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The Quest of Questions

How often do you ask questions? What kind of questions do you ask? And what’s the ratio between your queries and your assertions?

I ask with an agenda: questions are the lifeblood of learning. Even more than that, questions are crucial to our spiritual growth. And too many of us aren’t growing very quickly – I even challenged some Christians recently to avoid spiritual arteriosclerosis by asking more questions! It was a challenge I felt myself.

Let me stir the point with some more questions and invite you to come up with some answers.

First off, what makes a good question? Some are more penetrating than others. A question about basic facts can be helpful in an applied setting—useful but not necessarily crucial. On the other hand an open-ended question about profound realities—such as the nature of God—can be life changing if it’s pursued in earnest. A good question is like finding the light switch in a dark room. Even the act of looking for light holds potential. So taking time to consider how to ask a life-changing question or two might be a good quest!

Are there bad questions? Yes, of course. In the common cliché, an honest question that isn’t asked can be a bad moment. Or a question with an embedded premise: “Have you quit beating your wife yet?” A biblical example of this is the wealthy ruler who asked Jesus, “What good things should I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus rejected the premise: “No one is good but God alone.”

There are skeptical questions, too. These can be bad or good: useful in some settings and poison in others. In the history of faith, for instance, the archenemy of our souls has always been ready with his “Did God really say?” His goal in the garden was to question God’s single prohibition—“Don’t eat of the tree in the middle of the garden lest you die!”—to lead Eve to focus on God’s one boundary rather than on the vast freedom of God’s goodness. It was really a matter of God’s word versus the serpent’s word, and the tool of doubt turned Eve’s heart away from her initial faith in God’s words.

Skepticism can be good, of course, when I receive a letter that promises me a share of someone’s fortune in Nigeria—all I needed to do was pass along my bank account data.

Skepticism, we realize, is an instrument to destroy confidence; but never to build it. So while there is a place for some informed doubt, we need to recall that skeptics have always paved the road to spiritual cynicism. Should we, perhaps, at least begin to be more skeptical about the benefits of skepticism?

In our quest for exceptionally good questions, then, where should we begin? Let me suggest that the nature of God—something mentioned already—is a good place to start. A. W. Tozer properly made the point that the most important thing about any person is what he or she believes God to be like. It shapes everything: whether it leads to a profound faith, an empty atheism, or something in between.

Is God personal and caring? Or aloof and indifferent?

Is God one who loves his power? Or does his love empower all he does?

Is God most fully revealed to us as a set of profound attributes that we get to dissect? Or is he a Triune lover whose initiatives swamp any attributions we start to list?

These, of course, may be faulty questions—loaded with a certain bias that reveals my own sort of faith—but they may also be useful in stirring you to ask your own questions.

Go for it! And then be sure to read the Bible to see how God might answer you there. It’s truly an ultimate quest.

  1. Colleen Glassley

    Questions are funny, in that while unanswered, seem to loom so large and be so life altering. Your mind can be so consumed by them and the answers seem so illusive. But after they are answered, you look around and wonder, “what was the big deal?” or “what in the world was that big, significant question now anyway?” I remember before I was committed to Christ, I felt so full of questions, that completely disappeared after I surrendered to Him, and not even one of them could be recalled.

    I think Satan does an admirable job of filling you with the confusion of questions, and prefers you never put them into words, so that they might be analyzed and answered. You’re right, we should articulate a few questions, better yet, actually put them in writing, then wait to see how God will send the answer. A few months ago, I bought little notebooks for everyone in our small church for exactly that purpose, to keep a record of it, or any other way God had spoken into their life. Because we forget too easily how God has worked.

  2. R N Frost

    Thanks for the response, Colleen. You’ve effectively captured one side of the two trajectories of questions I wanted to explore here: they can be dangerous if they represent the enemy’s skepticism and have a trajectory away from faith.

    Yet I’m not sure I traced out the other side as well as I hoped: that we only grow by asking good questions. If, for instance, I think I know all I need to know about any given subject I quit looking to learn more. If, for instance, I want to know more about the “love of Christ” (given the prominence of Bible references on the topic) I have lots of room to learn more because Paul describes it as a love that “surpasses knowledge”. It might take an eternity to explore!

    So a faith-based question might be, “Lord, where can I learn more about your love today?” Then I keep my eyes open to see if any insights come afterwards, whether through some time in the Bible or even in the circumstances in life that may remind me of what I’ve read earlier.

    All that to say that I treat questions as gifts to be treasured and not as problems: as the salt in life that makes me thirsty to drink more of the living water.

  3. Colleen Glassley

    And I did a poor job of expressing my actual perspective: that it’s the confusion and doubt of questioning that is Satan’s work; but the actual asking of the questions allows God to give life-enriching answers. We do need to ask questions and learn the answers so that we can grow and walk with surer footing in this world.

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21:16 GMT +312 November 2018
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    World War II, 1941 - 1945. The Victory Banner over Reichstag, Berlin. May 1, 1945.

    Russian Envoy to US: True Memories of WWII Would Be Passed to Future Generations

    © Sputnik / Vladimir Grebnev
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    2018 Victory Day Celebrations (20)

    WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia will do everything possible to pass truthful memories of World War II to the next generations despite attempts to twist history, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said during the celebratory event on the occasion of the Victory Day.

    "Regretfully, attempts to defile and twist the sacred memory of the role of the Soviet Union in World War II are becoming more and more frequent today. Facts are being turned into fakes for petty politics in order to downplay the heroic deed of a Soviet soldier and to equate torturers and their victims," Antonov said on Wednesday. "I can assure you: Our country has always been doing everything to pass the truthful and untwisted historical memory on to the future generations, and will continue to do so."

    Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union and of the world celebrated Victory Day on May 9, marking the 73rd anniversary of signing the German Instrument of Surrender, which put an end to World War II in Europe.

    "Today is a special, emotionally overwhelming day… All post-war generations saved from the ‘brown plague’ are united in their endless pride for that glorious triumph and in their sorrow for the grievous losses by many nations during those darkest years," Antonov said. "For us the victory over Nazism will never become simple tales from history books. The Victory lives and pulsates in our hearts."

    "The memory of the immortal triumph is sacred. 27 million lives of Russians and Ukrainians, Belarusians and Kazakhs, Uzbeks and Armenians, Georgians and Azerbaijanis, Moldovans and Kirghiz, people of the Baltic states, and other nations of the Soviet Union, were placed on the altar of Victory," the Ambassador added. "If it wasn’t for the courage, fortitude and love for their Motherland of our soldiers, partisans and homefront workers, the world would look totally different today."

    Antonov also stressed that Russia deeply values the contribution of its allies in the joint fight against Nazism.

    The celebratory event at the Russian embassy was attended by representatives of the various diplomatic missions. The guests were also treated to the traditional foods of the former Soviet nations including Armenia, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

    The event concluded with the Tanki (Tanks) movie showcasing. The movie tells the story of engineer Mikhail Koshkin who is developing a prototype of a new innovative tank T-34 on the brink of the war. To prove the uniqueness of the combat vehicle, Koshkin and his team go to Moscow on their own tanks.

    2018 Victory Day Celebrations (20)

    Official: US-Russian Project of WWII Monument in North Carolina Currently 'Dead’
    'Western Politicians Have Interest in Downplaying the Soviet Role in WWII'–Prof.
    Immortal Regiment March to Commemorate WWII Participants Held Across Globe
    WATCH Putin Shields WWII Veteran From Security Officer After Moscow Parade
    German MP Calls for Fair Tribute to Soviet-Russian Victims of Nazis in WWII
    generations, epics, fakes, memory, history, World War II, Russian embassy in US, Anatoly Antonov, United States, Russia
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Make This Your First Surfboard

Donald Takayama Egg Surfboard Surftech
This is e-commerce content. If you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story we may receive a small commission of the sale.

* Designed by legendary surfer and shaper Donald Takayama
* Carbon composite makes it lightweight, strong and durable
* Perfect for beginners and experts

So you’ve decided to take up surfing after a few tries and you’ve got the stoke. Congratulations! Unless you’ve been blessed with a hand-me-down, you’re probably now in the market for a sled of your own but you’re not really sure where to start, right? Well, you’ll want a board that’s stable, easy to paddle, doesn’t make you look like a total kook, and one that can take a beating. So consider legendary surfer and shaper Donald Takayama’s Egg Surfboard from Surftech.

But before we get into why you should get an Egg as your first board, you should first know who Donald Takayama was.

