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Costco vs. Sam’s Club: Which Wholesale Retailer Fills Your Shopping Cart?
Stocking up on everything for the office, from coffee to paper clips, can be a lot for office managers to keep up with. However, going to wholesale stores makes this task a lot easier. When buying office supplies in bulk, not only do you make fewer trips to the store, but you end up saving the company a bit of money.
But which one should you go to? We’ve paired megastore Sam’s Club up against its main rival, Costco, to see who comes out victorious as the ultimate superstore.
We’ve compiled the facts, but we’re leaving the decision up to you. So look over each section, then vote for your favorite wholesale retailer in the poll below.
Costco guarantees your satisfaction on every product it sells, and that guarantee is backed up by a full refund policy.
Some items, including computers, cameras, MP3 players, cell phones and televisions, must be returned within 90 days of purchase for the refund. Items purchased through Costco.com can be returned to your local store for a refund, including reimbursement of shipping and handling fees.
Sam’s also offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on its products. For a full refund, a receipt is needed. Without a receipt, Sam’s will refund the purchase at its last selling price. Just like Costco, most electronics must be returned within 90 days of purchase, with a receipt, for a refund. Fresh products (including meats, bakery items and produce) are subject to Sam’s 200% guarantee which is double your money back or replacement of the item plus refund of its original purchase price. Items purchased through SamsClub.com can be returned to your local Sam’s Club for a refund. You must bring in the order print out for a full refund and shipping and handling expenses are not included in the refund.
Costco members can get the app at no charge and use it to shop, find Costco locations, get prescriptions refilled, upload photos and send them directly to the Costco Photo Center and renew their membership. The app also offers a helpful notepad where you can keep a running shopping list. The app includes access to the latest issue of Costco’s member magazine and special “online only” products.
The Sam’s Club app is also free and offers many of the same features that the Costco app offers, including the ability to shop, find locations, upload photos to the Sam’s Club Photo Center, and renew memberships.
The app lets members create lists and add items from their list right to their virtual shopping cart, read and write product reviews, view upcoming events at their local Sam’s and shop an extended selection of “online only” products. Members can use the “Click ‘n’ Pull” feature to pick items to get pulled and picked up at their nearest Sam’s Club location.
Costco will refund your membership fee in full if at any time you are not satisfied. Costco offers four membership types, all of which are annual.
Executive Business Membership: $120.00. Executive Members enjoy an annual 2 percent reward (limited to $1000.00 annually) on almost all Costco purchases and can add six additional cardholders for $60.00 each. Executive Business members can take advantage of savings on services such as check printing, payroll services and identity protection. They also receive roadside assistance at no charge for vehicles enrolled in Costco’s auto insurance program and are even offered special travel perks.
Executive Gold Star Membership: $120.00. The Executive Gold Star Membership includes a free household card and provides the same 2 percent annual reward that executive Business Members enjoy. They also receive additional discounts on many Costco services.
Business Membership: $60.00. Costco’s Business Membership includes an additional household card at no charge and the ability to add additional cardholders ($60.00 each).
Gold Star Membership: $60.00. This membership allows you to purchase products for personal use and provides one additional card for free.
Like Costco, Sam’s offers four memberships, all of which are annual. Your membership fee will be refunded in full, on or before the expiration date if at any time you are unsatisfied with your membership.
Sam’s Plus: $100.00. Advantage Plus members enjoy early shopping hours, starting at 7:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday, 8 percent off name-brand prescriptions and 40 percent discount on a number of generic prescriptions. When Advantage Plus members use the “Click ‘n’ Pull” to order online by 5:00 p.m., their order will be pulled and ready for them the next day. The Advantage Plus membership also comes with no-cost flat tire repair, car battery testing and wiper blade installation.
Sam’s Club member: $45.00. Advantage members receive two annual membership cards, free flat tire repair, car battery testing and wiper blade installation service, and the “Click ‘n’ Pull” service.
Next Article Office Depot vs. Staples — Which is the Ultimate Office Supply Store?

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costco vs. sam’s club: which wholesale retailer fills your shopping cart?
stocking up on everything for the office, from coffee to paper clips, can be a lot for office managers to keep up with. however, going to wholesale stores makes this task a lot easier. when buying office supplies in bulk, not only do you make fewer trips to the store, but you end up saving the company a bit of money.
but which one should you go to? we’ve paired megastore sam’s club up against its main rival, costco, to see who comes out victorious as the ultimate superstore.
we’ve compiled the facts, but we’re leaving the decision up to you. so look over each section, then vote for your favorite wholesale retailer in the poll below.
costco guarantees your satisfaction on every product it sells, and that guarantee is backed up by a full refund policy.
some items, including computers, cameras, mp3 players, cell phones and televisions, must be returned within 90 days of purchase for the refund. items purchased through costco.com can be returned to your local store for a refund, including reimbursement of shipping and handling fees.
sam’s also offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on its products. for a full refund, a receipt is needed. without a receipt, sam’s will refund the purchase at its last selling price. just like costco, most electronics must be returned within 90 days of purchase, with a receipt, for a refund. fresh products (including meats, bakery items and produce) are subject to sam’s 200% guarantee which is double your money back or replacement of the item plus refund of its original purchase price. items purchased through samsclub.com can be returned to your local sam’s club for a refund. you must bring in the order print out for a full refund and shipping and handling expenses are not included in the refund.
costco members can get the app at no charge and use it to shop, find costco locations, get prescriptions refilled, upload photos and send them directly to the costco photo center and renew their membership. the app also offers a helpful notepad where you can keep a running shopping list. the app includes access to the latest issue of costco’s member magazine and special “online only” products.
the sam’s club app is also free and offers many of the same features that the costco app offers, including the ability to shop, find locations, upload photos to the sam’s club photo center, and renew memberships.
the app lets members create lists and add items from their list right to their virtual shopping cart, read and write product reviews, view upcoming events at their local sam’s and shop an extended selection of “online only” products. members can use the “click ‘n’ pull” feature to pick items to get pulled and picked up at their nearest sam’s club location.
costco will refund your membership fee in full if at any time you are not satisfied. costco offers four membership types, all of which are annual.
executive business membership: $120.00. executive members enjoy an annual 2 percent reward (limited to $1000.00 annually) on almost all costco purchases and can add six additional cardholders for $60.00 each. executive business members can take advantage of savings on services such as check printing, payroll services and identity protection. they also receive roadside assistance at no charge for vehicles enrolled in costco’s auto insurance program and are even offered special travel perks.
executive gold star membership: $120.00. the executive gold star membership includes a free household card and provides the same 2 percent annual reward that executive business members enjoy. they also receive additional discounts on many costco services.
business membership: $60.00. costco’s business membership includes an additional household card at no charge and the ability to add additional cardholders ($60.00 each).
gold star membership: $60.00. this membership allows you to purchase products for personal use and provides one additional card for free.
like costco, sam’s offers four memberships, all of which are annual. your membership fee will be refunded in full, on or before the expiration date if at any time you are unsatisfied with your membership.
sam’s plus: $100.00. advantage plus members enjoy early shopping hours, starting at 7:00 a.m., monday through saturday, 8 percent off name-brand prescriptions and 40 percent discount on a number of generic prescriptions. when advantage plus members use the “click ‘n’ pull” to order online by 5:00 p.m., their order will be pulled and ready for them the next day. the advantage plus membership also comes with no-cost flat tire repair, car battery testing and wiper blade installation.
sam’s club member: $45.00. advantage members receive two annual membership cards, free flat tire repair, car battery testing and wiper blade installation service, and the “click ‘n’ pull” service.
next article office depot vs. staples — which is the ultimate office supply store?


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Our very good friend Tom Siering donated a night of ice cream to the Sled Rangers for one evening after practice. The ice cream came from Morganstern’s Finest Ice Cream. We had the ice cream delivered up to where we were practicing at Lasker Rink, and we had 20 gallons of ice cream to pass around between about 30 athletes who played that evening.
This was really a special treat for all the kids (and including one overeager grandmother!), and it really shows in the photos. Thanks again to Tom for helping to sweeten our hockey season!

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our very good friend tom siering donated a night of ice cream to the sled rangers for one evening after practice. the ice cream came from morganstern’s finest ice cream. we had the ice cream delivered up to where we were practicing at lasker rink, and we had 20 gallons of ice cream to pass around between about 30 athletes who played that evening.
this was really a special treat for all the kids (and including one overeager grandmother!), and it really shows in the photos. thanks again to tom for helping to sweeten our hockey season!


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The course will broaden and deepen your understanding of the domains and give preparation for the (ISC)2 CISSP certification examination. The Gold Standard CISSP is long regarded as the gold standard of security qualifications.... The only silver-lining to this chaos is a boom in the network security industry. If you’ve got the credentials to protect these targets, you can be their knight in shining armor.
After you have been certified, you officially become an (ISC)² member. This opens you up to a large global community of more than 138,000 certified cybersecurity professionals. This opens you up to a large global community of more than 138,000 certified cybersecurity professionals.... The Associate of (ISC)² is an alternative to normal certification processes. It isn’t an entry-level cybersecurity certification in the traditional sense. You don’t need years of work experience to take any of our certification exams.
CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) If you pass the CISSP exam, you become an associate of (ISC) 2 since the date that the (ISC) 2 notify you that you have passed. The designation as an associate of (ISC) 2 lasts for a maximum of six years.
You must become certified within nine months of the date of your exam or you will be required to retake the exam. Maintain your CISSP by paying the annual maintenance fee, abiding by the (ISC) 2 Code of Ethics and obtaining 40 CPEs per year.

