Our Bishop, James Dunlop, will be visiting Grace Church the first Sunday in February. He will be with us at the early and late Sunday worship services and during the Sunday School. Please make a special effort to be here to welcome our Bishop, to thank him for his service to our Synod, and to learn and grow through the teaching and conversation time together. Welcome Bishop Dunlop! Following late service, we will join the Bishop and other Grace members in Fellowship Hall to enjoy a bowl of soup, bread, a light dessert, and friendly conversation.
At its meeting Jan. 9, the council voted unanimously to recommend the proposal of our Renovations Team which had been replaced and then tabled at the last congregational meeting this past November.
To this end the council has called a Special Congregational Meeting to share updated information about the renovation and financing plan, followed by a vote on the resolution, for Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Please make every effort to be there for this important discussion. Please pray for the wisdom and the discernment we need to make a decision that is good for us now and for the future of our ministry!
First Holy Communion Class – February 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The First Communion Class is for children who have not yet communed or have without instruction.
Children of all ages are invited along with their parents to learn about and prepare for their first Holy Communion.
If your family is interested in participating, please contact Kath at verkouw@gmail.com or in the church office at 717-397-2748.
Lenten Retreat – "Preparing to be Dust" 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Psalm 19:9b, 10–The ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey. Stewardship is all about priorities and values. What do we prize above all else? Faithful steward/disciples value the teachings of God that guide us to fulfilled lives.
A Whole Lot of Learnin' Going On!
Recent weather might have put a few barriers in our way but there has been much learning and discussion going on at Grace, with more to come!
Dr. Lee Barrett (from the Lancaster Theology Seminary) has been teaching the adults about the roots of the "Christian Right", the "Christian Left." This coming week he will help us understand: "What happened to the Christian Middle?" After this series on religion and politics in our country's history, Adults will have a chance to learn and reflect about the persistent "orginal sin" of racism (see next page for more details).
The children of Sunday School and in Fishbowl time have been following the Gospel lessons in the Lectionary and really know their stuff and where to find it in the bible! Ask them about Zecharias, Elizabeth, Mary, John the Baptist, Jesus and Jesus' first miracle, or sign, of turning water into wine.
During the fall the kids' curriculum focused on the Psalms and for Lent we will be exploring Proverbs. Our children are so open to the Spirit and God's love. They enjoy faith discussions and learning. What if we all tried to be better at that? It is hard to take time and make time for Bible study or having faith discussions together but it is an important habit to return to and to practice. God continually says "I love you. Be with me." Grace Church tries to give you conduits to do just that. – spend time with God and your neighbor!
One of the best ways to be encouraged in your faith is participating in a small group of people who meet weekly for a set period of time. I hope that you will all pray about whether God is calling you to host one of these groups during Lent. It could be anytime that is convenient for you during the week. It doesn't have to last the whole six weeks of Lent, it could be for four or five weeks as well. It could be in your home, at church, in a coffee shop, or a pub. It is also a perfect time to invite friends and neighbors outside our faith family to participate. You could invite Pastor or someone else to lead the discussion…pray and see what evolves in your heart. Pastor, Angie and I will help you invite and get ready. This year, Lent begins Ash Wed., Mar. 6th through Holy Week, which begins April 14th.
There will also be a wonderful opportunity for a Lenten Retreat this year on Saturday April 6th on "Preparing to be Dust" (see "Save the Date" in this newsletter to learn more). The Spirit, through our kids, challenge us all to make more time for God. During Lent let us respond in some way to that call. May we all be God's people of peace and prayer!


Yee Haw! There's nothing like seeing a bunch of cowpokes moseying around Sin City in December!
Casino Boy knows where it's at when it comes to all of the best events in Vegas.
Party on, Cheapos! When you're in Vegas, have fun in Vegas. Look below for a list of upcoming Las Vegas events, sporting events and world-class shows in Vegas. These are Las Vegas events you don't want to miss.
Casino Boy's perfect day in Vegas (at least that we can write about) is as follows: sleeping past noon, over-eating at an awesome Las Vegas buffet (buffets are some of the best deals in Vegas), hitting up the best Vegas pools in a tiger-striped Speedo, enjoying a few cocktails poolside, working out at the gym (HA!), making a few bucks at the Las Vegas casino tables late afternoon, going to dinner with friends and finally seeing a show, concert, or sitting ringside at a championship boxing match! Then it's back to the poker tables, of course.
But hey, that's just Casino Boy - all you awesome Cheapos can scroll below to find the Las Vegas events that work for you and have fun in Vegas!
The House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas has some of the hottest concerts in Vegas - every single week!
There are all sorts of crazy Las Vegas events, but these types of events are staples you can always count on.
Las Vegas is the Entertainment Capital of the World in many ways, including the amazing special events in Sin City. There are daytime pool parties, nightlife events, concerts, sports matches, conferences, headliner shows...whew, we're exhausted just thinking about it all. The number of awesome events in Vegas is so huge the problem isn't finding something to do, it's choosing which ones you want to do on your stay in Sin City!
UFC Matches: If you're into intense fighting matches with crazy strength and epic outcomes, Las Vegas is a hub for some of the most famous UFC matches in country. See fighters such as Alistair Overeem in the octagon live at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas. The rush of a live match is a completely different feeling than staring at your TV at home - it gets pretty wild.
Concerts: Las Vegas is all about concerts and some of the best shows are long-term headliners sush as Celine Dion or Elton John with residencies at Caesars Palace Colosseum. Our favorite concerts are the ones that are one night only - it makes us feel special seeing something so unique. Like the unique snowflakes our mommies told us we were.
Comedians: Some of the most fun one night only performers in Vegas are big-name comedians on a tour of the country. We love sitting back and laughing all night long, especially when the jokes aren't coming from our ex-girlfriends.
Las Vegas events that always have Casino Boycheering include anything to do with food, girls, sports or music, New Year's Eve parties, Super Bowl parties, concerts at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, the National Finals Rodeo (the NFR is held in Vegas and books up VERY early), the iHeartRadio Music Festival, MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Halloween parties and anything Supercross or NASCAR! Basically, the boy likes to party. Check out the best events in Vegas below.
Looking to have an especially special Las Vegas vacation? Forget about getting tickets to a predictable magic show or some ubiquitous Cirque show. Make your Vegas trip even more exciting by seeing a one night only Vegas event. Some of the most watched events of the year take place in Las Vegas and you don't want to miss out.
Who knows? Maybe your favorite award show will be in Vegas while you're in town, or possibly an all star concert at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, or perhaps the boxing fight of the year. In Las Vegas, this isn't such a far fetched possibility and on Cheapo Vegas, we know all about the best events in Las Vegas and even cheap event ticket deals in Las Vegas.
CheapoVegas offers cheap tickets to all the best events in Las Vegas. Be sure to check out the events in Las Vegas calendar to see the best events in the city.


These earrings are gorgeous! From the color and clarity of each natural Amethyst to the soft curves of the solid 14k gold design, everything is perfect. Dating from the 1960's, they measure 15/16" tall by 11/16" at the widest point.
These beautiful vintage estate earrings are set with a total of 14 fine quality natural Amethyst stones, each approximately 7x5x3mm (estimated) for a total carat weight of 7.84 carats. That is almost 8 carats of gem quality Amethyst.
Very well made, they are omega clips perfect for a statement earring size, made for pierced ears. They are marked 14k and 585 and were carefully tested. The pair weighs approximately 5.4 gram.
In excellent condition, they look barely worn. The stones are very well matched with ample sparkle. The stone showing a slight blueish tint is due to the ambient light. They are perfectly matched in person.
The perfect earrings for a February gift or anytime, really. Amethyst is the birthstone for February.
Faceted 14k Gold Hoop Statement Earrings 1 3/16"


text:
Huonia thais is een libellensoort uit de familie van de korenbouten (Libellulidae), onderorde echte libellen (Anisoptera).

De soort staat op de Rode Lijst van de IUCN als niet bedreigd, beoordelingsjaar 2007, de trend van de populatie is volgens de IUCN stabiel.

De wetenschappelijke naam Huonia thais is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1953 door Lieftinck.

Korenbouten
IUCN-status niet bedreigd

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In the first post of this series, I talked about turning this crazy idea I have had swimming around in my head into an actual, executable plan. Since then, I have been working on fleshing out my course outline and starting the task of writing all the content.
Sign up to follow my journey here.
To be brutally honest, it's been going slower than I thought. In my head, I keep trying to make excuses for why that is.
Not enough time? That's a cop-out excuse, because there is never ever going to be enough time. In order to accomplish something, I just have to prioritize it better.
Or, I don't know where to begin on the next section. Who am I kidding? I have literally had this idea swimming in my brain for months and now I have a fully fleshed outline of what I want the course to cover. So, it's not that either.
I realize it's something else entirely. It didn't really click until chatting with Jess Law. It's the dreaded comparison trap. I'm my own worst critic and constantly doubt myself. It's something I have struggled with for a really, long time. I constantly think my work isn't good enough. Coupled that with the fact that I have a lot of friends and mentors who have created uber successful digital products, I wind up comparing my beginning to everyone else's middle and outcomes. it's enough to send me into a state of analysis paralysis.
Do I really have what it takes to write this content?
Am I really qualified to create this?
What if no one signs up for this course?
These are just a few of the What ifs circling in my head every time I go to plug away at creating more content.
With this, I am finding myself getting all kinds of distracted. Reading one more blog post or ebook about community management. A blog post on blogging. Or, another 21 step guide to launching the perfect digital product. It's information overload. And, definitely not helping with my constant state of analysis paralysis.
Or, I let myself drift into the dangerous time-wasting rabbit holes that are Reddit and Youtube. I get sucked into watching another Brett Domino video. This video on writing a hit Christmas pop song is pretty epic.
Or, watching another video from the attention-obsessed Holderness family in yet another pair of matching family Christmas jammies.
And oh look, an epic parody video of Sia's amazing Chandelier music video from a guy, who lost a fantasy football bet.
It's so easy to fall victim to the endless amount of distractions on the Internet and never get any closer to turning an idea into a reality. I don't want this product to turn into just another idea on a dusty shelf of coulda woulda shouldas. By this next update, I am going to try and squash down the dreaded comparison trap fears and get much more focused on cranking out all this content. More to come on my progress within the next 1-2 weeks.
Do you have tips for overcoming the dreaded comparison trap when it creeps up? I'd love to hear. Please post in the comment section below.