He was a champion longboarder from Hawai’i, who, as a twelve-year-old, fled the isles for Los Angeles so he could learn how to shape surfboards. And he’s shaped for some of the best in the world, like eight-time world champion Joel Tudor, who helped revive longboard surfing in the 1990s.

Because of his place in surfing history, Takayama’s original hand-shaped boards are some of the most sought after and most expensive boards in the world.

Which brings us back to the Egg. Available in two sizes – 7’2” or 7’6” – and made from a carbon composite that makes it lightweight but also incredibly strong, it appeals to novices and experts alike. Because of its egg-like shape, you get an incredibly easy to paddle and floaty board that’s still fun to rip even when your skills begin to level up.

The carbon composite construction of the board is also important to note because as a novice you’re going to drop the board, run it into things and maybe even forget to strap it to the roof of the car.

And really, what is there to say about that paint job? It’s timeless. So even if you decide that surfing isn’t really your thing, you’ve at least got something pretty to put on the wall.

If you buy something because we told you about it, we may receive compensation from retail partners.


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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Road connectivity improves

Road connectivity is improving gradually in the villages and connectivity to the district head quarters from Mandal head quarters with state government taking up laying new roads on priority in the recent past in the Adilabad district of Telangana.

One can see the improving road connectivity in the interior areas of Adilabad and Sirpur (T) Assembly constituencies.

New culverts and bridges are being constructed in place of existing low-level bridges in the tribal areas in Adilabad and Sirpur (T) Assembly constituencies and also in village in Chennur Assembly constituency where the existing the low-level bridged used to be submerged in the flood waters.

New internal roads are being laid in the villages and also connectivity to mandal head quarters and also connecting mandal headquarters to district head quarters.

The flood situation affects the transportation to the interior villages located in the district. Roads and bridges sanctioned under Panchayatraj and R&B departments with the estimated cost of Rs 2,930 cores in the district.

Of the total, Rs 1,700 crore had been sanctioned for works under R& B and Rs 1,230 crore under Panchayatraj in the district.

Of the total Rs 1,700 under Roads and Building department, as many as Rs 514.3 crores towards 21 road works between Mandal headquarters to district headquarters, Rs 284.77 crores for 22 road works of converting the single road to double roads, Rs 418 crore for 86 new bridges and Rs 122.2 crores for 54 repairs works in the district.

Proposal are being prepared for laying a road for the distance of 80 km between Bejjur to Chennur to improve the road connectivity in between the most backward mandals in eastern part of the district.

New blacktop (BT) roads had been laid in the Sirsanna, Guda and Rampur, Akoli, Deepaiguda, Pippalgoan , Landa Sanghi , Arli, and Neerala village in Jainad mandal and some of the roads are under progress in the same mandal. Double road is being laid between Adilabad to Bela via Jainad.

Double road was laid from Both X roads to Boath town enabling the free flow of transportation in Boath Assembly constituency.

‘Laying new roads are visible development in the villages these days in some mandals and that is why the ruling TRS government is giving much priority to the roads and added that road connectivity brings development to the interior villages’, a senior political leader of the district observed.


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Jim Marshall Auditorium

Cleo’s Christmas Show

Kick off the festive season in style and take your seat for Cleo’s annual Christmas celebration. She’s invited a host of friends and  family to create a show packed with great music and seasonal fun, as well as some surprises along the way.

Already confirmed on the line-up are Kevin Whately, Lorna Dallas, Peter Fisher, Jacqui Dankworth, Charlie Wood, Emily Dankworth and Woburn Sands Band.

* These shows are fundraising performances for The Stables Theatre (registered charity number 1178665)

Dates & Times

Friday 14 December8:00pm Tickets
Saturday 15 December8:00pm Tickets

Ticket fee information

All transactions are subject to a transaction charge of £3. Internet bookings are subject to an additional booking fee of £1.80 per ticket

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What is Markdown?

Markdown is two things: (1) a plain text formatting syntax; and (2) a software tool, written in Perl, that converts the plain text formatting to HTML.

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Clojure is designed to be a general-purpose language, combining the approachability and interactive development of a scripting language with an efficient and robust infrastructure for multithreaded programming. Clojure is a compiled language - it compiles directly to JVM bytecode, yet remains completely dynamic. Clojure is a dialect of Lisp, and shares with Lisp the code-as-data philosophy and a powerful macro system.

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COBOL was one of the first programming languages to be standardised: the first COBOL standard was issued by ANSI in 1968. COBOL is primarily used in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments.

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Free Shipping on Orders Over $50

David Rosales Shalako Turquoise Bracelet

David Rosales Designs - Contemporary Native American  Turquoise Jewelry

This is a beautiful piece of handcrafted Native American jewelry. Designed by the famous David Rosales and his Supersmith team, this bracelet has been was made by Navajo artists in New Mexico. It has turquoise, created opal, and sugilite inlaid together in a wonderful color collection called Shalako. This is made entirely of sterling silver, including the clasps. I really enjoy the Shalako Collection because it gives turquoise jewelry an entirely fresh look. As opposed to some of the other collections, the colors in this are very calming and tranquil. Of course, being a David Rosales piece, this Native American jewelry is very modern looking. This piece is perfect if you are looking for some turquoise jewelry that is completely original!

If we have this bracelet in stock we will send it to you as soon as possible. If we do not have it we will have one made just for you. Creating beautiful pieces of Native American jewelry like this does take a little time. Usually, this process takes 3-4 weeks. We thank you for your patience and promise you will not be disappointed with the final product. Let us know if you have any questions at 308-234-3313.

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Hariharan Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Real NameHariharan
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 170 cm
in meters- 1.70 m
in feet inches- 5’ 7”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 85 kg
in pounds- 187 lbs
Eye ColourDark Brown
Hair ColourSalt and Pepper
Personal Life
Date of Birth3 April 1955
Age (as in 2017) 62 Years
Birth PlaceThiruvananthapuram, Travancore-Cochin, India
Zodiac sign/Sun signAries
SignatureHariharan Signature
Nationality Indian
HometownThiruvananthapuram, Travancore-Cochin, India
College/UniversityS.I.E.S. College, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Educational Qualification(s)Bachelor's degree in science
Bachelor's degree in law
DebutPlayback Singer: Film- Gaman/ Song- Ajeeb saaneha mujh par guzar gaya yaaro
TV: All India Sur Singaar Competition (Winner)
FamilyFather- Anantha Subramani
Mother- Shrimati Alamelu
Hariharan With His Mother
Brother- Not Known
Sister- Not Known
HobbiesReading, Playing Musical Instruments & Travelling
Popular Album(s)1985: Aabshar-e-Ghazal
1994: Gulfam
1992: Hazir
1996: Jashn, Halka Nasha
1997: Paigham
2000: Kaash
2005: Lahore Ke Rang Hari Ke Sang and Guftagoo
2008: Lafzz
Awards & Recognition(s)1998: National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
1995: Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
2011: Asianet Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
2011: Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer
2004: He was honoured with Padma Shri
2009: National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
2004: Swaralaya-Kairali-Yesudas Award For his outstanding contribution to Indian film music
Favourite Things
Favourite Food(s)South Indian Cuisines & Italian Cuisines
Favourite Actor(s)Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan
Favourite ActressesSridevi, Tabu, Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Mehdi Hassan
Favourite Singer(s)A. R. Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle
Girls, Affairs and More
Marital StatusMarried
Wife/SpouseLalitha Hariharan
Hariharan With His Wife
Marriage DateYear 1984
ChildrenSon- Karan Hariharan
Hariharan With His Son Karan Hariharan Akshay Hariharan
Hariharan With His Son Akshay Hariharan
Daughter- Lavanya Hariharan
Hariharan With His Daughter Lavanya Hariharan
Money Factor
Salary (as an event performer) 15 lacs/event (INR)
Net Worth (approx.)$1.5 million

Some Lesser Known Facts About Hariharan

  • Does Hariharan smoke?: Not Known
  • Does Hariharan drink alcohol?: No
  • He is the son of renowned Carnatic vocalists Shrimati Alamelu (Mother) and started learning Indian Classical music from his father H.A.S. Mani.
  • In his teenage, he was very much inspired by Mehdi Hassan and soon developed passion towards Ghazals.
  •  In 1977, he won a singing show “All India Sur Singaar Competition” and became a famous face. After listening to his voice, late music director Jaidev got immensely impressed and signed on him to sing a song ‘ Ajeeb Saaneha Mujh Par Guzar Gaya yaaron’ for his film ‘Gaman’ (1978).