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the course will broaden and deepen your understanding of the domains and give preparation for the (isc)2 cissp certification examination. the gold standard cissp is long regarded as the gold standard of security qualifications.... the only silver-lining to this chaos is a boom in the network security industry. if you’ve got the credentials to protect these targets, you can be their knight in shining armor.
after you have been certified, you officially become an (isc)² member. this opens you up to a large global community of more than 138,000 certified cybersecurity professionals. this opens you up to a large global community of more than 138,000 certified cybersecurity professionals.... the associate of (isc)² is an alternative to normal certification processes. it isn’t an entry-level cybersecurity certification in the traditional sense. you don’t need years of work experience to take any of our certification exams.
cissp (certified information systems security professional) if you pass the cissp exam, you become an associate of (isc) 2 since the date that the (isc) 2 notify you that you have passed. the designation as an associate of (isc) 2 lasts for a maximum of six years.
you must become certified within nine months of the date of your exam or you will be required to retake the exam. maintain your cissp by paying the annual maintenance fee, abiding by the (isc) 2 code of ethics and obtaining 40 cpes per year.


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Protect Florida Small Business is a coalition of small businesses, organizations, and individuals who have joined together to advocate on behalf of the thousands of small business owners and operators who run franchise stores, restaurants, and shops across the Sunshine State. These franchisees are our neighbors, dedicated men and women who chose to invest in a small business in order to pursue their dreams. This website is a resource for Floridians to learn more about the unjust treatment facing franchise operators and how to support and foster local business growth through leveling the playing field.
Florida laws already provide safeguards for car dealers and agricultural equipment dealers, leveling the playing field if manufacturers attempt to take over or close down their dealerships with little or no notice. Thousands of other Floridians invest their personal savings or take out loans to achieve their share of the American Dream – so why shouldn’t the owner of a small sandwich shop or oil change and repair shop receive the same treatment?
Small business owners should be allowed to run their stores without having to worry that their livelihoods could be ripped away without ample notice or fair compensation. With a more balanced franchise relationship, both parties can grow and create jobs for Floridians.

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protect florida small business is a coalition of small businesses, organizations, and individuals who have joined together to advocate on behalf of the thousands of small business owners and operators who run franchise stores, restaurants, and shops across the sunshine state. these franchisees are our neighbors, dedicated men and women who chose to invest in a small business in order to pursue their dreams. this website is a resource for floridians to learn more about the unjust treatment facing franchise operators and how to support and foster local business growth through leveling the playing field.
florida laws already provide safeguards for car dealers and agricultural equipment dealers, leveling the playing field if manufacturers attempt to take over or close down their dealerships with little or no notice. thousands of other floridians invest their personal savings or take out loans to achieve their share of the american dream – so why shouldn’t the owner of a small sandwich shop or oil change and repair shop receive the same treatment?
small business owners should be allowed to run their stores without having to worry that their livelihoods could be ripped away without ample notice or fair compensation. with a more balanced franchise relationship, both parties can grow and create jobs for floridians.


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Sign up for your free strategy call with May.
A strategy call with me may be right for you if you are ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and/or bored at work. It may be right for you if you are sooooo ready to make your work into a fulfilling and energizing part of your life.
During the strategy session, we will go deep about your challenges in creating a fulfilling and energizing work life, and see if coaching is right for you.
Just fill out some questions below to get access to my calendar and schedule your free session.
NOTE: There may be a slight delay after you click Submit, but no need to click Submit again. After submitting your form, you will be redirected to my calendar to schedule your strategy call.
Words of love from my clients.
"Before hiring May as my coach, I worked as an administrative coordinator at a tech company. I was working in my dream industry, but I wasn’t being challenged in my role and felt incredibly frustrated. The admin job was meant to get me by while I built up a tech portfolio and finally got the experience I needed to get hired in a “real tech job” after that. But it felt like it was going to take years and years.
I felt like my career was stalled because of my employers, because they didn't understand my talents. But May helped me to realize that I needed to take ownership of my dissatisfaction with my career. She didn’t sugar coat anything, and helped me to really focus on what I wanted in my career, and create a step by step plan to make it happen. After every call with May, my dream career – which had seemed like a pipe dream – felt more and more achievable.
I decided not to wait – I quit the admin job that wasn't working for me and focused all my energy on the tech jobs I’d always wanted while building my portfolio and networking at the same time.
Now I’m an Account Manager at a tech company! I’m so happy that I’m finally exactly where I wanted to be in my career, instead of staying on a career path that didn't make me happy."
I decided to work with May after feeling lots of ups and downs in my work life. When I got a “win” at work, I would feel on top of the world, but if something didn't go my way, I often felt crushed and burnt out. I was trying to do “all the things” instead of focusing on what really mattered to move my career forward.
In working together, May helped me find my creative voice, trust it, and nurture it and finally create a lifestyle that sustains me instead of burns me out! This is a big deal for me, as I’d been dealing with burnout and exhaustion even while gaining more material success and acclaim in my industry. The coaching made all the difference in my transition to a new level of success in my career and I can't wait to work with May again!

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sign up for your free strategy call with may.
a strategy call with me may be right for you if you are ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and/or bored at work. it may be right for you if you are sooooo ready to make your work into a fulfilling and energizing part of your life.
during the strategy session, we will go deep about your challenges in creating a fulfilling and energizing work life, and see if coaching is right for you.
just fill out some questions below to get access to my calendar and schedule your free session.
note: there may be a slight delay after you click submit, but no need to click submit again. after submitting your form, you will be redirected to my calendar to schedule your strategy call.
words of love from my clients.
"before hiring may as my coach, i worked as an administrative coordinator at a tech company. i was working in my dream industry, but i wasn’t being challenged in my role and felt incredibly frustrated. the admin job was meant to get me by while i built up a tech portfolio and finally got the experience i needed to get hired in a “real tech job” after that. but it felt like it was going to take years and years.
i felt like my career was stalled because of my employers, because they didn't understand my talents. but may helped me to realize that i needed to take ownership of my dissatisfaction with my career. she didn’t sugar coat anything, and helped me to really focus on what i wanted in my career, and create a step by step plan to make it happen. after every call with may, my dream career – which had seemed like a pipe dream – felt more and more achievable.
i decided not to wait – i quit the admin job that wasn't working for me and focused all my energy on the tech jobs i’d always wanted while building my portfolio and networking at the same time.
now i’m an account manager at a tech company! i’m so happy that i’m finally exactly where i wanted to be in my career, instead of staying on a career path that didn't make me happy."
i decided to work with may after feeling lots of ups and downs in my work life. when i got a “win” at work, i would feel on top of the world, but if something didn't go my way, i often felt crushed and burnt out. i was trying to do “all the things” instead of focusing on what really mattered to move my career forward.
in working together, may helped me find my creative voice, trust it, and nurture it and finally create a lifestyle that sustains me instead of burns me out! this is a big deal for me, as i’d been dealing with burnout and exhaustion even while gaining more material success and acclaim in my industry. the coaching made all the difference in my transition to a new level of success in my career and i can't wait to work with may again!


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Speak to a friendly consultant on (03) 8371 0500, 9 am - 5 pm Monday to Friday.
We are only closed on official public holidays.
We are conveniently co-located on the grounds of Kororoit Creek Primary School, offering a single pick-up and drop-off point for busy parents with children at both the primary school and our centre.
The centre is also located in the same building as King Swim, which means learn-to-swim lessons can potentially also become part of your drop off or pick up arrangements.

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speak to a friendly consultant on (03) 8371 0500, 9 am - 5 pm monday to friday.
we are only closed on official public holidays.
we are conveniently co-located on the grounds of kororoit creek primary school, offering a single pick-up and drop-off point for busy parents with children at both the primary school and our centre.
the centre is also located in the same building as king swim, which means learn-to-swim lessons can potentially also become part of your drop off or pick up arrangements.


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The government's decision to grant citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants in Assam has also created political rights for them including the right to vote, the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind (JUH) on Monday told the Supreme Court.
After Shiv Sena sparked protest by demanding disenfranchisement of Muslim community, a party leader said Sena has never misused power while in Government.
Sakshi Maharaj demanded that a strict law for family planning be brought in for all and those who do not follow it should be stripped of their voting right.
According to the provisions of the Representation of People Act, when government servants and a class of certain other persons are allowed to vote through postal ballots, then the same right be given to private persons who are forced to leave their respective constituencies for reasons of employment.
SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya today said they could look at issuing shares with differential voting rights to raise funds to meet the Basel-III capital adequacy norms.
NRIs should be granted voting rights. This can be done either by mail or by voting in the respective nearest consulate," a memorandum submitted to Modi in a meeting with Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) delegation said yesterday.
India's plan to increase voting rights for shareholders in banks would improve management and corporate governance but it falls short of lifting ownership restrictions or relinquishing the government's stranglehold on most lenders.
With the government staring at a slowing economy, triggered by a lack of reforms, the announcement could bring some cheer to investors, but needs to be cleared by parliament.