text:
Rebuilding foundations for economic and social reform
The 2015 Outlook conference delivered thought-provoking debate on the key issues facing Australia today.
In the lead-up to the 2016 federal election, the 10th Melbourne Institute/The Australian Economic and Social Outlook Conference (ESOC) provided unrivalled access to policy evolution inside the major parties, and identified the essential ingredients of successful policy implementation. Australia's premier public policy event, it ran over two days (5-6 November 2015) at the Grand Hyatt, Melbourne.
Opened by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the conference brought together political leaders from the major parties, experts from Australia's top universities, and leading policy thinkers and practitioners from both private and public sectors, to discuss economic and social reform.
The Prime Minister used the conference, the first major policy event for the Turnbull government, as an opportunity to demonstrate commitment to "a high-wage Australian economy that is more innovative and more productive than ever before".
Dr Jenny Gordon, Productivity Commission
"We are living in the most exciting times in human history," he said. "Free markets, globalisation, long periods of peace, and above all the acceleration of technological change has produced economic and political transformations never seen before."
He asserted the importance of demonstrating that decisions are made in a thoughtful, consultative manner "(which is why) we are not trying to reduce complex decisions to three-word slogans".
With major change on the agenda, debates on innovation, tax reform, competition policy, trade and investment, and retirement policy spilled over from the plenaries into informal discussions between sessions.
Here is a highlight of some of the debates that took place. Full audio from all sessions is available online.
Innovation matters
Innovation has become a buzzword of late, on the tips of the tongues of students, young entrepreneurs, business leaders and politicians alike. In his opening address, Mr Turnbull said a key focus of his government is to encourage a culture of innovation and ensure our children are equipped with the STEM skills they need.
Later, speaking in a session focused on innovation, Deena Shiff, Non-Executive Director of the Citadel Group, observed that the move from policy to practice hasn't always been carried out well. Identifying the need for three key changes, she called for the government to deliver an innovation statement that clearly defines the purpose and plan of attack:
Encouraging growth in the stock of new companies that are innovative/use new technologies
Commercialisation of intellectual property from universities, chosen government-certified growth centres or the CSIRO
A focus on education to improve the skills base while continuing to maintain Australian standards and competitiveness.
David Dyer, Principal, McKinsey & Company said we should be optimistic, observing that a shift in the drivers of national income is providing an incentive for innovation within Australia, alongside the competitiveness challenges of the Australian economy and the disruptive forces within the global economy – industrialisation and urbanisation of emerging economies, a global ageing population, disruptive technologies and greater global interconnections. "There are lots of opportunities, but we have to understand it'll be a very different world in which we operate," he said, and recommended that the government prioritise innovation even in uncertain conditions.
Dr Matthew Butlin, Red Tape Commissioner for the Department of Treasury and Finance, echoed his view and added, "Innovation is primarily about business behaviour". He noted the importance of not thinking about innovation as a game of who wins, but rather about the overall performance of enterprises, and coming up with avenues to strengthen their performance.
In the perfect world, we would know exactly how much we'd need, with the last crumb just enough to put the petrol in the hearse to take us to the cemetery.
Eating the icing, and not the retirement cake
Australia's ageing population prompts economic challenges and opportunities. As our demography shifts, retirement policies and pensioners become central to the discussion and recommendations from researchers in the area came with a sense of warning. Karen Chester, Commissioner, Productivity Commission, told the audience that the ageing Australian population is the biggest policy imperative facing the government. "Older Australians tend to be income poor and asset rich. Most older households rely on government payments and around 70 per cent receive full or part payment, with health and aged care taking up the bulk of the cost," she explained.
Prof Glyn Davis, Vice Chancellor, The University of Melbourne, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull MP and Mr Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large, The Australian
She recommended viewing retirement income as three buckets that can and should be drained – age pension, superannuation and private savings, and the family home.
"The age pension bucket is pretty well drained and forecast to grow to 20 per cent of GDP by 2050," she explained.
"Retirees tend to rely on super and private savings to fund their retirement lifestyles in conservative ways.
"Older households are unwilling to tap into the family home bucket and it is not drained that well."
At current rates of 'drainage', the retirement income for most ageing couples is not sustainable.
Senator Penny Wong, Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment
Professor Susan Thorp, Professor of Finance at the University of Sydney Business School, explained that people retiring from work now face a new challenge – covering their expenses from their savings and pension payments, and not knowing how much to spend, and how slowly or quickly to spend it, potentially leaving behind more than what they intend to.
Uncertainty makes it hard to know how to slice the retirement cake.
Rather, retirees tend to live in a haze of uncertainty, unsure how much to consume or even what size the cake will be as investments move from year to year.
She has found that wealth preservation is a much more important issue than wealth dissipation, and her study with colleagues shows that annual consumptions are far lower than what would be needed by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia's standard for a comfortable lifestyle.
"What we see is people eating the icing off the retirement cake, but keeping the cake intact," she explained. The reason for this is self-insurance – because retirees don't know when they are going to die, they feel the need to create a wealth perpetuity, which is difficult to calculate accurately.
Her recommendation is "CIIIPRs": comprehensive income, insurance and intergenerational equity products for retirement; products that will distribute income from current earnings and enable decumulation of capital.
"CIIIPRs could offer insurance against aged-care costs, medical expenses and other shocks, not just longevity, and reduce buffer stock savings," she said. "We are seeing accumulation of private lump sum savings, and we need to think about how to create intergenerational wealth transfers."
More on the topic of 'reform'
Acknowledging the problematic nature of implementing reforms, Michael Thawley AO, Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, said that it was a major factor affecting public opinion. "It is very striking just how many reforms we've introduced that have 'hooks' attached to them, and have not done what we intended," he warned. He pointed particularly to Indigenous policy reform, which, he said, had unintentionally created another layer of bureaucracy. He acknowledged that federal-state relations are problematic because economic and social reforms could not succeed without full support from the states and territories.
In the closing session of ESOC 2015, David Uren, Economics Editor at The Australian, drew further focus to the general framework, and said achieving reform had become "much harder than it used to be, and indeed, (much harder) than it ought to be".
Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg told the audience that one major oversight of governments attempting reform was the failure to effectively explain the need for reform in the first place, which has led to public confusion and mistrust of politicians.
In response, Paul Kelly, political journalist and Editor-at-Large for The Australian, recommended that the government rely more heavily on the media, which could play a far more purposeful role in enlisting support for reform.
The consensus of the speakers and the audience at the conference was a clear need for reform, with general agreement that achieving meaningful economic and social reform is one of the biggest challenges facing state and federal governments today.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
May 15, 2019 / 12:40 PM
All Elite Wrestling to air weekly show on TNT
AEW on TNT pic.twitter.com/4OvDUtonQK— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) May 15, 2019
May 15 (UPI) -- All Elite Wrestling or AEW, announced on Wednesday a new television deal with WarnerMedia to air a weekly, professional wrestling program on TNT.
The untitled show will arrive on TNT later this year in prime time. More details will be announced at a later date.
AEW is founded by president and CEO Tony Khan and boasts a roster that is headlined by members of The Elite. The group contains some of the most popular independent wrestlers in the industry including Cody Rhodes, his wife Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, tag team The Young Bucks and Hangman Adam Page.
Cody, Omega and The Young Bucks -- which consist of Matt and Nick Jackson -- also serve as executive vice presidents of AEW with Brandi serving as Chief Brand Officer. Cody is the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes.
Cody posted on Twitter a selfie he took with Brandi and members of The Elite with the caption "AEW on TNT."
Chris Jericho, a former WWE star and multi-time champion, is also a part of the AEW roster along with PAC, formerly known as Neville in WWE, among others.
AEW will be broadcasting live on pay-per-view an inaugural event titled Double or Nothing on May 25 at 8 p.m. ET. The event will also be available for streaming on WarnerMedia's B/R Live, or Bleacher Report Live, service.
Double or Nothing will feature matches such as Jericho vs. Omega, Cody vs. his brother Dustin who was formally known as Goldust in WWE, Page vs. PAC and The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros.
AEW has promised to offer less scripted, dramatic moments and focus more on in-ring athleticism. The company also has plans to introduce sports analytics to professional wrestling and will track each competitor's wins and losses.
"Wrestling fans have wanted - and needed - something different, authentic and better for far too long," Khan said in a statement. "AEW is answering that call. AEW is about more than wrestling. It's about a movement fueled by wrestling fans who have been underserved and perhaps even disappointed by what the industry has produced in recent years."
"AEW is rising to the occasion with Double or Nothing and today taking it a step further by partnering with WarnerMedia, which is as committed as we are to making wrestling fans the one and only priority. With WarnerMedia, AEW is poised to globally redefine wrestling as we know it today," he continued.
TNT previously aired World Championship Wrestling's weekly Monday Nitro program which famously went head-to-head with WWE's Monday Night Raw throughout the 1990s. WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon eventually bought out WCW in 2001, ending professional wrestling programming on TNT.
We're back in the wrestling business! #AEW @AEWrestling pic.twitter.com/1DVRLRdQgd— TNT Drama (@tntdrama) May 15, 2019
WWE Smackdown: Roman Reigns teams up with The Usos Goldberg to face The Undertaker at WWE Super Showdown WWE's Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins make relationship official