  • In 1992, he entered the Tamil Film Industry, where he sang a patriotic song ‘Thamizha Thamizha’ with music director A. R. Rahman.

  • He is also a prominent Ghazal singer and has more than thirty Ghazal albums to his credit. Some of his famous Ghazal albums are  Gulfam, Aabshar-e-Ghazal, Jashn, and many more. He has collaborated with great Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain for his album ‘Hazir’.

  • In 1996, he formed the band Colonial Cousins with Mumbai-based composer and singer Lesle Lewis. Hariharan musical Band Colonial Cousins
  • His son Akshay Hariharan and daughter Lavanya Hariharan are also playback singers.

  • He is an extremely versatile singer and sang various popular songs such as ‘Tu Hi Re’, ‘Chanda Re Chanda Re’, ‘Hai Rama Ye Kya Hua’, ‘Bahon Ke Darmiyan’, and many more, which broke all the records and became chartbusters of that time.

  • Here in this video, Hariharan is narrating his musical journey at Google Talks.


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Kit - Southwest Sunset Necklace

Kit - Southwest Sunset Necklace

Regular price $20.00 Sale

I have been showing my Tucson Vista Necklace all over the place since the publication came out.  It is a conversation starter - and a show stopper - for sure.  After having several requests to make a simplified version of that piece that could be worn more casually, I came up with this simple yet glamorous pendant necklace.

If you have never worked with SuperDuos to create beaded bezels for Swarovski rivolis and you are intimidated by the scope of the Tucson Vista necklace, the Southwest Sunset necklace is a great place to start.  A free, downloadable PDF is included with the purchase of the kit.  There is a photo for each step, but I recommend having knowledge of working with a needle and thread as certain basic techniques are not fully explained.

What's included in the kit:

  • Swarovski 14mm Rivoli
  • SuperDuos in my Southwest Sunset color palette
  • Rizos to create the fringe at the bottom of the pendant
  • Miyuki 11/0 Seed Beads in Gold
  • Gunmetal Chain
  • Jump Rings
  • Trigger Clasp

What's not included, but necessary for completion of the project:

  • 6LB Beading Thread (I use WildFire)
  • Size 11 Beading Needles
  • Scissors
  • Chain Nose Pliers


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drank Peach Tranquility by Teavana
513 tasting notes

I had a few scoops of this left so I thought I would ice it just to finish up the bag. I usually only cold steep for about five hours, but I let this one go for closer to seventeen hours. The end result is better than it was when I initially tasted it five hours in, but still not quite what I was looking for. I have really liked this tea in the past, so I think the issue is that I was just working with whatever was left in the bag (which may have been more tea dust than quality fruit pieces). I will work my way through the pitcher, but I am not going to be sorry to be done this one! I think it is a good tea, but my bag was maybe a bit too old and not quite enough to make a whole pitcher of tea.

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The “Smart Smoke” controller goes from 160-450F, with an internal sensor and electric auger maintaining that heat. The hopper holds a good 20lbs of pellet - enough for 10-20 hours of smoking. And it’s built from a sturdy stainless steel that feels solid and looks fantastic, with locking caster wheels keeping it secure while in use. It’s also backed up by a 3-year warranty.
Because most Traeger grills make use of an Ortech digital temperature controller that’s precise within about 15 degrees of your setting, they may not be precise enough for the type of cooking you want to perform. If so, some pellet grill manufacturers, such as MAK, Yader, and Memphis, can give you temperature control within about 5 degrees of the setting. These types of grills use multiple temperature probes inside the cooking area to guarantee the temperature remains consistent. And some of these high-end brands can reach a higher cooking temperature (such as 600 or 700 degrees Fahrenheit) versus the Traeger family of grills (usually around 450 or 500 degrees). Additionally, MAK, Memphis, and Yader grills are made in the United States, while some parts of Traeger grills are made in China.
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Get fired up about wood smoke flavor. The Get fired up about wood smoke flavor. The A-MAZE-N Premium Wood Pellets are 100% Oak with Italian Spice added for extra flavor. Perfect for adding that delicious smoke flavor to any food you crave - meats cheeses veggies and nuts. A great choice for cold or hot smoking your favorite ...  More + Product Details Close
While many people enjoy pellet grills, some find it difficult to use pellets to produce true, flavorful steaks and barbecue since the fuel often lacks the same flavors as traditional grills. That smoky, wood flavor many steaks have is not impossible to get with the right pellet grill however. The Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill sports a combined grill/smoker setup with temperature control for the best pellet grilling experience available.


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Category Archives: Politics

‘Crying Nazi’ Christopher Cantwell Surrenders to Police

White supremacist Christopher Cantwell first went viral as the star of a Vice documentary about the Charlottesville neo-Nazi rally. Then he went viral again as the “crying Nazi” when he posted video of himself tearing up, afraid that the police … Continue reading

Posted in Awareness, Interesting, Politics | Leave a comment

Obama Calls Out Facebook’s Fake News Problem

After a fake story once again made the rounds on Facebook over the weekend, Barack Obama today name-checked the social network while talking about the spread of lies this election season. “The way campaigns have unfolded, we just start accepting … Continue reading

Posted in Awareness, Interesting, Politics

Jon Stewart Donald Trump ‘man baby’ video | BGR

Oh, Jon Stewart. How we have missed you. The former host of The Daily Show has been retired for months now, but that doesn’t mean he’s not following the news. In particular, he seems to… Source: Jon Stewart Donald Trump ‘man … Continue reading

Posted in Awareness, Humor, Interesting, News, Opinion, Politics | 1 Comment

DESPIERTA BORICUA! Yo no soy independentista ni nada parecido. Pero si soy Boricua y los acontecimientos de la isla me preocupan. No pretendo juzgar a nadie ni ningún grupo excepto uno, los políticos. No hay ninguna respuesta fácil ni rápida … Continue reading

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Google’s New Cuban Tech Center Is a Symbolic Victory for Silicon Valley Elite

Silicon Valley has officially invaded Cuba. Cuban sculptor Alexis Leiva Machado, better known as Kcho, has helped Google open a small “technology center” in Havana that offers free internet via Chromebooks, complete with those goofy cardboard VR headsets. The opening … Continue reading

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Apple vs. FBI: iPhone hack and backdoor can’t be destroyed after use | BGR

The FBI vs. Apple fight over an iPhone that had belonged to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook will have huge implications for the future of the iPhone. The government says it only wants access to one single iPhone, and that it’s not … Continue reading

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A Financial Control Board Proposal for Puerto Rico — Medium

Back in January, I wrote a piece about how Jeffrey Gundlach was wrong about Puerto Rico’s default risk — “I don’t care if [Puerto Rico] securities flop around,” Gundlach said, they will find a way to pay. The territory’s power utility, the Puerto … Continue reading

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 Are you looking for a wide offer of Tarkett products for your flooring project in TWIN FALLS?

WILSON BATES FURNITURE is a flooring retailer that provides you with a wide range of Tarkett products and innovative services for your home project.

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FiberFloor® in TWIN FALLS

Beautiful and practical, FiberFloor® is designed with woven fiberglass, foam and tough, resilient wear layers that stand up to water, moisture, scuffs, scratches and indentations. FiberFloor stands up to wear and tear; great for homes with families and pets. Available in a variety of visuals from stone to tiles, or wood, it is perfect for your kitchen, bath or laundry room. All Tarkett FiberFloor products are CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, providing a stylish alternative to linoleum flooring.

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Now you can become the greatest defender of the universe!  The Voltron roleplay assortment brings the power of the Lions of Voltron into your hands.  Choose to be Voltron by wearing the comfort-fit mask and iconic weapon!


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Home > Wetsuits >

Yazbeck Wetsuit 3.5mm Nohu Red TItanium Lining

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Yazbeck Wetsuit:

  • Impermeaflex™ Lamination
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  • 3.5mm Yamamoto #39 Neoprene
  • High Density Freediving Grade 100% CR Neoprene
  • 100% “Green” Chloroprene
  • Abyss Black Titanium NanoPreneShield lining on Open/Split Cell
  • The elbows, knees and seat area of the jacket are screened Polyurethane Fish Scales for increased protection
  • Mesh Seals around face, wrists and ankle openings to prevent water of coming in
  • Twin Yazbeck Locking Clips on Beaver Tail
  • External Features of the Jacket:
    • Zipless Hooded jacket
    • Built-in hood designed for optimal breathing comfort, neck movement and complete face protection
    • Built-in 7mm thick cushioned and slip-free speargun chest loading pad for maximum ease and safety
    • Screened Gyutaku of a Nohu by Hawaiian artist Desmond Thain
    • A Wider Beaver tail with twin Yazbeck Locking Clips
    • Each cross seams on the jacket exterior is stamped with a GlueDot
  • External Features of the Trousers:
    • High waistband trousers
    • 2 patches of KevDot are applied on top of the GlueDot on the 2 cross seams in the crotch panel
  • Internal Features of the Jacket and Trousers:
    • Abyss Black Titanium NanoPreneShield Lining
    • Thanks to the blind-stitching method on the outside, the lining is completely sealed. So the inside of the jacket and trousers is 100% airtight and dry.