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the government's decision to grant citizenship to bangladeshi immigrants in assam has also created political rights for them including the right to vote, the jamiat-ulema-e-hind (juh) on monday told the supreme court.
after shiv sena sparked protest by demanding disenfranchisement of muslim community, a party leader said sena has never misused power while in government.
sakshi maharaj demanded that a strict law for family planning be brought in for all and those who do not follow it should be stripped of their voting right.
according to the provisions of the representation of people act, when government servants and a class of certain other persons are allowed to vote through postal ballots, then the same right be given to private persons who are forced to leave their respective constituencies for reasons of employment.
sbi chairperson arundhati bhattacharya today said they could look at issuing shares with differential voting rights to raise funds to meet the basel-iii capital adequacy norms.
nris should be granted voting rights. this can be done either by mail or by voting in the respective nearest consulate," a memorandum submitted to modi in a meeting with overseas friends of bjp (ofbjp) delegation said yesterday.
india's plan to increase voting rights for shareholders in banks would improve management and corporate governance but it falls short of lifting ownership restrictions or relinquishing the government's stranglehold on most lenders.
with the government staring at a slowing economy, triggered by a lack of reforms, the announcement could bring some cheer to investors, but needs to be cleared by parliament.


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Rutva Solanki will begin second grade at Trailwood as a Junior Olympic Stacking medalist. Solanki is a member of the Trailwood Stacking Club and learned to stack in physical education classes.
Solanki placed second this summer at the World Sport Stacking Association Junior Olympics in his age division.
“This is definitely a unique and well-earned recognition,” Kathy Zink, PE teacher said.
Speed stacking involves stacking 9 or 12 specially designed cups in pre-determined sequences. Players compete against the clock or another player. The sport is included in the elementary PE curriculum and can be played as an individual or team sport.
Solanki participated in the Shawnee Mission districtwide tournament and advanced to participate in the Central Region Tournament in Wichita last May. This was a sanctioned tournament that follows protocol established by the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA). If a competitor qualifies for the finals in a sanctioned tournament, he or she receives an invitation to the Junior Olympics. Solanki’s family accepted the invitation and signed him up for the Junior Olympics hosted in Des Moines in July.

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rutva solanki will begin second grade at trailwood as a junior olympic stacking medalist. solanki is a member of the trailwood stacking club and learned to stack in physical education classes.
solanki placed second this summer at the world sport stacking association junior olympics in his age division.
“this is definitely a unique and well-earned recognition,” kathy zink, pe teacher said.
speed stacking involves stacking 9 or 12 specially designed cups in pre-determined sequences. players compete against the clock or another player. the sport is included in the elementary pe curriculum and can be played as an individual or team sport.
solanki participated in the shawnee mission districtwide tournament and advanced to participate in the central region tournament in wichita last may. this was a sanctioned tournament that follows protocol established by the world sport stacking association (wssa). if a competitor qualifies for the finals in a sanctioned tournament, he or she receives an invitation to the junior olympics. solanki’s family accepted the invitation and signed him up for the junior olympics hosted in des moines in july.


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Would you like to send to a friend?
© 2017 Reidy Contracting Group. All Rights Reserved.

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would you like to send to a friend?
© 2017 reidy contracting group. all rights reserved.


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University of Michigan professor Sherman Jackson has been named one of the top 500 most influential Muslims in the world by an international Islamic non-governmental, independent institute headquartered in Amman, Jordan.
The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre publishes the annual series to provide "a window into the movers and shakers of the Muslim world," according to its website.
Jackson is an Arthur F Thurnau Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at U-M and a writer on the African- American Muslim community. Jackson is the co-founder of the American Learning Institute for Muslims and is featured on the Washington Post-Newsweek blog "On Faith." He is a former chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America, according to the publication.

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university of michigan professor sherman jackson has been named one of the top 500 most influential muslims in the world by an international islamic non-governmental, independent institute headquartered in amman, jordan.
the royal islamic strategic studies centre publishes the annual series to provide "a window into the movers and shakers of the muslim world," according to its website.
jackson is an arthur f thurnau professor of arabic and islamic studies at u-m and a writer on the african- american muslim community. jackson is the co-founder of the american learning institute for muslims and is featured on the washington post-newsweek blog "on faith." he is a former chairman of the fiqh council of north america, according to the publication.


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farewell 나루토. . Wallpaper and background images in the 우즈마키 나루토 (질풍전) club tagged: photo.
This 우즈마키 나루토 (질풍전) photo might contain 기호, 포스터, 텍스트, 칠판, 사인, and 서명.

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farewell 나루토. . wallpaper and background images in the 우즈마키 나루토 (질풍전) club tagged: photo.
this 우즈마키 나루토 (질풍전) photo might contain 기호, 포스터, 텍스트, 칠판, 사인, and 서명.


text: Experience Mt Helix Park after hours, sunset to starlight! Join us as we celebrate the Park's 90th Anniversary by offering an event filled with fabulous food, live music, art and auction items. You are sure to enjoy a variety of musical acts on two stages, live performing fine artists, and dancing under the stars to The Mighty Untouchables with their full horn section. This year's event features a vintage theme and showcasing of the Park's history. 20s era vintage attire is encouraged.

lowercased: experience mt helix park after hours, sunset to starlight! join us as we celebrate the park's 90th anniversary by offering an event filled with fabulous food, live music, art and auction items. you are sure to enjoy a variety of musical acts on two stages, live performing fine artists, and dancing under the stars to the mighty untouchables with their full horn section. this year's event features a vintage theme and showcasing of the park's history. 20s era vintage attire is encouraged.


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One can spend only so much time surfing in 30C+ weather ;). So while my body was recovering from too much sunshine I decided to play with Hadoop to learn first hand what it actually is.
The easiest way to start is to download a preconfigured VMware image from Cloudera. This is what I did and it worked but it did not work well. The highest resolution I could set was 1024x768. I installed the VMware client tools but they did not seem to work with the Linux distribution picked by Cloudera. I managed to figure out how to use vim to edit text files but a tiny window with flaky UI (you can see what is happening inside Hadoop using a web browser) was more that I could handle. Then I thought about getting it working on Mac OS X which is a very close cousin of Linux. The installation process is simple but the configuration process is not.
As far as I know Microsoft is going to to contribute their changes back to the Hadoop project so at some stage we might get Hadoop running natively on Windows in the same way nodejs is.

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one can spend only so much time surfing in 30c+ weather ;). so while my body was recovering from too much sunshine i decided to play with hadoop to learn first hand what it actually is.
the easiest way to start is to download a preconfigured vmware image from cloudera. this is what i did and it worked but it did not work well. the highest resolution i could set was 1024x768. i installed the vmware client tools but they did not seem to work with the linux distribution picked by cloudera. i managed to figure out how to use vim to edit text files but a tiny window with flaky ui (you can see what is happening inside hadoop using a web browser) was more that i could handle. then i thought about getting it working on mac os x which is a very close cousin of linux. the installation process is simple but the configuration process is not.
as far as i know microsoft is going to to contribute their changes back to the hadoop project so at some stage we might get hadoop running natively on windows in the same way nodejs is.


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Our professional sales TIMKEN617 / 612, to provide customers with a variety of technical services, bearing 617/612 brand of single row tapered roller bearings, bearing with the required dimensions, the latest specification, drawings, quotes and other information, please contact the sales staff!
TIMKEN 617/612 Bearing Catalog FIG.
The bearings can also be used: screw freezers, fruit and vegetable processing equipment, circular saws, Francis pump, universal testing machine, cutting plotter, seam equipment, Decanter, former help machine, impact testing machine, and other fields.
TIMKEN 617/612 Bearing distributors remind you that our company is a professional sales 617/612 dealers, also operates other brands of imported bearings TIMKEN bearings of similar products, if you need to buy single row tapered roller bearings are welcome to call!

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our professional sales timken617 / 612, to provide customers with a variety of technical services, bearing 617/612 brand of single row tapered roller bearings, bearing with the required dimensions, the latest specification, drawings, quotes and other information, please contact the sales staff!
timken 617/612 bearing catalog fig.
the bearings can also be used: screw freezers, fruit and vegetable processing equipment, circular saws, francis pump, universal testing machine, cutting plotter, seam equipment, decanter, former help machine, impact testing machine, and other fields.
timken 617/612 bearing distributors remind you that our company is a professional sales 617/612 dealers, also operates other brands of imported bearings timken bearings of similar products, if you need to buy single row tapered roller bearings are welcome to call!


text: Brihadeeswarar Temple is a Temple in Tamil Nadu, India. See other Temples in Tamil Nadu. There is currently no additional information available regarding Brihadeeswarar Temple. Do you see any omissions, errors or want to add information to this page? Sign up.

lowercased: brihadeeswarar temple is a temple in tamil nadu, india. see other temples in tamil nadu. there is currently no additional information available regarding brihadeeswarar temple. do you see any omissions, errors or want to add information to this page? sign up.


