rules for payments to be made (rather than the government).
i realize, however, that our government has said that they want us wearing seat-belts, which is their prerogative. nevertheless, even assuming that you disagree with my assertion that you should have the right to be stupid, there is still significant reason to be disgruntled by this commercial. i think most of us, even the most violent supporter of seat-belt laws, would concede that police do far more important things, even more important traffic issues, than catch people without a seat-belt on. yet, they are spending valuable training dollars on teaching policemen how to spot people without seat-belts. tsk. tsk.
really? we’re not training police officers (during this time) to spot drug dealers, hate crimes, beatings, counterfeiting, violent crimes, child abuse, or even dangerous or impaired driving? instead of learning about those, let’s teach them to spot someone who’s faking the wearing of a seat-belt. the absurdity drips from the situation. we’ve gone from having officers of the law keep peace to finding invented crimes.
i assert that we can do better for ourselves, for the protection of our citizenry, and for life in general than training our first line of defense against crime on techniques people use to look like they’re wearing seat-belts. maybe we could focus that energy into making texting while driving illegal. then, of course, i may not be able to text blog posts like this one, but at least police pulling me over may be saving lives other than mine own.
how old do you feel? at a recent 40th birthday party i attended, that was the question du jour. this is a decent question. and to some extent, it is a question that we all must ask ourselves. we need to do what we can to keep ourselves young. not because we are darwinian, but because much of aging is a choice.
the nobel prize winning george bernard shaw wrote, “we don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” we like hearing this, as it gives us excuses for being juvenile, as it adds value to it. and while there is some truth to it, there is also truth to the fact that some aging is inevitable.
in my real estate classes, we talk about how a piece of real property decreases in value over time. one of the things we talk about is physical deterioration, which we all agree is positively demoralizing, yet an inescapable part of the condition of buildings. unfortunately, it is also an inescapable part of the human condition.
i’ve noticed recently that when i stand it is accompanied by creeks and groans. i need more sleep than i used to require. i am unable to do some of the things i used to be able to do. basically, i’m an old dude and as much as i try to claim i feel young and spry, the reality is that i am feeling older and older all the time. i mean sometimes i need to sit on the floor for the firmness that it provides, while other times i cannot sit on it for the very same reason.
clearly some aspects of aging are outside of our control, even if we do the best we can. but i learned from my good friend, bob collins (whom i mention in this blog and will write a more fitting tribute between his would-be 91st birthday and the 1st anniversary of his death) that aging gracefully and finishing well is less about physical ability and mental or business acumen and more about doing all we can with that which god has still blessed us.
i may be (strike that, am) less capable than i used to be, but i am more mentally aware of the correct decisions to make. and while i have just recently come to grips with the fact that i am an adult, i have been readily aware that regardless of age or position, i am required to do that which god requires of me. and that is a full time job, no matter how old i feel!
on friday, veritas academy, which is run by my good friend michael phillips, had a graduation ceremony. graduation is a unique event, because we are celebrating something that has happened in the past, yet it is almost always called a “commencement” because the focus is on what it will look like in the future. there is no other event in our culture where we celebrate the past with a focus on the future.
this celebration is prevalent. my son’s school has a similar ceremony this coming week. we had a little bit of a different recognition in church this morning, and i would be shocked if someone told me that they had never seen one. every time i see a graduation, i am reminded of the line in the incredibles where he touts over-celebration of mediocrity.
the truth is that i believe in education a great deal. i have achieved three college degrees and have done work towards another degree. with that in mind, i am aware of the tendency to over-celebrate, but if there is one thing we should reward, it is education.
now clearly, not everyone is purposed for a college education, and i understand that. i also teach people who want to get a real estate license, and i have been in the classroom for security officer, mortgage broker, or life and health insurance licensing.
these classes are important, too. because one thing that is essential, no matter what your chosen occupation, is you need to prepare. i have been known to tell people to never stop preparing for your future. “the longer your preparation, the greater your opportunity.” so continue to follow the proverbs 4 model of attempting to attain wisdom, no matter the area of study.
but as i take a more global view, i have noticed that in this economy, the one industry that has changed the least is education. i had a front row seat to the recent real estate market collapse. now, there are an infinite number of factors that played into it, but among the most prevalent was mortgage money being so easily acquirable.
marc cuban thinks that the availability of education loans will spell the death of the industry. while i am not sure i will go that far, i am persuaded that changes need to occur. having worked at a few school attempting to re-tool their programs, including a college, i know that these are not easy decisions to make.
while we may see the re-introduction of trade schools or some other way to re-educate people, something must (and will) happen. the government cannot continue to give away money to people in school. i know some people first-hand, who are going back to school at older ages, because it is easier than getting a job. obviously, anything that discourages productivity must eventually take a hit.
conceivably, education is good for the future of the economy, there are now more gaps than there have been in years between those things learned in school and those usable skills. the schools which find a way to combat the expenses for when the loan money dries up will be successful. i, for one, hope that is a great number, as i’d love to see a more educated society.
as i was reading a book to my son during our nightly “girly-book time” there was a story of a non-christian consistently proverbially battering a christian and then accusing her of not being willing to forgive. now, i am not suggesting that he was right, as the type of forgiveness one gives is largely dependent upon the type of contrition there is. we owe it to ourselves, our families, and others to act responsibly. to forgive may be required, but reasonable hesitancy is not out of the question.
it seems lately the topic of forgiveness has come up a lot for me. perhaps this is because when you are as crazy as i am, people frequently feel as if i need to be consistently seeking forgiveness. the reality is that my life, just like everyone else’s, is a tremendous lesson in god’s unfailing grace, despite my inability to consistently be worthy.
as we look at human forgiveness, we are forced to look at how pathetic it normally is. first of all, we often feel as if we are doing people a favor when we forgive them. we look at how we have some cosmic scorecard on which we are now ahead. while we rarely admit this to ourselves, we really usually feel like someone else can never catch up. how many of us “forgive” a good friend or spouse, knowing that we will bring it up later?
i feel like this is unacceptable and far less than that which is required of us. as i read evan’s blog earlier this week, i am reminded how many of us have a thirst for the justice of others. i’ve heard it said that we always want justice for others and forgiveness for us. but i think when we balkanize the characteristics of god like that, we start to lose the depth of each.
god’s true justice encompasses our forgiveness. there is no doubt that god’s plan includes the absolute forgiveness of our sins. and while god forbid that we continue sinning that grace may abound, there is clearly continued grace for those things we have done. forgiveness at the cross is plentiful, and i am grateful for that.
now, to juxtapose the fact that forgiveness is not merely forgetting the wrong that was done, but rather choosing not to hold it over that person on the cosmic balance sheet. ah, but there’s the rub. it is exceedingly difficult to give biblical forgiveness so that we aren’t keeping score and yet treat a sinner with the proper trepidation. how in the world can we do this perfectly? to start, i don’t think we can do it. in fact, i find the only way i can adequately come close is to be overly cognizant of my own depravity.
maybe that is the trick, but i think god knows that our justification leads to sanctification. the legal sanctification happens right away, and the behavioral sanctification will come. doubtlessly, we still have romans 7 style battles with sin, but the reason we can shout that there is no condemnation with authority is because we are walking more and more after the spirit.
god is already offended by our sinful nature and our sinful choices. he continues to forgive us, yet our offense to him is as great as it can be. nevertheless, we are forgiven. how can we do less? my assertion is that we shouldn’t. we should completely forgive in the legal sense. however, since we don’t have the ability to regenerate a life, we need to help our fellow humans by keeping them from the situations that could cause them to stumble or have a sacrificed testimony. and, i think, that is the best we can do!