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We came into the store and was very welcomed and was helped out a lot with information. Did not have my size and later that day went to another dive shop which never had my size either but decided to order from west side dive. Instead. Thank you for hospitality and the quick order delivery.

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By Mia Taylor

| Photographs By Creatas

It’s hardly a secret or news flash that the student-loan debt crisis in this country has reached epic proportions.

For those who’ve lost track of just how bad things have gotten, here’s an update: There are now more than 44 million borrowers in America who collectively owe over $1.5 trillion in student-loan debt. The only debt category that’s higher than student-loan debt is home mortgages.

Looked at another way, the amount owed on student loans is higher than either credit card debt or auto loans. That’s no small feat given the collective consumer penchant for cars and credit card spending.

As Americans struggle to deal with student loans, Fannie Mae has dangled a carrot of sorts. The government-sponsored mortgage giant now offers what’s known as a student-loan cash-out refinance. The program enables participants to use equity in their homes to pay off student-loan debt as part of an overall mortgage refinance.

At first blush, it sounds tempting, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to eliminate a monthly student-loan payment while also potentially lowering the interest on that debt, given that the average mortgage rate has been slightly lower than student-loan interest rates in recent years?

Before becoming giddy over the possibilities, it’s important to note that experts far and wide urge approaching this program with a huge, huge amount of caution. Because with the benefits come many risks and drawbacks.

How the student-loan cash-out refinance works

Fannie Mae’s program allows participants to use their existing home equity to pay off one or more student loans, potentially reducing overall monthly debt payments.

The upshot of the offer is that the loan-level price adjustment, which is the risk-based fee assessed to mortgage borrowers on cash-out refinances (typically in the form of a higher interest rate), will be waived for those using the money to pay off student loans.

In order to qualify for this perk, at least one student loan must be paid off by the refinance. And the money from the refinance must be paid directly to the student-loan servicer at closing.

Risk No. 1: You’re putting everything on the line

Let’s start with one of the biggest concerns experts have about the student-loan cash-out refinance, which is that you’re putting a lot on the line when opting for this approach.

Katie Ross, education and development manager for financial education nonprofit American Consumer Credit Counseling, suggests the risks easily outweigh the benefits.

“If all of your eggs are in one basket, you risk losing everything all at once. Your home will essentially become collateral for your student-loan debt,” explained Ross, who added that you’ll also pay more interest over time on the debt when refinancing it into one large lump sum; it will take longer to repay your mortgage because a refinance increases the length of your mortgage, and you lose out on student-loan debt-relief options.

But let’s break down some of those concerns in more detail.

Risk No. 2: Important protections are lost

One of the big benefits of federal student loans is that when you hit tough financial times — such as losing a job, or when you’re earning very little income — there are programs available to help. The options include income-driven repayment programs or even deferring the loan entirely for a time.

When student loans are rolled into a mortgage, however, those benefits are lost. All of them.

“If you lose your job you have multiple options to restructure your student loan based on income. It’s mind-boggling there are so many options. But you lose the option to restructure the loan if you put it on mortgage,” explained Beverly Miller, a Pittsburgh-based personal-finance coach.

What’s more, by combining your student loan with your mortgage, you also lose out on the opportunity to participate in any employer-assisted repayment of the student debt or the chance at loan forgiveness (which is available to certain public-service workers, teachers, or those who are disabled).

Risk No. 3: You’re putting your home at risk and eliminating equity

Rolling a student loan into a mortgage significantly increases the amount you owe on your house. And when your financial situation takes a turn for the worse, you’re still required to keep paying the mortgage.

Add a student loan to the mortgage mix and you may have even more trouble making the payments when money is tight. What’s more, if you try to sell the home when times get tough, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to sell it for enough money to cover a mortgage that now includes the student-loan debt.

This approach to tackling student-loan debt also eats into the equity you’ve created in your home. And that’s no small downside.

“If you’ve had a home loan for quite some time and built up equity, when you refinance and pull cash out to pay off a student loan, you’re starting all over again with your mortgage,” said Faramarz Moeen-Ziai, vice president at Commerce Home Mortgage in Walnut Creek, Calif.

Risk No. 4: Missed tax deduction opportunities

The standard deduction was raised as part of the new tax laws that took effect in 2018. Single taxpayers now get a standard deduction of $12,000, while for head of household filers it’s $18,000, and for a married couple filing jointly it’s $24,000. Given these increases, many filers will cease itemizing deductions this year. As a result, mortgage interest will no longer be deductible for those unable to itemize.

However — and this is a key point — student-loan interest is still allowed as a deduction, whether you itemize or not. But those who roll student debt into their mortgage lose the student-loan deduction.

“One thing people don’t realize is that student loans are an above-the-line deduction, an adjustment to gross income,” explained Bob Harkson, partner at Phase 2 Wealth Advisors in Gig Harbor, Wash. “So, if you wrap your loan into your mortgage, you lose that benefit.”

Remember, you’re just reshuffling debt

Experts also stressed that it’s key to keep clear in your mind that you’re not eliminating student-loan debt when taking advantage of a student-loan cash-out refinance. You’re simply shifting that debt or reshuffling it.

“You are fooling yourself into thinking that you’re getting rid of your debt,” said Miller, the Pittsburgh-based personal-finance coach. “You’re just moving it and you may lose the motivation you had to pay it off, because it is now hidden from you in your mortgage.”

The bottom line

While refinancing a mortgage to pay off a student loan isn’t for everyone and comes with certain risks, some of the professionals interviewed for this story said they’d helped clients with a student-loan cash-out refinance. In some cases, it can be a worthwhile option, particularly if you’re having significant trouble making student-loan payments each month. But review your financial situation and your future plans very carefully.

“Be sure you’re staying in home for a while, because if you get a job transfer and have to move, and housing prices have dropped, the question becomes, How do you sell your home if you’re upside down?” said Harkson.

For those who have 50% to 60% equity in a home, the risks are not as high, because even if housing values slide, you may still be able to sell the property if need be and not owe any money.

“It doesn’t hurt to look at it and see if you qualify,” added Harkson. “But be aware of the pitfalls. There is a dark side to it, potentially. We have a full-employment economy, the stock market is going strong, and everyone is feeling strong, but those things always come to an end — so beware.”

The views expressed in content distributed by Newstex and its re-distributors (collectively, “Newstex Authoritative Content”) are solely those of the respective author(s) and not necessarily the views of Newstex et al. It is provided as general information only on an “AS IS” basis, without warranties and conferring no rights, which should not be relied upon as professional advice. Newstex et al. make no claims, promises or guarantees regarding its accuracy or completeness, nor as to the quality of the opinions and commentary contained therein.

Licensed content is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended to represent any endorsement, expressed or implied, by USAA or any affiliates.

Mia Taylor is an award-winning journalist with more than two decades of experience. She has worked for some of the nation’s best-known news organizations, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the San Diego Union-Tribune. This article was written by Mia Taylor from The Simple Dollar and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to

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My Mom’s Budgeting Advice Helped Me ...

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Thank you for visiting the Stratfield PTA website.

Here you will find information about the school, our PTA,
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Once you have received your child's classroom/teacher assignment (available 8/23 on IC), please update your information and join the PTA by clicking the link below.

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‘The Hunt’ with Mads Mikkelsen on Hulu

Mads Mikkelsen in Thomas Vinterberg's 'The Hunt,' a searing drama of hysteria in a small community.

Thomas Vinterberg’s Danish drama The Hunt (2012) is his best film since The Celebration and, no surprise, it mines similar themes and volatile emotions that are churned up the surface.