text:
In remarks during the Feb. 12 Board of Education meeting, members expressed their strong personal opposition to the amendment to House Bill 702, which would create a statewide charter authorizer.
We knew something like this might be coming, and I think it’s regrettable.
The same way I think it’s important for us to listen to the State, I also think it’s important for the State to listen to us.
Our work is their work, and vice versa. I’m tired of the whole thing and I’d like for us to just start working together.
However, if the legislature, in its zeal wants to go down this path, then I am personally ready to fight over this particular issue.
I’ve worked in and around state government for 20 years. And my view is: This is bad policy.
Regardless of what anyone thinks about the basic policy of what’s being proposed — to circumvent local school boards — there are other questions about the specific approach that’s being contemplated.
First, I wonder if this proposal is constitutionally suspect. As recently as November, a federal judge in Shelby County took a step toward essentially voiding a state law that lifted the prohibition on new special school districts because the law applied only to Memphis and Shelby County. How the legislature thinks it can do this, on the heels of that failed policy and federal court intervention, is a little surprising.
Second, I wonder what — if any — precedent there might be for the State to confiscate local taxpayer dollars without the school board or the Metro Council’s consent.
It’s one thing for the State to drop a new policy or regulation on local jurisdictions. It’s something entirely different to take local resources without local consent. If the State wants to get in the business of running schools, have at it. But take 100% of the responsibility for it, financial and otherwise.
So based on this fairly unprecedented step the legislature in its “wisdom” is taking, I think we need to step back and examine our options.
I’m not a fan of litigation, but this is one where I think our hand is being forced and this has the potential to have long-lasting negative repercussions.
So Madam Chair, Dr. Register, fellow board members: I’d like to get some legal analysis sooner rather than later.
We’re hearing from people who have paid a lot of money to be involved in this discussion in Tennessee. I implore the legislature to listen to those who are impacted by this bill.
Davidson County has a great record for high performing charter schools. We exceed the national averages in performance of charters and approval of charters. We’re open to innovation and have shown good management of charters.
This bill would undermine our relationships with charter schools and cause “shotgun weddings” of charter schools in our district. We need collaboration for success.
The only grossly under performing charter school in our district is one the state authorized outside of our control.
This places an undue financial burden on our city. Charters are not at capacity here.
This bill is a reaction to a disagreement over the quality of one charter.
This entry was posted in Board of Education, charter schools, News and tagged board of education, charter schools, education reform, metro nashville public schools, nashville, news, public education, tennessee by MetroSchools. Bookmark the permalink.

lowercased:
in remarks during the feb. 12 board of education meeting, members expressed their strong personal opposition to the amendment to house bill 702, which would create a statewide charter authorizer.
we knew something like this might be coming, and i think it’s regrettable.
the same way i think it’s important for us to listen to the state, i also think it’s important for the state to listen to us.
our work is their work, and vice versa. i’m tired of the whole thing and i’d like for us to just start working together.
however, if the legislature, in its zeal wants to go down this path, then i am personally ready to fight over this particular issue.
i’ve worked in and around state government for 20 years. and my view is: this is bad policy.
regardless of what anyone thinks about the basic policy of what’s being proposed — to circumvent local school boards — there are other questions about the specific approach that’s being contemplated.
first, i wonder if this proposal is constitutionally suspect. as recently as november, a federal judge in shelby county took a step toward essentially voiding a state law that lifted the prohibition on new special school districts because the law applied only to memphis and shelby county. how the legislature thinks it can do this, on the heels of that failed policy and federal court intervention, is a little surprising.
second, i wonder what — if any — precedent there might be for the state to confiscate local taxpayer dollars without the school board or the metro council’s consent.
it’s one thing for the state to drop a new policy or regulation on local jurisdictions. it’s something entirely different to take local resources without local consent. if the state wants to get in the business of running schools, have at it. but take 100% of the responsibility for it, financial and otherwise.
so based on this fairly unprecedented step the legislature in its “wisdom” is taking, i think we need to step back and examine our options.
i’m not a fan of litigation, but this is one where i think our hand is being forced and this has the potential to have long-lasting negative repercussions.
so madam chair, dr. register, fellow board members: i’d like to get some legal analysis sooner rather than later.
we’re hearing from people who have paid a lot of money to be involved in this discussion in tennessee. i implore the legislature to listen to those who are impacted by this bill.
davidson county has a great record for high performing charter schools. we exceed the national averages in performance of charters and approval of charters. we’re open to innovation and have shown good management of charters.
this bill would undermine our relationships with charter schools and cause “shotgun weddings” of charter schools in our district. we need collaboration for success.
the only grossly under performing charter school in our district is one the state authorized outside of our control.
this places an undue financial burden on our city. charters are not at capacity here.
this bill is a reaction to a disagreement over the quality of one charter.
this entry was posted in board of education, charter schools, news and tagged board of education, charter schools, education reform, metro nashville public schools, nashville, news, public education, tennessee by metroschools. bookmark the permalink.


text:
Courtesy to Borneo Soap (Facebook: fb.com/borneosoap), I was invited to an exclusive trip to Kuching, the land where this luxury handmade soap is born. It was kind of a private "discovery" trip as the CEO only brought me and Kak Ella, another blogger from KL to Sarawak.
Well, what is it to be "discovered"? Continue reading to know more!
The morning flight was smooth, and we settled at Dormani Hotel before exploring the town. The sponsor was really generous to give us one room each, fairly decent and comfortable for me to spend a night staying there. Plus, the room has such strong WiFi connection that I can type a blog post during the night itself!
Location wise, it is ideal for tourists and locals alike. Many tourist attractions are within walking distance from Dormani Hotel such as the popular Sarawak Museum, the old City Mosque, Islamic Centre, Satok Market and Kuching Waterfront.
The first place to visit is of course the Borneo Soap factory. I was excited as I had not been to any soap factory before, plus the one we were heading to was all about hand-making soaps! Time to be amazed with the excellent craftsmanship and quality ingredients.
If you remember my first encounter with Borneo Soap last May, surely you'd have heard of the goodness of their organic soap and skincare products. Made of natural ingredients native to the rainforest of Borneo, they are heralded for their healing, therapeutic properties and long used by the indigenous people of Borneo in their bath and beauty rituals.
From extracting the ingredients to packaging the soaps, I notice that attention to detail and quality is given to each and every blend of the organic handmade soaps. Despite of the painstaking process of getting the raw ingredients from the jungle and rural areas, Borneo Soap has never compromised with the quality as it believes in making rare gems that everyone can enjoy daily.
The whole range of Borneo Soap products include body bath, facial bar, foot soap and feminine wash.
All soaps here are enriched with Goat’s Milk and vitamins to provide a luxurious cleansing experience. Borneo Soap is now available at Metrojaya Mid Valley KL and Metrojaya CityOne Kuching. Online purchases via www.borneosoap.com will be entitled for FREE delivery within Malaysia.
before attending a high-tea party in the afternoon and meet Syamin Jasmi!!
Courtesy to CQ Music, we were invited to the exclusive preview of official music video "Lagi dan Lagi" by Syamin Jasmi, the first talent managed by CQ Music at Riverside Majestic Hotel. Syamin is a young homegrown talent from Kuching, and now he records his very first song!
And gosh, he looks SO cute in real life!
a famous local musician. Don't forget to watch his Youtube music video HERE!
After a well-spent afternoon, it's time for dinner hunting in Kuching! I really wanted to try out the local Malay cuisine here, and the team recommends us Barong Tinuk (Tel: 082-237551 / 019-8188145), a local restaurant that offers loads of local delicacies which I probably have not heard before!
Instead of the usual Nasi Goreng Kampung, we opt for the fried rice with exotic "black olive" famous in Sarawak. The dish is so simple, yet well-packed with fragrant Dabai flavours. Dabai is a seasonal fruit which you may only get them once in a year, so be sure to bring some home if you travel from far to Sarawak!
I bet lots of Sarawakians have not heard of Linut! I am glad to try this traditional food by the Melanau ethnic group here. Freshly made of the fresh sago flour by mixing with boiling hot water, Linut has a very unique texture! Very gooey and sticky but not as thick as glutinous rice. Best served hot with a dip of spicy sambal belacan.
Another traditional Melanau side dish is the umai that comes in a choice of fish or prawn. This reminds me of Chinese festive Yee Sang (鱼生)! Thick slices of raw fish should be well-mixed with shredded vegetables and zesty lime juice to get rid of the fishy odour.
I'm surprised that the fish serves here is so fresh that I can eat them raw without any condiment/sauce. In fact, all the food items here are freshly prepared and CHEAP! If you're craving for some local tastes, this simple neighbourhood restaurant is highly recommended for family gatherings and casual meals.
Well, that's the end of Day 1. Wondering what did I do in Day 2?
I flew to another part of Sarawak for more adventurous journey!

lowercased:
courtesy to borneo soap (facebook: fb.com/borneosoap), i was invited to an exclusive trip to kuching, the land where this luxury handmade soap is born. it was kind of a private "discovery" trip as the ceo only brought me and kak ella, another blogger from kl to sarawak.
well, what is it to be "discovered"? continue reading to know more!
the morning flight was smooth, and we settled at dormani hotel before exploring the town. the sponsor was really generous to give us one room each, fairly decent and comfortable for me to spend a night staying there. plus, the room has such strong wifi connection that i can type a blog post during the night itself!
location wise, it is ideal for tourists and locals alike. many tourist attractions are within walking distance from dormani hotel such as the popular sarawak museum, the old city mosque, islamic centre, satok market and kuching waterfront.
the first place to visit is of course the borneo soap factory. i was excited as i had not been to any soap factory before, plus the one we were heading to was all about hand-making soaps! time to be amazed with the excellent craftsmanship and quality ingredients.
if you remember my first encounter with borneo soap last may, surely you'd have heard of the goodness of their organic soap and skincare products. made of natural ingredients native to the rainforest of borneo, they are heralded for their healing, therapeutic properties and long used by the indigenous people of borneo in their bath and beauty rituals.
from extracting the ingredients to packaging the soaps, i notice that attention to detail and quality is given to each and every blend of the organic handmade soaps. despite of the painstaking process of getting the raw ingredients from the jungle and rural areas, borneo soap has never compromised with the quality as it believes in making rare gems that everyone can enjoy daily.
the whole range of borneo soap products include body bath, facial bar, foot soap and feminine wash.
all soaps here are enriched with goat’s milk and vitamins to provide a luxurious cleansing experience. borneo soap is now available at metrojaya mid valley kl and metrojaya cityone kuching. online purchases via www.borneosoap.com will be entitled for free delivery within malaysia.
before attending a high-tea party in the afternoon and meet syamin jasmi!!
courtesy to cq music, we were invited to the exclusive preview of official music video "lagi dan lagi" by syamin jasmi, the first talent managed by cq music at riverside majestic hotel. syamin is a young homegrown talent from kuching, and now he records his very first song!
and gosh, he looks so cute in real life!
a famous local musician. don't forget to watch his youtube music video here!
after a well-spent afternoon, it's time for dinner hunting in kuching! i really wanted to try out the local malay cuisine here, and the team recommends us barong tinuk (tel: 082-237551 / 019-8188145), a local restaurant that offers loads of local delicacies which i probably have not heard before!
instead of the usual nasi goreng kampung, we opt for the fried rice with exotic "black olive" famous in sarawak. the dish is so simple, yet well-packed with fragrant dabai flavours. dabai is a seasonal fruit which you may only get them once in a year, so be sure to bring some home if you travel from far to sarawak!
i bet lots of sarawakians have not heard of linut! i am glad to try this traditional food by the melanau ethnic group here. freshly made of the fresh sago flour by mixing with boiling hot water, linut has a very unique texture! very gooey and sticky but not as thick as glutinous rice. best served hot with a dip of spicy sambal belacan.
another traditional melanau side dish is the umai that comes in a choice of fish or prawn. this reminds me of chinese festive yee sang (鱼生)! thick slices of raw fish should be well-mixed with shredded vegetables and zesty lime juice to get rid of the fishy odour.
i'm surprised that the fish serves here is so fresh that i can eat them raw without any condiment/sauce. in fact, all the food items here are freshly prepared and cheap! if you're craving for some local tastes, this simple neighbourhood restaurant is highly recommended for family gatherings and casual meals.
well, that's the end of day 1. wondering what did i do in day 2?
i flew to another part of sarawak for more adventurous journey!