text:
is viagra covered by medicare cialis 5mg price cvs how long does it take for cialis to work viagra without a doctor prescription cialis dosages
Support Lilith
The Lilith Blog 1 of 2
January 7, 2020 by Eleanor J. Bader
How Women Can Get Over Our Fear of Asking for Money
"People will go to jail for things they believe in, but they're often afraid to ask someone for money," Marjorie Fine says. This is why she travels the country, teaching grassroots, social justice activists the ins-and-outs of raising money from both foundations and individual donors. For women in particular, asking for money and raising it can provide unique challenges, making Fine's expertise particularly useful.
Fine learned her craft as a development staffer at a host of organizations: The National Council of Jewish Women, The North Star Fund, the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock, The Center for Community Change, and the now-defunct Reproductive Rights National Network.
She spoke to Lilith's Eleanor J. Bader about her work, her passion for progressive activism, and the lessons she's learned about asking for money. The mid-November conversation took place in Fine's tchotchke-and-art-filled apartment in Central Brooklyn.
Eleanor J. Bader: With initial training in social work, how did you get into fundraising?
Marjorie Fine: At the Hunter College School of Social Work, my concentration was Community Organizing and Planning. In one of my first jobs after graduating, we were fundraising and it occurred to me that many of the things I'd learned as an organizer applied to raising money. Both are about relationship building and, like organizing campaigns, everyone can be part of a fundraising effort.
Basically, I realized that you have to ask for what you want and know how to ask. You want to make a donor feel compelled to give by asking them to do this, not just hoping they'll do so. I find that people are often honored to be asked to do something concrete.
These lessons started to germinate for me when I worked as Coordinator of the Reproductive Rights National Network. I was there from 1980 until 1983 or 1984. I then got a job at the National Council of Jewish Women. NCJW was fundamental in teaching me about fundraising. While there, I became skilled as a trainer and learned how to create an outline of what I wanted to cover. My title was Fundraising Coordinator and a lot of what I did involved putting together plans that other women could deliver, that volunteers could run with.
In addition, while in this position, I visited many NCJW sections—this is what they call their chapters—and learned what it took to run a successful thrift store. When I visited them, we would talk about raising money and being profitable enough to fund the organization's work. =But my trainings did more than this: They also touched on racism and classism since most of the shops were in low-income areas, far from where many of the volunteers lived.
EJB: What was the key lesson you wanted the volunteers to walk away with?
MF: I helped people feel good about fundraising; I still do this! I emphasized that it's okay to ask for money. A seminal lesson is that every organization needs money to exist and while few people start out eager to do this work, it is essential and valuable, especially for groups promoting social justice. And, research has shown that when people give financially, they feel great.
EJB: Tell me about your time at the North Star Fund.
MF: North Star is a progressive New York City community foundation that gives grants to progressive groups throughout the City and in the Hudson Valley. It was started by 1960s-era social justice activists who had access to family money – Anne Hess, Liz Hirsch, Monica Melamed and others—who wanted to use their wealth to promote systemic change to benefit people of color, the poor and disenfranchised, LGBTQ folks, and women. I started out as a member of the Community Funding Board, which unlike traditional philanthropy, had activists from around the city research the groups applying for grants and together decide who was going to get a grant. I was eventually hired by North Star, first as Development Director and later as Executive Director.
EJB: You next went to the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock, yes?
MF: Yes. I was there for 12 years, until 2005, as Executive Director. We funded throughout the US. Everyone at Veatch cared about capacity building, that is, we were not only funding work on issues, but we were funding organizations and progressive movements. Our goal was to make each group as strong as possible. We came to this because we'd seen organizations fall apart or fold after a grant they'd relied on disappeared and we wanted to make sure that this did not continue to happen. This meant encouraging our grantees to ask individuals for money, alongside writing grant proposals.
EJB: Is there a budgetary formula that you think organizations should strive for?
MF: A lot of groups get 90 percent of their money from grants and 10 percent from donors. That's a bad balance. Ideally, a group should get 30 percent of its money from membership dues; 30 percent from foundations; 30 percent from individual donations; and 10 percent from special events, speaking fees, and the sale of merchandise and other materials.
EJB: How did you come to this conclusion?
MF: In 2005, I began working at the Center for Community Change—they're now simply called Community Change–as Director of the Linchpin Campaign. CCC, and the Campaign, gave me the space to go out and research why individual donors do, or do not, give money to community organizing.
I interviewed more than 60 people and the findings became Untapped: How Community Organizers can Develop and Deepen Relationships with Major Donors and Raise Big Money. The second big CCC project was in conjunction with the Ford Foundation, to write a book about 10 foundations that took on a social justice grantmaking lens. It is called Change Philanthropy and was written by Alicia Epstein Korten and published by Jossey-Bass in 2009. The book profiled 10 foundations that focus on social justice including the Schott Foundation; the Jacobs Family Foundation and Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation; and The Global Fund for Women.
During the interviews, it became clear to me that many groups do not raise much money from individuals and I began working with the Center for Third World Organizing and the Southern Empowerment Project (now defunct) to start the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training. Our goal was to teach people how to tap individual donors for social justice programs and projects. In 2017, more than 600 fundraisers came to an Institute-sponsored conference and got turned on to the power of fundraising for justice.
I've now been doing this on my own, as a consultant, since 2011.
EJB: What projects are you working with? And how do folks know to contact you?
MF: I'm old school. I don't have a website but people know me and I get a lot of word-of-mouth referrals. At the moment, I'm working with the Four Freedoms Fund; The Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti; Jewish Voice for Peace; The Movement for Human Integrity; and The Chicago Torture Justice Center: Communities Healing from Police Violence.
EJB: You sound so passionate!
MF: I am. We get many messages in progressive circles that money is the root of all evil and many social justice groups, especially those working to improve conditions in low-income communities, find the idea of making a profit challenging. People are frightened by the negative power of money and this limits their ability to ask for what they need.
I see my work as teaching folks about being in a right-relationship to money; I stress that money gives them power. People actually like to make a difference in the world, and if you start with issues that people care about and build bridges to what you are working on, you can easily ask them to make a donation to move the needle forward toward victory.
Another key lesson? Fundraising is not manna from heaven. It's something you have to go after. It doesn't rain down on you!
EJB: What else do you emphasize in workshops?
MF: I talk about the power of listening. You can't just do a sales pitch. Listening to potential donors and hearing what they care about is essential.
Another important message is that fundraising is not begging. I remind folks that they are inviting someone to support organizing on issues that are important to them and to the community. But I understand that for many people, hatred of asking for money is in their kishkes. I always get them to talk about this and name the fear and yuckiness that holds them back. It's the only way I know to change the culture, to get people to respect fundraising and feel good about the ask. I also have them practice asking for money and witness themselves actually doing it confidently and well.
EJB: My last question is not about fundraising. I know you were involved in starting Jews For Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ). How did that happen?
MF: When I was at North Star, activist Donna Nevel came in and was looking for a social justice organization to work with. New Jewish Agenda had folded and as we talked, we identified the need for a progressive Jewish organization. Shortly thereafter, Donna and Marilyn Neimark began pulling JFREJ together; they created a board that I was on. I've been on the JFREJ board twice since then and continue to help with fundraising.
EJB: Any final thoughts?
MF: It's important to make the donor a hero, an action figure. If you want a donor to go from a first gift to a second, you need to emphasize that their donation made something happen. It had a real impact. Say thank you and mean it. The bottom line is that if you have a cadre of 500 people giving you $1000 a year, an organization can do a great deal of important, life-changing work. But it takes guts and money.
Tags: fundraising, money
DNA secrets, hidden identities • Breast cancer and Jewish women • Tillie Olsen: feminist foremother • At her ritual haircut, she knew she was a girl • The first lady of lox
Return to the Garden of the Finzi-Continis
Laughter As Medicine for Resistance
Edith Halpert: A Pioneering Dealer and Promoter of American Art
Candles of Song
The Spin Cycle
Homeshuling
Jewess
Jewish Book Council
Celebrations & Rituals


text:
HomeNFL
NFL Black Monday 2022: All head coach and general manager layoffs | NFL sports
Through a statement, the Florida franchise announced the departure of Flores who had a 24-25 record, with the last two seasons winning and only one
Vikings Thanks Mike Zimmer
Matt Nagy is fired at Chicago Bears
Through a statement, the Florida franchise announced the departure of Flores who had a 24-25 record, with the last two seasons winning and only one game to go to the postseason.
Miami with Flores had a first season of 5-11 after starting 0-7, in its second year it finished with a 10-6 mark and in the recent season it was 9-8 after having started the campaign with a 1-7 and winning seven games in a row.
Minnesota fired Mike Zimmer as its head coach in this NFL Black Monday 2022 after 8 seasons in charge of the team where he achieved a 72-56 mark and two NFC North division titles.
Additionally, Vikings fell one game away from the Super Bowl in 2017 by losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, who weeks later would beat the New England Patriots. In 8 seasons, Zimmer managed to advance in three to the NFL Playoffs.
Credit ran out for Matt Nagy as Chicago Bears head coach and this NFL Black Monday he was thanked after four seasons and a 34-31 record.
In his first season he was the divisional champion of the NFC North and advanced in a couple of seasons to the NFL Playoffs, although both times he was in the Wild Card Round.
This is how the Playoffs of the 2021 season will be played in the NFL
Jalen Ramsey arrives at the Rams game dressed as a mariachi
TJ Watt equals record for sacks in an NFL season
NFL: An NFL player decorates his house with gravestones of rival quarterbacks
Morris on leave since fight with Jokic: "There is a real injury"
FEMALE FOOTBALL Barcelona-Real Madrid in the Champions League will be at the Camp Nou