Mads Mikkelsen stars as a dedicated teaching assistant at a pre-school who, through a misunderstanding, is put under investigation for child abuse, a smoldering suspicion that is fanned into a conflagration as the community passes judgment without waiting for the investigation to conclude. It’s a study in rumor and fear fueling self-righteous hysteria as one-time friends not only turn their back on him, they suddenly feel free to treat him like a convicted war criminal somehow free in a technicality. It’s more of a metaphor pushed to extremes than a realistic portrait, ignoring the gross negligence of supposedly serious and responsible officials and suggesting that the entire town turns a blind eye to the vigilante behavior of its citizens.

What makes The Hunt so affecting is the way Vinterberg jangles the nerves of what first appears to be a strong community of caring neighbors and peels back the cover of civilized behavior to find tribal instincts kicking in. It’s no mistake this all takes place in a small, self-contained community. It’s like an echo chamber with no nearby population center to help absorb and redirect the worst of it. The emotions are raw and primal, not just the townsfolk fueled by a sense of betrayal but Mikkelsen’s abused innocent, fighting back with an equally valid fury of betrayal.

Mikkelsen has played both heroes and villains throughout his career (most recently the icy serial killer Hannibal Lector in the TV series prequel Hannibal) but rarely has a role brought out such gentleness and warmth in him, which makes his spiral into depression and masochistic defiance all the more searing. Lost in all the praise for Mikkelson, however, is the performance by Annika Wedderkopp, a little girl in her sole screen role who offers as piercing and honest a character as that created by Mikkelson. Vinterberg draws out a sense of anxiety in her troubled home, a glow of comfort in the presence of Mikkelson’s gentle attentions, a sincere desire to express her affection for him, and a feeling of dread and discomfort and guilt when she’s put on the spot by the school director and child psychologist. The gravity of the situation is clear to her and she innately knows that she has somehow caused this crisis, even if she doesn’t understand how or why, and the pain is palpable across her cherubic face.

In Danish with English subtitles.

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Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. He writes the weekly newspaper column Stream On Demand and the companion website, and his work appears in Vulture, Turner Classic Movies online, Keyframe, and Parallax View.

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Mechanical Methods against Scale Deposits

Mechanical Methods against Scale Deposits

of salts and other sediments and debris in piping systems

Smart Technical Solutions offers a great variety of ecological chemicals for the removal of all kinds of deposits inside piping systems of all kinds as well as in other equipment for liquids.

For detailed information about this subject please contact us or visit the respective pages in Greek.

Briefly, some of the proposed methods are hydrodynamic cleaning of piping systems with hydroblasting and pigging (cleaning by using special pipe scrapers called “pigs”).


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Your hair will go through stages as it matures. These stages can vary greatly depending on your hair type.

 PHASE 1: LOCKS AGED 0-6 MONTHS It is recommended only to wash your hair every 5 days or longer for the first few months as your locks are more fragile. You start getting fuzz up and down the shaft of the dreadlock. Don’t worry about the fuzz; it’s all part of the process. It is recommended to schedule maintenance appointments every month to 6 weeks for this phase as it will greatly determine the outcome of your dreadlocks and how they look for years to come!

 PHASE 2: LOCKS AGED 6 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR Your hair is doing what it wants to do. It sometimes seems just out of control. It may stick up instead of lay down, unravel instead of stay tight, or just rebel. Don’t worry about it, this is part of the process too. Please be patient and continue to cultivate your hair.

PHASE 3: 1- 2 YEAR MARK You have made the journey to “locdom”!!! Your hair is locked and unlike previous stages, it is pretty care free. Wash it when you want, palm roll it when you want, or don’t want, YOU HAVE ARRIVED!!!

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1 Samuel 14

MSTC(i) 1 And it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto his young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over to the watchmen of the Philistines that are yonder on the other side" — and told not his father. 2 But Saul tarried in the utmost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree, that was in Migron, and the people that were with him were upon a six hundred men. 3 And Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, was the LORD's priest in Shiloh and bare an ephod. But the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 4 And in the way over by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the garrison of the Philistines, were there two sharp rocks, even one on the one side, and the other one the other side: the one called Bozez, and the other Seneh. 5 And the one leaneth northward toward Michmash, and the other southward toward Gibeah. 6 Then said Jonathan to the young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over unto the standing of these uncircumcised, peradventure the LORD will work with us: for the LORD is free to save with many or with few." 7 And his harness bearer said unto him, "Do all that is in thine heart. Set thee forward; and see, I am with thee, as thine heart lusteth." 8 Then said Jonathan, "Behold, when we go over unto the men, and show ourselves unto them, 9 if they say on this wise to us, 'Tarry until we come to you,' then we will stand still where we be and not go up unto them. 10 But and if they so say unto us, 'Come up unto us,' then we will go up, for the LORD hath delivered them into our hands. And this shall be a sign unto us." 11 And when they had both showed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, "See, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they had hid themselves in." 12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his harness bearer and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." Then said Jonathan unto his harness bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD hath delivered them into the hands of Israel." 13 And Jonathan clame upon hands and feet, and his harness bearer after him. Then they fell before Jonathan: and his harness bearer slew them after him. 14 And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his harness bearer made was upon a twenty men, within the compass as it were about a half acre of land. 15 And there was a fear in the host that was in the field, and among all the people: insomuch that they that kept the hold, and they that were gone to rob, were afraid also: and the earth trembled and there was a fear sent of God. 16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin saw. And behold, the people scattered and ran hither and thither. 17 Then said Saul unto the people that was with him, "Number, and see who is gone away from us." And when they had told: behold, Jonathan and his harness bearer were not there. 18 And then Saul said unto Ahijah, "Bring hither the ark of God." For the ark of God was at the time with the children of Israel. 19 And while Saul talked unto the priest, the people that were in the host of the Philistines ran more and more. And Saul said unto the priest, "Withdraw thine hand." 20 And Saul cried, and all the people that were with him, and went to battle. And behold every man's sword was against his fellow, with a mighty great slaughter. 21 Moreover, the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, and were come with them in all parts of the host, joined themselves unto Israel which were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 And they also which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, as soon as they heard how that the Philistines were fled, they followed after them in battle. 23 And so God helped Israel that day. And the battle continued until they came unto Bethaven. 24 And the men of Israel joined themselves together that day: and Saul adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be he that eateth any food until night, that I may be avenged of mine enemies." And so there was none of the people that tasted any sustenance. 25 And all the land came to a wood where honey lay upon the ground. 26 And when the people were come into the wood: Behold, the honey dropped. Howbeit, there was no man that moved his hand to his mouth, because that the people feared the curse. 27 But Jonathan heard not when his father adjured the people, wherefore he put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honey comb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes received sight. 28 Then spake one of the people, and said, "Thy father adjured the people, saying, 'Cursed be the man that eateth any sustenance this day.'" And yet the people were fainty. 29 Then said Jonathan, "My father hath troubled the land: for see, mine eyes hath received sight, because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How then, if all the people had eaten of the spoil of their enemies which they found, had there not been then a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?" 31 And they laid on the Philistines that day, from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were exceeding fainty. 32 Then the people gat them to the spoil and took sheep oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground and did eat with the blood. 33 Then men told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "Ye have trespassed. But roll a great stone unto me now, 34 and go abroad among the people and bid them bring every man his ox and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood." And the people brought every man his ox in his hand by night and slew them there. 35 And Saul made an altar unto the LORD. And that was the first altar that he made unto the LORD. 36 And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and let us make havoc among them until it be day in the morning, and let us not leave one of them." And the people answered, "Do whatsoever thou thinkest best." Then said the priest, "Let us come hither unto God." 37 And Saul asked of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hands?" But he answered him not at that time. 38 Then said Saul, "Let the people come hither out of all quarters, and know and see, in whom this sin is chanced this day: 39 for as truly as the LORD liveth, which hath saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall die for it." But no man answered him of all the people. 40 Then he said unto all Israel, "Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on another." And the people said unto Saul, "What thou thinkest best, that do." 41 And Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, "Give perfect knowledge." And Saul and Jonathan were caught, and the people escaped free. 42 Then said Saul, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was caught. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done." And Jonathan told him and said, "I tasted a little honey upon the end of my staff that was in mine hand, and see, I must die." 44 Then said Saul, "God do so and so to me, except that thou die Jonathan." 45 But the people said unto Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, which hath so mightily helped Israel? God forbid. As truly as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground: for he hath wrought with God this day." And so the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not. 46 And then Saul departed from following the Philistines. And the Philistines went to their own place. 47 And so Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side: against the Moabites; against the children of Ammon; against the Edomites; against the kings of Zobah; and against the Philistines. 48 And whithersoever he turned himself, there he won, and played the man and slew the Amalekites, and rid Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. 49 The sons of Saul were, Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. And his two daughters were thus named: the elder was called Merab, and the younger Michal. 50 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of his chief captain was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 And Kish was Saul's father. And Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abiel. 52 And there was sore war with the Philistines, all the days of Saul. For wheresoever Saul saw a strong man, and an active, he took him unto him.