text:
Thanks Linda for all your hard work.
My family and I would like to send a shout out to Linda for all the hard work she has done in helping us close a chapter in our lives.. My MIL passed away in a car accident last July in St Eustache.. well, we live in Atlanta, GA.. it was very hard being away, and not around to help with the selling of her home.. I contacted Linda and asked if she would take on the job. With my MIL's wonderful neighbors (Tracey&Larry) who were also her executors to her estate...(as we were too far away)..An era has ended.. her home was sold.. we are very pleased with how the whole thing went..
Thank you Linda, for all you have done.. we are happy and sad at the same time.

lowercased:
thanks linda for all your hard work.
my family and i would like to send a shout out to linda for all the hard work she has done in helping us close a chapter in our lives.. my mil passed away in a car accident last july in st eustache.. well, we live in atlanta, ga.. it was very hard being away, and not around to help with the selling of her home.. i contacted linda and asked if she would take on the job. with my mil's wonderful neighbors (tracey&larry) who were also her executors to her estate...(as we were too far away)..an era has ended.. her home was sold.. we are very pleased with how the whole thing went..
thank you linda, for all you have done.. we are happy and sad at the same time.


text:
And here’s the finish that I just completed this morning. Last job before we take off for warmer climes over the holidays. Happy Christmas and New Year to everybody!
Going to be taking a little time off for the holidays, and planning on being back in the office around New Years (the band’s got a NYE gig), then out again until mid-January. Work, of course, has begun to pick up in anticipation of my trying to leave, so I’ve spent the last few weeks frantically working to keep the time off from causing problems with deadlines. The above illustration is one I did this morning for Delaware Today (featuring likenesses of several Delaware-area women politicians). Below is a series of spot illustrations for Barrons (nice to hear from them again, it had been a while) that I did last week. Also this past weekend I had a couple of very busy days putting together a few more ‘comic strip ads’ for a local law firm (apparently the ones I did a few months ago have been a big hit and they want to make this an ongoing series).
Several months ago I did a series of black and white scratchboard illustrations for Dover for an upcoming coloring book. Here’s a few samples from this collection (I may post a few more in the coming weeks). I also did a few ‘color’ versions of some of these illustrations for book cover usage, and may post a few of those as well. Stay tuned.
And here we are at the final month of the year. A couple jobs from the final week of November, above is a caricature of Brent Musburger for Main Line Today Magazine (a new client, affiliated with the Delaware Today organization), and below is another fiction piece for Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine (one of my oldest clients, my first assignment from them was in 1989).
And speaking of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine; I’ve been doing illustrations for this publication since 1989, and I am looking for back issues from the years 1989-1998 in which my artwork has appeared. If you happen to have copies in your attic gathering dust, drop me an email, and I’d be happy to make an offer on them.

lowercased:
and here’s the finish that i just completed this morning. last job before we take off for warmer climes over the holidays. happy christmas and new year to everybody!
going to be taking a little time off for the holidays, and planning on being back in the office around new years (the band’s got a nye gig), then out again until mid-january. work, of course, has begun to pick up in anticipation of my trying to leave, so i’ve spent the last few weeks frantically working to keep the time off from causing problems with deadlines. the above illustration is one i did this morning for delaware today (featuring likenesses of several delaware-area women politicians). below is a series of spot illustrations for barrons (nice to hear from them again, it had been a while) that i did last week. also this past weekend i had a couple of very busy days putting together a few more ‘comic strip ads’ for a local law firm (apparently the ones i did a few months ago have been a big hit and they want to make this an ongoing series).
several months ago i did a series of black and white scratchboard illustrations for dover for an upcoming coloring book. here’s a few samples from this collection (i may post a few more in the coming weeks). i also did a few ‘color’ versions of some of these illustrations for book cover usage, and may post a few of those as well. stay tuned.
and here we are at the final month of the year. a couple jobs from the final week of november, above is a caricature of brent musburger for main line today magazine (a new client, affiliated with the delaware today organization), and below is another fiction piece for alfred hitchcock’s mystery magazine (one of my oldest clients, my first assignment from them was in 1989).
and speaking of alfred hitchcock’s mystery magazine; i’ve been doing illustrations for this publication since 1989, and i am looking for back issues from the years 1989-1998 in which my artwork has appeared. if you happen to have copies in your attic gathering dust, drop me an email, and i’d be happy to make an offer on them.


text:
Krishna valley, This is an ongoing project which is spread over on 17.5 acres of lush green land at Khopoli, Khalapur, Raigad. It is a joint venture between Space India & Prishti Group, these are the well known developers in real estate world, for their affordable & designer homes. As of now the venture is under construction, which is about to reveal its beauty & give the possession date around December 2015.
The Developers had master planned this multi apartments layout with 5 level buildings, which has 450 units in total to abide in. Which all outlined in three living configurations, starts with 1 RK, 1 bedroom & 2 bedrooms. Every home is format with lovely areas, begins from 390 Sq.ft To 870 Sq.ft.
Every space in this project has been utilized, to give the owner maximum space to live and enjoy the life under a single roof. Hence Krishna valley gives you a place which is designed with swimming pool, landscape garden, gymnasium, children's play park, a clubhouse, private garden, ample water storage, etc.
In fact! this is just the external features, the project gives you all the modern specifications to live a beautiful and perfect life. However interested can know more about the project by just filling the interest in form, where our representative will help you with complete insights.

lowercased:
krishna valley, this is an ongoing project which is spread over on 17.5 acres of lush green land at khopoli, khalapur, raigad. it is a joint venture between space india & prishti group, these are the well known developers in real estate world, for their affordable & designer homes. as of now the venture is under construction, which is about to reveal its beauty & give the possession date around december 2015.
the developers had master planned this multi apartments layout with 5 level buildings, which has 450 units in total to abide in. which all outlined in three living configurations, starts with 1 rk, 1 bedroom & 2 bedrooms. every home is format with lovely areas, begins from 390 sq.ft to 870 sq.ft.
every space in this project has been utilized, to give the owner maximum space to live and enjoy the life under a single roof. hence krishna valley gives you a place which is designed with swimming pool, landscape garden, gymnasium, children's play park, a clubhouse, private garden, ample water storage, etc.
in fact! this is just the external features, the project gives you all the modern specifications to live a beautiful and perfect life. however interested can know more about the project by just filling the interest in form, where our representative will help you with complete insights.


text:
PlayKids TV, the app allowing kids to watch their favourite TV shows on the move, has added 20 new shows from DHX Media and Hit Entertainment.
With shows now ranging from the likes of Barney and Friends, to newer titles like YoGabbaGabba and Bob the Builder, the app has now also expanded into 24 new countries.
France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Mexico and every country in Latin America are among the new territories to embrace the app.
Movile, the company behind the TV streaming app, is celebrating the success of the last six months, in which it achieved a total of 1.5 million downloads across the US, Brazil, Canada and the UK.
With a plethora of new licensed content, including Arthur, Thomas and Friends and Strawberry Shortcake, the firm is looking to double its audience in the new year.
Eduardo Henrique, Movile’s co-founder and head of US operations, said: "With the addition of our educational activities in the app and these popular shows for children, we are continuing to curate the perfect mix of educational, fun and well produced content.
"We strive to bring our high-quality, interactive user experience to children all over the world, and we are excited to launch amazing new shows in many new countries today."
Targeting children aged five and under, Play Kids aims to offer an intuitive and easy platform for young children to navigate by themselves, choosing the shows to watch, even when offline with no internet connection.