Revolutionary War hero Peter Francisco, who was kidnapped from Terceira Island in the Azores in 1765, will be honoured later this month after the US and Portuguese governments have collaborated together to dedicate a statue to the war hero 250 years later.
in Porto Judeu close to where Francisco was kidnapped as a five-year-old boy.
In 1765, Peter was kidnapped from Terceira Island on the Day of Pentecost, and was later found on a dock in Virginia on 23 June, 1765.
Peter Francisco's descendant Travis Bowman, author of the historical novel Hercules of the Revolution, which is based on the life of his famous great-grandfather, has brought the Portuguese and US governments together to dedicate a statue in honour of his famous ancestor.
Five monuments stand in Peter's honour in the US, including one in Virginia close to where he was found, but this will be the first monument in Portugal.
The oldest US Consulate in the world is based in the Azores, and Consul Daniel Bazan from Ponta Delgada will be the keynote speaker for the statue dedication.
The local Portuguese government is paying for half of the $15,000 statue, and Travis Bowman raised the other half through private and corporate donations.
In comments to The Portugal News this week, Bowman explained that he commissioned Rui Goulart, a famous sculptor in the Azores, to design and build the three-foot bronze statue.
Executive Producer, John Allen, will be joining Bowman for the statue dedication along with 12 other descendants and 'friends' of Peter Francisco.
Bowman's novel has been called "the American Braveheart story," and he believes the film will bring tourists from all around the world to Portugal similar to the tourism Scotland experienced after the movie Braveheart was released about William Wallace.
Peter Francisco was called the "Hercules of the Revolution" because of his enormous size, massive strength, and unbelievable bravery.
Born in the Azores, Peter was kidnapped and abandoned by pirates when he was five-years-old, then bought as a slave.
He won his personal freedom and, ultimately, that of a nation, by enlisting and serving in the Continental Army.
George Washington had a six-foot broadsword made for him and even made the claim that we would have likely lost the whole Revolutionary War without Peter Francisco.
His legacy continues today with five monuments that stand in his honour and a US bicentennial stamp that enshrined him in 1976, in addition to the five states that observe Peter Francisco Day.
DNA testing had been done!
I have studied the story of Peter Francisco and have not ran across any significant or reliable proof that he is Azorean. At this point it is a fairytale based on wishful thinking. I think DNA testing would help to solve the puzzle.


text:
Home/Leaders/Survivors of Awkuzu SARS said squad sold body parts of executed victims –Nwanguma
Survivors of Awkuzu SARS said squad sold body parts of executed victims –Nwanguma
Okechukwu Nwanguma is the Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, an organisation that promotes justice for victims of human rights violation and has handled several cases of human rights violation by the Nigeria Police. He tells ALEXANDER OKERE how the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the security agency became an organised 'criminal entity'
How would you assess the government's reactions to #EndSARS protests, especially with the replacement of Special Anti-Robbery Squad with the Special Weapons and Tactics unit?
I am happy that after many years of apparent docility and passivity, Nigerian youths eventually experienced a reawakening, found their voices, picked up the gauntlet and rose to the occasion. I never thought that this day of renewed consciousness would come in my generation. The youth have for many years, been the main targets and victims of police brutality and they rose courageously, in their numbers, to demand an end to police brutality, beginning with the demand for the disbandment of the notorious SARS, a tactical intervention force that was created to fight crime but ended up committing crime and enjoying impunity.
The protests were widespread, resounding and sustained. It achieved substantial success. The youth were clear in their demands and the government made reasonable concessions. However, public cynicism and distrust of government arising from many years of deceit, lies and betrayal, made the protesters doubt government's sincerity and seriousness to make good its many promises. Hence, the protesters persisted, insisting on seeing concrete actions before they would back down. But when it became clear that sponsored hoodlums had infiltrated, hijacked and derailed the good cause, it was time to tactically retreat, re-assess and continue to engage through other legitimate means. I foresaw and warned of the need to avoid the casualties that the rogue government, using the highly politicised military, was predictably determined to cause among defenceless people whose only crime was peacefully demanding good governance.
Do you consider the redeployment of personnel of the defunct SARS to other units an action that shows the will to address the real problems?
The IGP has said that no member of the defunct SARS will be part of the new outfit that has been created to replace SARS. That is a good first step. The next step would be to do an audit of personnel of the disbanded SARS, identify those with cases of murder and abuse to answer and be investigated and prosecuted. Their victims are also entitled to redress, including apologies and monetary compensations. The personnel also need to go through a psychological evaluation to isolate those with mental health problems. They can't be reintegrated or redeployed into other units because they will not only continue with their crimes in their new places of postings but also negatively influence other less brutal and corrupt officers. The Nigeria Police needs purging and those who are untrainable and irredeemable must be shown the way out.
What are the problems created by the defunct SARS that require urgent actions from the authorities?
The SARS operatives, just like those of other tactical units, were laws unto themselves because they were answerable only to the IGP. They held senior officers, including state commissioners of police in contempt and were beyond their control. They acted as they liked without supervision and accountability for crimes and abuse.
This was the background against which the IGP, as one of his earlier reform measures, decentralised the command and control of SARS and made state command CPs and zonal assistant inspectors general answerable for any excesses by operatives within their operational jurisdictions. Prior to this, SARS operatives could move from one state to another state to abduct people, take them around, detain, torture and extort huge sums of money in ransom from them. People were taken to their banks or forced to use ATM or POS and their accounts emptied. We are not talking about exhibit money or property. We are talking about rogue operatives robbing people of their hard-earned money and properties. SARS became an organised criminal entity.
Police brutality is a problem that has persisted for long in the Nigerian police system and many Nigerians accuse the leadership of the police of alleged complicity. Do you share that opinion?
Nigeria at independence inherited the institutional culture of the colonial police, the culture of violence and repression. Its philosophy is regime protection rather than service and protection for the people. This culture was reinforced by military rule and has persisted under the current dispensation. Inadequate funding of the police and poor welfare conditions of the personnel are also contributory to abuse and corruption. When officers have to require money from complainants or accused persons to investigate cases, it creates room for corruption and violence.
When junior officers are required to make returns to senior officers to retain their 'lucrative' beats, corruption becomes institutional. It will be difficult to achieve change at the lower level when there is also corruption at the top.
The new Police Act provides a new legal framework to reposition the police. It provides a funding framework to ensure that police budgeting is bottom-top and reflects the actual budgetary needs of the NPF at all levels.
There have been concerns raised about Awkuzu SARS in Anambra State. Can you share your experience with the centre?
Awkuzu SARS was the most notorious of all the SARS bases across the country. It was notable for the cruelty and mindlessness of its operatives in the abuse of arrest and detention procedures, and in the use of torture and extrajudicial killings as means of 'investigation'. They were notable for framing and parading people for crimes they had no evidence that they committed. They extorted huge sums of money from their victims and family members of their victims. They also killed for politicians and were available for hire to settle scores. The majority of the victims who were lucky to come out alive or their relatives alleged that Awkuzu SARS harvested and sold the body parts of some people they executed. This needs to be properly investigated to ascertain its veracity or otherwise. One notorious man ran a human 'abbatoir' at Awkuzu SARS where lives were willfully terminated. He denied detainees access to anybody and disregarded court orders. His activities, including his connection with politicians and notable businessmen in Anambra State should be investigated.
Justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings by the police has been a difficult task for affected families. Who should be blamed for this; the police or the Nigerian judicial system?
Amnesty International, in one of its old reports, described the Nigerian criminal justice system as a conveyor belt of injustice. This is true. From poor police investigation due lack of funds, proper training and facilities, to inefficiency and delay by the prosecutors, to congestion, delay and, sometimes, corruption in the judiciary leading to delay of and, sometimes, denial of justice, to congestion of correctional centres, the entire criminal justice system is a curse on the citizens, especially the poor. In few cases where the courts have determined cases of extrajudicial killing and ordered the police to pay compensations to victims, the police disobey most of such orders and the courts are often helpless. The attorneys general are also complicit in many cases by failure to effectively ensure that court orders are obeyed by executive agencies or that justice is dispensed fairly and speedily in their jurisdictions.
For how long has the defunct Awkuzu SARS had its reputation as an abattoir?
It was as far back as 2005 or 2006, when I went to Anambra State to do research on the patterns and prevalence of police abuse in my advocacy for police reforms that I came about specific cases. It has maintained that notoriety (Awkuzu SARS) and that particular commander spent several years in that same unit. What you would find is that in most places, officers like that are usually kept for so long because they work not just for law enforcement but also for people in government and businessmen. There is one area we need to further investigate: Every single person I have interviewed who passed through Awkuzu SARS spoke about the sale of human parts. I know that this is something difficult to prove, even though they all say it. And they described a particular man called Doctor, who always came in a white robe any time somebody was shot at the back of the torture chamber. What he came to do, they did not know. So, that gave them the impression that the man was coming to harvest human parts but that needs to be investigated.
What specific methods of torture were employed at the centre?
The most prominent was tying the two hands and legs of the victims behind their backs and hanging them from a ceiling fan with their victims' chests protruding. They would leave them for hours, flog them, administer electric shock and use fire, hot objects and machetes on them. Sometimes, they (SARS officers) would also insert broomsticks into their genitals, for males; and for females, they would use bottles. Sometimes, also, when they wanted to execute, without shooting them, they would use a trampoline to cover their face so that they would suffocate. So, these were the usual methods that we heard from the people we interviewed.
Did some of the female victims say they were raped?
I have come across many female victims of torture who, in the course of narrating their ordeal, would not normally tell you that they were raped. But when you probe further, they tell you in confidence and tell you not to include it in the report. So, sexual violence is prevalent. The only problem is that there is a culture of silence that makes victims not want to talk about it.
Why do you think nothing has been done about the activities of policemen at the defunct Awkuzu SARS?
The man (former head of Awkuzu SARS) has serious connections with power businessmen in Anambra State. A former IGP told me that, following our numerous petitions against the notorious former head of Awkuzu SARS, he wanted to remove him from that place, but that he (IGP) received calls from a governor, a prominent traditional ruler in the state, and a prominent transporter, who was a regular visitor to Awkuzu SARS as of that time. With the connections with these powerful people, it was difficult for any IGP to take steps. The IGP also had difficulties in removing a former head of SARS in Lagos but had to create a new office for him and move him to Abuja.
Do you know if any of the officers of Awkuzu SARS has been prosecuted for the crimes committed?
Not a single one has been prosecuted.
Who do you think should be blamed for the lack of accountability in the defunct SARS and the police in general?
Let me tell you the truth. The responsibility is at two levels. One thing I know is that the commissioners of police in state commands usually don't have control over SARS. The person that has control over SARS is the IGP, but he hardly does anything because the units make a lot of money and make returns to retain those posts. So, at one level, it is because some of the IGPs benefit from the money they get from SARS units. On the other hand, it is because of political interference. The truth is that the President is the operational head of the police, not the IGP. Nigeria is the only country in the whole world where we have that kind of arrangement, where a political leader that ought to be in charge of policies, is in charge of both policies and operations. So, that is one of the reforms that must happen if the Nigeria Police must be insulated from political control and inefficiency, and be made professional.
Some of the accounts reported about the defunct SARS are wicked and horrific. Why do you think people meant to protect unarmed citizens lost their conscience and became evil?
It is because of the impunity in the system. They killed once and nothing happened, so they would do it again. When there is a culture of violence and brutality, nothing happens. That is why an officer in SARS would use his powers to settle personal scores. If you have a person who committed no crime, they could arrest the person and label that person a kidnapper or an armed robber. They would demand money and if the person failed to bring it, they could kill the person.
Some states have set up judicial panels of enquiries to look into the issues raised by the protesters, with regard to the excesses of the police. Do you think these will give justice to the victims?
This is a rare opportunity for justice for the numerous victims of police brutality. In the past, many decisions of judicial panels of inquiry have been ignored. The 'Apo six' is a handy example. But we need to explore this opportunity and engage it to ensure that it works for the people and achieves the justice they deserve and desire.
There were allegations that the protests derailed and turned violent as witnessed in Lagos, Edo, Osun, Abuja and others. What do you think went wrong?
The protest lasted about 11 consecutive days and remained peaceful up to the last few days. There was no reason for people who remained peaceful all along and who, from the start, continued to express their commitment to remain peaceful, to suddenly resort to violence. Of course, we heard news and saw videos of hoodlums attacking peaceful protesters in many states. At some point, pro-government protesters also confronted the #EndSARS protesters. So, clearly, government sponsored hoodlums to infiltrate, hijack and derail the otherwise peaceful protests. And they did that to discredit the protesters and to provide the pretext to crack down on them. This is cowardly.
What is your reaction to the curfew imposed by some state governments?
The curfew would have been unnecessary if the hired agents of violence had not intervened and escalated the situation to violence just to provide the basis to impose a curfew and smoke the protesters out of the streets. I commend the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for making the difference and demonstrating leadership which every responsible and well-meaning governor and the President should take a cue from. Rather than blame the protesters, he deployed forces to go after the hoodlums and provide protection for the protesters.
What other ways can true reform be made in the police force?
The new Police Act provides the framework to drive police reform. All the stakeholders who have roles to play under the law must play their roles. We need to sanitise the recruitment process, ensure proper training and retraining, adequately fund and equip the police and improve welfare. Discipline and accountability for abuses are important.
What is your reaction to the killing of peaceful protesters at Lekki, Lagos, by military officers, in view of the issue of extrajudicial killings and disregard for human rights?
What I find completely unwarranted, unjustifiable and, therefore, unacceptable is firing live bullets at unarmed protesters. Military deployment was uncalled for. The IGP had earlier deployed anti-riot police officers who, expectedly, would have used minimum and proportionate force to disperse those who turned the peaceful protest into unnecessary violence. While violence is deplorable, the use of excessive and disproportionate force is a crime under international law that Nigerian subscribes BY PUNCH NEWSPAPER
Hoodlums renew attacks, loot in Osun, Cross River, Plateau
Why I didn't request army, police to stop those who razed Nation, TVC – Tinubu
Nigeria Should Grow its Non-Tax Revenue and Issue Interest-Free Debt in 2022 – Ayo Teriba
WHY OYETOLA MUST BE RE-ELECTED