text: Wycliffe(i) 1 And it was don, in the thrittithe yeer, in the fourthe monethe, in the fyuethe dai of the moneth, whanne Y was in the myddis of caitifs, bisidis the flood Chobar, heuenes weren openyd, and Y siy the reuelaciouns of God. 2 In the fyueth dai of the monethe; thilke is the fyuethe yeer of passing ouer of Joachym, kyng of Juda; 3 the word of the Lord was maad to Ezechiel, preest, the sone of Busi, in the lond of Caldeis, bisidis the flood Chobar; and the hond of the Lord was maad there on hym. 4 And Y siy, and lo! a whirlewynd cam fro the north, and a greet cloude, and fier wlappynge in, and briytnesse in the cumpas therof; and as the licnesse of electre fro the myddis therof, that is, fro the myddis of the fier. 5 And of myddis therof was a licnesse of foure beestis. And this was the biholdyng of tho, the licnesse of a man in tho. 6 And foure faces weren to oon, and foure wyngis weren to oon. 7 And the feet of tho weren streiyt feet, and the soole of the foote of tho was as the soole of a foot of a calf, and sparclis, as the biholdynge of buylynge bras. 8 And the hondis of a man weren vndur the wyngis of tho, in foure partis. And tho hadden faces and wyngis bi foure partis; 9 and the wyngis of tho weren ioyned togidir of oon to another. Tho turneden not ayen, whanne tho yeden, but eche yede bifore his face. 10 Forsothe the licnesse `of the face of tho was the face of a man and the face of a lioun at the riythalf of tho foure. Forsothe the face of an oxe was at the left half of tho foure; and the face of an egle was aboue tho foure. 11 And the faces of tho and the wengis of tho weren stretchid forth aboue. Twei wyngis of eche weren ioyned togidere, and tweyne hiliden the bodies of tho. 12 And ech of tho yede bifore his face. Where the fersnesse of the wynd was, thidur tho yeden, and turneden not ayen, whanne tho yeden. 13 And the licnesse of the beestis, and the biholdyng of tho, was as of brennynge coolis of fier, and as the biholdyng of laumpis. This was the siyt rennynge aboute in the myddis of beestis, the schynyng of fier, and leit goynge out of the fier. 14 And the beestis yeden, and turneden ayen at the licnesse of leit schynynge. 15 And whanne Y bihelde the beestis, o wheel, hauuynge foure faces, apperide on the erthe, bisidis the beestis. 16 And the biholdyng of the wheelis and the werk of tho was as the siyt of the see; and o licnesse was of tho foure; and the biholdyng and the werkis of tho, as if a wheel be in the myddis of a wheel. 17 Tho goynge yeden bi foure partis of tho, and turneden not ayen, whanne tho yeden. 18 Also stature, and hiynesse, and orible biholdyng was to the wheelis; and al the bodi was ful of iyen in the cumpas of tho foure. 19 And whanne the beestis yeden, the wheelis also yeden togidere bisidis tho. And whanne the beestis weren reisid fro the erthe, the wheelis also weren reisid togidere. 20 Whidur euere the spirit yede, whanne the spirit yede thedur, also the wheelis suynge it weren reisid togidere; for whi the spirit of lijf was in the wheelis. 21 Tho yeden with the beestis goynge, and tho stoden with the beestis stondynge. And with the beestis reisid fro erthe, also the wheelis suynge tho beestis weren reisid togidere; for the spirit of lijf was in the wheelis. 22 And the licnesse of the firmament was aboue the heed of the beestis, and as the biholdyng of orible cristal, and stretchid abrood on the heed of tho beestis aboue. 23 Forsothe vndur the firmament the wyngis of tho beestis weren streiyt, of oon to anothir; ech beeste hilide his bodi with twei wyngis, and an other was hilid in lijk maner. 24 And Y herde the sown of wyngis, as the sown of many watris, as the sown of hiy God. Whanne tho yeden, ther was as a sown of multitude, as the sown of oostis of batel; and whanne tho stoden, the wyngis of tho weren late doun. 25 For whi whanne a vois was maad on the firmament, that was on the heed of tho, tho stoden, and leten doun her wyngis. 26 And on the firmament, that was aboue the heed of tho, was as the biholdyng of a saphire stoon, the licnesse of a trone; and on the licnesse of the trone was a licnesse, as the biholdyng of a man aboue. 27 And Y siy as a licnesse of electre, as the biholding of fier with ynne, bi the cumpas therof; fro the lendis of hym and aboue, and fro the lendis of him til to bynethe, Y siy as the licnesse of fier schynynge in cumpas, 28 as the biholdynge of the reynbowe, whanne it is in the cloude in the dai of reyn. This was the biholdyng of schynyng bi cumpas.


text:
VP1 Diction Lessons 1-5

Voice Palette—DICTION
Diction refers to the author’s
choice of words.
Words are the writer’s basic
• they create the color and texture
of the written work;
• they both reflect and determine
the level of formality;
• they shape the reader’s
• To understand an author’s voice, a
reader must both “hear” the words and
“feel” their effects.
• Diction reflects the writer’s vision and
steers the readers’ thought.
Effective voice is shaped by words that
are clear, concrete, and exact.
• Good writers eschew words like pretty,
nice, and bad. Instead they employ
words that invoke a specific effect.
• A coat isn’t torn; it is tattered. The
United States Army does not want
revenge; it is thirsting for revenge. A
door does not shut; it thuds.
• Specific diction brings the reader into
the scene, enabling full participation in
the writer’s world.
Diction depends on topic,
purpose, and occasion.
• The topic often determines the specificity and
sophistication of diction. For example, articles
on computers are filled with specialized
language: e-mail, e-shopping, web, interface.
Many topics generate special vocabularies as
a nexus to meaning.
• The writer’s purpose – whether to convince,
entertain, amuse, inform, or plead – partly
determines diction. Words chosen to impart a
particular effect on the reader reflect and
sustain the writer’s purpose.
– For example, if an author’s purpose is to inform, the
reader should expect straightforward diction. On the
other hand, if the author’s purpose is to entertain, the
reader will likely encounter words used in ironic,
playful, or unexpected ways.
Diction also depends
on the occasion.
• As with clothes, level of formality influences
appropriate choices.
– Formal diction is largely reserved for scholarly
writing and serious prose or poetry.
– Informal diction is the norm in expository essays,
newspaper editorials, and works of fiction.
– Colloquial diction and slang borrow from informal
speech and are typically used to create a mood or
capture a particular historic or regional dialect.
• Appropriateness of diction is determined by
the norms of society.
• When studying diction, the reader must
understand both:
– connotation—the meaning suggested by a
– denotation—literal meaning
– connotation—patriotism, pride
– denotation—rectangular piece of fabric
representing an entity
• When a writer calls a character slender, the word
evokes a different feeling from calling the character
gaunt. A word’s power to produce a strong reaction in
the reader lies mainly in its connotative meaning.
Finally, diction can impart freshness and
originality to writing.
• Words used in surprising or unusual ways
make us rethink what is known and reexamine meaning. Good writers often opt for
complexity rather than simplicity, for multiple
meanings rather than precision. Thus diction,
the foundation of voice, shapes a reader’s
thinking while guiding reader insight into the
author’s idiosyncratic expression of thought:
the writer’s voice.
diction = word choice
• Words create the color and texture of the
written work; they reflect and determine
the level of formality; they shape the
reader’s perceptions.
DICTION—Lesson 1
“Art is the antidote that can call us back
from the edge of numbness, restoring the
ability to feel for another.”
•--Barbara Kingsolver, High Tide in Tucson
Answer & Discuss:
1.By using the word antidote, what does the
author imply about the inability to feel for
2.If we changed the word antidote to gift,
what effect would it have on the meaning of
the sentence?
Play with Language
(excerpt from) My November Guest
--Robert Frost
The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.
DICTION—Lesson 2
“As I watched, the sun broke weakly through,
brightened the rich red of the fawns, and kindled
their white spots.”
--E.B. White “Twins,” Poems and Sketches of E.B. White
1. What kind of flame does kindled imply? How does this
verb suit the purpose of the sentence?
2. Would the sentence be strengthened or weakened by
changing the sun broke weakly through to the sun burst
through? Explain the effect this change would have on
the use of the verb kindled.
Play with Language
Last Poem
--Robert Desnos
I have so fiercely dreamed of you
And walked so far and spoken of you so.
Loved a shade of you so hard
That now I’ve no more left of you.
I’m left to be a shade among the shades
A hundred times more shade than shade
To be shade cast time and time again into your sun-transfigured life.
DICTION—Lesson #3
• Connotation—Associations and
implications that go beyond the literal
meaning of a word, which derive from how
the word has been commonly used and
the associations people make with it.
• For example, the word eagle connotes
ideas of liberty and freedom that have little
to do with the word’s literal meaning of a
large bird of prey.
DICTION—Lesson 3
An aged man is but a paltry thing
A tattered coat upon a stick…
--W.B. Yeats, “Sailing to Byzanthium”
1. What picture is created by the use of the
word tattered?
2. By understanding the connotations of the
word tattered, what do we understand
about the narrator’s attitude toward an
aged man?
Play with Language
• List three adjectives that can be used to describe a pair of
shoes. Each should connote a different feeling about the
A New Dress
Today for the first time
after seven long years
I put on
a new dress
but it’s too short for my grief,
too narrow for my sorrow,
and each white-glass button
like a tear flows down the folds
heavy as a stone
--Rachel Korn
DICTION—Lesson 4
The man sighed hugely.
--E. Annie Prouix, The Shipping News
1. What does it mean to sigh hugely?
2. How would the meaning of the sentence
change if we rewrote it as:
– The man sighed loudly.
Play with Language
Fill in the blank below with an adverb:
• The man coughed __________________.
• Your adverb should make the cough express an attitude. For
example, the cough could express contempt, desperation, or
propriety. Do not state the attitude. Instead, let the adverb imply it.
My Father
--Yehuda Amichai
The memory of my father is wrapped up in
white paper, like sandwiches taken for a day at work.
Just as a magician takes towers and rabbits
out of his hat, he drew love from his small body,
and the rivers of his hands
overflowed with good deeds.
DICTION—Lesson 5
A rowan* like a lipsticked girl.
--Seamus Heaney, “Song,” Field Work
Other than the color, what comes to mind when you think
of a lipsticked girl?
How would it change the meaning and feeling of the line if
instead of lipsticked girl, the author wrote girl with lipstick
*a small deciduous tree native to Europe, having white flower
clusters and orange berries.
Play with Language
Write a simile comparing a tree with a domesticated animal. In
your simile, use a word that is normally used as a noun (like
lipstick) as an adjective (like lipsticked).
The Act
--William Carlos Williams
There were the roses, in the rain.
Don’t cut them, I pleaded.
They won’t last, she said.
But they’re so beautiful
where they are.
Agh, we were all beautiful, once, she
and cut them and gave them to me
in my hand.
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Cruising In Comfort! The Lexani EXTV 4×4 Sprinter Van