lowercased:
playkids tv, the app allowing kids to watch their favourite tv shows on the move, has added 20 new shows from dhx media and hit entertainment.
with shows now ranging from the likes of barney and friends, to newer titles like yogabbagabba and bob the builder, the app has now also expanded into 24 new countries.
france, germany, australia, new zealand, ireland, mexico and every country in latin america are among the new territories to embrace the app.
movile, the company behind the tv streaming app, is celebrating the success of the last six months, in which it achieved a total of 1.5 million downloads across the us, brazil, canada and the uk.
with a plethora of new licensed content, including arthur, thomas and friends and strawberry shortcake, the firm is looking to double its audience in the new year.
eduardo henrique, movile’s co-founder and head of us operations, said: "with the addition of our educational activities in the app and these popular shows for children, we are continuing to curate the perfect mix of educational, fun and well produced content.
"we strive to bring our high-quality, interactive user experience to children all over the world, and we are excited to launch amazing new shows in many new countries today."
targeting children aged five and under, play kids aims to offer an intuitive and easy platform for young children to navigate by themselves, choosing the shows to watch, even when offline with no internet connection.


text:
Who is Big Sean dating?
Big Sean is currently in a relationship with Jhene Aiko. They have been together since February 2016.
Big Sean has had 4 romantic relationships. His longest relationship was with Ashley Marie (i), which lasted for 7 years. Big Sean has also had relationships with Ariana Grande and Naya Rivera.
Big Sean has been dating Jhene Aiko since February 2016.
Big Sean dated Ariana Grande from July 2014 to April 2015.
Big Sean dated Naya Rivera from February 2013 to April 2014.
Big Sean dated Ashley Marie (i) from 2006 to January 2013.

lowercased:
who is big sean dating?
big sean is currently in a relationship with jhene aiko. they have been together since february 2016.
big sean has had 4 romantic relationships. his longest relationship was with ashley marie (i), which lasted for 7 years. big sean has also had relationships with ariana grande and naya rivera.
big sean has been dating jhene aiko since february 2016.
big sean dated ariana grande from july 2014 to april 2015.
big sean dated naya rivera from february 2013 to april 2014.
big sean dated ashley marie (i) from 2006 to january 2013.


text:
I cannot believe that I have been in France with my beautiful French girl, Odile, for over a year. I look back to the day I returned to France, in September of 1912, after that first visit with my father in the April. My unannounced return surprised her father, as well as startling the beautiful girl of my dreams. It was a comical moment, now I think about it. A lovely September day and I can remember almost every moment here in France with Odile since then.
Here I am right now in our special little tool shed in Martinpuich. An odd space for romance I admit, but I suppose many things about our romance are odd. A cramped space, smelling of oil and dusty grime, but we both love that, so I suppose it’s fitting enough. I can look out the tiny window and around this small farming village, nestled between ridges in the lovely region of the Somme in northern France. In the distance is the road north from Albert to Bapaume. I can’t see the road from here, but it is the road that brought me here to this wonderful life in France. I expect the view from this window will always be wonderful and nothing can take that away, I am sure.
I sit now and await the arrival of my beautiful Odile. The captivating free spirit that landed squarely into my life in April of 1912, a spirit that is now wrapped around my heart and soul, gripping me willingly tighter in to her and one which will not let me go. I am not attempting to resist, for I know now that I truly love her. Indeed, it was in this small space that I told Odile, in my terrible French. I do think it is getting better, it’s just sometimes, I forget the names of things.
I am not yet sure if she feels the same way about me. I see by the way she looks at me, the way she moves around me, that I do mean something special. After all, I am a long way from home and she is happy for me to be here, so I suppose that must mean something. My French is still an engine in pieces strewn on the floor of this shed, but I do know she wants to spend her time with me and wonderful time it always is.
Outside the shed is the equally wonderful and yet terrible motor bicycle that we have been using, to spend time with each other. We have finally made it work and the frames that I have put on to carry the vegetables and other items in my errand rounds are strong enough to carry my precious love in very little comfort, but with much fun to make up for that. We always end up smelling of petrol and covered in soot, but it is wonderful to spend time in the free wind with Odile, her hair unable to resist the breeze over the slopes of the Bazentin Ridge.
Today is cold. Not the coldest I can remember, but the roads are covered in mud, which freezes into ruts and this makes getting about on the motor bicycle probably dangerous, if I was actually riding it. But I don’t much in December. I am spending most of the time pushing it along as it either does not start, or slides around in the mud, throwing me off in to the fields for a soft landing. I have now lost count of the number of clips around the ear from the village families, angry with dirty cheese and bread, with fingermarks and mud coating the parcels. Still, most give me a smile and a coin as well, once I tell them how hard it has been to get to them at this time of year and I always get to them, just the same.
Today, Odile is coming to meet me, to help get the motor bicycle back home again, with at least some of the bread still in a fit condition to eat. She is late, as usual and it will be dark soon. I will write her a note in English, hide it here as I often do and hope that she will understand it well enough. Sharing notes here is something we have always done. It is exciting and I can say how I truly feel without my clumsy French making me look a fool yet again. I get quite enough digs in the ribs with the usual ‘imbecile’ to last me quite well enough. Her notes are in English and French, to help me learn the French language on the page, which I struggle with all the time.
I expect she will be here in a half an hour or so, so I can at least make a start. It is nearly Christmas now and about time I finally learned of her feelings and showed her my deepest soul, now hers for all days.
Darling Odile, my beautiful French love from over the sea. I am always too shy to say the things I really feel to your face in my terrible French, so I want to say this to you, right now, in the cold of this tool shed but in the warmth of your love. It is nearly Christmas in 1913, a time of year when we can say how we feel, without fear and so I take this chance to say these things to you.
I wish every moment to be with you, I have some coins in my pocket from my errands, wages earned in the desire to stay here in France with you. I worry that I must return to England, worry that if I did, we may never be able to get to be here, like this, again.
Perhaps in the future, we can see the things we have planned in our heads take their place in this world for real. I will, I promise, learn French enough to take lessons as an engineer. I will travel to learn the skills and then be able to make and repair my own machines and to solve problems by inventing devices. This I will do. For you, Odile, are truly my love.
I look into your eyes and realize this is where I want to be. There will be nothing in the future, I am sure, that can take us away from each other, nothing that can break our bonds of love. This is my hope. I do hope that you feel the same about me, or this may be a wasted heart, walking the halls of life empty, cold and shrouded in a great darkened cloak.
Christmas in 1912 was new and exciting. I was away from home and it all passed by so quickly, I can scarcely remember. This year, I have a plan for you and I do hope that you enjoy the surprise I have made for you, my all time love.
As usual, I wrapped the note tightly and placed it in the usual not-so-secret, secret location. This tool shed was not used often by the owner, this corner never at all, in my opinion. I don’t think he knew we used this place. It was a good place, on the road from Bazentin towards Pozieres, on the rise in the ground sweeping away from the Bazentin Ridge.
Odile now arrived, very cold and now hungry. I looked at the two parcels left to deliver and decided that one of the bread loaves could be spared.
‘Yes Odile, the cold is starting to get to me. You take the parcels and I will push this blasted motor along’.
‘I will, William, but now you must only be speaking at me in French, how is that? You must learn my language, Mr William-not-the Conqueror’.
I had to agree. I had to give my French another chance to disappoint.
‘Let us go Odile, it is weather for us to about turn’.
‘William Collins, you are the worst French speaker I have ever known. Will I ever get you to speak, silly English imbecile’.
We both laughed, but I was no clearer what went wrong with my French. Anyway, off into the afternoon, just as it began to get dark.
We arrived at the last house on my round for the day. It was on top of the slight hill on the edge of Bazentin-le-Petit village, where the road curves away to Pozieres and down into the village itself. Odile lived in the farm opposite the church, although her father was an engineer and not a proper farmer. He had a number of strong and friendly lads working with him, mostly older, married men from the village. They always looked out for Odile, as a daughter of the village and made sure I knew my proper place, where that was concerned. I was happy to be here and always knew the rules. I knew my way around them though, which was more fun!
I went inside the small house, warm and smelling of burning wood, whistling as usual so as not to startle Madame Villiers. Odile waited outside, as it was my work and I had to get by in French without her help. By making enough friendly noise as I went in, she would know it was me and not the cheeky little lads coming to pinch her wood as they did from time to time.
‘Bonjour, Madame Villiers. It is William, I have come inside to offer you food and other thing’.
Behind me I could hear Odile trying to stifle a laugh. I was trying my best, but it seemed still to be not good enough.
‘I have brought you Christmas, here in a box. I hope it is all there. I think one loaf might be away, but there is enough remaining and I had one left over from tomorrow’. Another giggle.
‘Oh hello young William, my sweet boy. I think I know what you have said, ha-ha. Getting better every day. Let me see you, here, come over. There, such a handsome boy, even for an English one. So, you have brought me Christmas have you? What does Christmas in a box look like then eh? Let me see’.
‘Yes here it is’. I saw a twinkle in Madame Villiers’ eye, but was none the wiser.
‘It is all here, my boy and more besides. Here you are, take these for your trouble and thank you. Are you there Odile, my love? I think I can hear you encouraging your young man here to improve his French. It is not so bad now. At least he isn’t offering me soap cakes any more’.
I was not able to follow the conversation, but it was kindly enough and the coins were more than the usual, so that was a good thing. Two in the box for the future, one for Odile’s mother and one to send home, or perhaps take home, if I am able to, next year.
‘Yes, Madame Villiers. William is improving every day. Perhaps by next year, he will get through a day without anyone scratching their head when he leaves. See, look he is smiling and has no idea what we are saying. Here, let us end his torment’.
Odile spoke to me in English, to help me understand my mistake.
‘My darling William, one day, you will follow our conversations, but alas, is not today. Let us go away from Madame Villiers to let her, say, scratch her head at you offer of Christmas in a box’.
‘Er, right. Thank you Madame’, I said over my shoulder, in bewilderment, ‘I will see you after Christmas, so jolly Christmas to you’.
Odile and Madame Villiers both laughed and we left the warmth of the corner house and went out again into the cold. Odile squeezed my hand a little harder and I could hear under her breath, more words in English, not French.
‘I do love you, silly English boy. More practicing I think’.
It was only a short walk and push, happily now it was down the hill, to home. We stepped through the gate of the Lefebvre farm as the day finally sank into night. It was now deep into the year and around the shortest day. There was much still to do and lamplight would be how it was to be done.
My little outhouse was very comfortable. It now had a chair and table as well as a small bed. The roof did not leak water, but cold air could get in and so Odile’s mother had knitted together old woollen clothes to hang across the roof, to keep away windy draughts that arrowed down my back, chilling me to the bone.
After dark, Odile was not allowed into my outhouse alone. It was a rule of Odile’s father. A kindly man, but one whose sense of right was clear. He was happy for us to talk openly of marriage and a life together, but all in good time, William, let life take its course, he would say. He loved his family, his daughter more than any I expect. He told me that he was sorry not to have had more children, in a quiet moment working on an engine, but was pleased that I was around to help out.
‘William, I have written to your father to tell him how well you help and that you earn your stay with hard work. A clever boy you are, solving problems with machinery and with a talent for engines I see. That is pleasing and I know that you care for Odile and that you are a fine mannered young man. I think maybe you can go to England to see them again and to think about your future. I am happy for you and Odile, but do not neglect other things that are important. Your family love you too’.
‘I know sir and I will to go back to see them more one time. I am happy that you allow me to stay in here with Odile and your mother, sorry, er Mother of Odile. I like to work hard, I enjoy the engines and a new ideas’.
Monsieur Lefebvre smiled and came over to pat my shoulder, smiling and guiding me into the house. The unmistakable smell of French onion soup filled the kitchen with wonderful aromas and steam. Warm at last.