text:
A71 bezeichnet folgende Straßen:
 Autoroute A71, eine Autobahn in Frankreich
 Bundesautobahn 71, eine Autobahn in Deutschland
 A71 road, eine Fernstraße in Schottland
 Aftokinitodromos 71 in Griechenland

A71


what do the Santa's lights say?
running second in the race and sulking?
I cannot hear what's said.
The other day I heard a line in a movie that stuck with me. I don't know why it bothered me but it did. A character in the movie asked another character about "konwing" you were with the right person for you. The character replied "you just know."
That bothers me for some reason.
When and how do you know you are with the person you are going to spend the rest of your life with?
Personally I think it is at the moment you want to work for that relationship more then you are willing to let go and move on. I don't mean staying wih someone becuase that is the easy thing to do. Good relationships don't get built by "staying with someone." I mean the kind of putting of effort and work to make the relationship better.
Not becuase there are highs and lows, but rather becuase when things are running smoothly its the best place to be. It's when you are willing to work harder then you ever have before and think about someone else first, then you are with the right person for you.
The moment of selflessness, when a selfless act means more in the long run then any number of selfish acts ever could.
So when do you know? When you are willing to put everything you have into making that relationship work.


Fabrizio Garau – Oak Editions | Italian Resonance – Dronegazers?
Including: Enrico Coniglio, Alberto Boccardi, Easychord, Cristiano Deison, Giulio Aldinucci and Francesco Giannico.
Including: From the Mouth of the Sun and Seabuckthorn, Gavin Miller, William Ryan Fritch and other artists.


text:
Howling For Wolves Mid-Summer Advocacy Update
Dear wolf advocates:
Howling For Wolves continues to be a strong voice for the wild wolf for future generations. While last year protections were held up in federal court, and recently we defeated congressional legislation to remove federal endangered species protections for the wolf, we're constantly reminded of the many threats wolves fact for long-term survival. Just this month the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that it will try, once again, to develop a proposal to remove wolves from the Endangered Species Act protections in the Great Lakes Region (which includes Minnesota). We must persist!
Testimony in Congress:
Dr. Maureen Hackett, President and Founder, submitted written testimony to the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies on May 18, 2018, on behalf of Howling For Wolves in support of keeping them on the Endangered Species List. You can read it here.
TAKE ACTION TODAY on Alaska hunting rules:
The U.S. Department of Interior is proposing to allow hunters in Alaska to kill wolf pups and bear cubs in their dens, bait them with pastries, and shoot swimming caribou from motorboats. Public comment on these proposed rules is underway. We encourage you to comment through our easy web form – we have an easy editable, pre-written comment that easily marks your opposition to this gruesome proposed rule. Take action here
Isle Royale update:
The National Park Service has decided to release 20-30 wolves on Michigan's Isle Royale over the next three years in an effort to keep a more balanced wildlife structure with overpopulated moose. Howling For Wolves has repeatedly called on the NPS and wildlife leaders to use captive wolves to re-populate the island. We penned an opinion piece printed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune ("Use Wildlife Science Center's Captive wolves to repopulate Isle Royale") and have released several media statements that have been picked up by statewide news outlets.
Wolf Pack meetings:
Howling For Wolves is organizing "Wolf Pack" meetings in communities around the state this summer. We have meetings in St. Cloud, Duluth, Brainerd, Thief River Falls, Brainerd, and Grand Rapids scheduled. Click here for more information on times, locations, and to RSVP. The meetings are to gather local wolf supporters and we will provide information on the wolf, projects, and opportunities to become more involved.
More illegal trapping:
This May the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported the most recent shocking trapping investigation: two more trappers in Itasca County were charged with 67 counts of illegally using snares and have illegally killed at least seven gray wolves, two black bears, and other wildlife. This adds to other deplorable recent charges of illegal snare use and killing in Minnesota: Earlier this year in February, a wolf, entangled in a snare, was shot and killed in Duluth. In addition, last year, two Minnesotans were charged in illegal trapping with snares in what the Minnesota DNR called the "biggest we've ever seen" with 638 illegal snares.
Last week we travelled to Itasca County to see the trial and urged the prosecuting attorney to apply animal cruelty charges and punish trappers to the full extent of the law, otherwise there won't be any deterrence and a pattern of illegal trapping will continue. Read our full media statement here. Howling For Wolves will be following this case and provide updates. Thank you to local wolf advocates who has also applied pressure to the prosecuting attorney.
Summertime by George:
Howling For Wolves has been doing outreach in St. Cloud at their weekly "Summertime by George" concert and festival on Wednesdays. Come say hi if you're in the neighborhood!
Resources found on the HowlingForWolves.org
We've added some resources you may be interested in, to the Howling For Wolves website:
Watch our video on how the DNR is mis-counting Minnesota wolves
"Tourism cards" to distribute when in Wolf Country
Thank you again to the many people who travelled to the Capitol in St. Paul to advocate to their state legislators on behalf of the wolf for Wolf Day 2018: Band Together, Ban the Snare. Check out our website here for more pictures.
Thank you for your action and voice for the wolf! #StandAgainstSnaring,
-Maureen Hackett, MD, President and Founder, Howling For Wolves


The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed it recently carried out spot checks on development projects in Waltham Forest.
According to the organisation, it held the inspections in the area to highlight unsafe practices and ensure items such as personal protective equipment are used properly by workers.
Work on 12 of the 16 sites in the region was stopped, with five improvement notices also provided to owners of buildings and contractors involved.
Sarah Snelling, inspector of the HSE, said the organisation 'will not tolerate poor standards and will take appropriate enforcement action'.
'Our advice to those who work in the refurbishment and conversion sector is to plan work, use competent workers and, if working at height, use the right equipment and use it safely,' she added.
The HSE recently held a presentation highlighting the dangers of asbestos to students in Plymouth.
Held as part of the body's Hidden Killer campaign, the event was held at the City of Plymouth.