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Cruising In Comfort! The Lexani EXTV 4×4 Sprinter Van

Sometimes when camping, we want the finer things in life and a bit of comfort. Today we get a look at a unique Sprinter Van that offers precisely that. The good folks over at Lexani are back, putting their custom touches on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. The stunning revamping finds the interior and exterior providing a perfect mobile base for any terrain. The design features an interior loaded with convertible beds, a kitchenette, storage for bicycles, skis, and other outdoor gear.

The exterior features a full-length roof rack and LED lighting, custom graphics, and 20-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. The EXTV is one of the best ways to enjoy the great outdoors, offering up plenty of comfort and rugged appeal. Have a look at the stunning custom van in the images below and give us your thoughts in the comments below.

Head over to learn more from Lexani coming very soon.

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After Decades-Long Hiatus, Russia Seeks Renewed Africa Ties

WASHINGTON, On Sunday, Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, will visit Rwanda to meet his counterpart, Louise Mushikiwabo, and President Paul Kagame. They plan to discuss economic development and fighting terrorism, Russia's foreign ministry said, along with Russia's involvement with the Africa Union, which Kagame chairs until the end of the year.

Lavrov's Rwanda trip follows a five-nation Africa tour in March and highlights Russia's interest in deepening its involvement across the continent.

After that trip, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia decided to cancel more than $20 billion in debt contracted by African nations to help the continent overcome poverty.

Russia is looking at Africa as a potential trading partner. It's looking at Africa as a partner in this desire of Russia to create a multipolar world, Paul Stronski, a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told VOA by phone.

Beyond arms deals

Those partnerships have historically centered on arms sales, with documented deals between Russia and at least 30 African nations, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

They have three refurbishment plants at the moment already in the continent, including in South Africa, said Alex Vines, a former U.N. sanctions inspector who's now with the London-based think tank Chatham House. That's worked quite well for them, and Russian military equipment is pretty robust, fairly low maintenance. And that has made the Russians attractive.

Increasingly, Russia has sought deals beyond weapons, including agreements to extract minerals, provide nuclear power, and boost its political and cultural influence in Africa.

Those efforts could translate into favorable votes at the U.N., where three African countries now serve on the Security Council.

The consequences of Russia's re-emergence in Africa aren't yet clear, experts say. But the implications could be profound, especially with new opportunities to partner with China and a U.S.-Africa strategy that remains largely undefined.

Soviet-era ties

Before its collapse, the Soviet Union enjoyed an extensive military presence in Africa � historic ties that bolster Russia's efforts to reinvigorate its presence on the continent.

In the Cold War era, the Soviet Union established naval bases across Africa, including facilities in Egypt, Ethiopia, Angola, Libya and Tunisia.

Those bases were decommissioned when the Soviet Union fell, but military deals continued.

Between 1990 and 2017, Russia and Egypt, for example, engaged in nearly 30 arms deals, mainly for surface-to-air missiles and related technologies, according to SIPRI.

Now Russia is seeking partnerships that broaden its interests. Vines told VOA that Russia's aims are expanding from security to trade and resources.

One example is Angola, which benefited from Soviet support when it gained independence from Portugal in 1975. Now, Russia is involved in diamond mining in the country and, according to Vines, may build a new telecommunications center in Angola at their own cost.

There will be some new relationships which are more mercantile (focuses) and based probably around extractives, Vines said. I think we will see more trips of the foreign minister of Russia, Lavrov, and some of his colleagues into Africa in the future for that very reason.

Securing votes

Russia also has political reasons to court African leaders.

Having long faced sanctions against itself and its trading partners, as well as an extended economic downturn, Russia needs African votes at the United Nations, Vines said, to accomplish its broader goals.

Russia has tried to sidestep U.N. sanctions and U.S. trade embargoes against countries it seeks arms deals with, Stronski said.

Allies in Africa could make that a lot easier. The continent's 54 nations have considerable sway in the General Assembly, and CAte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia hold temporary seats on the powerful Security Council.

'No questions asked'

For African countries with emerging economies and authoritative governments, Russia, like China, represents an appealing partner: willing to engage, with few rules or requirements.

Russia comes with, right now, sort of 'no questions asked' diplomacy, Stronski said.

That's good for African leaders, who benefit from added incentives and loose restrictions on the deals they make. But it also fuels corruption, according to Stronski, and that prevents citizens from benefiting from partnerships as much as they could.

There is a lot of discussion about how Russian arms help fuel instability and fuel conflict on the African continent, Stronski said. But African governments also risk a backlash, especially in countries with robust media playing a watchdog role, he added.

That's a narrative Russia has sought to flip.

Russia presents this vision of the West as sort of being an instability fueler and talk about how the bombing of Libya helped create sort of a power vacuum that has sort of led to the spread of weapons throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Stronski said.

A multipolar world, rather than one dominated by the U.S., is one of Russia's key strategic objectives, he added.

Russia's efforts in Africa haven't produced results at every turn. One failed venture appears to be in Djibouti, which Vines likened to an aircraft carrier for Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Five countries have established military bases in the tiny East African country, most recently China. Russia sought to subcontract space from China, Vines said. But Djibouti, facing pressure from the U.S. and its Western allies, blocked the deal.

Without access to China's facility, Russia's options are limited, Stronski said.

I don't see Russia really having the funds, the resources to put anything beyond a very limited port call or landing and refilling rights, he said.

Playing catch-up

Whether Russia can translate its renewed investments in Africa into major economic or political benefits isn't clear, both Stronski and Vines said.

That's in part because others, including Europe, the U.S., Gulf countries and China, are far ahead, according to Stronski.