lowercased:
i cannot believe that i have been in france with my beautiful french girl, odile, for over a year. i look back to the day i returned to france, in september of 1912, after that first visit with my father in the april. my unannounced return surprised her father, as well as startling the beautiful girl of my dreams. it was a comical moment, now i think about it. a lovely september day and i can remember almost every moment here in france with odile since then.
here i am right now in our special little tool shed in martinpuich. an odd space for romance i admit, but i suppose many things about our romance are odd. a cramped space, smelling of oil and dusty grime, but we both love that, so i suppose it’s fitting enough. i can look out the tiny window and around this small farming village, nestled between ridges in the lovely region of the somme in northern france. in the distance is the road north from albert to bapaume. i can’t see the road from here, but it is the road that brought me here to this wonderful life in france. i expect the view from this window will always be wonderful and nothing can take that away, i am sure.
i sit now and await the arrival of my beautiful odile. the captivating free spirit that landed squarely into my life in april of 1912, a spirit that is now wrapped around my heart and soul, gripping me willingly tighter in to her and one which will not let me go. i am not attempting to resist, for i know now that i truly love her. indeed, it was in this small space that i told odile, in my terrible french. i do think it is getting better, it’s just sometimes, i forget the names of things.
i am not yet sure if she feels the same way about me. i see by the way she looks at me, the way she moves around me, that i do mean something special. after all, i am a long way from home and she is happy for me to be here, so i suppose that must mean something. my french is still an engine in pieces strewn on the floor of this shed, but i do know she wants to spend her time with me and wonderful time it always is.
outside the shed is the equally wonderful and yet terrible motor bicycle that we have been using, to spend time with each other. we have finally made it work and the frames that i have put on to carry the vegetables and other items in my errand rounds are strong enough to carry my precious love in very little comfort, but with much fun to make up for that. we always end up smelling of petrol and covered in soot, but it is wonderful to spend time in the free wind with odile, her hair unable to resist the breeze over the slopes of the bazentin ridge.
today is cold. not the coldest i can remember, but the roads are covered in mud, which freezes into ruts and this makes getting about on the motor bicycle probably dangerous, if i was actually riding it. but i don’t much in december. i am spending most of the time pushing it along as it either does not start, or slides around in the mud, throwing me off in to the fields for a soft landing. i have now lost count of the number of clips around the ear from the village families, angry with dirty cheese and bread, with fingermarks and mud coating the parcels. still, most give me a smile and a coin as well, once i tell them how hard it has been to get to them at this time of year and i always get to them, just the same.
today, odile is coming to meet me, to help get the motor bicycle back home again, with at least some of the bread still in a fit condition to eat. she is late, as usual and it will be dark soon. i will write her a note in english, hide it here as i often do and hope that she will understand it well enough. sharing notes here is something we have always done. it is exciting and i can say how i truly feel without my clumsy french making me look a fool yet again. i get quite enough digs in the ribs with the usual ‘imbecile’ to last me quite well enough. her notes are in english and french, to help me learn the french language on the page, which i struggle with all the time.
i expect she will be here in a half an hour or so, so i can at least make a start. it is nearly christmas now and about time i finally learned of her feelings and showed her my deepest soul, now hers for all days.
darling odile, my beautiful french love from over the sea. i am always too shy to say the things i really feel to your face in my terrible french, so i want to say this to you, right now, in the cold of this tool shed but in the warmth of your love. it is nearly christmas in 1913, a time of year when we can say how we feel, without fear and so i take this chance to say these things to you.
i wish every moment to be with you, i have some coins in my pocket from my errands, wages earned in the desire to stay here in france with you. i worry that i must return to england, worry that if i did, we may never be able to get to be here, like this, again.
perhaps in the future, we can see the things we have planned in our heads take their place in this world for real. i will, i promise, learn french enough to take lessons as an engineer. i will travel to learn the skills and then be able to make and repair my own machines and to solve problems by inventing devices. this i will do. for you, odile, are truly my love.
i look into your eyes and realize this is where i want to be. there will be nothing in the future, i am sure, that can take us away from each other, nothing that can break our bonds of love. this is my hope. i do hope that you feel the same about me, or this may be a wasted heart, walking the halls of life empty, cold and shrouded in a great darkened cloak.
christmas in 1912 was new and exciting. i was away from home and it all passed by so quickly, i can scarcely remember. this year, i have a plan for you and i do hope that you enjoy the surprise i have made for you, my all time love.
as usual, i wrapped the note tightly and placed it in the usual not-so-secret, secret location. this tool shed was not used often by the owner, this corner never at all, in my opinion. i don’t think he knew we used this place. it was a good place, on the road from bazentin towards pozieres, on the rise in the ground sweeping away from the bazentin ridge.
odile now arrived, very cold and now hungry. i looked at the two parcels left to deliver and decided that one of the bread loaves could be spared.
‘yes odile, the cold is starting to get to me. you take the parcels and i will push this blasted motor along’.
‘i will, william, but now you must only be speaking at me in french, how is that? you must learn my language, mr william-not-the conqueror’.
i had to agree. i had to give my french another chance to disappoint.
‘let us go odile, it is weather for us to about turn’.
‘william collins, you are the worst french speaker i have ever known. will i ever get you to speak, silly english imbecile’.
we both laughed, but i was no clearer what went wrong with my french. anyway, off into the afternoon, just as it began to get dark.
we arrived at the last house on my round for the day. it was on top of the slight hill on the edge of bazentin-le-petit village, where the road curves away to pozieres and down into the village itself. odile lived in the farm opposite the church, although her father was an engineer and not a proper farmer. he had a number of strong and friendly lads working with him, mostly older, married men from the village. they always looked out for odile, as a daughter of the village and made sure i knew my proper place, where that was concerned. i was happy to be here and always knew the rules. i knew my way around them though, which was more fun!
i went inside the small house, warm and smelling of burning wood, whistling as usual so as not to startle madame villiers. odile waited outside, as it was my work and i had to get by in french without her help. by making enough friendly noise as i went in, she would know it was me and not the cheeky little lads coming to pinch her wood as they did from time to time.
‘bonjour, madame villiers. it is william, i have come inside to offer you food and other thing’.
behind me i could hear odile trying to stifle a laugh. i was trying my best, but it seemed still to be not good enough.
‘i have brought you christmas, here in a box. i hope it is all there. i think one loaf might be away, but there is enough remaining and i had one left over from tomorrow’. another giggle.
‘oh hello young william, my sweet boy. i think i know what you have said, ha-ha. getting better every day. let me see you, here, come over. there, such a handsome boy, even for an english one. so, you have brought me christmas have you? what does christmas in a box look like then eh? let me see’.
‘yes here it is’. i saw a twinkle in madame villiers’ eye, but was none the wiser.
‘it is all here, my boy and more besides. here you are, take these for your trouble and thank you. are you there odile, my love? i think i can hear you encouraging your young man here to improve his french. it is not so bad now. at least he isn’t offering me soap cakes any more’.
i was not able to follow the conversation, but it was kindly enough and the coins were more than the usual, so that was a good thing. two in the box for the future, one for odile’s mother and one to send home, or perhaps take home, if i am able to, next year.
‘yes, madame villiers. william is improving every day. perhaps by next year, he will get through a day without anyone scratching their head when he leaves. see, look he is smiling and has no idea what we are saying. here, let us end his torment’.
odile spoke to me in english, to help me understand my mistake.
‘my darling william, one day, you will follow our conversations, but alas, is not today. let us go away from madame villiers to let her, say, scratch her head at you offer of christmas in a box’.
‘er, right. thank you madame’, i said over my shoulder, in bewilderment, ‘i will see you after christmas, so jolly christmas to you’.
odile and madame villiers both laughed and we left the warmth of the corner house and went out again into the cold. odile squeezed my hand a little harder and i could hear under her breath, more words in english, not french.
‘i do love you, silly english boy. more practicing i think’.
it was only a short walk and push, happily now it was down the hill, to home. we stepped through the gate of the lefebvre farm as the day finally sank into night. it was now deep into the year and around the shortest day. there was much still to do and lamplight would be how it was to be done.
my little outhouse was very comfortable. it now had a chair and table as well as a small bed. the roof did not leak water, but cold air could get in and so odile’s mother had knitted together old woollen clothes to hang across the roof, to keep away windy draughts that arrowed down my back, chilling me to the bone.
after dark, odile was not allowed into my outhouse alone. it was a rule of odile’s father. a kindly man, but one whose sense of right was clear. he was happy for us to talk openly of marriage and a life together, but all in good time, william, let life take its course, he would say. he loved his family, his daughter more than any i expect. he told me that he was sorry not to have had more children, in a quiet moment working on an engine, but was pleased that i was around to help out.
‘william, i have written to your father to tell him how well you help and that you earn your stay with hard work. a clever boy you are, solving problems with machinery and with a talent for engines i see. that is pleasing and i know that you care for odile and that you are a fine mannered young man. i think maybe you can go to england to see them again and to think about your future. i am happy for you and odile, but do not neglect other things that are important. your family love you too’.
‘i know sir and i will to go back to see them more one time. i am happy that you allow me to stay in here with odile and your mother, sorry, er mother of odile. i like to work hard, i enjoy the engines and a new ideas’.
monsieur lefebvre smiled and came over to pat my shoulder, smiling and guiding me into the house. the unmistakable smell of french onion soup filled the kitchen with wonderful aromas and steam. warm at last.