Thanks to all who participated in the ITO! We are finalizing talks with institutions and partners as we move forward with the internal audit of the ITO. Watch for news on our blog and through email to follow along as we progress through our next milestones.


A big congrats to Jodi, the Featured Stamper (FS331) on Splitcoast! What a super gallery and I noticed she has a lot of vintage images and little frames w/ a postage stamp edge, so I chose her Hello, Bonnie Blue Bell to case. I kept the Hello theme, soft colors and general layout, but I used different images, made my background instead of using dp and put the sentiment on the image panel.
I stamped the greeting next to the little telephone and colored it w/ Copics, using the colors from Tuesday's Color Challenge (CC429), sand, pink & sky. To make the background, I placed a couple of strips of drywall mesh across white c/s and sponged the colors on. I added a few strips of painter's tape and sponged on more color. I die cut one frame using the postage stamp squares (resized to a rectangle) and a narrow white frame around the outside. I used copics to color in the postage stamp frame. The card is 4.25 x 5.50.
Congrats again, Jodi! Thanks so much for stopping by!


text:
New Dawn Skipper's Bravery Praised But Better Rescue Procedures Required
accident reporting, MAIB
Britain's Maritime Accident Investigation Branch has praised the skipper of the trawler New Dawn for his attempts to rescue a Filipino seafarer, Reynaldo Benitez, swept overboard by a towing chain but told the vessel ownewr, Fuimus LLP, to review onboard equipment and rescue procedures.
During routine twin rig trawling shooting operations in international waters on the night of 13th August, says the MAIB's preliminary report: "After attaching the port and starboard towing chains to the trawl wires, two crewmen worked at attaching the centre chain in an area of considerable danger, between the port and starboard chains. Once attached to the towing chains, the load on the trawl wires was transferred onto the chains. It was during this operation that one crewman was caught between the chains and the vessel's bulwark rail, and was subsequently carried overboard."
The vessel's skipper, Chaz Bruce, jumped overboard in a rescue attempt but himself began to suffer the effects of cold water. It was only with great difficulty that the rest of the crew managed to bring the skipper back onboard. The fallen seafarer remains missing.
New Dawn appears in the BBC Television Series Trawlermen which began a new set of episodes in August.
Following the incident, Fuimus LLP modified the procedure utilised when attaching towing chains to the trawl warps, so that the middle towing chain is attached before the port and starboard chains; Made the wearing of inflatable lifejackets compulsory for all crew during shooting and hauling operations and established procedures to ensure that all crew are in positions of safety before the load from trawl warps is transferred to the towing chains.
MAIB's Deputy Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has written to the vessel's owner to acknowledge the actions taken since the accident, and "the valiant attempt made by the skipper to rescue his colleague overboard. However, the Deputy Chief Inspector also recognised the personal danger the skipper placed himself in while attempting this rescue, and suggested the owner may wish to review the equipment available on board the vessel, and procedures which may be adopted, to better facilitate the recovery of a person from the sea".
MAC would like to make a few comments that might be more generally applicable. It can be very difficult to recover someone, even conscious and in good conditions, from the water without training, practice or the right equipment. Review your ability to do it.
Lifejackets too often go by-the-by on small working vessels, New Dawn was nearly 15 metres. There are all sorts of rationalisations for not wearing one, in the same way that some folk 'rationalise' not wearing a seatbelt in a car. Despite bright colours and reflective tape its hard enough to find a lifejacket-wearing MOB at night even in moderate weather, without a lifejacket your chances of being found are slim to none.
Think of a lifejacket as a condom – to be worn, if possible, on every conceivable occasion.
Also, jobs sometimes get done the same way, day after day, year after year without anyone asking 'is there a safer way to do this job?'. Eventually, the job becomes standard operating procedure – it's done that way because it's always been done that way. Making a job safer may be as simple as changing the order it which it is done. Is there a job that can be done safer on your vessel?
Posted by bobcouttie at 10:58	Tagged with: fuimus-llp, lifejackets, MAIB, MAIB. Maritime accident, Man Overboard, maritime accident investigation, MOB, New Dawn, trawler
Ike – 28 down, 3,772 To Go Napoli Fights On


So as I was winding down my workout I came up with the bright idea to do some skin the cat reversals. On my third rep I felt something pop in my right ear which I assume was due to the combination of exertion and the odd angle your body is at for the movement. My ear felt like it was clogged and my hearing out of that side is greatly diminished as of right now. It is one of the oddest gym "injuries" I can recall.


text:
Gusi Sensei
Chi-I-Do
What Is Goju?
by Jon Reingold & Christopher L. Chin
This principle would be the ability in one instant to be relaxed and in the next instant to be fully powered up. This can be illustrated by the development of the body, through Sanchin training, to "turn on" in an instant in order to become armored to protect against any attack; then, just as quickly, to "turn off" the power and become supple enough to counter-attack with lightening quickness. A more spiritual interpretation of the hard-soft philosophy 'would be the strength to withstand life's stresses and strains while remaining compassionate warm-hearted in our conduct toward others.
A Little Okinawan History
Okinawa, also known as the Ryukyu Islands, is quite far from the rest of Japan. For many centuries the Okinawans traded predominantly with the Chinese. Okinawan culture, as a result, was greatly influenced by the Chinese. In fact, Okinawa was not even part of Japan until the Japanese invaded and occupied the country and subjugated the people.
You may have realized by now that the philosophy of the balance of hard-soft, as well as other seemingly opposite ideas, is not unique to Goju. For centuries the Chinese have understood the balance of apparent opposites, of Yin/Yang -, of a universe balanced by opposing forces blending into each other, with a little of each represented in the heart of the other. It is clear these Chinese concepts found their way into Okinawan culture.
Goju-Ryu is also a melding of native Okinawan martial arts (Naha-te, literally hands of Naha, a city in Okinawa) with certain martial arts of Fukien Province of southern China. It was Higashionna Kanryo who traveled from Okinawa to Fukien Province and combined these arts to form Naha-te. Higashionna Sensel traveled to China as a teenager to learn martial arts. He trained and lived with a martial arts master named Ryu Ryu Ko. The arts they trained included Fukien White Crane, which is characterized by powerful short range movements, quick long range movements, circular motions, and harmony of breath and motion (Sound familiar?). Several years after he returned to Okinawa, Higashionna began teaching. Higashionna was 49 years old when he took on a 14 year old student named Miyagi Chojun...
Chojun (Tyajun) Miyagi
Chojun (Tyajun) Miyagi was born on April 25,1888. He began his Karate training Shuri-te and at the age of 14 was introduced to Kanryo Higaonna with whom he began his study of Naha-te. Like his teacher before him, because of his great talent and determination, he progressed rapidly. Chojun Miyagi became "uchi deshi" (private discipline) of Kanryo Higaonna. He stayed with his teacher for 14 years before his teacher's passing in 1915.
Chojun Miyagi, as successor to Naha-te pushed himself to the limits of endurance in his desire to emulate his teacher's extraordinary skill. In 1915 he journeyed to the Fukien Province in China, where his teacher had studied martial arts nearly a half decade earlier, to further his research. This was one of three trips he made to China during his lifetime.
Chojun Miyagi worked hard to spread Goju-Ryu Karate throughout Okinawa,Japan, Asia and the Pacific and to earn Goju-Ryu a status equal to that of the highly respected Japanese martial arts. To achieve this he traveled frequently to mainland Japan where he was invited to teach at Kyoto University, Kansai University and Ritsumei Kan University. In 1933, Goju-Ryu Kara-te was the first Okinawan martial art to be registered at the Dai Nippon Butoku-Kai, the center for all martial arts in Japan.
Chojun Miyagi dedicated his whole life to Kara-te. He was responsible for structuring Goju-Ryu into a systemize discipline which could be taught to people in general. The system that he designed enabled Kara-te to be taught for the benefit of the young and old to reach large numbers of people all over the world. His teachings at his home remained strictly in adherence to the principles and traditions of his teacher, Kanryo Higaonna, and his teacher before him, Ryu Ryu Ko. Grandmaster Chojun Miyagi passed away in 1953.
Tutors and Influences
Sensei Akira Kawakami -- performing Kata Sanseiru in Oklahoma City Dojo.
Photo credit: Dick Strout
Reverend Sogen Sakiyama -- Buddhist Zen Priest.
Kata Sanchin - at the end. The Reverend was a participating student of Great Grand Master Chojun Miyagi and had learnt many Goju Katas prior the war.
Circa: Summer, 1971
Photo credit: Hick Ngow Lee
Contact Gusi Sensei (gusi_g@msn.com)