They closed down many of their embassies, and they really focused more closer to home. And now, in the last five years, they've realized that they were needing to play catch-up in Africa, Stronski said.

Russia also faces financial constraints, particularly relative to China.

The Russian Federation is by no means a Soviet Union, and it doesn't have the deep pockets (or) the capacity to extend itself globally in the way that the Soviet Union was able to, Vines said.

Despite these limitations, Russia's rising profile has clear implications for the U.S., according to Stronski.

The United States should look at this as a warning sign and should develop a more coherent and clear policy of what it sees as U.S. interests in the African continent. And I don't see a very coherent message coming out of either the State Department or the White House right now on that issue, he said.

Source: Voice of America

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Sufi Nawaz

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If you’re into portrait photography like me, you’d find this video highly useful. This video tutorial is by Peter Hurley, a photographer from New York, talks about the importance of jawlines. As trivial as it sounds, his video demonstrates the significance of jawlines in headshots and how you can take great headshots by simply having the subject pull forward their chin and tilting their forehead towards the camera. Under the correct light settings, I’ve had seen the difference myself and this video serves as an enforcement for me. If you…read more

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Sermon Forty The wilderness state

john                                                    audio clip

Being a reader, editor and proof reader I have come across many “wilderness” books. The wilderness years of Winston Churchill and Adrian Mole (now there’s a contrast!) come to mind immediately. Blood Meridian is a novel based on real life events in the desert of the Mexican border with the States. But another one of my pastimes is film. In films deserts are sandy places not unlike Inch beach without the water. The sand scours the skin. My favourite wilderness in film from a cinematography point of view is the end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Dying in a hail of bullets in a remote chapel someplace along the border previously mentioned. So desperate, so caught in a corner, that there is no place left to hide, they were hunted down and then killed.

Sometimes in our peachy happily clappy Christian life something happens that makes us doubt everything, including God’s sovereignty in it all. We are floored literally by some life event and we end up in the wilderness. Immediate desert after a time of abundance. What floors us is as individual as to how long it takes us to rise again. Some of us don’t languishing in a place not fit for human habitation, where breathing in and out is a chore that we want rid of. Not every Christian goes through this so if someone tells you we all do, we don’t. It is a specific time for specific people.

There is more than one wilderness, though. Sometimes a sin that we hadn’t brought before the Lord, by omission rather than design, rears up and causes us to enter this state. For others it is the realisation that something has got to change. Whatever causes us to enter, the losses are the same and interlinked.

The first is loss of faith, people no longer trust God, after putting all their trust in him they suddenly find they have lost their spiritual strength and have become as weak as non believers. So they lose the love. Where is the love? The love is in the connection, when we sever the connection the love is still there but we cannot feel it anymore, we are not plugged into that personal relationship. And so to joy, with no faith and no love there is no joy, not the temporary happiness that abounds at a tea party but that deeply rooted joy that comes as a gift from the Spirit. Where peace was, there is now a chasm as wide and as deep and as long as can be. Where once the person was basking in the glow of the love of God, now there is turmoil, insecurity, doubt and all measure of devilish thoughts. And finally we lose the power of Jesus Christ, that power over sin.

What does cause it? Sin committed deliberately can darken the soul in an instant. Like there is a boy who when he was eight years old I swore that when he was a grown up I’d give him a beating for all the bullying he inflicted on one of my children. He is twenty now, still walking, still has a pretty face. Why? Because in the meantime my heart was softened by the love of God until I could say clearly from the bottom of my heart I loved this boy. My clucky mother hen natural instincts supplanted by God’s love. We love because He loves.

We can quite easily wander into the desert by omitting things in our spiritual life and this is possibly why John Wesley was so diligent in this area.

Just like there are many wildernesses and deserts there is equally only one way out. It does make sense. Wesley says there are a variety of cures but I say one. The lying down of oneself at the Cross, hand it all over to Lord, ask for forgiveness and ask for the strength to forgive. Let go of the “what if’s” If it surrounds a death, be assured no one knows when the time will come for our earthly hearts to stop whether we are ninety or nine hours old. If it surrounds a sin get rid of it. A relationship, healing. Whatever is causing you to doubt God’s sovereign rule in your life, get it out of here because it is not of God.

I was once placed in the wilderness for my own good and it was a very enlightening period. I discovered lots of things about pink, I discovered a lot of things about God and me or me and God too. I was not there from doubt or fear, but I was there for a reason and I had stuff to work out before I could be brought out of the wilderness through the refiner’s fire, a shinier person than before, ready to hear what he had in store for me.

[and then I wanted to go back to the desert!] briefly before I was given tools to proceed.


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Expectations When Porting

The partner initiates the resp org change by submitting a signed and completed resp org change request.

If the subscriber information does not match the information on the customer’s account, the resp org change request will be rejected.  Please make sure all submitted information is accurate to avoid a rejection.  Rejected orders will need to be resubmitted with the necessary corrections and the porting interval starts over from the beginning.

Expectations When Ordering

The partners places orders for new toll free numbers through Orion.  The turn around time for new till free numbers is 24 to 48 hours.  Vanity numbers are very difficult to obtain because there just aren't that many available.

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ID454 - Ensure Clients paying credit card are charged at time of invoice Overview & Sample

This automation identifies any client that is set to be billed via credit card. Some AR departments don't always catch invoices that should be billed to credit card immediately and as a result payments are allowed to go past due without notice. This ensures that clients who request to pay credit card will actually be charged at time of invoice.

**Please note if you don't use eAuto to process credit card charges, to invoice transactions you just enter the info in the required fields (the ones with a * next to them) and click ok. It will probably throw an error saying it couldn't be processed but you just click ok on that error and continue.

This alert looks back 5-days to report on any invoices with Credit Card/ACH PaymentMethod. If an invoice is back dated by more than 5-days, then the alert will miss reporting you this invoice.

Alert looks at Charge Method listed on Customer Record:

AND will notify you each time an invoice is generated for that account.

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Enable Email notification BEFORE SLA Violation

We recently had a situation where we were blindsided by an SLA Violation. SLA is a huge part of our metrics, and we need to be notified BEFORE the SLA gets violated. In my searching I only found a way to send an escalation email after the SLA is violated.

Is there any way to notify the agents when a ticket is approaching the First Response SLA or the Resolution SLA? It would be great if there were conditions in Supervisor rules for "Hours until Response Due" or "Hours until Ticket is Due" so we can create the email alert ourselves.

2 people have this question

That's fuzzy and expensive compute logic to sort through.

I'd suggest you add an observer rule based on time since whatever action gets your SLA clock running.

I dont think that its fuzzy at all. It already tracks time on the ticket and sends you a SLA violation when that time is breached. A warning email would simply be SLA Violation Time + (Variable representing Warning Time). When that threshold is met it sends a warning without affecting SLA. Pretty easy logic.

4 people like this

I figured out how to set up this notification. I set up a supervisor rule with the condition "Hours since overdue is -2." The negative value works, and sends the notification email 2 hours before the ticket is overdue.

Just found there is is the option to do this underneath the where you set the SLA.

2 people like this

Best thing I've seen all day! Thank you Craig!

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Adding a New Page to Your Website

In a MODX website, new pages are called "Resources." Follow these instructions for adding a new Resource to your website:

  1. Log into your MODX website using the Manager Portal. To learn how to do that, watch this video.
  2. On the left-hand side, click the resource button, shown below:
  3. Fill out at least the Title and URL Alias for this new Resource. If you're unsure what a URL Alias is, watch this video.
  4. By default, the new resource will be added to the Menu (ie. the navigation menu) for the website. You can remove the resource from the menu by unchecking the "Show in menu" box.
  5. To reorder items in the Menu, change the number in "Menu Index." Note:  The first Menu Index item is Home and it is set to 0.
  6. Usually, you'll want to use the Resource's Title as the Menu item's title; however, sometimes (especially with longer titles) you'll want to shorten the Menu item's title. To do so, fill out the text box for "Menu title."


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Change line spacing in Word Online

To change line spacing to single or double space, use the Line Spacing button on the Home tab:

  1. Select the paragraphs you want to change, or press Ctrl+A to select everything.

  2. On the Home tab, click the Line Spacing button:

    Line spacing button

  3. Choose 1 for single spacing, or 2 for double spacing.

Tip:  If you want to change the spacing before or after the selected paragraphs, click Line Spacing Options at the bottom of the menu, and then click the arrows in the Before or After boxes.

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