text:
We don't want just the spectacle of the wildlife here to WOW our visitors, we want our staff to as well. You will be a key member of the Belfast Lough team and be involved in reserve events throughout the year.
When you make your application please ensure that you include reference number A0070419 on any correspondence.

lowercased:
we don't want just the spectacle of the wildlife here to wow our visitors, we want our staff to as well. you will be a key member of the belfast lough team and be involved in reserve events throughout the year.
when you make your application please ensure that you include reference number a0070419 on any correspondence.


text:
In many ways ethics can be about making judgements or assessment about what is right or wrong, good or bad. But are all judgements the same?
Recently there has been an ongoing story in the press about a mother who lost her child in during a freebirth. This event was naturally a deeply tragic one for her and her family, despite the apparent non-recognition of this in the news. The coroner’s inquest and associated media coverage was a rampage of judgement to condemn this mother for what had occurred for her.
What amazed me was the total lack of compassion for the mother and her loss. As if losing her child was not enough pain, a number of people saw it best to condemn her for it. This ‘double punishment’ seemed to be built on the principle that judgement and condemnation is the perfect right of anyone, and there are no situations by which judgement should be tempered with empathy or compassion.
In our modern world, we have a tendency to judge all matters with a scientific lens, as if all matters are purely scientific. Birthing seems to have become a medical procedure rather than a rite of passage or important life event. Is it though? Should we really boil all things down to simple scientific views. Life has far greater complexities that warrant looking beyond simplistic viewpoints, binary answers, or clear cut rights or wrongs. And just because we were all born once, does that make us experts in making determinations about how others should give birth?
It it not surprising that we are so good at judgement. Despite mainstream spiritual teachings being grounded in compassion and love, contemporary interpretations often speak of a ‘judgmental’ God or Judgement Day. Even the process of interpreting spiritual teachings is less about sharing perceptions than it is about making definitive judgements. Our modern day school system also teaches judgement from the early years, with performance rankings, rights, wrongs and strong labeling of children around their talents, skills and supposed deficiencies.
In many ways we live amongst a world of judgement. Do we learn however to make distinctions between different types of judgements?
It is one thing to make a judgement of ourselves, or indeed make a judgement of a situation in terms of whether it is safe or good for us. Are these judgements that we make of and for ourselves ethically the same as making judgements of others?
When is it right to make judgements of others? When is it that another person’s actions or life crosses into our territory?
I can understand situations like murder, stealing or other actions that encroach directly on the freedoms or space of others. Does the situation of home birthing really do that? Here is a choice made by a mother about having the best possible birth experience. In this case it did not work out the way it was planned. There is a load of evidence that home birthing is a healthy, effective and safe choice for families.
In this particular case, some might say that in making judgements they were defending the rights of the child. There are equally tragic stories to death, pain, loss of dignity and intrusion into a child or woman’s rights in the mainstream birthing or medical field. These situations are rarely treated with the same level of significance or judgement that has occurred in this case around freebirthing. Just because mainstream hospital birthing has greater legal and social acceptance than home birthing, doesn’t make it ethically better.
Do we make these distinctions in our responses because one is actually better than another?
Or is it because the one who is making the judgement holds different values?
How much do our values interfere with making clean and objective ethical determinations?
In sitting here and writing, I cannot say that I am an expert in either homebirthing, freebirthing nor a hospital approach. There may be a number of factors which I am not aware of which, if I had more awareness, would lead me to think differently about this situation. But this is my point. It really does not matter what I know or don’t know in some situations. Just because I have the capacity to make a judgement, it doesn’t make it right for me to share it, declare it or force it on others.
Where a situation doesn’t warrant my opinion or judgement, I hope that I am able to practice discretion, compassion and empathy by keeping it to myself. I hope to allow people the spiritual freedom to live their lives and make their choices. I know that is what I would like from others.
I want to acknowledge that when I first wrote this article I conflated homebirthing and freebirthing. It was pointed out by an early reader that there are strong distinctions between the two, including the associated ethical dimensions. I subsequently revised this article to clarify that.
That aside, the article is not about making judgements of either. It hopefully explores the idea of how we judge others in any situation – I think this has relevance beyond the birthing field.

lowercased:
in many ways ethics can be about making judgements or assessment about what is right or wrong, good or bad. but are all judgements the same?
recently there has been an ongoing story in the press about a mother who lost her child in during a freebirth. this event was naturally a deeply tragic one for her and her family, despite the apparent non-recognition of this in the news. the coroner’s inquest and associated media coverage was a rampage of judgement to condemn this mother for what had occurred for her.
what amazed me was the total lack of compassion for the mother and her loss. as if losing her child was not enough pain, a number of people saw it best to condemn her for it. this ‘double punishment’ seemed to be built on the principle that judgement and condemnation is the perfect right of anyone, and there are no situations by which judgement should be tempered with empathy or compassion.
in our modern world, we have a tendency to judge all matters with a scientific lens, as if all matters are purely scientific. birthing seems to have become a medical procedure rather than a rite of passage or important life event. is it though? should we really boil all things down to simple scientific views. life has far greater complexities that warrant looking beyond simplistic viewpoints, binary answers, or clear cut rights or wrongs. and just because we were all born once, does that make us experts in making determinations about how others should give birth?
it it not surprising that we are so good at judgement. despite mainstream spiritual teachings being grounded in compassion and love, contemporary interpretations often speak of a ‘judgmental’ god or judgement day. even the process of interpreting spiritual teachings is less about sharing perceptions than it is about making definitive judgements. our modern day school system also teaches judgement from the early years, with performance rankings, rights, wrongs and strong labeling of children around their talents, skills and supposed deficiencies.
in many ways we live amongst a world of judgement. do we learn however to make distinctions between different types of judgements?
it is one thing to make a judgement of ourselves, or indeed make a judgement of a situation in terms of whether it is safe or good for us. are these judgements that we make of and for ourselves ethically the same as making judgements of others?
when is it right to make judgements of others? when is it that another person’s actions or life crosses into our territory?
i can understand situations like murder, stealing or other actions that encroach directly on the freedoms or space of others. does the situation of home birthing really do that? here is a choice made by a mother about having the best possible birth experience. in this case it did not work out the way it was planned. there is a load of evidence that home birthing is a healthy, effective and safe choice for families.
in this particular case, some might say that in making judgements they were defending the rights of the child. there are equally tragic stories to death, pain, loss of dignity and intrusion into a child or woman’s rights in the mainstream birthing or medical field. these situations are rarely treated with the same level of significance or judgement that has occurred in this case around freebirthing. just because mainstream hospital birthing has greater legal and social acceptance than home birthing, doesn’t make it ethically better.
do we make these distinctions in our responses because one is actually better than another?
or is it because the one who is making the judgement holds different values?
how much do our values interfere with making clean and objective ethical determinations?
in sitting here and writing, i cannot say that i am an expert in either homebirthing, freebirthing nor a hospital approach. there may be a number of factors which i am not aware of which, if i had more awareness, would lead me to think differently about this situation. but this is my point. it really does not matter what i know or don’t know in some situations. just because i have the capacity to make a judgement, it doesn’t make it right for me to share it, declare it or force it on others.
where a situation doesn’t warrant my opinion or judgement, i hope that i am able to practice discretion, compassion and empathy by keeping it to myself. i hope to allow people the spiritual freedom to live their lives and make their choices. i know that is what i would like from others.
i want to acknowledge that when i first wrote this article i conflated homebirthing and freebirthing. it was pointed out by an early reader that there are strong distinctions between the two, including the associated ethical dimensions. i subsequently revised this article to clarify that.
that aside, the article is not about making judgements of either. it hopefully explores the idea of how we judge others in any situation – i think this has relevance beyond the birthing field.