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

  <groupId>org.kie</groupId>
  <artifactId>wires</artifactId>
  <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
  <packaging>pom</packaging>
  <name>KIE Wires</name>

  <modules>
    <module>wires-core</module>
    <module>wires-bayesian-parser</module>
    <module>wires-bayesian-network</module>
    <module>wires-webapp</module>
    <module>wires-distribution-war</module>
  </modules>

  <properties>
    <maven.compiler.target>1.6</maven.compiler.target>
    <maven.compiler.source>1.6</maven.compiler.source>
    <lienzo.version>1.2.1-SNAPSHOT</lienzo.version>
    <uberfire.version>0.4.2-SNAPSHOT</uberfire.version>
    <errai.version>2.4.4.Final</errai.version>
    <gwt.version>2.5.1</gwt.version>
    <jetty.version>6.1.25</jetty.version>
    <weld.version>1.1.13.Final</weld.version>
    <cdi-api.version>1.0-SP4</cdi-api.version>
    <logback.version>1.0.9</logback.version>
    <slf4j.version>1.7.2</slf4j.version>
    <mgwt.version>1.2.0-SNAPSHOT</mgwt.version>
    <kie.workbench.version>6.2.0-SNAPSHOT</kie.workbench.version>
    <bayesian-api.version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</bayesian-api.version>
    <xstream.version>1.3</xstream.version>
    <wires-core.version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</wires-core.version>
    <maven-source-plugin.version>2.0.4</maven-source-plugin.version>
  </properties>

  <repositories>
    <repository>
      <id>jboss-public-repository-group</id>
      <name>JBoss Public Repository Group</name>
      <url>http://repository.jboss.org/nexus/content/groups/public/</url>
      <layout>default</layout>
      <releases>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <updatePolicy>never</updatePolicy>
      </releases>
      <snapshots>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <updatePolicy>daily</updatePolicy>
      </snapshots>
    </repository>
    <repository>
      <id>sonatype</id>
      <url>https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/</url>
    </repository>
  </repositories>

</project>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Naples Daily News
Marco Island Academy breaks ground for new permanent campus
Marco Island Academy (MIA) has always been groundbreaking. Monday morning, they got literal about it.
Marco Island Academy breaks ground for new permanent campus Marco Island Academy (MIA) has always been groundbreaking. Monday morning, they got literal about it. Check out this story on marconews.com: https://www.marconews.com/story/news/2019/05/16/marco-island-academy-breaks-ground-new-permanent-campus/3691657002/
Lance Shearer, Correspondent Published 10:11 a.m. ET May 16, 2019 | Updated 11:00 a.m. ET May 16, 2019
Photos: MIA groundbreaking, 2019
Two dozen people line up for the ceremonial groundbreaking. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
Marianne Iordanou, co-chair of the school's capital campaign, speaks flanked by founder Jane Watt and principal Melissa Scott. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
Jane Watt gets a hug from benefactor Tish Champagne. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
MIA founder Jane Watt speaks next to a rendering of the new facilities. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
Benefactors Karen and Bill Young stand to be recognized. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
Jim and Jane Watt, from right, with children Olivia and Jonathan. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
Principal Melissa Scott sports a sequined pink hardhat. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
A rendering shows the eventual layout of MIA facilities. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
School supporters join students on the central deck. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
Founder Jane Watt speaks, with Marianne Iordanou, co-chair of the school's capital campaign, right, and principal Melissa Scott. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
MIA founder Jane Watt speaks to a gathering of the school's students and supporters. Marco Island Academy, the island's charter high school, broke ground for phase one of their permanent campus Monday morning, and announced progress in their overall fundraising campaign. Lance Shearer/Correspondent
Supporters and benefactors joined the students and faculty for the official groundbreaking ceremony for what will become the school's permanent facilities, allowing them to leave behind the pre-fabricated modular structures that currently make up the MIA campus. The school's leaders also took the opportunity to announce exciting news about a flurry of fundraising activity, which jumpstarted the building program and might allow the process to be completed faster than previously anticipated.
The island's charter high school opened in 2011, founder Jane Watt told the group assembled on the school's open central deck, "against all odds, including pushback from the district and the local community, in a small classroom building we rented from the Family Church."
They added a grade level each year, and in 2013, grew out of that facility and into the present campus.
"I will never forget the day the modulars came over the bridge," said Watt. Those temporary buildings served the school well, even making it through Hurricane Irma with minimal damage, but were never the longterm solution to housing MIA.
Marco Island Academy is an A-rated high school, ranked in the top two percent of the nation's most challenging high schools, designated a High-Performing Charter School by the Florida Dept. of Education, and ranked as one of the nation's most academically challenging schools by the Washington Post. MIA has achieved academic excellence while working out of what is essentially a trailer park, but Watt and her supporters dreamed of a permanent home.
This spring, the school kicked off a capital campaign to build a permanent campus, a three-phase process that will continue for years. Phase one, an athletics and arts center, will sit on currently vacant land just to the west of the modular classrooms, and cost $4.5 million. The plan calls for an academic center to make up phase two, at a cost of $6.5 million, and final completion and soccer field in phase three, with a cost of $1.5 million.
That adds up to $12.5 million, a daunting number, but in a period of four days, the school got $3 million closer to realizing their dream, said capital campaign co-chair Marianne Iordanu.
"Two days ago, our total was a little over $3,800,000. I can honestly say I was a bit concerned that we may not make our goal before summer," said Iordanu. "Then stepped in Myrt Rose. She had already donated a substantial sum for which we were so grateful."
Rose donated an additional million dollars. Islanders Rene and Tish Champagne, also major benefactors of the school, gave an additional $1.5 million, and Iordanou and her husband Dinos, her co-chair, doubled their gift to $1 million.
With the surge of donations, and Bill and Karen Young converting their $2 million loan to buy the land under the school into a gift, the prospects for speedy completion of the capital campaign and construction of the school took an upswing.
Watt thanked additional donors and supporters of the school and its campaign, including Scott and Brenda Rhinehart, Mark and Michelle Melvin, Terry and Andrea McCreanor, Alex and Luke Iordanou Allery, Krystina Iordanou, and Jim and Shirley Balk, all of whom will have various components of the new school bear their names. Naming opportunities for additional facilities still exist. The school has debuted a new website devoted to the capital campaign, "Graduating to a Permanent Campus," at www.missionmia.org, said Watt.
She also thanked Principal Melissa Scott for "transforming our entire school culture for the better," as well as board and advisory board members and the JW Marriott for their contributions to the school.
After the remarks, acknowledgements, and singing of the school song by the student choir, everyone trooped out to the site along San Marco Rd. where a long line of shovels and another long line of sugar sand awaited. Two dozen donned hardhats and flung a ceremonial shovelful of dirt to officially kick off the construction. The gold-plated shovels went to the Watts' garage to await future groundbreaking ceremonies.
Actual building is scheduled to commence next month, and if all goes according to plan, said Watt, students will begin using the new phase one facility in fall 2021.
Marco Island Academy is a 501 (c)3 charitable organization.
Read or Share this story: https://www.marconews.com/story/news/2019/05/16/marco-island-academy-breaks-ground-new-permanent-campus/3691657002/
David Harden: From Vietnam to Marco Island
Bobcat kitten rescued on Marco
Boat catches on fire at Calusa Marina
MICA sent marijuana survey results to council
3 To Know: Spammy Jammy, traffic alert, more
Marco Island approves medical marijuana dispensaries


text:
Космогенний метаморфізм — різновид метаморфізму, обумовлений різким короткочасним зростанням температури і тиску під впливом на породи ударних хвиль, що породжуються падіннями великих метеоритів. Він призводить до утворення імпактитів, в яких зустрічаються мінерали високого тиску (стишовіт, коесит, дрібні алмази і ін.) спільно з продуктами плавлення, деформації та дроблення мінералів первинних порід.

Література

Метаморфізм


Formal correspondence -they can easily shape others' perceptions regarding people, inform the actual target audience of a significant issue, as well as bring you a job. There are two principal forms of small business mail variations: stop type and Admin Operations Style (AMS). Block type may be the normally employed formal correspondence file format; they have a new salutation along with shutting, as well as will work for text letters for you to businesses you are deciding on or an individual you've got fulfilled prior to. AMS design will be more concise as well as far better intended for inside memos along with circumstances where by you must be very one on one.
In instances where by an individual symbolize an enterprise, you'll be able to set your logo and also handle suitable in the center of your webpage. Make sure to centre that so that it appears to be homogeneous.
Place your time frame straight below your sender's deal with. It should be one line within the sender' ohydrates tackle (two challenging earnings on the keyboard). The actual time is important for two main factors: for anyone who is trying to get anyone or group to try and do a job regularly (send a new pay, deal with the purchase, and so on. ), it will allow them to have a time body to do business with or maybe in order to spend less a new content from the mail regarding legal causes or even progeny, the actual date is utterly necessary.
If you do not learn the particular recipient' ohydrates subject, carry out a few background exploration or perhaps call this company to learn. Usually work with a woman' azines inclination (Mrs. Milliseconds., Miss or Medical professional. ) Understand what realize any woman' ersus desire, work with Ms.
Give anybody you might be handling any salutation. "Dear Sir/Madam" operates okay, or find out this name from the man or women, deal with all of them directly; guarantee, on the other hand, that you simply tackle them previously applying "Rev. ", "Dr. ", "Mr. inch, "Mrs. ", as well as "Ms. inches, including his or her name if identified. Area a new intestines as soon as the salutation and squeeze in a brand (two challenging returns) between salutation and also the body on the page.
Write your body from the letter. The entire body of the letter need not be in comparison with a few grammatical construction. If you can't claim the item in a few grammatical construction or perhaps much less subsequently you will be not likely becoming succinct plenty of. One living space and still left warrant each part for example look here – http://essaychecker.net/, inside the entire body.
In the first section, compose a friendly launching after which it talk about the reason as well as purpose in the letter. Cut straight to the particular pursue.
In the second paragraph, work with illustrations to help pressure or maybe underline your stage, if at all possible. Real, real good examples are usually always better than hypothetical cases.
In the final piece, briefly summarize your own function written and also advocate the way you might like to proceed additional.
Sign off your mail while using the appropriate salutation. Leave space involving the salutation as well as your imprinted name to get a signature, when possible. "Yours seriously, inches "Sincerely, inches and also "Best, inch are common ideal. Abandon an area within your branded label on your trademark. Finish along with your concept under the trademark if applicable.
If that you are composing in Improved Prohibit model, everything can be remaining justified (the same as Obstruct Style) apart from the day and the closing. Tab to be able to the center of the actual web page then generate the closing.
Add the saying ' Enclosure' below ones trademark stop or maybe work subject. Only accomplish this should you enclosing other substance, such as a application or maybe timetable, combined with the correspondence. If you find a couple of additional merchandise, it would be a smart idea to record the actual bands in the enclosed goods.
Proofread your notice. Check the actual transliteration associated with names, address and many others. Ensure that your producing is usually obvious along with short and snappy. Deal with any kind of syntax mistakes.
Write the sender' ersus deal with in the major eventually left spot. If you use a letterheadyou don' capital t must set the actual sender' utes deal with. Rather, start off the actual correspondence with the time frame inside top remaining spot.
Place the date immediately down below the actual sender' ersus target. Do not leave a new blank collection between sender' ersus address and day.
Write your system sentences. This can be in which people examine ones subject. Be brief but detailed as part of your talk from the theme.
Write your current identify below the body of the correspondence. Don't virtually any concluding remarks for example ' sincerely'. Under your current identify, depart area for ones signature bank. Down below your current personal, create your career concept.
Add any enclosures. Enclosures are extra materials routed and also the mail. Generate the phrase ' Enclosure' after which it list the labels in the enclosed supplies.
Proofread your current letter with regard to punctuational as well as grammar glitches. Be sure just about all labels along with address are usually spelled effectively.
Pick away a package. It will ordinary as well as both sq or even rectangle-shaped. It should not need patterns on there. However, it might be stylized–you would have personalized envelopes made that are larger and more tough in comparison with standard envelopes.
Fold your page in order that it suits straight into your bag. Ensure that you flip your current correspondence in one attempt to be a mail with a lot of wrinkles as well as re-creases seems to be of little substance.
If you're by using a square typical cover, crease your letter in to side to side thirds.
If you might be utilizing a sq cover, fold your own letter in half horizontally and then in two vertically in order that will be types the rectangular shape that may fit into the sq . package.
Flip the actual bag over. Create your own identify inside the prime still left spot. Generate your avenue handle at risk below the name. Generate your current village, condition, and squat code at stake below ones street target.
Address the actual bag. From the decrease right third with the package, write the identify from the man or woman you happen to be giving the letter for you to. 6 Write the business identify at risk underneath which (if there's a corporation name). Compose the street handle on the line below the business label. Create the location, talk about, and zip code on the line down below in which.
Place a stamp (or stamps) inside the top suitable hands nook. Be sure your own seal of approval might be priced at the bodyweight of the letter.
Posted on September 8, 2015 by decorsgo.


Math worksheets for fifth grade adding decimals division coloring 5th multiplication word. 5th grade math worksheets division digits by long for fifth word. Math games worksheets 5th grade download them and try to solves decimals. Math worksheets for fifth grade multiplication 5th word problems cbse printables.


text:
Q: C#: Sequence contains no elements issue throwing after implementing parallel.foreach loop i have used nested parallel.foreach loop to populate list of data. the after using parallel.foreach some time i am getting error Sequence contains no elements which is throwing from later portion of the code.
i have two section in this post. first i will post my parallel.foreach loop code
Parallel.ForEach(OrderWiseLineItem, data =>
                    {
                        // string Li = data1.LineItem;
                        string section = data.Section;
                        string Li = data.Lineitem;

                        if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(Li) && !String.IsNullOrEmpty(section))
                        {
                            Parallel.ForEach(DistinctBroker, broker =>
                            {
                                    // for broker row .... weightage 1 (no color)

                                    Interlocked.Increment(ref rowNumber);
                                    brokerRowWeightageRowNumber = new WeightageRowNumber();
                                    brokerRowWeightageRowNumber.Section = section;
                                    brokerRowWeightageRowNumber.Lineitem = Li;
                                    brokerRowWeightageRowNumber.Broker = broker;
                                    brokerRowWeightageRowNumber.RowNumber = rowNumber;
                                    brokerRowWeightageRowNumber.Weightage = (int)RowWeightage.BrokerRow;

                                    lock (_lock)
                    {
                                        WeightageRowNumberall.Add(brokerRowWeightageRowNumber);
                                    }
                            }

                                Interlocked.Increment(ref rowNumber);
                                ConsensusRowWeightageRowNumber = new WeightageRowNumber();
                                ConsensusRowWeightageRowNumber.Section = section;
                                ConsensusRowWeightageRowNumber.Lineitem = Li;
                                ConsensusRowWeightageRowNumber.Broker = "";
                                ConsensusRowWeightageRowNumber.RowNumber = rowNumber;
                                ConsensusRowWeightageRowNumber.Weightage = (int)RowWeightage.ConsenSusRow;

                                lock (_lock)
                                {
                                    WeightageRowNumberall.Add(ConsensusRowWeightageRowNumber);
                                }

                            if (qcTrueDistin.Any(x => x.TabName.Equals(section) && x.StandardLineItem.Equals(Li)))
                            {
                                // for QC Check row .... weightage 3, if any  (yellow color)
                                Parallel.ForEach(DistinctBroker, broker =>
                                {

                    Interlocked.Increment(ref rowNumber);
                    QcRowWeightageRowNumber = new WeightageRowNumber();

                    QcRowWeightageRowNumber.Section = section;
                    QcRowWeightageRowNumber.Lineitem = Li;
                    QcRowWeightageRowNumber.Broker = broker;
                    QcRowWeightageRowNumber.RowNumber = rowNumber;
                    QcRowWeightageRowNumber.Weightage = (int)RowWeightage.QcRow;
                    lock (_lock)
                    {
                    WeightageRowNumberall.Add(QcRowWeightageRowNumber);
                    }

                                }
                            }
                        }

                    }

in the above code i used parallel.foreach because there was huge iteration which was taking few minute and after using parallel.foreach loop started taking few second. it was good for me but now some time i am getting Sequence contains no elements error.
now here i am posting the code which is throwing error Sequence contains no elements
if (dataBroker.Any(x => !String.IsNullOrEmpty(x.FormulaLiConfig)))
{
    string formulastd = dataBroker.Where(x => !String.IsNullOrEmpty(x.FormulaLiConfig)).FirstOrDefault().FormulaLiConfig;
    List<string> stdformulalist = FormulaevaluationStandardFormula(formulastd);
    foreach (string formulatemp in stdformulalist)
    {
    if (formulatemp.Contains("~"))
    {
        string section1 = formulatemp.Split('~')[0].Trim();
        string li1 = formulatemp.Split('~')[1].Trim();

        int rowNumber1 = -1;
        rowNumber1 = WeightageRowNumberall.Where(x => x.Section.Trim().Equals(section1)
        && x.Lineitem.Trim().Equals(li1)
        && x.Broker.Equals(broker)
        && x.Weightage == (int)RowWeightage.BrokerRow).FirstOrDefault().RowNumber;

        StandardFormulaConstituents objStandardFormulaConstituents = new StandardFormulaConstituents();
        objStandardFormulaConstituents.Id = coutstdformula;
        objStandardFormulaConstituents.Constituent = formulatemp;
        objStandardFormulaConstituents.RowNumberConstituent = rowNumber1;
        coutstdformula = coutstdformula + 1;
        StandardFormulaConstituentsall.Add(objStandardFormulaConstituents);
    }
    }
}

actually the exact below line throwing error Sequence contains no elements
rowNumber1 = WeightageRowNumberall.Where(x => x.Section.Trim().Equals(section1) && x.Lineitem.Trim().Equals(li1)
&& x.Broker.Equals(broker) && x.Weightage == (int)RowWeightage.BrokerRow).FirstOrDefault().RowNumber;

i am not being able to understand the reason why some time i am getting this error Sequence contains no elements from the above line of code. WeightageRowNumberall is populated in parallel.foreach that is why i suspect some issue is there in parallel.foreach loop.
please guys see my code and tell me why i am getting this error? is parallel.foreach loop is creating issue as per my code.
also tell me should i remove nested parallel.foreach loop and retain only outer parallel.foraech only...does it make sense ?
please guys read my code and give me some solution to restructure my code to get rid of this error Sequence contains no elements.
if i remove parallel.foreach and use normal foreach then never encounter the error Sequence contains no elements.
tell me the reason if anyone understand why i am getting some time error and some time not? i am not being able to capture the reason for the error which is happening not always but some time.
thanks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange